//------------------------------// // A Desolate Place // Story: Equestria Down // by Ultimus Pendragon //------------------------------// ''Twilight. . .'' the name made her face contort into a frown. The notion of having to go through with this made her stomach twist into a million knots. That. . .tone alone was enough to provoke her to throttle the nearest creature. It would only be a matter of time before she would hurt somepony. ''Come on, let's go.'' Again. Spike and Sunset slowed their stride, looking back to Twilight who stopped just short of the shore where she faintly pieced together the memories of what occurred before, all those years in the past. She thought back to when they went on the journey outside of Equestria, beyond places they were nothing but comfortable with in order to save who and what they loved. Even if it meant they would not come back. If there had to be a sacrifice. Any more importantly, if nopony would for the sake country and crown. ''You know, it's almost poetic if you think about it,'' Twilight muttered to herself, though loud enough so her companions could hear. The weathered balloon that Twilight had for almost her entire life still managed to be with her, even though everything that had happened, it still managed to survive, though she had to tend to the fabric and basket multiple times to preserve a fragment of the past. ''The last time we were here, it had to be for the betterment of Equestria, and now we're here when everything's been taken away.'' Sunset, being the only one who was not present for the excursion in question but knew enough from second hoof accounts to know that it was a hell of a journey and the aftereffects would have possibly been worse than the present predicament that they were in. Spike groaned, walking over to his friend and crouching down to her level, the drake's form making Twilight slowly look up as he steeled his mind for what he was about to say. ''I know, but the least that we can do while being here-'' Spike swept a claw around the air to speak in reference to the world around them. ''-is to make sure what will be left when our time comes is that the next generation-'' ''-Assuming one will be present,'' Twilight interjected, making Spike shake his head and continue with his point. ''And they will be they will be if we do what has to be done now,'' Spike said, nursing Twilight ahead as she looked over at a spot very intently. ''Sunset; take point.'' ''Roger,'' Sunset said, unfurling her wings as she flew ahead a bit, keeping her eyes and ears open for disturbances as the trio searched for their quarry. ''So, you want to tell me what's with the idea of all but lynching Stygian in the event he doesn't or can't give us what it is that we need to have a chance of winning this fight?'' Spike asked, walking with Twilight as the flashbacks of their time here when he and Twi branched off from the main group following the argument of Queen Nova's Pearl and the lengths that Twilight failed to trust her friends for the sake of the mission and Equestria. ''He may be more receptive if you give him a chance.'' ''You mean The Pony of Shadows; you forget but even though we helped rid him from Stygian, he only wound up going right back and bonding again, so was it really worth it at the end of the day?'' the question made Spike shrug as he was only as sure as Twilight was at the time. ''We may just have to take things by force if it means accomplishing our goal.'' Twilight watched Spike's reaction as she chose to say what she was about to hold back for the sake of not seeming like a jerk. ''You can't tell me they taught you nothing at that school of yours on doing what's necessary-' ''Only if there are no other options left, and should we have to take life-'' Spike opened his claw, wiggling the digits as he reflected his mind to the times in Sandgen Village. Each firm corrective action, each tactic learned, each time he meditated, and the first time he had lost control in a moment of weakness, and what that meant for his own character. ''Is to prevent suffering and end the fight quickly, not be a murderous tyrant who enjoys the loss of life like one who just kills for the sake of. . .like some.'' A part of that speech did tell Twilight that Spike may have been directed towards her. Her attitude in recent times did tip towards the way of being a tad too aggressive when matters were relatively tame. Most of the events that the trio encountered were indeed able to be resolve with a bit of finesse versus Twilight being headstrong in both the literal and figurative sense which often involved Sunset needing to swoop in and provide an assist. ''We need to be quick, who knows what Tirek could be planning.'' Spike huffed, his wings ruffling back and forth when a cold wind blew past them. ''One thing at a time, Twi,'' Spike said as the pair walked up the steps that once were home to the Hippogriffs who fled beneath the waves to Sequestria before the ensuing chaos of Tirek's reign left them all but extinct, except a select few who went into hiding. Up ahead would be the town where the Hippogriffs used to reside, and where so much history converged and came to an end so easily due to the events that Tirek and Twilight's respective choices. ''We should focus on. . .wait. D-Do. . .you smell that?'' Twilight quirked her head, sniffing the air, already being used to the smog and dirt smell, only to soon find something else underneath. . .something strong and almost unmistakeable if she had not been so out of it for the moment. ''Ink?'' A massive roar sounded as they walked up the final step, almost being knocked down as Sunset was flung toward the pair, soaring before she corrected herself, shaking her head and zooming back to her friends, Spike unfurling his claws and baring his teeth. ''What the hell happened to take point?'' ''I was doing that, before oh, I don't know; the said Pony of Shadows blindsided me, so excuse me for being surprised at an enemy I can't easily see!' Sunset argued, wanting to say something else before being pulled forward, only to be hit with and held down by an invisible force as Twilight rushed forward along with Spike as he took flight, trying to save their friend. ''. . .Nooo.~'' Twilight heard a deep voice sound the closer she got to Sunset, her mind preparing to think of the best countermeasures in a single second, even though she knew that would be impossible. A wave of air pushed her back, the metal grips on her hooves slowing her to stop before she looked to Spike to dive towards Sunset, only for him to be enveloped in a ball of darkness, shaking about until being slammed to the ground as well with Sunset. ''Why. . .have you violated my domain, Destroyer?'' ''Stygian? Is that you?'' Twilight asked, narrowing her head to the voice that she heard all around, but was unable to pinpoint. ''We've come-'' Twilight stopped talking as she felt her mind being pulled at for a moment, the voice in the air humming in acknowledgment before speaking again. ''-I know now why you have. . .come. You seek my Shadow's power, which means. . .my power!'' ''Ngh! W-What gave you t-that idea?'' Sunset asked from her place on the ground, desperately trying to raise her head up to no avail. ''Let us go!'' a crack of the stone came as she was pushed deeper into the ground, trying to spit out the dirt that got in her mouth. ''Let them go, Stygian,'' Twilight said menacingly, creeping forward when she began to growl every second that passed by. ''We need your power, and we'll get it, one way or another.'' ''To what end? To. . .use my powers to win. . .your war?'' Twilight witnessed a glow of light before a dark figure emerged, a stallion's shape walking through the demolished stone before lowering his head in front of Twilight, a snarl coming from his mouth. ''And. . .how would a failure, such. . .as yourself be able to tame the power. . .of shadows?'' Spike slammed a claw onto the ground, the veins in his skin threatening to burst as he fought against the force pushing him down. An almost pulsing pressure was felt on his head as he began to stand up with a labored intensity. A glow in his eyes appeared like a beacon of light in contrast to the surrounding darkness. ''Twilight, stay back.'' Stygian turned his head to the drake who fought against his power, the shadows themselves were one of the most powerful things that remained in this forsaken world, and even those who would possess any ability to resist or even negate the awesome power were far and few. ''Who. . .or what, are you?'' Spike slowly began to walk over to the center of the destroyed fountain where Twilight and Stygian were sizing each other up. white fire beginning to gather in his claws as his wings jutted out. ''An Adept.'' Spike simply said, managing to fly towards the dark figure, throwing his fire towards his target. ''Spike, d-don't!'' Sunset groaned, Twilight jumping back as Stygian roared, brining up a wall of shadows that held back the majority of the fire, causing some to spill over and almost singe Twilight if she had been any closer to the drake's attack. Spike flew up, blasting a shot of fire to which Stygian leaped out of the way, causing Spike to land on the ground, the burning passion in his eyes to end the fight as quickly as possible showing as he clasped his claws together as he stared up to the gray, bleak skies and light poured out from his eyes and forming a miniature ball of light which he held in one claw as the other rested behind the other. ''Sun Sphere!'' the light grew in its intensity, appearing brighter than the sun itself, causing his foe to reel back and hiss as the ball climbed high in the sky, providing light for the entire island and even illuminating the surface of the water, revealing the aftereffects of Tirek's conquest; multiple broken ships, discolorations in the water, and a few of the bodies of the Hippogriffs that either tried to fight or flee the end of their life. Twilight stood there, shielding her eyes from the light, still feeling the light even with her eyes closed and body facing away. She heard another roar from Spike and Stygian, hearing a clash of the two, a slash of flesh and scale, and a shout from Spike telling her that he was wounded. She wanted to charge right in and help, even if it would be all for nothing. She was little better than somepony to just watch and see what would happen. She hated standing by. ''Augh!'' Stygian yelling, being sideswiped by Spike's feet and those deadly sharps claws as he felt a pinch on his flank from the other pony. He was unable to focus on many things when his damnation was so close. ''Ragh! Parasites!'' ''Yea, no! Go down already!'' Sunset shouted, inhaling a breath and shouting, a wave of sound following, causing Stygian's form to distort and ripple, the pulsations revealing the old, weathered and defiant true self of Stygian as he tried to cling onto his form. ''N-No!~ Please. . .it's all I. . .have. . .'' Stygian pleaded as his ears began to bleed and his eyes began to bog. Twilight realized her chance to do something, to claim what would soon be hers, and put poor Stygian out of his misery. It would be a small shot, but not impossible. Steeling herself and looking at the only weapons that she could reliably say she had, Twilight leaped into action, seeing Spike perform some motions with his claws, no doubt some kind of move to pacify the enemy, but Stygian's power was too great and only really came with one major drawback. If Twilight could correct that issue. . . She would be nigh unstoppable. ''Stygian!'' Twilight yelled, leaping up, her hoof spikes unlatched as she dove in, the change in momentum from impacting the unicorn almost causing her to slip off if not for her spikes latching onto his throat and chest, silencing his claims and replacing them with the gargling of his own blood. ''I told you. . .one way or the other. . .'' a cough of blood was flung onto her armor, but she didn't care. ''Your regrets die with you.'' Stygian chuckled, managing to look Twilight in the eyes as the shadows began to shrink, lowering them to the ground before collapsing in a pool of liquid. ''Huh. . .with me, t-they die. B-But, they shall. . .live with you.'' Stygian said before going silent, a small thrum sounding from beneath the very ground as Spike, Sunset, and Twilight had little time to react before the shadows suddenly grew, the hissing of being burned doing little to deter it as it continued to grow. ''What the?'' Sunset asked, seeing the mass of shadows latch onto Twilight, nearly consuming her as Spike's Sun Sphere began to die out, the drake looking at the action unfold as the look of almost childlike glee that was once on her face before being consumed by the shadows being replaced with fear as she could do little to fight back. ''Twilight, no. . .'' Spike shook his head, his emotions almost coming to the surface as he rushed over to his friend with Sunset, failing to notice Stygian's body slowly turn to dust behind them. Canterlot. . . ''Hmmm. . .where, oh where did you scamper off to? The usual place, perhaps?'' a bout of laughter sounded before the sound of hooves assaulted the ground, the figure heading towards the tattered remains of the castle, sure he would find his quarry before long.