Crossworld Between Harmony: Nightmare's Ascension

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// Story: Crossworld Between Harmony

// Chapter 11 - The Shard - Part 1

// Author: Scarlet Reign

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There was a gush of light that burst through out of thin air, as the rookie emerged from the magic portal. The Nightmare’s work was going well on him and soon he’d be a full-pledged minion to the dark alicorn. The black faint was lethal, slowly infecting his very mind and body. Too weak and shuttered to stand, a helping hand (or talon) offered him on its feathery back.

“It is too soon to nap now, little human. There are some more important matters to attend and much more.” The rookie stood upon a desolate cavern, where he was marvelled by the numerous crystals and magnificent gemstones of varied sort of colour from the fiery rose of rubies to the gentle greens of emeralds. The caverns were large in definite, seeing afar nothing but an ocean of crystals. Amazed by all such luster, the intense burning returned with incredible pain and the rookie couldn’t hold much longer.

“Where...where are you taking me?” The rookie asked, barely breathing and starting to fade.

“Just relax, little human. We’re almost there,” the Attrean slightly smiled, feeling suddenly more relax than usual “Sure’s been a long time since I entered these chambers. Oh, how I missed this place. Now hold on tight, little human. This is going to be a horrendous ride.”

Being cooped up upon the black spire had caused the loss of the Attrean's flying prowess..Stretching its wings with orange feathers long and true, the rookie grasped tightly upon the Attrean as it soared into the air.

======

Time was growing short. Time was fading, quickened and in a hurry. Twilight Sparkle, the little mare from the town of Ponyville in another realm called Equestria, raced against time into the deep and shadowy unknown. Her mind was racing in dire panic and with great worry for captain Hover of the Soulus guards. If he was never to be found or to come upon the worst possible scenarios then Twilight would never forgive herself.

As the path went deeper underground into the coiling darkness, the little mare brightened with her magic, lighting in a reddish hue. She still pondered of the happenings of her magic or how the colour of her magic glow was the colour of red, but she shrugged for the moment and advanced on bravely where no mare had ever done before.

Far away from the sound of gears and contracted machinery, Twilight’s bones shivered in terrible fear as she was saddened over the death of officer Rever, being taken away by the gearers and the evil hooded men. A lot of her new friends from the human realm were withering away and only few remained so close to never be seen again. Focus, Twilight. You have a job to do. Don’t blow it. As much as she tried to ignore her emotions, ignoring the past and all the things that she had done to get this far into stopping Nightmare Moon, Twilight Sparkle couldn’t control the despair that was building inside for she knew very well that this might be over for her as well.

Having to bear and witnessed such brutal event to Rever, Twilight shivered greatly in fear if Nightmare Moon had succeeded her insane campaign. The innocent lives would be forced upon a new ruler and would brought the brink of destruction upon Equestria. She shuddered the thought and shook her head into the game. “Goddess, focus you. Don’t get distracted by the...light...”

At the end of the pathway, a luminous light emerged from the distant. As Twilight trotted much closer to the exit, she was immediately blinded by the powerful rays only to found herself amazed with such extent of the caverns. Adjusting from the blinding light, Twilight stood on a massive crystal chamber, scaling as far as her eyes could glimpsed.

“...wow” breathed Twilight, jaw wide open in astonishment. Her worries and fears above the ground faded in the instant (for the moment). She travelled far and wide in the human realm, but never would she would experience such a beautiful scenery. “Like a sea of jewelry. By goddess, what wouldn’t I do to see Rarity’s face right now.”

High on the hill, Twilight slid down to the lower ground, carefully avoiding getting herself hurt from the pointed crystals. She roamed in a minute, gazing curiously at the surrounding. Countless crystals and gemstones illuminated mysteriously in the dark, glowing in their special kind of magic that retained from within. The longer she went, the more she looked rather stunned at the large crystals getting bigger than the last.

Created in tremendous size and height, Twilight could feel their long-dormant power and feverishly wanted to embrace the smooth surface. Her hooves moved on their own, closing in as if she was drawn by their colorful trance.

“I wouldn’t touch them if I were you, little mare.”

The deep, mysterious voice loomed from the shadow as Twilight lit her horn in fiery scarlet glow. Alarmed and on the defense, she turned her head at the source, only to found slightly distracted by its golden feathers. “By the goddess, its a griffin!”

“Griffin? Little mare, you thought of something else. I’m no griffin, I’m an attrean.” A very large avian creature appeared in front of Twilight Sparkle, appearing slightly bigger than even Princess Celestia herself. Twilight’s eyes were not fooled for she was convinced it was a griffin, but the differences between the two were its red eyes and its golden coat. (Which in truth, they’re both the same, just size and feature.)

“Attrean? Strange, I’ve never heard of you guys before; and not even the great libraries back at the capitol.”

“Tck, as suspected many of these humans are burying their secrets,” the sighed the attrean, but pulled itself back up with a grin. “But nevertheless, I guess the world is better off if they do not know about us. It would be beneficial for me anyway in the long run and I can enjoy the peaceful solitude without the rest of interrupting me.”

“Wait, what? Hold on a second. Who are you?”

“I should be the one saying the same, but I guess I don’t need to  because I know who your are,” the attrean lowered its head and leaned closely at the mare. “Ah, yes, yes. I can see it now. You’re Twilight Sparkle, am I correct?”

Twilight was utterly stunned when the attrean knew her actual name. This had caused quite a stir for the lavender mare as she ended with suspicion and turned to the defensive.

“How did you know my name?” Twilight asked, wondering greatly at the attrean’s ability. Maybe they were different from the griffins after all. “Don’t you come any closer, you hear or I swear I’ll--”

“Oh don’t be angry about it, little mare. I meant you no harm whatsoever. As much as I would give an answer, I don’t have the time satiate your curiosity. I have a schedule to keep,” the attrean quickly glanced at the person on its back. “And this one...his time is almost over.”

Twilight raised in suspicion, now more than ever, but as she looked at the side she was greatly surprised of it all. There on the back of the attrean laid a slumbering soul, stained with the blight that’d been eating him. Twilight already guessed who it was and immediately rushed to him.

“Geos! Oh no, the conversion, it has begun. I thought my spell would prevent the infection from escalating any further, but his condition...it is too rapid.”

This made the attrean laugh which caused the lavender mare to glare scornfully. “Please, don’t flatter your ability,” the attrean mocked. “You seriously have done nothing to slow its process down. You did nothing to help him at all.”

“How dare you speak like that?!” Twilight slightly raised her voice and stomped her hoof, acting brave and throughout. She had no idea what she’s up against or to speak such manner at a dangerous foe. “I have done many things in this world, helping the humans along the way and fighting against Nightmare Moon’s evil ploy. What’s make your method so better than mine.”

“Because, little mare, your methods were only temporary and very sloppy on your work. But for mine, it would provide him his salvation.” The attrean was impressed by such action that she displayed. For such a small mare, who knew that she had a large, courageous heart. But bravery alone, the attrean had limits of its mercy and its patient. In gruelling thought, the attrean would have disposed her in the instant, grabbing her tiny head with its massive talons and crushed her bones like a grape.

With its red, fiery eyes, the attrean managed to calm itself, having been freed from its imprisonment at the black spire. “I ask you to speak with caution, little mare,” said the attrean, hinting a trace of temper in its voice. “I suggest minding restraint and focus more on the important matters. We are here for your friend after all.”

Twilight wanted some answers and had almost forgotten about Geos predicament. She quickly examined at the damage that the darkness has done to him. It wasn’t good for him and could sense his life grimly fading away.

“Now that we have an agreement,” the attrean continued. “We have no moment to lose. His life is closing to an end as we speak. He’ll be turned into those mindless puppets if we do nothing, the avian then stretched its wing and lowered before Twilight. “This would be easy for me to do this alone, but if you’d like to join me and save this poor soul of his...the choice is yours.”

It wouldn’t be too hard for Twilight to hop onto the attrean, but her mind slightly wondered if she should search for Hover. The insult about her magic infuriated the lavender mare and she wanted nothing more than to shake her head and say the word no. Yet, as she looked one more time at the rookie’s condition, she couldn’t ignore the fact that he needed her help.

She should have said no, but painfully went along with it and joined the attrean.

======

Gray captain Hover was tossed into another dungeon cell, fastened and secured while the gearers carried on to their appointed work. He tried to break out of his cell, but failed to do so miserably as his hand and feet started to ache.

Everywhere the captain could see dozen of gearers, holding crates with the mark of the Haliv seal of the robin and brought towards into the outside world. Like a mine, it had the stench of rusted iron and the burning sensation of steam from one of those new contraption machines from the west.

The gray captain gazed at the crystal surroundings, slightly astonished like Twilight’s reaction when she first entered. When he was taken by the gearers, they put a sack on his head and the only thing that he heard was the cranking machines and the whistling sound of steam.

One crystal caught eye of the captain, glowing ominously in blue. Instantaneously, he was drawn by it and wanted to touch the magnificent crystal. For strange reasons enough, he swore that he heard whispers;  voices coming from it. He was almost able to reach to it until something snapped him back to reality; a stern, formal butler.

“Master Hover, I sure hope that they were treating you well.” Hover glared coldly at the butler, Wheler, standing at the other side of the cell. The butler appeared much differently than the captain’s last encounter. Instead of the butler’s fine suit it was replaced with a new full battle armour with strange devices attached to his shoulders.

Wheler took noticed and smugly grinned. “Do you like it? A new invention by the master. A prototype to say, but it would be worthwhile when I find that ratly beast.”

The gray captain gritted his teeth. “Why are you doing this?”

It wasn’t a hard answer for Wheler to answer and simply stated with two familiar words that the captain was dreaded to hear. “Nightmare Moon.”

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Twilight was still unsure of the attrean’s plan. Soaring through the caverns, the attrean explained its idea to the little mare with an uneasy look on its face. In order to save the rookie from certain doom they would require a great deal of magic and far more potent to challenge Nightmare Moon’s sorcery.

The lavender mare was speechless and dumbfounded. Upon her goodly reputation, she was the bearer of the Element of Magic; the most powerful artifact known to pony and a student to one of the greatest of teachers of Equestria. Her mind was sharp and her talent was second to none to anyone...well, almost anyone.

The attrean could easily do this by itself, but it required time and time wasn’t a luxury for them. It needed a special stone, a black object that had the power to heal any injuries and illness, whatever they may be.

The stone lurked deep into the caverns, farther into the bellowing shadows where the gearers were mining. This greatly annoyed the attrean for their clumsy footsteps could be heard a mile away. “More of these mask-breathers,” said the attrean, disgusted of them. “How dare they soil their steps upon a sacred site.”

“Who are these folk? Where did they came from?”

“Engineers, crafters and miners of metal steel and gears of machine. They dwelt far and long into the west, building either trinket clocks or ships on the shrouded sea. These souls have come a long way to come into these land; a rather desperate and dangerous kind of folk. Be wary of them, little mare, for they are unpredictable in their nature.”

“Its odd of them wearing those suits.”

“A suit no doubt that leave them immune by the hazards of the mine and the workings of the machine. I think I see the landing. Hold on, little mare.”

The gearers from below were unaware of the large avian for their minds wandered somewhere else, filling only with rich rewards and treasure. Awaiting their payment of gold and silver, the only payment for them would be their untimely demise and betrayal from Joaris Haliv; the architect of this secret operation. His words were poisoned, filling them with empty promises. He would leave his own kinsmen to their very doom and would get away, unscathed, into serving the mare of the moon’s war effort.

Once they landed safely miles away from prying eyes, Twilight leaped out from the attrean’s wing and onto ground. “Here, little mare, a small gift,” the attrean gradually plucked out its feathers and fastened one on her mane. “This feather shall guide you to the stone and back to me as well. When the stone is near, it shall glow in orange and the same when trying to find me.”

“Alright, gotcha. What about you? What are you going to do with Geos?”

“I shall provide my expertise upon this soul and slow down the process. But be warned, little mare. The stone shall test you and it would greatly challenge your inner heart. Do not take it so lightly and be ready.”

“Understood, and thank you.” Twilight gazed at the attrean soaring back into the air and faded into the distance. Now alone to fend for herself, she proceeded forth with the instruction being given. Though she still remained suspicious of the avian she had little choice left, for Geos' time was running out.

Twilight ventured deeper into the cavern where the crystals couldn’t provide a sustainable light for her. It felt the crystals were somehow drained and faded from an unnatural force. Exploring through the pathway for an ominous minute the feather began to glow on a bright orange. She was on a right track.

Guided by the magic feather, Twilight wandered to find a dead-end. She was appalled by this. “Oh come on, is this thing playing tricks on me?” Meaning the feather and Twilight examined the black crystal wall. She couldn’t move or force it to open and was getting annoyed by it.

Twilight sighed and leaned back at the wall. “It is useless. I’ll never find this stone. Oh, why did I ever listen to that creature,” but what Twilight did not know was that when the feather touched the wall a light flickered, veining gradually through the crystal and creating a passage. “Maybe there’s still time to retrace my hoofsteps. Yes, I cannot be disheartened about it. I still have the--time!”

The crystal wall quickly opened, creating a passage sizeable enough for a mare. Twilight definitely fell backward and entered into the unknown, screaming loud in frantic fright as the wall reformed to its original state.

======

The attrean soared above the caverns, looking down below at the crystal sea. It felt like home in the instant for the creature and remembered well of their glorious past. But now...now it was just a memory; a terrible, constant reminder of their greatest blunder and shame.

But, the attrean would be the one making the last laugh.

Its wings were grazed, gliding down at a large crystal entrance. Nobody, not even the gearers or the master of the mansion, would never find the place, the attrean’s final sanctuary. All sides were covered in pure crystalline walls and extended miles below deep. There were no doors, no exits or an escape except from above. It was the perfect hideout.

As the avian descended towards the bottom, an altar was displayed at the center, adorned magnificently and glittering in diamonds. The presence of it had a mystical trance with an uneasy, ancient enchantment.

The attrean sadly sighed and laid gently the body of Geos onto the altar. The reaction was already as suspected for the avian and could hear the ominous echoes of the unknown. It reacted when Geos touched the diamond surface. “Soon, my friend, you shall recieve your salvation,” Its red eyes glared at the dark veins coming from the rookie as the attrean stripped off his armour, revealing the mark of Nightmare. “But this one, this shall place you into the deepest of pain.”

Within the crystal wall hid hundreds, thousands of gemstones, glittering and flickering like the stars above the night. The site was sacred amongst the attreans for it held something special to them. It was a place of healing, to restore those that were near to the grimful death and illness be folly.

However, there was another purpose which had caused the attreans to be doomed to their existence in the first place. And this time, the attrean would used this technique for one final time.

In a time of strife, the attrean learned and forged a mighty tool that would help them against their enemies. A knowledge that was forbidden and cruel: the art of soul-binding. The reason why the attrean asked for Twilight to retrieve the black stone was that it hold the final ingredient to sealing the corruption that stained upon the rookie.

The attrean sadly sighed once more, regretting that it had to lied to the little mare. The avian sensed the potential within the lavender mare, holding promise and an excellent, curious mind, but she had the heart of innocence and was not yet qualified for the task ahead. To the ominous truth, the attrean once met Twilight’s nemesis, Nightmare Moon, and had the first hand experience of her magic. How she spilled into others was absolute and unpreventable. Geos had not caught the disease from Nightmare Moon...

Geos caught a part of Nightmare Moon herself.

To catch the disease wasn’t very much a pandemic to fear about. If the humans were close to her magic the chances would be great and severe. However, the disease wasn’t all that lethal and would leave eventually like a common cold. However, in this case, the attrean had never seen such condition before on the human. It sensed the traces of Nightmare Moon, wrangling on the poor unfortunate soul and refusing to partake on leaving him alone.

But, that was all going to change.

The last attrean, the lone survivor of a once mighty race, had to endure the trials as they had alway have done before and shall escaped from all such misery and hardship. The attrean could thrived and proclaimed dominance anew upon a new realm, a new world that was fresh for the picking. A joyful challenge against the monarch of all.

But for now, the attrean needed to stop the little human from falling to darkness. With its talon sharpened, the attrean ominously aimed at the human’s chest where the mark of nightmare lingered. “Forgive me, little human and a curse upon you, Nightmare beast!”

And with that coming of a plunge arrived a terrible scream; a scream which no one would hear.