The Scarlet Eventide

by Burningbloom78

Orbis

Orbis, a village developed long before Equestria fully formed, a cornerstone of history, ransacked and seized by those who live to commit cruel actions, settle in the village.

In the war between Darkside and Zaria, Orbis is one of few unaffiliated with either kingdom, serving only as a middle point for supplies and commerce to travelers.

Setiya and Flint's childhood home in the clutches of Darkside now serves as an area for slaves to work and die, and Setiya, now learning more about the war she was so ignorant of before now seeks to liberate it with the help of former Darkside soldiers, Ms. Frendi and Janus.

Night overtakes the sky and Setiya guides her new allies toward Orbis, taking a well-trodden path that leads to the village.

Hours pass and Setiya and her allies circle to the back of the village to a hidden latch that leads in. The group sneaks past Darkside soldiers and takes refuge in an empty house.

Setiya, Ms. Frendi, and Janus plan their next course of action. Setiya noticed while sneaking inside the village that only Darkside soldiers roamed about the area.

"They are most likely held inside a house operating as a prison hold," Ms. Frendi said, looking out the window.

"We must check to see where most of the Darkside soldiers are stationed to have an accurate assumption of where the prisoners are.

Janus, come with me. Setiya, you stay here until I give the signal, understand?"

Setiya agreed, but she didn't understand what Ms. Frendi was up to.

"It'll be a long shot, but Janus and I will approach the soldiers," she told her.

Janus gripped his weapon. "We were of higher rank, serving as role models for the lower-ranked soldiers, so they may tell us where the prisoners are," he said.

"And if they don't and suspect any foul play, we'll knock them unconscious," Ms. Frendi added.

"You won't kill them?" Setiya asked.

Ms. Frendi shook her head. "Janus and I prefer to not slaughter our enemies if we had a choice; this world doesn't need more bloodshed. Stay here and wait for us."

Ms. Frendi and Janus journey out of the abandoned house and confront Darkside soldiers guarding the village. Laying their eyes on Ms. Frendi and Janus, the Darkside soldiers slowly backed away in respect and regard for Janus and Ms. Frendi.

"Darkside soldiers," Ms. Frendi declared openly, "it seems you all have not forgotten who Janus and I are; I appreciate your loyalty and respect, even in retirement!"

Ms. Frendi spoke with might and power in her voice that made Setiya's heart start to beat fast.

"Due to some commotion we heard over the past few days, it seems Darkside took the liberty of making Orbis a place of operations.

However, there is a problem I can't overlook: Orbis is unaffiliated with our enemy, so why is this village being occupied by Darkside?!" she shouted.

All the Darkside soldiers stayed silent, as if not having an answer or excuse. Ms. Frendi was vexed.

Before she could say anything else, a wave of malice rushed through her and Janus as they directed their attention to the source, and what the duo saw made them cautious and fearful.

Setiya felt the pressure from the house, a feeling she knows all too well. It was the monster she fled from, the monster that took Flint away from her, stood there in armor so dark and black, it was like looking directly into a chasm.

She shook in fear as flashes of red, black, and white clouded her vision, and then she fell to the floor. She writhed in pain, memories flooding her brain. She regained her bearings and resumed watching cautiously.

Meanwhile, Ms. Frendi and Janus stood face-to-face with the monster. His obsidian-like armor was sharp and strong, the helmet was the shape of a dragon's head as he bore its ire, and the ten-foot-high fiend breathed out smoke.

The hungry eyes that stared deep were as red as blood; like a beast about to kill its prey.

The weapon resting on his back was the weapon that took Flint away so cleanly, so effortlessly. A terrifying, heavy, strong, steel-like mace with a sharp head is used for fatal thrusts and blunt strikes, however, that monster's weapon can shift and change its form to any weapon that horrid beast desired.

The monster walked up to Ms. Frendi and Janus with thunder in its footsteps, looking down on them.

"The king desires hegemony over all things, and the primacy of this fragile village has no place in his future. This townlet is under my control, Frendi," he asserted. His voice bellowed deep within the hearts of the griffin and her centaur companion.

Ms. Frendi stepped up to the monster. "And who's decision was it?" she inquired.

The monster glared. "None but my own," he declared. "The king trusts me, and allows me to go where I so choose."

"Where are the prisoners, Emmerich?!"

Setiya's ears perked up and her eyes widened. "So that's his name..." she uttered under her lips.

Answering Ms. Frendi's question, Emmerich pointed to a house currently unguarded.

"They are being kept in there, Frendi," he avowed in a dark tone. "Tell me: why do you and your servant wear that armor? You and it are no longer members of the Darkside forces."

Ms. Frendi got up in Emmerich's face. "Janus is no servant, he is my companion," she asserted with vexation. "And we are here because of the commotion."

Emmerich rubbed his helmet. "I see. You must be tired after such a long walk from Yulond," he assumed. "You must be ravenous for food, I know I am. Come with me."

Before Ms. Frendi took Emmerich's offer, she waved her tail in the direction of Setiya, giving her the go-to in freeing the prisoners. Setiya waits until Emmerich and her new friends to leave before sneaking out and heading towards the house holding the townsfolk.

Staying just out of eyesight, Setiya snuck inside and headed through a door that housed the remaining townsfolk, reduced to a measly twenty instead of over a hundred.

She was shocked to see how little the numbers were and hurriedly went up to the cell doors to locate the village elder. He was in the last cell alone with an injured young filly cradled in his arms.

"Klaus...!" Setiya quietly uttered under her breath, grabbing the bars. "It's me Setiya!"

Klaus looked distraught, barely paying any attention to Setiya.

"You shouldn't have come back," he mumbled, his voice gruff and drenched in misery. "We didn't stand a chance, Setiya. Aris, my granddaughter, didn't stand a chance. She's dead..."

The injury Aris suffered was from a deep gash on the head that cracked her skull, causing her to fall unconscious before dying shortly after.

Klaus explained she was struck by Emmerich's steel mace. Setiya fell silent. She looked at the dead body of a filly she called a friend. She then looked at Klaus with glossy eyes.

"I'm gonna get you and everypony out of here," she said, but Klaus just shook his head.

"Foolish girl," he told her. "Look around, none of us has the drive anymore. Three days and three nights of ruthlessness under the watch of that evil monster. You need to leave, Setiya."

Setiya shook her head. "No, I can't leave! Not after knowing about this!"

Klaus sighed. "I saw Flint," he said. Setiya's heart dropped. "He was being dragged off to a cart exiting the village.

When I saw him, I feared the worst for you, but now I know that you're alive...I want you to live, Setiya."

Setiya rubbed the ring on the necklace. "Klaus...please," she uttered with tears streaming down her face.

Klaus looked back at his dead granddaughter. "There's no hope for us in here," he said. "We're all waiting to die. We aren't shouting for help..."

Meanwhile, back in the house with Ms. Frendi and Janus, Emmerich kneeled to the griffin's level. There was no food in sight.

"Frendi," he announced, "I was wondering about something. You told us you heard the commotion about Orbis, didn't you?"

"I did."

Emmerich rubbed his helmet again. "How did you hear about it exactly? How could a griffin, like yourself, hear about something that happened so recently?"

"I had already said that-"

Emmerich cut her off by slamming a table. A surge of Darkside soldiers flooded around them.

"I know that only you and your servant are the last residents of Yulond," he said out in a chilling tone. "I know the only way to Yulond is either by taking a beaten path close to Orbis or by swimming from near the exit of the forest. Perhaps by leaping off a cliff?"

Ms. Frendi glared at Emmerich. "What are you implying?" she asked.

"That you're a liar, Frendi," he proclaimed, towering over her and Janus. "You would not have known unless a resident of Orbis came to you, and I think I know who it is. That mare the stallion saved."

"So what if you're right?" she asked. "I don't see why you should care."

Emmerich chuckled. "Because you wouldn't be here in Orbis. You are only here because, maybe...I don't know...she asked you?" he presumed.

Emmerich passed by Ms. Frendi and Janus and started to head out the door.

"I'm going to the prisoners for a little...check-up," he said with a dark tone.

Ms. Frendi and Janus carefully tried to stop him, but the Darkside soldiers interrupted them with threatening spears.

"What's the matter?" Emmerich inquired. "Afraid I'll find something or somepony? If you do anything funny, my soldiers will not hesitate to slay you both where you stand."

"Emmerich!" Ms. Frendi exclaimed angrily. "Why are you doing this?! What do you hope to gain from joining the Darkside forces?!"

Emmerich chuckled to himself. "You pose a good question, however, you won't get any answers from me," he said, walking out the door.

Emmerich traveled towards the house with the prisoners inside, grasping his metallic mace in hand before barging in to find Setiya attempting to free Klaus.

She turned around and saw Emmerich's shadow loom over her body, freezing her in place; she was paralyzed with fear. Her eyes reflected Emmerich's bloody gaze and her heartbeat raced faster than it ever did.

The two were silent, staring at one another. Emmerich looked at the prisoners and then back at Setiya before extending his hand forward, proceeding to conjure a blaze of jet-black flame.

"Can you spare a heart?" Emmerich said, his voice echoing within Setiya's skull.

It was all too real, the words from her nightmare earlier. She fell to the floor and envisioned the colors of red, black, and white again. She began to writhe in Emmerich's delight.

"The stigma of anguish is a blessing to appreciate, little one," Emmerich uttered under his helmet, placing his hand with the black flame on one of the prison bars and slowly, with thunder in his steps, ambling around the room while gazing at Setiya's suffering.

"Time for a little conflagration," Emmerich chortled as the room began to ignite.

Setiya recovered from her body convulsing to find herself surrounded in the black fire with Emmerich just glaring at her. Regaining some senses, Setiya hastily moved to Klaus's cell and urged him to help her set him and the others free, but the old horse kept silent.

"His and all the others have had their spirits broken, little one," Emmerich declared, heading to the door. "You will die if you stay in here, so if you value your life, then come outside."

Setiya looked at Klaus who ignored her calls and stared blankly at his dead granddaughter. Without the strength to set them free and with time running out, Setiya had no choice but to leave Klaus and the remaining citizens of Orbis to their doom.

Making it out, she gazed at the house outside as it burned to the ground. Setiya contemplated at the fire and kneeled to the ground in sorrow. Setiya caressed the ring and held the necklace close to her heart while she wept in silence for being unable to save anypony she cared about.

Setiya then looked towards Emmerich with a leer of sadness. "How could you do this?" she cried, her voice shattered and quiet. "Why would you go this far?"

Emmerich stayed silent as Setiya, shaken and disturbed, sulkily crawled to him, distraught with grief. She struggled to scabble her forelegs around his armored footwear.

Emmerich reached out with his hand to clutch Setiya's mane, pulling her off the ground as she wailed in pain, and forcing her to see his glaring blood-red eyes.

"I find enjoyment in it," he said, whispering to Setiya. "Broken hearts, shattered hopes, defeated souls, and overarching misery... it's all a song and it sings to me, little one.

This war is just a stepping stone, and I'm moving up."

Setiya touches Emmerich's black helm gently, fighting through the pain. "You aren't lying," she uttered quietly. "There is no regret behind your voice, no guilt or innocence... there's only evil."

Emmerich chuckled. "This world is going to be shrouded by darkness, and I want you to witness it firsthand, little one," he whispered, jabbing his finger against Setiya's chest as a stream of blackness flowed into her.

Setiya felt a burning cold as she struggled to fight back, but it did not work. She yelled in agony as the stream of blackness surged through her chest and clenched her heart tightly.

Before Emmerich could finish his vile act, he was interrupted by a spear that struck him in the back, causing him the throw Setiya to the ground.

The spear, a traditional weapon wielded by Darkside soldiers, was thrown by Janus as he and Ms. Frendi shot out of the house. Emmerich shattered the spear like a twig.

"Amazing," he announced, "you managed to take out my soldiers, and without a speck of blood staining your armor. I wouldn't expect anything less from you two."

Ms. Frendi charged at Emmerich, but he used some sort of magic and disappeared in a veil of shadows. Janus and Ms. Frendi ran over to Setiya.

"Are you okay, Setiya?" Ms. Frendi asked, helping her off the ground. "Did Emmerich hurt you?"

Setiya didn't even look at Ms. Frendi, she only held her chest and frantically stroked her ring, quivering in misery.

Ms. Frendi and Janus beheld something glowing faintly under Setiya's coat. When Ms. Frendi investigated, she and Janus were bewildered.

"What is that?" Janus asked. "Her chest has an etching of a black cross... but what does it mean?"

"I don't know," Ms. Frendi said. "I didn't know Emmerich possessed magic. Setiya... look at me, honey."

Ms. Frendi lightly shook Setiya's body and she responded with only whimpers, and then she immediately lost consciousness. Janus directed his feathered comrade to the burned-down house and Ms. Frendi understood.

Ms. Frendi stroked Setiya's face gently. "It's not your fault," she whispered. "We need to go. Janus, I need your help."

Ms. Frendi asked Janus to carry Setiya back to Yulond so she could rest. Setiya was currently in a state of despair, and she could not physically move or think. Without hesitation, the trio fled to Yulond.

As time passed, Setiya awoke to find herself back in Ms. Frendi's house in Yulond with Janus looking after her.

She felt cold and sluggish, and she had a headache. "Janus, how long was I asleep?"

"Five days," he replied. "You were in a state of despair and needed to recover. Don't move too much."

Setiya used her hoof to feel around her chest and felt a part of her coat, where her heart is, stiff.

"What... is this I feel?" she asked. "What did he do to me?"

Janus shook his head. "We don't know," he responded. "Ms. Frendi has been looking through an archive of books ever since we came back to Yulond. She's been held up in her study."

Setiya attempted to get out of bed, but Janus carefully stopped her.

"Setiya... you aren't well right now. Emmerich used magic we aren't familiar with, so until Ms. Frendi finds an answer, stay in bed."

"Please...tell me about Orbis, Janus."

Janus let out a heavy sigh. "The Darkside soldiers have left the village, but the village itself burned days after we left.

Emmerich finished the job. Orbis wasn't a place of operations, instead, it was a playground for him."

Setiya's hooves were visibly shaking, trembling at the weight of knowing her home and the citizens living within no longer exists shook her to the core.

Shortly after learning the fate of her home, Ms. Frendi rushes into the room. "We need to go to Zaria!" Ms. Frendi shouted. "We must have an audience with the king!"

"What do you mean? You think he'll have some answers?" Janus asked.

Ms. Frendi nodded. "The king of Zaria has ways to help cure ailments. We have to leave quickly."

Setiya stared at the sweet griffin. "Thank you, Ms. Frendi," Setiya said, seeing how dedicated her feathered ally is. "If the king can truly do anything about this mark and fix it, what will we do then?"

Ms. Frendi looked at Janus and then back at Setiya. "End the war, once and for all," she declared. "I've been following the news in Zaria for a while and I deduced the king will announce something shortly to his forces.

If we are quick enough, we can still join his army."

Janus wasn't too convinced. "Are you sure about going against the king of Darkside?" he asked. "I know you and him have a close connection."

Ms. Frendi gazed out the window. "If he is letting Emmerich run rampant, then I'll go knock some sense in that thick skull of his the hard way," Ms. Frendi asserted. "I can't imagine him not knowing about what Emmerich is doing!"

Ms. Frendi looked back at Setiya with a warm smile. "I'll have Janus cook you up something nice. We leave tomorrow morning."

"The road to Zaria isn't long from Yulond, we are right next to it, technically," Janus added.

"How can we get there quickly?" Setiya asked.

"Easy," Ms. Frendi quickly answered, giggling at Setiya. "I hope you aren't afraid of flying."