Chapter 12
Dizastrous marched down the dirt road, Octavia and Chrysalis beside him as he grasped the amulet firmly in one hand. The news was bad, he was already not thrilled with having been told to dispose of any guards, but if he was being rushed he couldn't even take precaution to avoid them. Things were going from bad to worse, and the frown on his face made it apparent to the two mares who accompanied him.
"What is it this time?" Chrysalis asked in a wary tone, Octavia still was unsure of what the amulet was for, and merely raised an eyebrow.
"Helix blew his cover to that Twilight girl." The Blood Knight answered in a grave voice.
"What?! That wretch is the personal student to Celestia, you will be found out immediately now!" Chrysalis said in a panicked tone.
"Not so hasty, Weaver assures me she has not made contact yet, but she can only be stalled for so long. Helix always had a soft spot for women and children, sometimes I still check to make sure he isn't a mage instead of a warlock." Dizastrous grumbled.
"Well, then it's done right?... You might as well give yourself in, you can't fight an entire city of guards that are expecting you. Chrysalis's army of changelings couldn't even hold off an unexpected guard force, you think you can beat them alone?" Octavia said in a shaky voice.
Dizastrous gazed down at the mare, his face shadowed by the position of the sun and the angle his face was at to stare directly at her. His eyes glowed with an eerie brilliance, a gleam that seemed brighter than their usual glow that caused chills to run down the musician's back and cause the fur on her neck to stand on end.
"You can't... right?" Octavia said in an even less certain voice that almost seemed a whisper towards the end.
The only answer the mare received was a toothy grin that caused even Chrysalis to back off slightly. Dizastrous loved challenges, and while slaughtering innocents was something that he did not approve of, combat against fellow soldiers was something the Blood Knight respected above all else. It was a fine line he tread on, but he felt that an entire city's worth of prepared guards should provide even enough odds.
"Why don't we take our time? If I am going to be expected then so be it, the others can't blame me now, since it was Helix's mistake." The Blood Knight's voice held barely contained enthusiasm.
"Are you sure that is wise? Though I do not like the way she brings it up..." Chrysalis started as she glared evilly at Octavia, "But she is right, when only one mare suspected me my surprise attack failed after making it inside the city. You are strong I know, but can you even make it to the crystal spire through streets filled with guards?"
Light danced around the fingertips of the Blood Knight as he grew even more excited about his predicament, "Don't you worry your pretty little head, this will not be the first time I broke into a city with only two people backing me up."
"Don't count on her to help, and I am rather inclined not to get involved with fighting the royal guard of the Crystal Empire..." Chrysalis said with a frown.
"Oh well, more fun for me then." Dizastrous said with a grin.
Helix limped off back towards the library, trying his best to conceal the pain from the regular townsfolk who stared openly at his strange behavior. They still did not trust him, but at least now they were not openly hostile.
"Well, for now anyways..." Helix mumbled to himself as he opened the door to the library and made his way inside.
The warlock was greeted by the small purple dragon he had become accustomed to seeing, and offered Spike a small smile. Spike however only gasped and rushed to Helix's side when he saw the limp the man had. The baby dragon placed his clawed hands on the Blood Elf to brace him, but only elicited a hiss of pain causing him to jump back.
"Helix what happened to you?!" Spike exclaimed.
"Has Twilight showed back up?" Helix asked, ignoring the question.
"Well, yes...but-" Spike started.
"Listen this is important, I need to talk to her." Helix cut in.
With a small frown on his face Spike led Helix up the stairs towards Twilight's bedroom. Upon entering Helix noticed first that the mare was crying into a pillow on her bed, he then took note of the amulet that was on the nightstand. Helix took a step in but was halted as spike grabbed the hem of his robe in an attempt to stop him. The baby dragon only had intentions of halting him after seeing Twilight was still crying, but it caused the magical fabric to press against the bandaged burn wounds across the warlock's chest, bringing forth another hiss of pain.
"Huh?" Twilight said before sniffing and wiping tears from her face with a forhoof.
Twilight caught the cringing eyes of Helix and a frown formed on her face, not one of malice or hurt, but one of concern, "Helix, are you hurt?"
"There is something I need to tell you about. Something to consider..." Helix said, casting a gaze down at the baby dragon.
Spike, though he was young, received the hint that he was not invited to hear the conversation, and already uneasy at the teary eyes of Twilight, he was more than willing to remove himself form the uncomfortable atmosphere. Helix gave a mental sigh of relief as the baby dragon shut the door and left.
"Twilight, there is a reason for all of the secrecy, and the lies we told you." Helix said as he set himself down on a wooden chair in the corner of the bedroom that sat next to a desk. Facing the chair toward the teary eyed mare Helix frowned before he continued.
"The three of us were sent here on a mission by our lord. Lor'themar Theron personally gave us this mission to enact in secrecy, in hopes of sparing another innocent world from the war that has ravaged not only our's but others as well. But, my people need the crystal heart, and Lor'themar is willing to do anything for it. Even punish us for failure to motivate us to succeed..." Helix said solemnly.
Removing his robe, leaving himself with only his trousers and boots on, Helix revealed the bandages that he was covered in, blood and puss seeping through in spots where the burns had caused his flesh to crack while he moved. The entire display caused the librarian to gasp, and more tears to well up in her eyes.
"T-that... is because of me?" Twilight choked out in a nearly inaudible voice.
Helix did not answer, he was unable to speak lest he betray his mission at the sight of causing his young friend such guilt. He barely made it this far into the lie, the most he could do now was silently play it off. He merely hung his head in shame, but it was taken as a silent agreement with what was said. Twilight bit her bottom lip as a strained look adorned her face.
"Helix... I'm so sorry. I didn't know..." Twilight choked out, openly sobbing now.
"Twilight please, your tears cause me too much pain. I understand you were just curious about the amulet..." Helix managed out, finding new strength in a hope of comforting his friend.
"No, you don't understand!" Twilight wailed as she jumped from the bed and slowly inched herself from her bed and shivered before the wounded elf'.
"Don't beat yourself up, at least I am still alive. Lor'themar only punished me, I will be better with a little bit of rest and healing." Helix gave a weak smile of assurance.
Helix hoped he did not have to keep up the charade much longer, he merely wished to lie in bed and sort out his feelings. If this did not end soon he would crack under the pressure and be unable to tell any more lies to his friend.
"But-" Twilight began.
"Hush, I will be fine." Helix cooed.
"No, you wont..." Twilight said in a tone that would rival Fluttershy's level of volume.
"Huh?" The warlock was not sure he caught what she said correctly between her sniffles and hiccups of crying.
"I... Already sent Celestia the letter..." Twilight whispered, her eyes staring at the floor as dual streams of tears created a puddle at her hooves.
Helix was unable to speak, his mouth hung open in horror at this news. The princesses knew, and Weaver was headed back to them still, with Helix unable to reach his guild amulet in hopes of sending a message over the lesser channels in warning. The warlock hissed as he rose to his feet and reached a hand toward the end table, but before he could even take a step the door to the bedroom crashed open and a stream of guards rushed in and tackled him to the ground. The blows to his tender flesh stung, and tears entered his eyes as the charred skin cracked even more, causing his bandaged to slowly turn red.
Helix's gargled cries of pain echoed over the shouts of the guards, causing the purple mare to stare up in horror as her friend was hurt even worse than he was at the rough treatment the guards were giving him. She cried out in protest but was ignored. The warlock struggled in vain against the magic and strength of the guards, earning him blows and jabs as they tried to subdue him. Finally, the elf went limp as he found himself too dizzy from blood loss to fight anymore, Helix and Twilight locked horrified eyes as the warlock was dragged from the room and then from the house. The last thing Twilight saw of Helix before he was dragged off, leaving a trail of blood, was a look of utter disbelief and pain. The mare, once more alone in her room stared with soulless eyes out of her bedroom door, tears splashing in the puddle they had already made on the floor.
The three travelers stopped at the crystal archway that separated the snowy ground from the lush green grass. The Blood Knight held a fist up to signal for them to stop as he cast his gaze around warily.
"Something doesn't feel right..." Dizastrous said offhandedly.
"Yes, the sudden change in weather always surprises me when I see this." Chrysalis commented earning an odd look from Octavia.
"So, once you go in there I am free to leave right?" Octavia said, still staring oddly at the changeling queen.
"Come on out of hiding, I know you're there!" Dizastrous shouted across the grassy hill that lead to the crystal city.
The two mares gave the Blood Knight an odd look and Chrysalis smiled and shook her head as she made to take another step forward but was halted as a metal clad hand was thrust in her face. The changeling queen looked up in some annoyance but backed off when she saw the serious look on Dizastrous's face. The elf then began to walk forward through the crystal archway and immediately disappeared from view. Octavia gasped in surprise but Chrysalis's eyes narrowed.
"Wha- where did he go?" Octavia babbled staring at the spot that once held the large armored man.
"Those sneaky devils cast a glamour on the gate here. He sensed it and knowingly walked into a trap..." Chrysalis mumbled in response.
"Is he insane or does he have a death wish?" Octavia said incredulously.
An earth pony in the royal armor of the crystal empire came skidding out of the glamour and into view of the two mares. The stallion in question's armor was cracked and he was barely breathing as he clutched his side and spat up blood. Octavia gasped in horror at the sight, but Chrysalis merely took a few steps back to stop the blood from reaching her hooves.
"If I had to guess I would say both..." Chrysalis muttered dryly.
On the other side of the glamour Dizastrous found himself surrounded by a legion of guards. The crystal blue armor they wore sparkled in the light of the sun as he cast his gaze over them. They all stood stock still and watched him closely. The moment he stepped forward several had charged recklessly, unaware it was to their demise. After he felled several of them bare handed, kicking the last one out of the barrier the rest had stopped their assault.
Dizastrous moved his hand to the hilt of his sword, causing the guards to tense up, the unicorns to charge their horns with spells, and even the faint sound of hundreds of hooves scratching the dirt in anticipation to stop. The only sound was the flapping of wings and the soft breaths of the hundreds that stood cramped at the crystal archway.
Drawing his blade and flourishing it, Dizastrous grinned at the force before him. Giving himself a quick blessing and invoking his sacred shield. The bubble of sacred light snapped into place just as a few magical bolts from a handful of the braver senior unicorns were fired. The magical blasts were absorbed upon touching shimmering shield, eliciting gasps from several unicorns.
Dizastrous's grip tightened on the hilt of his sword as he heard a grinding sound approaching him, similar to the sound of a chariot going down a dirt road, but the grinding of the wheals turning reminded him more of the sound scourge meat wagons made. Off a ways he noticed where it came from, a large metal chariot was approaching him, ponies moving out of its way as it rumbled along, its large metal wheels gleaming in the sun's light.
Looking around the Blood Knight noticed looks of relief on the guard's faces, whoever was on that chariot was a pillar of strength for their people. While normally the strategy in this situation was to deal with as many as quickly as possible before their champion or commander appeared, Dizastrous smiled and waited for it to reach him. These guards were pathetic on their own, and only in numbers would they achieve anything. With any luck he might actually need to invoke the powers he stored for dire situations.
The chariot halted a mere twenty yards from him, and with it closer he could clearly see two ponies sitting in it. One was a unicorn male, blue mane and white coat who gave off an aura of courage and strength. He was without a doubt a commander, and many of the guards smiled in approval that he was here. The other however, was a female with both wings and a horn, her multi-colored hair and pink coat made Dizastrous think of royalty, and once he spotted the crown that sat atop he head his suspicion was confirmed.
"We received word that you would be coming here, but I had no idea you would be so bold as to stand against an army." Shining Armor said while shaking his head.
"Then you know what I seek, give it to me and your people will be spared." Dizastrous returned to them, earning incredulous looks from the ponies.
"Are you mad? You are outgunned and outnumbered!" Princess Cadence exclaimed.
"Outnumbered? yes..." Dizastrous said with a grin as he ran a hand across his blade, causing it to glow with holy might, "Outgunned? Oh, you are very wrong there..."
Tossing the blade up and catching the hilt in a reverse grip, Dizastrous slammed the sword down into the ground. The ground erupted with holy energy, small fissures appearing that poured forth light to all that stood upon them. The few guards unlucky enough to be standing within the range screamed in agony as the light began to burn away at them. Cadence gasped and Shining Armor gritted his teeth at the sight.
"Cadence... do it." Shining said to his wife.
Cadence nodded, and her horn ignited with magical power. Dizastrous prepared himself but nothing was sent his way, the only thing that happened was the sun seemed to grow slightly brighter in the horizon. A wall of magic then surged forth from the city, and all the ponies that were touched by it then sparkled with magical energies, as if they were made of crystals.
"Wait, that's not the sun..." Dizastrous said in realization, "That is the crystal heart isn't it?!"
"Yes, and with it protecting us your evil magic can do us no harm." Shining Armor said with a smug grin.
Dizastrous considered this for a moment, quirking an eyebrow as he looked around him. He lifted a fist that glowed with light and glanced at it before looking back tot he guards around him. Picking a guard out at random he opened a palm towards it and unleashed a blast of holy magic that struck the guard, searing the stallion with its divine energies. This caused every equine eye to grow round with amazement and confusion.
"But... Aunt Tia said that should have worked..." Cadence mumbled.
"I wield magics of the divine and holy, not the evil and dark like my two companions." The Blood Knight said with a smirk.
The dejected looks the royal couple had made Dizastrous laugh as he once more flourished his blade, "Prepare yourselves... Here I come!"
The Blood Knight charged into the ranks of the crystal guards, his light infused attacks easily cleaving down those that stood in his way as their attacks either were absorbed by the holy barrier around him, or bounced off his plate armor. When the guards would enclose around him completely he would unleash a storm of divine energy as holy hammers danced around him, smiting all that strayed too near. Only when a powerful purple blast was sent his way did he actually take any damage. Looking to where it came form he noticed a purple magical aura fading from Shining Armor's horn. A sky blue beam then shot forth from the princess, causing Dizastrous to stagger back slightly after having his sacred shield popped by shining's beam.
"That is more like it! Give me your best shot!" Dizastrous roared in challenge to the royal couple as several guards backed off from him.
Shining Armor and Cadence exchanged glances, and they then allowed their horns to touch as they shared their magic, amplifying the power of each other's. Dizastrous frowned as he felt the intense aura build and build into lethal force. The strain of holding the magic was evident on the faces of the couple.
"Well shit..." Dizastrous mumbled.
The beam of the combined powers was launched and struck the elf in the chest. He was knocked off his feet and sent sprawling onto the ground. Shining Armor and Cadence panted from the energy they lost from the magical blast as they peered over at the still form of the elf. Blood was beginning to ooze out of the joints in his armor as he lay there on the ground.
"I think... We did it..." Shining Armor said between breaths.
A metal clad fist hammered into the ground suddenly, and pushed the elf onto his own feet. As he stood he smiled madly. Cadence and Shining Armor frowned at the bleeding man.
"Stay down, we don't want to kill you." Cadence implored.
"Kill me?" Dizastrous asked tilting his head to the side.
The Blood Knight began to cast a spell of his own, allowing a cleansing burst of light to full himself and seal his wounds. After a second cast of his healing spell Dizastrous was back to full health and ready to go another round with the now tired looking princess and her husband.
"You are going to need to work a lot harder than that to keep me down!" Dizastrous proclaimed.
"He can heal himself?!" Cadence screamed in frustration.
"This isn't good, we may have to resort to the other plan..." Shining said with a worried tone.
"But... It almost feels like we are the bad guys by doing that..." Cadence said with a frown.
"Cadence, if we don't do it more of our guards will die. It is a necessary evil..." Shining said solemnly.
"Hah, that is the most over used excuse there is! But don't let me dissuade you, I want to see your devious plot to stop me. I may not wield as much raw magical power as you 'princess' but your blows are weak and pathetic compared to mine!" Dizastrous taunted as he began to stomp towards the chariot.
Cadence frowned and looked away as her horn ignited with her blue magical aura. A beam shot forward, but not towards the Blood Knight, but to the ground in front of him, issuing forth an image of a battered and bleeding elf. The image was of Helix who was chained and wounded in a dungeon of sorts. The sight caused Dizastrous to stop dead in his tracks.
"No..." Dizastrous mumbled, the fire of battle immediately gone from his eyes.
"If you continue to resist, princess Celestia will execute him for being a danger to all of Equestria. But if you come quietly I will guarantee his and your lives as you will be sent to the dungeons." Shining Armor said in a firm voice that was betrayed by the look of disgust on his face.
Dizastrous's grip on his sword grew tighter, and his teeth grit from anger at the situation he found himself in. He looked between the crest of Silvermoon on his sword, to the beacon of light that was the crystal heart off in the distance, then to the image of his friend who looked to be breathing raggedly.
"Fine, you win..." Dizastrous spat venomously as he slammed his sword into the ground and backed away from it.
Shining Armor and Cadence approached the Blood Knight, a pair of manacles levitating next to them. Dizastrous fell to his knees and held out his hands to be cuffed. As Shining drew closer and clamped the manacles down on his wrists however, Dizastrous grasped the back of his head and pulled him in close so that they stared eye to eye, foreheads touching each other's.
"Know that these binds can not hold me against my own will, so if anything happens to either of my friends, you will face my wrath. And I will not be playing around like I was here, I will personally see to it that your entire empire be razed to the ground..." Dark intent dripped off every word he uttered, causing Shining Armor to feel small and weak before his prisoner, for he felt every word was the truth.
"Guards... Take him to the train. He is to be sent to Canterlot immediately." Shining Armor commanded as he backed away.
As a unit of guards approached him, Dizastrous stood up, and followed them in fear that his friend would be killed and that it would be his own fault. As he marched off Cadence took a look at the sword he had left behind. The gem that sat in the pommel of the sword glowed with an ever present light, and as cadence examined it closer she was certain it was supposed to symbolize the sun.
Cadence glanced over to her husband who was visibly shaken by what the Blood Knight had said to him, "I'll go with the train and meet up with my aunts, you watch over the city while we transport him."
Shining Armor merely nodded, his mind still focused on the threat he received. Cadence then turned to make for the train, but looked back at the dead and wounded that lay in the grassy field, then to the mare that still stood in the snow on the other side of the glamour. Cadence motioned for a guard to collect her and then turned her attention back to the wounded and dying.
"He is aptly named..." Cadence said with a frown as she made her way to the train.