They yanked out my wisdom teeth yesterday…and it &( &#() hurts man. P.s, Blaze Cast and Sapphirine belong to me...everyone else seen in this chapter belongs to my R.p friend. (asside from Herus and Night Shadow...and yeah you get the point...)
Edit: so here's a little update, i have over 4,000 words for part 2, but lots of new things have been added to it that i didn't plan on having before. This includes the new characters in this chapter. Reasons for not updating include: memorizing lines for play, S.A.T taken yesterday, and just procrastination. As said before, i will answer questions or just straight up talk to people i need be, don't be afraid.
Edit: 6,000 words...not much progress this week.
Chapter 16 F: The forgotten past (part one of four) continued.
Three years passed from that uneventful day leaving Night Shadow and Blue questioning their loyalty to Herus. Unfortunately, Herus picked up on this doubt and acted in the best way he knew how. Month after month of brainwashing later, Night Shadow was back to his old killing self, dedicating his life to avenge Sapphirine's mom and make the Alicorn known as Blaze Cast pay for his "actions". Blue, however, resisted this deception and managed to convince Herus that he too had fallen under his control. But as the months went by with this knowledge, the guilt and murders slowly started to eat away at his heart until one day, he had enough...
"Blue, let's finish what we started." Night Shadow declared, reloading his modified AA-12.
Blue glanced at the brainwashed pony before looking away and scoffing.
"And what do you seek to finish with that?" He asked.
"We're getting this Alicorn and taking him down, what else are we here for."
"You don't need a gun to handle such worthless abominations. Alicorns don't exist, remember?" He said walking pass him, closing his eyes slowly while his tone remained the same and cold.
"Stop being stubborn, what else killed Sapphirine's mom then?" Night Shadow asked in a cold tone, setting up next to a metal door. "Whenever you're ready."
"I am ready now, and I don't care about her or her mom. If you care about some pony else's problem, you are bound to get yourself in trouble." He said before sitting down. "Do it." He ordered.
Night Shadow kicked open the door and tossed a frag grenade inside. After hearing the explosion and screams of pain he ran forward and unloaded on the rest inside.
"Room cleared."
The so called room was actually the center of a large fueling factory. What it was used for was unknown to the two ponies but all they cared about was that Herus wanted it for himself. Blue entered cautiously before reaching into his satchel bag and pulling out a throwing knife, holding it tightly in his mouth from the handle.
"Whatever this place is, it is best to figure out its purpose before handling the objective." He said.
"And where would that be at?"
"The manager office, foal." He said walking towards the stairway.
Night Shadow followed and positioned himself next to the door like last time.
"I know that Alicorn is here, but where is he?"
"Wait...my turn." Blue said backing up, preparing to buck the door down.
"After you..." Night Shadow said, smirking
Taking out the knife from his mouth he bucked the door open and threw the knife into air. He quickly grabbed Night Shadow's head, digging his right hoof in his mane and threw another throwing knife at the one in the air. The blade in the air flew straight into the room while the other ricochets from the ground into the room. Pushing Night Shadow against the wall, he revealed a thin wire in his mouth and pulled it, causing the throwing knives in the room to explode.
Blue quickly entered the room readying another knife and slide down to the ground, dodging a surprise attack from a guard. He quickly got up and flipped her to the ground, before impaling the knife into her stomach and moving it upward, cutting it open before pulling the knife out. He then backed away from a surprise attack from another guard and broke his hind-leg before grabbing his neck and snapping it. Breathing heavily, he found that the stunt drained much of his energy that he had at an early age.
Looking around, he noticed that most of the guards were either incapacitated or dead, but neither of that mattered. He flinched in pain once his right eye became shocked with pain. Through the windows, on the metal walkway that led to the second floor hallways, was a small blue filly glaring at him. Everything returned to normal and the filly was gone once the adult pony shook his head. The pain to his eye vanished, but the troubling fear that caused him to shake did not go to the depths of dark unknown abysmal terror.
"I give it a seven out of ten entrance, not bad though." Night Shadow said, casually walking in.
Blue scoffed and looked around.
"Search the area." He began, "There has to be some type of valuable information. This place seems to be the ail of many creatures in this place." He said walking inside a locker room.
Night Shadow searched the bodies, finding nothing but dog collars and ammo.
"I forget, besides getting the alicorn here, what is the main point of this. A huge fueling station with virtually nothing imaginable that it could be used for, yet Herus sent us here to get something we weren't informed of. It just seems...odd."
"I say you stop trying to figure out what it is and just look for keys or ID cards!" Blue yelled before he opened a green locker. He found a family photo of the one of the guards he killed and scoffed. "Never should have had a family to begin with if you knew this was the kind of danger you were getting into."
He eventually walked out, annoyed that he found nothing in the room.
"Anything, foal?"
Night Shadow ripped off a metal panel and investigated it closely.
"There seems to be something inside here...help me get it out."
Blue sighed and walked over to him.
"Tell me, what is going on?" He asked.
"Oh now you want to know. Just help me get this thing out."
Blue looked at the metal and became nervous before grabbing the side of it, starting to pull it back.
"What the hell is this?" He complained.
Night Shadow pulled out a large bag and opened it.
"There's quite a lot of Francium in this thing...why would they hide this in the walls?" Night Shadow asked, confused.
"Beats me, but make sure you have that store somewhere with you so we can take it to Herus when we are finish with this mission." He said, wiping off sweat from his brow.
"Hold on...what the heck is that sound?" Night Shadow wondered, searching through the bag.
Blue eyes narrowed before he glanced at Night Shadow and tackled him into the locker room.
"Get down!"
A sudden as it was, the bag exploded in a huge ball of fire, sending the two of them flying out of the room and onto the floor below.
"Did they rig this place to blow?!" Night Shadow panicked
"Maybe...that means this place is too important for them to let anybody take over it." He said getting up from the ground.
"You two, I should have known this was your doing!" A familiar red alicorn shouted in anger.
"Blaze Cast!" Night Shadow screamed, jumping to his hooves to grab his gun.
"Night Shadow, halt!" Blue ordered.
As more explosions sounded all throughout the area, Night Shadow grabbed the gun and pointed it at the alicorn.
"I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID!"
"Foolish child, cant you tell your master is deceiving you!?" Blaze shouted
"Both of you shut-up, Night Shadow stand down. We can take this abomination for questioning!" Blue ordered, glaring at Night Shadow.
"Why! Why do you serve a master that tries to kill you?! He set you up for this, can't you see the truth before your eyes?"
"SHUTUP, I SAW EVERYTHING YOU DID TO HER!" Night Shadow yelled in rage.
More and more explosions started to go off, enveloping the room in fire and making it an active time bomb.
"I wish you two could see the truth, see the nightmare we've been through…but I guess you will parish in fire and in your own ignorance."
"At least now we won't have to deal with Herus' top puppets...goodbye." Blaze declared, empowering his horn.
Blue gritted his teeth, finding the alicorn's words truthful, but he had to finish the mission. Looking at the abomination in his perspective, he got ready to attack, taking him in for question was the best he could think of but a part of him wanted to kill him. Pushing that dark thought to the side, he readied himself for any attack sent at him.
"Night Shadow, lay down your gun and used CQC." He ordered. "I don't want him dead, just unconscious."
The red unicorn shook with anger, keeping his aim on the alicorn.
"No...I WON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!" He screamed, firing his gun on fully automatic.
"NIGHT SHADOW!" Blue yelled running towards him.
Blaze swayed to the right, dodging most of the blast. However when he looked up at the two ponies, the left side of his check was covered in blood.
"Why...WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN TO ME?!" He yelled, jumping up and landing on a catwalk.
The alicorn's horn flared bright yellow before a scorching beam of fire erupted from his horn. Within a second, he cast out large fire ball towards the two ponies.
Blue blocked the first one before being blown back into Night Shadow. He coughed out blood, struggling to get up before looking at the alicorn. Anger boiled in him, but he remained still, analyzing ways to take him out without killing him and controlling Night Shadow. But neither of that seemed successful.
"I'M DONE TRYING TO RESONE WITH YOU TWO, IT'S TIME I ENDED THIS!" Blaze cried out, summoning a red disc from his horn.
Blaze lightly tossed it into the air before catching it in his mouth and throwing it like a frisbee at one of the large fueling tanks, cutting it in half and sparking a large inferno.
Blue got up from the ground and dashed towards Blaze before leaping around. He threw his knife that was connected with some wired held in his teeth, once the blade hit the wall stuck, he leaped towards him and grabbed his horn. He leaped over him and landed behind him before throwing a knife beneath his hooves that stuck into a wall. Around the handle of the thrown knife was fiber wire, connected to the knife above the alicorn.
"Trap!" He yelled pulling the string causing the knives to break off from the walls and the wires to wrap around the red alicorn.
"This...will...not...HOLD ME!" Blaze shouted as fire engulfed his body.
"He's trying to get away!" Night Shadow yelled, running to the alicorn and jumping onto his back.
"YOU DONT RELIZE WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" Blaze shouted, becoming more heated.
"Good way to use yourself for leverage!" He said starting a match. "I am about to burn his flames out." He said.
"I know exactly what I'm doing." Night Shadow said, pointing the gun at the alicorns head. "ENDING YOUR REGIN OF TERROR AND AVENGING MY FRIENDS MOTHER!"
Blaze screamed loudly before the three of them magically teleported outside of the base just as it exploded in a large volcanic eruption. What was left of the base was a large mushroom cloud and a night sky.
Blue crashed to the ground, grunting in pain before struggling to get up.
"GET OFF OF ME!" Blaze demanded, grabbing Night Shadow by his tail and throwing him through a tree.
"Not until you lie dead at my hooves!" Night Shadow proclaimed, struggling to stand after being tossed like a ragdoll.
Blaze Cast shot a large fissure of fire at Night Shadow before he could recover, igniting the forest in a blaze.
"Night Shadow!" He panicked.
"Blue, that's your name right, surely you understand the pain my race has been through." Blaze asked, looking towards him.
Blue looked at him and narrowed his eyes. Did the alicorn dare speak to him as if he was like him? No pony was like him that shared his hatred and despair. The pony got up from the ground and became ready to fight.
"I am nothing," he began, "like you abomination. Alicorns do not exist, they are myths made for foals. You are a sick creature created from wretched filth." he paused and gritted his teeth. "Too arrogant to understand the nature of this world!"
"Has the entire world lost its reasoning...if every alicorn parishes from existence, the entire planet will be destroyed in chaos! We are each assigned an element over nature to prevent absolute destruction, yet you still wish to exterminate us?"
You think you are doing the world a favor. You must understand that this is order!" Blue yelled stomping his hooves. "Balance; nothing else can deny such a thing. We kill to live. We die while others are born. ORDER! You, you must know the way order is made, for your death can save millions of lives and perhaps my death will take many in the end."
"NO, it's all a lie that Herus has told you, he seeks to destroy our precious land! Don't you get it, HE WANTS US ALL DEAD!"
"I don't care what he wants." He said pressing his right hoof against his right eye. The left pupil widened as pure insanity engulfed the pony's mind as he started seeing the small filly standing beside the alicorn. "I want you gone, away from my sight! I want every pony to be gone! They all must go to Plutonium!"
Blaze closed his eyes shut, allowing a tear to pass down his face.
"Why have our people forsaken us..."
"I am not your people!" Blue yelled allowing his right eye to see. Blood began to drip down from his right eye as he ran towards Blaze.
'Damn it, why is she here? What do you want with me?' He thought.
"I do not wish to harm you, but if you will not see the truth then you will die because of it!" Blaze informed.
Blue quickly picked up a rock and toss it at him as the wind picked up blowing burning leaves towards him while few swirled around Blue.
Blaze suddenly vanished from their sight in fire, but his voice still remained.
"Soon, even you will see the truth before your eyes..." The voice said, before every trace of the alicorn was gone.
A loud shout was heard in the distance as Night Shadow pushed a large tree off of his body.
"Blue, where did he go?!" Night Shadow asked, limping towards him before collapsing.
Blue was still, staring at the ground with a dead expression, before gazing ahead at the burning forest. But he did not see any burning forest, only a small village submerged in water with bodies covered in gashes, floating up to the surface as crows feasted on their corpses. He closed his eyes and soon reopened them, seeing the forest this time before looking at Night Shadow.
"We're leaving," He started, "So let's go!"
Five long hours pass.
"There's the base...finally..." Night Shadow whispered, practically half-way asleep.
Taking an extra five minutes to reach the entrance, they finally made it, waiting to report back to Herus.
"Zanlamin, inform Herus of our arrival, we need to talk to him." Night Shadow practically demanded.
The minotaur snorted loudly in annoyance before entering the door behind him.
"Tell me, why should the master see a bunch of weaklings like you anyways?" Black Hawk insulted.
Blue remained quiet, staring from the side passed Hawk's shoulder before looking away to the wall. His right eye remained close, as if paralyzed from opening, but that was not all. He did not open it in fear of seeing the unfathomable horrors of his hallucinations.
"& ($ off vulture, before I break your precious wings and wear your feathers like a coat." Night Shadow threatened.
"Arrogant pony, learn your rightful place on the food chain before I teach it to you."
Herus emerged from the doorway followed by Zanlamin.
"You two survived, that's good at least. What did you find there?" Herus asked with curiosity.
Night Shadow was slightly confused after Herus spoke, hearing a slight tone of surprise that was quickly corrected. Almost as if he was shocked that they came back.
"An abomination." Blue answered.
"He means those blasted alicorns sir, Blaze Cast is nothing but a coward that continues to escape." Night Shadow informed.
"They seem to be getting more persistent. More and more of these beasts continue to show up around these lands to avenge their fallen brothers and sisters like the spread of the black plague. No matter, if they want to throw more courses into the fire then be my guest." Herus laughed.
"They're all fools, thinking and believing that Discord is still behind all the murders. They will all meet their rightful damnation one day." Night Shadow chuckled.
"All but Blaze and ...Celestia it seems." Herus said, hesitating to say Celestia's name.
Blue stared at them with a dead expression as his left eye remained dim. He soon sat down to the ground before glancing at Herus.
"If they could make abominations, then why can't you?" He asked in his calm tone.
"Me, create an alicorn? Why should I if they can be deceived this easily"
Blue narrowed his left eye before closing it. He released a sigh before reopening his left eye.
"If they manage to last that long with such creatures that burnt down a forest, why not create one that can eliminate armies?"
"You think it's so simple to just create an immortal being that can wipe out cities with just a swipe of a hoof. No, it takes time...and the right victim." Herus said, menacingly.
Blue lowered his eyes before looking at Night Shadow.
"Then how can we kill an abomination, if it is immortal. Do immortals bleed like us, do you?" His attention returned to Herus calmly.
"I have slain hundreds of these so called 'immortals' and they bleed and beg just like any mortal being. Just ask Night Shadow, he's done his fair share of alicorn slaying."
"I could care less on what the foal does. The question remains...do you bleed like them?" He asked.
"I'll answers your question with a question...when was the last time I have ever experienced pain and the last time I have ever flinched at an attack?"
Blue sighed before standing on his fours again. He reached his hoof into Night Shadow's mane and pulled out a kunai with a paper bomb written in Equine.
"Then I will question you with an action, do you bleed, do you feel pain?" He asked with no care to the changing climate in the room. "Are you like them, are you mortal like us?"
Zanlamin and Black Hawk stood in front of Herus and readied themselves to fight.
"Stand down...I can handle myself." Herus commanded to his guards.
They both walked to the side before Herus glared at Blue.
"Depends on what you want it to be..." He whispered in a demonic tone.
"Cut yourself, I want to see your blood touch the ground."
"Blue, what's the point of this?" Night Shadow whispered.
"Shut-up and sit down." He ordered, glaring at him with his dimmed colored eye.
Herus removed a large bowie knife from his belt and pulled back the sleeve on his left black limb...except it wasn't a black limb. Night Shadow was completely taken aback to see that under Herus's black coat was pail white, furless, skin. And what should have been a claw or hoof was actually a flat, black leather covered surface with what appeared to be five, flexible appendages.
With one swift cut, the things limb started to drip dark red blood with small splotches of black color that was unknown to Night Shadow at the time.
"Miasma might have given me immortality, but i too bleed like the rest. Now, if we are done with this debate, you two will be given a mission that will send you deep into alicorn territory. There, you will hopefully find the last pieces of the puzzle to finally exterminate these abominations once and for all. You will have a month to prepare...dismissed." Herus said, turning around and walking through the dark entrance to his quarters.
Blue gritted his teeth and stabbed the kunai into the ground before walking away. His anger was not to be ignored, for it was rare to see such an expression on the one of the best as well as his action to raise a weapon to his own leader.
"What was that all about?" Night Shadow asked, having some unanswered questions.
Stopping at the exit, he glanced back at Night Shadow and lowered his eye, before calling out to him, "Let's go," just before exiting the room.
Night Shadow followed with haste.
"Seriously, you don't tell me anything, it's like I'm untrusting to you of something."
A day later
Blue walked down a dirt road with an eye-patch around his right eye and a knife belt clipped around his stomach. Night Shadow was behind him, observing the trees they were passing by in the great forest of Atlas; where sequoias stood tall and clean of any damage that mother nature's children done to other forests.
"So why did you bring me out here?" Night Shadow asked.
"This is the path out of the border and into the border of Talos or the gryphon kingdom." He said calmly.
"Gryphon kingdom huh, alright then, how long do you think this mission will take."
"There is no mission, for our mission is not located there." He said looking back at him.
"Where is it then, Herus wasn't very specific."
"South, we're heading on a path to the north." He answered looking up ahead. "Once we are out...he no longer can find us. The gryphon king will have us under his aid and protection while we can make a profit out of it. Probably meet a mare or...gryphon if you are into those kinds of creatures. I seek no relationship, I find it pointless, still, you probably don't." He said shaking his head at the thought of Night Shadow and his caring feelings towards Sapphirine.
"We're trying to escape?" Night Shadow asked, slightly shocked.
"Yes," He began, "for as you see, there is no reason for us to fight for a creature immortal...but can bleed and want destruction upon other abominations that bleed like him, too."
"I'm see...but what am I to do then?"
"Live your life, without killing or going after Blaze. Forget the war, you are not a soldier anymore. You are a mortal peasant like I."
"So we part ways then, is there anything you want to tell me before I go?"
Blue paused, stopping in the middle of the road as he saw a massive snowfield ahead. He looked back at Night Shadow and began wondering what to say to him.
"I'm going to be the one, someday, to kill Herus, if his madness continued." He said in a stern tone.
Night Shadow continued to stare at Blue until he faded into the night. Hours passed as Blue walked to cold path until he heard a loud magical disruption nearby.
He closed his eye and looked back cautiously.
"What was that?" He muttered.
"Hello Blue." A calm and caring voice said, coming out of the forest.
He narrowed his eye before quickly grabbing a knife from his knife belt. He readied it in his mouth while getting into a running stance.
"Do not be alarmed, I come as a friend, not an enemy."
"Who are you, reveal yourself." He demanded.
The clouds were suddenly removed from the sky, allowing the moonlight to shine brightly on the white alicorn.
"My name is Celestia...and I'm here to talk to you about Night Shadow."
Many hours passed, giving Night Shadow time to think about what Blue said, but to no anvil. Day after day went by and he was still clueless on what to do. He would occasionally go back to camp just to resupply, but then he would disappear into the forest without a trace. For once in his entire life he had to make a choice, follow his teacher's words and live a life of freedom, or continue with the only thing he knew how to do. Finally, after one month passed, he decided to follow through with the mission just so he could defeat Blaze and at last avenge Sapphirine's mother.
After that he would escape with Sapphirine and forget about their past forever…or so he thought…
"Sapphirine…what did you say this land was called again?" Night Shadow asked, overlooking a large amount of land covered with trees and abundant wildlife.
"Equestria, Night Shadow. It was founded not too long ago by six ponies that set apart their differences so they could live together in harmony."
"And now the alicorns have taken over…wait, isn't this where Discord resides?"
"Yes, I believe you are correct."
"The alicorns must be here to stop Discord. Ok Sapphirine, here is what going to go down, I'm going to find Blaze and end him. After that, we're going to get out of here and never come back."
"Do you really think that his death will avenge my mother…or my father's?" Sapphirine asked with sadness. "Do you really think more death will bring peace in your life? Please, all I ask is for you to leave this horrible life, just forget about it and move on like I have."
"You might be able to forgive…but forgiveness is something I could never bring myself to do. It will always burn within my dark heart and it will never cease until that person is stomped out from the world."
"You must try!" Sapphirine pleaded. "This anger will haunt you for eternity if you don't."
"Not if I'm dead…"
Night Shadow jumped off a cliff side and rapidly slid down until he vanished into the thick shrubbery below.
"He forgot that I'm just a regular earth pony again didn't he…" Sapphirine said, looking down the fifty foot cliff side.
An hour passed of extraneous walking until they reached a large wooden bridge that provided a safe path across a valley about 200 feet deep.
"Sapphirine, I'm going to see if the bridge is safe to cross." Night Shadow said, removing his AA-12 from his back. "Here, hold on to this." He said, tossing her the gun."
"Eww! You know I hate guns!" Sapphirine yelled, almost dropping it.
"Careful with that! If you break that, then I won't be able to protect you."
"If I wanted to be protected, I wouldn't have come with you."
"Just…just hide behind that tree and wait for me to signal you."
"And if something attacks you?"
Night Shadow patted the side of his belt, showing her two silenced pistols and a large knife.
"I think I will be fine."
"What if you fall off the bridge? What then Night Shadow!" Sapphirine practically yelled, clearly worried.
"I will come up with something, so stop treating me like I'm your son. You know I have no parents."
"Neither do I, Night Shadow…neither do I…"
"I'll be back, I promise."
Sapphirine jumped up to Night Shadow and gave him a big hug.
"Don't promise a girl something if you know you can't keep it…"
Night Shadow silently nodded before breaking the hug.
"Now stay put." He said, making his way to the bridge.
He noticed it was quite sturdy for being as old as it looked. When he looked down passed the floor boards, he could see a large river flowing below flowing out into the ocean. As he walked, he noticed that the sky turned light green and that fog was slowly appearing around the area.
"Must be early morning, still, this weather is quite strange."
The bridge started to wobble lightly as the sounds of hooves clopping on the floor was heard up ahead. In the fog's bed, a dark figure was concealed from identification, but the shaped physique looked all too familiar. The figure quietly stood still as the bridge's poor small cacophony noises continued along the sounds of the rushing river bellow. The figure carried a large object on its back, shaped in as large rectangular case. Beside what strange device it was carrying, the presence alone of this pony was capable of putting a manticore in a stage of affright. But beyond such possible horrors, this pony seemed too especial to pass up the chance as a threat, but more of a suspicion.
"Who are you?" Night Shadow asked, slightly suspicious.
"Heh, you've grown pretty much, still a foal though." The pony answered, sounding male and older with a calm tone.
Night Shadow's ears perked up at the sound of his voice, already knowing who it was.
"Blue? What the heck are doing out here?" Night Shadow asked, completely surprised
Blue did not answer, but instead walked out of the fog until he was only a few feet away from Night Shadow. On the stallion's back was a green case with cyrallic embedded writing. But next to the out-of-the-world language, was gryphon scratched marks reading, "The King's Delivery." Blue looked to the side behind Night Shadow, staring at the path he came from, but he knew the "foal" was not alone. Glancing at the cyrallic writing, he closed his eyes and looked at Night Shadow with a calm suspicion upon his face.
"Why are you here?"
"I decided to do what you told me one month ago...leave Herus and never come back."
"But why are you here is the question." Blue said, deepening his tone.
"I wanted answers."
"Answers, for what?" He asked softening his tone, curious to the former comrade's answer.
"I want to know the truth, but also get revenge."
"Of what?"
"I...i don't know...I wanted to get the alicorn for what he did...but ever since I came here, something has been calling to me. Almost as if this land wants to cleanse my mind."
Blue remained quiet for a few seconds before closing his eyes, sighing softly as the wind picked up lightly.
"That's it? That is why you are heading down this direction? Is there something you're hiding from me?" He asked in a calm tone, keeping his eyes lowered until Night Shadow saw only the middling part of his pupils.
"What do you mean...if I'm hiding something from you then tell me, I will gladly tell you."
"Then do so, right now. What do you plan on doing when you find these answers?" He asked.
"Hopefully find peace in my life, but I don't think it will ever come."
Blue opened his eyes completely before shutting them closed; his usual calm posture carried many gloomy expressions. He shook his head side to side before gazing at Night Shadow.
"Then don't find the answers. Don't come to them for they will come to you when they feel like it. Turn back, now, and never come this way again." He ordered.
"What...why?" Night Shadow asked, somewhat shocked.
Blue remained silent as he unclipped the belt to his chest, dropping the crate that shook the entire bridge violently once it touched the wooden boards.
"Tell me, I need to know."
"Blue?" A male called approaching from the path Blue was blocking. In a black cloak, was a gray gryphon with dark eyeliner and purple slit eyes. His talons stopped at the exit as he sat down grinning lightly.
"Have you done it yet, huh?" He paused, spotting Night Shadow. "Who is this, pesky kid? Shouldn't you be home with your parents by now, it's not safe to be out here?" The gryphon said giving a sardonic smile.
Blue only scoffed before looking at the box.
"Ra'zer, he is only a child soldier, he is too naive to understand about safety." He said opening the case, still wondering how to answer Night Shadow's question.
Night Shadow remained silent but was starting to feel uneasy about the situation. Soon Blue took out a strange green bow coated in silver colored metal. More cyrallic writing was spotted on the side that translated in Gryphon language, "Metatron," along with the arrow translated from cyrallic to Gryphon, "Judgment."
"Then, I will handle him." Ra'zer said as electricity started to spark around him. "I never did have a chance to kill again when I was locked up in that damn prison, perhaps he will do." The gryphon laughed before noticing the piece on Night Shadow's side. The gryphon increased his laughter, pointing at Night Shadow's weapon.
"Blue...what is this?" Night Shadow asked, remaining calm.
"He knows you, Blue?" Ra'zer asked becoming shocked.
Blue placed the arrow's end at the line of the string and aimed to the right side of the bridge, pointing it ahead. "Yes, we were comrades, but not anymore and he says he left Herus."
"So that means he is rogue like you?" The gryphon asked walking by his side.
"You can say." Blue responded before shooting the arrow.
As it was swallowed up by the fog, Ra'zer started laughing, putting on black shades from his pocket before handing Blue ones. Once they wore their shades, the two continued to stare into the depths of the fog that the arrow pierced. Quietness filled the air with a terrifying event coming its way.
Night Shadow kept his eyes on the two, trying to decide if he should be worried about the situation. Regardless, he prepared himself for the worst. Suddenly, a loud bang was heard from the south as the fog was swept away clearing out blindness and returning visibility to the scenery. There, from a distance, was massive mushroom cloud that stretched high to the heavens in a bright yellowish color. The brightness was easy to blind a pony if they stared at it for too long, but beyond its brightness was its powerful force that shook the bridge and pushed the leaves from the trees, even toppling them over from their roots that were forced to split apart.
The river crashed from the sides, even coming up into the air until gravity forced it down. A heat wave touched the three, burning, but not severely. When the wind settled down and when the river calmed, the sky became red and the clouds turned dark. The cloud remained in the air as a reminder of death, symbolizing complete eradication.
"The camp Herus had is now gone. Hopefully that will send him a message others are after his head. None of us are hiding anymore, now that we have the weapon of God in our clutches." Ra'zer said, starting to laugh as Blue put back the bow in the case.
The gryphon soon stopped and glared at Night Shadow.
"He saw us though, Blue. We can't let him live. How about I burn him to death." He said walking towards Night Shadow as electricity sparked around him.
"So your solution is to kill those that work for him without even trying to convince them of their wrongs."
Night Shadow quickly grabbed the two guns to his left and aimed them at the gryphon.
"And what good would killing me do? Is this just your way to tie up loose ends?" Night Shadow asked aggressively.
"Heh, this pony thinks those things can hurt me, go ahead, shoot me runt." Ra'zer said, but his walk was halted when Blue held out his right hoof in front of him. "What?"
"He's mine, after all...I did train him." Blue said looking at Night Shadow before standing in front of Ra'zer. Taking off the shades and tossing them off the bridge, he brushed back his mane and narrowed his eyes. "Do you think you can pull the trigger on me?" He asked.
Night Shadow remained frozen as he narrowed his eyes.
"So now, after everything we went through, you're just going to kill me and go on with your life as if nothing mattered. At least tell me why you're doing this, or are you going to ignore that like you always have?"
Blue lowered his eyes before taking a step forward. When the wind blew he was already in front of Night Shadow staring deep into his eyes, allowing him to see the dead soul that slept within him. In a few seconds, Blue already punched Night Shadow in the gut and dismantled pieces of the gun before pushing him back.
"You should never hesitate in aiming those toys at your enemy. They must be used as killing tools; meant to kill and defend their wielder." He said.
Deep in his own thoughts, he continued looking for the answer to give the unicorn, but he could not find it at the second.
Night Shadow still had another pistol, but he still hesitated to even point it at his former friend. He was however, willing to shoot the gryphon, but he knew better. He had a feeling that he was just like an alicorn, hard to kill and impossible to shut up. He then pointed the gun at one of the ropes that kept the bridge from falling and shot it, causing the bridge to shake violently.
"Is your new friend as loyal as I was, Blue? Will he save you like I would have in the Past? Or will he just leave you for dead?"
Night Shadow kept his calm look as he slowly became angered. Blue remained silent as Ra'zer started to laugh, pulling out a gold necklace from his cloak that was around his neck. Blue closed his eyes sitting down as the gryphon soon kissed the strange golden necklace that had a sharp fang.
"Come on, why would I save this f**ker when he can handle himself. He does not have to save me since I can handle myself." Ra'zer said putting back the necklace. "Come on, Blue, let me handle him. I can eat his corpse and leave no evidence."
"You are to not fight him; he is only just a foal. He is not even strong enough for you to feast on. Night Shadow, I am about to attack, do you think you can take me down?"
"That depends...depends on how well you trained me." He said, putting the gun at his side.
Blue took another step forward, but paused once the sound of thunder crackled in the air. He paused and gritted his teeth, staring up as it began raining down. Ra'zer groaned as electricity continued to spark.
"Crazy, don't you think? Your old comrade plans to bring this bridge down, but he does not know I got wings, or maybe did not paid much attention. Tell me, Blue, are you going to kill him already? His existence is just disgusting to look at." He said looking at the sky.
"Shut up." Blue said, looking back at Night Shadow. "Do me a favor and go after the other one with him."
"Heh, sure." Ra'zer said getting ready to fly towards Sapphire's location.
"Call him off blue...you know what happens when you get her involved." Night Shadow said, lowering his voice.
"I have no control in most of his actions, plus, you have me to worry about." Blue said before he took a step forward and dashed forward at Night Shadow. Once he got close, Ra'zer flew over their heads and laughed, heading further into the forest. Blue flipped Night Shadow over him, judo flipping him back.
"Blue, is your intention to draw me into a trap, because you're going to get the complete opposite if your pet even lays a talon on her." Night Shadow said as his eye twitched.
"Our mission was to destroy the base Herus owned. You came at the wrong time since we also have to make sure no witnesses were left alive." He said getting ready to attack.
"His base is further up north! Do you really think Herus would just leave a camp unprotected like that?" Night Shadow asked in anger. "You know how he works and acts...what you probably did was destroy an entire captured village."
"A loss is a loss, their lives means nothing to us." He said pulling out a knife from his waist belt.
"You never did care about others...ever since the start you only cared about yourself. But then I came along and you trained me like your own...yet here we are, fighting each other for a different cause."
"A cause...heh, you know nothing of a cause. You are blind, reckless, and naive. Why are you seeking answers for a truth if you don't have to at all." Blue said calmly before running forward, throwing the knife.
"Because you never told it to me!" Night Shadow screamed, catching the knife and throwing it into the wooden plank below.
Blue revealed to have a wire in his mouth and pulled it back, causing the knife to pull out the plank. The 2x4 smacked Night Shadow's chin from below before Blue came in with a devastating blow to the stomach.
"I did...you just never understood. You're still just a kid after all." He muttered, before grabbing his right foreleg and quickly breaking it. He made sure it was not sever, but enough to make the pony become cripple until he fixed it. Backing away, he cut the wire from his mouth and looked down at Night Shadow.
"You're still young, you do not belong on the battlefield. Go home, Night Shadow." He said holding out his right hoof. "Go home, and never come back to the battlefield."
"You would sacrifice everything to get what..." Night Shadow said, attempting to ignore the pain. "You were and still are my best friend...so why are you doing this?"
"I too am trying to find the answers to that. This bond, somewhere inside of me...it means nothing." He said closing his eyes before opening them slowly. "So I must sever it."
"Then do it...but leave her out of this!"
"Again, I don't control half of things he does." He said before grabbing his hoof and performing a 180 degree hoof punch, striking Night Shadow in the stomach. This blow stunned him before the next one brought his body back into pain. Blue closed lined him against the rope before grabbing his horn.
"Go home and move on." He whispered in his ear before pushing him off to the side and quickly throwing five knives at the ropes. He leaped back to the path Night Shadow was about to cross and revealed another string in his mouth. He closed his eyes before looking at Night Shadow for any last words.
Night Shadow took out his pistol and shot the string out of Blues mouth.
"Even after everything you did to me...I still cannot hate you...I'm sorry." Night Shadow said, closing his eyes.
Blue gritted his teeth before throwing a large knife, slicing the supporting rope that caused the others to snap. Soon, the bridge fell down, sending Night Shadow plummeting to the rushing river. But before he fell, Blue lowered his eyes and mentally thought, 'Please...just don't die on this one, you are too young for this and you still are too young to understand the truth.'
Night Shadow, before he crashed into the water, couldn't help but shed a single tear. The last thing he heard was the sound of him slamming into the water, sending him into the dark abysses of unconsciousness.
Night Shadow awoke on a sandy beach next to a fire. The face of Sapphirine, covered in scratches and cuts greeted him with a teary smile.
"I...i thought you were dead." Sapphirine whimpered, trying to hold back tears.
Night Shadow raised his weak hoof to touch Sapphirine face, examining her wounds. He shock heavily with anger at the sight.
"That...& *#$ did this to you, didn't he?"
Sapphirine closed her eyes and slowly nodded.
"And I couldn't protect you..." Night Shadow said with rising anger. "I'LL KILL HIM!" He screamed, trying to stand on his broken leg.
Sapphirine almost had a heart attack as he saw Night Shadow scream out in pain before hitting the sand abruptly.
"Please stop! You're hurting yourself!" She pleaded.
"I promised you that I would come back...I'LL KILL THAT SON OF A * &#*!"
"Night Shadow, please, they're long gone now...it would be impossible to find them now. Just rest, it's the only thing you can do."
Night Shadow took a deep sigh as he crashed his head into the sand.
"If only i was strong enough to protect you..."
Hours went by as night took over, leaving Sapphirine next to Night Shadow in the dark. She looked up at the full moon and sighed softly.
"If only this world could be as peaceful as the night sky..."
"Don't we all?" A voice said behind her.
Sapphirine turned around to see a large red alicorn standing before her in dark robes looking at the moon.
"Princess Luna did this all by herself...it's a beautiful as she is."
Sapphirine glared at his features, remembering what Night Shadow had told her.
"Are you Blaze Cast?"
The alicorn looked at her, lowering his gaze before responding.
"Yes, I am indeed him...something i wish i could change."
Sapphirine looked to the right and saw Night Shadow gun, readying herself. However before she made her move, the alicorn sighed.
"If you're going to go for the gun I don't blame you...after all, I was me that "apparently" killed your mother..."
The blue pony froze, hearing his depressed voice. It made her feel sorry for him.
"You really think i would trust you so easily?"
"No...i don't...i just want to talk."
"Why, I'm not important to you, why would you care about me?"
"Because you're the only one that can reach Night Shadow's heart."
Sapphirine paused, thinking what he said over.
"So why does it matter?" She asked.
"Because I believe he is the one that the prophecy predicted."
Now Sapphirine was confused and had no idea where to begin.
"What prophecy?" She naturally asked.
Blaze looked up at the sky and closed his eyes.
"It is said that during a time of war where fellow brothers and sister shead their own blood and when the keepers of order deminish from reality, that a hero would be born from a virtuous ruler of great power. A hero born from a being that walks outside of time and will bring justice to our world."
"So how does Night Shadow play into this?" Sapphirine asked with confusion.
"Because one day, that hero will rise from the ashes of an ancient city to protect our land from the shadows of darkness. He will possess powers unlike any other and have knowledge of both good and evil. With that power, he will crush the darkness and rightfully judge those that the virtuous ruler failed to redeem."
"And even though i have no knowledge of his parents...i know for a fact that Night Shadow is that hero."
"Ok, let's be honest, this all sounds like a fairy tail written by a two year old on acid. I mean, look at him, he can't even use magic." Sapphirine pointed out.
"I know...but Princess Celestia has ordered me to not harm him if avoidable. I wish I could tell him...but he is too young to know. I'm telling you this because I know you will led him to this path."
"But what if i can't ...what if i fail?" The mare asked, panicked.
"You wont...for it has already been written in stone..." He said, tossing a light fire ball into the camp fire to keep it alive.
"I have one last question...did you really kill my mother?"
"Search you heart...and decide for yourself..." He said, vanishing from thin air in a light breeze.
Sapphirine laid down onto the sand as she closed her eyes, but even still, his message still flowed around in her head. Regardless of what happened, she knew that Night Shadow was going to change the world.
Blue carried the body of Ra'zer while holding a basket that held his partner's head. He was quiet like always, but in deep thought about Night Shadow, hoping he survived the fall. His train of thought, though, was broken by the angry ranting his partner gave off.
"I swear, that damn mare was lucky! Do you know how much it hurts to lose your own head! IT HURTS A LOT!"
"You never should have underestimated her." Blue said, angering his partner even more.
"The hell is that supposed to mean?" The gryphon asked, glaring up at him.
"You know what I mean." He said calmly entering a cave. "Let's see if the leader will reattach your head...again."
"It's not like I lose my head all-
"You do." He interrupted him.
Ra'zer grumbled before remaining quiet once the darkness swallowed them up in the cave. Soon they came into an area where white candles were placed in circles that formed a pentagram.
"We are here." Blue called.
"So, where is the mare with the sun tattoo on her nice, plump,-
"Shut up, Ra'zer." Blue interrupted him, before dropping the basket, causing his head to roll out.
"Come on, Blue, not cool. I was just starting a fact about that large a** mare." Ra'zer laughed.
You approach a large white mare with a dark robe, concealing her appearance.
"Why did you go against my wishes?" She almost demanded.
"There she, UGH!" Ra'zer was cut off when his tongue was stomped on by Blue's right hoof, hushing him up.
"We tested out the weapon and worked accordingly as Minerva predicted. Night Shadow only came as a witness to its power by coincidence. I had to make sure he was apprehended before we proceeded back here. So, none of your wishes have been demolished or abandon. I did what I was told to do." Blue said in a calm tone, before dropping the gryphon's headless body.
"Why have we been forced to use weapons of destruction?" Celestia asked, regretting her decision.
"To show Herus that he is not the only threat. Is this not why you formed this group? We are gaining numbers of those wishing for this war to stop and I am sure they will agree with me that using powerful weapons like the Metatron's bow will prove that justice is always omnipotent and Peace is the angel by its side." Blue explained. "We are only defending ourselves like we always had been since the first great war."
"I just wish we didn't have to end those that are under his spell...one day though, it will all change." Celestia reaffirmed.
"And maybe one day it won't." Blue said closing his eyes slowly. "Besides all of this, have you had any problems since we were gone?" He asked in a caring tone.
"My father is starting to ask questions, he doesn't understand what we're trying to do. He's only obsess with taking the throne from Discord and starting another war."
Blue let go of Ra'zer's tongue before walking towards the circle that had an Epone symbol and sitting in front of it, staring into the bright light candle. "I see, he is a troublesome one."
"Trouble my feathery-a**. How about you kill him and take over the throne?" Ra'zer asked.
"That is not how she can rule a kingdom as your kind does, Ra'zer." Blue said.
"You can change the norm, you're the princess with the large a**." He said looking up at her with a venomous smirk. "Kill your dad, rule the kingdom, and save the day by unleashing hell on Herus."
"I will not, if I am to rule this land it will be though peaceful methods and not violence." Celestia said sternly. "Something you have yet to learn."
Ra'zer only scoffed before laughing again. "Hey, besides all this sh*t, can you sow my head back to my body? I like the view from down here, but I don't like being on the dirt all the time."
"Only if you change your ways like I told you to do."
"No promises, my dear." He spoke in a French accent.
Blue only shook his head in pity for the immortal gryphon.
Celestia sighed heavily as she used her magic to attach the gryphon's head back into place.
"Herus has really done a number on this place...i hope Discord understands what I'm trying to do..." Celestia whispered.
"Discord is too busy with his mania than to focus on Herus. Right now, it's best to strike as many bases and facilities." Blue said, glancing back at Celestia.
Ra'zer stretched his body before staring at the alicorn's flank. He chuckled and looked away, giving off a mischievous smile before a rock hit the back of his head, stunning him. He glared angrily back at a cloaked red filly with a short brown mane in the entrance carrying a large thing on her back wrapped in white bandages.
"I return from my mission, Princess, but it was a long journey." She frowned. Her eyes soon spotted Blue and instantly, as if through the speed of light, tackled him to the ground in a tight hug. "ONI-CHAN!" She cried out happily.
In the entrance was a male zebra in a similar cloak, but wearing glasses, staring at the green eye filly hugging Blue to death while the gryphon laughed. He looked back at the princess and bowed to her.
"Looks like Zenith the Zebra and Little Ruby returned from their missions." Ra'zer commented.
"Did you encounter any of my father's subjects?" Celestia asked.
"Sadly no, all I encounter was snow, snow, snow, and lots and lots of snow!" Ruby yelled, standing on top of the tired stallion.
"As I have said, you are not to harm them, but they have been overcome with fear of annihilation that they will almost attack anything now.
I know, I know." She said in a cheerful tone. "Though..." She frowned and pulled straps of her strange item that even Ra'zer was curious of, "this one tried killing me." She said releasing a puppet version of a winter coated manticore. "I call him Fluffy." She said happily.
"What did I say about that kind of magic?" Celestia said, slightly annoyed but keeping her kind attitude.
"That puppet magic is only meant to be used on wooden objects made like puppets...not...living beings." She said in a sadden tone. "I am sorry, Princess Celestia." She said smiling brightly at her.
"Can you turn him back?" Celestia asked.
"You know she can't, once a creature is curse by the puppet master's spell; that creature is dead and all that is left is their corpse preserve in wood. Even if she reverted this puppet back..." Ra'zer chuckled lightly, "all that will be left is a skeleton."
"Maybe I could try later...right now we have a job to do."
"Zenith, how did your forest excavation mission go?" Ra'zer asked, licking his talons, cleaning each sharp nail while ignoring the blood on his tongue.
"Dread." He answered calmly. "Most of the special plants, herbs mostly, were not useful to...heal others. I tested it on many injured members of the group and it only cured small wounds. I am not sure if I can find any herb that can heal a large wound."
"This situation is getting worse and worse, we need to act now, but what will our next move be? My father has scattered the five elements of harmony across Equestria and no way to acquire them." Celestia informed.
"Destruction!" Ra'zer yelled.
"PUPPETS!" Ruby yelled.
"Research." Zenith said.
Blue remained silent.
"Destruction won't help and puppets won't solve the problem. Research would be prosperous if darkness hadn't corrupted every inch of Equestria...what about you Blue? You have an opinion as well and the most knowledge about this threat."
"I...I...don't know." He answered calmly.
"Surely you must...anything at all?" Celestia asked, smiling softly.
He looked at her, but only emptiness could be the answers expressed through his eyes.
Celestia silently nodded.
"So, now that we have a powerful weapon, how about we continue looking for more. I hear that there is a dark magic book; I think it's called Abdul Alhazred." Ra'zer suggested.
Celestia looked at Ra'zer and shook her head.
"If you can retrieve it and bring it to me so no one else can use it, then yes, I will approve of you to go get it."
The gryphon smirked and brushed back his feathery mane. Zenith adjusted his glasses before looking at the princess.
"Your highness, I wish to travel with Ra'zer if you do not mind."
"No way, last time you were with me, you left me to rot just for some f**king damn bug!" Ra'zer yelled angrily.
"I have you know, it was a rare arctic widow. Those spiders are rare in the snowy mountains of Kronos." He said in a cold tone. "You wouldn't understand true beauty unless it is you ruining it."
"As long as you two don't try to kill each other." Celestia said, giving permission.
"They can't kill each other, they L-O-V-E each other!" Ruby taunted in a playful manner getting Ra'zer to yell angrily at her in Gryphon language. Zenith adjusted his glasses and felt a wave of disgust fill him up. Soon, the three paused and turned to the entrance seeing a smiling brown Diamond dog with remarkable features, similar to a German Shepard. Her dull red eyes were threatening, but her smile proved insanity to exist in her mentality. Blue narrowed his eyes, despising this teammate of his of Celestia's formed group.
She was only accepted out of pity due to the destruction of her tribe caused by Herus. She was manipulative and dangerous when it came to combat. She dangerously came close to killing him if it was not for Celestia's intervene. The diamond dog walked slowly into the cave and soon stopped next to Zenith, avoiding eye contact, but focusing on the princess before her.
"Night Shadow is alive and Blaze was just talking to some mare that was by his side." She said causing Ra'zer and Blue to gasp. Blue felt relieved, but Ra'zer was anger. He wanted to get payback on the mare for slicing off his head. "Blaze is...approaching here." She said as her eyes glinted from the speck of light shined from the candle's luminscent glow.
"That's a relief, let's hope he stays out of harm's way then."
"Princess, I also have some bad news." She said.
"What is it, Olga?" Ruby asked in a cheerful tone.
"I asked the princess, little one."
"And what would that be?" Celestia asked kindly.
"Herus killed Olososka, Rebel Love, Tickety-Tick, Eternal Song, and Sa'eli all in cold blood in a public execution. He burnt them alive on crosses and the smell of their corpses still linger in the air around that area." She said calmly.
Celestia froze in place, closing her eyes tightly as she dug her hoof roughly into the dirt.
"I shouldn't have let them go on that mission. I...I'm sorry, I have failed them." She said, taken by sadness. "But this is the reason why we must fight and we must make our next move now."
"And how do you plan to do that?" Blaze Cast asked, entering the room casually and removing his hood.
"I need Night Shadow on my side..."
"But he's not ready, he will surely parish in battle, and if Herus finds out about the prophecy then he will-
"I am aware of this, but if the prophecy is true, then Herus will have no choice but to surrender."
Celestia looked towards her allies, unsure on where to go next.
Blue got up and slowly walked away from the crowd and exiting the cave. Ra'zer noticed the pony's deep thought expression and followed him, but he was stopped by Zenith. He glared at Zenith, but the zebra pointed towards Blaze, causing him to turn around. "What?" He muttered.
"This Night Shadow, does he like puppets?" Ruby asked, playing with her Manticore puppet.
"Our next move must be quick and effective if peace is to survive. Now go my friends...and let the sun shine bright on this day."
A week passes...
"It's been a while, but do you still know how to defend yourself?" Night Shadow asked.
Sapphirine nodded, keeping a stern look about her.
"Herus' has informed his entire army to invade Equestria to end the alicorn threat. If anything happens, you need to defend yourself. Got it."
"Yes, but what are you trying to do now that Blue has betrayed you?"
"He never betrayed me...he's only trying to teach me something I don't understand yet."
Night Shadow loaded his gun and put it onto his back.
"I will need allies to assist me in the future...six ponies that will follow me to the end for the sole cause of bringing an end to this conflict."
"And you want me to find them?" Sapphirine asked.
"I have given you a list of who I need and what I want to see in them...we might not see each other for some time and it may take months to find them. Just remember that I will always be with you till the end...make me proud." Night Shadow said, vanishing into the forest.
Blue rested on top of a rock, staring down at lake. He still was thinking of an answer for Night Shadow, but found none to give him if they were ever to encounter each other again. His ears twitched as he glanced back. "Why are you here, Celestia? You should not come to a lake where the dead mourns from." He said.
"Because Night Shadow is approaching...and it's time for you to tell him the truth."
"How can I tell him the truth, if I can never tell them the truth?" He asked in a sadden tone, staring at the deep blue waters of the lake. "They are gone because of me."
"Do you really believe that in your heart, that you are the one that caused their passing?" Celestia asked in a motherly tone.
"I have not told you everything about the village, haven't I?" He asked looking at her again. "What I told you was 1/4 of the story."
"Then will you kindly tell me the rest, before your destiny unfolds before you."
Blue looked towards the lake again before closing his eyes. "I will put it short. I had a sister and lived in a village which treated the sick due to us being all the way out in the west part of the world. No communication to your kingdom, no way in gathering lots of food like many other ponies had in their own village. Pretty much, the village was dying. Everypony was hungry. They needed mostly food, not curing. So they made a new law..." He tone lowered, "eat the passing; I'm sure you understand what that means." He said looking back at her. "My sister was sick and...she was put on a list to eat. I could not allow such things so I...I killed everyone one by one. Soon, I unleashed a damn the villagers had sealed up in order to keep the village stabalized. I made sure everypony died. When one of them got to the shores, I killed them. I...I kept killing each one and tying their legs with stone and rope and made them sink." He started to tremble.
He closed his left eye and saw them all. The grotesque horror of all the ponies he killed. Each one, looking at him from the surface. "I...enjoyed it. Until I found out that the last ones alive in the village was me and my sister. And there was nopony around to help cure her sickness. As the month progress...she was suffering. I..." He started to shake, "I could not let her suffer anymore."
Celestia had a shocked look about her but remained calm.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry I couldn't help when they needed it the most." Celestia said, putting the blame on herself.
He remained calm and soon smiled softly at her.
"I can't stop seeing them for some strange reason. Maybe it is a sign of my sin. A curse maybe?" He muttered opening his eye before blinking. Once he looked at the lake, the ghosts were gone.
"Do you want me to relive this pain from you, forgive you of your past sins?" Celestia asked, glaring at him.
"You can't forgive me because you are not my God." He said, giving her a cold glare. But he calmed down and got up, grinning still. "You see, I am alright with this, I'm..." His grin faded and as he stared up in the air, "already gone."
"So then you know what must be done..."
He looks at her calmly and nodded his head.
'It is always wise to think of what's ahead. But I am not thinking on what's ahead, I am thinking of now and...to be honest...I'm mostly afraid.' He thought, walking passed Celestia. He soon stopped and looked at her. "If Night Shadow does not change...I will kill him without hesitation. You do not have to go through such things, okay?" He asked in a worried tone for her.
"You know I can't let you do that, after all, you and Solaris are the only ones that know about his true identity. All I ask is that you open his eyes from the darkness...the rest will come into place. For I know and love him better than anyone ever will, he will listen."
He lowered his eyes and looked ahead. "I wish I understood how that feels, but I have no time for those feelings. For now, I will continue my mission undercover. I do fear Olga might intervene, she nearly killed me before when I was shadowing him."
Celestia looked up into the sky, closing her eyes to admire the feeling.
"Night Shadow is approaching...it's been a honor to have you by my side, Blue..." Celestia said, slowly starting to vanish from view. "Maybe one day, we will meet again..." She said, disappearing in a flash of light.
-Few days ago-
Olga and a young colt with a brown coat and mane were walking down the hallway. They were undercover for Celestia and had to infiltrate Herus' army by pretending to be his soldiers. Olga smiled at her comrade that stared at her in horror for she was not a normal Diamond Dog. She was a monster.
"Now, we must not disappoint Herus. I hope you understand that, Tickety-Tick."
"I-I know that, Olga. But...you did not have to kill them. Even if it meant to prove your loyalty to him, you did not have to kill those foals."
"I did not kill them for him. I did as I was made to do. I kill out of nature." She said entering Herus' headquarters. "Nature demands me to shed blood."
The colt stared at her for a few minutes before looking down at the ground, frightened. 'My Celestia, what made you like this?' Tickity-Tick thought as he entered the room with her.
"Hello, brothers." Olga greeted, looking at a brown, white feather head gryphon with blue eyes, a mare with a baby coat and blond mane and tail with yellow eyes, a bat stallion with black eyeliner and blue lipstick, and two young zebras who were females wearing tribal paint on their bodies.
The diamond dog stood in front of the desk with Tickety-Tick by her side, facing Herus. "Sir, I have a report; the northern part where a village you controlled was wiped out mysteriously by a strange explosion." She reported.
Herus sat in his chair, looking at a massive map pinned to the wooden surface. He sighed lightly before looking up at Olga. "Have you seen anyone leaving the area in a great hurry?" He asked.
She shook her head before folding her arms. "Sadly no, it would have been fun to ask them where they were in such a hurry though when that happened."
The leader gritted his teeth and got up from his seat before noticing the trembling colt next to the diamond dog. "How about you, did you noticed anything odd when that place was destroyed? It's not normal for a random explosion to come out of nowhere and erase a village."
"N-no, sir," Tickety-Tick answered, "I haven't seen any strange things so far when we saw the explosion."
Herus rubbed his chin, walking around his table, before heading towards the exit. He soon stopped and turned to Olga and Tickety-Tick and motioned them to follow him. With haste, they quickly followed him as he proceeded through the door and into the hallway. Tickety-Tick felt too frightened to speak and think due to the fact he was next to two dangerous creatures. The young colt was only a survivor of his destroyed village and a frighten colt at that. When danger approached, his best skill was to hide and not get caught, since he was not in any physical form to fight.
Olga, however, was a monstrous creature that preferred a fight. But the way she fought was brutal and consider too serious than just a simple spar if one was to go up against her. Herus admired her, for her loyalty and carnage, unaware that she was a survivor from his destructive pillaging that she vowed to destroy him and any in her path. But the rest of her past was foggy and too obscure to find some sort of clarity through its unfathomable existence. Her background was short; she came from a tribe, became the last of them, and became a double-agent for Herus and Celestia.
The three soon entered into Herus' private bed quarters which confused the colt of the group for he did not understand why a powerful leader would bring them to such a quiet area. Herus locked the door and dimmed the lights. After that was finished, he made sure the blinds were closed and the room was clear of any surveillance which was a relief for him when he found none of such. He sat on his bed and brushed back his hair before looking at the two that stood before him, silent, and awaiting his response.
"I already know what happen there," He said as he moved his left hand up, covering his left eye. "I saw it with my own eye." He chuckled as he moved his left hand down revealing his left eye that was closed.
Olga narrowed her eyes as she stared above Herus' head while Tickety-Tick became stunned. The leader's eye floated in the air, looking at them. The diamond dog found it beautifully unique while the colt found it grotesquely appalling. Herus grabbed it with his left hand and held it out to Tickety-Tick, grinning at him as he was in a state of stunned fear.
"Touch it," He ordered as the colt looked at him frightened before staring at the eye shocked. He did not want to do such things, but the dark glare from not only him, but Olga was enough persuasion to do as told and touch the eye. It was wet, soft, and felt like an egg's yolk. Suddenly, he was grabbed the mouth and forced to open up before having the eye shoved down his mouth. "I want you to see what I seen!" He laughed.
Tickety-Tick's eyes widened as he began gagging from the eye, doing his best to spit it out, but Herus kept his mouth shut, laughing as the earth pony eyes started to glow. What he saw was burning ponies that were wiped away from a bright blast. Soon, he saw Blue, Ra'zer, and Night Shadow standing on a bridge. When everything ended, he fell on the ground, breathing heavily as he became shocked that the eye went down his throat.
Herus backed away and sat on his couch before opening his left eye, revealing the eyeball. The colt stared in shock at such unquestionable madness while Olga was struggling to hold back her laughter. The leader brushed back his hair and narrowed his eyes at the colt. "I am not worry about that damn village, if they did not destroy it, I would have anyway. Right now, I am worry about the enemy. I am suspicious that there are spies in this base."
Tickety-Tick and Olga both narrowed their eyes. Olga was just waiting for any surprise attack he had ready to pull out, while Tickety-Tick was ready to run away. The leader closed his eyes and held out his right palm to the air, humming lightly to a pleasant song in his head. "I suspect you two are highly aware of this, so do speak up. Don't lie though, or I will make sure you die slowly."
Olga chuckled catching the two's attention before she pulled out a sharp black rod. "I do want to tell you, but do you wish to have me kill them out of our assumption?"
"Assumption?" Tickety-Tick muttered.
"I assume that your new recruits, including me, too, for I might be put up for suspicion. One of us might be the spies you are looking for." Olga said pointing it towards Tickety-Tick.
"So, what you are saying is…you, him, and the others back in my room might be one of them. If you were one of them, then why would you say this? Why would you open yourself up for suspicion? Do you want me to simply assume you are the spy or…someone else?" He asked looking at Tickety-Tick slowly who was staring at the black sharp rod.
"How about us all?" She asked.
"O-Olga, what are you trying to say?" Tickety-Tick asked, but he had no time to avoid the thrusting rod that pierced through his right eye, coming out from the other side. Tears started to drip down his left eye as he struggled to find the words to why she would attack him, but they were all swept away once he fell flat to the ground, paralyzed. Herus smirked as he stood up and looked at her and nodded his head.
"What I am trying to say, Tic…is that I don't need you by my side anymore. I have no time for other partners that are spies. I will be sure to let Celestia know of yours and the other's passing, though, at least that will add some sort of remedy to your death." She said, licking the side of her weapon before stabbing it in the ground.
"Now, that he is handled, the others are spies too, I presume?" He asked, folding his arms.
Olga nodded her head before looking at Tickety-Tick's dying body. She softly chuckled and waved bye to him. "Yes, don't worry, Herus. I can tell you who they are."
-Present Time-
Olga stood at the edge of the cliff, staring down at the river Night Shadow last fell at. She held up her right paw and started to hum a soft song, before stopping when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Readying her rod, she saw Blue standing in her path.
"Blue, it's nice to see you again." She greeted.
"I know what you are up to, Olga. Don't think that I am going to allow you continuing this game any further on. If you betray anybody else, I will put you down." He said in a cold tone, walking to the left, heading towards the bridge. Olga gritted her teeth at Blue as he turned his back from her.
"Why are you always like that?" Olga asked causing him to stop and turned to her.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"You know what I mean. You're always stuck-up, arrogant, cold, and think that you know everything, but you really don't. You find what I do a problem, but as I recall, you done more damage than I. You killed lots of ponies; many things than I did. What are you, a hypocrite or critic?" Olga asked, as she equipped her rod from her right sleeve, pointing it straight at Blue.
"I am whatever you perceive me to be. It can be true and not true, depending if it is coming from you. But I have you know this, I did killed more, that is true, but I knew most of them and respected them. What you do is the opposite of respect, it's barbaric. You never cared for others, just yourself. In this world, there is balance. You seem to disrupt too much with your murderous existence while I try to save it and balance it. Creation and Destruction is what balances this world."
"Don't try preaching to me about balance, you damn stallion. Why should I follow something so meaningless if I can do whatever I want? Can't you see that I enjoy this? Killing, killing everything both young and old; if it moves, I will kill it! Maybe I am destruction and you are creation, but that is nothing to me when I am free to do as I please. But you want to know what I really want to do, Blue? It's to kill you and your dear coltfriend Night Shadow! I want to end you and him before I kill Herus!" She yelled, starting to laugh but soon narrowed her eyes, quickly blocking a knife that Blue threw at her.
"You are too much of a pest in this world. Your existence is nothing but a disease. You act like a parasite; taking away anything with nothing to return. You are nothing more than a dreadful disease that can be easily cured just by killing you. I don't know what happen to you before you became like this, but…I am sorry it did." He said only to be replied to with a maniacal laugh.
"Oh, cut that out, you know you are not sorry for me or anything else. You act on your own for your own selfish gain. I can't say I don't, too, but at least I am not the only one. You, Blue, you are a killer like me and you enjoy it!"
Blue remained silent before turning his back to her and walking towards the bridge, however, this angered the diamond dog as she charged forward. Blue stopped and twirled around, dodging her thrusting rod before clotheslining her to the ground, but she was fast grab his mane and chug him to the side before she fell to the ground. Blue rolled to the side before picking himself up quickly as Olga got up, growling at him. The stallion did not want to fight her, but seeing how her anger was in control, he was unable to avoid such.
Once Olga took a step forward, she stopped dead in her tracks by a lightning bolt that struck the ground in front of her. She glared up at the user of such dangerous power and spotted Ra'zer in the air, glaring at her. Blue was relieved his partner came in time to stop the fight, before staring at Olga who was hesitant on making a move.
"Back off, mutt, that prick right there is mine to kill." The gryphon ordered. The diamond dog narrowed her eyes, before stabbing her rod into the dirt and flipping back. She landed on top of the water and began running down the stream with ease. Once she was out of sight, Ra'zer landed by Blue's side and smirked.
"Thanks." Blue said before he proceeded towards the bridge.
"What the hell? Is thanks all you can say to me, how about an "I owe you one," or, "I'm gonna buy you a drink when we get a chance," either of those would be nice." The immortal gryphon said, walking by his side.
"Go back with Zenith; I have a mission to do alone." Blue said, looking at his partner. Ra'zer wanted to object, but the look he gave him spoke a bigger explanation why he did not want company. He sighed and nodded his head before stopping in front of him, stopping his walk. Blue looked at him confused, but gasped when the immortal gryphon punched his right shoulder lightly.
"Heh, good luck, f**ker, be sure to tell your old comrade I hope to see his marefriend soon. We have a score to settle after all and her body would make a fine sacrifice to Lord A'azel." He said before flying away.
Blue looked down, frowning, before he turned his head back, watching his partner fly away. He looked ahead and soon at the river stream. Rain began to form in the sky as a shower of gloom from the heavens began to pour down. "You remind me of myself back then, you know that, Olga? Why do you think I hate you so much? Because I hate myself; that is why…I…" He started walking ahead, staring down the darkness that concealed his pass, "must find Night Shadow."
'For what reason?'
'To be forgiven.'
'For what?'
'Everything; from my village, friends, him, and…you.'
'Silly, brother…I…'
The flash back was suddenly cut off from Twilights view, forcing her to fall fly back onto her back.
"W-what just happened." Twilight asked.
"You need a break…and an explanation." The light side of Night Shadow informed.
(to be continued…duh…)