The Last Wishes of an Old Friend

Genesis arrived in the center of a town by a gold and teal light. He stumbled a bit since he was used to a different form of teleportation and not sudden. The creature shook  his head and bit and looked around the seemingly deserted town. He noticed that the outskirts weren't exactly seen from a rather unnatural sandstorm that swirled around the perimeter.

Not really much else either.

"Hello?" Genesis called out into the empty landscape and being surrounded by guards seconds later. "Fast response times are admirable."

"Who are you?" One of the guards asked.

Genesis flipped a part of the scarf he was given by the sisters to show a pendant with the sun and moon overlapping etched right into the metal. The guards recognized the pendant a immediately stepped down, leaving the commanding officer with Genesis. A misty colored mare with yellow eyes.

"Please, excuse our please excuse our reaction. Things here haven't really been in the best." The mare explained as she started to follow the creature.

"I understand why your soldiers reacted the way they did. It only seems natural to guard your own even when strange beings are about." Genesis replied and looked a the mare. "Name and rank please?"

"Oh.. uhm.. Major Thunder Strike." The mare looked to the creature with wide eyes

"Genesis, Royal Commander." Genesis stated as he walked into where he believed as the saloon.

Thunder Strike just looked at the creature with her mouth agape. She couldn't believe that the Princesses would just trust this creature with such an honor, but it wasn't her place to question it. She watched him stop at the door then look back to her. She snapped to attention.

"At ease." Genesis chuckled lightly. "I won't bite... at least, not you ponies."

Major Thunder just watched this strange creature walk about the main street before approaching her. Genesis pulled out the note he had received shortly before the attack back at the castle. Flipping it to show her.

"This is from you. Correct?" He asked her suddenly.

She silently nodded. "Uh-uh... y-yes sir... We found something recently from one of the nearby mines. We don't exactly know what it is but we have a top scientist working on it."

"A top scientist?" Genesis asked as he put the note away.

"Well... he isn't really a scientist but we let examine whatever it is we found." Thunder replied is a somewhat shaky tone.

"Take me to it." Genesis commanded.

"W-what?! That would interrupt the professor's work!" The mare rebutted, stomping a hoof against the dirt.

"I thought we made it clear that this pony isn't really a professor." The Metal Head pointed out with a smile. "Now take me to it."

The Major opened her mouth to say something in argument, but closed it and sighed in defeat She lowered her head and started to walk passed Genesis and down the street. The creature started following the pony, keeping up as he followed by her side. Thunder refused to speak as she led him to the Sheriff's office in the middle of town. Waving a hoof in the door's direction.

Genesis nodded to the mare and stepped through the doors. An immediate change was felt in the office, a familiar change. Upon inspection he found machinery strewn about around a center console containing a vial. Two ponies seem to be present, both stallions. One seemed to be looking at the vial while the other is running about the office in a flurry of papers.

"Ahem." Genesis cleared his throat that caught the one stallion's attention.

"AH! What in Tartarus are you doing here!?"

The pony then proceeded to attempt pushing the creature but was pushed down to his flank. Genesis got in his face with a dead look in his eyes.

"You do NOT push me." Genesis deadpanned as he then backed away then bypassing the pony.

"You shouldn't be here! This is a highly dangerous area!" The pony seemingly whined as he just helplessly watch this creature.

Genesis then looked back to the pony. "Do you know what this even is?"

"Well... of course not... otherwise I wouldn't be here." The pony shrugged. "What are you anyway? And why are you here?"

"I'm a Metal Head, on orders as Royal Commander to check up on you all here." Genesis replied as he then looked to the standing pony. "What's wrong with him?"

The active stallion immediately stood up and saluted the creature. "O-oh! S-sorry sir! I had no idea! I'm Professor Suntilt" The stallion quickly clambered over. "Uh.. he's been standing there for a few hours now..."

Genesis glanced over at the stallion. "Are you really a scientist here?"

"Well, no-"

"Then you don't need that professor title."

"-BUT I'm know this region like the back of my hoof.... sooo.. I was the most likely candidate for this assignment." The stallion went on to explain. "Mysterious relics and what not are usually my thing."

Genesis didn't bother to respond as he went around to the front of the other. He was surprised to see the dark powers already at their work on this poor pony as his eyes were pitch black, almost hollow, with pupils being replaced by small whit pinpricks and a gaping mouth with the same darkness inside it. Quickly snatching up the vial from its pedestal and turning to Suntilt as the purple liquid-like substance swirled calmly around in its container.

"H-hey! You can't just take that! That's for-" Suntilt was soon cut off by a growling Metal Head in his face.

"No, you have no idea what you have found!" Genesis lifted the vial back into view. "This here is Dark Eco! A dark force neither this nor any world can comprehend! Just being near this shit is enough to drive a being insane!"

Suntilt whimpered a bit and pointed a hoof behind the irritated creature before him. The direction was at his colleague. Genesis followed this hoof to see just what exactly did make the stallion whimper to see that same empty look now at him. The Metal Head just looked at the pony for a moment before smashing his fist to the side of his skull, effectively knocking the pony unconscious.

At that exact moment, a ghastly metallic roar rang out outside causing Thunder to barge in and look at Genesis. "Uh.. sir... we may have a problem."

"Which is?" Genesis asked as he now made his way over to the Major.

"Our silver fiend is back... and the sandstorm's gone." Thunder replied, opening the door to reveal a construct of metal standing on the edge of town.

Genesis looked out to the glinting metal before to the mare beside him. "Looks like that copy cat bastard really was here..."