When Ray approached the small lake that had become a scenic routine in his life, he was expecting to see Skalos and maybe a few more straw dummies. What he didn’t expect was to see Discord and Twilight accompanying the Fallen, who was stoically facing the direction he knew Ray would emerge from. The other two seemed a bit caught off guard by his sudden exit from the Everfree and onto the hill, but the surprise didn’t last. Discord seemed a bit too happy about something with both whimsical eyes and a mischievous grin while Twilight looked much too on edge for his liking.
“Well, I guess I have an audience today, then,” Ray tried to joke.
“As a matter of fact, you have both an audience and an opponent,” the ghostly stallion responded cryptically. A smile spread across his face for some reason before it vanished almost as quickly as it came, but for the brief moment it was there, Ray knew that it was directed at him. “You see, so far you’ve proven yourself to be capable of learning whatever I throw at you, but we have no evidence that you can actually put it into practice.”
“Oh,” Ray managed to say, realizing that this was a physical test, glancing back over at the other two, wondering what their part in this was. He vocalized as such, asking, “So why are they here then? Well, I guess what I mean to ask is why Discord is here? Twilight’s here to observe or record or something, but he’s just a friend.”
“Just a friend here to kick your human butt,” Discord proclaimed, laughing somewhat maniacally after.
“I have the floor, Discord,” Skalos curtly cut the draconequus off without glancing back, stepping towards Ray. “Please don’t interrupt again. I still haven’t explained the very reason that this is happening to our good friend.” Making sure that Ray had only his attention, the Fallen continued. “As I said, we have no evidence that you’ve learned anything, and as such, we would like to test you on both your knowledge and your… skill. With Discord accepting our proposition last night, we can finally have a way to see if you’ve progressed enough, or too much.”
“And what if I’m far beyond the basics,” Ray questioned, feeling a bit confident in himself. He knew he was rather intelligent, and that in the past few days there had been so few corrections to his form and grip, there was nothing new to correct. He didn’t think himself ready at all for battle, but he felt that he was going to be able to pass some test. However, he didn’t let the confidence gain headway over perception and attention. Knowing the quip was sure to draw responses from somebody, he was hoping that he would get some sort of glimpse of what was to come.
Indeed, it was Discord that broke, though all he said was, “Oh, the basics you have no need to worry about, my bipedal friend, as long as you remember them.”
“Discord,” Skalos warnedly called. For some reason, despite scrutinizing a literal god, and a destructive one at that, Skalos didn’t seem at all concerned or affected by Discord’s presence. At most, he seemed rather annoyed by him, but it was restrained. “He is right, however. We aren’t testing just what you’ve been taught. We’re also testing what you think you know. Please find a flat piece of land you’d like to be on for this exercise, preferably a circular space that would be optimal for close quarters, as we’ve practiced.”
With a confused frown at the statement, Ray humbled himself and sobered his boisterous attitude, instead scouring the area around the lake before finding a relatively close spot to the description Skalos had given him. He set himself in the center of it, guessing that the entire space was about fifteen to twenty feet wide and a little bit longer up and down. This part of the ground was rather flat, but also had some potholes thanks to the occasional flooding of the lake transforming it slightly. Deciding that this was as good a spot as any for whatever they had planned for him, Ray nodded to the Fallen.
“Well then, if you’re ready,” Skalos trailed off, turning for the first time to look at the other two since Ray’s arrival, nodding specifically at Discord. “If you would, we will begin now.”
As soon as Skalos had spoken, something surrounded Ray, a thick, purplish cloud that obscured his vision completely. He raised his hand and felt that the fog was warm to the touch, but was somehow tough to push through. He watched the fog break as his hand moved towards his face, the tendrils of it clinging to his hand as he pulled it through. The gaseous cloud began to expand and push away, creating a dome shape all around him as it darkened. Or, at least, the color of it darkened. All around him the light stayed the same, as if the sun wasn’t at all obstructed by this strange new cloud of purplish smoke.
Narrowing his eyes, he tried to see if there was any sort of break in the swirling pattern of it, but there was nothing but the purple color. Suddenly, something poked through the smoke. It took a second for the tendrils to disperse enough for him to tell what it was, but as soon as its form was recognizable, he sighed in slight relief. His spear was being produced to him, the sharp head and hook somehow shining through the complete coverage of the dome. He reached out and grabbed it, but when he tried to pull it back, he felt some resistance.
From through the cloud, Skalos called, “Figured you might want this. Be prepared for what’s about to happen and know something.” There was a pause, and before Ray could hear what else Skalos had to say, the spear was released, causing him to stumble back slightly. The mist cloud began to shift as it molded itself into an almost human shape about a foot taller than himself. The tendrils and swirling bits of smoke that made it up culminated suddenly to form the sharp, basic shape of a tall man, it’s smoke becoming visibly solid. A sword suddenly appeared in its hands as horns sprouted from its featureless purple head, and before Ray could react, it swung the sword up, drawing a thin line across his arm.
“You aren’t safe here,” Skalos suddenly finished saying as Ray managed to lift his spear up to block a downward strike from this new foe.
“What the hell,” was his only response before he had to roll away from another vicious downward slash. Coming up, he attempted to stab at the figure’s leg, but it sidestepped the strike. However, this opened up his ankle to attack. Pulling his spear back, he managed to hook the thing’s ankle. Ray had expected the maneuver to simply trip the figure up, but the perfectly sharpened blade combined with the force of his pull caused the entire foot to come off. Ray stared in near shock as the leg was lifted completely free of the foot, smoke gushing out of the ankle where the foot should have been connected.
Scrambling off the ground, he stood and lifted his spear defensively as he put himself in a guarding stance against the figure. A sudden noise caught his ear though, and he whipped around, pointing his spear at a new set of figures. Three smoky figures now stood in a triangle formation, one on the left and right with another further behind. They had the exact same disposition and features as the previous one, each even holding a sword. They too took different stances, all pointing their purple swords at him as their forms solidified.
A swishing sound from behind reminded him that there was still a fourth figure that he hadn’t quite dealt with. In the brief second he had to think, he ducked down, anticipating an attack to the head. Indeed, he felt wind pass over his head as he ducked, meaning he had just narrowly avoided the attack. Not thinking precisely, he simply followed up on instinct, ramming his spear backwards, almost catching himself with the hook as he did so. He felt a solid impact for a brief moment before it gave way to softer things that his spear butt easily passed through.
He glanced behind him through his arm, watching in astonishment as the butt of his spear had rammed completely through the figure. The figure held its stance for a moment, sword in both hands raised above its head in preparation for another slash. More smoke began gushing out of the stomach wound, and slowly a weakness overtook it, its arms beginning to drop as it slumped forward, into the weapon that had killed it. Ray withdrew the weapon from the shadowy figure, expecting it to disappear, but the inanimate body remained.
He had hardly any time to realize the destruction before he was reminded that there were still three others he had to deal with. A sword sung as it cut through the air, a sharp report sounding as the strange hardened mist collided with the metal of Ray’s spear. Both of them held their weapons against each other, trying to force the other to lose their grip. Glancing to the hook on his spear, he realized it was pointed away from him, and moving quickly, he released his weight on the rear end of it.
His opponent lurched forward, its weight on the sword still there, causing the rear end to swing in towards Ray. On the other end of the spear, the hook swung out, straight towards the figure’s head. He stepped back, continuing to swing through with the hook, but the figure managed to duck away, rolling across the ground perfectly. Ray wanted to continue combating that one, but the other two were right on him, both striking in unison. He managed to sidestep one of the attacks, swinging his spear hook out and catching the other’s weapon.
Pulling the spear downward, he disarmed the figure, and reeling its weakness, it stepped away before Ray could finish it. The other figure was undeterred, however, swinging vehemently at him, forcing Ray to circle backwards, where he knew that the other figure that he’d knocked down was recovering. Seeing an opportunity to temporarily stun his current opponent, he swung his spear heavily into his opponent’s, who was also midswing. Their grip was firm and it was able to hold on, but the intensity of the contact caused its arm to be jarred and it stumbled back slightly. This gave Ray time to glance behind his back, just in time to see the first figure raise its weapon face level for a jab.
He spun so that he was facing both, one on the right and one on the left, gripping his spear in both hands. The third figure took a step forward, its sword back in hand, standing beside the one on the left. Ray tried to conceive an actual plan for dealing with the three figures, but they didn't give him the chance, two charging forward while the third waited. Raising his spear horizontally, he blocked the first of several attacks, he noticed the third had begun to swiftly circle around, stepping over the body of the very first.
An opening formed on one of the attacks, however, when Ray went to block another swing, this one at his stomach. His spear ended up naturally sweeping the weapon aside, and while the opponent he’d just defended himself was still well guarded with its blade nearby, the opponent opposite to him had its side completely undefended, the hook in his spear suggesting what to do next. Swinging it sideways, the weapon barely had time to sing in the air before it contacted the side of his opponent on the right.
The weapon passed through the flesh with barely any resistance, the hook sinking through all the way to the rod. The figure stiffened, looking down to its side and watching itself be killed. Ray pulled the spear towards himself, ripping the hook through the figure’s front, mist erupting from the wound. The figure fell to its knees, pressing both hands against the fatal wound in what seemed to be an attempt to hold the mist in. It’s companion glanced down at it before gripping its weapon tighter and raising it once again for yet another attack. Clenching his jaw, looking away from the fallen form, Ray did the same.
Both struck out at the same time, the clash of metal against the strange mist sharply ringing as the two began swiftly to engage. Ray defended himself from strike after strike before going on the offensive for the first time, lunging forward with his spear. The figure slapped it aside with its sword, but Ray was accustomed to the weight of the spear and was able to fluidly spin it back in another strike, this time with the hook. The attack almost landed, but the figure stepped back quickly, dodging the attack so narrowly that, for a moment, Ray thought the strike had landed.
He was put back on the defensive however as the other figure engaged, stabbing at him from his side. Spinning around, he was able to deflect the danger away, but before he was able to retaliate, he once again swung his spear to the side, deflecting a blow from the first figure. The two were now attempting to align their attacks so that he had to defend both strikes at once, but because he kept focusing one at a time and not allowing for them to begin an attack, the strategy failed them. Ray had to adjust his grip so that he could equally balance and hold an attack on either side.
The whole fight was becoming exhausting, however, with sweat now dripping from his head, the metal where he’d gripped his spear now slick. His shirt was drenched, and just now he was beginning to realize that there were several tears in his shirt, but other than the cut on his arm, he wasn’t wounded. The figures, however, seemed completely unaffected by the amount of time this fight was taking, but he figured that it was most likely due to them not even being alive. The fog surrounding them seemed to be the only thing that had stayed the same, as even the ground seemed a little more trodden, much of the grass crushed underfoot.
Taking a deep breath, he was the first to re-engage, charging into the two with a yell. He thrust his spear at one, pulling back when it was countered and trying to hook the other, but missed with that as well. The action, however, forced them back, and for once it was not Ray that was retreating, but him that was pursuing. He struck hard and fast, and while most of the attacks didn’t even hit their swords, they continued to force his remaining opponents back, towards the wall of purple smoke.
Suddenly, both lunged at him, catching him by surprise. Cursing, he felt one of the swords knick his shoulder as a sharp pain filled him, but even with the pain, he managed to block the next attack. He grimaced as the pain settled in, his shirt now soaking in warm blood, which slowly began making its way down his arm. Channeling his pain, he let out a shout, colliding his spear with the sword of one of the figures who had moved almost completely in front of its ally. He pushed with all of his might against the figure’s sword until the blade nearly touched its face.
Its ally came to the rescue, moving to hit Ray from the side, exactly as he had thought it would. He spun suddenly, catching it by surprise. Using his hook, he cut across its arm, causing that purple mist once again to spill from yet another enemy. The enemy, however, barely seemed to register it, instead, striking back, knocking his spear out of his grip. He still held his spear, but now only in one hand, and very awkwardly at that, leaving his entire body exposed. All three knew his sudden show of weakness, his enemies attempting to utilize it as they both took on the attack,
Ray stumbled backwards, and going off of instinct, he decided to spin his spear counter-clockwise, the rear of it smacking against his palm, and suddenly he knew he was ready to fight, much quicker than either side thought. He ducked under the swing of one of them, knowing they were desperate to cause damage before he could truly rejoin the fight, but it was too late for them. He swept his through the ankles of his foe, both being cleanly amputated from the leg. The figure tried to balance itself on its now separated feet as purple smoke began flooding out of the wound, the mist drifting up around its leg.
The figure fell backward, face up as Ray stood and continued the fight with the last capacitated foe. He had to instantly raise his spear horizontally to block the oncoming slash, and because his grip was so firm and the strike was so wild, the sword glanced off completely. The blade caught a small bit of his knuckle on his left fist, the flesh becoming a shallow flap over his bone. He winced at the pain of it but didn’t even give it a glance, instead flipping his spear rear-end first towards its face, the sharpened butt of it slicing a shallow cut in its seamless face.
The foe barely took a step back to recuperate before returning to the battle, a vivid slice at his already wounded hand nearly landing. Ray stepped back and returned his grip to the traditional spearhold, head directed straight at his enemy’s heart. Having more control now then he did while gripping his weapon horizontally, he struck out rapidly at his opponent, and to his surprise, one of his probing strikes landed in the figure’s shoulder. The spearhead went completely through, and having made headway, Ray worked the hook deep into its shoulder, attempting to cause as much damage as he could.
The figure attempted to raise its sword to attack through the brutal injury, but seeing this, Ray ripped his spear out of its shoulder, mist tendrils gripping the spear as it retreated swiftly. The figure bent over slightly in apparent pain, its sword dropping as it moved to grasp its wound. Ray didn’t give it a chance however. Leveling his spear, he rammed the final figure completely through, sending mist shooting from its body. The figure had just enough time before it died to look up at Ray, its faceless horned head straining to glance up. It reached out desperately at Ray, and gritting his teeth, he twisted the spear before ripping it out, a final spurt of mist coming with it.
The lifeless figure keeled over, falling dead to the left of Ray. He stared at it for a brief second before remembering that there was still one more enemy alive, and he turned towards where it had been left. It had crawled itself towards the smoke wall on Ray’s right, a trail of the purplish smoke leading back to its footless legs. He walked over quickly, noticing that the ground crunched when he stepped on patches tainted with the mysterious smoke. The figure turned around, hearing Ray's approach. He raised his spear above his head, the sharp head of it pointed down as he prepared to end the hapless figure’s life. It raised its arms as if to try and block the attack, to beg for its life, but Ray didn’t heed the plea. He thrust the spear downward, harder than he meant for it to be, piercing completely through the figure’s chest and planting his spear at least a foot into the ground.
The familiar smoke began to rise from it as its arms dropped, the figure dying from Ray’s fatal attack. Before he had the opportunity to retrieve his spear, however, the sound of two swift crunches pierced the air. Ray had only enough time to dodge back before a new foe appeared from out of nowhere, a spear in its grasp. It had come from Ray’s right, where he had been, and if he had stayed put, he would have been rammed through from the side. The new fifth figure had charged too far however, and took much too long to recover from its failed attack. Realizing its weakness, Ray jumped forward, grabbing it by the horn.
He jerked its head back, having just enough time to see this one’s formless face before slamming it down into the sharp butt of the spear. The spoke at the end shot through its head before slowing to a halt almost two feet past the point where it exited the skull, tendrils of smoke practically dripping from it. Ray held a firm grip on the horn for a few seconds more, panting as the adrenaline slowly began to leave him. Finally letting go, he straightened himself out, swallowing and attempting to control his breathing as he looked around for any more enemies.
The bodies of the figures all lay grotesquely around him, and there didn't appear to be a single blade of grass that wasn’t trample or shrouded in the purple mist. He looked back over at his most recent victims, the body laying with hands weakly wrapped around a spear in its stomach, the weapon taking another soul as the slumped body of the fifth figure loomed over its familiar, propped up by the spear in its head. It was only now beginning to register with Ray that they weren’t actual beings, just some type of conjuration and that the whole fight had been schemed by his friends.
As if the very thought of them conjured their presence, the mist almost instantly evaporated, the explosion of bright sunlight nearly blinding him. He squinted against the light, raising a hand to cover his eyes as he was forced to adjust to the light. The sound of soft footsteps caught his attention, and slowly he was able to make out the form of Skalos and then the two that stood behind him. A third suddenly appeared beside Skalos, and Ray quickly recognized it as Zecora, who was laden with two bags full of glass bottles. After a few more seconds, he was finally able to make out Twilight and Discord, both who had shocked faces and were staring behind him, no doubt at the grotesque display that proved his abilities.
“I’m impressed,” Skalos suddenly spoke, much closer to Ray than he had registered. He sounded almost giddy as he stated, “I honestly expected for you to defeat two or three, but all five in such a swift time?”
“And without any major injuries, might I add,” Zecora commented, pulling out a bottle of what looked like a thick tan cream. Opening up, she instructed, “Give me your hand, please. I can heal it quickly with these.”
Ray put his hand out for Zecora- who began spreading the cream on his wounded knuckle and arm -as Skalos seemed to compose his attitude, a grim line forming on his brow as he too glanced behind Ray. “Discord, let him see what we do,” Skalos suddenly ordered, his voice hard.
Ray glanced uphill slightly to see Discord nod, his face completely pale as he continued to stare at what was behind Ray. He didn’t know exactly what was so disturbing about a bunch of shadowy forms dead, but he could guess that most likely it was due to the brutal way he’d killed each of them. Turning back to look at what they were staring at, he was met not with shadow figures that leaked smoke when they died, but five minotaurs.
There was blood everywhere, and before he could become completely perplexed by the sight of it like the others, he squeezed his eyes close and turned away from the brutal scene. He didn’t have to stare at it to know what it looked like though. His mind had instantly captured the image of bloodied bodies, the impaled minotaurs, and his spear jutting out of the chest and through the head of another. Biting his lip, he forced himself to remember the image. Similar scenes would plague him, and one day it wouldn’t just be minotaurs who were merely mangled corpses. One day, he’d see Fallen bodies, the bodies of people he knew, and he’d have to keep fighting through that, surviving with those images forever.
That was why Skalos wanted him to see what they saw. He had let him fight without dealing with the blood, and now he was forcing him to see that all of those tendrils of smoke, all of those stabs and cuts, that all of it was blood. Firmly clenching his jaw, licking his dry lips, he forced his face into a hard neutral expression, opened his eyes, and looked back over at all of those corpses.
Then, without making a noise, he raised his hands where he knew it had been covered with the smoke, knowing what awaited it now. His hands, healed because of Zecora’s medicines, were completely covered in blood, not a patch of clean skin visible. With a slight frown, he removed his shirt, knowing that everyone was now watching him, and deliberately began to wipe the imaginary blood away before throwing it to the ground.
Glancing to Zecora, he lifted his arm slightly to reveal a long, thin cut where the fifth figure’s spear had caught him. Speaking calmly, he asked, “Could you get that too? Hurts like hell. My shoulder too."