The tale of Aeros: part 3.
‘Today, as I have been for the past few weeks I’ve been to the house in the everfree forests. The spirit told me everything about the forest and every living being in there. Never I have felt better then I do when I’m in that house. The spirit seems ancient and wise. The only disadvantage is the blood offer I have to make each time. Nimeta started to notice it and asked me some questions. Why is she so invasive in my issues? I know she cares for me, but still, I would much rather have her to mind her own business.’
‘Where have you been, have you been roaming the forests again? How often do I need to tell you that the forest is a dangerous place to hang out Aeros!’ Nimeta says once Aeros enters his house. Nimeta grabs his hoof and critically inspects it. She noticed the new cuts made in his hoof and shook her head. ‘Why do you keep doing this Aeros. What is it you’re not telling me.’ She sobs while collapsing on the couch. Aeros kept a straight face while merely mumbling some incoherent things. ‘please Aeros, tell me for I might be able to help you. Please, trust me as I trust you,’
Aeros sat down in a chair opposite of Nimeta while remaining completely silent and showing virtually no emotion on his face. ‘Nopony has to know,’ he said. The sparkle of friendliness normally ever present in Aeros’ eyes was now absent. ‘and don’t ask things you don’t want to know the answer of,’ he snapped at Nimeta. ‘Aeros… what’s wrong with you. Is there another mare in your life?’ she started sobbing. Aeros merely grunts a bit: ‘just stay out of this. It’s none of your concern.’ He then went to bed leaving Nimeta behind in tears and desperation.
‘Nimeta here, since Aeros seems to have lost his mind. What on earth has possessed him to act like this? Why must he hurt me like that? Each night he comes home with another fresh cut in his hoof. I find it hard to believe he keeps cutting himself on the barbed bushes in the forest. I’m on the end of my tether here, what is left for me to do to reach Aeros?’
‘Ok kids, that was training for today,’ Nimeta said when she dismissed the foals and soon they all scattered off to their parents waiting on the side of the field. With a smile she watched the foals jump, play fight and laugh loudly in utter joy. ‘These foals are great, they somewhat remember me of when I was small, eager to learn and driven to become the best. But Aeros doesn’t seem to understand this wish,’ she thought while aimlessly staring into the setting, deep orange sun making its way down into the horizon. ‘I should head home and hopefully Aeros didn’t go to that dreadful forest again. Celestia knows what he’s doing there,’ she mumbled while picking up the practice equipment and stocked them in her saddlebag.
Upon arrival at Aeros’ small house Nimeta found all light extinguished and the house seemed vacant of any life. When she opened the door she found Aeros sitting on the ground with his eyes closed chanting some incoherent things in a language she had never heard before. ‘Ados… nasceth… imeda…’ he kept saying over and over. ‘Aeros, are you alright my dear?’ Nimeta asked while she sat down next to Aeros, but he didn’t respond. Instead he kept chanting those words. ‘Aeros, please, what is happening?’ she desperately sobbed while she embraced Aeros. Aeros was still irresponsive and immovable he kept chanting the 3 words getting progressively louder over time until he was shouting them out loudly.
Nimeta took some distance from Aeros for he was scaring her. ‘Aeros, whatever is going on, please snap out of it,’ Nimeta shouted but her words gone lost in the resonating shouts of Aeros. Nimeta collapsed and started crying and an unknown amount of time passed when the shouting stopped. Nimeta still cried a little and when she looked up she saw Aeros standing above her. ‘Aeros… what in equestria’s name was that?’ she sobbed. ‘Nothing of your concern. But I think it’s better when you just leave me alone and don’t show yourself at my place anymore.’ He said with a deadly calm voice.
‘This is getting better and better. I still havn’t got the slightest clue what’s going on and now he doesn’t even want to see me anymore. What is it I did? I really thought Aeros was special, that he would be the colt growling old alongside me. but apparently he doesn’t feel the same way. (…) those words, they still haunt me. it was as if they were drenched in taint and evil. What do they mean? I better go to the library and ask twilight if she has a clue about what those words mean.’
Nimeta went home with her eyes drowning in tears for she felt rejected by the one she loves. ‘What did I do wrong, I’ve tried my best,’ she sobbed softly while making her way to her house. When she got home the house felt empty. It has been long since she slept alone for the night. Aeros was always there for her to keep her warm, but now she arrived at a vacant and could house. Without Aeros to be seen. She laid down on her bed and her thoughts went to unknown directions. Drifting off towards Aeros and the eerie words he kept on chanting still resonated through her head.
The night lasted long and although nimeta felt tired she could not sleep. With a broken spirit she just sobbed while lying on the bed. ‘Aeros, what happened to you my dear, what has possessed you,’ she repeated several times. Eventually she got fed up with it and she stood up and watched outside the window to see countless stars shimmering in the sky accompanied by the full moon shining brightly, casting a feint and dull light over Ponyville. She looked towards the place where Aeros’ house was. Nothing but darkness was seen from his house except for darkness. Even the illumination of the moon seemed to get consumed by the darkness shrouding Aeros’ house. A shiver went down nimeta’s spine as she suspected something above all powers she’d previously encountered had taken possession of her loved one.
Nimeta sat in the window opening for hours. But she felt she sat there for days. The early birds tweeting betrayed the arrival of dawn. The sky slowly changed its color from pitch black to deep blue and on the horizon where the sun slowly rose it colored bright orange. The rays of sun now landing on her face made her feel only slightly better. But it at least broke the deep dark shroud covering her mood, and haunting her mind without a second of relief.
The sun rose higher and the weather was beautiful. Yet Nimeta could not enjoy this beautiful day. The only thing on her mind was making her way to twilight’s library in order to figure out what the 3 words meant Aeros kept chanting. ‘Twilight, I came to you for you might be my last hope,’ she said while rushing into the library. Twilight turned to nimeta and looked critically towards Nimeta. ‘Uhhm, what can I do for you?’ Twilight asked calmly. ‘Aeros… he has gone mad,’ Nimeta said. ‘Aeros, I heard of him. Isn’t he the nice pony giving the free swordfighting classes on the field just outside of town?’ Twilight asked. ‘He’s more than just a nice pony, he is the colt I love dearly, but he seems to have lost his mind eversince he started going into the everfree forest,’ Nimeta said.
Twilight’s face turned a bit grim. ‘He started going into the forest repeatedly? Sit down and tell me exactly what happened and how Aeros behaves. Then I’ll see what I can do for you.’ Twilight’s horn started glowing and soon enough a little flask of ink, a quill and a notepad levitated towards twilight. Nimeta sat down on a coach and sighed deeply. ‘It all started several weeks ago, about 2 months now. Aeros got overwhelmed by the populairity of his classes and I offered him to take over some of his classes. When I started doing the foals and the beginner classes Aeros still taught the higher level ponies, including me. But when he was reliefed of his duty he went into the forest. At first I was fine with it but soon enough he showed up with several different scars that look self-inflicted. And yesterday evening when I went to Aeros’ place for the night he just sat there, chanting the following words: ‘Ados nasceth imeda.’ He just kept saying these words and when he snapped out of his trance he told me to leave. I fear something bad is about to unfold,’ nimeta said. Twilight used her magic to write down in detail what’s being said and occasionally twilight nodded and made some sort of humming noise as she analyzed what’s being said.
‘This is honestly one of the strangest thing I’ve heard in a long time. And those words, I would swear I’ve heard of those before. But I can’t remember where or when,’ Twilight said while she visually had trouble digging into her memory for the unknown words. Suddenly she starts digging franticly among the hundreds of books stocked in different shelf and commanded spike to help her. Nimeta just patiently sat on the couch in hope twilight could find what she was looking for. And hoping that she could find a way to help Aeros.
‘Fortunately Twilight agreed to help me. I don’t know if I have to be concerned for the fact that she actually knows those words or that it’s a relief. No matter what the cost, I solemnly vow to help Aeros in any way I can. I would die if I can’t be with him anymore for I love him so much. Please twilight, give me information.’
‘Ah, here it is,’ twilight said while she made a huge and dusty book levitate towards the table. When it landed some clouds of dust got airborne and twilight couched a few times when she breathed some of the dust. ‘Ados, Nasceth, Imeda’ twilight said while reading the book. Nimeta shivered upon hearing those words again. Twilights face suddenly turned grim and with a serious gaze in her eyes she looked towards Nimeta. ‘Aeros is in big trouble,’ was the only thing Twilight could think of to say. ‘big… trouble?’ Nimeta asked. ‘Well. Ados, Nasceth and Imeda are in fact 3 spirits that ruled the everfree forests a long time ago. But in their hunger for more power they fused into 1 very powerful and dangerous spirit. In history a few other ponies got possessed by him and those ponies did things darker then the black of night.’ Twilight said. ‘Is there anything we can do to help Aeros? I don’t want to lose him,’ nimeta said. ‘I’m sorry to tell you nimeta, but you’ve already lost him. The only thing we can do is try to find a way to contain the damage he will do when the spirit keeps him under his command much longer.’
Several minutes of silence followed as Nimeta slowly stood up and walked over to the book to read it herself. She sighed deeply. ‘Are you sure there is nothing we can do for him twilight?’ she asked. Twilight nodded with visible disappointment on her face. ‘The best fate for Aeros is to (…) die,’ Twilight said. ‘NO, AEROS CAN’T DIE! HOW CAN YOU SAY SUCH THING!’ Nimeta shouted loud while tears once more drenched her eyes. ‘Nimeta, please. I know you love Aeros deerly, but the Aeros you know is long gone. The taint of the spirit is what drives him now and if you stand in his way he won’t have any reason left and might do thing you never expected him to do,’ Said twilight.
‘No… Aeros… why did this happen, why is the kindest of colts I have ever met fallen for this vile spirit. Twilight, is there really nothing you can do for Aeros?’ She asked once more in sheer desperation. Twilight nodded her head. ‘I’m very sorry miss, the only thing I could do is help you fight Aeros,’ she said. Nimeta collapsed where she stood, devastated by the bad news. She cried for several minutes and twilight gave Nimeta the time she needed.
‘This is absolutely horrible. My poor Aeros, possessed by this vile spirit. How could this have happened? But what I even wonder more is how I’m supposed to fight Aeros. I couldn’t hurt him for I love him too dearly. I hope twilight keeps her word and helps me drive the evil out of Aeros. I hope she finds a way to do it without killing him.’
Twilight showed up just after dawn the next day at Nimeta’s house. Nimeta got out of her bed grunting some curse words for she was still tired. ‘I’m coming, take it easy already,’ she shouted when the doorbell rang for the 4th time. ‘Nimeta, it’s time to go now. We must find Aeros and do the inevitable before the spirit takes full possession of him and he accompanied with the spirit lays waste upon Ponyville.
Nimeta sighed deeply: ‘I don’t even have a sword of my own, I would rather not go unarmed against him. I think he will put up a fight and he will grab his sword.’ Twilight replied: ‘I might have one in my library, it’s a decorative sword but it’s better than nothing I guess.’ They walked over to the library and Nimeta got the sword hoofed to her. The two then made their way to Aeros’ house only to find it abandoned. When they looked inside blood smeared the walls and the bodies of several small critters laid on the ground. ‘It’s even worse than I thought,’ Twilight said. ‘He is truly possessed by this spirit, have you got any idea where he is right now?’ Twilight asked. ‘No, he never told me where he was going and I never followed him. Now I wish I persisted and had the courage to follow him.’ Nimeta said.
‘We need to find where he is. Which means we have a lot of forest to search. Prepare for a long search,’ Twilight said while they headed to the edge of the forest. Nimeta just nodded and held het sword tightly in her hoof while looking around her a bit anxiously. ‘My sweet Aeros, I’m so sorry,’ she whispered softly while a tear rolled down her cheek. They made their way into the forest scanning every bit of forest to find a sign of Aeros. Unsuccessful they were in their search for no trails or hoofmarks were seen. ‘We need to get back soon, we’re losing too much daylight here,’ twilight shouted, but right at that moment Nimeta shouted: ‘I Found something over here!’ It was a narrow path made over the past months by some pony constantly crossing it. ‘This has to lead us to where Aeros is right now. I hope’ Twilight said.
After several minutes of following the path Nimeta and Twilight arrived at the open field with the little stone house in the center. From the edge of the forest to the house some damage was seen in the grass. ‘Aeros comes here quite often seeing the damaged grass. But I think you already figured this,’ Twilight said. Nimeta just sighed deeply and led the way up to the house. When Twilight and Nimeta arrived at the sturdy wooden door they could hear distress calls from an animal coming from inside. They opened the door and were shocked to see what they found.
Aeros stood in the center of the chamber with his sword in his hooves. On a blood-soaked metal table next to Aeros a small deer laid trashing and screaming in fear and agony. Aeros turned to Nimeta and Twilight and hissed: ‘You shouldn’t have come here. This ground is sacred. These grounds are my sanctuary!’
Aeros’ eyes emitter a blood crazed urge while he turned back to the small and helpless deer while lifting his sword as high as he could. ‘Ados, Nasceth and Imeda, accept the offer I make for you,’ he said right before chopping the deer’s head clean off in one swift movement. For a few seconds the deer made a few spasms before becoming completely motionless. Aeros breathed heavily and smiled a bit grim. ‘Yesss… this offer… delicious…’ a whispering voice said. Twilight and Nimeta looked at each other in utter shock and huddled close to each other to find some comfort. ‘Rid… these… intruders…’ The whispering voice resumed and at that exact moment Aeros turned to Nimeta and Twilight. ‘Your souls now belong to the almighty spirit, accept your fate,’ he whispered softly but hearable.
The door behind Nimeta and Twilight slammed shut with a loud smash startling the 2 badly. Aeros then walked up to them. The room was only dim lightened and only they shimmer of his sword and his blood crazed gaze betrayed his presence. Nimeta tightened the hold on her sword but her shaking sword betrayed the fear she had for Aeros and his sword.
‘Well, this might be the last thing I say, but the love I feel for Aeros still burns in my heart but it stings like a knife at the same time. Aeros has gone completely insane but it isn’t even his fault. How could he have known about the spirit. I still have a little hope to solve this without having to kill him. Though I find it hard to think of a way to rid him of the vice the spirit holds him in. Maybe this is farewell.’
Twilight set het hooves firmly into the ground and braced herself while she started to channel a spell. Nimeta stretched her sword in front of her as far as she could. Before she knew it a burning pain filled her hooves ad Aeros slammed his sword full force on to hers. Nimeta’s sword flung through the air and Nimeta shouted loudly as Aeros got very close to her.
Twilight finished channeling het spell and a bright and powerful looking purple ray emerged from her horn. When the beam impacted on Aeros he found himself caged in a force field. Aeros smashed the force field furiously but despite the efforts he made he could not break the field. Nimeta quickly regained her senses and picked up the sword once more, this time she put her fears aside. Just in time because the force field broke under the constant barrage of Aeros’ sword striking it. Twilight showed a few drops of sweat on her forehead showing the field had cost her quite some power.
Aeros turned to twilight heavily panting and enraged. ‘Magic users, I despise them,’ he shouted while he dashed towards twilight. Nimeta charged towards Aeros in effort to protect Twilight and with a loud smash Nimeta collided with Aeros. They tumbled over the ground and dust flew up high as they made their way over the dirty floor. Aeros gazed into Nimeta’s eyes. Nimeta stared back in hope to see the sprinkle of his kindness one last time, but her hopes got lost when Aeros threw Nimeta off him. ‘Rid… Them… I… Said…’ the voice hissed.
‘Yes master,’ Aeros said and once more he tried to make his way to twilight while ignoring Nimeta. Twilight quickly teleported to the opposite side of the room to avoid the speeding incoming sword and made Aeros bash into the wooden door. His sword got stuck in the door and Aeros started to jerk it desperately trying to pull it out. ‘YOU… FAILURE…,’ the whispering voice hissed now sounding very angry. While Aeros focused on the sword Nimeta made a complex maneuver and dashed towards Aeros with great speed, making the blade slice the air with a feint whistling noise. Split seconds before the sword should make impact Aeros suddenly moved violently as his most powerful pull made him able to release his sword. Nimeta’s sword merely sliced some of Aeros’ mane.
Aeros now stood in between twilight who was channeling her next spell and Nimeta ready to make her next maneuver with the blade she was wielding. ‘FINISH THEM YOU FOOOOOL,’ the hissing voice resonated through the house making it feel almost as if there was an earthquake. Nimeta and Twilight both startled and twilight failed to keep the concentration of het spell. Nimeta lost her balance but Aeros seemed unimpressed by the sudden rumbling voice rumbling through the house. Aeros instantly made a charge for Twilight. Nimeta could do nothing else but chase Aeros to minimize the damage Aeros could inflict.
Searing pain filled twilight as Aeros sword carved deep into her hoof. She first screamed a little and soon it was replaced by grunting. Before Aeros could lash at twilight again Nimeta managed to stop his slashing attack. Nimeta pushed Aeros back giving twilight some room. As soon as twilight noticed the opportunity she started to channel another spell. Nimeta managed to keep Aeros at a little distance with an endless barrage of strikes, but none of them did any damage since Aeros avoided each of them with great agility. After several seconds twilight finished channeling her spell and another power infused beam headed for Aeros. The magical force constricted Aeros’ hooves and wings. The magic was so strong one of his wings snapped and at that point Aeros’ front hooves could no longer bear his weight, making him fall on the ground with his wing wobbling aimlessly and uncontrollable.
‘YOU… FAILURE… IF YOU CAN’T HANDLE IT, I WILL,’ The hissing voice said. A dark strong aura suddenly engulfed Aeros and his wing snapped back into place. Aeros grunted loudly as the wing snapped back into position. He stood up and said with a voice no longer his: ‘Now, your lives are forfeit,’ Aeros’ eyes turned pitch black and the dark aura surrounding him sank to the floor. Not long after that Aeros mumbled a few incoherent words and the dark shroud covering the ground concentrated and formed around Aeros’ blade. Nimeta and twilight both watched everything happening and found themselves engulfed in fear.
Aeros flapped his wings once and a devastating shockwave emerged from him causing Twilight and Nimeta to smash against the wall. ‘NOW YOU FEEL MY TRUE POWER,’ he shouted while more darkness harnessed around him. Aeros charged towards twilight with his dark bound blade and smashed towards her with speed that is supernatural. Twilight failed to dodge the attack and her already injured hoof got even more damaged. The wound caused by the dark infused power was looking weird, as if it started to fester instantly. Nimeta charged towards Aeros as soon as she could, but upon arrival Aeros was already starting straight into her soul with his pitch black eyes. Nimeta hesitated for a split second and that was exactly enough time for Aeros to lash his sword towards Nimeta. She could barely avoid the incoming, pitch black sword and with a loud clash it slammed into the ground making several stone fragments come loose that bumped into Nimeta and Aeros.
Despite the searing pain Twilight felt from her multiple and festering wounds in her hoof she managed to keep standing. With great effort she started to channel her biggest spell yet while Nimeta kept Aeros once more busy with a barrage of strikes. This time he didn’t manage to avoid the swipes causing several deep wounds on his chest and hooves as he desperately tried to get out of the barrage. Heavily breathing while all her muscles screamed in pain Nimeta persisted her never-ending assault against Aeros while Twilight kept channeling het spell causing the room to illuminate due to the bright purple light emitting from her horn. When Aeros noticed it was already too late. A bright flash blinded him and Nimeta when she finished channeling her spell and loud noises filled every pony’s ears.
After several seconds Nimeta regained her sight from the blinding flash and what she saw made her gasp loudly. Levitating in mid Air Aeros floating. He struggled to break out of the spell but the force field surrounding him now restrained him from any movement. ‘THIS BODY… IS… WEAK,’ the spirit in Aeros hissed. ‘Nimeta, you must finish him before I lose my spell,’ Twilight shouted. Nimeta looked towards Twilight and hesitated. She then looked Aeros into his eyes one more time. The only thing his eyes emitted was hatred and darkness. Nimeta stared for a few seconds and with a tear emerging from her eye she lifter the sword up high. ‘YOU… FAILURE…,’ The spirit hissed as Nimeta rose her sword. ‘I’m sorry Aeros. I never wanted to do this, but you gave me no choice,’ Nimeta whispered while she landed the sword on Aeros’ chest.
The force field that held the possessed Aeros instantly broke when the sword landed and loud screeching was heard coming from Aeros. Tendrils of half translucent material emerged from Aeros as he fell motionless on the ground. Nimeta collapsed the instant she landed the sword, bursting out in loud crying. Twilight walked up to Nimeta and huddled next to her. ‘This was the only way to set him free. I’m very sorry for you Nimeta,’
‘A few months ago I met Aeros for the first time. He was the most kind and handsome of colts I have ever met and we fell in love. Now, I had to kill the only colt I loved. My heart is screaming in pain and I will never see Aeros again. Why did it have to be like this? What did Aeros do to deserve such faith? I wish I could have set him free in another way and not like this,’
Nimeta and Twilight sat next to each other for some time watching Aeros lay motionless on the ground. After several minutes without speaking a word they stood up and left the house leaving Aeros lay there. ‘I’m sorry,’ nimeta once more winced once more upon leaving the house and then closed the door. ‘There really wasn’t another way, was there twilight?’ Twilight nodded and confirmed it once more. It didn’t make nimeta feel much better but she still felt the pain of the loss.