Anima Mea Tenebre

by Nixus

Into the Deep

Reiksadler had decayed in the days since Frostfeather had last seen it. What had been a bustling city had grown eerily quiet as he ran alongside his companions. The streets, once bustling with citizens and stalls containing all sorts of goods, were empty and devoid of any life. Wood and assortments of refuse littered the street alongside the tell tale signs of struggle that had gripped the city in the violent upheaval. Claw marks, discarded weapons and armor, and even the occasional batch of bones and feathers all reminded him of the chaos that had gripped the streets. Now he could only take in the aftermath of what had happened to his city with increasing despair. What had been the healthy body of Reiksadler had been deprived of the thousands that had made up its lifeblood. Now all that remained was the skeletal husk that it had become.

Where did they all go? he thought. Reiksadler was home to just over ten thousand. There was no possible or conceivable way that the city would be this empty. Moving that many individuals would take an incredible amount of effort; more than Ravenn and the monsters under his could ever hope to manage. They had they element of surprise, but Frostfeather doubted that they could have managed against the survivors if they had all banded together. He did recall that Ravenn had kept some citizens underneath his control, but even a Griffon knew there were limits to magic.

Still, despite the anger the thought of the elf brought, the vast emptiness of the city filled him with sadness. Seeing his great city like this was devastating. He had failed his people, failed to protect them and now this was the price his kingdom had paid for his decision. Every moment of deathly quiet instead of the laughter, banter, and occasional fist fight over something inconsequential was a testament to his shortcoming as a leader. He would hardly blame any historian if they referred to him as a coward.

He stopped walking as his claw landed on something soft on the ground. He spared a glance down, and quickly freed the item from the ground so heit. The group had put a large amount of distance between themselves and the Shriekers when Dante and Twilight blocked the entrance to the arena's other tunnel by collapsing the mouth of the passage. The Diablon had guessed it would take anything pursuing them a few extra minutes to climb arena's walls and follow them into the city. It wasn't much, but any distance away from the creatures was greatly appreciated. He had no desire to confront a swarm of those things no matter if they instilled fear in even Celestia's guests.

His focus shifted to the item he had picked up. He had little desire to continue thinking of their pursuers and decided to turn his attention to other matters. The limp form of a tiny doll, caked in dirt sat in his hand. It was a child's doll, dressed up like a guard with tiny bits of armour made out of burlap and a little twig in place of a sword. He smiled as he looked at the toy, seeing the love of a parent that went into each stitch. It was a representation of Lord Alexandros Steelbeak, a mythic hero who challenged a minotaur chieftain to single combat in order to avoid a battle that would have resulted in huge losses for both sides. Instead of allowing his comrades to perish, Steelbeak had drawn up terms that he would fight the Minotaur leader and the winner's side would be victorious. The minotaur leader accepted, prideful that he was stronger, but he could not keep up with the Griffon leader and found himself on the ground with Steelbeak's sword at his throat. In time, the tale had come to symbolize Griffon bravery and to always stand firm; something he lacked.

A movement in his peripheral vision made him turn. Dante stood to his side with the purple unicorn, Twilight Sparkle. Both looked at him and the doll which he stuffed between the breastplate he wore and the protective padded shirt underneath it. He may have never been the superstitious type, but his mind couldn’t help but think that perhaps he would gain some confidence from having it on him.

"Prince Frostfeather," Dante began. Frostfeather would have corrected him as he had back on the airship, had his mind not been elsewhere. The scene only minutes before was still on his mind. He had heard from Celestia about the certain abilities Dante possessed, as well as the damage which they could inflict. Seeing those abilities in person however was much more impressive, though knowing he had no control over how they acted or who they targeted made Frostfeather hesitate to celebrate the fact Dante was on his side. Even then, he could not fully count on that with the apparent alternate personality housed in his companion's mind.

The last issue however, did not bother Frostfeather all that much to his surprise. This 'Belial' was manipulative and had could decimate almost anything. He had complete control over the powers, which Dante had only inadvertently used and still did not understand. Knowing that should have made a difference, but he did not see that in Dante. He was an honourable individual, one that Frostfeather had been able to voice his concerns with. Rarely did tyrants and despots give their ears to the concerns of others, and they were even less known to sit down for tea when doing so. Dante, in his mind, was as far from his other half as possible and was perhaps the closest thing Frostfeather could call a friend.

It also seemed the unicorn beside him was acting as an anchoring point for Dante’s powers. Frostfeather had heard of Twilight Sparkle before, but he had not met the unicorn until the day he first walked the halls of the Canterlot. It surprised him that such an innocent looking unicorn could have accomplished the feats he had her she had participated in, but she was one of the fabled Elements of Harmony. He remembered how his father had laughed at first, then had grown awed by the pupil of Celestia. “Such a mare is worthy of respect,” he had said, “One day she’ll probably end up rescuing us from some problem or other.” Frostfeather had never taken his father’s boasts of foresight seriously, usually attributing their accuracy as luck, but now the tables had turned it seemed. In the end, his father had been right.

His mind snapped back from his musing when he realised he had ignored Dante entirely. Both were still staring at him, waiting for the answer to the question he had forgotten entirely about. The Prince shifted a bit as he recomposed his mind.

"I apologise, I was lost in thought for a moment," he said. "What were you asking?"

"We need to keep moving," Dante answered. "You said that there was an alternate way into the fortress from the city. Where is it?"

"The Fortress was built with a number of secret passages with which my family could use to escape if the city ever fell. It was a contingency plan that would allow us to escape and gather forces before using the same way to re-enter the city and take it from within," Frostfeather replied, using what his parents had taught him as a child. He still faintly recalled the directions they had used to escape. "We need to go into the sewers and follow the tunnels directly to the fortress. It'll let us out in the Great Hall which we will presumably find Ravenn in."

Dante nodded, clearly agreeing with the plan. "Is there a specific sewer tunnel we need to find, or can we use any of them?"

"There are specific tunnels that connect directly to the fortress. The closest one is just past the market, near the wall. It can fit us all in it, but we'll need to enter it one at a time."

Dante nodded. "Ok, show us the way. We still have a bit of breathing room between us and any Shriekers. As long as we aren’t spotted, we should be able to hide for the most part."

“Follow me then,” Frostfeather said as he turned and began to cautiously make his way towards the place he had used for his escape. His memory served him well, guiding him and the small contingent behind him along the streets, through alleys, and over the occasional pile of rubble. Every so often they would need to scatter, hiding out of sight when the occasional monster patrolling the rooftops was spotted. Then they'd regroup, repeating the process of moving slowly and hoping nothing spotted them as they made the agonizingly slow journey towards the market square.

The lack of cover within the square made Frostfeather hesitate and look back uncertainly. There were stalls still standing, but were too few and far between to offer anything substantial. It would be far too slow to send the entire group through the square one at a time and simply rushing through it would get them spotted. Neither choice offered much in their favour, but this was just another instance of choosing between two terrible choices.

He turned back towards Dante, planning on discussing what they should do, but his eyes caught sight of the rooftops off in the distance. Like a massive infestation of ants, Shriekers of all sizes swarmed over buildings, jumping from roof to roof while uttering their piercing cries as they searched the streets. Dante followed Frostfeather's gaze and caught sight of the oncoming hoard. "We need to move! Now!" He shouted, drawing all attention to himself.

With the choice selected for them, the group filed in behind Frostfeather. "Follow me!Guards take flight and watch for any monsters ahead!" He cried as they began to run. The griffons all unfurled their wings and took to the air, but remained under the cover of the buildings as they flew across the market with their prince at the forefront. Dante and his companions followed close behind. A moment into their flight, the clamouring sound of a dozen bodies and screeching told them all that their movement had caught the sweeping eyes of the host behind them. Though their sight was more suited to the dark of the night, it mattered little when they could make out the movements of such a large group.

With piercing cries, they began to take chase after the griffons. Their powerful legs carried them from roof to roof with powerful leaps. Claws raked stone as the distance shrunk at a rapid pace. Hungry eyes and razor sharp teeth flashed as all that separated them from their prey was a few hundred yards. For them, the hunt had begun and though their animalistic minds could not form thoughts, they were ready to show why they were apex predators during both in both the night and the day.

The mass of screeching monsters split into three parts with the middle sections giving chase as the ones in the sides split off and raced ahead. The first monsters to launch themselves aimed for the griffons, leaping into the air before crashing into the flying warriors like carapaced covered boulders. Feathers exploded and blood sprayed from both sides as claws and weapons bit into flesh. Most of the monsters were pierced by readied weapons of the Griffons, their speed and momentum too much for them to control as they flew into the mass of fliers. Some avoided the weapons, scoring hits of their own. One Griffon was dragged to the ground as Shrieker warrior pierced him through the shoulder. His scream of pain was quickly quieted as the Shrieker bit into his neck and savagely twisted it to the side.

Frostfeather cursed as he stabbed a Drone through the chest. The monster’s body shuddered as he twisted his blade and gravity assisted it in sliding off to crash into the street below. He did not even have time to break as a second and third Shrieker tossed themselves at him, baring their teeth in preparation to sample his flesh. He ducked the first one, letting it the creature’s claws pass harmlessly overhead before he brought his sword up and countered with a slash to its face. It cried out in pain as it fell to the ground, but Frostfeather had already turned to the second one, dispatching it with a deep cut to its neck.

Years of forced practice within the sparring halls at the command of his father made itself known as Frostfeather expertly ducked, weaved, and dodged blows while returning with strikes that penetrated the hardened carapace of the monsters. Though the kingdom hadn’t been in a major conflict for centuries, his father had pushed for mandatory service and training out of respect for tradition. It was another thing he would have to thank his father for as he blocked an incoming strike.

He spared a glance around him, using the moment to take in his surroundings and to fight off any hint of tunnel vision. The fight was not going well. The onslaught had slowed them down and with every passing minute increased the severity of the situation. More of his guards were beginning to show wounds sustained in the fight, slowly being worn down as the fight went on. The majority of the monsters were hanging back, content to circle the outskirts of the fight while the over eager ones threw themselves onto the blades of the Griffons. However, the mass of monsters still had not completely circled them, leaving just a glimmer of hope for the group to reach the sewers.

Frostfeather gathered himself, summoning up his voice despite his exhaustion.“Keep pressing forward! If we stop moving here and allow them to circle use then they win! Push them back and continue on towards the sewers. Not one step back!”

A loud cry of agreement came from the Griffons around him. Under them, he could see Dante and his companions fighting and pushing the monsters back with spells, arrows, and blades. Even some of the ponies had joined the battle. Rarity and Twilight were both using their magic to defend the flanks, blasting any monster that dared come to close. The two earth ponies, Applejack and Pinkie Pie, were bucking and lashing out with powerful kicks, though Pinkie Pie was bouncing around more than fighting. As for the pegasi, only Rainbow Dash was actively defending herself, zig zagging while ramming and lobbing stones at the monsters. It was Fluttershy who was the only one not fighting. Rooted to the spot, terrified and hyperventilating as the chaos went on around, she shivered and sobbed while her friends tried to keep her safe.

Frostfeather cursed under his breath, she was not going to move while the fighting was going on around her. With a screech, he flapped his wings and propelled himself towards her. His blade chopped through a Shrieker that was scurrying towards her, loping its arm off and leaving it screaming in the street. He didn’t look back to see the monster get torn to shreds by its hungry brethren, but scooped up the pegasus in one arm while doing his best to deal with the weight of her. In the corner of his eye, he could almost see Sam give him a respectful nod and a silent ‘thank you’ as he flew off with her.

“Dante! Our window is almost gone. We need to get to the sewers now!” Frostfreather screamed. He couldn’t hear what Dante said, but he felt a heat behind him that caused him to ascend faster. His wings beat furiously and he smelled a few of his feathers burn as he barely escaped the wall of flame that Dante had cast. It filled the road towards the sewer grate, scorching the walls of the houses as it burned all it touched. The Shriekers that had jumped in to block their path were consumed by the fire, the walls they had jumped down from were absent of any handholds ensuring they were trapped. There was no escaping the magical flame that burst from Dante’s hand and staff, and nothing was left but ash and black scorch marks.

Seizing their opportunity, Frostfeather and his griffons surged forward and reached the cover. Using his spear, one of the guards jammed the blade into the opening and pushed down on the handle. Slowly, the cover moved, allowing for two other Griffons to grab and keep the hinged circular cover open. With their path open, the guards began to drop through the hole, tucking their wings to their bodies and jumping into the dark underbelly of the city. Frostfeather practically tossed Fluttershy into the sewers, not giving her time to hesitate or say anything before Dante and his companions rounded the corner, Shriekers at their heels.

The ponies reached the sewers first, dropping into sewers without a word. Dante and his companions lagged behind, with the wizard buying his compatriots time with another firewall as they escorted a wounded griffon towards the sewers. The Shriekers were growing even bolder as they came closer, appearing to realise their prey were about to escape. there was a certain desperation to their attacks. A few had taken on the crystal forms and were using the added protection to brave the fire.

A sudden high pitched whistle filled the air and the griffon being aided by Moe and Sam was forced into the ground with a number of small crystal spikes sprouting from between his wings. Sam and Moe cried out in alarm, jumping back as more spikes pierced into the ground. Above them, Shriekers had taken to the roofs and Frostfeather watched in horror as they seemingly retched up these spikes before spitting them at those still above ground. One stray projectile found it's mark in Moe’s arm, causing the elf to stumble. Frostfeather feared the next volley of spikes would end him, but to his surprise, Sam became a blur just as he grabbed Moe’s arm.

The next thing he knew, Moe was being deposited into the sewer, his wound beginning to pump red from his body. He then clumsily dropped into the hole as Sam’s body blurred again before he reappeared next to Dante, his sword slashing through one monster that had flanked the wizard. The Shriekers in that time had begun to focus on their next target: Frostfeather and the guards holding the sewer cover.

Spikes penetrated the ground all around them, some even spearing through the thick metal of the cover. The guards fumbled slightly, but managed to keep the cover up despite the new weight added on. Frostfeather helped them, and grabbed an edge while Sam blurred back with Dante in tow. The two of them jumped into the sewers with one of the guards following them. Frostfeather turned his head to the Griffon beside him. “On my signal, I’ll jump in and keep the cover open. You go through first, Is that understood?”

“Yes, my Prince,” The guard grunted. He looked to Frostfeather and the Prince quickly gave him a nod to go in. The guard seemed to hesitate at first but came up behind. "Sorry for this," he said before he pushed him.

Frostfeather squawked in surprise but was able to catch a rung at the last moment. His arm twisted awkwardly but he kept his grip as he went to voice his distaste. "What do you think you're doing? Get -"

His voice died in his throat as he saw the red patch that had blossomed on the guards side around a large crystal spike. The wound was deep, definitely life threatening. The guard wouldn't have made it another few minutes. It was evident the guard knew it too as he let go of the cover. "Long live the royal family..."

"No!” Frostfeather screamed as the guard pulled away. Rage bubbled within his chest and mind, clouding his vision. He hadn’t even realised he had begun to climb back out until a pale hand grabbed his back leg and pulled him back down. With no support to keep it open, the cover slammed back down, cutting the Shriekers off. They scratched at it frantically, crying out in frustration while Frostfeather was pulled down, lashing and yelling, into the dark underbelly of his city.

*****

In the heart of Reiksadler’s keep, deep within its core, something stirred. It had been awoken from its slumber abruptly by means it could not comprehend, which had left it weakened. It struggled, confused by its new surroundings. In a mental sense, the abrupt awakening had taken its toll also. It could not remember anything, it’s name, what or where it was, how long it had slept for. All of it was muddled mess within the being’s mind. All it could recall was the image of its master, his red piercing eyes, and the oath sworn to him before he had slumbered.

Now it had awoken, too early it seemed. It’s body ached and strained, not accustomed to his presence. It felt cramped, almost as though it was sharing a space meant for one with another. It was shorter too, and much weaker it seemed. Every movement was clumsy, each step like that of a newborn. Slowly it grew accustomed to basic movements and though it was still groggy from being awoken too quickly, it could feel a sliver of its power begin to course through its veins, and with it the rage that had lain dormant for centuries.

The air was different here, it could tell that much, much purer. There was no smoke or ash choking the life out of nature as it permeated the air. Yet there was the faint hint of blood, both fresh and old. Behind that, it could feel the raw emotion of anger, despair, and the desire for vengeance. It fed on it, stoking the fire within itself until there was a soft orange glow that emanated from within its body, filtering out of the cracks in its skin while the heat rose in its stone cell. The chains around its wrists bubbled as they turned red, before they slid off, pooling onto the floor below. A battle had just ended, it knew that. The fact was present within this empty city and the presence of souls freshly released from their mortal shells.

The being grinned, it’s iron jaw creaking as it did so. It may have been more of a beast than it’s regular self, but there were two specific souls it recognized: one a part of it desired to rip into pieces, and the soul of the one it was bound to. It would find them and deal with each in turn. As it stood now, the being’s mind desired escape and to feed the hunger that gnawed at its belly. Its desire for freedom compelled it to swing one arm back before its iron clad fist slammed against the stone in front of it, reducing it to rubble.

With its exit in front of it, the ancient being stepped over the dust and rocks that were once the wall. It could hear the clatter of approaching footsteps of something approaching. Whatever it was, the ancient soul welcomed the chance to test its abilities once more, and to satiate both the hunger in its stomach as well as its desire for battle. There would be no mercy, there was never even the thought of it in the soul’s current primal state. With one swipe against the wall with its metal claws, the ancient mind goaded his opponent to come to him with a shower of sparks.

Then it unleashed a battle cry that shook the very mountain that contained it before its claws cut through flesh.

*****

The dark underbelly of his city was not a place Frostfeather had expected to return to, even as he crashed into the smelling rivers of filth. He struggled against the vice like grip screaming as he attempted to grab at his sword. “Let go of me!” He cried just as he was picked out of the water and forced against the wall with his arm twisted behind his back. He tried to force his wings out, but a great weight shifted and he fell to the hard stone platform with a knee in his back.

“Frostfeather, calm down,” a voice ordered and suddenly the prince found himself incredibly weary. His muscles relaxed and he let himself be brought up to his knees. It was Dante who was holding his arms. He bled slightly from small cuts to his face and arms, no doubt a product of the prince's struggling. Still he held on until he was fully sure the madness had deserted Frostfeather. "Can you stand? We need you to show us the way into the castle."

"Yes I think I can," the Griffon replied weakly. All the self doubt had come back and replaced the confidence and strength that had filled him in the streets. "I'm sorry Dante, I'm not sure what came over me. All I wanted to do was go back to the fight. If I had gotten back out, those monsters would have been able to get into the sewer. I nearly killed us all."

"It's not your fault," Dante replied.

Frostfeather looked at him incredulously. "It was my fault. I nearly lost myself in all the fighting. I would've kept fighting until my last breath."

Dante shook his head. "Close your eyes."

"What, why?"

"Just do it," he said. "Close your eyes and relax. I'm going to show you something."

Hesitantly, Frostfeather complied. He closed his eyes, allowing his mind to settle. He did not try to focus on the monsters in his city, or the situation. Instead he kept his mind occupied by pacing his breathing. Then he felt something thick and heavy in the air that made him gasp.

"You feel it don't you?" Dante asked.

"Yes... It's unbelievable..." Frostfeather replied. "Hatred, bloodlust, ruthlessness, it's hanging in the air like a cloud. I've heard stories of warriors who've lost their minds in the heat of a fight, but it's like those emotions have become real. Even now I can feel my adrenaline rising."

"Yes, that's why you wanted to keep fighting. It showed up just before we got into the sewers and it's only getting stronger from what I can tell."

"Where did it come from?"

Dante's mood seemed to darken with the question. "The fortress. It came from there from what I can tell. Whatever is projecting this is powerful from what I can tell."

"What do you mean 'whatever is projecting this'? You don't know? Isn't Ravenn the only one in this city capable of using magic?"

To Frostfeather's surprise, Dante hesitated to answer him. He looked almost fearful of the answer himself. "Ravenn is a summoner. He can't project something like this. Magic is controlled by emotions but to project an emotional aura that affects others isn't something he, or even I can do. It's far outside the skill ranges that can be taught. This is something you're born with." He took a breath as he appeared to get to try and regain some semblance of composure. "Only one sort of being can do it and to be able to cover an entire city with their aura means they would have to incredibly powerful."

It was only then that Frostfeather realised the entire group was watching them, ears trained on their conversation. His guards were

obviously shaken but their exhaustion overpowered their ability to display their fear. Dante's companions were likewise showing blank faces, but were busying themselves attending to their own wounds. Frostfeather watched as Moe braved himself, biting into his leather belt as Sam doused his arm with a pungent liquid before wrapping a cloth around the protruding spike and gripping it.

Frostfeather turned just as Moe's muffled scream rang out. Battlefield operations were rarely kind and even though he was still inexperienced to the world of violence, he knew that much. He only prayed that the wound didn't become infected from the sewers.

"So what is this thing that Ravenn has summoned?" He asked quietly. "Can we even hope to do anything against it?"

Dante seemed to ponder the question for a moment. "Ravenn is somehow controlling a demon. From what I can tell it's only a minor one. Something we-"

At that moment the sewers seemed to quake as something shook the ground around them. At first Frostfeather thought it was a tremor, but the roar that echoed in the sewer proved him wrong. The sheer volume of it was overwhelming and he watched his guards jump to their feet, locking their shields together with weapons at the ready. They still shook despite their disciplined actions. It would only take another fight before their spirits broke.

"I think you're going to need to rally them soon," Dante said. "That thing is still far off, and we can probably avoid it. Even better is if we can catch Ravenn before we meet it. Then we can force it back without needing to fight. In the meantime, I need you to make sure your people are ready to face whatever we might come across."

Any normal commander would have been incensed at Dante's manner of addressing him, but Frostfeather was still a typical leader and this situation was beyond normal. Added with Dante's expertise on the subject, he could let it slide. If it hadn't been for him, the mission would have surely failed.

"Of course," Frostfeather said quietly. He turned and singled out one of his guards. "Murkclaw! I need your assistance for a minute."

The young Griffon straightened up and quickly came to his Prince, stopping only to bow to him. "Sir!" He stayed bent until Frostfeather chided him to stand up. "What can I assist with?" He asked, taking off his helmet and letting his downy brown feathers spring up in a ridiculous mohawk.

“I need you to organise the rest of the guards, our task isn’t over yet,” The guard visibly deflated with the news, but Frostfeather pressed on. “I won’t ask any of you to do what I wouldn’t, but I need you to collect the names of whoever has not made it. I personally want to make sure their families know about their sacrifice. Also, I want you to know that I will not allow anyone else to fall while I am still in command. Understood?”

The tone of his voice seemed to resonate with Murkclaw. The young soldier perked up almost instantaneously and nodded. He saluted and ran off. Frostfeather sighed and began to collect himself. "I better tell the others as well and get them ready." He stopped as he heard Dante chuckle. "Is something funny?"

"No, just noticing the fact you don't have a shred of self doubt. You've changed a lot since our conversation in the ship."

Frostfeather chuckled as well. "I guess a situation like this requires a change of character."

"Perhaps so," Dante agreed. He got to his feet, dusting off his clothes. Frostfeather followed his lead and grabbed his things. Dante studied the tunnel while the Prince found his sword and slid it into its scabbard. "We need to keep going. What's our next move?"

"We keep going down this sewer tunnel until we hit the first split in the system. There will be a few more until we come across a basin. From there, we will be able to reach the citadel from a maintenance tunnel."

Dante nodded. "Good, we'll leave in a few minutes. Think you can up your men's spirits in that time?"

"I think that'll be enough time. Just tell us when we need to leave."

"Alright," Dante replied. Frostfeather nodded and turned away, leaving the magician alone. Dante watched the Prince walk away, barely noticing the brown earth mare that came up to his side. She gave him a once over, paying particular attention to his face. Dante blew out a frustrated breath as he sat against the wall. “I forgot how exhausting situations like this can be.”

Applejack gave him a sympathetic smile as she also sat next to him. The cold stone wasn't particularly comfortable on her haunches, but she didn't think they'd be like this for very long. “Ah can hardly imagine sugarcube.” She waited a few moments before she let her face drop into a neutral expression. “Why’d ya lie to him?”

“What?”

“The Prince,” Applejack stated. “Ah ain’t dumb. Y’all talked for a few minutes, but in the meantime you lied straight to his face. Ya got this feeling around you that just screams that ya went ahead and told a lie. So what was it?”

Dante smiled weakly. “If I had told him the truth about the demon, though I can hardly call what I’m sensing any regular demon, he would have lost all hope. I couldn’t do that to him, not right now.”

“Ah guess that is a good enough reason when ya put it like that,” Applejack agreed. “But this thing, what’re we dealing with?”

With a shake of his head and grimace, Dante answered her question without a word. She didn’t press for details because she knew that whatever Dante was thinking, it was not good at all. It scared her to realise that someone like Dante, who until now had been usually so calm, collected, and reserved when she had dealt with him, was beginning to show fear for this thing that he had never seen. Twilight had told her that Dante could sense magic in passing, but never even realised it may have had effects on Dante himself. It made her worry even more when she considered what she had originally come to ask him about. "Do you think Coppa is still alright?"

Dante avoided the question by picking up his staff and rising to his feet. Elsewhere Frostfeather had finished with his individual promises while recording names alongside Murkclaw. Dante grimaced and moved forward, leaving Applejack with the echo of his voice. "We need to keep moving."

*****

Twilight huffed as the contingent followed her and Rarity. Being the only ones who could use illumination spells, they had been placed in the front to light the path ahead. While she was appreciative of being able to do something during this mission, she couldn’t shake the anxious feeling as they descended even further into the bowels of the city. With each step, the walls around the grew closer, constricting around them as they traveled nearer to the fortress. At the same time, the smell of the foulness coursing through the sewers had become increasingly potent, enough to make her gag and her eyes water.

That gas that held that rank stink was also the reason she and Rarity were up front. Years upon years of waste had turned to a slurry that released potent amounts of flammable gas. Had they lit a torch or used a fire spell, then the entire network of sewers would have gone up in flames. The griffons had relayed the fact during their brief break, they had to navigate this entire section unable to see anything past their shoulders while also avoiding the noxious gas clouds that could knock them out within seconds. It amazed her to think that anyone had been able to find their way through without the aid of a light source.

Looking behind her, Twilight took the chance to take in the state of her friends. The griffons were exhausted but seemed uplifted by the presence of their prince. His individual speeches had seemed to have a good effect on their morale, and they moved with a renewed sense of purpose. As for the others, they too appeared ragged, but still held onto their grim determination. The other element bearers were the only ones who seemed to have been truly out of their league, with even Pinkie Pie bearing a wary expression. However it was Fluttershy who concerned her the most. The timid pegasus had broken down repeatedly, needing the entire group to stop and help her. It wasn't until Sam had her focus on helping the wounded, that she was able to continue. Since then, she had been checking on everyone, looking at and bandaging anything worse than a scrape.

“Twilight!”

She heard the voice scream her name before there was a sharp tug on her tail. The force holding onto her tail, mixed with her momentum caused her head to snap forward. Now in the light, she could see that her next step would have led her over the edge of the walkway and into the faster flowing portion of the sewer. Had she fallen, she would have been sucked under and dashed against the bottom.

"Are you ok?" Dante asked as he let go of her tail. In the light of her magic, he looked like a pale ghost with ruby coloured eyes. Twilight nodded, heart pounding from the spike in adrenaline. "Good, sorry about grabbing your tail, it was the first thing I could get a hold of."

"It's fine, better than falling into that" she replied. Her tail throbbed slightly from the rough treatment and would probably be sore for a little while. However, it was a better alternative to almost drowning. "Thank you for not letting me fall."

"You're welcome," he said. "How're you holding up though?"

"Fine for the most part," Twilight replied. In truth, she wanted to state how terrified she was, how she had wanted to curl up in a ball with her hooves over head, and the fact she was going to have nightmares from the culmination of everything that had happened since she had cast that spell. She was keeping herself in check at this point, but at any time she figured she was going to break down. "How're the others?" She asked, trying to change her train of thought.

"I can't say for the griffons, but the others are fine. Only Moe has a major wound, but it's been taken care of. A few splinters of that crystal may still in his arm, but those can be dealt with when we have the tools." he replied quickly. His face then twisted slightly before he stepped back, eyes wide. "Oh my god.."

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked. Worried, she called the rest of the group to stop. The ponies and Dante's team, hearing her, rushed to their side. Dante had begun break out in a cold sweat, shaking as he stepped back. "Dante what's going on?!"

"Frostfeather, how far are we from the split and basin?" Dante demanded, turning suddenly to the surprised Prince.

"We're almost on top of it; maybe fifty paces from where we are now? But I don't understand, what is happening and why are you acting-"

Dante bolted before any of them could react, racing down the corridor without heeding his friends shouts of concern. Not even a glance was spared in their direction as he disappeared into the shadows like a wraith, leaving the entire group staring at each other dumbfounded.

"Follow him!" San and Moe both said, already running with their weapons drawn. Their command shocked the griffons to their senses and they too followed. Twilight struggled to keep ahead of them, still trying to light the way.

Their hasty steps and heavy breaths echoed out through the tunnel, mixing with an occasional curse or squawk of panic. They kept together closely, hugging the wall until the group reached the split in the tunnels, stopping as they attempted to figure out which Dante had gone through.

"To the right!" One voice shouted. Within the tunnel she could make out the soft noise of Dante's steps. The noise was quickly drowned out as the group followed suit and rushed through the tunnel, funnelling through the turns and walls that gradually began to shrink in size.

"He's heading towards the basin!"

At least we're still going in the right direction... Twilight thought as she panted. She could make out a dim light ahead, an odd soft and blue shine that gave the slick walls an ethereal shine. In the middle of it was Dante's form, black and shadowy against the brightness. The contrast between darkness and light from where she was, hid the interior of the basin from sight, but she imagined Dante could see it. He had stopped running, standing still and rigid as he looked into the room. As they came closer, they saw that he had become white as a sheet and then it became apparent to them just why the normally composed leader was in shock.

Throughout the basin, all head together by pulsing veins of flesh, were egg clusters that glowed a sickly blue. There were thousands of them, pulsing, shifting, threatening to break open at the slightest touch. Strange larvae crawled around on the ground, in various forms of development. Some were dead, unable to survive in the quagmire of filth, and their remains were being feasted on by their stronger brethren.

Twilight felt her stomach twist in both fear and revulsion as she watched one of the egg pods burst open in a shower of opaque fluid, and a small, white, larvae fall into the basin with a splash. It writhed and cried out, only to settle down and begin to slink towards a group feasting on what appeared to be an animal deposited in the smelling waters, drawn by their thrashing.

With the bile rising in her stomach, she turned her attention away from the primal display. Her efforts did not help the growing sense of horror as she began to follow the blue veined umbilical cords that congregated on the far side of the basin. It was then she realised why Dante had been truly been stunned silent.

The veins that traveled from the pods quickly crystallized as the closer they became to the central spire of glowing crystal. Yet what drew her attention was the body half encased in the stalagmite and the message it had scratched into the wall.

THeir Evil is uNleAshEd