//------------------------------// // Chapter VII - To See Beyond // Story: Oh Dearest Father of Mine... // by ExaltedFiction //------------------------------// Within the confines of the Everfree, where danger lurks about every corner and the concept of hope is nothing but a myth, two individuals rushed through their forests as if they had a manticore on their tail. “Hope! Wait up!” Apolloyn shouted, chasing down Hope with a determined look and a steadfast heart. The filly ignored Apollyon as she continued running, kicking up mud and bits and pieces of soaked vegetation that stuck to her coat, while they only stuck to the human’s boots. “Hope! Where are you going?!” Apollyon once again shouted, breathing heavily as he felt the intense burn in his legs. He watched as Hope weaved between trees, constantly breaking Apollyon’s line of sight and risking him losing her. Not willing to gamble, Apollyon attempted to make that tight turn but whether it was bad luck or pure tactical thinking on Hope’s part, the moment Apollyon attempted to turn, his boots lost the very concept of traction leading him to crash, left arm first into a barricade of trees. Groaning in pain, Apollyon stood up from his knees before pursuing although at a jogging pace. But even though his recovery was swift, he still ended up losing sight of the filly. Apollyon came to a halt taking this time to inspect his arm. Attempting to move it, he felt the shocks of electric signals rush to his brain, compelling him to stop. Keeping his arm close to his torso, he began to scan the endless labyrinth of the Everfree for any signs of irregular movement. “Dammit.” He cursed under his breath, taking a knee on the wet grass and taking a moment to catch his breath before taking a look at his surroundings, hearing the distant sounds of the mighty cries of birds of prey, the quaking roars of large alpha predators and the warning howls of wolves. Scanning the area, he couldn’t help but pity himself. Wet and rough uneven terrain, closely compact trees with obscuring thick vines that hung from them like decorative ornaments, these things alone would be detrimental to his own health in a pursuit. Slowly shifting his gaze to his palm, opening and closing his hand, feeling an odd yet familiar sensation encompassing his digits. He held his palm up to his face, noticing small insignificant particles of psykana roaming near his hand. Clenching his fists, his gaze turned to the endless paths that surrounded him. Seeing no conventional way to search the endless Everfree, he fell back on his rear, crossing his legs and placing his hands on his knees. As he sat down, eyes closed, all sources of sounds blocked out with the exception of the pounding of his own beating heart. Around him, particles of psykana began to slowly manifest, and after a moment of haunting silence Apollyon was able to feel several familiar entities. Many were behind him, though they were just on the edge of the Everfree. They were physically strong yet mentally frail and inept with the exception of three. He could feel their emotions, most of them were negative; envy, hatred, anger, there were several more but it was too weak to figure out what it was. There were two amongst the group that stood out from the rest however. Powerful… gifted… their presence alone could cloak the others in their shadow. Their emotions spoke to him, worried, unhappy, and deep inside they were longing and aching for a warm familiar presence. Feeling an odd sensation break out from his eye before rolling down his cheek, his mind darkened when he quickly wiped it off with his arm, regaining his sight upon returning to his meditative stance. The only other sole entity Apollyon could feel was deep within the Everfree, heading straight from his current position. Weak… scared… anxious, this must be who he was looking for. Tensing up, gripping his knees tightly, he began to concentrate on this sole entity. After a moment of intense concentration, he began to visualize an image within his mind. There was a large cave that laid nearby, a natural void within the ground. Picturing a direct route; it was dense, harsh and rough, when he began to picture another with an ease of travel, it would take far too long for him to navigate it. Thus he was left with a path that was to test his endurance and resolve. Though as much as he wanted to investigate further; to push his sight beyond. He was struck with a pounding headache and was forced out of his mind and ended up returning to reality. Bringing a hand to his head, seething through his teeth as he massaged his temples. His clear perception of the dark forest became naught, reducing to blurred vision. The once distinct sounds of his surroundings became obscured, for their cries, screams and roars echoed distantly in his head. Keeping calm, letting himself recover as well as avoiding the need to move his head, he felt something start to run down his nose. Feeling the liquid with his fingers before looking down at his hand. Crimson liquid in its purest form, something he could recognize from anywhere. Wiping it off his face with the sleeve of his shirt as it touched the upper part of his lips, he slowly got back on his feet, using a nearby tree to support himself. Feeling a bit woozy as he rose, he leaned his whole body against the dark tree, taking the moment to gather his strength before relinquishing the tree's most appreciated efforts in helping him stand. Wisps and particles of psykana remained closeby, happily dancing to the cries of the bird that resided in the forest, bouncing around the man’s head. Pushing off the tree, keeping his left arm tight to his body, he looked in the direction of the route that leads to the sinkhole and the cave within it, and if fate would favour him, he would find Hope. Though his resolve was still to be tested; for a direct path to the cave was not an easy one. I better get going soon, it's not wise to linger here… Laid on the path straight ahead; was everything that would hinder his journey, wet terrain that would spell out his doom if he was not careful, thick vegetation that obscured his path that would leave most to second guess their routes, large fallen trees that would hinder the pursuit of anyone unless you could squeeze under it and towering tightly packed trees that hunters could use as a natural shield. “Out of all the places you could’ve built this sanctuary… you just had to build it here…” As he looked deep into that dark unforgiving path, he held out his right hand, taking several deep breaths as he began to channel psykana from his body. The tension in his arm was building up, tightening as particles of psykana started to congregate, creating a single entity at the palm of his hand. Once the process was complete, what laid in his hand was a sight to behold; A large entity that had a hauntingly alluring ball-like form with no face of any sort. “Hello there, Regana Lux,” He greeted with a welcoming smile. The entity - upon hearing his voice - seemed to stir awake, the energy of her form began to spark as she slowly began to move. When her non-existent eyes laid upon the man, she sprung awake, jolting from Apollyon’s palm and into the air, briefly leaving a faint trail of shimmering psykana and letting out a melodic whistle that was almost musical in nature, closely resembling the harmonic calls of the whales that roam the seas. “Welcome to this chaotic mess of a world,” He said, his arm dropping to the side, “I require your assistance with the search of a young filly.” Regana seemed to show great interest in his request; glowing brightly, whistling a happy tune as she shook her form up and down. “You already know the filly’s presence, I implore you to guide me through this deathtrap of a forest.” Nodding once more, Regana made some distance between the man and herself. Once she was satisfied with the distance she had created, she started to shake violently, glowing ever brighter and compelling Apollyon to arch an eyebrow at its actions. After a brief miniscule flash of light, the once singular psykanic entity was surrounded by several other smaller entities sharing a similar form. Though the original has appeared to have shrunk in size. The ever curious entities wandered to the nearby trees, emitting a tune just like Regana , examining the trees as they lingered about before moving onto other pieces of nature. But for those that exhausted their curisority, they floated over to Apollyon’s bipedal form, dancing around him. “Parum Lumen, assist me in this time of need.” He pleaded. The break-off entities froze, looking up into the man’s glowing eyes, “Be the light that draws away the attention of the children of Tenebrae, the wild, the untamed, the mindless. Be the circle of protection that deters these threats.” Glowing brightly, the break-off entities immediately split up, heading in several directions and forming a makeshift circle around the man. As he looked at the accursed path ahead of him, as Regana floated near his eyes, catching his attention, “Lead the way Regana. ” He requested. Regana emitted a happy tune, glowing brighter as she performed a flip, turning about before taking point in the wretched forest. Followed closely behind by Apollyon, as well the other break-off entities, all the while keeping in their hastily created formation. The journey to the cave was short, but harsh, just barely tolerable with the help of Regana. Although every obstacle laid before Apollyon tested the endurance of his muscles, causing them to ache as he pushed himself further and further. Sweating profusely and breathing heavily as he trudged through deep mud, pushing away large, obscuring leaves to the side, ducking under snake-like vines and climbing over the bones of dead fallen trees. All the while the entities phased through everything unhindered. Thankfully it didn’t take long for Apollyon to arrive at his destination. Regana - being the guiding light in this sun depraved forest - was able to quickly lead Apollyon to the location of the familiar presence. Reaching a small clearing that bordered the cave, of course, after he pushed the final layers of thick leaves and broke off club sized branches, “Finally!” He said, taking a knee before the void-gate before him, a wave of relief washing over him as the sunlight graced his body with its welcoming presence. Looking up from the ground, Apollyon stared deep into the void, taking note of its rocky frame with vines stretching down halfway to the ground. Picking up a broken branch as he stood tall, he cautiously took a few steps forward, keeping an ear out for any sources of noise coming from inside the void. He listened intently for any types of sounds, voices, hoofsteps, crying, he listened for them all. But nothing… it was as quiet as a desolate battlefield, devoid of life. Regana moved beside Apollyon, noticing his endless staring and the shaking of his hands, “Something.... isn’t right…” He whispered, slightly trembling at the presence of the void, “There’s something… off about this cave…” The Guiding light elevated herself, getting up to eye-level with the man, shaking her formless body side to side whilst emitting a low tune, slowly dimming the glow of her body. “You feel it too… don’t you?” Apollyon questioned, looking at the darkening ball who let out an anxious tune, “No, I can’t leave the filly alone in this place… it's just too dangerous” He finished, shifting his gaze back to the void. Regana maneuvered around, getting up close to the man’s face. She whistled out a curious tune, glancing between Apollyon and the cave. “No, wait here with the others.” Apollyon ordered, glancing back towards the scattered lights on the borders of the Everfree, “This filly fears psykana, I don’t know why, but perhaps I can take a guess. Just wait here, I’ll be back as soon as I can. Oh and before you go”--Apollyon held up an arm of a tree--”Be a dear and light this would you?” Regana complied, emitting a happy tune and brightening up as she approached the top of the branch. She started to shake violently, releasing some miniature sparks here and there before discharging a small flame butterfly; one of unnatural properties for its form burned a ghastly purple and its colour only grew darker towards its centre. The discharged butterfly fluttered towards the branch, flapping its burning purple wings as it landed on the branch. Smoke began to emit by sheer contact of the entity, quickly sparking a warm, controlled dark purple flame on the top of his torch. “Thank you.” He smiled, compelling Regana to glow brighter for a brief second, taking in those words with gratitude before joining his brethren. Once Regana had returned to the group, floating around in their endless patrol routes of the void-gate, Apollyon looked to the cave, taking a deep breath, tensing up his body before heading in. Stepping into the dark void, his footsteps echoing as they crushed the miniscule rocks beneath their weight. His torch burned away the darkness more effectively as he went deeper and deeper, walking further away from the light. Passing by ferns and mosses, marking the end of the Entrance Zone and the start of the Twilight Zone, a numbing chill washed over his exposed skin, forming goosebumps as he became a cloud-breathing dragon. Seething through his teeth, looking deeper into the endless void and glancing back towards the entrance, it’s shining light no longer able to reach him. “Hope?” He called out, his voice echoing as it traveled throughout, “Are you in here?” Taking a few cautious strides forward, his eyes remained glued to the stone floor, “It’s me, Apollyon. The human from that endless dessert?” Apollyon stayed silent, halting his movement and listening for anything within the cave. Nothing. Nothing but the sounds of the crackling of the burning torch in his hand. “I know you can’t talk, but If you’re in here, I urge you to please make some sort of noise; A grunt or tapping on the ground with your hoof, anything!” Again nothing. Taking a few breaths, Apollyon continued to travel deeper, looking all over the dark cave, noting the passing of fungi as he reached a fork in the road. “Dammit…” he cursed, looking down both paths before staring into the heart of the flaming torch, feeling a cold sense of dread loom over him. “Hope…” He said, his body stiff and still, his eyes staring endlessly into the darkness, “Please make some sort of noise, I can’t leave you here.” For the third time, nothing. Nothing but the horrid silence that drew his concern even more. But as the silence drew on, that sinking feeling grew stronger. His hands began to tremble, his beating heart started to pick up the pace and he soon felt a sudden weakness at the knees. Swallowing the lump in his throat, the uneasy man took a slow step back, only to stop halfway as the sounds of faint crying echoed throughout the cave. Immediately a sense of urgency washed over Apollyon, he relinquished the backwards step he took, tensing up as he intently listened for those cries. When he heard nothing, when he heard nothing but uneasy silence that tested his nerve, he shut his eyes, blinding himself as he searched for her presence. Though as quickly as he removed himself from reality, he soon found himself being forced back into it. Feeling a crippling headache combined with the assault of a deafening ring push him back out. The man screamed in pain, the noise compelled him to drop his only source of light before placing his hands to the sides of his head, putting the squeeze on as he fell to his knees. “Please, help me…” Came the cry of a filly-like voice. Apollyon gasped, feeling the pain begin to subside as he opened his eyes, silencing his cries and as well as the deafening ringing. The man recalled his strength, slowly getting up on one knee, allowing himself to briefly recover before retrieving his torch from the cold floor as he stood on his shaky legs. Without allowing him time to recover from his episode he recklessly rushed down the path, stumbling slightly but fortunately recovering in the end. “Hope, is that you?!” He desperately called out groaning straight after, using whatever energy reserves he had to push himself forward, as well as concentrating on not losing his footing. Keeping his torch ahead to burn away the darkness, on the verge of pushing his limits as he jogged at a steady pace, he ignored his aching mind and body, relying solely on his resolve to keep him moving. He kept his eyes glued to the ground as he traversed the rough terrain. As he drew closer to the source of the sobbing, he was blinded as the burning heart of his torch died in an instant; blinding Apollyon and compelling him to trip over an edgy bump in the path before falling harshly on the jagged floor. He instinctively pushed out his arms ahead of him, letting them take the impact of the fall, however he exclaimed in pain as the barbed stone edges scrapped the frail skin of his forearms, some managing to get lucky and outright pierce his skin. Slowly getting up on his knee while seething through his teeth, his glowing gaze fell upon the charred purple remnants of the lifeless torch, still slowly eating through the untainted parts of the wood, “Damn this forsaken place.” He muttered under his breath, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the shaft of the makeshift torch tighter, but just as he was about to throw the lifeless torch away, he froze as a series of alluring and recognisable sounds made themselves known. The thumping of a beating heart. The sound of a living being proclaiming its life to this uncaring world. The sound that would bring tears of joy to a loving mother. As those rhythmic beats resonated throughout the cave, Apollyon slowly looked up, seeing a flashing red light from around the corner; surging briefly before darkening just as fast. This kept going on again and again. It was then Apollyon noticed a pattern; The flashing light was in sync with the soothing heartbeat. The rhythmic beating along with the alluring light around the corner drew the curiosity of the man, his eyes widening as he slowly got up on his feet, dropping his torch as he cautiously drew ever closer. Making his way around the corner, his eyes grew to the size of saucers as his mouth was left slightly ajared - uttering no words - with the appearance of a sight unlike any other. There - at the end of the void - was a stone shrine, and embedded in it was a foreboding object that sent chills down Apollyon’s spine. The object was a mace of an intriguing design - for a dark, metallic winged angel fully concealed in hooded robes acted as the head of the mace with its broad folded wings acting as its maul. The hooded angel was resting its hands on the pommel of the sword it held in front of it. The Crozius’ body consisted of a thick rod with leather straps wrapped around it. “Impossible… A Cruzis Psykanum… here?” He whispered softly, unbelief in his voice. Though as much as the threat the object presented itself - emitting a red light that synced with the sounds of a heartbeat - he cautiously made his way towards the Cruzis, keeping his eyes locked onto it and not daring to even glance away once, all the while clenching his hands and tightening up his muscles. As he approached closer and closer, a renewed sense of dread washed over the man as the heartbeats were soon joined by a series of faint, unintelligible whispers that echoed throughout the void, compelling him to tremble in the majesty of Cruzis. Upon reaching the ghastly shrine, slowly reaching out for the Cruzis with a shaking hand, the heartbeats increased in pace as did the faint whispers. Together they intensified the ruthless assault on his will, refusing to back down and showing no mercy. Apollyon started to breathe irregularly, taking quick and disorderly breaths as his hand got closer and closer. The feeling of his heart threatening to burst out of his chest was just as irregular as his breathing, but once Apollyon finally wrapped his digits around the body of the Cruzis, the dreaded red was replaced with a calm purple, and the heartbeats and whispers ceased in an instant, filling the void with silence with the exception of Apollyon’s breathing and pounding heart. Regaining his composure, his trembling body and shaking hand ceased, swiftly replaced by a determined attitude. His wavering hold of the Cruzis changed firm one, tightening his hold with one hand before getting another firm grasp around it. Tugging at the Cruzis, grunting as he struggled to pull it out in the guise of the shrine's unbreaking hold, Apollyon repositioned his body; feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Sucking his belly in, he shot up, pulling the Cruzis from the shrine’s hold. Looking down at the Cruzis, a smile formed on his face as he traced his hand along the body of the Cruzis, feeling the sensation of the smooth leather as his hand traveled downwards, eventually reaching the pommel of the Cruzis. The pommel had a shape of a phoenix with its chest pushed out and wings stretched. Its colour - much like the rest of the Cruzis - was debatable due to the unnatural purple aura lighting up the area, but if it was anything like Apollyon expected, then he could possibly take a guess. However, the whispers that have thought it have retreated, had only regrouped to mount their counterattack but with something up their sleeve. Their once unintelligible, faint whispers became partially clear, allowing Apollyon to hear a mixture of voices. Old, young, masculine, feminine; A dozen voices speaking in unison however with different thoughts in mind, making their words sound almost alien to him. But as he stood there, entranced, his eyes dilating as he gazed upon the Cruzis, another more familiar massculine voice entered his head. “Apollyon!” It called out, sounding distant. However, the human’s attention remained on the Cruzis, his mind filled with its faint whispers and his eyes enshrouded with its aura. “Apollyon!” It called out again, sounding much closer this time around. His focus seemed to have disrupted, for his eyes blinked for the first time since he laid his hands upon the Cruzis, they started off slowly at first but soon began to pick up the pace, blinking in rapid succession as his grip over the Crozius began to tighten. “Apollyon!” Shouted the voice, resonating in the man’s mind. Finally breaking his never-ending stare, for his pupils returned to their default state before blinking blankly once more. Though as his sight was briefly obscured by his eyelids, as they shot open he realised that in his hands was his book. A book that was simply sitting on his lap with a shadow looming over its aged pages. Shifting his gaze from the ancient texts to the figure standing before him, he realised that Apis had been standing there, blankly looking at the human with narrowed eyebrows, “Finally!” He exclaimed, groaning as he sat in his rear, “You’ve been staring at that glowing book for ages, is something wrong?” As Apollyon stared at the frustrated bull, he slowly opened his mouth to respond, but could only leave it ajared with no words to utter, only glancing from his to the book. “You alright there?” Apis questioned, cocking his head to the side, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, I mean your skin is turning pale.” With his hands, Apollyon instinctively reached out for his face, his digits splayed out over his cheeks, feeling them up, feeling the immense sweat on them, before resting his hands on the log he sat upon. “I’m fine.” He said swiftly, groaning in pain as he threw a hand to his forehead the moment he felt an immense amount of pounding. “Are you sure?” Apis said, raising an eyebrow, “I’m no expert on humans but you look like cow du- Hey… your nose is bleeding…” “Wha-” Apollyon uttered, freezing as he felt a drop of liquid run down his nose. Upon stopping it with a finger and looking at the crimson that painted a couple of his digits, he wiped his nose with a hand before wiping it on his clothes. Slamming the book shut and standing tall - compelling Apis to get off his rear - Apollyon picked up his staff, mentally reaching out for the book in his hand, opening it to a random page before chaining it back onto the staff. Turning to Apis - who seemed to be waiting for him - once he was finished “Is everyth-” “Everything’s fine” Apollyon harshly interjected, taking a deep breath as he looked down to the bull, “Fret not about what you saw, now, get back to work, I’ll be-” Apollyon held his tongue upon seeing Apis recoiling back, “What?” “L-listen, I don’t know how it works for humans but it hasn’t been that long since we started our break.” He claimed. “It hasn't?” Apollyon said, a bewildered look upon his face. “It hasn’t.” Apis reaffirmed, “My herd has only been relaxing for few minutes now, and I won’t overwork them.” Apollyon reached deep into his pocket for his pocket watch, pulling it out and opening the skeletal case, “Ah, I see.” He said, closing the case and returning the pocket watch to its respective place, “Carry on with your break then Apis, I’ll be doing some things, here and there.” Nodding, however hesitantly, the bull glanced to the side, only daring to look back once he heard the sounds of Apollyon’s boots trudging on the grass, slowly growing distant at every passing second. Seeing that the human’s back was facing him, Apis squinted as the staff in his hand, more specifically at the glowing book that was chained to the staff. The bull stared endlessly at it, never once breaking his sight of it, however, once the book emitted a brief glow he was pulled from his trance as he was struck by a sudden pounding of the head and deafened by ringing ears. Groaning in pain, Apis stumbled back, bringing a hoof to the side of his head to massage his throbbing mind that felt like it was going to implode. Though as the ringing ears subsided with only the pounding headache remaining, his ears perked up at the sounds of a series of faint incoherent whispering mixed with chilling cackling that released a sense of dread over the bull. Going stiff as a statue, Apis could only watch as the human walked away, all the while feeling his heart threatening to break out of his chest and the uncomfortable sensation of his lungs expanding and shrinking at an irregular pace. Eventually, the ghastly aura of the book dissipated into thin air once Apollyon had created some distance between him and the bull, allowing Apis to move freely, away from his non-existent bounds. Although he was able to maneuver freely, the foreboding aura remained, compelling him to slowly walk back to his herd with shaky legs and dragging his hooves along the dirt all the way. As Apollyon turned about, leaving the Apis alone and making his way to where Clarabelle laid, briefly glancing towards his staff the moment he noticed a brief surge in energy, he smiled at the sight of his daughters, who ontinue suckling on Clarabelle’s udders while the cow simply laid there, basking in the rays of the sun. Clarabelle craned her neck upon hearing the footsteps of Apollyon’s approach, deadpanning at him before laying back down and staring endlessly into the surrounding forests. As the sounds of movement came to a stop, she braced herself for another lecture from the human, but curiosity struck her as seconds passed and she heard nothing. Craning her neck to look at the human, she noticed that he was simply kneeling down on one knee, using his dextritrious digits to scratch the two sisters behind the ears to which they certainly enjoyed, evident by their joyful harmonic humming that could outperform a choir alone. Unfortunately their humming was silenced the moment Apollyon manifested an aura around the two, pulling them off Clarabelle’s udders and into his warm embrace. Clarabelle expected to hear a cry of defiance but was surprised to hear a hum of acceptance as the fillies nuzzled their father’s chest with a smile about their face. “Your welcome to chat with the rest of your herd, Infra unum.” (Inferior one) “These two will be with me for until we get back to work.” Once Apollyon was finished with their brief social exchange, he rose up from his feet and left Clarabelle alone without uttering another word. Clarabelle’s focus didn’t remain on them for long, for her focus was shifted to the side as she noticed something moving from the corner of her vision, and when she craned her neck to face the moving figure she witnessed Apis dragging his hooves along the ground, heading the direction of the rest of the herd. Rolling her eyes, she got off from the ground and onto her hooves before quickly making her way towards the uneasy bull. “Apis,” She called out as she approached. His ears perking up before giving her his full attention, “Is something wrong? Why are you dragging your hooves and shaking like that?” Apis opened his mouth to answer her questions but held his tongue, leaving his mouth ajar with no word coming out. Clarabelle arched an eyebrow at his actions, looking deep into his eyes as Apis pondered in his own thoughts. “I-It’s nothing, just concerned with the predators that live here.” He said, glancing at the forest surrounding them. “You’re getting concerned now? But we’ve been here for while.” “I know, but I feel like they’ve been getting more active recently, I mean, you heard those howls earlier right?” “Apis… the whole herd sleeps together in the byre. Of course I heard them. We all did.” “I know, but still… they weren’t like this before, at least not this active.” Taking those words in, Clarabelle sighed, shaking her head as she placed a hoof on his cheek, bringing his gaze back onto her, “I wouldn’t be too concerned about them, we have a human to protect us and you know what our ancestors have said about them.” Apis stared into Clarabelle’s eyes for a moment or two, eventually using his own hoof to push away hers, “You and I both know that he’s not here to protect us” He stated as fact, “He’s only here to protect them” Apis finished, eyeing the gesturing to the human and his daughters with his eyes. Clarabelle shifted her focus to the group. Watching as Apollyon opened one of the many chests and pulled out of what seemed to be a large piece of yellowed rectangular piece of rag paper. The man held it up to his face, gracing his daughters - who were now on his shoulders - to whatever it contained. “We’re just an obstacle in his path, we are but motes of dust in his presence, nothing more than a nuisance that he’s forced to put up with.” “Maybe…” She said nervously, looking back at the bull “But without us, his fillies won’t survive long.” “Not for long, they look like they’re almost ready to consume solids. A month tops remember? But maybe another or two for the dark blue one. He just has to wait until we’ve outlived our usefulness.” “And then what? What is he going to do? He can’t just kick us out. He can’t just get rid of us.” Apis deadpanned at her, only chuckling after a few moments of silence. His actions bewildered Clarabelle, ignorant of the reason for his laughter. “Belle… there’s nothing more dangerous on this planet than a human with purpose, and when properly motivated, they could do anything. They could move destroy armies with a snap of their fingers, lay waste to entire kingdoms with a blink of their eyes and force entire empires to bend to their will with a single thought. So what’s to stop him from simply turning us into ashes.” “Lady Harpstrings, that’s what.” When Apis opened his mouth to reply, he held his tongue just before he could utter any words out. Only closing his mouth and eyes when he looked away, sighing before speaking in a dispirited tone in his voice, “Lady Harpstrings can do many things, but even for a mare like her, there are still things that are just plain beyond her.” “Well if you’d pay attention to her stories then you would be surprised.” She said, pausing for a moment, ”If any-creature could demand something of the humans, its her.” “I doubt it, humans are very… complicated” He scoffed, “Though I wished she told us about this before-hoof… but, she is a very busy mare.” “She always is.” Clarabelle smiled, “Listen, we just have to play nice until Lady Harpstrings arrives.” “Let’s just hope he won’t turn us to ashes before then… That or something… else” He finished, emphasizing the last word with a swift shiver. “Something else?” She quizzed, tilting her head. “Nevermind… let’s just get back to the others” Nodding, however hesitantly, Clarabelle began to turn about but was stopped as she felt a hoof on her shoulder. Perplexed, she looked back at the bull, seeing a stern and determined look about his face. “This conversation stays between us, we don’t have to tell the others about what they will never understand.” “As always, Apis” Clarabelle finished, turning about and making her way towards the rest of the herd, leaving Apis to ponder in his own thoughts. Please come soon Lady Harpstrings… Returning to the reality before him, he quickly ran up beside Clarabelle, briefly looking at the human who had seemed to move from the chests to towering walls of his manor, sitting in its looming shadow with his staff embedded in the ground beside him. The two sisters were relaxing on his lap, their beautiful wings drooping to the sides - acting as some sort of miniature makeshift blanket for the human - a wide smile on their faces as they enjoyed the ecstatic sensation of Apollyon’s digits scratching their backs. As Apollyon relaxed in the shade of the manor, enjoying the warmth of his makeshift blanket. He couldn’t help but let out a depressing sigh as he brought a hand to his nose, pressing it there for a moment before holding it in front of him, staring at the remnants of dried crimson from earlier. Apollyon’s focus shifted from his bloodied fingers to the dark forest ahead of him, and after staring for a moment or two he held out his hand with the palm facing the sky. In an instant, his staff radiated with a purple glow, however briefly, for particles and strands of psykana began to gather into a single entity, taking shape in Apollyon’s hand. “Regana.” Apollyon whispered, once her form was complete. Ceasing to continue drawing energy from his staff, thus letting it return to its slumber. As Apollyon held Regana in his hand, the entity began to stir awake, slowly glowing brighter as her consciousness became reality. Once Regana awoke, jolting from Apollyon’s hand, the entity started to undertake a process of extreme glee; Radiating brighter as she quickly looped around Apollyon’s head, phasing through the solid manor and bouncing in the air like a rubber ball, all the while humming harmonic calls that mimic that of a whale. Apollyon smiled at the sight, not saying a word and letting her exhaust herself out. Upon seeing that the Regana started to slow down, Apollyon caught her in the air, staring into her non-existent eyes, “Regana my friend, as much as I wish to spend time with you, unfortunately it will have to wait.” He stated, his attitude and tone changing to a more disciplined one, “There’s a concern of mine I wish to share.” As Regana noticed the sudden drop in the atmosphere, emitting a sad tune. “The ‘Mantle’ showed me something as I was gracing myself with its wisdom,” Apollyon said, continuing after Regana emitted a curious tune, “A Primogenitus relic. A ‘Cruzis Psykanum’ to be exact.” Regana immediately shot up in the air upon hearing those words, continuing to dance around Apollyon once again, compelling him to sigh, “Regana,” He said, getting the entity’s full undivided attention, “You and I both know the value of these relics but we also know that the Mantle’s vision could be nothing but the deception of the ‘Aether’, and it’s lies are as endless as the black void of the heavens above. So I need you to do me a favour.” The curious entity let out a questionable tune. “Look into my mind, find the cave, and investigate the Mantle’s claims. If they’re true, then I shall retrieve it myself, for it will prove useful for the birthing of this kingdom and the protection of its future children. If they’re false, return to me, the sight of a friendly face is always a welcome one.” When Apollyon finished, Regana radiated with pride, glowing brighter at his words. Once she was done taking in Apollyon’s words, she hovered in front of his face, locking onto his glowing eyes and staring deep into what lay within. Remaining still for what seemed like an eternity when in reality it had only been a few seconds at the most, Regana emitted another cheerful tune before swiftly looping around Apollyon’s body and slingshotting herself towards the dark confines of the Everfree, leaving a faint, shimmering trail of psykana as she went. “Good luck, my most dearest friend…” Apollyon whispered, idly giving Lulu some satisfying scritches behind the ears, “I’m amazed how you two haven’t awoken from Regana.” He remarked, a warm smile forming on his face before deciding to lean back against the manor, letting his eyes shut, thus allowing him to enjoy the peaceful songs of the birds. The break that Apollyon granted flew by like sands being blown by the stinging winds of the desert, and though as much as the man wanted to continue to relax under the shade of the manor, enjoying his makeshift blanket and the peaceful tunes sung by the songbirds, he knew there was much work to be done. Reaching out for his staff, wrapping his digits around the bottom, he manifested an aura around the slumbering fillies before reluctantly lifting them off his muscled thighs and onto floor grass beside him. Feeling the heat and pressure of their bodies leave him, he got off his rear, dusting himself off before heading down to the chests. Getting an eye of Apis chatting with members of his herd, Apollyon called out to him, telling him to get back to work once seeing that he had caught Apis’ attention. Receiving an hesitant but obedient nod, he looked to the members of his herd, ordering them to get back to the formation of the fields with the exception of Clarabelle, who had a much higher task. Thus they worked, sweat pouring from the human as he continued to cut down trees with the axe in his hands, making more room for future structures while Apis oversaw the formation of future fields, but focusing on the productivity of the first field, and with the permission of Apollyon, he retrieved a sack medium sized sack from one of the chests. Upon reaching the first of many fields, he opened it up, revealing an incomprehensible number of wheat seeds. Tipping some of its contents in his hoof before scattering them to the field. Only moving onto another section once he was satisfied with a sufficient amount of seeds being scattered into the earth below, before being graced with a healthy amount of water. Clarabelle didn’t have a strenuous task but it was an imperative one nevertheless, watching over the two sisters as they slumbered under the shadow of the manor, though she laid down on the other side of the sisters from the staff, making some distance that compelled her to let a out a breath of relief. As she watched the others work, there came a dreaded time when the balance of the world would be shaken to its very core: The sudden awakening of the sisters. Unfortunately, Clarabelle could not tame their wild cries thus leaving Apollyon to tend to the matter himself. Using the same methods as before, he stabilised the world-shattering event before giving them some light head pats and entrusting Clarabelle to tend to them as he worked. Time blew by rather swiftly as everybody endured the pain of their backbreaking work, though it was easier for those who could tag out when necessary, but nevertheless, an acceptable amount of work was accomplished on the first day. Three decently sized fields were formed on the great plains; with each being sown with wheat seeds. Though upon noticing orange and red sky, noting on how it consumed the remnants of the remaining blue patches, Apis ordered each and every one of them to rest and as expected, his herd took it without a second thought, immediately returning the farming equipment to their respective chests and dragging them into the foyer of the manor before leaving Apis and Clarabelle with Apollyon, as they headed back around the manor. The bull stretched every part of his body, reveling in the sensation of his muscles loosening up, letting out a satisfied groan as he did this. Upon feeling his stiff body loosen up a bit, he started to make his way to Apollyon, who was standing at the edge of the borders of the Everfree, constantly shifting his gaze into its dark depths as if he were searching for something. Apollyon stood there with the staff embedded into the ground next to him, eyebrows narrowed and a frown formed on his face. Apis was understandably hesitant about approaching him, ignorant of whether he was disturbing him or not, but his thoughts were shaken free as a series of ear-piercing howls sent a sudden rush to his heart. Just as Apis was about to back away, Apollyon turned to look at him, a frown upon his face as his stare pierced right through him, “You’ve done well,” Apollyon praised, glancing back to the forest, “But this is merely the beginning, so I’d suggest you get some sleep, everyone needs to be at their peak tomorrow.” “Uh sure but-” “Apis… I will not repeat myself.” Apollyon said harshly, wrapping his digits around the staff, his knuckles turning white from how hard he clenched, “Return to your herd with Clarabelle, I still have some things to take care off.” Upon witnessing Appolyon’s harsh tone and whitening knuckles, he backed down, conceding, and leaving Apollyon in silence. Catching the eye of Clarabelle, who was watching the exchange fold out while sitting beside the two sister’s. Apis waved her over, receiving a hesitant nod as she glanced between the two sisters and himself. Getting up and dusting herself off, she departed, leaving the proximity of the sisters and quickly running up beside the bull. As their voices grew distant, Apollyon let out a sigh of relief as he made his way to his fillies with the staff in hand. As he neared the two alicorns, a purple aura was conjured around them, levitating them off the ground before floating over to the human’s warm accepting embrace. While doing this, he felt a familiar presence begin to make its approach. Upon turning around, he was greeted with the sight of Regana dashing out of the dark confines of the Everfree, flying over the green plains and halting herself once she neared Apollyon’s face, all while leaving a faint, shimmering trail of psykana behind. “Welcome back,” Apollyon greeted with a smile, relocating his fillies from his arm to their respective spots on his shoulders, left being Lulu’s and right being Celly’s, “What news do you bring?” He requested holding out the palm of his hand, allowing Regana to nest herself in his warm palm. As Apollyon held Regana in his palm, he was warmed by the sensation of her empowering energy, even feeling it travel along his skin, maneuvering from his left hand to the staff he held in his right. The entity emitted a harmonic tune, briefly radiating with pride and accomplishment. “Ah, well done Regana,” Apollyon praised, receiving a cheerful tune from the entity, “I will retrieve the Cruzis when I have the chance, but right now I must lay the foundation for this community.” Regana emitted out several curious tunes, looking to the left with her non-existent eyes. Once he was finished, she allowed Apollyon to answer them. “Yes, they are now part of this community, and yes they’re still as inferior regardless of their sapient status, and yes they’re necessary.” Regana let off a harmonic hum. “Perhaps, but we will see where the path takes us.” With another question in mind, she issued another question. One that compelled Apollyon to smirk at the entity, “Observe.” He said, letting Regana float on her own before holding the staff in front of him with two hands, raising it up towards the now blackening sky. While the staff was in the air, streaks of purple lightning began to spark from the stave’s figureheads and the chained Mantle. His eyes undertook a process of glowing brighter Seconds passed as an aura of psykana began to surround the Apollyon, becoming enshrouded in its majesty. Feeling that he channeled enough energy, he embedded the staff into the ground in front of him, sending forth a wave of cosmic energy; A wave of shimmering purple washing over the plains ahead of him and ceasing to exist before they reached the borders of the Everfree. Pulling the staff back to his side, a smirk formed on Apolyon’s face as several wisps glowing wisps took form in the plains, manifesting into several ball-like entities that closely resembled Regana with the expectation of them being a smaller size. As they were birthed in the fields, the lesser entities started to behave erratically, dashing all over the place, inspecting everything from the miniscule ant to the towering manor itself but thankfully their curiosity of the world around them began to die, leading them to gather around Apollyon’s body, constantly looping around his well-built sweating frame. “Remain still.” Apollyon commanded with a disciplined tone and attitude. Most froze at his words, maneuvering and stopping in front of him, while others continued to ignore his orders in favour of their own actions. Groaning with annoyance, he tapped on the ground with his staff, instantly banishing the deviants, allowing the obedient ones to remain, “Good,” He smiled, looking at the smaller entities in front of him, “I have a task for each and every one of you. I need you all to split up and find lost groups of equines, griffons or deer and lead them here. I entrust you in the han- I mean, mind of Regana, for she will oversee your efforts, obey her words as if they were my own. That is all.” Heeding Apollyon’s commands, the lesser entities radiated brightly, humming some harmonic tones before shooting towards the skies and splitting off in several directions. “Watch over them.” Apollyon ordered, looking at Regana, “I’m going to rest for tomorrow’s work. Don’t hesitate to call me if there is a problem.” Glowing brightly, Regana traveled to Apollyon’s cheek, giving him a quick sparky nuzzle before shooting towards the skies, becoming enshrouded as she entered the clouds above. Apollyon brought a hand to his cheek as he started to make his way inside, rubbing his fingers along his skin, feeling the sensation of electrical static, “Ow!” He exclaimed, recoiling from his hand as it was struck by a miniature streak of light. Hearing some giggling originating from his shoulders, he relocated the sisters once more, from his shoulders into his mental hold in front of him, “Excuse me? Did you just giggle at my pain?” Unfortunately the fillies refused to answer. Lulu gave off a cheeky smirk as she glanced to the sides, seemingly paying no attention to Apollyon while Celestia - with the advantage of larger wings - covered her face entirely, muffling her giggling. “Argh!” Apollyon uttered in mock pain, placing a hand on his heart, gripping a part of his shirt tightly, “Betrayed by my own daughters, how could I have not foreseen such events!” He cried out, closing the manor's front doors, soon joining his laughter with those of the two sister’s.