Harry cracked his neck as he shook out his new wings and looked skyward. The sky was flickering more and more as Harry looked at it. He looked at the others. “I’ll deal with Sombra, you girls hold down the fort while I fight would you?” Before they could answer, Harry disappeared with a crack and reappeared above the dome of magic. Spreading his wings and slowly flapping them, he hovered there as Sombra took notice. With a scream of madness, crystals were materialized and hurled at Harry, who deflected them with his magic.
Harry’s horn flared white as he stopped a razor sharp crystal from impaling his throat. Harry glanced at Sombra and noted he had materialized a body from the cloud and was fighting from a crystal platform. “Alright Sombra, let’s see what madness lurks in your mind.” Apparating in front of Sombra, he stared into the unicorn’s eyes. The world vanished as he spoke a single word. “Legilimens.”
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As Sombra’s mind appeared around, Harry grimaced. “Right, this isn’t creepy at all.” All around Harry laid the remains of a once thriving forest. Crystalline vines seem to crawl up over the trunks of trees and strangle the life out of them. Fog seemed to lie on the ground, blocking the roots of the trees from sight. Harry shook his head and moved down a path that seemed to meander through the forest.
As Harry tread down the path, the forest seemed to grow darker. Frowning, Harry lit up the tip of his horn. He stopped as a voice spoke up behind him. “You sure you want to do that, oh master of Death?” Harry’s head turned slowly to face the person standing there.
“Somehow I got the feeling we would meet again Keeper.” For it was indeed the mad Keeper, the gemstones he called eyes burning with light from in his sockets. “I hope you aren’t the cause of this.” Keeper snorted as he fell in beside Harry when he resumed walking.
“No, that would involve breaking several oaths I swore when I ascended to what I am today.” Keeper frowned then. “I actually came to apologize to you.” Harry looked at him questioningly. “I attempted to slay you last time, for which I apologize.” Harry opened his mouth to protest that the Keeper had done nothing of the sort, but the Keeper continued. “You may not have noticed it, for the magic I wield can be subtle despite the madness that plagues me occasionally, but I was attempting to either trap your soul forever in that room or destroy it.” Keeper looked uncomfortable here. “That would have probably not have broken oaths sworn, but it would have been close.” Keeper stopped walking and looked around. “We aren’t alone in here.”
“What do you mean?” Harry’s voice had an edge to it when he spoke. Keeper’s gemstones seemed to scan the forest.
“I’m uncertain.” Keeper sounded unsure of himself as he spoke. “It could just be the madness flaring up again, but I could have sworn I saw things moving out there.” Keeper seemed to look frightened. “I must go now, for while I can wield great power in the physical world, mental worlds tend to run by different rules.” Nodding his head at Harry, the keeper spoke. “Good luck on this escapade, Master of Death.” He vanished into nothing. Harry looked around the forest warily before he continued to walk down the path, which seemed to be shrinking in width the farther it moved on ahead. Harry sighed as he quickened his step. He had the feeling that if he stayed too long in this place, not even Death could pry him loose without consequences to his mind.
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Harry stared at the castle that the path had led to. Composed of a white crystal, vines seem to be growing out from it. Harry wouldn’t have been worried normally by the events, but the path that he had traversed to arrive here had disappeared the moment he had reached the end. He had the feeling that unless he got rid of the vines and the madness that plagued Sombra’s mind, he wouldn’t be leaving here anytime soon. Sighing, he walked towards the castle’s ruined doorway and entered.