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// Chapter 5: The Long War 
// Story: A Wizards Path 
// by mari tech 
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	Nikolai and Twilight wandered off towards Ponyville, the trees were thick as ever. The moon is not in sight from the ground. Nikolai and Twilight were getting tired, Ponyville didn't seem to be getting any closer. Nikolai thought of something, a certain something that can happen in his own world in buildings and forests alike.

"Hey Twilight? Can this forest cast spells or curses on the inhabitants?"

"Not that I know of, why?"

"I think we are stuck in a looping curse."

"That actually seems plausible." 

"Can you use a magic detection spell?"

"Yeah gimme a second."

Twilight's horn lit up and promptly stopped. She looked puzzled.

"Anything?"

"Yes, we are stuck in a looping spell. Damn it."

"Welp we are going to have to dispell this."

"It's way too strong to dispell at my level."

"Strange, i'll try my hand it at."

Nikolai took out his wand and focused what energy he had left into his wand. His wand glowed cyan, the glow promptly stopped. Nikolai looked disappointed. Nikolai looked at the ground in despair. He thought the he had finally been defeated. He turned to  Twilight.

"It's not the forest, it's some other creature, a powerful one." 

"Is there anything i can do to help?"

"build a protective area, i need to decode this spell. The looping curse always has a way to go through it."

"Okay, i'll get on it." Twilight used her magic and made a tent out of stone, wood, and leaves for camouflage. She made a small campfire and made some basic wooden walls around the camp with an opening to get in and out. She put out some leaves and wrapped some sticks around it to make some beds. Nikolai went into the tent and sat on his makeshift bed and started to focus his magic on this curse.





Twilight wandered around camp gather materials, she made a quick table and chair. she gathered some stones and sticks, she made a stone sword, that's the best she could do for now, she needed something other than magic for defense. She kept looking around and checking on Nikolai for any changes in expression. Twilight heard a noise outside and she took up her sword in her magic, on the outside was a medium sized black rabbit with blood red eyes, the hellish creature made a roar that stunned twilight for a while, the creature threw swipes and twilight, she dodged some, got hit by other and the cuts bled heavily. She attacked the creature by swiping left to right and staggering her movements to be unpredictable. Twilight and the creature attacked each other at the same time and locked blade and claw. each opponent kept pushing into the attack. the creature was stronger and threw Twilight back into a tree. Twilight remained unmoved, stunned from the blow. the creature was bearing down on Twilight ready to finish the fight.





Nikolai heard a sound outside, the creature was a medium sized black rabbit with blood red eyes, the creature and Twilight were fighting sword against claw. Twilight was bleeding heavily and might not survive she she didn't get medical attention. Nikolai moved out of the tent, a small pain in his chest and leg, he seemed to have gotten used to his injuries. Nikolai saw Twilight lock blade and claw, she got thrown against a tree and appears stunned. He had to do something. he got his wand and ran through the opening in the wall.





Twilight saw her doom heading towards her, she tried to pick up the sword in her magic, but she was too weak. She started to tear up, thinking this was the end. The creature turned towards camp and was hit by a volley of 4 purple balls of magic. she turned to the side and saw Nikolai with his wand pointed at the beast.





Nikolai saw Twilight tear up and felt an anger rise in his heart, He hated seeing friends getting hurt and would gladly take damage in order to save his friends, he gripped his wand tightly and pointed it at the beast. He subconsciously mixed air and spirit, making a magic missile and sending a volley of 4 at the creature.



  

Twilight saw the creature get shot to the side with extreme force, the creature slammed into a tree, knocking it down and killing the beast. She saw Nikolai run at the creature, producing a dagger, and slicing the creatures neck, blood splattered on the ground and on the knife. Nikolai walked back to Twilight and picked her up in a hug.





"Twilight, are you okay?"

"Not really, everything hurts and i'm feeling sick."

Nikolai carried her into the tent and put her on her makeshift bed. He took off his robe and put it on his bed, Twilight saw he had a silk undershirt, he promptly took it off, Twilight could see that he was strong even though he didn't have much muscle definition. Nikolai cut the shirt into long strips and wrapped her wounds, he applied pressure to the wounds until the flow was staunched. Nikolai saw that Twilight still had tears and wiped them off with the last strip.

"Thank you Nikolai, I don't think i could repay you."

"No need to, I'm just glad you're okay."

Twilight sat up and gave Nikolai a hug, he was surprised and returned the hug. Nikolai went back to his quiet vigil. Eventually both Twilight and Nikolai went to sleep.

Nikolai woke up first and went outside, he knew that both he and Twilight needs breakfast, of course Twilight could not process meat in the way he can. Luckily he knew how to hunt and gather. he went out of the campsite and looked to the dead rabbit creature, he cut into the rabbit, the meat was a nice pink-red, looks edible enough, he cut out some rabbit creature chops and put them on the table in camp. next vegetables and fruits. He took a wander around outside the camp, always staying in view of the camp. He eventually found a weird kind of fruit tree that looks like a cross between a rainbow and a apples, it looks off, the apples where rainbow colored, he pick a couple and put them in his apprentice robe. he traveled a little more and found a orange tree, he put them in his robes and went to camp. He put them on the table and looked over his ingredients. He lit the fire with a flick of his wand, he made a pot using magic and stone, he held it up above the fire with a spit system, he put some water in the pot and he cut up the fruits into cubes, when he cut through the rainbow apples his blade shined, and he felt like he got some mana in his mana pool. The apples must give him a bit of mana, something to keep note of, he threw the bits into the pot and let them boil down into a meatless soup. he then cut out the fur and other bits from the rabbit creature meat. he tried the soup he made and it felt weird going down but it wasn't bad, he made a pan using the same technique and cooked the meat.

Nikolai cut a small piece off the meat and tried it, it tasted like beef and a hint of ash, not the worst thing he tasted. he made a plate and a bowl for him and Twilight. he felt something was missing, he went out for his last food run, he found some wild carrots, and a bit of wild lettuce. he threw the carrots into the soup, and he cut up lettuce and put it on top of his rabbit steak. Twilight just got up and was watching Nikolai cook for a bit she was curious about his cooking style. Twilight smiled and trotted outside.

"Morning Twilight, I got breakfast."

"Thanks."

Twilight got her bowl and scooped some soup up. she tried it, it was actually pretty good. Nikolai ate his rabbit chops in relative silence. again not the worst meal both Nikolai and Twilight had. after breakfast, Nikolai went into his silent vigil after washing off Twilight cuts and bandages. Twilight sat in the chair and tried to relax, but she couldn't for some reason, she just sat in the chair and tried to sleep. Twilight felt a tickle on her should, she turned around and blacked out, and fell on the floor. Nikolai heard her hit the floor and rushed out of the tent and got hit in the back of the head, unconscious.

Nikolai woke up tied to a cross like structure, arms tied out to the side and legs bound downwards. He saw Twilight in the same position across from him she had just woken up, Nikolai's robe was on a table to the side, he looked up at Twilight, she appeared to be silently crying. He hates seeing her like this. A taller female changeling came out from a nearby tent, as she spoke, it sounded like it had a weird echo.

"Well now my pets, i see you are in a conundrum. How unfortunate. Now i think it is a time for a bit of fun." Changelings gathered around this taller one.

"Who are you?" Nikolai Queried.

"I am queen Chrysalis. Welcome to your torture."

She went over to Twilight and grabbed a jagged dagger that was stuck in the side of the cross. Nikolai's anger got higher at the sight of the knife. He shuffled his hands into fists, he felt his ring on his ring finger. He smiled a little. Chrysalis pressed the dagger against her stomach. Twilight twitched a little, She cut a heart into her stomach and put 'T+N' in it. Twilight felt hurt and blushed a little. Nikolai felt a small blush also. 

"Hey you bug piece of crap, she has nothing to do with you, if you are going to hurt anyone, then slice me up."

Chrysalis laughed "You think it has to do with rivalry? No it's for fun, i think pony blood is beautiful."

She then cut Twilight's arms up and down. Twilight tried not to cry from the pain. Nikolai started to twitch out of anger. 

"STOP. She has had enough, I think it's my turn."

"I suppose it is. i'll be back for you Twilight." Twilight's head was down, she had appeared to have given up. Chrysalis trotted to Nikolai, she wiped the blade clean, She pressed it against his bare chest, she made cuts downwards. The pain was unbearable. But he needed to keep being damaged if he wanted to escape. he kept taking cuts, it went from his neck to his arms, legs, and chest. But he needed to keep bleeding. after 5 minutes of nonstop cutting, he looked like a cutting board. His ring glowed a faint red, his torturer didn't notice.

Nikolai's rage peaked and he felt time slow down, the ring glowed even brighter. Nikolai felt tougher, stronger, and faster. he completely destroyed his bindings and the cross, chrysalis was stood there, knife to where he was on the cross, she was slowly reacting. Nikolai grabbed a nearby changeling and put his hand on his head, thumb on his forehead and fingers beneath his ear, cyan glowed from his hand, when he let go a cyan hand print was left, the changeling slowly collapsed. Nikolai dashed to his robe, put it on, and pulled out his wand and dagger, just in time for the slow motion to stop. Chrysalis and the changelings turned towards Nikolai weapons in hoof.

"Enchanted ring huh? Well then, my children, it's feeding time."

Changelings rushed towards Nikolai ready to crush and stab. Nikolai pointed his wand down and to his side, the wand had a purple illusion of a sword. He brought the sword back up and held it with both hands. The first changeling jumped at him with a dagger, Nikolai parried the dagger sending it upward and landing in the ground beside him, he thrust his sword through the changelings neck. Another came at him, Nikolai simply ducked and the changeling tripped over Nikolai and landed on the ground completely stunned. A changeling ran at Nikolai with a spear, Nikolai kicked the spear upwards, sliced the changeling and caught the spear. Nikolai stuck the spear in the ground for later. It was time for Nikolai to be on the offensive. He ran towards the changelings, he sliced back and forth. Nikolai took a jab to the back of his left leg and his left arm. He got to a clearing in the changelings mass's, he was brought face to face with a heavily armored changeling wielding a clay-more sword. The changelings backed off to watch the battle.





Twilight was on the cross, head down, and in despair and pain. She watched as Nikolai sliced through the changeling hoard. A dark shadow overcame Twilight.





Nikolai locked blades with the changeling, his armor looked to be of steel. Nikolai prepared to disarm him, he heard a scream behind him. Nikolai got distracted and got disarmed his magic sword got stuck in the ground near him. Nikolai dived for the sword but the changeling threw it behind him. Nikolai pulled out his dagger with a plan. He did some small fighting and waited for the changeling to do a certain move. The changeling thrust the back end of his sword to knock him back, Nikolai made himself push back, he was outside the hoard where he started. He picked up the spear from before and put his dagger away. he ran back into the circle with the spear to his side, he ran directly at the changeling and jumped. He brought the spear straight into the helmet and was assisted by the velocity of his run and jump. A massive clang echoed through the forest. The changeling fell over with the spear in his helmet. Nikolai ran and picked up his wand which turned back into his regular wand instead of the sword. Nikolai ran back to the area he heard the screaming from. Nikolai received a blow to his chest and got knocked back. A shadow loomed over Nikolai and stuck a knife in his right arm, pinning it to the ground. Blood pooled under him.





Twilight was silenced by chrysalis, she held a knife and appeared to be waiting for Nikolai, he rounded the corner and chrysalis knocked him on the ground and stuck his right arm in the ground with a knife. 

"NIKOLAI!"

"Silence, he won't be helping you now." Chrysalis got another knife and threatened Twilight with it.



 

Nikolai was on the ground stuck. He could only turn his head, he was paralyzed with pain. changelings gathered around ready to finish Nikolai. Nikolai quickly took out a scroll that was ghost white with a gold seal with a explosion imprinted on it. He held the scroll close.





Twilight watched as Nikolai was surrounded. He was certainly going to die.





Nikolai was surrounded in a glowing white light the light got extremely bright, the changelings were blinded. An explosion was heard. The changelings around him evaporated and were gone. Chrysalis looked at Nikolai with silent hatred, she turned back to Twilight and starting cutting her up.

Nikolai lay on the ground with the knife in his arm and watched Chrysalis cut Twilight up. He turned to the knife in his arm. He grabbed the knife with his other arm. He started to pull the knife out, it hurt immensely, but he kept quite. Every cut Chrysalis made, Nikolai pulled with more force.

Nikolai pulled the knife out, he bled and bled, he had a hole all the way through his arm. He twirled the knife with his fingers until he was holding the blade. Nikolai aimed the blade at Chrysalis.