//------------------------------//
// Chapter 18 - Entering the Labbrinthium 
// Story: Once a Necromancer Always a Necromancer 
// by ThatOneLittleBoy 
//------------------------------//

Twilight charged Crystal with her sword drawn. Sweat poured down her brow as she ran, they had been at it for hours now.

As Twilight got close she swung her sword at Crystal, aiming for the legs. She hoped to catch him of guard. He easily saw it coming though and dodged the blow.

Twilight yelled in frustration "Why can't I just hit you? This is getting really goddess dawned annoying you know!"

Crystal looked at Twilight with a smirk "That's because I've been doing this for over thirty years Twilight. And you have been doing it for two hours. Yes, you may be better than the average newbie... It still means you're a newbie!" He chuckled and added "Also, I don't know what you're talking about, I'm having a great time!"

Twilight, once again yelled in frustration "You know what?! Fuck this!" 'I'm going to beat him,' Twilight thought 'I need to beat him!' She proceeded to flapped her wings and raise into the air. She then dive-bombed Crystal, forgetting about her sword entirely, and punched him over and over again.

Twilight, finally realizing what she was doing, took a step back and covered her mouth in shock and horror as she looked at Crystal Ember. She was frozen in the shock and dread at what she just did, what she was capable of. 'Was that really me?' she thought 'It's just like Totenberg all over again.'

But when Twilight was about to begin panicking about what she did to Crystal the old stallion looked up at her. Twilight finally realized something, he was laughing, and had been the whole time. He stood up, bruised and bloody, laughing his head off. "Now that's more like it!" he yelled.

He walked up to the stunned Twilight Sparkle and pointed at her "Now that's good fighting! I want to see more of that!" He looked down at himself and smiled "Maybe not against me next time though."

Twilight looked him up and down and asked in a very confused and baffled voice "You're ... You're not angry at me? I almost killed you!"

He smiled at Twilight with a gentle smile "Yes, I'm not angry. How could I be when my student passes my test with flying colors?" He sighed "It's okay Twilight, don't worry about it."

Twilight nodded and gave Crystal a small smile "Thank you," she then levitated up her sword and sheathed it.

After a few seconds of awkward silence Twilight tilted her head and gave him an unsure smile "So I'm your student now?"

He smiled "I'm teaching you skills and giving you knowledge that you didn't know before. I'd say that fits the definition of "teacher" really well."

Twilight nodded "I guess you are right." She looked at Crystal and gave an inquisitive frown "And you said something about this being a test and how I passed said test?"

He nodded "Yes, I did say that. Well let's just cut to the chase, the test was to see how well you fought on your own and for extended amounts of time." He looked at Twilight with a smile "And you did amazingly. You fought Surprisingly well for somepony who had never wielded a sword before and you kept up the same ferocity up to the very last swing."

He smiled with a cheeky grin "And I also wanted to see how you responded to frustration during a fight and how that changed your fighting style. Let's just say I was happily surprised by what you did."

Twilight looked at him, bloody because of what she did to him, and with a look that said 'Are you insane?' and asked "How can you be happily surprised by me beating you up and almost killing you. I thought I killed you there for a second, and if I wanted to I probably could of. So how could you be happy about that?"

He looked up at her with a grin "Because it shows me just how good of a fighter you could be, that you could become, and that you are." Crystal sighed "I believe your training today should come to an end. We should get to the gates of the Labbrinthium so that the true test of strength and endurance shall commence."

Twilight took one last look of worry at Crystal and sighed. He seemed fine but what she did to him...

Suddenly the sound of clapping filled the air. Twilight and Crystal both stopped and looked around, trying to find the source of the sound. Crystal found it first and smiled "Sapphire! You're just on time."

Twilight looked over and saw Sapphire Rain standing in the hallway leading back up into the armory. She was smiling at the pair and had a folded black robe on her back.

Sapphire walked up to Twilight and Crystal with a smile "Hi guys," she looked at Twilight "That was some great fighting you did Twilight," she gave Twilight a cheeky grin "And I heard you swear for the first time, that's gotta count for something."

"Thanks," Twilight exclaimed with a smile.

"You're welcome!" Sapphire responded. She gasped "Oh, I almost forgot!" She levitated the folded robe off of her back and levitated it over to Twilight "Here's your robe, Twilight."

Twilight looked at her and smiled "Thank you Sapphire. I like having my robe on. I feel, I don't know, kind of..."

"Safer?" Sapphire suggested.

Twilight nodded "Yes, that sounds about right. I feel safer with it on"

"So," Sapphire began as Twilight put her now spotless robe on "You ready for the Labbrinthium?"

Twilight sighed and took a deep breath "I guess... I'm just really nervous."

"Me too," Sapphire said with a sigh of her own "It's my first time going down into the Labbrinthium as well."

Twilight's ears perked up. She looked at Sapphire and asked "You're coming with me?"

"Yes, you did know that, right?" She asked looking at Crystal for confirmation.

He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment "Ya, sorry about that Sapphire. It just kind of slipped from my mind," he looked at Twilight "Yes she is going with you. The Labbrinthium is normally done with others, and not alone."

Twilight smiled at Crystal and Sapphire and sighed a sigh of relief "Thanks so much for telling me. You just lifted what felt like a hundred pounds from my shoulders."

Sapphire smiled "No problem, Twilight!" She looked over at Crystal and added "No thanks to you!"

"What? I made a simple mistake and forgot to tell her," Crystal said as they all began walking into the armory "I'm not supposed to be able to forget to do something just because I'm "The Smart Pony?""

Sapphire chuckled "Ya! Obviously!"

Crystal sighed as they walked through the armory and into a large hallway "You are so infuriating sometimes, Sapphire."

Twilight thought back to just a few minutes ago and chuckled "I could say the same to you, Crystal." Crystal just shook his head and sighed.

They all walked through the hallway and into a large courtyard. On the far wall was two large iron double doors.

As they walk up to the doors Sapphire looked down at the sword at Twilight's side and gasped. Crystal looked up at Sapphire and whispered the words "The King was right, it is her."

Twilight looked back at them and asked "What was that? Sorry I didn't hear you."

Crystal smiled at her "Nothing you need to worry yourself with Twilight."

Twilight raised an eyebrow "Really?"

"Yes Twilight, nothing," he looked around and said "But, anyways, we are here, in just a few minutes you two will begin a journey that will take you days to complete, possibility even weeks."

"I wish you luck and may Gott bless you on this adventure."

Twilight looked over at Sapphire and smiled nervously "You ready?"

Sapphire sighed "I guess," she looked over at Twilight and smiled nervously "Let's go do this!"

Crystal waved to them as he opened the gates and allowed Twilight and Sapphire to enter the Labbrinthium. Twilight smiled. Maybe with Sapphire it won't be to hard ... right?