Pony's Sacrificeby LoneUnicornWriterChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1Chapter 1: Meeting A Sorcerer Outside the Walls of Panadon There I was… In the gathering hall of the Panadon Fortress. I was waiting in line for my first mission. My first advance mission in the Panadon. Sorcerers would be squealing with joy, but I for one was not happy at all. This only, for me as sorcerer, mean a lesser chance of survival. Although there was only one sorcerer in front of me, I became very impatient waiting in line, looking where I shouldn't be looking. “It’s quite difficult not looking at a mare’s rump. Especially since I never really had the time to stare,” I muttered slightly annoyed. I was always trying to master a spell or killing other small fiends. Training was always what I did. It's what coursed through my very veins. To become very strong... The hall was filled with all different types of sorcerers from your novices to your elites. I personally didn't like that fact that the walls were made from the skins of these ugly fiends. Some sorcerers would say to me that is just to give a little scare. It sure did seem like an awkward reason, I thought as I moved a step closer behind the sorcerer in front of me. The sorcerer was cover with blue cape that was slightly torn at its edges. The hood cover its head, so I couldn't make out exactly who that sorcerer was, but my right hoof started to speak to me. Or at least it tried to. The sounds coming from it told me that there was something familiar with him. I couldn't understand those feelings all too well. But having at least a little idea keeps me from forgetting certain sorcerers. I strolled up to the counter as the sorcerer made his leave. It was made out of the bones of different fiends by the way. When I found out I was not surprised, mainly because I got used to my surroundings by then. The stallion at the counter was covered in a black robe and once again the hood cover his eyes. “What mission would you like?” he said searching through some papers he had in his hoof. “The toughest one you have,” I replied. “Are you sure?” the hooded stallion reassured him a warning gesture, “Once you go out there with this pact, you can’t return till it’s either complete or you’re found dead. You do know that right?” There was then a moment of silence. Did I really want to go through with this? I said to myself as I gazed at the stone ground and then to my right hoof. The pressure started to fill the air as all other sorcerers had all their eyes upon me. Am I really gonna turn this down? Yes! Why should I accept a mission just to prove how strong of sorcerer I am? No need right? “Yes…” I mumbled. “What did you say? I didn’t cat-” “I said yes! Now hand to me!” I demanded as I held out my hoof. I felt quite at ease even though my heart was pounding madly. He dipped his hoof in some ink and pressed onto the paper the Panadon’s stamp of approval, and then handed it to me. I snatched the paper made my leave from the hall as well… “Finally!” I said trotting out of the gathering hall doors. I dropped the scroll in my saddlebag and covered it over with my brown cape. “Now I could venture out of this place, and get started on my own journey, traveling the world all on my own. I am finally fed up with these missions, and I’m tired of sleeping on stone bed.” Yeah, it wasn’t the best of places to be other than staying away from arch fiends of other places. I felt so alive at the fact the I could be free from the fortress itself. I rushed out of the gates with an abundance of joy. *** As I finally got outside of the fortress, I smiled tossing my saddlebag into the air. I felt all the freedom, and I knew I wasn’t going to go back. “Yes! Freedom's finally mine!” I shouted up into the sky. I felt… alive, I felt stronger. I noticed the capacity in the amount of air I took in increased as I breathed the fresh air the world had to offer me. Then I looked back at the giant fortress. I couldn’t help but feel sad for the friends I was with inside that giant prison, everything so controlled. But that was passed me know, I couldn’t go back. I turned out towards the world. Gazing at the ground, at strode my hoof slowly along the earth’s soil. I decided for the streak I have made in the ground to be the starting point for my adventure. Yeah… This is where it begins, I thought trotting off into the forest. For some reason I felt that every tree I gazed upon the need to laugh. I didn’t really know why, I guess being on my own without a partner gave me freedom to do so. I traveled a good distance into the forest. The area I was in was dark for the most part. Streaks of light came down from different spots and had stretched as far as my eyes could see. I took every step with great caution. I’m very excited about venturing places all on my own. But I don’t want to be the unlucky sorcerer who died just outside of it either. My pupils swayed from side to side as I slowly traveled through the dark and silent forest. The pressure was on. My focus was beyond what I could see, and If I could just make it to the other side of the forest. All I need is some time, I thought. Just then, I heard something move with great speed behind me. I felt I should turned to see what it was, but my arm starting burning, and it somehow started giving me the thought of running. I trotted across the forest keeping near the stream of lights. I went hastily through any thicket or branch that stood my way. I kept going forward and ever faster. I couldn’t stop. Fear kept me going. I didn’t want to die. No, not in the forest just outside the fortress. I’ve waited too long for such a simple death. My lungs started to burn. My breathing became short and difficult. I heard the destructive sounds of the monster coming ever so closer behind me. I felt as though my life was coming to its unfortunate end. My body came to a halt, and stumbled to the ground and then tumbled down a small hill. The dust the filled my throat and made me cough about. I slowly got up and turned behind only to meet the terror of the monster that towered of my tired body. I dropped on my rump and looked up in complete despair. I looked up at the monster body. It appeared to be confused. I mean it looked like a monster with deformed parts. It had eye were his arm should be, and his mouth were his forehead would be. It was a very confusing and quite disturbing site. My body was cover for the most part in mud. I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t yell. No pony would’ve heard my screams of despair before my death, but I at least wanted to do that. But upon further thinking… maybe not. After all, I didn’t want to be known as a scaredy cat. The hideous monster grabbed me up by the hand. I felt all of its power as it started to crush every bone in my frail body. The pain became unbareable. Breathing only became evermore so difficult. This is it, I thought as everything became wavy. This is end... This was truly the end for me, I thought as eyelids closed. It was only waiting to be freed from my mortal body. But something happened. I opened my eyes and tried with the little energy I had left and looked down at the monster. To my surprise, the monster had a hole with molten lava flowing down its legs. Now who could've possibly done that, I thought as I looked around. I watched down on both sides but saw nothing. The arm of the monster broke away, and I fell to the ground. I laid on my back deeply in pain. I was relieved to be alive, but I started thinking that maybe it of no use that I was living now that I can't move, just as much value as a rock. "Here I laid on my back bleeding to death in the of a forest just outside the fortress," I said to myself gazing up at the light which came from a small opening of the branches. I spent the last moments to my end wondering why did it have to be there, and why me? A shadow slowly came over my eyes. I became afraid. I didn't want to die, I thought. I wanted to live and see beyond these common lands. I became better and stronger by the moment. It's quite an odd feeling for what I actually expected. When the healing sensation had left me, I felt whole with life again, ready to move forward once more. My vision became clear again. I hopped up with joy. If anything, I had to thank the stallion that just saved my life. Or so I thought... When I had turned to meet the sorcerer, I was completely dismayed. Mare sorcerers were never this strong in battle till now of course. "Did you kill...?" She looked straight through me with those cold yet innocent eyes of light green. "How did you get outside without a partner?" the mare asked as she pulled off the hood of her dark crimson cloak. As she asked that question, I thought of the consequences that followed not having one. At most times, not having a partner meant death without trial. Not following the rules of Panadon usually meant that anyhow. I guess going back with my pact still in my saddlebag meant that my life could be spared, I thought as I went towards the bag near the monsters hand. "I don't know... uh," I said as I turned back to her while opening my saddlebag. Her voice was beautiful. Sadly, I didn't have the words to fully describe the sweet and soft sound of her voice. I actually forgot she was asking me a question. "Wait what did you ask again? Really sorry about that." "Well, I had asked how are you gonna get back?" "Easy, I was just gonna go back using this pact right here," I said as I showed her the pact. "Uh..." "What?" I asked as I looked back at what I thought was the pact. My eyes widened. All I could've thought was me never returning to Panadon. "Welp, guess that's exile for me," I said as I sighed in full regret. "We have to get out of here, or else we will encounter more monsters. So follow me or die," she said as she trotted off further into the forest. I was pleased for a bit. Now I didn't have to worry about dying at least. But another thought dawned on me which kept me from proceeding onward. Did I have to follow her wherever she went? If I did, for how long? I didn't learn much from Arcane School, but if I did learn anything it was that you couldn't trust another sorcerer for long. But in any case I followed her. I had to. I mean, where else could I have gone without putting my life in great danger? Following her was my best and only option at that point. I had to survive, I had to live. I didn’t know what it was that compelled me to do this, maybe perhaps my right arm, but I just must go on. “Are you coming or not?” “Yeah, I’m coming.” Chapter 2Chapter 2: A Possible Bonding with an Unknown Sorcerer So... my journey started and probably would end forever, following her. This mare was oddly strong. Her arm definitely gave me the sense not to play around with her. Well... I guess it was just my assumption after all. Even though that monster was the only proof I needed, that could still just be luck. "Careful, we must move quickly through this area if we are to make it out of this forest," the mare said as she hastened her hoofsteps. The area of the forest we were in had trees that looked fleshy. It were as though they were alive. The pulse it gave were as though it were flowing from a live and massive creature. Blood fell from the branches as raindrops. I guess that explained the crimson color to her dark cloak. Although, I really wanted to know why it had never stained her beige coat. My puffy white mane was being soaked in blood. We ran a great distance, but it seemed as though the area we were in was not a small space at all. It made me question how big was this forest in the first place? "Hey, do you know how long does this forest go on for?" "This forest is very wide, so I would say we're about a few miles off from exiting this place," the mare said as we both kept on running. We kept on running. We ran for miles. At first, I was convinced we were going to reach the end of it in a day of travel, but I was very wrong. The more we had traveled the darker the area had become. I guess that signified the night was near. The pulsing trees of flesh started glowing. It made the forest more scarier than one could imagine. It was like you're in some creature’s body. I heard the pulsing sounds as it pulsed in harmony with the forest. I even felt the ground pulse as though it were alive... I was so deep in thought at that point. I didn't even notice the mare was calling out to me. I never thought one could be kept so far from reality just by thinking. "Hey! We could get a move on before a wild monster comes and kills us!" "What monsters? I don't see any monsters." "Ugh…” the mare said as she put her face in the curve of her hoof. “Well here you gonna learn that there are those you can't see for they lurk underground and roam across the land seeking whom they may devour. I just don’t want neither you nor me to learn that the hard way." My heart skipped a beat. I started to tremble upon hearing such words. I gazed down at the ground and started to make babies steps hoping that one wasn’t under him now. Could she possibly speaking the truth? Is it possible that one could be lying in wait for our blood beneath us at this very moment? "Hurry, I don't want fight any monsters. My cabin is just ahead. And you could definitely use a bath to wash off all that blood," the mare said as she trotted off further into the forest. The first that came to my mind was how did she live in such a damned forest as this? How was she not dead yet? When I had reached her cabin, my face cringed as I looked at the house. Its roof was covered in heaps of flesh, the sides had skins and furs that were sewn together, and appeared to be windows were covered with tissues leaving a few small holes for air to seep in. Even the door was flesh and had a large eye in it. We had walked up to the door, and I was without words to not see the eye could move but had the ability to talk. It was freakish on all levels for me to put it simple. "I see you brought a visitor today. Luckily, there's a spare room for you stranger. Or else I would had no other choice but to unfortunately eat you." I wasn't so surprise that it was capable of doing such things. I mean, this mare that was next to me must have live here before, and she did call it her house. But I felt she wanted me dead from the start. It was very easy to silence a sorcerer of my status, especially being of first level user of the 'Dark Arm'. The door opened its mouth, and we walked right in. I didn’t know the reason why I walked in, I just did. It felt as though I had stepped through a magical illusion. It was a nice house having the walls painted with a beautiful green, the ceiling painted with the color of pillow, and the tiles were the color of sapphire blue. It also didn’t smell as I expected. It smelt clean and fresh. Everything looked nice, but I couldn’t tell for sure if what I was seeing was all real or a lie. She lead me into the room I was supposed to sleep in for the night. I went in and gave the ok to leave. The room felt gloomy and dark. It felt as though something watching me, but I couldn’t see what it was through the bright colors that presented all around me. The ceiling was painted gray, the walls were painted with pink, and the floor was red. My eyes narrowed, and my lips were slightly folded. I only was staying here for a night anyhow, but these colors were absolutely terrible. I put my head in the pillow and found a little comfort. I slept that night, and I had quite the sleep. I had opened my eyes. I shot up from my lying position, raced backwards and fell off the other side of the bed. My left hoof grabbed hold of the side of the bed, and I was panting madly. “Why would you do that?” “I came to wake you up. I didn’t think you were gonna freak out like that. Anyhow let’s get a move on. If we want to get out of this forest, we’re gonna have to start moving now,” the mare said as she walked out of the room. I slowly got up onto my hooves and walked out of the room. I closed the door shut and followed the mare out of the house. We then started gaining grounds at the break of dawn. No arch fiends were roaming around, but the forest still pulsed as though it were living. My suspicions were too high not to have asked a question. “Excuse me, are we running on something alive?” “Yes, but if you want to hear more, you must keep up with me.” “This place is called Galacon. It was said in an old tale that a stallion farmer used to work the lands of some area. One day, the farmer came across an old witch who gave him a plant that didn’t seem to grow like other plants. The farmer tried all he knew on the plant as far as he knew agriculture but nothing worked until an idea flashed across his mind.” “What was that idea?” “Giving it blood.” There was a bit of a pause, but she broke the silence by continuing on. “That was the idea. When he went on with the idea, it had succeeded and the plant was said to grow into a tree. But after some time, it stopped growing. No matter how much blood he gave it just wouldn’t grow. I forgot the rest of the story, but it went kind of like him sacrificing himself and that tree grew larger thus brung about all of this.” “Oh, alright.” I hastened my steps. We traveled many miles, and I finally saw a change of scenery. I wasn’t being dapped in the color of blood. There was not much flesh like trees. The ground had lumps of what appeared to be hearts. I wanted to touch a few to how they would respond, but I was afraid I might lose her. We kept on running and running. My patience started to dry up like a desert. All I was thinking was, How long will it be before we are on the other side? ***** We traveled for two days without any food. Our arms were slowly eating at all the nutrients and blood we had left. We had to feed our arms. It was sad fact that those who had a dark arm had to constantly feed their arm or else they would take the place in being its food. I watched my partner, limping as she struggled to push onward. I too started to walk slower and felt lighter. My arm was hungry, and I needed to feed it. We kept onward. We didn’t stop until a group of Rabbits came our way. They were all skinless, just flesh and bone and roared like lions. We both stood and the mare dropped her book. We started off forming up rock spears and hurled them at the the ravening rabbits. They swiftly flowed through our wave of spears and were ready to render us completely with their sharply extended claws. I quickly pulled up a earth wall in front of us. Then I made armor out of the earth and charged through the wall into one of the rabbit fiends. I pulled myself out of the ground and watched down at the pile of flesh in front of me. I backed up and turned back at the others who were charging at me. I pounced the ground with my hoof and out came fist of earth, and it had the other rabbit fiend propel backwards into a tree. I raced as best I could to the mare who laid on the ground severely wounded. In trying to make it to her, I was tackled to the ground by the last rabbit. The fiend and I exchanged blows. It bit at my side, and I returned the pain with the fluttering of my hooves to the jaw. After struggling with the fiend for quite some time, I was able to bring down on its back. The rabbit roared, and I came down with both my hooves and smashed its brains in completely. I afterwards completely sacrificed the beast, and it had satisfied my arm. I rushed over to the mare. Her bones were clearly seen through her beige coat. I took off her cloak and used the earth to drag her over to a pile of fiend flesh. “Here take in the beast, so that you may be well.” “Why… save me?” the mare said sacrificing the beast. She stood stronger than ever facing me. “I could watch you just die there. And plus... we’re friends right?” “Friends?” “Yeah. Friends.” The mare turned and walked over to the book that had fallen from her. She picked it up and placed it in her saddle bag. I sat on the ground and waited for us to continue on. She slowly tied her cloak around her neck and stood for a moment. She then looked up at the trees then back down as she passed a hoof across her eyes. “What is your name sorcerer?” “Umm…” I thought for a moment as I placed my hoof under my chin. “You could call me umm… Cake” “Cake...” “Yeah… weird isn’t it?” I said with smiled adorned on my face. “No, it isn’t… I thank you for saving me,” the mare said as she started to gallop away, ever more deeper into the forest. “Let’s go. We have quite some miles left to cover.” “Right,” I said as I followed behind her. Chapter 3Chapter 3: The Earth trembles from the Darkness We've been traveling the forest for two weeks now. We survived on the small fiends that we had sacrificed. I was still just a basic dark arm user. I guess I could say I’ve gotten better since I had entered this place. It just came to me that she still hadn’t told me her name after all the time we have been partners. Or are we?... “I could see it!” the mare cried. She galloped even faster, and I was struggling to keep up with her. “See what?” I asked with a frown. “I could see the end of the forest! We must not be far off!” the mare said. The area was still filled with flesh like trees and plants, and the earth still pulsed. We’ve been traveling for so long that I started to think we were in some giant maze that we couldn’t escape from. Sometimes I thought of the idea of going back only to have it thrown away because how far we already were into this never ending forest. I felt an odd presence ahead, and just then we had come across a large tree. It divided the path before us. The mare had predicted that we both should take the left path. I didn’t like the feeling of the path and my arm started to burn in agreement. “Are you coming?” the mare asked as she watched me search my saddlebag like a mad pony. “Umm, where is my pact that was burned?” “Oh, that pact,” she said as she dropped down her saddlebag. After she opened the bag, she then pulled out the pact and held it up with her magic “You mean this one?” My breathing came to a halt, my eyes were fixed on the perfectly clean pact. I started trembling when I looked closely at the printed name written at the bottom “Forest Heart...?” “Yes, that is my name,” she said as she lowered the scroll. "Does that mean... that you were my partner this whole time and that you weren't some wandering sorcerer?" I scowled as my eyes narrowed thin. "Yes, I was always your partner. Did you think you could escape the watchful eyes of Panadon? You're not clever at all for making such a foolish attempt." She took up her saddlebag and continued further down the path. "You're not gonna take me hostage. I refuse to go any further with you," I said as took a step back. "I'm afraid you can't." "Why not?" I retorted. My eyes solely fixed on that double crossing Witch. I didn't stop looking into those green eyes of deception, not for one moment. Forest’s eyes narrowed with a devious smile. If anyone could pull off that smile better than she did, it would have to be one who was cunning with lies. "You made an agreement to take the advance pact. Once a sorcerer makes an advance pact with Panadon, you are to complete its task for them to acknowledge you as a true sorcerer. My heart started pounding madly. I gazed down at the ground. My body started to heat up like a furnace. I didn't know the administrators of Panadon were this good at keeping a sorcerer under a pact. And I'm angry to have underestimated such devotion. "Let's go. We can't stand here for long. We must reach the forest’s end." I followed her down the suggested path and didn't ask why. I wanted to see her true motives even though she already tricked me. Then again I should only expect that from a sorcerer that wanted to be recognized by Panadon. ***** After traveling for a few hours, the sun started to set and gave the forest its tan color. My legs were sore from the traveling. We rested there a bit only to be met by a group of mutated cats. I wanted to heave up all that was within me; but then I would have to feed my arm twice as much, which was even more annoying. "Don't just stand there. Let's kill them," Forest said as she glared at them. Her eyes solely focused on the monsters, her tongue hung and a bit of saliva drooled from the tip. She craved for their souls. And so we charged at them. I had summoned up an earth wall to knock back all that stood in the way. Forest came from behind and pushed me aside, and I watched as she tore all the monsters limb to limb and began sacrificing them. "Wow. Never seen you this aggressive for souls before. You know, there's plenty to go around," I said as I put my hoof on top my head. I was very wrong in saying such words to her. She turned and faced me with such vengeance. Her eyes glared at me like a monster would its prey just as it's about to devour its defeated victim. She rushed at me with such speed. I didn't have the time to react, much less to see that she was in front of me, before she began tossing me into trees and rocks. After a few minutes of roughing about the forest— I was beaten half to death by that point— she put her hoof on top my head. "If I hear one more dirty joke from you, you'll be the last cake I eat in a long time." "Heh heh, good joke," I mumbled before she stomped on my face with her hoof. "Clean yourself up and let's get a move on. The night is close, so let's get a fire started," she said as she trotted off to find some wood. "Oh my Ceromulus, she's strong," I mumbled as I started to heal myself. With every few minutes that went by, a sharp pain would jolt through my body, generally when a fractured bone had been healed. It took an hour to be able to move. By then she had long started the fire and it was pitch black all around. The pulsing of the trees made me shiver quite a bit. Despite my injuries, I made it over to the fire and sat down across from Forest. We sat that way for a while and stared at the fire. Then she had broke the silence and said, "I'm going to sleep. You blow out the fire when you're ready." "Yeah, will do," I replied as I walked up to the fire. My sides and back still pained me from earlier. As I covered the fire with some earth, sharp pain came from my right hoof, and I couldn't figure out why. "Goodnight, Forest," I said as I laid on my left side and closed my eyes. The mare didn't respond at all. It was as though she really hated me. I as sorcerer undergoing an ordeal knew we weren't allowed to have any feelings towards each other, but I never felt so uncared for before. The thought of being uncared for was rather new to me. After a while of looking out into the pitch black, I grew tired and my eyelids closed... ****** My eyes shot open and I breathed in the early morning breeze of the forest. I turned behind me only to see that Forest was not in the spot she had slept from last night. I rose to my hooves and started to feel a little nervous. Without thinking any further I continued on in search for her. “Forest!” I shouted loudly as trotted the forest. I stopped and saw an opening area down a lone path. I raced down to the opening and found a wide lake. What I found amazing was that there were beautiful flowers and the trees, and even though were pulsing with flesh, they were natural. My eyes froze as I watched Forest bath in the lake. The sun shone down on her making her appear more beautiful than ever before. I blushed and started back from whence I came, when she called to me. “Cake, where are you going?” “Uh, back to where we slept. I’ll wait for you there. Really sorry I-” “I what?” the beige mare responded as she hopped out of the water and walked closer to me. “I invaded your privacy,” I said as I slowly walked off. She quickly placed a hoof on my shoulder before I went too far. I stopped for a sec but then continued on until she tugged harder at my side. “Stop,” she said as she walked up besides me. She then looked into my brown eyes and placed her hoof under my chin. “I didn’t mean to do what I did to you yesterday. I just… I just don’t like being made fun off,” Forest said as she walked off towards the pool. I followed for I was intrigued to find out more about her. “If only you could forgive me, I know we’re sorcerers, but I hate being mean to my partners and especially my one and only friend,” She said turning back to meet my eyes. “You.” I was at a loss for words. I walked closer to her. “I could always forgive a friend.” Forest walked up to me and took off my cape. She took my hoof and pulled me, and we walked towards the middle of the lake where the sun shone down on us both. I looked into her beautiful green eyes as she smiled and blushed staring into mine. Our faces came closer to each other, and our muzzles met. We wrapped each others tongues. She grabbed on my mane as we continued kissing, and my hoof held her black mane. It was such an intimate moment. Immediately after, I suddenly withdrew myself from her and walked out of the water. “What happened?” “We cannot continue this,” I said as my head dropped down. “We are sorcerers.” “But I want to be your lover.” “But the pact.” “You mean the one you had?” “What do you mean I had?” I asked as I turned to her in confusion. “I burned it.” “What?” “I burned it up. I wanted us to escape together,” the mare explained as she walked out of the water and closer to me. “I wanted to bring back the world we once knew. I wanted to bring back Equestria. I couldn’t do it if we completed our ordeal.” I was surprised to know that somepony other than myself was interested in changing the world back to the way it was before. I actually thought that I was the only pony. "Wow, that was my purpose in leaving Panadon." I was completely filled with joy to know that my partner had the same interest as mine. "We should start moving now then my love. The evening will catch us still here if we don't go now," she said as trotted passed me in the forest. I followed her with an ever so light heart. My adventure turned out not to be so bad or tough after all. We made haste and continued down the path of a forest filled with trees of flesh. We were traveling fine until are sharp eruption sent us off our hooves and into a boulder. With our faces in the earth, we slowly mounted up on our hooves and looked around for what beast had been lurking for our souls. I looked to one side while Forest had looked to the other. We both offered up our parts. I turned mine into a giant hoof while hers had turned into a giant horn. There was not one sound but all was too quiet for us to have kept on moving. Whatever that fiend was, it had to be dealt with immediately. "Once the beast comes out we slay it," Forest moved her eyes in many directions, expecting the worst. "You don't have to tell me twice," I looked about my part. I started to shiver for never have I seen a fiend wait so long to attack unless it's what I feared. That we might have come into contact with an arch fiend. "If what I feel is true, then we will need to fight with our lives." "What's true?" "That we are actually facing an arch fiend for the first time." "Then your feelings must cause you some real depression at times because I didn't get that sense at all." "Well, I always had a weird but strong mind sense." Dark shadows danced out of sight in the forest as tremors shook the earth. The sheer force of the quakes began to uproot nearby flesh trees, causing blood to flow like a river toward us. Whatever was causing those tremors was moving right at us. "Ready?" I asked. "Ready," Forest responded I reeled back my right hoof a good way for a solid impact. She took stance what launched up from the ground would plunge right into her horn. As it came very near to us, it had stopped and stood still for a few moments. I became slightly bored, and my offering quickly ran out turning back into my regular right hoof. Just at that moment, lightning came down from the skies and something popped up from the ground. We both stood still when and eye shot open and glared straight at us. We were still in shock as we watched the staff rise up from the ground with so many eyes. But we then moved our focus to the giant fleshy hoof that came up afterwards...
Chapter 1Chapter 1: Meeting A Sorcerer Outside the Walls of Panadon There I was… In the gathering hall of the Panadon Fortress. I was waiting in line for my first mission. My first advance mission in the Panadon. Sorcerers would be squealing with joy, but I for one was not happy at all. This only, for me as sorcerer, mean a lesser chance of survival. Although there was only one sorcerer in front of me, I became very impatient waiting in line, looking where I shouldn't be looking. “It’s quite difficult not looking at a mare’s rump. Especially since I never really had the time to stare,” I muttered slightly annoyed. I was always trying to master a spell or killing other small fiends. Training was always what I did. It's what coursed through my very veins. To become very strong... The hall was filled with all different types of sorcerers from your novices to your elites. I personally didn't like that fact that the walls were made from the skins of these ugly fiends. Some sorcerers would say to me that is just to give a little scare. It sure did seem like an awkward reason, I thought as I moved a step closer behind the sorcerer in front of me. The sorcerer was cover with blue cape that was slightly torn at its edges. The hood cover its head, so I couldn't make out exactly who that sorcerer was, but my right hoof started to speak to me. Or at least it tried to. The sounds coming from it told me that there was something familiar with him. I couldn't understand those feelings all too well. But having at least a little idea keeps me from forgetting certain sorcerers. I strolled up to the counter as the sorcerer made his leave. It was made out of the bones of different fiends by the way. When I found out I was not surprised, mainly because I got used to my surroundings by then. The stallion at the counter was covered in a black robe and once again the hood cover his eyes. “What mission would you like?” he said searching through some papers he had in his hoof. “The toughest one you have,” I replied. “Are you sure?” the hooded stallion reassured him a warning gesture, “Once you go out there with this pact, you can’t return till it’s either complete or you’re found dead. You do know that right?” There was then a moment of silence. Did I really want to go through with this? I said to myself as I gazed at the stone ground and then to my right hoof. The pressure started to fill the air as all other sorcerers had all their eyes upon me. Am I really gonna turn this down? Yes! Why should I accept a mission just to prove how strong of sorcerer I am? No need right? “Yes…” I mumbled. “What did you say? I didn’t cat-” “I said yes! Now hand to me!” I demanded as I held out my hoof. I felt quite at ease even though my heart was pounding madly. He dipped his hoof in some ink and pressed onto the paper the Panadon’s stamp of approval, and then handed it to me. I snatched the paper made my leave from the hall as well… “Finally!” I said trotting out of the gathering hall doors. I dropped the scroll in my saddlebag and covered it over with my brown cape. “Now I could venture out of this place, and get started on my own journey, traveling the world all on my own. I am finally fed up with these missions, and I’m tired of sleeping on stone bed.” Yeah, it wasn’t the best of places to be other than staying away from arch fiends of other places. I felt so alive at the fact the I could be free from the fortress itself. I rushed out of the gates with an abundance of joy. *** As I finally got outside of the fortress, I smiled tossing my saddlebag into the air. I felt all the freedom, and I knew I wasn’t going to go back. “Yes! Freedom's finally mine!” I shouted up into the sky. I felt… alive, I felt stronger. I noticed the capacity in the amount of air I took in increased as I breathed the fresh air the world had to offer me. Then I looked back at the giant fortress. I couldn’t help but feel sad for the friends I was with inside that giant prison, everything so controlled. But that was passed me know, I couldn’t go back. I turned out towards the world. Gazing at the ground, at strode my hoof slowly along the earth’s soil. I decided for the streak I have made in the ground to be the starting point for my adventure. Yeah… This is where it begins, I thought trotting off into the forest. For some reason I felt that every tree I gazed upon the need to laugh. I didn’t really know why, I guess being on my own without a partner gave me freedom to do so. I traveled a good distance into the forest. The area I was in was dark for the most part. Streaks of light came down from different spots and had stretched as far as my eyes could see. I took every step with great caution. I’m very excited about venturing places all on my own. But I don’t want to be the unlucky sorcerer who died just outside of it either. My pupils swayed from side to side as I slowly traveled through the dark and silent forest. The pressure was on. My focus was beyond what I could see, and If I could just make it to the other side of the forest. All I need is some time, I thought. Just then, I heard something move with great speed behind me. I felt I should turned to see what it was, but my arm starting burning, and it somehow started giving me the thought of running. I trotted across the forest keeping near the stream of lights. I went hastily through any thicket or branch that stood my way. I kept going forward and ever faster. I couldn’t stop. Fear kept me going. I didn’t want to die. No, not in the forest just outside the fortress. I’ve waited too long for such a simple death. My lungs started to burn. My breathing became short and difficult. I heard the destructive sounds of the monster coming ever so closer behind me. I felt as though my life was coming to its unfortunate end. My body came to a halt, and stumbled to the ground and then tumbled down a small hill. The dust the filled my throat and made me cough about. I slowly got up and turned behind only to meet the terror of the monster that towered of my tired body. I dropped on my rump and looked up in complete despair. I looked up at the monster body. It appeared to be confused. I mean it looked like a monster with deformed parts. It had eye were his arm should be, and his mouth were his forehead would be. It was a very confusing and quite disturbing site. My body was cover for the most part in mud. I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t yell. No pony would’ve heard my screams of despair before my death, but I at least wanted to do that. But upon further thinking… maybe not. After all, I didn’t want to be known as a scaredy cat. The hideous monster grabbed me up by the hand. I felt all of its power as it started to crush every bone in my frail body. The pain became unbareable. Breathing only became evermore so difficult. This is it, I thought as everything became wavy. This is end... This was truly the end for me, I thought as eyelids closed. It was only waiting to be freed from my mortal body. But something happened. I opened my eyes and tried with the little energy I had left and looked down at the monster. To my surprise, the monster had a hole with molten lava flowing down its legs. Now who could've possibly done that, I thought as I looked around. I watched down on both sides but saw nothing. The arm of the monster broke away, and I fell to the ground. I laid on my back deeply in pain. I was relieved to be alive, but I started thinking that maybe it of no use that I was living now that I can't move, just as much value as a rock. "Here I laid on my back bleeding to death in the of a forest just outside the fortress," I said to myself gazing up at the light which came from a small opening of the branches. I spent the last moments to my end wondering why did it have to be there, and why me? A shadow slowly came over my eyes. I became afraid. I didn't want to die, I thought. I wanted to live and see beyond these common lands. I became better and stronger by the moment. It's quite an odd feeling for what I actually expected. When the healing sensation had left me, I felt whole with life again, ready to move forward once more. My vision became clear again. I hopped up with joy. If anything, I had to thank the stallion that just saved my life. Or so I thought... When I had turned to meet the sorcerer, I was completely dismayed. Mare sorcerers were never this strong in battle till now of course. "Did you kill...?" She looked straight through me with those cold yet innocent eyes of light green. "How did you get outside without a partner?" the mare asked as she pulled off the hood of her dark crimson cloak. As she asked that question, I thought of the consequences that followed not having one. At most times, not having a partner meant death without trial. Not following the rules of Panadon usually meant that anyhow. I guess going back with my pact still in my saddlebag meant that my life could be spared, I thought as I went towards the bag near the monsters hand. "I don't know... uh," I said as I turned back to her while opening my saddlebag. Her voice was beautiful. Sadly, I didn't have the words to fully describe the sweet and soft sound of her voice. I actually forgot she was asking me a question. "Wait what did you ask again? Really sorry about that." "Well, I had asked how are you gonna get back?" "Easy, I was just gonna go back using this pact right here," I said as I showed her the pact. "Uh..." "What?" I asked as I looked back at what I thought was the pact. My eyes widened. All I could've thought was me never returning to Panadon. "Welp, guess that's exile for me," I said as I sighed in full regret. "We have to get out of here, or else we will encounter more monsters. So follow me or die," she said as she trotted off further into the forest. I was pleased for a bit. Now I didn't have to worry about dying at least. But another thought dawned on me which kept me from proceeding onward. Did I have to follow her wherever she went? If I did, for how long? I didn't learn much from Arcane School, but if I did learn anything it was that you couldn't trust another sorcerer for long. But in any case I followed her. I had to. I mean, where else could I have gone without putting my life in great danger? Following her was my best and only option at that point. I had to survive, I had to live. I didn’t know what it was that compelled me to do this, maybe perhaps my right arm, but I just must go on. “Are you coming or not?” “Yeah, I’m coming.”
Chapter 2Chapter 2: A Possible Bonding with an Unknown Sorcerer So... my journey started and probably would end forever, following her. This mare was oddly strong. Her arm definitely gave me the sense not to play around with her. Well... I guess it was just my assumption after all. Even though that monster was the only proof I needed, that could still just be luck. "Careful, we must move quickly through this area if we are to make it out of this forest," the mare said as she hastened her hoofsteps. The area of the forest we were in had trees that looked fleshy. It were as though they were alive. The pulse it gave were as though it were flowing from a live and massive creature. Blood fell from the branches as raindrops. I guess that explained the crimson color to her dark cloak. Although, I really wanted to know why it had never stained her beige coat. My puffy white mane was being soaked in blood. We ran a great distance, but it seemed as though the area we were in was not a small space at all. It made me question how big was this forest in the first place? "Hey, do you know how long does this forest go on for?" "This forest is very wide, so I would say we're about a few miles off from exiting this place," the mare said as we both kept on running. We kept on running. We ran for miles. At first, I was convinced we were going to reach the end of it in a day of travel, but I was very wrong. The more we had traveled the darker the area had become. I guess that signified the night was near. The pulsing trees of flesh started glowing. It made the forest more scarier than one could imagine. It was like you're in some creature’s body. I heard the pulsing sounds as it pulsed in harmony with the forest. I even felt the ground pulse as though it were alive... I was so deep in thought at that point. I didn't even notice the mare was calling out to me. I never thought one could be kept so far from reality just by thinking. "Hey! We could get a move on before a wild monster comes and kills us!" "What monsters? I don't see any monsters." "Ugh…” the mare said as she put her face in the curve of her hoof. “Well here you gonna learn that there are those you can't see for they lurk underground and roam across the land seeking whom they may devour. I just don’t want neither you nor me to learn that the hard way." My heart skipped a beat. I started to tremble upon hearing such words. I gazed down at the ground and started to make babies steps hoping that one wasn’t under him now. Could she possibly speaking the truth? Is it possible that one could be lying in wait for our blood beneath us at this very moment? "Hurry, I don't want fight any monsters. My cabin is just ahead. And you could definitely use a bath to wash off all that blood," the mare said as she trotted off further into the forest. The first that came to my mind was how did she live in such a damned forest as this? How was she not dead yet? When I had reached her cabin, my face cringed as I looked at the house. Its roof was covered in heaps of flesh, the sides had skins and furs that were sewn together, and appeared to be windows were covered with tissues leaving a few small holes for air to seep in. Even the door was flesh and had a large eye in it. We had walked up to the door, and I was without words to not see the eye could move but had the ability to talk. It was freakish on all levels for me to put it simple. "I see you brought a visitor today. Luckily, there's a spare room for you stranger. Or else I would had no other choice but to unfortunately eat you." I wasn't so surprise that it was capable of doing such things. I mean, this mare that was next to me must have live here before, and she did call it her house. But I felt she wanted me dead from the start. It was very easy to silence a sorcerer of my status, especially being of first level user of the 'Dark Arm'. The door opened its mouth, and we walked right in. I didn’t know the reason why I walked in, I just did. It felt as though I had stepped through a magical illusion. It was a nice house having the walls painted with a beautiful green, the ceiling painted with the color of pillow, and the tiles were the color of sapphire blue. It also didn’t smell as I expected. It smelt clean and fresh. Everything looked nice, but I couldn’t tell for sure if what I was seeing was all real or a lie. She lead me into the room I was supposed to sleep in for the night. I went in and gave the ok to leave. The room felt gloomy and dark. It felt as though something watching me, but I couldn’t see what it was through the bright colors that presented all around me. The ceiling was painted gray, the walls were painted with pink, and the floor was red. My eyes narrowed, and my lips were slightly folded. I only was staying here for a night anyhow, but these colors were absolutely terrible. I put my head in the pillow and found a little comfort. I slept that night, and I had quite the sleep. I had opened my eyes. I shot up from my lying position, raced backwards and fell off the other side of the bed. My left hoof grabbed hold of the side of the bed, and I was panting madly. “Why would you do that?” “I came to wake you up. I didn’t think you were gonna freak out like that. Anyhow let’s get a move on. If we want to get out of this forest, we’re gonna have to start moving now,” the mare said as she walked out of the room. I slowly got up onto my hooves and walked out of the room. I closed the door shut and followed the mare out of the house. We then started gaining grounds at the break of dawn. No arch fiends were roaming around, but the forest still pulsed as though it were living. My suspicions were too high not to have asked a question. “Excuse me, are we running on something alive?” “Yes, but if you want to hear more, you must keep up with me.” “This place is called Galacon. It was said in an old tale that a stallion farmer used to work the lands of some area. One day, the farmer came across an old witch who gave him a plant that didn’t seem to grow like other plants. The farmer tried all he knew on the plant as far as he knew agriculture but nothing worked until an idea flashed across his mind.” “What was that idea?” “Giving it blood.” There was a bit of a pause, but she broke the silence by continuing on. “That was the idea. When he went on with the idea, it had succeeded and the plant was said to grow into a tree. But after some time, it stopped growing. No matter how much blood he gave it just wouldn’t grow. I forgot the rest of the story, but it went kind of like him sacrificing himself and that tree grew larger thus brung about all of this.” “Oh, alright.” I hastened my steps. We traveled many miles, and I finally saw a change of scenery. I wasn’t being dapped in the color of blood. There was not much flesh like trees. The ground had lumps of what appeared to be hearts. I wanted to touch a few to how they would respond, but I was afraid I might lose her. We kept on running and running. My patience started to dry up like a desert. All I was thinking was, How long will it be before we are on the other side? ***** We traveled for two days without any food. Our arms were slowly eating at all the nutrients and blood we had left. We had to feed our arms. It was sad fact that those who had a dark arm had to constantly feed their arm or else they would take the place in being its food. I watched my partner, limping as she struggled to push onward. I too started to walk slower and felt lighter. My arm was hungry, and I needed to feed it. We kept onward. We didn’t stop until a group of Rabbits came our way. They were all skinless, just flesh and bone and roared like lions. We both stood and the mare dropped her book. We started off forming up rock spears and hurled them at the the ravening rabbits. They swiftly flowed through our wave of spears and were ready to render us completely with their sharply extended claws. I quickly pulled up a earth wall in front of us. Then I made armor out of the earth and charged through the wall into one of the rabbit fiends. I pulled myself out of the ground and watched down at the pile of flesh in front of me. I backed up and turned back at the others who were charging at me. I pounced the ground with my hoof and out came fist of earth, and it had the other rabbit fiend propel backwards into a tree. I raced as best I could to the mare who laid on the ground severely wounded. In trying to make it to her, I was tackled to the ground by the last rabbit. The fiend and I exchanged blows. It bit at my side, and I returned the pain with the fluttering of my hooves to the jaw. After struggling with the fiend for quite some time, I was able to bring down on its back. The rabbit roared, and I came down with both my hooves and smashed its brains in completely. I afterwards completely sacrificed the beast, and it had satisfied my arm. I rushed over to the mare. Her bones were clearly seen through her beige coat. I took off her cloak and used the earth to drag her over to a pile of fiend flesh. “Here take in the beast, so that you may be well.” “Why… save me?” the mare said sacrificing the beast. She stood stronger than ever facing me. “I could watch you just die there. And plus... we’re friends right?” “Friends?” “Yeah. Friends.” The mare turned and walked over to the book that had fallen from her. She picked it up and placed it in her saddle bag. I sat on the ground and waited for us to continue on. She slowly tied her cloak around her neck and stood for a moment. She then looked up at the trees then back down as she passed a hoof across her eyes. “What is your name sorcerer?” “Umm…” I thought for a moment as I placed my hoof under my chin. “You could call me umm… Cake” “Cake...” “Yeah… weird isn’t it?” I said with smiled adorned on my face. “No, it isn’t… I thank you for saving me,” the mare said as she started to gallop away, ever more deeper into the forest. “Let’s go. We have quite some miles left to cover.” “Right,” I said as I followed behind her.
Chapter 3Chapter 3: The Earth trembles from the Darkness We've been traveling the forest for two weeks now. We survived on the small fiends that we had sacrificed. I was still just a basic dark arm user. I guess I could say I’ve gotten better since I had entered this place. It just came to me that she still hadn’t told me her name after all the time we have been partners. Or are we?... “I could see it!” the mare cried. She galloped even faster, and I was struggling to keep up with her. “See what?” I asked with a frown. “I could see the end of the forest! We must not be far off!” the mare said. The area was still filled with flesh like trees and plants, and the earth still pulsed. We’ve been traveling for so long that I started to think we were in some giant maze that we couldn’t escape from. Sometimes I thought of the idea of going back only to have it thrown away because how far we already were into this never ending forest. I felt an odd presence ahead, and just then we had come across a large tree. It divided the path before us. The mare had predicted that we both should take the left path. I didn’t like the feeling of the path and my arm started to burn in agreement. “Are you coming?” the mare asked as she watched me search my saddlebag like a mad pony. “Umm, where is my pact that was burned?” “Oh, that pact,” she said as she dropped down her saddlebag. After she opened the bag, she then pulled out the pact and held it up with her magic “You mean this one?” My breathing came to a halt, my eyes were fixed on the perfectly clean pact. I started trembling when I looked closely at the printed name written at the bottom “Forest Heart...?” “Yes, that is my name,” she said as she lowered the scroll. "Does that mean... that you were my partner this whole time and that you weren't some wandering sorcerer?" I scowled as my eyes narrowed thin. "Yes, I was always your partner. Did you think you could escape the watchful eyes of Panadon? You're not clever at all for making such a foolish attempt." She took up her saddlebag and continued further down the path. "You're not gonna take me hostage. I refuse to go any further with you," I said as took a step back. "I'm afraid you can't." "Why not?" I retorted. My eyes solely fixed on that double crossing Witch. I didn't stop looking into those green eyes of deception, not for one moment. Forest’s eyes narrowed with a devious smile. If anyone could pull off that smile better than she did, it would have to be one who was cunning with lies. "You made an agreement to take the advance pact. Once a sorcerer makes an advance pact with Panadon, you are to complete its task for them to acknowledge you as a true sorcerer. My heart started pounding madly. I gazed down at the ground. My body started to heat up like a furnace. I didn't know the administrators of Panadon were this good at keeping a sorcerer under a pact. And I'm angry to have underestimated such devotion. "Let's go. We can't stand here for long. We must reach the forest’s end." I followed her down the suggested path and didn't ask why. I wanted to see her true motives even though she already tricked me. Then again I should only expect that from a sorcerer that wanted to be recognized by Panadon. ***** After traveling for a few hours, the sun started to set and gave the forest its tan color. My legs were sore from the traveling. We rested there a bit only to be met by a group of mutated cats. I wanted to heave up all that was within me; but then I would have to feed my arm twice as much, which was even more annoying. "Don't just stand there. Let's kill them," Forest said as she glared at them. Her eyes solely focused on the monsters, her tongue hung and a bit of saliva drooled from the tip. She craved for their souls. And so we charged at them. I had summoned up an earth wall to knock back all that stood in the way. Forest came from behind and pushed me aside, and I watched as she tore all the monsters limb to limb and began sacrificing them. "Wow. Never seen you this aggressive for souls before. You know, there's plenty to go around," I said as I put my hoof on top my head. I was very wrong in saying such words to her. She turned and faced me with such vengeance. Her eyes glared at me like a monster would its prey just as it's about to devour its defeated victim. She rushed at me with such speed. I didn't have the time to react, much less to see that she was in front of me, before she began tossing me into trees and rocks. After a few minutes of roughing about the forest— I was beaten half to death by that point— she put her hoof on top my head. "If I hear one more dirty joke from you, you'll be the last cake I eat in a long time." "Heh heh, good joke," I mumbled before she stomped on my face with her hoof. "Clean yourself up and let's get a move on. The night is close, so let's get a fire started," she said as she trotted off to find some wood. "Oh my Ceromulus, she's strong," I mumbled as I started to heal myself. With every few minutes that went by, a sharp pain would jolt through my body, generally when a fractured bone had been healed. It took an hour to be able to move. By then she had long started the fire and it was pitch black all around. The pulsing of the trees made me shiver quite a bit. Despite my injuries, I made it over to the fire and sat down across from Forest. We sat that way for a while and stared at the fire. Then she had broke the silence and said, "I'm going to sleep. You blow out the fire when you're ready." "Yeah, will do," I replied as I walked up to the fire. My sides and back still pained me from earlier. As I covered the fire with some earth, sharp pain came from my right hoof, and I couldn't figure out why. "Goodnight, Forest," I said as I laid on my left side and closed my eyes. The mare didn't respond at all. It was as though she really hated me. I as sorcerer undergoing an ordeal knew we weren't allowed to have any feelings towards each other, but I never felt so uncared for before. The thought of being uncared for was rather new to me. After a while of looking out into the pitch black, I grew tired and my eyelids closed... ****** My eyes shot open and I breathed in the early morning breeze of the forest. I turned behind me only to see that Forest was not in the spot she had slept from last night. I rose to my hooves and started to feel a little nervous. Without thinking any further I continued on in search for her. “Forest!” I shouted loudly as trotted the forest. I stopped and saw an opening area down a lone path. I raced down to the opening and found a wide lake. What I found amazing was that there were beautiful flowers and the trees, and even though were pulsing with flesh, they were natural. My eyes froze as I watched Forest bath in the lake. The sun shone down on her making her appear more beautiful than ever before. I blushed and started back from whence I came, when she called to me. “Cake, where are you going?” “Uh, back to where we slept. I’ll wait for you there. Really sorry I-” “I what?” the beige mare responded as she hopped out of the water and walked closer to me. “I invaded your privacy,” I said as I slowly walked off. She quickly placed a hoof on my shoulder before I went too far. I stopped for a sec but then continued on until she tugged harder at my side. “Stop,” she said as she walked up besides me. She then looked into my brown eyes and placed her hoof under my chin. “I didn’t mean to do what I did to you yesterday. I just… I just don’t like being made fun off,” Forest said as she walked off towards the pool. I followed for I was intrigued to find out more about her. “If only you could forgive me, I know we’re sorcerers, but I hate being mean to my partners and especially my one and only friend,” She said turning back to meet my eyes. “You.” I was at a loss for words. I walked closer to her. “I could always forgive a friend.” Forest walked up to me and took off my cape. She took my hoof and pulled me, and we walked towards the middle of the lake where the sun shone down on us both. I looked into her beautiful green eyes as she smiled and blushed staring into mine. Our faces came closer to each other, and our muzzles met. We wrapped each others tongues. She grabbed on my mane as we continued kissing, and my hoof held her black mane. It was such an intimate moment. Immediately after, I suddenly withdrew myself from her and walked out of the water. “What happened?” “We cannot continue this,” I said as my head dropped down. “We are sorcerers.” “But I want to be your lover.” “But the pact.” “You mean the one you had?” “What do you mean I had?” I asked as I turned to her in confusion. “I burned it.” “What?” “I burned it up. I wanted us to escape together,” the mare explained as she walked out of the water and closer to me. “I wanted to bring back the world we once knew. I wanted to bring back Equestria. I couldn’t do it if we completed our ordeal.” I was surprised to know that somepony other than myself was interested in changing the world back to the way it was before. I actually thought that I was the only pony. "Wow, that was my purpose in leaving Panadon." I was completely filled with joy to know that my partner had the same interest as mine. "We should start moving now then my love. The evening will catch us still here if we don't go now," she said as trotted passed me in the forest. I followed her with an ever so light heart. My adventure turned out not to be so bad or tough after all. We made haste and continued down the path of a forest filled with trees of flesh. We were traveling fine until are sharp eruption sent us off our hooves and into a boulder. With our faces in the earth, we slowly mounted up on our hooves and looked around for what beast had been lurking for our souls. I looked to one side while Forest had looked to the other. We both offered up our parts. I turned mine into a giant hoof while hers had turned into a giant horn. There was not one sound but all was too quiet for us to have kept on moving. Whatever that fiend was, it had to be dealt with immediately. "Once the beast comes out we slay it," Forest moved her eyes in many directions, expecting the worst. "You don't have to tell me twice," I looked about my part. I started to shiver for never have I seen a fiend wait so long to attack unless it's what I feared. That we might have come into contact with an arch fiend. "If what I feel is true, then we will need to fight with our lives." "What's true?" "That we are actually facing an arch fiend for the first time." "Then your feelings must cause you some real depression at times because I didn't get that sense at all." "Well, I always had a weird but strong mind sense." Dark shadows danced out of sight in the forest as tremors shook the earth. The sheer force of the quakes began to uproot nearby flesh trees, causing blood to flow like a river toward us. Whatever was causing those tremors was moving right at us. "Ready?" I asked. "Ready," Forest responded I reeled back my right hoof a good way for a solid impact. She took stance what launched up from the ground would plunge right into her horn. As it came very near to us, it had stopped and stood still for a few moments. I became slightly bored, and my offering quickly ran out turning back into my regular right hoof. Just at that moment, lightning came down from the skies and something popped up from the ground. We both stood still when and eye shot open and glared straight at us. We were still in shock as we watched the staff rise up from the ground with so many eyes. But we then moved our focus to the giant fleshy hoof that came up afterwards...
