The Darksiders: Prologue - Eight

by Darksoma

Chapter 4

"That's an odd name."

The words echoed around him as Eight dreamed, images of a blue and red-haired Pegasus flashing before him, but they quickly faded.

"Yeah, my parents had... Odd naming schemes" The voice obviously lied, a noticeable amount of nervousness in his voice.

Slowly, Eight would find himself drifting back out of sleep, opening his eyes to find himself still in the library, close to the warm fire, and a blanket laying over him. "Violet?" He whispered, looking around him until he could feel her head shift on his shoulder.

She was sound asleep.

"Oh." Was all he could muster.

For a few long minutes, Eight just sat there, trying and failing to sleep, but couldn't manage. Instead, he found himself pulling Violet off his shoulder, laying her comfortably on the floor, before once again, trying to get up. His body ached and protested, but he finally found himself standing, albeit a little unsteadily. Limping, he braced himself against the many bookshelves before he reached the doorway. "She's so..." He couldn't help but think about how light Violet was, not to mention how beat up she looked. "Fragile." Eight whispered. With a sense of determination, Eight casually ordered the Crystal to pull the other sword up and off the wall, levitating it to its side. He knew he couldn't let Violet stay here anymore. "Okay... Let's get that information and get her out of here."

It was a struggle, but Eight managed to make his way down the hallway, using the sword as a makeshift cane. At each doorway, he peered in, only to find nearly identical rooms to the one he'd just been in. "God, this place is repetitive."

"Yeah, it is..."

Eight gasped, turning quickly only to see Violet, looking sadly at him, a blanket wrapped snugly around her. "Oh, it's just you..." With a sigh, he collapsed against the wall, calming himself.

Violet remained quiet but quickly moved to Eight's side, helping him back up. It took a few moments for her to speak again. "Are you okay?"

Now, there they both were, trotting down the hallways, Violet supporting Eight as they moved.

"What were you doing?" Violet spoke as they looked in on another identical room, though, this one more noticeable trashed.

"Looking around, trying to find that thing Teia mentioned." Eight let out a grunt as they moved forward.

"In the dark?" Violet's voice was quite, yet sounded worried, along with her voice quivering with fear. "But you aren't fully recovered yet."

"I don't think we can wait that long." Eight said, looking into another room, this time finding a small room, with a desk against the wall, while every other wall had a bookshelf against it.

Slowly, the two would make their way inside before Violet would softly sit Eight down onto a nearby seat.

Violet let out a soft breath but didn't say anything, only sitting on the floor.

"Look, this place..." Eight leaned against the desk, trying to catch his breath. "It's an obvious death trap, and..." Eight paused again, seeing Violet wipe her eyes, her body shaking slightly. "Are you... Okay?"

"Yes," She looked away, at nothing in particular, seemingly trying to hide her eyes. "But you're not... And I..." She let out a sigh, before resting her head against the nearby bookshelf, going silent.

Eight paused, hearing her unsaid words, but not fully knowing how to respond. Looking to his hooves, he found his gaze drifting to the Void Crystal. "Protecting a friend." Eight whispered, catching Violet's attention. Looking to her, Eight gave her an expression of determination. "You are worth protecting." Softly, he reached his hoof forward before resting it on her head. "If we were put in a situation like that again, I wouldn't change a thing."

Violet stared with a look of sadness on her face.

For a moment, the two remained quiet before Eight finally spoke the words she definitely needed to hear. "Since I'm feeling so weak, I'll stay seated here, but would you mind helping me look through these books and papers?"

She paused, staring, and thinking. "As long as you promise to take it easy... You don't move from that spot."

Eight smiled and nodded, already finding himself getting comfortable. "I won't move."

Softly, she smiled and nodded.

After a moment, It only then occurred to Eight just how dark it was. It would be hard to see in there. Again, his gaze drifted to the Crystal before that determined look reappeared on his face. That familiar feeling filled his body as he focused, before thought at it, ordering the Crystal to light up.

Light burst out from the Crystal, bathing the room in light.

"There we go." Eight found a smile had crossed his face.

Violet just looked awestruck. "Just like a... Unicorn's horn." That was all she whispered, and moments later, Violet began pulling out books from the shelf, sliding a few to Eight while she began reading thoroughly through one after another.

"This is Liam?" A new voice echoed about Eight's dreams.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, still finding the pitch-black world he was so used to dreaming about. This time, however, he wasn't alone.

In front of him now stood a brown earth pony with chocolate brown hair.

"Who-?" Eight paused, staring into his eyes, a soft pressure building in his head. Eight grunted as the pressure grew before he had to force himself to look away.

The brown pony had a sad look on his face but remained quiet.

"Liam, right?" Eight said. Where did that guess come from?

It didn't matter, however, as the pony nodded at the name.

For some reason, Eight could feel a wave of soft anger begin to form. He couldn't remember why, though. All of the sudden, Eight started yelling at Liam, his voice not managing to be audible, no matter how hard he was yelling.

Eight shot up from the desk, the room around him still lit up by his Void Crystal's light. For a moment, he paused. Something felt different. "Viol-"

With a quick motion, Violet covered Eight's mouth, her whole body shaking in fear, her eyes wide.

It was only then that Eight could hear something- the skittering and running of many shadow dogs, passing directly by the room's door, and seemingly headed upward. Eight's eyes widened too, staring into Violet's. Why were they coming here? It almost sounded like they were running to somewhere specific, on the upper floors of the building.

Something was drawing those creatures here. And not just those creatures. In the hallway, the sound of something else, something unfamiliar, passed by the door.

It took only a few more minutes for the sound to fade off, the creatures now infesting the upper floors.

Violet collapsed against Eight, fearfully hugging and sobbing into him.

Eight just sat in shock. For the first time, he felt the true sense of fear Violet had been experiencing.

Slowly, Eight managed to shake his fear away before he forced himself to his hooves, running over to the door before gently cracking it opening.

The hallway was empty.

Violet quickly wrapped her hooves around Eight, squeezing and trying to pull him back, her body shaking still. "D-Don't..." Her voice was shaking too.

"But-"

"No, please!" Violet quickly tightened her grip. "I don't want you to risk yourself anymore!"

Eight turned and looked at her, a look of sadness crossing his face. "Violet..." Slowly, he lifted his hoof, placing it atop her head. "If I don't fight, then we might not make it out."

"I don't care!" Violet shook her head, looking down. "I don't want to be alone again!"

Eight's expression didn't change, but that determination reignited. Quickly, he focused on the Crystal, turning out his light and ordering the sword to his side. It was then, Eight noticed something. The thing that felt different was his body. Lifting his hoof away from Violet, he stared at it. He felt, somehow, stronger.

"Please..." Violet whispered.

"You won't ever be alone again." Eight took a deep breath. "Let me protect you, please."

Violet looked up, her eyes filled with tears as she looked back into Eight's. It took a moment for her to realize he wasn't going to back down.

"Trust me." Eight's eyes now showed pure determination.

Violet lowered her gaze, sniffling. "T‐Then..." Her body was shaking still, but slowly, she pulled away. "Then I'm coming too!" She blurted out.

Far off, in a deep forest, was laying a mare, stirring awake in the grass before finally opening her eyes. "Night Breeze?" Were the only words to escape her lips.

Slowly, Eight and Violet moved into the hallway from the room they had been in. "Violet," Eight whispered, turning to her. "You really don't need to come. You'll be safer there."

Violet just shook her head, quietly following behind him closely.

Eight let out a sigh before moving down the hallway, his sword at the ready. He didn't like it, but this was the only way she'd let him leave that room.

The two made their way further into the hallway until finally spotting the stairs, now scratched up and cut through from the many shadow creatures that rushed through here.

Violet shrunk back before pressing closer to Eight at the site.

"What on earth has so much influence over these things to call this many?" Eight frowned, steadying himself before starting to move up the stairs quickly and quietly, his sword still hovering weightlessly by his side.

As they moved further and further up, along with the sniffing and scratching of the many shadow dogs, was a new, unfamiliar sound. It sounded like a whistle.

Slowly, Eight peeked through the doorway, seeing up to four of those familiar creatures, but among them, right in the middle, sat a long, eel-like shadow, with curved blade-like object slicked back, like a Mohawk. Looking closer, it looked almost like half its body was melted into the floor.

Suddenly, the creature's gaze snapped to the side, as it stared directly into the stairs before it let out a high pitch, almost modulated-sounding yell. Just then, all the shadow dogs tuned to them.

Violet let out a yelp and quickly jumped back down the stairs.

"Grr, so much for stealth." Eight growled, jumping from the stairs and into the hallway, sword at the ready.

Just then, the Eel-like creature dived into the floor as the shadow dogs readied to pounce. Suddenly, however, it lept back out, it's head-blade extended out, revealing another blade at its tail before it began spinning through the air at him. The other creatures didn't stand a chance as it tore straight through them in its attack at Eight.

Quickly, Eight ducked under the attack, slicing his sword over his head, only for his sword to bounce right off its blades, impaling itself into the wall.

The creature fell out of its attack quickly, diving back into the floor.

"Damnit!" Working quickly, Eight yanked his sword from the wall with the Crystal, before bringing it back to himself.

Just then, the wall right next to him started to blacken with shadows, only for the Eel to fly out, slicing at Eight, cutting his cheek and nose.

He flew back in panic, landing on the floor before slicing at the creature again, only to find it had already retreated to the other wall.

"Eight!" Violet quickly ran up to him, getting down next to him. "Oh my, are you okay?"

"Ugh, I'm fine." Eight brought his hoof to his cheek, only to, once again, find no wound. "But you need to get back. It's not safe."

Before she could respond, the ceiling began darkening, like the wall, followed by the creature falling out, its blade outstretched.

Eight lifted his sword quickly, blocking the strike before knocking it away, it landing on the floor a little ways off.

For a moment, it just flopped around and scrambled in place, trying to move.

"No, you don't!" Quickly, Eight focused on his Crystal before cocking his head to the side, the bookshelf next to the creature quickly coming down on it. With a sigh, Eight pushed himself to his hooves with the help of Violet. "Well, let's hope that-"

"Look out!" Suddenly Violet pushed Eight out of the way just as the creature leaped up from the floor below, slicing through the air and cutting into Violet's arm.

"Violet!" As they both landed, Eight caught her in his hooves.

She just let out a cry, clutching at her arm.

The eel had already dived back into the floor by then.

"Dammit, how do you kill this thing!" Eight paused, blinking, an idea forming in his head. Quickly, he lifted Violet and laid her against the wall before standing, his sword, once again, at the ready. "Come on then!"

As if it understood, the floor in front of him began to darken before the creature lept out, spinning in the air at Eight again.

Bracing himself, he quickly blocked the attack, the creature relentlessly slicing against it, before Eight pushed back, knocking the creature back to the ground. Seeing it flopping around, he ran up to it, lifting his sword before slicing directly through its neck, decapitating it and leaving a deep gash in the floor below, before it soon faded away. For a moment, Eight paused, panting before gasping and turning, running back over to Violet, who still sat, crying and holding her arm. "Violet, are you okay?" Eight said, panic filling his voice.

She just shook her head, holding her cries back.

Eight tried to calm himself, shaking his head. "Let me see it, Violet." Eight brought his hoof to her arm. "I need to know how bad it is."

Violet's entire body was shaking before she opened her eyes, looking at Eight before she looked down, her cries still audible.

As she pulled her hoof away, Eight stopped, staring. "That's not... Possible."

Violet's arm looked unharmed.

"Where am I?" The mare tiredly trotted into a small clearing in the vast forest that surrounded her. She pushed her hoof against her forehead, trying to think, but all she could remember was the name Night Breeze, her own name, apparently, and a promise. One she didn't remember making. "Promise to protect..." She whispered before she looked up into the night sky. "Protect who?"

Eight pulled Violet quickly into a nearby room- another large study room on the second floor, as his battle against that shadow eel had clearly drawn the attention of two more shadow dogs, which now prowled around the hallway.

Violet slumped against the wall, trying to keep her cries and whimpers quiet, only until the creatures finally passed.

Eight took a deep breath before letting out a sigh, then slumping back against the wall too. "This doesn't make any sense..." He said, bringing his hoof to his face again, trying to find his cuts, yet still finding nothing.

"Eight..." Violet whispered, clutching her arm again. It's clear that even if there is no visible wound, she could feel the pain like it was there.

He paused, realizing something, before pressing his hoof against his cheek. He could still feel the cuts on his face too. "Is this..."

Violet turned to look at Eight, the expression of confusion mixing with one of pain.

"Is this related to being a Darksider?" He finally said, looking to his hind hoof, remembering how it felt back then, after his first attack.

"What do... Mean?" It's clear Violet was fighting through her pain as she spoke, tears still in her eyes.

Eight didn't answer, only looking to the Crystal again. "But how did I heal, then?"

"Eight?"

Finally, he turned to Violet, looking at her with worry.

She just stared back, clutching her arm.

Softly, he looked back to his Crystal before suddenly slipping it off.

"W-What are you doing?"

"I have a theory about how I healed up so quickly." Slowly, he brought the Crystal to her head, sliding it on so it sits, dangling around her neck.

Violet watched closely before looking down at it. "...Have I seen this crystal be-" Before she could finish her thought, Eight spoke back up.

"Now, focus on it, and I want you to order it to light up."

"What? But they'll-"

"Not if I close the door on my way out." Slowly, he stood up, trotting to his sword before biting onto its handle and lifting it in his mouth.

"What, no!" Violet tried to stand, only to find herself falling back to the floor.

Softly, Eight rested his sword against his side before speaking. "I'm sorry, Violet, but you are in no shape to follow me, right now."

"No, please, don't-" Violet tried to move again before wincing at the pain in her arm again.

"Look, Violet, I understand, but..." Eight didn't want to upset her any more than he had to, but if nothing else was going to work, then being blunt was what he had to be. "You're too weak right now, and if you tagged along right now, you'd get us both killed... This isn't the time, nor the place to try and get stronger." Taking a deep breath, Eight lifted his sword to his back before approaching the doorway.

"B-But..." Violet couldn't find her words, shaking.

"I promise I'll be back for you, once I've got what I needed." He stepped into the doorway, cautiously looking around. "Now do as your told and stay put, okay? And focus on that Crystal." He didn't wait a moment longer, stepping out of the room and into the hallway, closing the door before she could respond.

Softly, the mare, Night Breeze, sat down against the base of a large tree. "What is... Wrong with me?" She had tried multiple times to think back, to remember, but her mind and memories were a mess. Nothing would come into focus.

"So, she's a Darksider too?" Eight found himself whispering, a strong sense of guilt washing over him as he slammed the door behind him shut. Looking to his hooves, he saw a small ray of light had begun shining under the door. "Good, she figured it out." Eight couldn't help but smile a little before lifting his gaze. Taking a deep breath, he secured his sword to his back before turning to look down the hall. "No more delays, I'm getting us out of here." Suddenly, he began running down the hall, not even bothering to look in the rooms anymore, now just looking for another set of stairs.

The sound didn't go unnoticed as every shadow creature in the area suddenly came running out of the rooms, and more of those shadow eels peaking out of the walls.

"Get out of my way!" Eight yelled before biting onto his sword's handle, using his weight to extend the sword out and jump up, spin into the air, and slicing at any shadow dogs that came near.

The eels quickly retreated into the walls, dodging his slashes, only to pop back out behind him, two of which began spinning in the air at Eight.

Growling, he turned, bringing his sword up to block just as the creature made contact, spinning its blades relentlessly against his. Just then, a flash of inspiration hit Eight before he jumped up, letting his sword go before planting his hooves against it.

The creature didn't cease its attack, instead now pushing Eight back, with him surfing his sword.

Quickly, he turned, trying to keep steady on his blade as both he and the creature grew closer and closer to a wall, growing in speed. "Come on!" As they finally reached the wall, Eight lept off, grabbing a hold of his sword as he ascended.

The creature, meanwhile, just smashed head-first into the wall, its blade embedding itself in it.

Without a second to lose, Eight twisted in the air, planting his hooves into the ceiling before shooting himself back down, slicing clean through the creature's neck.

The creature struggled to the last moment, slicing Eight's cheek again before it began fading away.

Eight grunted, pressing his hoof to his face, yet still not finding any drops of blood. The area still burned though. "So, no wounds is a... Darksider trait, right?"

The hallway suddenly echoed with the cries of the leftover Shadow dogs as two more shadow eels began swimming through the floor at Eight.

With a soft gasp, he quickly turned and ran down another hallway, resting his sword on his shoulder. "Where are the damn stairs?" He suddenly skidded to a stop, finding a split in the hallway. "Had this always been here?" Quickly turning left, he saw an almost exact copy of the hallway he just exited, but turning leads him directly towards a nearly pitch-black set of stairs. He knew he didn't have much time to think, and so, he quickly bolted down the new hallway, leaping onto the stairs, just as the two shadow eels rounded the corner.

They quickly lept up out of the floor, diving into the walls to the side of the stairs.

Eight's eyes widened as both walls in the stairs turned completely black before he quickly dashed up the stairs.

Both creatures had begun jumping and slicing back and forth between the walls, one managing to slice into Eight back.

He let out a scream before ducking under the creature's attacks. Only after they had entered the walls again, did Eight stand and dash up the stairs, only managing to dodge a few attacks before the creatures got in a few slashes, cutting into his hind hoof and sides. Eight quickly collapsed out of the stairs, onto the third floor, screaming, his sword falling and clattering to the floor next to him. Quickly, he huddled up, prepared to receive more attacks.

The creatures had stopped, now staring at Eight, both seemingly refusing to exit the stairs.

Cautiously, Eight pulling his hooves away, Staring back at the creatures, panting heavily, his entire body hurting. "What the-?"

Suddenly, the room echoed loudly with an ear-piercing scream, causing the creatures to shrink back before diving back into the walls, away from it.

Eight quickly clutched his ears, letting out another scream, but soon after, the sound died down, leaving Eight's body to collapse completely. He found himself struggling to remain conscious, his vision beginning to darken. "N-No..." Eight rolled onto his hooves, using all his strength to lift himself up. "V-Violet... Needs me!" But in an eye blink, everything went black.

"Are you okay?" Liam said, the dream world around both him and Eight swimming like water.

"I need to..." Even in his dream, Eight could feel his body screaming in pain, as he lay on the ground. "Wake up..."

Liam remained quiet, slowly approaching him. "Do you need help?" Slowly, he knelt down, a sad look in his eyes.

"Not yours." Eight growled, turning the glare up at him. Why was he so angry at him?

Liam paused, looking down. "Are you sure?"

Eight shot awake, pushing himself off the table he had collapsed onto. With a growl, he began walking down the hallway, his body screaming in pain with every step. "Who... Even are you, Liam?" Slowly, he felt a powerful determination fill his being, as he grew closer and closer to a door at the end of the hall.

Violet stared down at the blank pages of the violet journal she had found on Eight, tears gently falling down her cheek. She couldn't help but shake and shiver in fear, despite the Crystal around her neck lighting up almost the entire room. "Where..." She sniffled, curling up on the floor. "Where did he get this?" She finally whispered, flipping the page of her lost journal with her horn's magic.

Just then, a loud popping sound echoed through the room.

Violet shot up, quickly running and hiding behind a nearby bookshelf, the crystal going dark around her neck. Her entire body was shaking even more intensely as she pressed herself close to it.

"Eight!" The familiar, young voice of Teia called out. "Please, I know you're here, I need to talk to you!"

Gently, trying to calm herself, Violet slowly peeked around the shelf.

Teia turned, spotting her before giving her the gentlest of smiles. "Oh, hi. You're Violet, right?" Slowly, Teia made her way closer, looking around. "Is Eight here?"

Violet bit her lower lip before looking down, shaking her head. "Um, no..."

Teia took a deep breath before sighing. "He's heading up, isn't he?" A sad but understanding expression crossed her face. "Damnit, once again I can't tell the right time."

Violet tilted her head, sliding down the bookshelf and sitting, still desperately trying to calm herself.

"Nevermind." Teia suddenly turned in place, trotting away.

"W-Wait!" Violet suddenly cried out, reaching for her. "Aren't you going to help him!"

Teia stopped, not even turning to face Violet, before shaking her head softly. "I can't." Another sigh escaped her lips before she finally turned to face her. "This moment is fixed."

Violet finally managed to calm herself enough, focusing enough to light the Void Crystal again. "Fixed?"

A soft smile crossed Teia's lips, an almost encouraging smile. "You two can do it without me."

Eight stared down at the hole under the door, a pitch-black shadow shooting down like light pouring through a window. Without a word, Eight drew his sword from his back with his mouth, his body screaming at him to rest, but he knew resting wouldn't save Violet from this place. "What are you." Slowly, Eight took a few steps back, bracing himself for whatever may come before charging at the door, quickly pivoting and bucking the door open, snapping it off its hinges.

The door flew and landed hard against the wall at the other of the large, circular room. Desks lined around the walls, papers scattered across each one. However, where the floor would be, was nothing but a black void.

"What in the hell?" Eight found himself whispering, before stepping inside. The void-like floor seemed to splash and shift like water as he stepped further inside.

Suddenly, the room was filled with an echoing scream, reverberating off the walls.

Eight dropping his sword, collapsing to the floor and gripping his ears, only for the sound to suddenly die down.

Just then, the blackness coating the floor began to recede into the center of the room, a creature forming from it. Its cylinder body pulsated as it quickly grew taller and bigger, until it towered over everything, a large, gaping mouth forming at its top. It slowly lowered its mouth, its maw opening to reveal a huge eye inside.

Eight stared in shock, his ears ringing before he began pushing himself to his hooves.

Suddenly, another growl erupted from the creature, multiple strings, and tentacles of black ooze shooting from its sides and into the walls.

Eight quickly covered his ears again, screaming too, but he paled in comparison.

Just then, the tentacles suddenly yanked out and back into the creature, pulling with them the squirming bodies of multiple shadow eels and dogs. But as soon as they could be seen, they all were pulled into the creature's pulsating body.

Eight's eyes widened before he quickly bit down on his sword, jumping out of the way as the creature suddenly charged at him, before turning to see as it charged directly into the wall, passing into it.

In the wake of the creature's attack, the black spot it left on the wall began to pull together at multiple points, only for a pack of shadow dogs to leap back out, giving Eight no time as they began charging him.

"Oh, this is unfair!" Eight cried out, biting down on his sword harder before swinging it at the first dog to pounce at him, its head coming clean off as its claws just outstretched.

It wasn't enough, however, as another quickly circled Eight and lept onto him, biting the back of his neck.

Eight cried out before he quickly slashed at another approach shadow dog, it fading before it could do anything.

Just then, a large black spot began growing on the wall, only for the large worm-like shadow to charge out, its jaws open wide.

Through the pain, Eight lept out of the way, crashing against the floor and knocking shadow dog off his back.

It too, fell to its back, the dog trying desperately to roll over, but only leaving large scratches against the wooden floor.

Eight clutched the back of his neck, it burning with pain before he could barely see the shadow next to him. Between them, he spotted his sword. Through the pain, Eight quickly rolled over, biting down on his sword before jumping back up, stabbing into the shadow dog.

Violet quickly shoved the door open, running into the hallway, the crystal glowing brightly. "Don't die!" Violet cried out, her body feeling full of energy and power. "Don't you dare die!"

Eight's body slammed against the floor, his blade flying across the room and impaling itself into the floor, as the creature slid back into another wall, more shadow dogs flying back out in its wake. "I need... To win this..." Eight grunted, forcing himself, with everything he had, back to his hooves. "I need to... Protect her..." He panted before dashing at his sword, grabbing it, and turning, charging at the shadow dogs. Throwing the weight of the sword, Eight jumped up, spinning around with the sword, slicing through each shadow dog.

At that moment, the floor below began blackening, as multiple smaller copies of the shadow worm's mouth shot up, biting at Eight, with most missing.

Eight landed into a roll, sliding to a stop on the pitch-black ground, just as a set of jaws began surrounding him. Quickly, he jumped out, the jaws slamming shut behind him, and, thinking quickly, he slashed at them, causing the creature to cry out in pain. He suddenly hit the floor, barely managing to recover to his hooves as he felt the wind knocked out of him. Eight panted hard, his hooves shaking with exhaustion, the sword bearly being held up in his teeth.

Violet booked it up the stairs to the 3rd floor, bearly ducking under the attack of a shadow eel as it slashed over her. She shook with fear but didn't stop, tears fall from her cheek. "Please, Eight..."

Just then, the entire building seemed to echo with a loud cry, one of pain.

Violet gasped, tripping and rolling into the 3rd-floor hallway. She panted, her hair falling into her face. "Family..." She muttered, her entire body shaking heavily. "I must... Protect..." But despite that, she forced herself to her hooves, staring through her messy hair into the doorway at the other end, directing at Eight, as he pushed himself to his hooves, his body looking like it was about to give out. "Eight!" Violet screamed.

Eight looked up, his eyes going wide, spotting her.

Just then, a large mouth of teeth shot up from the ground, chopping onto Eight.

Violet gasped, before sprinting into the room.

Eight bearly managed to hold the jaws open, his sword falling and impaling itself back into the floor. "Violet!" He called out, his body slowly being pulled down. "Run! Get out of here!"

Violet let out a cry, before looking around. "I can't..." Gripping her eyes closed, her body was near the point of exhaustion, only being held together by the power emanating from the Crystal. Violet's eyes shot open. "The Crystal..."

Eight was suddenly yanked further down into the throat of the creator.

Violet out another gasp, before her fear slowly turned to rage. "Leave him alone!" Quickly, Violet grabbing the Crystal, snapping it off her neck before chucking it at Eight, it falling down the creature's throat, as did Eight.

The world around Eight suddenly turned pitch black, as he struggled against the tentacles that pulled him down, only for them all to let go, sending him down against the pitch-black floor. He panted hard, his body fully collapsing, leaving him lying there. "Violet..." He could barely speak, his voice almost a whisper. "Violet... Run..."

"That's right." A familiar voice said, the figure of Liam stepping out from the darkness and kneeling down. "Run, like the cowards you are."

Eight growled, turning his head to stare at him. "Shut up!"

"Don't be mad cause it's true." He smirked, a twisted look of pleasure crossing his face. "All you can be is cry and scream at the world. No matter how badly you want it, you'll never be a hero." Liam stood back up, lifting his gaze. "You can't even protect yourself, so what good can you do for her?"

"I can't... Leave her... Like this..." Eight suddenly gasped, as he could feel a painful pressure surrounds his entire body, making him scream.

"What do you think you are, Eight?" With a wicked smile, Liam turned to Eight again. "Would you like me to tell you?"

Eight couldn't respond, his screams dying down, his body going numb.

The smile didn't leave his face as he knelt back down, whispering into his ear.

Eight's eyes went wide, tears falling from them. "I... I can't be..." Eight shook his head. "I... I'm me! I... I'm not! He couldn't have!"

Just then, Liam looked up, his smile fading as the Void Crystal shimmered, before bursting light out, burning away at the creature that looked like Liam, leaving behind the form of a pony, an eye where its face was.

"I... I will be... More than that!" Eight screamed, rolling onto his back and snatching the crystal out of the air. He quickly forced the Crystal to glow with a brilliant light, his body filling with its energy, and with a quick flick of his wrist, his sword flew through the black walls of the creature's mouth, impaling itself in the eye of the pony-like creature.

The monster cried out, the walls now pulsating rapidly as they began oozing apart and fading away.

With the energy of the Crystal, Eight managed to stand, glaring at the creature's true body as is melted to the floor and faded away into dust.

Violet stared, frozen in place, watching Eight as the monster that encompassed him turned to nothing, leaving the floor cleared, covered in documents and papers. "Eight..." Without a moment to wait, she dashed to Eight, wrapping her hooves around Eight tightly in a hug. "You're okay!"

Eight's glared slowly faded before he let out a sigh, hugging her back. "Thanks to you."

The document on the floor all read different titles, but one stuck out. 'Research on Darksiders'

"I won't let myself be Liam's mistake." Eight whispered, squeezing Violet against him before he found himself reading the report. "When a person or creature passes through the walls of the universe, they must give up something apart of themselves as a price, which will be given its own body, creating a new being we've dubbed 'The Darksider'."