Since the mysterious disappearance of the shades and his friends, Onyx is left with nothing. Then he finds another group of ponies that may be able to help both him and his friends.
After Onyx woke up in an empty field, he was surprised to find the Guardians nowhere in sight. Even his closest friends were gone. Now he must set out to find new friends to take on the shades. This is the story of how Onyx restored his morale and gave his friends hope.
Hiatus lifted and this story is back in action!
Special thanks to these people for letting me use their OCs:
Onyx woke up to a pony shaking him furiously. As he woke up, the first thing he saw was a white mare looking down at him. The pony had a look of concern in her eyes, and it reminded Onyx of Platinum.
"You all right there?" The pony, evidently a mare, asked.
The pony was rather different from what Onyx had seen, and he had seen a lot. From the look of her expression, she had a genuine concern for Onyx. Her mane and tail were both black with turquoise on the tips. Her cutie mark was some sort of red heart with a pentagon on it. She seemed to be wearing some sort of armor, Onyx thought it may be enchanted. The detail that most caught Onyx's eye was the fact that she didn't seem to be using her magic.
"I..I don't know. I was fighting shades, then there was this explosion and...." Onyx trailed off, lost in thought.
"A shade? Isn't that like a shadow?" The mare inquired, snapping Onyx out of his thoughts.
"A shade? It's a pony that's been, well, possessed. They fight to eliminate mortals." Onyx explained.
The two ponies sat in silence for a few moments before the mare spoke up again. "So, what's your name? I'm Crystal Quartz."
"I'm Onyx Storm," Onyx replied.
Crystal picked up a smithing hammer next to her, using her mouth instead of her magic.
"So, why don't you use you magic?" Onyx asked, and seemed to have an immediate effect on the pony.
"I was born without it," Crystal replied, a twinge of anger seeping through her calm voice.
"So, what are we going to do about what's happening. With these shades you mentioned earlier," Crystal asked, her voice returned to normal.
"The only way to defeat a shade is by hitting them in the heart. Without help, I'm not sure we can take them on alone. Especially since I can't find Brave...." Onyx's voice failed to work when he realized that Brave wasn't in great shape the last time he saw him.
"Was he with you when you heard the explosion?" Crystal asked.
"No, him and Solus were trying to defend against one of the ponies in my old group when they attacked. I lost sight of them then," Onyx explained, not wanting to admit what could've happened to Brave and Solus.
"How many ponies were in your group?" Crystal asked, causing Onyx to be a little cautious.
"Seven," Onyx replied hesitantly.
"Were they hurt?" Again these questions made Onyx uncomfortable.
"Two were. Brave and Flawless," Onyx answered, some irritation seeping through into his voice.
"That explains what drew me here. I was actually glad to see that you were still alive," Crystal told him.
"You mean Brave's...." Onyx couldn't bring himself to say it.
"Yes, as well as the body of another stallion. Most likely Flawless. Your other friends may still be alive," Crystal attempted to comfort him, but Onyx was in a state of shock.
* * *
A figure stood in the forest surrounding the sanctuary and looked at Onyx. It pulled out a green amulet and took a look behind it, seeing the tied up pony it had captured earlier. The figure stepped further into the light, revealing it was some kind of pony. It was impossible to distinguish what the pony's natural coat color was, as it was now a dark gray, but the mane and tail had a slight silver tint. It then put a hoof over the amulet, causing it glow and show an image of an all too familiar shade: Dark Storm.
"Dark, it's worse than you suspected. Your son lived, and is not the only one. Something happened out there. It could've been from a unicorn, but it looks unlikely. I think Princess Sunset is finally trying to fight against us." After giving the report, the amulet in front of the figure fluctuated between light and dark green as Dark replied back.
"Dark is not worried about a small uprising. You should not concern yourself with these minor issues Quantum," Dark scolded the shade, the normal echoey voice even more unsettling when mixed with third person.
"Of course Dark. What should I do with the Guardian?" The shade asked Dark, motioning to the tied up pony.
"Dark would rather you kill him now, but Dark's sister's would wish him to be taken to our headquarters," Dark replied.
"It shall be done." With that, the shade turned off the communication with Dark.
"You'll never succeed you damn shades. I've gotten out of worse than this," The pony who was tied up shouted at the shade. Its voice and composure identified it as a stallion.
"You can stop with the cliches. That rope will hold you. It has held Guardians before, and it will continue to hold them after you're taken back to headquarters." After saying that, it only seemed to make the imprisoned pony angrier.
"You succeeded in taking out Brave, but without the rest of us dead, you will be stopped," the pony's crimson eyes seemed to catch fire when he spoke.
"You think it's that easy? I'm one of Dark's chief lieutenants. I could take you out with one hoof behind my back," the shade taunted, not noticing the prisoner's horn light up.
"You have a flawless plan, I'll give you that. You only missed one detail," the prisoner jeered.
"And what's that?" The shade asked, skeptically.
"Never leave a unicorn's magic undetained." With that, the prisoner teleported away from the shade, and to a close ally of his.
When he teleported to the Canterlot Castle, it took more of his energy than he would've expected. The last thing he managed to utter before falling unconscious was: "Princess..."
* * *
"What should we do? It's not like we can just go to the princess and ask her to help us fight shades. Any ideas Onyx?" Crystal asked him, still concerned for his sanity.
"Actually, yes. I'm not sure you'll like it though," Onyx told her, cautiously.
"Well, what is it?" Crystal pried.
"We need to find a new group to help us combat the shades," Onyx told her, causing Crystal to chuckle a bit.
"I don't know why I wouldn't like help, but we do need it," Crystal replied.
"Then we better get to it. I'm not sure how long it'll take." With that, Onyx started walking towards the old sanctuary.
"Uh, Onyx? Where are you going?" Crystal asked, through the hammer in her mouth.
"I wonder.... The shades had to go somewhere. So what if they just retreated?" Onyx thought out loud.
"Onyx? What are you suggesting?" Crystal inquired.
"Nothing. I was just thinking. Anyway, off to find some help, and I think I know where to look," Onyx said, his voice starting to falter when he saw something he had never expected to see again. There, in front of him, was the much thinner and much frailer Blazing Storm.
"Are you sure about this Bluesteel? It's not exactly the safest thing you've ever done."
"Relax Redshield, I got this," the pony named Bluesteel snapped back.
"Okay, whatever," Redshield replied.
Bluesteel jumped from the building top they were on onto the one adjacent to it. Bluesteel has a black coat with a red and blue mane and tail. Her cutie mark is a blue dagger. Her eyes are yellow, which would be fine if not for the next detail. Her pupils are slits, more similar to a cat's eyes than a pony's.
"Remind me why we're building jumping again," Redshield remarked, sounding bored.
"It's good for agility. Besides, it's fun," Bluesteel said between jumps.
When Bluesteel landed on yet another building top, she almost fell from the force of the explosion that shook Canterlot.
"What is going on?!" Bluesteel shouted, more of a rhetorical question.
"It's some sort of magical discharge, but I've never seen it with this kind of effects," Redshield explained.
Bluesteel nimbly jumped down from the building tops, followed closely by Redshield. There were guardsmen swarming the streets of Canterlot, trying to reassure the ponies that were affected by the explosion that it was fine. Bluesteel knew it wasn't.
"Hey, guard! Can you tell me what's going on?" Bluesteel asked a nearby guardsmen, before realizing it was the captain of the guard.
"Look, I'll tell you what I've already told most of Canterlot's population. It's nothing, carry on with your business." With that the guard walked away.
"Is the rest of Canterlot buying this? That was not 'nothing'," Bluesteel ranted, before going quiet.
* * *
The Guardian opened his eyes, and awoke to an old friend of his sitting nearby.
"Hey, you're awake. Now that you are, care to tell me who you are?" The pony asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
The Guardian opened his mouth, but he had to try a couple times before his voice would work. "Captain, you should really remember those who you fight alongside," he answered, his voice as rough as sandpaper.
The captain's eyes went wide when he realized who it was. "Fallen Fortune! I watched you die from that... relic you own. You shouldn't be here," the captain looked bewildered.
"Many do believe that the Rune of Misfortune killed me, but I am still alive. The Rune faked my death and left me with nothing," Fallen replied, a look of remorse upon his face.
"Well, it's good to have you back. I'm only going to ask you one more question. Why have you come here?" The captain had a look of curiosity and concern of his face.
"Crion, you must believe me when I say the shades have returned, with Dark leading them. Brave's dead. The prophecy is coming," Fallen explained, using the captain's real name.
"Than I suppose it's about time we reunite the remaining members. I'll notify the princess." With that, Crion dashed out of the room, but poked his head back in. "You'd better come with me." He added.
* * *
"Blaze!" Onyx called out to the broken figure of his brother. It didn't shift from its position on the ground.
Crystal immediately rushed forward and placed her hoof on the pony's abdomen. "His heart's beating, but it's very slow," she reported to Onyx.
Snapping himself out of shock, Onyx rushed forward and tried waking his brother. Blaze's former appearance was drastically changed. His left cutie mark had a chunk taken out of it, dried blood surrounding it. His mane and tail were caked with blood and dirt. The worst of all was his coat. It had slashes from blades all the way down it, not to mention how skinny he now was.
"Will he be alright? I..I can't imagine what he went through. He looks like he's been, well, tortured..." Onyx trailed off, lost in thought.
"He looks like he's been starved and cut, but tortured seems a bit much. It almost looks like...." The unicorn went silent and her face took on a blank expression.
"Crystal? Crystal!" Onyx was starting to panic. He knew what was happening all too well. Crystal was being possessed.
* * *
"Without you helping him, Onyx will lose his sanity, more than he already has. Now, I must activate your magic to be entwined with mine," the shade spirit told the now captive Crystal Quartz, but it couldn't seem to establish a connection.
"What have you done?! Your magic is gone! I..I don't understand! Your a unicorn. Without your magic, I can't leave or control you! You will never survive, mortal! Dark curse you!" The spirit's rant finally came to an end when it was destroyed, leaving Crystal to be able to focus again.
* * *
"Princess Sunset!" Crion shouted as he walked into her mostly empty throne room. She hated it when he did that.
"Crion, please quiet down. Shouting is highly unnecessary, although you could argue otherwise about you're soldiers. Now please calm down and tell me what the ruckus is about," Princess Sunset addressed the captain, getting only a jumbled mess of information.
"PrincesstheshadesareattackingandI'mnotsureifwecanholdthemoffand...." Crion was cut off by Fallen.
"Crion, perhaps I should explain it to the princess," Fortune told Crion, a look of fury in his eyes. All he got in return was a nod.
Princess Sunset still looked puzzled as she looked at the two. "Princess, I'm sure you know about Crion involvement in the organization known as the Guardians of the Runes. Our archenemy, Dark Storm, is leading the march against Equestria. She seeks to destroy all mortals, and corrupt those who aren't. One of our members are dead, as well as three that went missing before we disbanded. Princess, we need your help in this. We also need both of us on this journey," Fallen explained, Princess Sunset listening closely after he mentioned Dark.
"Dark Storm you say? I never thought she would have the nerve to return here," Princess Sunset said, even surprising Crion with the statement.
"Princess, how do you know Dark Storm? Her existence was kept a secret, even from you," Crion inquired, feeling rather awkward when telling her that he had withheld an important fact from her.
"Crystal!" Onyx shouted for the fourth time, and was surprised when she seemed to hear him.
"Onyx?" Crystal croaked out, her voice rough.
Onyx was taken aback by the fact that she seemed to be fine, not possessed. "I..I don't understand. Y..you shouldn't have survived that. H..how?" Onyx stuttered, the shock evident in his voice.
"I don't know much about what just happened, but I don't think I'm affected by the shades since I don't have magic," Crystal explained, seeing Onyx's mouth starting to turn into a smile for the first time since she had known him, but it went away as quick as it had come.
"That's probably one of the best pieces of news we've gotten in a while. If you aren't affected by possession, the shades will hesitate to attack us." After speaking, Onyx heard a fit of coughs from beside them.
"Blaze!" Onyx shouted over at him, immediately catching his wounded brother's attention.
"Another trick. My brother nonetheless. I will tell you that you've done a good job. You only missed one detail. My brother hardly shows emotion around others," Blaze ranted, his voice raspy and his breathing ragged.
"Onyx, I believe you were correct. Someone's been trying to get information out of him. That or try to get him to help them," Crystal observed, slowly walking towards Blaze.
"Stay away from me!" Blaze shouted, finding his way to his hooves.
"Blaze, we're not here to hurt you. We're here to help you," Onyx attempted to reason with his brother, more emotion in his voice than he would've liked.
"Again with the emotion. You can't imitate my brother you freaks!" Blaze shouted, managing to walk away.
"Blaze, how did you get here? I thought you were still recovering from the Ohine..." Onyx was cut off by Blaze.
"Ohine? OHINE?! You and your filthy lies. You told my friends that! I will not stand for this!" Blaze yelled, before lunging himself at Crystal, something shooting from his hoof.
"Blaze! What are you doing?!" Onyx shouted at him, before Crystal was engulfed in flames.
There was no reply, but the flames started to die down. When they stopped, Blaze was unconscious in the grass and Crystal had her hammer in her hoof, saliva and blood on it. * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Bluesteel! Where are you going?!" Redshield shouted after her.
"I'm going to the palace. I demand an explanation as to what's going on here. Someone has got to know, and these guards certainly aren't going to tell us," Bluesteel was still galloping towards the palace, not slowing for the residents of Canterlot, choosing to duck and weave instead.
Redshield shut up and followed her, knowing that he couldn't stop her once she was set on doing something. When the duo finally reached the palace, the guards were immediately alert.
"Halt!" One of the guards yelled down, finally prompting Bluesteel to stop.
"What is your business inside the palace?" The other asked, spear slightly angled downwards, the voice evidently female. Bluesteel noticed one of her hind legs was bionic.
"I need to speak to the princess about the outburst of energy that happened earlier," Bluesteel answered, eyeing the spear the guard was holding.
"The princess is currently in a private meeting with the captain. You'll have to wait," the first guard answered, boredom in his voice.
"I must speak to the captain as well. This 'meeting' will be perfect," Bluesteel shot back, annoyance in her voice.
"I'm sorry miss, but no one's allowed in," the guard told her.
"I'd let me in, you wouldn't let me to tell the captain how rubbish of a guard you're being," Bluesteel threatened, getting a raised eyebrow from the guard.
"Ma'am, I have been a guard longer than you've lived. I don't think you could do better," the guard told her.
"Look, you're stance is all wrong. You're slumped over, you're spear is at a crooked angle, and you're only paying attention to what's in front of you," Bluesteel told him, knowing about that kind of thing.
The guard immediately widened his eyes and corrected his stance, and looked over to see Redshield, who waved. The guard sighed, defeated. "Very well. Step aside Dodger," the guard told the other guard, who still looked suspicious of them. * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Your child?" Crion asked the princess, still shocked from the realization that the princess was the mother to Dark Storm and her sisters.
"Yes. Just know that Dark wasn't always this way. She was once a child who trained in the arcane arts under Light Spark. If she had never met Midnight, they never would've attempted dark magic. The three main shades aren't really related you know," Sunset explained.
"I.. suppose that makes sense, but why have you never helped us fight the shades?" Fallen asked.
"Is one ever ready to give the order that will mean the death of hundreds of innocents? it is hard to separate the spirit from the pony without killing the host," Sunset told the duo.
Crion was about to speak when he was interrupted by the opening of the throne room door.
"Now can someone explain what's going on?" Bluesteel shouted into the room, causing Fallen to become instantly alert.
"Crion, get Rosanna and Prim in here. We might need their... assistance," Fallen told him, remembering the names of their former allies.
Crion nodded and pulled a red gem on a string out. He covered the amulet with his hoof and uttered a word, prompting the gem to glow.
"Who are you and why have you interrupted the meeting?" Crion asked Bluesteel, sword drawn for the first time. His sword had a gem embedded in the pommel and a blade made out of a red metal.
"I am Bluesteel, and I demand an answer as to what's happening with the magical disturbance. That doesn't come from nowhe..." Bluesteel was cut off as a hind leg found itself into her stomach, Rosanna Dodger the owner.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Redshield asked, evidently unnoticed by the others.
"Don't ask me. Just following orders," Rosanna answered.
"Prim, be gentler on the other one," Crion told the other guard now standing next to him.
Prim trotted forward and looked Redshield in the eye before turning back to the captain. "Perhaps I won't need to take action.," Prim told the captain, turning back to Redshield after. "Perhaps he'll just tell us how they entered, and then let them be on their way.," Prim continued, getting a nod from Redshield.
"Bluesteel just wanted to know what was going on, and I accompanied her," Redshield told Crion.
"Princess? It's your call at this point. What do you want to do with them?" Crion asked the princess, not sheathing his sword quite yet.
"Let him in. Bring the other here as well. I believe they may be able to help us," Sunset answered, looking out a window.
Crion hesitated before muttering "Yes Princess." and escorting Redshield in.
"Now, what is your name?" Sunset asked Redshield.
"My name is Redshield," he said, embarrassed.
"Redshield. I believe you may know my grandson, Onyx Storm," Sunset told him, getting a nod in reply.
"We know him well. When he left for Ponyville after his parents died, we never thought we'd see him again. I see that his 'parents' weren't his real ones," Redshield said the last part with a tint of sadness.
"His parents were not those you knew, although they did care for him. They also died. Dark eliminated them to try to possess Onyx, but failed when he moved to Ponyville. Redshield, I need you and Bluesteel to accompany Crion, Fallen and the rest of the Guardians to fight the shades." When Sunset finished, both Crion and Redshield were looking at each other, judging if they could take the other in a fight.
"I know that you may not like this idea, but they will be an asset to your team Crion. Now go, retrieve Onyx and his companions," Sunset ordered.
As the group started walking out, Bluesteel on Redshield's back, the princess gave Crion another order. "And Crion, take three of your most trusted warriors with you." Crion gave a nod, motioned to Rosanna and Prim, and left the room.
In the corridor, Bluesteel finally found consciousness and immediately jumped off of Redshield, unhappy to have been carried. When they were towards the end of the corridor, Crion told another guard to join them. He did not look happy.
Blaze's eyes opened to his brother solemnly sitting near a fire, a pony he'd never seen sitting near him. He tried to open his mouth to speak, but found he couldn't. He couldn't seem to be able to use most of his muscles either, so he did the only thing he could. He inched over to Onyx and poked him the back, causing Onyx to jump.
"What? Where? Huh?" Onyx asked, not able to hide the surprise in his voice.
Onyx looked down and saw Blaze, motioned to Crystal, and helped him to his hooves. "You all right bro?"
Blaze attempted to speak, and was successful. His voice wasn't in the best condition. "I think so," he replied, his voice gravelly.
Onyx cringed at the sound of the once charismatic voice. Onyx handed Blaze some water, who eagerly downed it.
"So, what happened to you?" Crystal asked Blaze, before remembering that they hadn't yet met.
"I..I'm not sure," he replied, voice getting back to normal.
"How are you not sure of something like this? Just look at yourself," Onyx told him, mild shock in his voice.
Blaze looked at the state he was in. His chest was slashed up and down, part of his left cutie mark was missing, and there was significant damage to his wings, leaving him grounded for some time.
"I don't know. The last thing I remember was you telling me to go the park to hang out with Platinum and Cobalt." Blaze paused as he examined his surroundings. "Where even are we?" He asked, directing his question more towards Crystal than Onyx.
"Were on the outskirts of Canterlot near something Onyx keeps referring to as 'the sanctuary'," Crystal explained to him.
Blaze facehoofed, feeling immediate pain afterwords. After recovering from hitting his eye rather than his forehead, Blaze continued. "You really believe the Guardians will still be able to defeat our mother? They were gone before we were born."
"I hope you still believe in the Guardians, as they are one of the last hopes you have left," A pony said, before emerging from its hiding spot.
"Who are you?" Crystal asked, instantly alert.
"Captain Crion Lighthoof of Canterlot. I've been directed by the princess to have Onyx and his friends accompany me to reform the Guardians and combat Dark Storm," Crion told them.
"Let him come," Onyx told Crystal, who was still suspicious, but stepped aside.
"I presume you are Onyx Storm," Crion said, matter-of-factly.
"Yes, but not the one you know when my name comes up," Onyx told him, his voice not revealing any emotion.
After Onyx finished speaking, six more ponies slowly trotted through the same place Onyx had, some sweating heavily. "And who are they?" Crystal asked Crion, pointing her hoof towards the newcomers.
"Those are my companions, some more physically fit than others," Crion explained.
The group seemed to be faring much worse than Crion. Only the guards were still in proper condition. Fallen, Bluesteel, and Redshield were currently laying down, trying to rest and listen to the nearby conversation.
For the first time, Blaze spoke up, but only to his brother. "Onyx, isn't that Redshield and Bluesteel?"
Onyx lifted his head and looked at them, getting a look of fear and nostalgia in his eyes. "Yep," he whispered back.
The group sat in silence for a moment until the more tired ones found themselves to their hooves.
Bluesteel saw Onyx, whispered something to Redshield, and trotted over to him. "Hey, you all right?" She asked him.
"Not really sure," Onyx said, motioning to Blaze.
For the first time, the newcomers saw the state Blaze was in. Crion instantly rushed over to him. He asked Blaze some quick questions, none of which anyone else caught, and soon Blaze's more minor injuries were treated.
"I'm afraid I can't help him out with injuries such as his cutie mark or his wings, but that should help the cuts," Crion notified the group.
"Thanks," Blaze said, the minor cuts along his body gone.
"Why have you chose to camp here? It's a closed in space, perfect for someone to ambush you," the unidentified guard informed the group.
"We don't have time for your base criticism now Sharp, just stay alert," Fallen told the guard.
"Just saying," Sharp shot back, knowing it wasn't a good excuse.
However, Onyx knew that he was right. He didn't know how right he was. As the group continued talking, they didn't notice the black mist creeping into the camp. After some time, Crion noticed it, and took immediate action.
"Everypony, on your hooves! The shades are here!" He shouted to the group.
Knowing it had been discovered, the mist diverted from where it was, shortly turning into three shades.
"It's too late, Guardian," they said in unison.
"Onyx, take everypony else and run!" Crion shouted to the stunned ponies.
As soon as the shades heard Onyx's name, they began attacking. Crion pulled his sword and did his best to hold them off. When Prim had gotten the rest to safety, Crion left her with one last order. "Prim, make sure everypony stays alive. I'm not sure if I can make it out of this." After hearing it, Prim gave a nod and galloped out.
Crion was being attacking by them at once, all of them aiming for lethal points. They struck at him with great finesse, parrying his blows in the process. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold out for long, not without using something he hadn't evoked in years. When he was almost defeated, Crion dropped his sword and raised his hooves, causing a shield of ice to manifest, covering the area in front of him. That's when he was hit from behind with a purple hoof.
“Take this one to HQ. I need to do some... interrogation...” the pony ordered the trio.
The shades nodded, picked Crion up in their magic, and teleported away.
“I will find you Onyx. You can run, but you’ll never be able to escape me. I WILL get the rest of you right where I want you: in my torture chamber,” the pony narrated to nopony in particular, red star cutie mark glinting as she walked away.
Crion woke up to a purple unicorn with a green mane. She had red marks over her, as well as red stars for a cutie mark. Oh, and there was also a loaded bow to his neck.
"Welcome back, captain," the pony, evidently a mare, greeted him. Except this wasn't a friendly greeting. More like a welcome back so I can torment you greeting.
Crion tried to use his voice, but he couldn't move any of his limbs. His mind shouted for his limbs to work, but they didn't. His captor seemed to enjoy the fact that he couldn't move any part of his body, much less try to fight her.
Lowering the bow and drawing a dagger, the mare slashed Crion's chest. Blood started pouring out in a steady stream, not seeming to clot. Crion's mind was now screaming at his body to move, to try and avoid the blow, but every attempt failed. He knew was going to be stuck here for quite some time.
"Sadly, not as long as you think. Thanks to Dark, I have a limited time to torture you," was all she had to say.
At the mention of Dark, one of Crion's limbs managed to move. Slight as it was, it was enough to concern the torturer. "You seem to have a more powerful mind than I thought. A shame you're no match for my power," she informed him, destroying the little hope Crion had.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Onyx's group sat in silence, still shocked at the sudden loss of Crion. Sharp was still as critical as ever, but was more reluctant to point stuff out. Bluesteel, Redshield, Onyx and Blaze had gotten to catch up on what they'd missed, expecting Crion to come trotting through the area at any time. He never did.
If it wasn't for Prim, Fallen would have shared the same fate as Crion. He tried to go in to fight alongside Crion, but Prim had stopped him in time. Fallen held the locations of the Guardians, Solus excluded, and they would need his help to find the rest of them.
"Fallen, how many Guardians are left to find?" Rosanna asked him.
"Since Brave is dead, and Crion is captured..." Fallen paused to count up the total in his head. "We know the locations of five Guardians, but the locations of the other three are unknown. Sadly, our former leader is among them," Fallen finished.
"What's our first stop?" Prim asked, not wanting to stand around when somepony was potentially in danger.
"We need to get to the holder of the Rune of Chaos. He's very suspicious of anypony he hasn't met before, not to mention that he holds a Rune that could make it rain milk," Fallen told the group.
"And where is he?" Onyx inquired, voice still slightly shaky.
"With Cobalt being the Guardian nerd he was, I'm surprised he didn't find out sooner. The holder of the Rune of Chaos lives in Ponyville," Fallen explained.
"Wait, what is his name?" Blaze asked, as he knew the entire Ponyville population.
"He's used many aliases, but his true name is Disrupted Harmony," Fallen informed him.
"Then we'd better not waste any time. Let's get going," Rosanna ordered.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"The ruse is working Dark. They have no idea that there's a traitor amongst them. At this rate, they might as well as surrender now and hope we don't kill them," a shade reported to its leader.
"Dark agrees lieutenant. Dark wants to know: what was your mortal name?" Dark asked, not knowing the names of her new officers.
"As a mortal, I was known as Quantum," the chief lieutenant replied.
"Dark remembers now. Dark wishes you to continue your report, surely that can't be all," Dark ordered.
"Actually, yes. Eldritch succeeded in capturing Sunset's captain. He's currently being 'interrogated', in her words," Quantum told her.
"Yes, Dark's plan is working well. Dark believes that it will succeed. Without Dark's mother interfering, the plan will stay on course." After Dark finished speaking, the amulet in Quantum's hoof stopped glowing.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The group was back on the road, morale slightly restored, but most were still shaken by the loss of the captain. Onyx and Blaze stuck near each other, never leaving each other’s side. Crystal took up the front near Fallen, and Prim took up the rear with a watchful eye. The order for the rest changed as they progressed.
“Ponyville isn’t too far from here. In fact, I think we may be able to make it before nightfall. Let’s just hope this map is as accurate as it should be,” Fallen remarked.
When the group arrived in Ponyville, it was near midnight. Some ponies were still out ant about, but not any the group recognized. Even if Cobalt walked up to them, I don’t think they’d be able to tell. Not only was it dark, but none of them had slept since early that morning. They needed provisions and some place to sleep as fast as they could get it. Luckily, Cobalt’s old place had both.
“Feels like years since we set hoof here last,” Onyx commented, Blaze silently agreeing.
“Now how do we get inside...?” Fallen asked, before the door creaked open on its own. “Huh,” he finished.
The sudden opening had felt strange to Onyx, but he paid it no mind. His mind was weary and his bones ached, screaming at him to get some rest. Onyx found his way to Cobalt’s living room and laid down on a sofa, Blaze sitting nearby. The others found out the layout of the house and went to their various resting spots. * * * * * * * * * * *
“The trap is set Eldritch. Now what?” A voice whispered to the tormentor.
“Now, we wait. In the morning, they will awake to see their ‘friends’ coming through the door. As always, it won’t be real. Simply an alteration of reality. In the mean time, see if you can get the real owner of this house here. I care not what he’s doing or what his current mental state is. Get him in here,” Eldritch ordered.
“Yes ma’am, I’ll get right on it,” the voice told her, scampering off afterwords to fulfill its task.
There were three shades sitting around a table in a dark, damp room. At the head of the rectangular table was Midnight. On her right was Quantum, with another to her left.
Midnight's eyes had a dark shine to them, illuminating in front of her. She was wearing a dark robe with purple accents, A serrated dagger was set in front of her, seeming sinister in the darkness. She was lifting a spherical object in her magic, examining it any way she could.
"Interesting find Quantum. You said you found this on that mare that's spying for us?" Midnight asked him.
"Yes, Midnight. Before she was corrupted, I searched her saddlebag. That blue sphere was the only thing in it," Quantum replied.
"Midnight, do you mind if I look at it?" The shade asked her.
"I can't figure it out. Here you go Whitehoof," Midnight confirmed, setting it down in front of Whitehoof.
Whitehoof inspected it for a while before replying. "It seems to be some sort of elemental core. It has an energy unlike any other I've seen before. Give me some time and I could make it into something useful," he stated.
"Sounds like it will work, but what are we going to do about the group that's attempting to reassemble the Runes? While they don't seem like much of a threat, they are growing closer together, increasing their likelihood of success," Quantum commented.
"Maybe so, but I believe I have a solution to that. Bring in the captain Eldritch captured," Midnight said to Whitehoof.
"Righto!" Whitehoof affirmed before dashing out of the room.
Quantum and Midnight sat in awkward silence for the remainder of the time that Whitehoof was gone. When he finally returned, he was accompanied by Eldritch, Crion, and two shade guards.
"Took you long enough," Quantum jested, receiving a look of annoyance from Whitehoof.
"He did put up a bit of a fight, I had to get Eldritch to help me transport him," Whitehoof countered, before realizing he had just further embarrassed himself.
Ignoring the bickering between them, she walked up to Crion. "You will be a very useful pawn in my little game. I have so many plans for you. Let's just hope you can live up to them," Midnight sneered.
"Plans? Please, your planning is terrible. You don't even have a backup plan for if this one fails. You'll have to hold another one of these little meetings for you to..." Crion started, before his gut was slammed with the shaft of a spear.
"Silence!" The guard that hit him hissed.
"The reason we haven't openly voiced our backup plan is so ponies like you can't interfere! Besides, you'll hardly have a choice in the matter," Whitehoof clarified.
This seemed to shut Crion up, although it could be the fact he was still recovering from the spear being shoved into his gut. He hadn't eaten much since being imprisoned by Eldritch. His appearance had gone from fit soldier to bony and ill-fed. He had cuts, new and old, all over his body. Several bruises were on his face as well as some scars on his cheeks.
"What, you got no smart reply? I guess Eldritch really did a number on you," Midnight sneered.
Crion drew in a sharp breath before replying. "Even though I am not what I used to be, I can still refuse to help you."
"Then how about a choice for you? You can either help me willingly, or I can corrupt you and make you a prisoner in your own body," Midnight offered.
Crion's face muscles instantly locked up, as if he was afraid his own mouth might betray him. He stood still for a while and said nothing. Finally, he replied. "While it is unlike you to keep your word, I suppose I'd better take the best terms I can get. Go ahead and tell me what you need me to do."
A devious grin spread across Midnight's face. "First thing I need you to do is meet up with the group you were travelling with. Just to make sure you can't sabotage us," Midnight paused as she cast a spell at Crion, which didn't seem to do much. "There we go. Now, time for what you need to do. Your job is to lead them into Ghastly Gorge, claiming that you found the location of a Rune. It matters not which one, but you need to get them there. Once you all arrive, I will have an ambush ready. Do your best to look like you're on their side, but do not hurt the shades. Understand?" Midnight finished.
Looking visibly irritated, all Crion gave was a nod.
"Good, now you'd better be on your way. I'll send one of my scouts to lead you to their location. Now go," Midnight ordered, chuckling as Crion was escorted out.
"Some ponies are so very gullible. Although I suppose he acted the best he could under the circumstances," Whitehoof commented.
"I can second that," Quantum added.
"Well, it seems I'm going to have to adjust my plans a little. I was planning on sending illusions in to distract the group from continuing, but I suppose I can work with this," Eldritch contributed, disappearing afterwords.
"I'll never understand how she can do that," Midnight said, confused.
* * *
Redshield was one of the first awake, his sister barely beating him to it. He knew something was off about her, but whenever he tried to ask she simply insisted that nothing was wrong and that he was just being paranoid. Onyx had gotten up not too long ago and was currently talking with Crystal. Prim was standing near the door of the house with Sharp and Rosanna, all of them wary of the situation. Blaze and Fallen were still asleep, soundly snoring away.
Sharp excused himself from the rest of the group to get some fresh air. Around this time, Fallen finally woke up, accidentally smacking Blaze in the face when he stretched.
"What? Who? Where?" Blaze mumbled drowsily, getting a nervous chuckle from Fallen.
"Heh, sorry about that. I'm not used to being around others," Fallen apologized.
"S'all right," Blaze replied drowsily.
Around this time, Sharp came back into the house with a look of urgency on his face. "Guys, we got a situation!" he shouted, a worried expression on his face.
"What is it?" Prim asked, her hoof on her sword.
"I see Crion out here, but I'm not sure what to think of it. It could be a trick," Sharp informed her.
"If there's a chance that Crion is alive, we need to get him in here. He's an expert strategist, and a good friend to me," Fallen contributed, getting a doubtful glance from Redshield.
"I know what shades do to mortals. If Crion is alive, then he won't be acting upon his free will. He'll be just another pawn in an endless game of chess," Onyx determined.
"He does have a point Fallen. If there's a chance that Crion is alive, it's better we distance ourselves from him. He knew what he was doing when he sacrificed himself," Blaze confirmed.
"I suppose you have a poin..." Fallen started before the window behind him was shattered.
"Rosanna, guard the door! Sharp, with me!" Prim barked, the other two complying.
Sharp and Prim galloped over to the window, Sharp's spear in hand. They slowed when they reached the window, Prim pointed to the left side of it. When they were on either side of the window, Onyx halted them. He held up a hoof, a signal to wait. He trotted into a back room in Cobalt's house, coming out with a bow and some arrows. He then knocked and arrow and nodded to the guards.
Prim nodded to Sharp, causing him to shout out the window. "Who goes there?"
Prim facehoofed at the stupidity of the other guard. "You idiot," she hissed.
Sharp merely shrugged and jumped out of the window.
"I swear he's going to get himself killed one day. For all I know, it is today," Prim groaned.
Prim jumped out of the window after him, and saw her squad member looking at a pony in a mix of fear and shock. There, dead on the ground, was the pony they had been looking for: Disrupted Harmony. He has slash marks all over his chest and face, as well as a hole in his heart that appeared to be from a spear. A simple note lay next to him, which Sharp quickly picked up.
"If you wish to continue living, I suggest you stop this endless search for the Runes. It will only result in them dying," Sharp read aloud. He was about to say something else, but he was cut off by Prim.
"Something about this doesn't feel right. We were searching for this guy and he turns up dead outside of a window? I don't think so," Prim assessed.
"Brilliant observation, yet here he is. The guy we were searching for dead outside a window. Nothing else to say," Sharp replied.
"There is always more to things than what meets the eye," a pony called to them.
At this time, Onyx had come out of the window as well. As soon as he heard the voice, he knocked an arrow and aimed it at the roof.
"Ah, I see your alertness hasn't gotten any duller since we last met, now has it?" They commented.
"Since we last met? I don't remember meeting anyone with your tone!" Onyx shouted back.
"Well, being corrupted by shades can do that, now can't it? Although you wouldn't know, as your mother didn't tell you much about it, now did she?" The pony sneered.
"Watch your tongue! I have an entire party down here that won't hesitate to kill shades. If you're working with my mother, you'd best give up now, you can't win!" Onyx shot back.
"All of this pointless arguing tires me. Perhaps I should just get this over with and jump to the reason I'm here. All I have to say before I jump down is that you may want to prepare yourself," They warned.
Finally, they jumped down from the roof with incredible agility. They had a blood-streaked blue coat and a dirt covered red mane. Their tail had been severed at the flanks, leaving almost no hair behind. They had several cuts along their back and face. The feature that most scared Onyx were the pony's eyes. One was black while the other was covered with an eye-patch.
"Long time no see Onyx. Thought you'd lost me didn't ya?" He asked.
Cobalt idly twirled a pencil nearby as the others were discussing what they were going to do about their current predicament. It was his house, after all. What were they going to do to him? Kick him out?
"Look, I simply feel as if this is one big trap. Crion is being talked to by Rosanna at the doors, but I doubt that any conversation will be effective there. They're both far too sarcastic," Crystal offered, still irritated at being woke up late.
"I feel as if we all agree with you, but what are we going to do at this point? There's not much we can do at the moment. We're pressed for time, because the shades aren't," Blaze replied.
"We should probably go with it for now, but Crion should not be allowed anywhere near a Rune. Even if we feel as if we can trust him, he's been gone for too long. Not to mention he was captured by shades," Fallen added.
"Yes, but what of Cobalt, he's not exactly the most trustworthy at this point. He looks like he's been through a lot of fighting," Redshield contributed. Onyx noticed he got a glare from his sister after he said that.
"Yes, yes, we know who isn't suspicious. Can we just go already?" Sharp whined.
After Sharp finished, Crion was shoved into the room by Rosanna. "I've got my eye on you, Lightweight," she warned him.
Crion gulped before speaking. "H.. Hey guys."
"Why are you here? You're supposed to be captured or dead, not... here," Prim coldly stated.
"Yeah, about that. I convinced them to let me go. I, uh, told them that I would give them cupcakes and they let me go," Crion unconvincingly explained.
"Well, works for me," Bluesteel commented.
A few of the ponies looked back at Bluesteel with a look of confusion in their eyes, but didn't further question her. After all, who would want to get into a fight with someone that could literally kill you before you drew your weapon?
"Well, Fallen, where are we going next? We have a Rune to find and I'd rather not waste time standing here," Onyx asked the Rune.
"Well, just give me a sec.... Where's the map?" Fallen questioned, panicking a little.
"Don't worry Fallen, I got it. Which one are we looking for again?" Crion practically shouted, drawing an angry glance from Cobalt.
Fallen sighed, but answered him. "The one that looks like a black stone."
Crion looked over the map for a bit before saying anything. "Ah ha! It shows that he's in Ghastly Gorge."
Blaze, Onyx, Crystal, and Rosanna all had doubtful looks, but kept quiet.
"Well, off to Ghastly Gorge with us. We'll leave in a few minutes. Everypony get ready," Bluesteel ordered, one of her daggers drawn.
The group dispersed to get ready, all except Cobalt, Crion, and Bluesteel. "Crion, may I speak to you for a moment. In private?" Bluesteel asked, glaring at Cobalt.
"Fine then, I'll just leave a room in my own house. So bossy, aren't you?" Cobalt remarked before walking out the front door.
"What kind of pitiful excuse was that? I'm blowing my cover here so that you don't get killed before you get them into that gorge. Don't expect any more help from me, you're on your own until you can learn how to make good excuses for showing up," Bluesteel snapped, leaving as quick as a hawk chasing a mouse.
* * *
"You're not going to buy this, are you? We let somepony who showed up at our front door with no good explanation lead us into a seemingly random area," Rosanna asked Fallen.
"Look, I don't trust it either. Bluesteel stuck up for him rather quickly, so I'm still conflicted about what I should think," Fallen replied.
The large group continued forwards, with Crion taking point and Prim bringing up the rear. The group made idle chatter as they trotted along, until Onyx raised his hoof in warning. They had reached the entrance to Ghastly Gorge.
"Hold on. Anyone else hear that?" He whispered, barely loud enough for Prim to make out what he said.
"Hear what?" Redshield whispered back.
"There was some kind of... popping noise," Onyx returned, still whispering.
"Why are we whispering?" Sharp inquired, not whispering.
Onyx gave him a glare, which quickly melted into alertness. The popping sound came again, and everypony heard it this time. Crion, however, kept going and motioned for the others to do the same. Blaze drew his dagger, motioning behind Crion.
"What?" Crion protested, before the shaft from an arrow poked through his left hind leg.
Onyx blindly fired back, getting a few more arrows shot at them in return. "We're outnumbered, see if we can get out of here!" He shouted, before he was grabbed from behind by Bluesteel, a dagger at his throat.
"Don't try anything stupid. We need you alive, and I've sacrificed too much to get in this position," she whispered in his ear.
Onyx knew he couldn't break from the hold of an expert assassin, nor yell out to alert the now occupied group. Blaze turned back to see Onyx be taken into the position, and rushed towards them.
"Not another move, Tralm," Bluesteel shouted at him, causing Blaze to tense up.
"I no longer go by that name. I am giving you one chance to release him, and I'd advise you to do it quickly," he yelled back.
"Your advice is no longer of use to me. Also, I'd advise you to deal with more pressing matters," Bluesteel returned.
Blaze opened his mouth to reply, but was tackled by a dark figure.
"Well, this has been fun, but Dark needs her bloodline. Have fun," she commented, before darting into and up the gorge.
Blaze was grappling with the shade that tackled him from behind, finally getting the lethal blow to the heart with his dagger. "Everypony fall back! They got Onyx!" He yelled to the group.
"One cannot fall back if they are surrounded, Shade-Kin," an ironically heroic voice sounded behind him.
Blaze landed and pointed his dagger threateningly at the newcomer. The newcomer simply raised a hoof, signaling that he meant no harm.
"I am not here to hurt you. I would have done that long ago. After all, an army is only as good as its leader," the newcomer explained.
"Tell me why you're here and I might consider not driving this dagger into your skull," Blaze offered.
The masculine voice simply chuckled at Blaze and pulled a piece of parchment from his cloak, holding it out to Blaze.
"A missive, I suggest you read it. I cannot stay here much longer. If I do, I may not be able to offer you further aid." With that, the mysterious figure left as suddenly as it has appeared.
* * *
"Get your flank up there and fight, Sharp!" Rosanna yelled at the soldier.
"Nah, I'm good," Sharp replied, causing Rosanna to smack him rather hard on the head.
Sharp growled, reaching for his spear. He never even touched it. Rosanna kicked it out of the way before he grabbed it and kicked him in his now exposed stomach. Sharp took a swing at the guard, but his hoof was hit out of the way, leaving him fazed. Rosanna kicked at his side with the bionic leg, causing an audible crack to sound across the rocky landscape. Rosanna left him there and rushed to Crystal's aid.
Crystal was being attacked by 3 shades. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem for her. However, this was not a normal circumstance. She had already been hit with a crude club on her back legs when she wasn't paying attention and now she was suffering for it.
Her hammer was proving to be ineffective against the shades, as the hammer took a while to swing and the shades were too fast. Just as she thought she was going to be overwhelmed, Rosanna threw one of the shades to the side and stabbed through its torso with Sharp's dagger, not caring if she hit the heart or not. That distraction proved just enough for Crystal to hammer one of the shades to the side, knocking into the other one when it went flying.
"Thanks, Rosanna," Crystal thanked, breathless.
"No problem, but don't get sappy on me. We have to get the others out of here while those two are still dazed," Rosanna ordered. Crystal nodded and went to help Fallen.
* * *
Fallen and Redshield had been fighting back to back since the shades had decided to leave the shadows and start attacking them. Fallen was using a shortsword while Redshield had a mace and a shield that was, well, red, but not with pigment.
"Doing all right, old timer?" Redshield called to Fallen, driving his shield spike through a shade.
"I'll have you know I'm only half as old as Sunset," Fallen returned, deflecting a slash that was meant for his chest.
When Fallen thought that he was going to be killed by the onslaught of shades, the kick of Rosanna's bionic leg saved him from the cleave of an axe as he was preoccupied parrying a blade coming for his throat, which was then hammered by Crystal and finished off by Fallen.
"We need to get out of here before they get more shades to attack us. Fall back to Blaze. He said he has something to explain," Cobalt ordered, grinding his pickaxe against a whetstone.
"What about Crion?" Fallen asked.
"The traitor can die in Tartarus for all I care. He led us straight to this ambush. He still has the map, I suppose you could go get that," Cobalt suggested, inspecting the sharpened pickaxe.
"Wow, you jump to conclusions real quick, don't you?" Fallen observed.
"It all adds up. He randomly shows up, takes the map before you can look at it, then insists to lead as he still holds on to the map. Besides, he was hit by a shade in the leg. Shades don't hit targets they can easily kill in nonlethal areas. Look, just go get the map and let's get out of here," Cobalt finished, trotting back to where Blaze was standing.
"Go get the map, we'll need it. We'll be waiting on you," Redshield advised, trotting over to the group.
* * *
"Prim, you doing alright?" Blaze asked, examining the large gash in her fore hoof.
"Yeah, nothing a little time won't fix," she insisted, wincing as she wrapped it with some badages from Fallen's saddlebag.
"Okay, I'm here. What's this about?" Fallen inquired, trotting up to the group.
"There was some kind of... figure that arrived after the shades did. He gave me this note, said it was a missive. I figured we should take a look at it together," Blaze elaborated.
Rosanna looked doubtful. "A note given to you by an unknown figure during a fight with shades? Sounds completely legit," she sarcastically commented.
"Look, we're out of ideas and down 2 ponies. We should probably take a look at it," Fallen offered.
"Two? I thought only Sharp was dead," Crystal informed them.
"Crion was dead when I took the map from him. The arrow had some kind of poison," Fallen informed them, causing a wide range of reactions. Prim's face fell instantly, as did Rosanna's. Blaze had a near neutral expression, as did Crystal. Redshield was the only one who looked the way Cobalt did.
"Then he died a traitor's death," Cobalt smirked.
"Cobalt, he wasn't lying," Fallen stated.
"What?" Cobalt asked, rushing over to look at the map. Sure enough, the Rune of Chaos was shown to be in Ghastly Gorge.
"Look, we need to address the fact that Onyx was taken. If he is turned into a shade by our mother, we may not stand a chance. Onyx knew our plans, our strategy, and us. If she gets that information, there's not telling what kind of force she could put on us," Blaze commented.
"Taken? By whom?" Rosanna asked, eyebrow raised.
"Bluesteel," Blaze answered.
"You dare accuse my sister of being in league with them?" Redshield spat out, before he went silent and gave a slow nod. "I suppose that it would make sense, with her acceptance of Crion's plan."
"Look, we need to get some sleep. I'll take first watch," Blaze offered, meeting no opposition.
After he was sure everypony was asleep, Blaze opened the letter the figure had given him. It read:
The office of Whitehoof, adviser to Dark Storm
Written on the 5th day of 1297 PSR
Blaze,
I am well aware that your brother is going to be taken, as is stated by the plan that Dark has set up for this world. There is nothing I can do to prevent this event, but I can ensure that you know who you will have to fight when the times comes. Now, why should you trust a shade? A valid question, but one I do not have the time to detail in this missive. If you can place your trust in me, I assure you that I am a pony that you have to place your trust in to succeed.
I regret to be the one to inform you, but chasing the Runes will only end in disaster. Brave Steel was killed trying to help Onyx rebuild the group, which is now down four members. I will not stop you from chasing them, but know that Dark will always be a step ahead of you. How? She has a secret weapon. Her name is Eldritch Dream, a Hajlító, or Bender. If you believe something to be the way it is, you may want to check again with her around.
Blaze, I beg of you to not do anything stupid. There are few that know of the shades' existence, and even fewer that have the will to fight them. I took a risk writing this, and I will have taken a no doubt bigger one getting this message to you. I will do what I can to get Onyx out of becoming a shade if I can. I cannot give you any advice about Dark, as I have none to give. She does not reveal her weaknesses easily.
Hang in there Blaze, the fight will not last forever.
The missive ended there, leaving Blaze confused and intrigued at the same time. If there was a chance that he could believe this Whitehoof guy, he supposed that he'd better take it while most of his friends were still alive. He would inform them in the morning. For now, he had a shift to finish and some sleep to grab.
The group awoke just as the sun was peaking over the mountains, causing a brilliant shine of orange light to shine across the landscape. Blaze had traded his shift off to Fallen, who transferred it to Crystal. Crystal was still keeping watch when the majority of the travelling ponies woke up, with the exception of Cobalt.
"So, what's next? Onyx is gone, Crion and Sharp are dead, and we're still far from stopping the shades. If somepony doesn't come up with some kind of plan soon, I don't know how much farther we can go," Prim warned.
"Even though the situation is not ideal, we need to continue forwards, unless we want the shades to win," Fallen advised.
"Look, anypony have an idea of what we're supposed to do? The Runes aren't going to be a viable solution right now. If what we were told is correct, there are very few left alive," Redshield observed.
It was at this time Cobalt woke up, but not in the way you would expect. Instead of simply getting up or stretching, Cobalt lurched backwards, letting out a rather large gasp as he did so. His hooves were shaking, causing his trotting to be unsteady.
"I'm fine," Cobalt insisted, shrugging off the supporting hoof that Blaze provided.
"Look, we need to come up with some kind of plan. I'm not sure we can continue with this if we lose anypony else. We need to get whatever help we can. This Whitehoof guy isn't exactly the most trustworthy, but he's our best chance at getting out of this alive," Blaze advised.
"We have help on the inside, true, but we need to get out there to stop the shades, once and for all. If we can cut off their leaders, then they will lose a lot of their strength. Enough to the point that they'll be mortal ponies with some sorcery," Fallen suggested.
"Perhaps, but we need to get Onyx back. There's no telling what he'll do if he's working for the shades. I have an idea of where they might've taken him, but there will be a lot riding on it if I'm wrong," Cobalt countered.
"Cobalt's right. We need to get Onyx back. He knows more about shades than almost anypony here. If anypony knows how to stop him, it'll be him," Redshield reasoned.
"Possibly, but won't it be easier to do that if the shades are weaker? Our fighters are few and we lost some of ours today," Fallen returned.
"Look, all of this bickering will get us nowhere. We can't split up as there are too few of us, so I'll make the decision for you. My brother helped save me from what the shades did to me, and I'm obligated to do the same. If you don't wish to join me, I will go on my own," Blaze stated, before grabbing his dagger and readying his gear to leave.
"You make a point Blaze, that we can't split up. Because of that, I suppose that I'll relent and help you go after him," Fallen finished, grabbing his stuff.
With that over, the rest of the group went to go pack up. After a few minutes, they were ready to go.
* * *
Onyx was being escorted to a room in what looked to be the shades' headquarters. He knew that he would have to come face to face with his mother eventually, but he never thought that it would be as a prisoner.
"Why are you just now doing this? Why not earlier?" Onyx asked his captor, which caused her to let out a grunt.
"I needed a good distraction. Besides, it worked," Bluesteel replied.
They went the rest of the way in silence, before Bluesteel opened a door to a room that had three shades sitting around a small stone table. Onyx attempted to overhear the conversation, but they stopped speaking when they started trotting further inside.
"Not a word. I care not about your futile argument," the tallest of the three warned Onyx.
"Hello to you too, mother," Onyx replied.
"I did not bring you here to listen to your remarks. I brought you here to further our own agenda. Whitehoof, escort him to Eldritch's chambers," Dark ordered, turned her head to address the shade on her left.
"Right away, Dark," Whitehoof affirmed, taking Onyx and leading him back to the hallway where he had entered.
"So, who's Eldritch?" Onyx asked the stallion, attempting some kind of conversation.
"A pony you don't want to mess with. Look, the rest of your group won't last long. With four of you gone, their morale has no doubt crumbled. Without you, they won't make it far," Whitehoof returned.
"I get it. You villains like to gloat. What's next? A monologue?" Onyx interrupted, making Whitehoof let out a chuckle.
"Oh, you won't get one of those from me. Your mother is the one who does that," Whitehoof commented, still chuckling.
Shortly after that, they reached a door in a long, empty hallway. Whitehoof opened it and went inside, gesturing for Onyx to follow. Onyx didn't know what to expect, but what appeared to be an office was what he was greeted with. A rug was on the floor near the far wall. A desk was to his left; a quill with dried ink on its tip sat atop it. There was an arrangement of straw to his right, which he assumed was a bed.
"Close the door," Whitehoof ordered, pointing at the open door.
Onyx closed it, causing Whitehoof to drop his slightly strained expression.
"Good. No one can hear us. I have not taken you to Eldritch, that would be far too devastating on your mind. You need to get out of here, plain and simple," the shade informed him, causing Onyx to raise an eyebrow.
"Why should I believe you? You're an adviser to my mother, you wouldn't have been in that room otherwise," Onyx assessed.
"I suppose this is strange to you. All you need to know is that I am not truly with the shades. My organization has gone into hiding for some time because of them," he clarified.
"Look, if you're with us, I believe you now. You wouldn't have even taken me here if you weren't. So what's the plan?" Onyx inquired.
"Alright, don't get touchy-feely on me though. We're in an abandoned and unused part of the Canterlot Castle. It was sealed after the sisters' corruption. I suppose Sunset just couldn't bring it upon herself to check in here again knowing what had happened. There is only one way in and one way out, known to the shades anyway. I have found another way that you will be able to exploit," Whitehoof elaborated, grabbing a bow and tossing it to Onyx.
"That's good. I won't have to fight through shades with an arrow-less bow," Onyx snarkily commented.
"I don't have time for your comments. Just pull the string on the bow when you need to use it. If you want to know why I'm different from the rest of the shades, that will have to wait. Dark has no doubt been informed that you never reached Eldritch's quarters. She'll have my head for it, but you need to get out of here," Whitehoof further elaborated.
"Wait, you said that your organization went into hiding. You don't mean the Guardians, do you?" Onyx asked, causing a sigh to come from Whitehoof.
"Look, I'll explain everything once we get out of here. We need to move before it's too late," Whitehoof finished, grabbing a sheathed sword and motioning for Onyx to follow.
Whitehoof tossed aside the rug that was on the floor, throwing it onto the desk. Underneath it was a jaggedly cut, circular hole. It led to a dimly lit corridor.
"I do hope you don't mind walking," Whitehoof commented before jumping into the hole.
Onyx followed him, plucking a torch from a nearby sconce. "We have time, don't we? Do you mind telling me why you're helping me?"
Whitehoof sighed at this. "We have a long walk ahead of us and no speech to fill that will grow tiresome. What about me do you wish to know?"
"I want to know why you're helping me," Onyx stated.
"Ah, a fair question that. I am helping you because of two reasons. I promised I would, and you being corrupted would be a major blow to the resistance that is being thrown at your mother. You may not realize it, but you being out of your mother's hooves is the only thing keeping the shades from winning," Whitehoof explained.
"Why me? Why not Blaze?" Onyx asked the shade.
"Blaze is, well, difficult. Corrupting him is like trying to hold back the tides. Dark has not figured it out and, well, I haven't either," Whitehoof admitted.
"Hard to corrupt? I haven't seen anything like that, besides Crystal. She doesn't have magic, so the shades can't bind to her," Onyx returned.
"I know you will ask this eventually, so I get it out of the way before I lose the nerve. I was a member of the Guardians, though not the way you know them. The Guardians were not a group of 10 that held magical artifacts. They were the leaders of the Guardians, yes, but not the only ones. I was the right hoof man of Disrupted Harmony until the shades attacked. He used all of his energy and life force to keep them at bay while I went to warn the rest of the Guardians. He gave me what I supposed was his Rune," Whitehoof informed Onyx, causing his eyes to widen at the final statement.
"You have a Rune?" Onyx shouted.
"That I do. It is not what you think it is. It's an energy. I do not wish to elaborate further, but know it's not a physical mass you were looking for," Whitehoof replied.
They walked in silence for a moment. Onyx noticed some kind of light towards where they were walking, and pointed it out to Whitehoof.
"That's the exit. Probably the only way out of here besides the door that leads to the main castle. Look, I have something to tell you before you leave. I cannot follow you, but I can tell you why. I had to become a shade to spy on Dark and her sisters. I advised Midnight on how to direct Eldritch a few days ago. I still have the Rune energies inside of me, despite my giving up of those powers to a more capable pony. For some reason, they stuck with me. I used them to cage and contain the shade. It exists inside of me, so I can never join any sort of resistance. As long as it does, your mother can track me. I will stay back and keep them from reaching you. If we meet again, do not trust me unless I tell you 'poisoned winters'." Whitehoof finished, pointing Onyx to the exit.
"Well, thanks, I guess. I'll tell the others what you've done for me. May Sunset guide you," Onyx stated, walking out the exposed hole in the side of a mountain.
"Well, I'll go see what I can do to find the rest of them. I do hope his sacrifice won't be for naught," Onyx commented to himself, walking down a worn cobblestone path.
Onyx stopped when he heard voices around halfway down the mountain. "Look, you sold us out. You told Sunset's steward where we were. Boss told us we needed to kill you, and we'll actually listen to him.
Onyx gripped the handle of his bow, preparing for a skirmish.