//------------------------------// // Chapter 15: A Very Questionable Aid // Story: The V-Team // by Reizthefakebrony //------------------------------// "Wait a minute." Zade said. "But this is the treasury room where we first appeared!" "Jace, you brought us even deeper in the lion's lair! What the hell!?" Sera bellowed. "In this moment, the security was looking for us in the city," Jace said calmly. "They didn't had realized that we were here yet." "I hope you were right, conceived imp." Chrysalis said "Hey." Jace called out." "Enough," Zade ordered. "We have no time to waste. We have a plan to carry out." "Wait a minute," Starlight then turned to Kamahl. "You didn't had told me that you were in possess of the Mirari. How could you keep this matter hidden from me?" "I know what you think." Kamahl replied. "But I learned to not fall under it's influence. Besides, there's a reason for that." "Kamahl would use it with his sword to defuse Twilegion," Jace said. Starlight froze. "R-really." "Hey, but we have to keep up with the plan," Zade said. "Just follow me." The group went out the treasury room and wandered throughout the maze of halls and corridors without encountering any obstacle or anypony in sight. They stopped in a hall with two exits and pondered about what to do. Kamahl, however, seemed to have a lucid idea. "We are going to split up," Kamahl said. "Huh?" Starlight, Chrysalis and Thorax looked confused. "What!?" Zade, Chris, Sera and Jace exclaimed. "Are you nuts?" Jace asked baffled. "It's not this insane," Jeska said. "There's is the possibility that both the ways will eventually lead to the throne room." "What is exactly your plan?" Zade asked. "You are going to weaken Twilegion fair enough for us to hit her with the Mirari Sword." Kamahl said. "I just hope that's not going to kill her." Starlight said doubtful. "Trust me. That will work." Jace assured. "As for me and Jeska, we both died once," Kamahl informed. "Besides, we are going to keep Chrysalis in check." "Oh, come on!" Chrysalis bellowed. "Any problem, demon?" Jeska asked coldly. "... Nevermind." Chrysalis muttered. "Well... Take care of yourselves." Chris said. "Same for you," Thorax replied. And so, Kamahl, Jeska, Chrysalis, Thorax and Starlight took the exit at their right while the demonic party took the right one. At this point they were alone. They advanced through a corridor adorned with Twilegion's emblem and various grim portraits. They reached a door at the end of it and stepped into hall full of alicorn Royal Guards, bronze armored unicorns and crystal hounds. They didn't took too long to notice their presence. "The demons!" One of the alicorns said. "How did they got there!?" Another one said. "Who cares! Let's get them!" A bronze armored unicorn exclaimed. The squad charged toward the group like a raging mob, preparing their magic to unleash against Zade's group. However, something happened in the middle of their ranks. A fiery dark explosion overwhelmed the entire squad. Guard ponies and crystal hounds were swallowed by it, like they were devoured. As the flames ceased, the figure of the mysterious cloaked pony appeared, looking toward the door in front of him. Zade and his friends were baffled upon seeing this. That display of power gave them a chilling feeling about that. "W-who is that guy?" Sera asked intimidated. "He just single handily killed the entire squad," Chris said. "Somebody tell me he's not in league with Julius," Jace muttered. "I don't know, but we cannot be entirely sure of that," Zade said. "And yet I don't trust him a little bit." They were about to approach him when he turned his head toward them, causing them to stop. He didn't nothing. The mysterious figure just looked at them, a moment before a black coil wrapped his body and made him dissolve into the nothingness. "H-he disappeared!" Zade exclaimed. "At a different way in which he appeared," Chris said. "So... He's our ally?" Jace said. "I don't know... But we can't remain here to figure that out," Zade said. "We have to proceed. Let's go." The other three nodded and followed suit. They reached to door in front of them and stopped. They were hesitating, a reasonable response to what they were about to face. The same mighty danger that was hunted them down, Twilegion, was behind that door. They didn't even wanted to be there, but they had no choice but enter inside. "We don't even know if we stand a chance against her," Zade said. "But it has to be done." Kamahl's group was traversing a corridor full of portraits and jewelry. Starlight was praying for the things to take a better turn, although she can hardly consider the right moment for that. Chrysalis was constantly watched by Jeska and Thorax was just comforting Starlight. "There's no time for praying," Kamahl said. "We have a plan to carry out." "I know, but... Is just that I am so close to bring the things back to normal," Starlight replied. "And yet I don't trust your methods. I'm sorry." "Oh, dear," Chrysalis murmured. "You reaction is comprehensible," Kamahl replied calmly. "This is what I cannot allow you to realize," An awfully familiar voice said. The group looked at the source and found Julius being at the end of the corridor, wearing a mocking and yet nervous expression. "Julius," Kamahl said coldly. "Oh, no." Starlight said alarmed. "That artifact is mine and you have no right to steal from me!" Julius remarked. "This object is a danger for every living beings." Kamahl said. "This thing is the anathema that once almost destroyed Dominaria, remember?" "That's none of your business! Give it back!" Julius roared. "If you want it, then I will take on you as well," Starlight said furiously. "I have enough of you!" "Same for me," Thorax said, turning into a huge dragon. "Well... You ask for it." Julius said, being about to attack them, when a sudden black coil erupted in front of him and the mysterious cloaked pony appeared. "You again?" Kamahl said. "W-who is that pony?" Starlight asked. But before somepony else will say anything, a black vortex formed beneath them and sucked them inside them. Their consciousness faded very quickly. Starlight was the last to lose her senses as she was being swallowed by that. The last thing that she heard was the mysterious pony and Julius clashing each other and Julius screaming. "THEODORE!!!"