//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Blazing Dragon // by Zanem-Ji //------------------------------// She leaned against her bedroom balcony railing and stared out at the night sky. A soft smile made it’s way onto her face as the stars twinkled back at her. She took in a big gulp of air and looked down at the city lights below. Slowly, lights were going off as ponies turned in for the night. She sat down on her haunches and closed her eyes, listening to her steady heartbeat, and feeling the light breeze on her face as it flowed through her mane. She heard wings beating on the air, that made her smile get even bigger, “Hey there.” She opened an eye, and looked to her left. A licorice black Vampony had landed beside her. She flicked her long snow colored mane out of her face, and her golden eyes crinkled up as she gave her a toothy smile. She arched a brow and looked at the mare, “What’s up, cutie?” The Vampony smirked and nuzzled her cheek, her toothy grin turned sensual, “I crave your loving touch. To feel the brush of your coat against mine…” she pressed herself up against the other mare, “I want you to satisfy me in a way nopony can…” She rolled her eyes but maintained a smile, "As much as I would love to, I know you're just being a tease. What do you want, Dee?” Dee’s sexy smile turned into a smirk, “I couldn’t sleep. I’ve been getting an urge to go there…” her smirk disappeared, “Sparks…do you feel it?” Sparks’ smile disappeared, and she slowly nodded, “It’s been so long since we’ve gone…” There was another pair of wings on the wind, as a Pegasus with a baby blue coat, and a wheat gold mane and tail reflected the moonlight from above. The pony gave them friendly smiles, “Hello, my friends…it’s been far too long since we’ve seen each other…” Sparks gave her a quick nuzzle, “Yes, far too long.” Dee chuckled and threw and a foreleg over her shoulder, “They came far along with medicinal science, didn’t they? You have a beautiful voice, by the way. It still sends chills down my spine every time.” She tilted the Pegasus’ chin up so that she was looking up at her, “Skye Wave, the Siren of the Sky.” Skye blushed and pushed the hoof away, “If anyone’s a Siren, it’s you. I’ve heard about your little escapades. You’ve been swooning mares left and right…” Dee chuckled and sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, “I uh…I may have flirted a bit here and there…” They chuckled a bit, then started to cough as a smoky mist started to waft around them. The smoke got thicker and thicker and flowed away from them. It puffed up a bit, then started to form itself into an equine shape. It solidified, then flowed over the balcony and into the night, leaving behind a violet coated stallion. His electric blue mane was spikey, but it was cut to give a more manageable and cleaner appearance. His tail was spiky and matching in color, and but there was a few streaks of silver that running through it. His silver eyes bounced the moonlight off of them, almost giving his eyes a glowing appearance. “Haze…” Sparks raised a brow, “That weird smoke shit still gets me. Seriously…how do you do that?” Haze chuckled lightly as he walked up to them, “Now you know I can never tell you the secrets that were bestowed upon me.” “You’re still a weird hippie, huh?” Skye questioned. Haze gave her a friendly smile before smacking her in the face with his tail. He rubbed the bit of scraggly hair that was on his chin, “Hey…where’s the grease monkey at?” As if on cue, there was an explosion off in the distance. A small mushroom cloud bloomed into the air, and lights from buildings surrounding started to turn back on. Then, there was a flash of green magic that briefly lit up the room they were in, before the smell of smoke kicked in full force. A few wisps of residual smoke swirled around a muscle bound red stallion, as he coughed out violently. He pounded his chest a couple times, then looked over at the small group with bright eyes. “Howdy! How have ya’ll been?!” his voice boomed, a big smile planting itself on his face. “It’s been a mighty long time since Ah’ve gotten ta hang with ya’ll!! Well…at least, fer everypony except Sparks.” Sparks raised a brow, “Yeah…I just saw you last week because you caused a massive explosion in the Dawn Star District…” she pinched the bridge of her snout, “What did you do now, Patch?” Patch nervously pulled at his beard, “Ah uh…Ah might have uh…made a chimera out of a hawk an’ a scorpion.” “How did that cause an explosion?” Haze questioned. “Because, Ah-it…well gah! Ah don’t have ta explain nothin’ ta ya!!” “But you do have to explain it to me.” Sparks pointed out. “I can only keep the Council off of your ass for so long, Patch.” “Then stop doin’ it. Ah don’t want ya gettin’ in trouble over lil’ ol’ me, oh mighty ruler of the planet.” Sparks rolled her eyes, “I’m…I’m not the ruler of the planet.” Haze scoffed, then chuckled, “Seriously? Your title is one of the most planet rule-y sounding titles that I've ever heard.” “I didn’t choose the name, it was unanimously decided. And I didn’t even want this position. Twilight passed the torch on to me…” “Well if you don’t want your position, I’ll do it.” Dee pointed out. “I’d have no problem taking over for you.” Skye slapped her shoulder, “Oh shut up. You’re the Night Bringer, or some shit like that-” Dee interrupted. “That’s not my title!” “You’re already super important. The last thing you need is a different position that’ll make your head bigger than it already is.” “Well excuse me for wanting to better myself.” She teased. “If I were in your horse shoes, I’d be aiming higher too, Mistress of the Land.” Skye huffed and turned her snout upward, “I will not even dignify your teasing with a legitimate response.” A flash of prismatic light shot through all of their eyes. They all lightly shook their heads, then looked at one another. “They’re growing restless. Perhaps it’s time we leave.” Skye suggested. The others nodded in agreement. Sparks looked over her shoulder and at the bedroom door, “Guards! Come here please!” In an instant, three silver armored Pegasi, and one golden armored Pegasus entered the room, “You requested our presence, Grand Comma-” he stopped when he saw the others in the room. He and the others bowed before them, “Forgive us…we did not expect to be graced with the presence of the Harbingers of Eternal Peace.” Sparks smiled softly, “It’s all well. Please, rise. My comrades are none too fond of unnecessary bowing.” “But of course, Grand Commander.” He guard replied. He instructed the others to stand up as well. He then stood at attention, “Is there anything you request of us, ma'am?” “Yes. I just wanted to let you know that I will be taking my leave with the others. I will be returning in three days.” “Understood ma'am.” She placed a hoof on shoulder, “With that being said…there’s no point in you all standing here, guarding an empty room.” Her smile got a bit bigger, “So…why don’t you guy go ahead and go home tonight. Oh, and tomorrow as well.” She patted his shoulder, “And be sure to pass the word on to the rest of the castle staff. The Council can take over for me until I return.” The golden guard nodded excitedly, “Yes, ma’am! Will that be all you request of us, Grand Commander?” Sparks nodded, “That’ll be all, guards.” She playfully shooed them away, “Now go. Stop wasting your time here.” All four of the guards gave them a curt bow, before turning and quickly trotting out of the room. When the door shut behind them, Patch lightly elbowed Sparks, “Look at ya, bein’ all nice an’ shit.” Haze nuzzled her cheek, “Not even the smallest act of generosity will go unnoticed.” The Unicorn smiled at them, “Thank you…” she turned and started heading towards the balcony railing. Her horn lit up brightly with magic, as she summoned a portal that led to a mountain side, “Let’s go and get out of here…” She walked through the portal, and was soon joined by the others. They landed lightly on the mountain, facing an opening, with stairs carved in and spiraling downward. They started to trot towards the cave opening, but stopped when they heard wings clicking against something. “You’re not going in there all by yourself, are you?” The group turned to see a Changeling hybrid. Her coat was a shimmering black, and her chitin plates were shining as bright as the first time her friends met her. She smiled at them with pointed fangs, and gave them a curt bow, “Tis a pleasure to see you, Harbingers of Eternal Peace.” They each smiled at her and bowed back. Sparks remained bowed before her, “Quite frankly, the pleasure is ours, Queen of the Hybrid Hive.” The hybrid's smile turned from polite, to downright friendly. She trotted closer and pulled Sparks into a hug, “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you guys!!” “Your chitin plates make you look like a total badass, Locust!!” Dee complimented, “I mean, seriously, you look fierce.” “Ah’ll say…” Patch eyeballed her and gave her a smile that was far too friendly, “Ya think a queen as gorgeous as yerself would do me the honors of takin’ ya out on a date?” “You will do no such thing!” A voice barked out. Patch flinched, and looked over at the source of the voice. A tall, muscular Earth Pony stallion stared at the group with piercing turquoise eyes. His mane and tail were a deep shade of royal blue that had a bit of a sparkle to it. His coat was split down the middle, one side was a rich black, and the other side was bleach white. Sparks eyes went wide when she realized who he was. She and Patch bowed before him, “Never did I think I would see you here, of all places, Great One.” The stallion held up a hoof, “Please…you grace me with such a formality.” He replied. “I no longer go by that name, or any of the names from my previous title, for that matter. I am simply an Earth Pony who has more knowledge and understanding of the world than others. The gods and goddesses decided that since I sided with the mortals so much, and ‘foolishly’ hoofed over my powers to them, that I should walk among them.” he stood a bit taller, “My name is Cosmo Trot, but my Hive name is King Scorpion.” He looked over at Locust and lovingly nuzzled her cheek, “As by my monarch title, it is obvious that I am the husband of this beautiful piece of art.” Haze outstretched a hoof towards him, “Well then, it’s a pleasure to see you again, King Scorpion.” Scorpion smiled at him, “No, the pleasure is all mine…” he looked over at the cave entrance, “Shall we?...” Sparks started to walk inside, and the others soon followed. On each side of them, light blue fires started to appear in the sconces on the walls. They lit the way, showing them that they had further down to go. They walked down the staircase in silence, listening to the sound of their hooves clacking on the stone, and the sound of the fires crackling in the sconces. It wasn’t long before they reached the bottom of the staircase. The fires didn’t continue any further, and they were met with nothing but blackness. Sparks stepped forward, “Um…it’s a little dark in here!” she shouted. “Can you turn on the lights please?” Her question echoed into nothing, and then, silence. Then, as if to respond to her, there was a rumbling that emanated from the room. Little balls of white light started to poof into existence and hovered around the room. It wasn’t long before they were able to see the room in its entirety. The room was filled with a massive amount of gold coins and jewels of varying shapes, sizes, and colors. Along with the vast amounts of wealth that was there, there were books of every genre that were lying about as well. They stepped further into the massive space, but stopped when a growl rumbled into the room. A beast at the far end of the room turned and looked down at them, emerald orbs glowing and irises contracting as they focused on him, “Ponies…you dare to enter my home…” the massive creature turned all the way to face them, “What reason do you have to be here?” Sparks stood tall and proud, “We are here, to speak with the dragon who resides here! The Bearer of the Element of Magic!” The eyes scanned over them, then crinkled up a bit. The eyes lowered down, the hovering balls of light exposing the massive dragon head that they resided in. His rich, violet and emerald scales glimmered in the light. A deep growl consistently rumbled in his throat, and got a bit louder before he started to speak, “What is it that you request of me?” “We request for you to drop the act, Spike!” Skye shouted. “Stop trying to act all big and bad!” He snorted, thick torrents of smoke billowing from his nostrils, “Alright, alright…you guys got me.” The balls of magic light exploded into brighter shades, illuminating the room on a larger scale. His teeth shined brightly from them, as he scooped up all of the ponies into his grasp, “Its so great to see you all again!” his voice boomed. “I've heard so much about you all!!” “How so?!” Patch wheezed out, as they were all being hugged to death by the drake. Realizing his own strength, he set them down, “My apologies! I forgot that I am much larger than I was before.” He beamed at them, “Its quite strange…that the most powerful beings in this day in age, are so fragile.” “Who are ya callin’ fragile?” Patch questioned. Spike chuckled, “Calm yourself…I know that you’re not at all weak by any standards.” He scanned over them, “The titles that have been bestowed upon you prove otherwise…” Dee stood a bit straighter, “I do like the names that they gave us.” Spike arched a scaly brow and gave them a toothy grin, “Would you care to state your title loud and proud?” Dee beamed a bright, big smile, while Skye rolled her eyes, "Ugh...here we go with this again...” “I am Dead Moon, Whisperer of the Blackest Nights and Dreams!” she looked over at her Pegasi companion, and nudged her with foreleg. Skye let out soft sigh of defeat, “I am Skye Wave, the Bringer of Bountiful Harvest and Flourishing Lands…” Patch and Haze chuckled at her tone. She shot them a glare and smacked them with her wings, “Why don’t you two show off then?” Patch beamed and smirked, “Ah’m Patch Work, the Maker of Second Chances!” “And I am Purple Haze, the Prophet of Change.” All eyes settled on Sparks, who looked around and sighed, “Do I have to? It’s so damn formal…” “Well duh!” Patch shouted, “You are after all, the boss!” he got in her face, “Now, we all had ta say it, so say it!!” Sparks rolled her eyes, cleared her throat, and brought her posture up, “I am Bright Spark, Grand Commander of the New World.” Spike’s spinal plates rattled a bit before stiffening, “Even though I am a hot blooded beast, that name still sends chill up my spine every time I hear it.” Sparks smirked up at him, “And what about you? You think because you live way out of town, that you don’t have to use your title?” her smirk turned into a full on grin, “Come on, dragon…say it.” Spike cleared his throat, and the expression on his face soured into an intimidating scowl, “Who dares to disturb Spike, the Magic Dragon?!” A heavy silence filled the emptiness of the cave. It stayed for a few more moments, before the pony’s exploded into a round of laughter. Skye flew up to his head and landed on his snout, “What, was your dad named ‘Puff’? C’mon now, say the actual title!” “I really don't like it. Who decided that that should be my title?” “The populace.” Sparks replied. “Now go on and say it! The ‘Grand Commander of the New World’ orders you to!” Spike boomed out with explosive laughter, wiping fake tears from his eyes as he looked down at her, “Now is the time you choose to abuse your power? You do realize that we are equals in terms of strength, correct?” “Spike…please, just say it!” “Alright alright...calm yourself.” He cleared his throat once more, and spoke in a powerful voice, “I am Spike; The Ancient Dragon King!!” The others shuddered at his tone, and bowed before him. He blinked a few times in confusion, “What are you all doing? Stop that!” They giggled a couple times before rising to their hooves. More multicolored magic flashed through their eyes. Spike rubbed his eyes a few times, “Let’s go…it’s been so long since we’ve all be together…” Spike turned and walked to the end of the cave. Another set of spiraling stairs awaited them, and they all followed. They all walked in comfortable silence, until they reached the last step. The room was pitch black, and they were forced to follow Spikes thundering footsteps, as he walked deeper and deeper into the dark room. Spike snapped his fingers, and on command, prismatic hued flames burst to life on sconces throughout the area. With the room now lit, they noticed something that lie in the center of it. A glass pillar that reached from the ceiling to the floor, had more magic orbs of light floating around it. Encased within the pillar, was an Alicorn suited in a deep black armor. The pink mane and tail were dull and limp. The helmets eye sockets remained empty and black. Her coat still shimmered with pristine blackness, dark as the night skies outside. The others walked up to it, pressing their hooves against the glass, “So…no signs of her struggling to escape?” Spike shook his head, “Not anymore…the armor stopped trembling about 82 years ago…” Sparks suddenly clutched at her chest. Her eyes were filled with a violet colored light, as magic matching in color, poured from her mouth in a thick waterfall. The others focused on her, and the magic that was starting to form itself into a Unicorn silhouette. The silhouette started to gain definition, and varying colors. The magically formed ivory colored mare opened her eyes, revealing dazzling sapphire irises, that sparkled as they settled on them, “It is done…we have finally stopped the Corrupted One’s terror…” she looked around at the group, focused on Sparks, “Where are the others? I miss them all terribly…” As if to respond, Dee, Skye, Patch, and Haze all gripped at their chests. Magic filled their eyes and poured from their mouths. Each torrent of magic formed itself into equines, until four other mares stood before them. They each wore proud smiles as they looked at each other, the cyan colored Pegasus was the first to speak up, “You guys look awesome!!” she trotted over to the yellow Pegasus and nuzzled her snout, “I missed you…” Fluttershy smiled softly and enjoyed the contact, “I missed you too…” Pinkie leapt onto them, “I missed both of you guys!” she jumped away from them and onto Rarity, “And you too, Rares!” she skipped over to the orange Earth Pony, “But I missed you most of all, Jackie…” Applejack smirked and held the pink pony close, “Ah wish Ah’d been reunited with that beautiful lil’ face of yers much sooner…” Applejack then kissed her, “Pinkie…ya don’t even know how happy Ah am tah see ya.” Pinkie hardcore nuzzled into her lover’s neck, smiling all the while. She pointed at Dash, “Dashie! My favorite pranking partner! How have you been doing?!” Dash chuckled and snapped her wings open, “Oh you know, just being the Spirit of Loyalty and guiding Patch here. In other words, just being awesome.” “Spirits of Harmony…” King Scorpion walked up to the mares and bowed before them, “It is an honor to meet you all once again…” Rarity arched a brow, “Great One? You have become a mortal? How so? Was this of your own doing?” Scorpion shook his head, “No…this was a punishment given to me by the gods and goddesses.” He smiled over warmly at his wife, “But little did they realize, that this fate they have chosen for me, has been a bigger blessing than the ones I’ve been able to bestow upon mortals.” Rarity nodded in understanding. She looked back over her friends and the ponies, and her smile disappeared, “Where…where is she?” she looked around again, “Why isn’t sh-” “She is well…” Spike interrupted. “Relax, Generosity. I have more control over of my Element of Harmony than the others. After all,” his eyes glowed with a fierce lavender light, “The Spirit of Magic has taught me so much, after all this time.” He opened his mouth, and reached down his throat. The others looked on in awe and disgust, as his arm kept reaching down until it stopped at the elbow. He then slowly pulled something out from his body. He opened his hand, and magic shaped in the form of a six pointed star hovered in his palm. He then slowly closed his other hand around it, and clamped down tightly. After about a minute, he opened his hands, the magic had shaped itself into a slender Unicorn. She brushed her bangs out of the way and smiled softly at Rarity. “Did you really think that I would leave you?” she gracefully trotted up to the other Unicorn and softly nuzzled her, “I was there for you in the world of the living, and I shall stay with you in the realm that lies beyond…” A single tear rolled down Rarity’s face, “Oh, Twilight…” she nuzzled her harder before standing on her hind legs and wrapping her forelegs around her lover’s neck, “I knew that. I should’ve known better than to even let that thought cross my mind…” “Magic…” Scorpion smiled softly, “It has been two hundred years...I honestly did not think I would ever see you again...” Twilight chuckled, “You used to be a deity. Even with your punishment, you and I both know that your lifespan will exceed that of any pony now, and future generations to come.” Pinkie bounced over to Locust, “Halfling! I see you got a pretty big crown on your head! You're the Queen of the hive now?” “Yes, Laughter. My mother passed away gently, whilst in slumber. My father soon joined her, and I was able to step up.” A tiny frown graced Pinkie’s features, “You know, it’s kind of sad that you guys don’t know our names anymore…” Everyone except Scorpion looked confused by her statement. Scorpion stepped forward and placed a hoof on the pink mare’s shoulder, “Your names faded as Time continued on. No longer were you to be known by the names given to you at birth. Remember, all of you are the Elements themselves now, not just their Bearers…” The other Spirits of Harmony stepped closer to listen. “Such information that mortals can become the embodiments of magic would be life-changing if others knew about it. So...history only states that you all died fighting bravely in battle. It was an extremely rare occurrence that you were able to choose those who were meant to bear the Elements of Harmony. And because of your choices…” he looked over at the group of ponies that were chatting with each other. The older mares followed his gaze, smiling at the ponies that they once cared for and nurtured like their own children. “They were allowed to know that you all taught them everything all those years ago. They still carry memories of your faces, of the love, whether it be tough or not, and care that you put into them. The Prophet of Change still remembers the Laughter and Honesty taking him in, and raising him as their child. The Bringer of Bountiful Harvest and Flourishing Lands, still remembers Magic giving her a way to speak her thoughts, when she didn’t have to do that. The Whisperer of Blackest Nights and Dreams…still remembers Kindness supporting her, when her brother was killed in battle. The Maker of Second Chances, will never forget Loyalty, and her abilities to build him a chance to continue on with a healthy life, just as he does for others now. And the Grand Commander of the New World…will never forget Generosity, the mare who gave her a second chance to have a mother who loved her, and help her stand against her father, the stallion who had became The Hell King’s darkest creation and weapon. And The Ancient Dragon King, will never forget Magic, whom he considered his elder sister, since the time of his birth.” He looked over the faces of the ethereal mares, who were smiling while tears pricked at the corners of their eyes, “It is because of you all that they are who they are today. With your help, they brought about an era of peace that the universe has not seen in eons. So…for your safety, your names have faded with time, and when spoken, they hit their ears as ancient, untranslatable incantations…but I can assure you, that just because they cannot remember them, does not mean that they forgot just who you all are…” The mares were sniffling now, earning the attention of the others, and drawing them closer. Each pony nuzzled their respective Element, showing concerned for the mares, and giving them as much attention as they desired. After a few minutes of consoling, they all turned back to the mare encased in body armor and glass. Twilight and Dash walked up to the glass, each of them pressing a hoof against it. Dash threw a wing over Twilight and looked over at her, “We did good, huh Egghead?” Twilight nodded softly while she sized up the mare, “Yes we did, my friend…” she turned and walked up to Sparks. The younger Unicorn met her gaze for a few seconds, before averting her eyes elsewhere. Twilight placed a hoof underneath her chin and tilted it, so that Sparks would be looking her in the eyes once again, “What do you see in my eyes, Bright Spark?” “I see an infinite amount of bubbling magic that could control the cosmos if it wanted to.” Sparks replied with a bit of a quiver in her voice. Twilight giggled softly, “No young one…I was hoping that you’d be able to see…gratefulness. The infinite amount of thanks that I want to give you, for your time in bearing the Element of Generosity, and therefore, carrying responsibility in the protection of the Spirit of Generosity…” she looked over at the alabaster Unicorn, “I am sure that watching over her, is by no means an easy task…” Sparks got a big grin on her face, “I can assure you, that she has been nothing but the best for me, and has been guiding me with the best of intentions, for all of this time. There is no inconvenience from her that is great enough to make me feel like protecting a Spirit of Harmony is a burden.” Twilight was about to respond, but the slight clanking from within the glass tube drew not just their attention, but the rest of the group’s as well. They all focused on the armor inside, watching with wide eyes as the armor resting on the Alicorn, was quivering with the tiniest tremble. The tremble morphed into a rattle, and after a few seconds, the Alicorn’s entire body was shaking violently. Suddenly, it stopped, and everyone pressed their faces up against the glass. The inside of the black eye sockets of the helmets were filled with the faintest glow of a crimson hue, “Corrupted One…” Sparks whispered softly. There was no response. Not even the slightest movement from the mare trapped in glass. Dash stepped around her, and tapped the glass with a bit of force, “Hey, I know you hear her talking to you!” The orbs of red light slowly focused on Dash, glowing just a bit brighter than they did before. Dash smirked, “Oh, so you hear me talking to you, huh?” her smirk got bigger, “You’re stuck in there. Do you hear me? You’re never going to get out. You’re going to sit in a body that you have no control over, and rot for the rest of your days. It sounds like a perfect fate for a monster who did the same to everyone else…wouldn’t you agree?” The eyes glowed brighter, and the armor rattled harder. It continued on for a few more minutes, before finally going still. The angry eyes stared at her. Dash turned away from the tube, “That thing isn’t going anywhere. It’s not going to hurt anyone ever again, so long as we are around…” she looked around at her friends, “Let’s get out of here, huh? It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to get a good flight in.” The others smiled, letting out statements of agreement. One by one, the group turned away from the tube. They made their way to the stair case that led back up, and filed up them. Spike and Twilight were hanging around at the entryway to the room. They looked back at the Alicorn, then at each other. “I’m so proud of you, Spike.” Twilight started. “Never, in my wildest dreams, did I think that we’d be where we are today. It was a long and painful struggle…but the end results were completely worth it.” Spike smiled down at her, “Friendship can do a lot of things. That’s something that our generation was lucky enough to be able to understand.” He leaned down so that he was right in front of Twilight’s face, “And I know that I had the best big sister in the world to teach me that. You were worth all the suffering I went through, Twilight Sparkle. And if I had to, I would do it all over again for you…” Twilight’s eyes went wide, as a few tears streamed down her face, “You…you said my name. You remember it?” His smile got bigger as he was filled with pride, “I am the Bearer of the Element of Magic. Magic’s kind of my thing. You taught me quite a few things, sister. But…you didn’t teach me everything…” Twilight got a child-like excitement on her face, “Well, you have to tell me what you did! Perhaps we can pass it on to the others!” Spike scooped up Twilight into his palms, and placed her on one of his shoulders, “Or, perhaps not. Not everything can be taught.” Twilight frowned, and crossed her forelegs, “You’re not being fair, Spike.” Spike chuckled, “Don’t worry…I’ll tell you...” He started to walk back up the stairs, his thundering steps fading as he did. The fires in the sconces throughout the room started to go out one by one. The room was sent back into darkness, save for the glow of the crimson lights within the tube. There was the sounds of more clanking and rattling. The eyes glowed brighter with determination. After a few hours, the rattling stopped for good, and the eyes faded into the blackness...