Crossworld Between Harmony: Nightmare's Ascension

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// Story: Crossworld Between Harmony

// Chapter 11, Part 4 - The Triple of Duty

// Author: Scarlet Reign

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The explosive devices was triggered for detonation. Attached by the weak support structure beams it would incinerate and destroy the mine, collapsing and burying everything upon the massive weight of stone and dirt. However, the fuses that was already set didn’t trigger for it was quench in water.

The crystal mine itself shook the very core of the earth and a tremendous wave of water gushed through the passageways and the gear-miners alike. Washed away by the torrent of stream, they were dragged into the open area, as enemy footsoldiers soon massed in number to quell the sudden disturbance. But unfortunately, they too succumbed by captain Hover’s unrelenting assault.

Beneath and between the crystal mines, the gray captain had obtained a valuable object, a marvelous sapphire gemstone that could bestow a man with tremendous magic. Though forbidden of use of such dangerous acquirement, he nevertheless unleashed the potential of its newly gifted powers. This would forever branded him to certain death by the blade.

Hover felt the incredible energy that was seeping through his entire body. His hand grasping the gem was cool and relieving. It was no wonder why the empire had restricted the use of these forbidden gems. Altering and adjusting to it uses, the captain had realized earlier that he’d became a Harten, a similar term to a magician, but a more complex.

Upon the captain’s knowledge, each colored gem represent a certain element and the powers it displayed. No man could do magic in the world unless a condition must meet in demand and the tools to unleash from within. The gems were that the rightful tools and the condition to release such power. With his hand, holding the very magic within his grasp, a bluish light glowed and sprout untold devastation amongst his enemies.

Commanding and controlling the element of water, he unleashed a wave of endless tide and swept away the oncoming enemies. Amidst the growing chaos the captain went close into combat, procuring an icy blade from his entire arm. He assaulted with ruthless efficiency, taking down one another of the disarray that he had caused. At will, he switches his melee to range and fired frozen spikes at those that would threaten him.

With the years of experience in battle plus the acquired magic at his edge, the captain proved more efficiently in combat than ever. Enemy reinforcement arrived with archers at the ready and a familiar target that the captain had long to search. Amongst the group of butlers, Wheler stood vigilant and stared at the captain with disgusting look.

“As suspected that you would easily get out from your cell, sir,” Wheler stated and then shook his head in disbelief. “But I never thought you would use the gem to fulfill your personal use. Sacrilege; and downright madness.” He gestured his fellow butlers as they drawn their blades against the captain. “Surrender now, sir and dropped down the gem. You have no chance against all of us with the current state of yours.”

“Do not lecture me, you blighted traitor!” Hover barked aloud. “You killed my men and threatened this state. I am here to atone for your crimes and for the lost of my fellow men.” His hand tightened as it glowed ever more brightly. “For conspiring against the empire and allying with a dangerous monster, you are hereby sentence to death without pity. This atrocity should not go unheard of.”

Wheler could see the eyes of the captain as he wasn’t the man to parley so easily. He gave a heavy sigh, disappointed and found that the time for talk was over. He pulled the strange devices that was attach from both of his shoulder, pulling an extendable double iron stick. The butlers form aside positioned for the advance as they pounced at the gray captain with sheer battle determination.

======

Amidst the empty mine, a blinding light burst through continued space and Twilight Sparkle spawned from the exit first with the rookie, Geos, following behind. As they crashed through the ground and smothered in dirt, Twilight was left nothing but tremendous distraught as she tried to get back up on her hooves.

She could hardly believe that it had really happen. The attrean, the last of its kind (and similar to a griffin), had perished under a pile of stone and crystal; never to be seen by human eyes ever again. To go down such a way was dreadful. The collapse of the avian’s safe haven had reduced to massive pile of rubble, indescribable to recognize of the spectacular structure.

Left nothing but a memory for the departed bird, Twilight now focused on the task at hoof as her ears picked ominous footsteps coming farther ahead. It sounded like there was rustling commotion about in which Twilight headed to the source. She glanced at the rookie, lying unconsciously still on the dirt as she carried him onto her shoulders.

Lifting as twice as her own weight, she struggled a bit on putting the rookie’s arm around her neck as she gradually moved to the destination. To what the rookie had represent, the mark on his chest was no longer there, but a another matter that needed attention. The soul of Nightmare Moon;  a part of her was within the human, trapped under the bind of the black gem artifact.

How could Nightmare Moon do such a thing and for greater reason, why? Twilight was baffled to this and couldn’t shake off the idea that the rookie was nothing more than an easy test subject, a carrier of the two most powerfulest entities from both of worlds. The question she wondered now if Geos wasn’t the first case that has happen to him. What if Nightmare Moon transmuted a part of her soul to unsuspecting victims in the past. This knowledge deeply worried the lavender mare.

“Heh, you sure are a lucky human, Geos,” Twilight commented admirably though the rookie was still in his preserving slumber and unable to hear it all. “You have suffered far worse than anyone that I could remember and yet you still sleeping peacefully like a little foal.” She chuckled. “Humans, they sure are a mysterious thing.”

Abling to brought to pace, Twilight was close in bound for the entrance, but she could immediately hear the commotion growing louder and terrible screams in the mix. She proceeded slowly, cautiously advancing with Geos being laid at the back for safety. She went through into the blinding light and was met at a frozen landscape. It was a cavern, but filled with ice.

The lavender mare shivered of the below temperature, minding as well being careful of the slippery ground. She was grimly unease to spot several bodies of gearers and footmen alike that fell either by the frozen spikes or completely covered in ice. On the defensive, she listened and heard a battle being waged. At the far distant, that battle was still raging as so.

Upon her very eyes, she saw a blue burst of water coming out from the lone figure’s arm, fighting against a number of enemies. Focusing her eyes to adjust, she then glimpse in startlement that the caster was a familiar sight. It was captain Hover.

======

The butlers advanced with threatening blades, pointing directly at captain Hover. They moved and dodged the oncoming icicles that was heading straight for them. They were no ordinary kind of folk that the captain had dealt before.

Back in the day when Wheler was just a ‘hired employee’, several mercenaries joined along at his side in pursuit of wealth. Most of their wishes were fulfilled when he introduced them to Joaris Haliv, the master of the mansion. What better position than to be a butler at a same time be the master’s personal bodyguard.

Each individual consisted different skills and traits, but all were trained by none other than Wheler. With discipline and strict training, the butlers proved formidable foes that could almost compare to the extincted Scarlet. They engaged with swords and unique style of weapons at the captain with tremendous force, slightly suppressing him from able to plan his very next move.

Hover shifted back to his icy blade and made contact at one of the butlers, but when he engaged at one, another sprung from behind. His eyes were distracted at the moment, trying to focus the targets one at a time. He formed a shield, made of ice, from his other arm and blocked at the heavy blow. He sped to kept up the pace and still getting used to the gifted powers, a butler managed to pierce through with his halberd, causing the captain to collapse by the mustering distraction. Tripped to the ground, Hover gazed at the oncoming attacker and unleashed a frozen blast just in time.

The butler was forcibly pushed, already frozen upon impact. However, there were plenty more that the captain had to deal with as he pressed upward back on his feet. Challenging against three butlers at the same time, the captain was starting to lose some ground and was gradually falling back with his ice-made shield shattered from extensive stress.

Unable to cope with the pressure the captain was down once more, slightly overwhelmed as one was at near for the dreaded kill. His powers were easily spent from overusing and his arms was exhausted from the unrelenting assault. He had nowhere to move in time. He was defenseless.

As the butler was about to smite upon his blade a great flash of light beamed towards to him and his fellow camaraderie. There was an open breather for Hover as he got back to his feet, slightly startled at to what just happened. He turned to glance at the direction of the shot to be completely surprised to see.

“Twilight?! You bloodymare for sore eyes. Where in Savior did you come from?”

“No time for the explanation, captain,” she stated, covering his back while the butlers began to swarm and surrounded the two. “Care to give reason as to how you manage to make magic from your hands.”

“Heh, long story as well. But when we get out back alive, I’ll tell you all about it.”

“Deal.” Twilight chuckled a bit as she quickly fired an energy beam at the oncoming butler. The blast forced the attacker away  in respective distant as the others invaded altogether

There was violent clash between the two and the butlers as Wheler snorted at the scene. “Finally, that beast had finally come. It just make my life more easier.”

======

Geos grunted in aching annoyance, waking up finally to the world. His head felt dazed and ringing in his ears. He felt like the world came crashing down upon him, smearing on his fragile state.

“Where am I?” He asked, still feeling dazed and weak. As he tried to get up on his feet, his chest began to burn from within. Grunted in pain, he gave a long look to saw that the nightmare mark was no longer there. “What the--how is this possible?”

Unable to figure how the mark had disappeared from the chest, he was abruptly interrupted by the sound of battle in background distant. The rookie became curious of this and followed to the source of the sound where he was then stumbled upon a couple of surviving gearers from beforehand.

There were three of them, wielding their mining tools as they saw the rookie. Without any warning, Geos was bluntly attacked. One gearer overwhelmed the weak rookie while the other two quickly grabbed of his arms, rendering him immobile. He then raised his pickaxe for the kill and just as he was about to succeed, a powerful energy emerged from Geos.

In a matter of seconds, the gearer that held the pickaxe was consumed in darkness and the other two, horribly frightened of his comrade, quickly ran from the horror. Left alone once more, Geos was left but paused, surprised as to what had just happened. His left hand had a burning sensation and he looked at the black smoke that coming out from his skin.

“What...is happening to me?” he asked himself, but couldn't manage to control on what came next. Like the thundering bolt, the rookie crumbled down to the ground, screeching out in terrible pain. The blackened smoke began to pour out from his body and unable to control of himself.

A surge then wrapped and surrounded over the rookie until a form fastened into a different shape. Consumed from within, the cause for this happening was the black gem. It singled out to its own agenda and possessed the rookie without an effort.

Geos, now being helpless, was lost in the darkness as the only thing left for him was the empty shell for the gem to take control. It had founded a host.

======

The battle raged on as Twilight now joined with Hover to fend off against the numbering butlers. She aimed her horn and fired another powerful beam. The shot was dodged by the agile warrior that was coming of his sword and directly at the lavender’s head.

But old Hover came into her rescue in time, raising an icy wall between the mare and the butler. The blade was then stuck at the wall and the butler was unable to pull it out in time before he was opened for another magical beam. The two butlers behind challenged the captain intense duelling. Their swords clanged against his as they were pushed aside by the torrent of water that the caster unleashed.

Captain Hover used the power of the gem, more frequently than ever as he was getting the hang of it with his acquired ability. Twilight took a slight glance at the captain and was amazed on how well he was able to adjust so easily upon his first try. But knowing heartily, the lavender mare knew that he was enjoying it.

The two combined forces of Hover, the gray captain of the Soulus guard, and Twilight, the harbinger of the Elements of Magic, had proved that the butlers didn’t had the chance of succession. Though they tried and almost succeeded, none were close enough to reach to them with their swords or other means of long-range weaponry.

That was then Wheler stepped for the solution.

The rest of remaining butlers stood aside as the greatest of them all rose against the bothersome two. With his extendable double iron sticks there was no time for the two to react as Wheler darted off with incredible agility. Upon his first attack, the gray captain was bluntly hit and pushed aside for Wheler’s appointed direction: the beastly mare.

Twilight beamed her horn, summoning a powerful ray against the coming butler, but shockingly enough, the shot was reflected and she was opened for an attack. Without any time to dodge, the lavender mare was grasped by the throat of the butler’s hold. Wheler grinned with pity of the creature as he threw the mare like a ragged doll. It would only then that she was saved by Hover’s recoverable catch.

“My magic...it was reflected?” said the lavender mare shockingly. “How could this be?”

Wheler heartily laughed “You know better, beast, that my weapons were refined by the rarest of earths. A type of ore that was used from long ago to challenge those of the higher power and those with accursed magic.”

“Lerisium,” Hover guessed.

“That is correct.” Wheler wasted no time for discussion as he sprinted once more against the two. The gray captain conjured icicle spikes, but all them were dodged by the quick and agile warrior. Resentful, he resorted into melee and contacted with his icy sword.

The two warriors battled them out in a speedily duel while Twilight recovered from the toss and joined in to the fight. The other butlers was on the verge and blocked the mare’s path, focusing with all of their effort to subdue the beast. Splitting the duo from apart, Wheler had the time alone with the captain, blocking the heavy, feral swings without any difficulty.

Wheler was trained for this; trained to battle against the Harten and to all those that wielded of magic. He had a cold, logical expression from his face and a slight hint of disappointment for the captain. His moves were quick and accurate that Hover was unable to keep up and was simply receiving several reprisal attacks from the butler.

Wheler gave a lowly kick at the leg, collapsing the captain to the ground. His iron stick then thrust onto the captain’s hand where the gem was holding and forcibly dropped it from the sheer pain. He then clamped his boot unto the captain’s chest, with his other iron stick pointing directly to the head.

“It is over,” Wheler stated victoriously. “You and your petty attempts had fallen.” He slightly gazed at the other butlers, where they were successful enough to overwhelm the lavender mare and rendered all of her chances to counter. “Haha, you are foolish that you could defeat us. Look at you, the captain of the Soulus guard, now laid defeated by mere butlers. It is unheard off really, but you won’t get to see another chance when I--?.”

Interruptingly, Wheler was abruptly stopped and turned his head at the corner one of the caves. He saw yellow gleaming eyes hidden from the shadow as the figure appeared into the light. It was the rookie, Geos.

The butlers quickly surrounded the rookie, seeing him as another threat, but for Wheler, he saw this as an opportunity.

“Geos! Thank goodness you are alright,” Twilight said struggling to break free from the butlers but to no avail. “What are you doing here? Get out while you still have the chance.”

The rookie remained silent and confused at the lavender mare’s speech.

“What are standing around for?!” Hover shouted impatiently. “Go get help you blighted fool!”

The rookie didn’t like what the captain was saying to him. He glared furiously of his yellow eyes. Twilight then soon took to notice that there was something wrong with Geos and she grimly knew the reason.

Wheler heartily blurted into laughter. “You have no right to tell him what to do,” he beamed to the gray captain with enthusiasm. “Not anymore.” He grabbed one of the butlers sword and handed the weapon to him. “Finish him, Geos. Eliminate the captain and the lavender beast and we can regroup to my master. Once he saw the result of your completion, you shall be amongst the rank as her third and final knight."

Geos stared at Wheler then at the sword. He willingly accepted and clutched tightly at the sword. His yellow, feral eyes then beamed at the downed captain. With both his hand at the hilt, he raised the sword up high in aim for the captain’s heart.

“Geos, don’t do this!” cried out Twilight, but the rookie paid any attention to her as he was ready for the deadly plunge. The lavender mare was grimly aware of the situation and didn’t knew what to do but to be helpless to stop him.

As the rookie prepared himself, he slightly grinned at the captain and to all of such things in life. “I see,” he began, starting to laugh aloud with madness. Everyone became unsteady as the rookie couldn’t bear to control his frightful glee. “For so long I’ve been following orders and never have I thought I would be following an order. Ah memories"

The rookie still bluntly laughed which Wheler had grown mightily impatient. "What are you doing, Geos?! Finish him!" he ordered commandingly.

The maniacal laugh quickly faded and the rookie turned his glare at the butler, with the sword, that was given to him, pointing direct and true. "No. Never once more shall I heed to you or anyone else ever again for the rest of my existence."

"Foolish blither, what are you muttering about? I gave you an order!"

"Then I'm telling you to go to the abyss." It had taken only a single punch that Wheler was plunged off from ground and came crashing down to his fellow comrades. The butlers then plunged their effort at the role with swords and steel and all would come breaking loose.

Able to move freely, Hover was manageable enough to retrieve the blue gem and cast out a quickened escape. Admitting terribly, the conditions weren't suitable to them and that the battle had already been lost. Though he argued that this retreat was a cowardly move, the priority was the mare’s absolute safety, as well as with Geos.

Grabbing Twilight from the clutches of the butlers, they moved in haste through the controlling waters and ascended toward to upper ground. Wheler, with the support of his comrades, risen up to his feet while pressing down the soaring chest. “Well, that was something new,” he commented as the butlers were sent forth in pursuit against the three.

======

The waving waters had faded as the gray captain had lost all of his strength to continue. Drained from extensive use from the blue gem, Hover was laid at the dirt, exhausted too go any further at of this point.

They were safe for the moment, afar from the pursuable butlers that wanted the three to be dead and gone. Their destination had lead them to a horrible place of grinding gears and steam and bolts of science. This was the machination room and this is where Twilight had first glimpse the horrible experiment that conducted over the innocent victims.

“Can you stand up?” Twilight asked to the captain, trying to force him up onto his feet. “Come on, we need to get out of here as best as we can.”

“It is no use, Twilight. I am done,” said Hover submissively. “I don’t have the strength to continue . I cannot move.”

“No, no, don’t say such a thing,” Twilight scolded glaringly. “You can make it. I know you will. Geos, help us. We need to get out of here.”

“But why would I want to do that, little mare,” Geos chuckled in delight, sighting at the wonders of complex machinery. “What a remarkable machine. Have these little creatures have the capability of such knowledge. Remarkable. Truly remarkable. To think that they were some back-bone primates with the mind of a common beast and dogs. But clearly, I was mistaken. Oh, what a marvelous machine...”

“What in goddess are you talking about? What is wrong with you, Geos?”

“Haha, you are the one to talk, little mare,” Geos lowered his head in level of Twilight and stared directly at her eyes. “But I am not the man that you are talking to.” His smile was shown with disarray and contentment for he was not of himself of this late. In grimly truth, the rookie...was not rookie at all.

Twilight had glimpse that the person in front of him was different and then to her shocking realization, “You're...the artifact?! The black gem!”

The dark object grinned. “When did you first notice? That you had to guess of my sudden change of my personality or that of my yellow eyes. Foolish little mare, you have no idea what is playing here.” He gazed at the exhausted captain and snickered. “Though, your friend needs of bit of attention right now.”

Twilight turned her head at the captain, who now suffered a relapse from the effects of the gemstone as he jerked and wailing in pain. She examined at the condition and was oblivious to know what to do to help him. “What is this? What’s happening to him?”

“All those that sworn to the Heart of Stone must pay a tollable fee,” Geos explained ominously. “A required price of the holder, a some sort of payment as you will for its services. I believe that time had come too early for him."

“Name any price,” Twilight added desperately. "Name any price that could save him! I would give him anything right now to ensure his safety."

The black gem chortled and mocked at her valiant and noble attempt, but his laughter had died down quickly as he slightly glanced at her necklace. "There is nothing to be done, little mare. He alone, must pay the debt to the Heart of Stone and nothing more you could do to stop on what's happening next."

Twilight was worried for her friend and she was hesitated to ask. "What kind of price does he need to pay?"

The black gem lowered to her ears and whispered that brought Twilight in disarray. Traumatized in disbelief, she gave a scornful look at the captain. She was indeed useless to help him at all for the price to the stone was the very life itself.

“Do not worry about me, Twilight,” the gray captain finally said, acting confidently of his bravado though his condition worsened after each moment. He knew that one way or another his decision would come back to haunt him. “You have done more enough for me and my guards and for that I am grateful. The gem...it’s calling me, demanding a tribute for its services. I cannot ignore it, Twilight. I must do as it commanded."

“Hover...I,” Twilight said nothing for a moment, swelling into tears and professing herself for the blame. "I never wanted for you to end like this. I never wanted anyone to end like this. So many of them...so willing to die, all because of me. I am so sorry...for everything..."

Time had finally come for the gray captain. As the pain subsided a mystic flow of energy began to seeped out from within his body. The sapphire gem, held from his hand, glowed ever brightly. "Guess...this is how it ends," Hover ominously chuckled at the situation. "Funny, here I thought I would die on the battlefield, but I guess this works fine as well." His body gradually faded and all of his strength were sweeping away from the world and feeding the gem's ravenous hunger.

The sight of his departure has made Twilight became despondent and darkened with unbearable sadness. She withered, and sometimes loathed herself, to the inevitable breaking point and bellowed into tears. But she was lifted up on her hooves by a friendly tap on the cheek.

"Stop crying will you," Hover implied firmly and smiled with a cheeky grin. "I hated it when somebody cries over me. Get out of here, Tweets and never look back. Remember what he said, keep moving...forward." With his final message, the old captain succumbed into an unbearable slumber as his body glowed in a ray of light. Then after that his existence had disappeared from the world.

Heavily heartbroken, Twilight Sparkle saw the energy, the captain's soul, being dragged and sent into the sapphire gem, where it was sated of its hunger and swiftly reformed to its blue crystalline state. The lavender mare stared at the transformed object and saw the end of captain Hover, right before her very eyes yet once more.

"Stupid gem, how dare you!" Twilight glared at the crystal, furious without control and sought to destroy it. However, her path was quickly blocked by none other than Geos.

"Move out of the way," she demanded coldly.

But he did not move an inch. "Be radical, little mare," the black gem implied. "This isn't the time for seeking revenge. It is a time for an escape and--."

"Shut up! I won't hear any about it. Once I am done with this thing, I shall personally deal with you later, in fact, I will deal with you right now." Twilight directed and pointed threateningly her horn.

The black gem irritatingly sighed. "Come on, little mare. Surely you'd be reason to reconsider this attempt."

"Not now, not never!" she argued and then asked a simple question. "What have you done with the real Geos?"

"Heh, you sure are gullible little mare, aren't you?" the black gem proclaimed in slight amusement. "You clearly do not understand how our method works. Your friend, this Geos of him, remains unharmed at of this moment. He is just...resting at the moment and if you shoot me right now, he would die as well by your burst of magic."

Twilight stared directly at the person, unwavering to rid of the entity that dwell within the rookie. She wanted to do it, but she couldn't risk the chance of killing the real Geos. Relenting her magic, she crumbled down to her knees, exhausted due to the heavy stress. She was shattered and broken, unbearable to see anymore of her friends being killed right before her eyes.

"Oh little mare, this isn't your fault," the black gem surprisingly added to comfort the despaired mare. "His choice was his alone and nothing more you could do to stop him. To think, that this day and age that humans were able to bring out the best of them. I wonder what would happen next when I fully grasp the reality of the outside world. This isn't your fault nor of your decision."

“No, it really was,” Twilight confessed. “After months I have spend in this realm to only brought despair and torment to others and many of them were willing to sacrifice themselves for my very well-being. Why, why do they go as so foolishly enough to do such a thing for me?”

“That’s simply being human,” he simply answered. “Easily corrupted they are and cunning, they do hold an admirable quality. They would challenge and thrive and succeed against a common threat whatever the cost. Never taken to heart of their sacrifice, taken heavily of their decision for doing this. Now, let’s get out of here. I finally had enough of this forsaken place.”

Twilight didn’t knew what to say, but to accept it. Her heart was fueled with fury and she wanted to scream of the agony that was building inside. But she had to accept it, knowing in grimful truth, that there would be more deaths to come in the future. She had to acknowledge the reality of it all, for her sake.

======

The two hurried to escape the ominous place as the butlers were right on their tail. The lavender mare gave chase at the unknown path, following the lined mark above the ceiling. She recalled from earlier that there had to be some kind of a transportation, a way to carry the goods to one place to another.

When they arrived her hunch was correct that the possessed Geos was simply astounded. “A portal...marvellous.”

The construction of a portal gateway was complex and hardly the public knew of this knowledge. The ability to cross another land in a blink of an eye. Twilight was slightly marvelled because of it, but her curious was interrupted from the heavy footsteps coming from the distant.

“Goddess, they are coming,” Twilight said worryingly.

“Do you know how to work with this thing?” He asked.

“Maybe, but it would take some time. Oh, we don’t have enough time to spare.”

“Keep working on with the contraption, little mare.” His hand began to itch. “I shall stall them to buy you some time.” He walked ahead afar that he couldn’t hear from Twilight, rattling about in defiance.

Geos, no longer the same but instead being possessed by the blacken gem, sought long of the challenging roads ahead.  Imprisoned from underground for so very long, he’d completely forgotten the scent of blood from a dying prey or the screams of frightened beings, craving for a decent chance of mercy. How he missed it all and how he’d almost forgotten the joyous of life.

He’d never realize that within this human body was a shard of an entity, a sliced part of an unknowable, equine creature. Never he had seen this creature before in his lifetime, but the power coming from it was truly magnificent.

A dark energy wrapped around him, shrouding with unimaginable power and twice as more potent than the failed attempt against the lavender mare. His yellowish eyes now glimpsed at the coming forces as Geos made preparation for the relenting tide of his prey.

“This is going to be fun!” he commented excitingly, ravishing with immeasurable pleasure as the butlers arrived and charged for the coming slaughter. He steadied back against the two butler’s preemptive strike, but were overcome by the heavy force of his bare hands. Grabbing both of them in a single move, he jostled their heads at the chilly floor, grinding their bones with common ease like a grape.

Blood gushed out from their heads as his hand was covered in a warmth of their liquid. He had never felt more alive and the familiar taste of brighten scarlet. The rest of the butlers were halted, watching in dismay of his brutal action. Geos derided the lust for battle once more as two swords were now held in his tainted hands. He wanted more of it, wanted the carnage, the blood, the gore of their dying screams. He craved for more of the action and demanded the attention of his dooming prey.

The butlers had shown their resilient resolve and their faltering courage. They weren’t oblivious of the fact that his condition has been influenced by Nightmare Moon, but there was something of an unnatural presence that lurked from within that they quivered in dreadful fear. A familiar sense that was different...and forgotten.

Before they could comprehend the unknowable entity that shrouded him, the ravaged rookie didn’t leave them a chance to conceive for his eyes was filled with madness for blood. He dodged the pathetic swings from the butlers and thrust the blade of his prey that would sought to kill him and the lavender mare. He hailed in a maniacal laugh, rejoicing at the mirth of the carnage. His movement was demonic, in-humanly possible as he dodged with ease and closure upon the unsuspected butlers.

When Wheler managed to catch up with the rest of his comrades, he was stunned to see the massive damage that one soul could deliver and became unsteadily furious. “What are you doing?” he shouted to the rookie. “Stop of this nonsense, Geos and obey as Nightmare command.”

“How many times do I have to tell you,” Geos eyes with swords in direction at him. “You are mistaken for someone else!” He was precocious, driven insane from the sweet taste of redden blood of Wheler. His swords made contact of the butler’s lerisium sticks where the ravaged soul was ill-bent to end of him.

After all the blood that black stone had absorb and bathe, he promptly forgotten of the lavender mare and the derivable escape from the master’s mansion. The only thing left of his fragmented purpose was for the slaughter for more. He was driven uncontrollable of his senses as Wheler realized the magnitude of this serious threat.

Wheler noticed differently that a mysterious entity, beside than Nightmare Moon, had possessed the rookie and her both. He felt a familiarity, long but forgotten in the ancient old that even he would find this unbelievable. His dual iron sticks blocked the wildly moves of the frenzied maniac, but was having problem after each blow began to pace. The moves of the maniac almost became a blur to him and his reprisal attack was continually blocked after his attempt.

The two was at a standstill, ever equal in the duel as the remaining butlers launched an attack from behind. Wheler was backed away by the heavy push of the madman’s sword and a dark energy began to enfold over him.

In the instant, he gazed at the enchanting power of the rookie and saw two shadowy claws from the fade grabbed tightly of the butlers.

This power that the rookie retrieved was not one of Nightmare Moon’s ability. It was far from different, but extraordinary beyond to describe. With a firmly squeeze, the black stone, that have hold over the rookie, crushed the petty annoyances without remorse and drained all of their life force to of his uses. He gave an ominous chortle, fueling his lust for more and with his nebulous claws, hovering in thin incorporeal air, they advance upon Wheler with no given quarter rest.

Wheler’s weapon had stopped the fainted claws of death, but was already overwhelmed by the rookie’s might  as he was shoved in a appalling distant. The shadowy claws reached in its range, tightening its fist and pounding at the speedy, but pressured butler.

Hit after hit, blow after blow, he dodged the lethal blows and was almost close to a terrible falter by the caster’s might. With its terrible plunge, he shielded behind the heavy machine, but it proved that his cover didn’t provide much of security for the claws smashed between the bolt and gears and grasped firmly upon the rapid nuisance that the rookie had craved.

Geos eyed at the final moments of Wheler’s demise. There were others that tried to defend him, but all had either fled from the caster’s blasphemous magic or fallen in their falsely attempt to protect their leader. He had him by inches of his grasp, desiring the taste of his essence. He gradually squeezed his claws and just as he was about to succeed a sudden click ringed in his mind.

The black stone that possessed of Geos began to struggle to control of his movement. The faintly giant claws withered and vanished in split second, dropping the butler not of his will. “So...you still manage to resist,” he mused, talking to himself. His hand quivered uncontrollably as violet veins of cracks began appearing all over his face. “Ease....you are...not bound for...control...”

Wheler didn’t knew what was happening or why, but he couldn’t care any less. He pulled away from his certain death as more butlers arrived as reinforcement. They quickly saw the devastation of their fallen comrade, but were swiftly directed by the horrid look upon their leader.

“Set up the charges...” that was Wheler said and the only thing he said.

The butlers looked at him with unease. “Sir, but the portal. Without it we--”

“Do it as I command, you hear me. Seal off the entrance!”

The butlers didn’t questioned their leader any further, seeing his rather incommodious state. Two of them were diverge upon the explosive devices that was grimly near to the distracted rookie. As they lighted the fuse everyone departed, fled, from their safely range as the explosion ripped through all that stood and near.

The eruption burst much of the debris, destroying everything in its path along the way. Fire and metal covered much of the emptied space as Geos stared bluntly of his destruction and was shrouded in flames. The passage of the gate-portal had collapsed, burying in dirt. Wheler just stood there in front of the closed entrance, striving to comprehend the unfamiliar transformation of the rookie.

“Sir, what had happened?” One of the butlers asked.

The response would be with horror, shock or furious. But Wheler just smiled, just smiled. Because of the circumstances he amusingly walked away from the wreckage, acquiring a valuable information that had left the other butlers perplexed.

======

Twilight rushed in haste by the noise of explosion as she met countless fallen butlers and a ton of rubble, inaccessible to cross at the other side. To her dismay by the death and destruction, she didn’t took notice of the presence that was rising from behind.

She quickly peered her eye at the side and jerked back to then only encounter the rookie. “Don’t scare me like that!” she shouted, but her reaction turned to startle by the amount of blood that was coming from him.

“Hah, do not be so foolish to think like that,” he chucked. “I have no intention of killing you at any point. Not after what happened to this place.”

Twilight was unease on the last remark that came from him, scratching that, the dark entity that shrouded the rookie. The black gem had taken over Geos, that she could clearly sure of it, but the ominous question part was what does it want.

The possessed Geos was humbled in his laughter as was his power, relaxed and tired from all such workout. “Let us depart, little mare. I am rather tired today and all as such things, I wanted to get some sleep.”

As much as Twilight wanted some answer from the black gem, she must admit that they need to escape from this place as possible and report the graving news to the Soulus council. They returned to the portal, where it was fully functional in a swirling light. It wasn’t difficult for the lavender mare to make the portal working, noting that she studied and read books about human machinery.

Using magic as the source, the portal functioned temporarily and opened a way to the unknown destination. She hesitated although on what was on the other side, but Geos didn’t hesitate of such worry or strife and proceeded through the portal. Twilight gave a rightly scorn and followed next and both had vanished as the portal ceased of all of power.

=====

Both emerged from the exit, with Twilight at bay prepared at what was on the other side. Fortunately, their enemies were nowhere in sight, long gone from their resoluted duty. The only thing she saw on the other hand was three Soulus guards that was waiting for their arrival.

The guards were the prisoners that Twilight had liberated them in the time spent at the mansion. Along with the captured civilians that she freed, the guards had managed to secure the area and one sighed with tremendous amount of relief to see the lavender mare once more.

“Blood and piss, you almost given me a heart attack,” the first guard commented as the other two noticed of the disturbance. The three were quite suspicious from Geos, covering full in bloody stain before he walked at the side to avoid bringing terror amongst the civilians.

“Twilight, what in Savior’s might is going on?” the second guard asked, suspicious of the rookie. “Why is Geos is covered in blood? What’s going on with the mansion and what has happened with the captain?”

Twilight lowered down her head and remained silent for a moment, being afraid to tell the gravely news.  “One at the time, gentlemen,” she replied and changed the delicate subject. “but first things first, give me the report.”

“The place is secure misses Sparkle,” said the third guard obediently. “By the look of the place we have suspected to be some kind of abandon warehouse and when we head outside to see on where we are...you better come with me and see for yourself.”

Twilight was quite overall worried and followed. She could see the civilian’s murmuring each other of the walking, talking beast and the events that transpired them. As she was at the iron gate, the guard slided the door open and a wave of light blinded the lavender mare.

Adjusting by the light, she stepped out from the warehouse. Her eyes was widened in shock for she knew of this place and knew it very well. She stood to gaze the massive castle peaks and homely building structures at the far distant. They were at an abandon cannon’s factory.

They were at the capitol.