Sacrificial Needsby CloudG45ChaptersPrologue: The Beginning of the End (Edited)Chapter 1: A Brave New WorldChapter 2: Rats in the ValleyPrologue: The Beginning of the End (Edited)Prologue: The Beginning of the End "For every life changing decision we make, we must sacrifice something in return." Chapter: Prologue; The Beginning of the End **Area: Lair of Misery PoV: Unknown** I stood above the kneeling man, who seemed to be sobbing non stop, muttering for forgiveness at his wrongdoings. Just moments ago, this man had been a monster who enslaved the entire human race, keeping them hung up in thousands upon thousands of cages made of those long since passed, just to use them as a needs for nutrition later... Just as I had been before. The ever fabled Magusar had once been a predator among those whom have been helpless, defenseless to fight back. But, thanks to a sentient journal from a fellow inmate, now deceased, who claimed to have been his former partner from long ago, I have defeated him. And here I now stand, staring down at the former monster as he wept at all of what he had done, and the decision to save the world or him had been laid down on my lap. What could I do? Saving the world by sacrificing Magusar would basically mean for the cycle of carnage and destruction that once passed to restart anew, but to save him would mean for me to live as Librom did... Giving the last shredded bit of hope for those poor saps to try and face the resurrected monster. Ha! As if I'd ever let that happen. While I stand, deciding on what to do, a white, glowing chalice made from bone, with a human skull as the container stared down at me, waiting for me to decide... as if I needed to be rushed... What CAN I do?!? I can only wish that I could be somewhere peaceful... Somewhere I can enjoy being free, and where I can protect those I care for... Yes... That is what I want! Librom never said that I had to save this world! They can find a new beginning someplace else, while I can live in prosperity and happiness. I deserve that much for what I've been through! I had made my choice. I directed my mangled Right Arm at Magusar, the deformed thumb growing from my forearm pointing back at me and red veins glowing an eerie red through my entire arm, as he looked up at me with a slight smile on his face. I looked back at him, confused at his portrayed expression. He only stared at me, his caring aged face, differing from the one he had minutes ago, leaving a mark in my memories, as he spoke two simple words with his wizened voice: "....Do it..." And with that, he was enveloped in black and crimson flames, as I began extracting his soul from his incredibly aged body. I could only gaze as the Great Seer's figure slowly decayed before me, and his agonized screams echoed along the destroyed landscape for all to hear. An entire minute passed before a mass of blood red energy erupted from Magusar's decayed corpse into the sky, before entering my arm. Falling to the ground and clutching my head, all the memories, thoughts, emotions, and more from the man's life combined with my own. The pain was excruciating, more than what I had felt from reliving the journal! It was unbearable! I felt like I was going to pass out. Before I did, my thoughts went back to what I wanted: a peaceful life in a new world. I did my best to gaze up at the Sacred Chalice, as it looked down upon me, and seemed to be getting brighter. "...Your wish has been granted..." With those five words echoing in my mind, I faded into unconsciousness, slumping to the bone littered ground in a heap. I shut my eyes and oddly cherished the feeling... For I felt that it was the last time I would get any rest. Area: Mind-scape In a plateau of tall, green, healthy grass and lit under the light of a full moon, a man wearing black robes with white symbols depicting eyes on the back, sat on a small hill, looking at his right hand. In it, was a monarch butterfly, perched on his palm, skittering across the leather covered skin. In his eyes, he thought of it as serene, beautiful, and most of all: peaceful... Peace. The one thing he never got to experience before his time came to an end. Magusar only continued to gaze at the insect in his hand, at first jealous for having freedom. But, moments later, he realized that he too now had the same peace and sense of calamity that this creature now had. He gazed at his arm, the numerous yellow eyeballs that littered his forearm and bicep stared back, eerily so. Magusar’s dual colored hair swayed in a non existing breeze, as he cherished the feeling he had been wished for so long, and never wanted to let go. "My old friend..." A disembodied voice spoke from behind the Seer, causing the butterfly to drift away. Magusar stood up and saw a figure about as tall as him, made seemingly out of black energy, almost smoke like, and masculine in shape. However, there was a sense of familiarity to this being.... An old companionship from long ago. "Librom... Is that you?" Magusar asked. The figure nodded, and began walking towards the sorcerer. "It's been so long... If only I had helped sooner." The newly named Librom answered solemnly, the simultaneous voices of a man and woman combining together in eerie harmony. Librom gave Magusar a quick pat on the back, before the latter gave the other an embrace that lasted much longer. After the two parted, they walked side by side, as they had done so in the past long ago. "It was a long road... Now, thanks to you, I can finally die." The mass of black smoke looked at Magusar as if he were kidding. Knowing that he was sacrificed, the souls that are passed into the Right Arm don't die off immediately. Surely, Magusar should've known that a long time ago, right? "Partner, I wish that it were more simpler than that. We now reside in this boy's body, and shall continue to live as he does." Librom responded. The news shocked the old man so much he could not speak. His body was dead, but his spirit will continue to linger on... His curse will be passed on to the boy who sacrificed him. "No, it hasn't." "What?" He asked, as Librom continued to stare. "Your curse of rapid deterioration has not passed to this being's body and will not. Your curse ended with your body being destroyed." Magusar released the breath he hadn't known that he was holding. "However," Librom continued, ",we still have a job to do: to teach this young man to protect those he will love and care for in the future." The pair ceased their movements, as the only normal being present looked at his friend confused. "And how is it that we'll know when the time to teach him comes?" Magusar asks. Librom only looked at the moon, which now had the impression of a horned equine on the right side of it. ".... He'll come to us for answers. That is certain." And with that, a series of inhuman roars echoed through the landscape, making the men smile viciously, and look at one another. “Hope you aren't too rusty to go after a few Goblins, old man!” Magusar just scoffed, and looked at Librom incredulously. “Old man? Pah! You've got some years on yourself too, so try and keep up the pace.” And with that, the Great Seer headed towards the sound of the shrill cries, with Librom shortly behind him, with one thought running through his mind. ‘Just like old times…’ ....To be continued... Chapter 1: A Brave New World“Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness.” Chapter 1: A Brave New World. **PoV: Young Man Location: Unknown** Darkness…. All I could see was pitch black, as I felt like I was submerged in water. Floating in complete nothingness, as there was complete emptiness all around me. Was this my destiny? To be alone for all of eternity, drifting in the abyss? What of my freedom? The Chalice spoke to me, promising of a new land to thrive in… Did it lie? A tingle sparked from my Right Arm, and a voice spoke to me: …This is where your story… Begins... q Suddenly, I stopped moving, as the darkness seemed to spawn a small light directly in front of me… More appeared, merging with one another until they became a bright sun that made me shield my eyes. Letting my eyes adjust, I saw the black leather glove I wore on my left hand, the fingers and thumb exposed to the elements of nature, as well as the… Clear blue sky? I leaned upwards, only to pause again to feel grass beneath my fingertips… Cool, soft, healthy grass… I only saw things like this when I relived Librom’s life through the journal, and not even that was in comparison to what was before my eyes now. ‘I… I must be dreaming…’ I could barely comprehend what I saw and felt. As far as the eye could see, there was lush vegetation, clear rivers ran across the landscape that went on forever, and a beautiful mountain range lay directly ahead of me…. Though there was something odd about one of the mountains, as it seemed to have a giant, yet beautiful structure coming out of the side of it. A city, perhaps? Probably might be the first thing to do: find civilization in some shape or form. Fully standing up out of my uncomfortable position, I looked at my disfigured Arm, and frowned in disgust. The black, scaled skin reflected the sunlight back at me, while the crimson veins somehow continued to glow in the day. My palm had a ‘Z’ shaped scar that glowed the same shade of red, and hurt almost every time I closed my hand… Speaking of it, just on the back of it, a newly formed eyeball stared back at me. It's eerie yellow iris just gazed back at me, as I continued see what other changes I had. The twin horns jutting from my elbow seemed to still remain, as well as the disfigured thumb growing out of my forearm. My bicep still had a vortex inscription of some sorts and let off a crimson light continuously. “It seems that I’ll never be rid of you.” I spoke to my arm in an aggravated tone. All I got in response was a slight twitch, and everything was silent. Dusting off my coat, I started walking towards the mountains, in hope of meeting some form of townsfolk that reside near the city... As I walked, my Arm began to throb gently, but just so I barely noticed… What would I find there? But, as I traveled, I just barely noticed the two, red glowing eyes following my movements. I smiled, feeling something spark in me. Sooner or later, there was going to be a party… **Location: Twilight’s Castle Time: 1:00 pm PoV: None** Inside a large crystalline structure, oddly shaped like a tree, Princess Twilight Sparkle was ecstatic. The map had called her friends together for another mission, which would also include her going as well. As Twilight continued to parade around the round table, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack just looked confused at their friend dancing around like a lunatic… As well as Pinkie Pie joining in as well, but that's beside the point. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” Twilight chanted excitedly, as the prismatic maned pegasus just rolled her eyes at the performance. Rarity went over to the hyperactive alicorn, and placed a hoof on her shoulder to stop her erratic hopping. “Twilight, darling? Do you mind taking it down just a tad?” The ivory unicorn asked. Twilight grinned sheepishly, the fur on cheeks somehow turning a bright pink in embarrassment. “Sorry about that, every-pony… I'm just excited to go out on another job with all of you again.” She responded, getting a confused look from Rainbow. “What are you talking about, Twi? Didn't you enjoy taking down that Bug Bear last week?” Everyone looked at Rainbow Dash with a deadpan expression at what she said. “Dash, we fought that thing in the middle of Ponyville while there was a wedding going on, which in fact, we arrived late to, missing the ceremony all together.” "Not ta mention, sugar cube, y'all were covered in scratches and bite marks all over. Ya even dislocated your shoulder hitting the ground after being tossed by that varmint.” Applejack tossed her two bits in. “We all were injured in some way, except for Flutters, and Pinkie, strangely enough… No offense, Pinkie.” The aforementioned Pinkie pie just shrugged at Rarity’s objection, and pulled a catalog for various party decorations out of nowhere. Rainbow crossed her forelegs and pouted, before wincing at the pain her abused shoulder gave her. “Are you ok, Dash?” Fluttershy asked, worried. The future Wonder-Bolt just shook it off. “Yeah, it's just my bum shoulder acting up. No biggie.” Twilight looked at the map, seeing the collection holographic cutie marks pointed at a spot that seemed most… Odd. It was on the outskirts of the White-Tail Woods…. And seemed to be moving? She shook her head, and rubbed her eyes with her hooves, to remove any feeling of exhaustion from her mind… And indeed, the group of Marks seemed to slowly, but surely moving towards Ponyville. “Uh, girls?” Twilight said, getting everyone's attention. She then pointed downwards at the table, at mobile symbols. “Is it just me, or are our Cutie Marks moving?” They all leaned in to see what the purple alicorn was talking about, and the group was shocked at the detail not before noticed. Pinkie then raised her hoof and slammed it down on the map, making it sputter slightly. This also resulted in Fluttershy ducking behind her chair, and shiver in fright from the unexpected noise. “Ah, Pinkie?” Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow at the pink party pony’s action. “What are you doing?” Pinkie continued to bash her foreleg on top the table, wearing a face of concentrated determination. “Why,*SMACK*, isn't,*PAP*, this,*CRACK*, working?!?” Pinkie shouted in between each blow, scaring the butter-colored pegasus even more. She finally stopped abusing the crystalline table, and sat back down with her forelegs crossed, as the multicolored dot on the holographic map of Equestria continued to moved forward. Everyone around just looked at each other with confused expressions adorning their faces. “What the Hay was that all about?” Rainbow whispered to Applejack beside her. The farmer just shrugged her shoulders, and responded. “Ah dunno, sugar cube. Must be a ‘Pinkie-being-Pinkie’ thing.” The cyan Pegasus rolled her eyes, and turned her focus back to the map. “Well, aren't we gonna go towards the…. Whatever it is?” Twilight looked at the map once more, and nodded. If this problem was a creature that was lost, then why didn't it just send Fluttershy. It also just seemed to appear out of thin air: no warning, just popped into existence, while everyone showed all at the same time…. So much for relaxing for another weekend, reading the same books for the seventh time in a row…. “I guess you girls should grab your things, cause we're going on a road trip.” The former unicorn spoke, heading towards the door after the map shut off. Just as she was going to open the door, she saw something out of the corner of her eye, something on her bookshelf that wasn't there before. Walking over towards it, she saw a thick tome that seemed out of place, and one that she didn't recognize. As she was about to reach for it, a sudden appearance of orange fur entered her vision. “Hey, Twi? Ya coming?” Applejack asked. Twilight shook her head rid of the cobwebs in her mind. “Y-Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.” She replied. Hearing the door click shut after everyone left, the alicorn studied the spine of the new tome, as most she had didn't have a metallic pattern on them… One that was constructed so complicated, that is. Curvatures, points, and rivets lined the majority of its spine, while the cover seemed to be made from genuine leather, rather than the synthetic material more commonly used. ‘A rather odd choice…’ When going out to touch the mysterious book, a spark of sky blue light shot from it, to the outstretched hoof. “Ouch!” Twilight cried, clutching her hoof against her chest. In the middle of the sole, was a small, black burn mark, just about the size of a bottle cap. She looked from her hoof, back at the book, and down at her hoof once more. Wincing slightly as she applied pressure to the recently abused limb, Twilight made her way to the door, but not before looking back and saying: “This isn't over yet.” Closing the door on her way out, she didn't notice the quiet chuckles of a disembodied voice, coming from the area she was just in. All the while, a faint golden glow escaping it's pages, as it began fading in and out with the steady rhythm of a heartbeat. “Oh, I can hardly wait, my dear…” **Location: 5 Miles outside Ponyville Time: 1:45 pm PoV: Young Man** The wind blew against my face as I flashed in and out of existence every few seconds. Looking at my feet, I saw the green glow around them start to fade away slowly, and I started to feel breathless. I stopped after flashing another fifteen feet, letting fatigue settle in my bones, as my Arm continued to give a pulsating sensation, as if my arm had grown a heart in place of my bicep. The more I kept moving forward, the more frequent the limb began to pulse. It was as if it was looking for something. I don't know why, but something was edging me to keep going in one specific direction. It was strange, even for me… Added on for the fact I’m wearing a long coat on a hot summer day, which clearly isn't obvious enough. I reached into one of the coat’s many pockets, pulling out two specific items. The first being a pristine white, fluffy feather that had a soft, delicate feel, while a small crack was forming in the stem, spreading upwards. The second was a small bottle, filled with a crystal clear liquid, topped with an eye dropper to preserve the contents. After sitting down on a nearby stump and taking off the dropper, I filled it to it’s maximum capacity, and very precisely, placed three drops on the feather. After placing the top back on the bottle, the feather glowed a warm green, and the crack sealed up, renewing the properties. I looked at the bottle in fascination, as I always have wondered how this ‘Lacrima’ had the ability to renew magical items, but didn't act as a healing property, unless after using one of those blasted Rites… so much for wondering about the properties of the tears of my former mentor and friend. I turned my attention back to the small feather. The feather of an Elven Queen… Why did I choose to use this and not a falcon’s? I guess it had to do with how many times I could cast the spell, and how long it took to wear off. While a regular falcon’s tail feather usually allowed for half a minute, it didn't have as much of a charge to be cast. An Elven Queen’s however, had a shorter duration, but more casts… Plus I like the challenge of paying attention to how long it takes for it to wear off. It also looked more beautiful, and had more of a meaning than having a regular birds feather in my pocket. After placing the items carefully in my pocket, I began to take my coat off, before I heard something: voices. They were all female in tone, but I couldn't make out what they were speaking. They may have just been to far off, but they were heading in my direction, slowly, but surely… Time to meet the natives, I guess. Lovely timing. PoV: None As the six equines made their way through the beautiful landscape, they noticed an out of place and unknown plant that none of them recognized. It seemed to look like a normal pea pod, but had a stronger exterior than said vegetable, and was duller colored(1). There were only select areas they noticed this plant seemed to grow when they walked by, but were growing in high abundance in those parts. Twilight noticed something odd about the pea pod: a high concentration of magical energy. It wasn't volatile, but it seemed a little too strange for a pod so small to have a large amount of energy inside. Keeping it in a pouch she brought along, the alicorn made note to document it's properties in the future, in case more plants similar to it appear. “So, what are we looking for exactly?” Rainbow asked, bored out of her mind as she followed everyone hovering over the ground. The only unicorn of the group looked back at her, and shrugged in response. “I guess that we’ll know what it is when we see it…” Rarity suddenly stopped and looked at the prismatic equine’s hooves in shock. “Oh my goodness, darling!” “What? What is it it?” Rainbow followed her gaze, and immediately hid the limbs from view, to only have one yanked into the unicorn’s line of sight once more. “Have you been taking care of your hooves? It sure doesn't look like it…” Sure enough, the limb in question had a few chipped areas, as well as a few cracks lining in some places. With a slight touch, Rainbow winced at the pain shooting up her leg as she pulled away. “Can we talk about this later? Now may not be the best time.” Rainbow looked at Rarity with a pleading look, and seemed reluctant to answer her question. The unicorn looked at her confused. “Why? Your hooves could be in jeopardy if there isn't any immediate trea-“, she stopped as a pink limb poked her, and she immediately noticed that her friends were looking straight ahead… And, by Celestia’s right hoof, was she in for a real treat. In front of the six equines, roughly about three meters away, was a tall, bipedal creature. It had no hair on it’s body, save for the top of it's head: long black hair that had pulled into a long ponytail and a small amount of stubble on it’s chin. It was wearing a strange ensemble: a long,dark magenta coat with gold straps fashioning it's left arm, and glowing red scripture running over it's entire length, a gray colored shirt underneath the coat, worn blue pants decorated it's lower half, as well as the mahogany leather boots. The right sleeve of the coat was removed, as the arm of the creature was frightening in appearance: black, scaled skin that seemed to absorb the light around it, glowing red veins running up the entirety of it's being, twin horns jutting out from it's elbow, and scaled, clawed finger tips akin to that of a dragon's talons. With closer inspection, as the biped looked up, the right eye of the being was a warm violet, while the left had a reptilian pupil, a crimson iris, and a sickly yellow colored sclera. Around the left eye, were black veins that ran from the top of it's eyebrow, to it's neck, and around the right side, coming in area of the right arm. The sight of the creature… scared them, frankly. Even the pink party pony seemed a tad nervous. As the biped looked up, it gave an amused look, and spoke in a calm, but quiet masculine tone. “Well… This certainly isn't what I expected.” The male rose, as the female equines seemed to take a step back in response, save for Twilight. For an odd reason, she felt a strange companionship towards the creature, but at the same time, a deep hatred and sense of fear. ‘What is going on with me?’ The alicorn thought. She shook her head, ridding the cobwebs that clouded her judgement, and stood her ground. “Hello? My name is Twilight Sparkle.… Who and what are you- OUCH!” She began, until a sharp pain came from her rear, right at the base of her tail. Twilight looked back to see Applejack pulling her towards her group of friends, all of them wearing fearful expressions. “What the hay, Applejack?” “Sugar-cube, Ah don't think that what y'all were doing was such a good idea.” The cow pony responded, looking warily at the man that had a confused expression adorning his face, and both arms crossed. Twilight rolled her eyes. “What wasn't a good idea? The fact I wanted to see if it could understand me, and if I could get it's name, if it has one? Or the fact that it might attack us is I even stepped near it?” Applejack, as well as four of the five others looked at her with a deadpan look in their eyes, save for the pink-maned pegasus, seeing as she was hiding behind a nearby tree, in fear of the mysterious being. “You all know that ‘it’ can hear you, correct?” The young man said, looking more annoyed than confused. “And the name is Valï, by the way.” Twilight perked up. “Oh! So, you can understand us!” The newly named Valï just nodded, and stepped forward, but as he did so, the other ponies, save for the purple alicorn, stepped back two paces. “Yes, I can. I just was… Well, not expecting to meet talking equines.” Valï responded, inching closer to the group, as they continued to move backwards. “You understand that I mean you no harm, right?” “And why should we believe you?” Rainbow Dash asked, skeptical of the man’s actions. Valï's left eye twitched slightly, and let of a slight glow. “Because I don't attack those who are injured, especially when it comes to those with a screwed up shoulder and aching feet.” He responded, shocking the ponies on his accusation. The pegasus just scoffed, and rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah? Even with this bum shoulder, I can still take you on!” The human just raised an eyebrow at her boasting. He then just shook his head, and laughed lightly. “What's so funny, chuckles?” Rainbow Dash asked. Valï just stared at the pegasus, . “I don't know why, but to hear you speak reminds me of a woman I used to know… She would never give up until the job was done...” He paused before he continued. “Sadly, I will never get to see her again… All because of that damned Ordeal.” This made Twilight tilt her head to the head slightly. ‘An Ordeal? What is he talking about?’ Valï suddenly stiffened, and stared off into space, into the clear blue sky and completely ignoring the mares in front of him. “Umm…” Fluttershy began, finally coming out of her hiding spot behind the tree. “...Valï, was it?” All she got in response was a slight nod, as the human looked around, as if looking for something that shouldn't belong. “…if I may … What…. What are you, exactly? If you don't me asking.” The timid pony got no response, as Valï continued to search the area. As this was going on, Twilight was unsure of what to make of the situation: a never before seen creature appearing before her and her friend, that doesn't seemed to be hostile towards them at all, and now was in a form of high alert due to his position. Nor did it add the the fact that she felt like she's seen this creature before… As if there were a partnership that was long since buried, but finally uprooted. She couldn't help but let her mind ponder on the question that invaded her thoughts, that was until Valï stopped moving when the sound of a snapping stick was heard. “What was that?” Rarity asked, fear creeping in her voice ever so slightly. Valï was just frozen, not moving an inch, but the alicorn sensed something stirring within the man… Something dark and foul. “… You girls may want to start running…” That was the only thing he said, before something monstrous leaped out of the bushes. Valï cracked a wild grin in response, as the six equines cowered in fear. “…Cause it's time for a PARTY!” …To be continued… Chapter 2: Rats in the Valley“The need to fight to survive: instinct. Use it to fight for your life, but also for others as well.” Chapter 2: Rats in the Valley PoV: (Valï) Jumping in front of the mares, I prepared for the worst. From out of the nearby trees and brush, jumped out a large, deformed creature with the resemblance of a giant rat with an overgrown left arm. The peculiar thing about it, was the amount of vines, plant life, and fungal growth coming out of its back, and covering it's entire body. To an ordinary person, they would scream, and run with their tail between their legs… However, I knew exactly what this monstrosity was... A damned Toadstool Goblin… if there was one around here, that meant there were more, just by following the rules of a rat’s lifestyle. The aforementioned abomination looked at us, and screeched as loud as it could. Sprinting towards the beast, I grabbed hold of it's short, stubby right arm and pulled with all my might. I keep forgetting that, even though they may be large, they weigh less than a normal person, as the rat flew into one of the many trees, and left me falling forward. “SQUEEK!” The damned creature screeched again, sounding more like a defenseless animal than a monster of death and destruction. I just looked up at the fumbling beast, and then back to the mares behind me. “What in the name of Romalus are you doing? Get the hell out of here!” I shouted, forcefully. The winged unicorn just looked shocked, while the others began making a run for it. As the purple one kept staring, the Goblin began to recover, slowly standing back up as it's beady red eyes were glowing. “Come on, Twilight! Let's go!” One of the others shouted, finally making her regroup with her companions. Finally! Now, the Goblin had fully recovered, and started scampering towards me at a high speed. I grinned, flashing my teeth at the monster before me, and laughing all the way. My right hand lit ablaze with crimson flames, tickling my skin, and stinging my palm, all the while making my blood rush faster and excitement pump through my veins. “It's just you and me, vermin. Let's dance!” PoV: (3rd person) As the six colorful equines ran, they kept looking back, confused at what they had all just seen, and unable to be able to guess what was going on. Two unknown creatures had just mysteriously appeared in Equestria, and they were unsure as to what they should do, but to follow the bipeds’ orders. They stopped at a nearby cliff, being far enough away from the scene so that they could be safe, but they would not be injured in the fight. Turning around to watch, they saw multiple flashes come from the creature that was bipedal. They saw that his arm that appeared monstrous glowed slightly, and out of thin air came four sets of, oddly, frozen roses, dangling in the air by his magical grip. Throwing his arm in front of himself, the roses shot towards the rat-like creature, and exploded in crystalline shards of ice upon contact. The deformed creature stumbled once before falling on its’ side. “Oh my!” Fluttershy whispered, and unexpectedly, flew up into the air and flew down to the scene. “Fluttershy! Wait!” Twilight shouted, and the five followed the butter colored pegasus down to the creatures. It took them but a few moments to get down to the two. The rat-like monster was then swallowed by a blob of black goo, and then it dissipated. The first creature with the deformed arm stood over it, and as the slime revealed a small pile of squirming rats. “Stop!” Fluttershy yelled, the bipedal being remained motionless. His sinister, insane grin had left him, and all that was left was a blank look, devoid of any and all emotion. “What are you doing?” Twilight asked, it took her a second to realize the columns of translucent lavender light appearing over the rodents. Several seconds passed, until the male stepped towards the squirming vermin. “...I understand.” He muttered. The six stood back as he kneeled down, and one could hear faint, eerie but calming whispers in the distance. But, what struck the six the most was the strange, glowing blue aura that had encompassed the rats. Multiple orbs of pale light began to stream from the creature’s left arm and engulfed the helpless animals. More and more streamed from him as the light became almost blinding- then, a flash lit up the scene, as a sky-blue and white cloud of energy ascended from the pile of rats, and entered the bipedal creatures left arm, which was held up to capture the cloud on its descent. The rats then, one by one, stood up, and squeaked one last time before burrowing underground. The creature stood in silence, his left arm slightly glowed for a few seconds before it faded completely. Amongst the silence, he did not think to check behind his person, as the six snuck up without alerting his presence. “Now!” Twilight shouted, Dash tackled the creature. “What the f-!?” He was interrupted as he caught a rainbow colored blur out of the corner of his eye. She pinned him to the ground and forced him to stop moving, placing her hooves on his hands. Every cell on the blister of his right hand screamed in pain. He shouted as a small amount of blood flowed from the blister, but soon became a steady stream. “Get off me, damnit!” He shouted, he freed his right hand from her grip, placed it on her chest, and a flash of red mist could be seen coming from his hand. Dash flew into the air and rebounded of a nearby tree, soaked in a crimson red liquid- it took her a second to realize it was blood. Thinking it to be her own, she screamed in disgust and shock, as Valï ran and hid behind cover, clutching his right arm in pain. As he ran, he stopped and raised his right hand, causing a large stone to raise into the air, and flung it towards the six. They jumped out of the way just in time- it exploded, erupting in a large dust cloud the moment it hit the ground. “Hey! Stop!” Twilight shouted, the sorcerer moved at an unnatural speed, leaving a lime green flash, and white translucent feathers in his wake. The six mares exchanged knowing glances and all nodded in unison. Seconds later, six pillars of multi - colored light descended and engulfed each one of them. As he ran, Valï looked over his shoulder, and noticed the six mares using a type of magic he had never seen before- it’s primary effects caused their hair to have more vibrant color to it, stars aligned their legs, and allowed them to levitate in mid-air. “Stop right there, you varmint!” The orange one called, the creature looked unimpressed. “Really? I've been called worse, you know.” He said, what he did not expect was a giant beam of rainbow colored energy to shoot at him from the six. “Woah!” He shouted, now on full alert. Diving out of the way just in time- he looked back at the damage and noticed everything in the beam’s path had turned to stone. “What the hell…!?” He whispered, and slowly turned around to face them- only to get hit with the beam of light seconds later. He froze before he could do anything, and he found himself trapped in stone. A familiar feeling by now. “Got him!” The Pink one said. ‘Not even close, fluffy.’ The young man thought. Within a few short moments, he had broken free of his confines, shaking loose the dust that had accumulated on his coat. “What!?” The six shouted in unison. Valï just stood there and grinned. “That was weak. A mandrake (1) can do a better job at keeping me frozen.” He said, his grin turned slowly to anger. A third bolt of light shot from the six mares, only to be stopped short by him raising a wall of rocks in front of himself. Slamming his fist into the wall, it broke apart into multiple arrowheads and small stones. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He said, aiming each individual one at the six. The six mares did not heed his warning, and shot another bolt at him. The creature then shot into the air, via stone pillar launching up below him, sending him fly flying high. The stone shrapnel followed in his wake, leaving behind a faint trail of dust. With one swing of his arm, the sharp stone chunks shot forth, and each had missed, just as he had planned them to… ...all but one. A scream could be heard from within the group, and all participants of the conflict stopped in their tracks. Valï's reptilian eye widened, darkening his vision, and saw that one of the mares expelled a red aura. He didn’t mean to hit one of them. Raising his right arm again, he summoned a second set of arrows and approached slowly. “Aaaagggghhhh!!!” It was the violet colored one. She clenched her chest, as a stone fragment stood out from her fur, covered in the crimson fluid of life. Wisps of white light could be seen descending upon her, as well as scarlet energy surrounding the ground around her, similar to blood pooling into the earth… “W...what?” She asked, upon seeing the lights, only to wince at the pain in her abdomen, as she lay upon the grass covered earth. The other five tried to stop the man from approaching, only to have him summon the stone shrapnel once again, and have one arrow head pointed directly between their eyes. “Stay. Back.” Valï warned the mares, getting distrustful looks from all, especially Rainbow Dash. As he stepped forward, he heard two voices, just only whispers, but noticeable to only him alone: Kill the brat. Make a sacrifice! The first said- it was that of a man, malice pouring in great droves from the message sent. Listening to it, made Valï almost sick, but almost tempted to give in to the evil voice, but not before hearing the other. No. She has to live. Don’t hurt her. The second said, another man, only gentler, calmer, and more composed than the other. A voice of reason, one may say. Listening to it made him feel at peace, and think clearer than before. ‘He's right. She's not going to die... Not by my hands...’ He had made up his mind. Without thinking twice, Valï knelt down and clutched his left hand into a fist, causing again the sky-blue orbs of light to stream from his arm and envelop the mare. Her wounds faded into small scratches and the stone fragment disintegrated into nothing but dust. Within a flash of silver light, the pain left her body. An orb ascended from her, and the sorcerer took it within his left arm. ' …There's something special about you.’ This is what echoed through his head, just one last thought. Looking up at the human, Twilight only saw him gaze at her with merciful intent, but anger as well. Anger directed at nobody in particular, but himself. “...Are you going to attack me again, or are we going to play nice?” He asked, the six just stared. PoV: Valï I gazed at the equines, waiting for a response, as they looked at me in shock. What drove them to attack me? I did nothing wrong, other than save the souls of parasitic vermin. Then again, the soul energy that was coming from them wasn't malevolent. Quite the opposite, actually. The lavender colored horse looked at me, confusion permeating the air around us. “Why?” She asked, slowly getting up, stumbling to maintain her balance. I laughed quietly. “Why not?” I replied, confusing her even more. “Besides, I never wanted to fight you. I only reacted in terms of my situation.” The rainbow maned pegasus just scoffed. “As if! You looked like you were about to kill us!” Did she not hear what I had just said? It’s like talking to Carnatux’s brother.... “Well, I apologize for my actions, but remember this…” I turned to face the arrogant mare, her face portraying the malice directed towards me.. “...You were the ones that attacked me first. I only acted in self defense, as any normal being should do while being attacked. Besides, if I wanted to kill you, I could've already snapped my fingers, and you wouldn't even know it before you hit the ground.” “…he's right, Rainbow. We didn't give him a chance to explain what it was he did to those mice.” The purple one said, making the equine look at her in utter disbelief. “But… But, Twi! He-“ ‘Rainbow’ started, before she was cut off by the orange one. “Rainbow Dash, give it a rest! She has a point, and for the record, we did just attack him without reason.” The blonde haired pony then looked at me, before continuing. “Speaking of which, what did you do to that…. Thing.” I shrugged, before I sat down on a nearby stump. “I gave it a second chance.” Responding to her question. The six mares looked at me confused, as the pink one raised her… Hoof, I guess? I pointed to her, and she placed it back down. “Whatcha mean by second chance?” The mare asked, somewhat… Eagerly? I shrugged it off, and answered. “The form it had before was merely a shell of all it's malice, anger, and hatred. By destroying that, the rats had been revealed, waiting to be dealt with. If they hadn't, they would've been reformed back to a Goblin, or they would've died off.” After finishing my explanation, they all looked horrified, especially the yellow one in the back of the group. “That's… Unsettling.” The blonde said. I merely shook my head, and rubbed my head with my left hand. A wave of nausea came over me, as I felt the familiar effects of saving. I was then brought back to reality by one of them shaking my shoulder- the ivory colored one. “Are you feeling alright, sir? You look a tad pale.” I shook my head once more, before standing up to only fall back down onto the stump. “….Someone catch me….” And with those words, I saw nothing but a nebulous of pure black, and fell forward into unconsciousness. Just before I passed out, I heard a female voice whisper something to me. It was… Faint, but I could just barely make it out: …. The Eternal Recursion will begin anew…. Grim… ….To be continued….
Prologue: The Beginning of the End (Edited)Prologue: The Beginning of the End "For every life changing decision we make, we must sacrifice something in return." Chapter: Prologue; The Beginning of the End **Area: Lair of Misery PoV: Unknown** I stood above the kneeling man, who seemed to be sobbing non stop, muttering for forgiveness at his wrongdoings. Just moments ago, this man had been a monster who enslaved the entire human race, keeping them hung up in thousands upon thousands of cages made of those long since passed, just to use them as a needs for nutrition later... Just as I had been before. The ever fabled Magusar had once been a predator among those whom have been helpless, defenseless to fight back. But, thanks to a sentient journal from a fellow inmate, now deceased, who claimed to have been his former partner from long ago, I have defeated him. And here I now stand, staring down at the former monster as he wept at all of what he had done, and the decision to save the world or him had been laid down on my lap. What could I do? Saving the world by sacrificing Magusar would basically mean for the cycle of carnage and destruction that once passed to restart anew, but to save him would mean for me to live as Librom did... Giving the last shredded bit of hope for those poor saps to try and face the resurrected monster. Ha! As if I'd ever let that happen. While I stand, deciding on what to do, a white, glowing chalice made from bone, with a human skull as the container stared down at me, waiting for me to decide... as if I needed to be rushed... What CAN I do?!? I can only wish that I could be somewhere peaceful... Somewhere I can enjoy being free, and where I can protect those I care for... Yes... That is what I want! Librom never said that I had to save this world! They can find a new beginning someplace else, while I can live in prosperity and happiness. I deserve that much for what I've been through! I had made my choice. I directed my mangled Right Arm at Magusar, the deformed thumb growing from my forearm pointing back at me and red veins glowing an eerie red through my entire arm, as he looked up at me with a slight smile on his face. I looked back at him, confused at his portrayed expression. He only stared at me, his caring aged face, differing from the one he had minutes ago, leaving a mark in my memories, as he spoke two simple words with his wizened voice: "....Do it..." And with that, he was enveloped in black and crimson flames, as I began extracting his soul from his incredibly aged body. I could only gaze as the Great Seer's figure slowly decayed before me, and his agonized screams echoed along the destroyed landscape for all to hear. An entire minute passed before a mass of blood red energy erupted from Magusar's decayed corpse into the sky, before entering my arm. Falling to the ground and clutching my head, all the memories, thoughts, emotions, and more from the man's life combined with my own. The pain was excruciating, more than what I had felt from reliving the journal! It was unbearable! I felt like I was going to pass out. Before I did, my thoughts went back to what I wanted: a peaceful life in a new world. I did my best to gaze up at the Sacred Chalice, as it looked down upon me, and seemed to be getting brighter. "...Your wish has been granted..." With those five words echoing in my mind, I faded into unconsciousness, slumping to the bone littered ground in a heap. I shut my eyes and oddly cherished the feeling... For I felt that it was the last time I would get any rest. Area: Mind-scape In a plateau of tall, green, healthy grass and lit under the light of a full moon, a man wearing black robes with white symbols depicting eyes on the back, sat on a small hill, looking at his right hand. In it, was a monarch butterfly, perched on his palm, skittering across the leather covered skin. In his eyes, he thought of it as serene, beautiful, and most of all: peaceful... Peace. The one thing he never got to experience before his time came to an end. Magusar only continued to gaze at the insect in his hand, at first jealous for having freedom. But, moments later, he realized that he too now had the same peace and sense of calamity that this creature now had. He gazed at his arm, the numerous yellow eyeballs that littered his forearm and bicep stared back, eerily so. Magusar’s dual colored hair swayed in a non existing breeze, as he cherished the feeling he had been wished for so long, and never wanted to let go. "My old friend..." A disembodied voice spoke from behind the Seer, causing the butterfly to drift away. Magusar stood up and saw a figure about as tall as him, made seemingly out of black energy, almost smoke like, and masculine in shape. However, there was a sense of familiarity to this being.... An old companionship from long ago. "Librom... Is that you?" Magusar asked. The figure nodded, and began walking towards the sorcerer. "It's been so long... If only I had helped sooner." The newly named Librom answered solemnly, the simultaneous voices of a man and woman combining together in eerie harmony. Librom gave Magusar a quick pat on the back, before the latter gave the other an embrace that lasted much longer. After the two parted, they walked side by side, as they had done so in the past long ago. "It was a long road... Now, thanks to you, I can finally die." The mass of black smoke looked at Magusar as if he were kidding. Knowing that he was sacrificed, the souls that are passed into the Right Arm don't die off immediately. Surely, Magusar should've known that a long time ago, right? "Partner, I wish that it were more simpler than that. We now reside in this boy's body, and shall continue to live as he does." Librom responded. The news shocked the old man so much he could not speak. His body was dead, but his spirit will continue to linger on... His curse will be passed on to the boy who sacrificed him. "No, it hasn't." "What?" He asked, as Librom continued to stare. "Your curse of rapid deterioration has not passed to this being's body and will not. Your curse ended with your body being destroyed." Magusar released the breath he hadn't known that he was holding. "However," Librom continued, ",we still have a job to do: to teach this young man to protect those he will love and care for in the future." The pair ceased their movements, as the only normal being present looked at his friend confused. "And how is it that we'll know when the time to teach him comes?" Magusar asks. Librom only looked at the moon, which now had the impression of a horned equine on the right side of it. ".... He'll come to us for answers. That is certain." And with that, a series of inhuman roars echoed through the landscape, making the men smile viciously, and look at one another. “Hope you aren't too rusty to go after a few Goblins, old man!” Magusar just scoffed, and looked at Librom incredulously. “Old man? Pah! You've got some years on yourself too, so try and keep up the pace.” And with that, the Great Seer headed towards the sound of the shrill cries, with Librom shortly behind him, with one thought running through his mind. ‘Just like old times…’ ....To be continued...
Chapter 1: A Brave New World“Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness.” Chapter 1: A Brave New World. **PoV: Young Man Location: Unknown** Darkness…. All I could see was pitch black, as I felt like I was submerged in water. Floating in complete nothingness, as there was complete emptiness all around me. Was this my destiny? To be alone for all of eternity, drifting in the abyss? What of my freedom? The Chalice spoke to me, promising of a new land to thrive in… Did it lie? A tingle sparked from my Right Arm, and a voice spoke to me: …This is where your story… Begins... q Suddenly, I stopped moving, as the darkness seemed to spawn a small light directly in front of me… More appeared, merging with one another until they became a bright sun that made me shield my eyes. Letting my eyes adjust, I saw the black leather glove I wore on my left hand, the fingers and thumb exposed to the elements of nature, as well as the… Clear blue sky? I leaned upwards, only to pause again to feel grass beneath my fingertips… Cool, soft, healthy grass… I only saw things like this when I relived Librom’s life through the journal, and not even that was in comparison to what was before my eyes now. ‘I… I must be dreaming…’ I could barely comprehend what I saw and felt. As far as the eye could see, there was lush vegetation, clear rivers ran across the landscape that went on forever, and a beautiful mountain range lay directly ahead of me…. Though there was something odd about one of the mountains, as it seemed to have a giant, yet beautiful structure coming out of the side of it. A city, perhaps? Probably might be the first thing to do: find civilization in some shape or form. Fully standing up out of my uncomfortable position, I looked at my disfigured Arm, and frowned in disgust. The black, scaled skin reflected the sunlight back at me, while the crimson veins somehow continued to glow in the day. My palm had a ‘Z’ shaped scar that glowed the same shade of red, and hurt almost every time I closed my hand… Speaking of it, just on the back of it, a newly formed eyeball stared back at me. It's eerie yellow iris just gazed back at me, as I continued see what other changes I had. The twin horns jutting from my elbow seemed to still remain, as well as the disfigured thumb growing out of my forearm. My bicep still had a vortex inscription of some sorts and let off a crimson light continuously. “It seems that I’ll never be rid of you.” I spoke to my arm in an aggravated tone. All I got in response was a slight twitch, and everything was silent. Dusting off my coat, I started walking towards the mountains, in hope of meeting some form of townsfolk that reside near the city... As I walked, my Arm began to throb gently, but just so I barely noticed… What would I find there? But, as I traveled, I just barely noticed the two, red glowing eyes following my movements. I smiled, feeling something spark in me. Sooner or later, there was going to be a party… **Location: Twilight’s Castle Time: 1:00 pm PoV: None** Inside a large crystalline structure, oddly shaped like a tree, Princess Twilight Sparkle was ecstatic. The map had called her friends together for another mission, which would also include her going as well. As Twilight continued to parade around the round table, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack just looked confused at their friend dancing around like a lunatic… As well as Pinkie Pie joining in as well, but that's beside the point. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” Twilight chanted excitedly, as the prismatic maned pegasus just rolled her eyes at the performance. Rarity went over to the hyperactive alicorn, and placed a hoof on her shoulder to stop her erratic hopping. “Twilight, darling? Do you mind taking it down just a tad?” The ivory unicorn asked. Twilight grinned sheepishly, the fur on cheeks somehow turning a bright pink in embarrassment. “Sorry about that, every-pony… I'm just excited to go out on another job with all of you again.” She responded, getting a confused look from Rainbow. “What are you talking about, Twi? Didn't you enjoy taking down that Bug Bear last week?” Everyone looked at Rainbow Dash with a deadpan expression at what she said. “Dash, we fought that thing in the middle of Ponyville while there was a wedding going on, which in fact, we arrived late to, missing the ceremony all together.” "Not ta mention, sugar cube, y'all were covered in scratches and bite marks all over. Ya even dislocated your shoulder hitting the ground after being tossed by that varmint.” Applejack tossed her two bits in. “We all were injured in some way, except for Flutters, and Pinkie, strangely enough… No offense, Pinkie.” The aforementioned Pinkie pie just shrugged at Rarity’s objection, and pulled a catalog for various party decorations out of nowhere. Rainbow crossed her forelegs and pouted, before wincing at the pain her abused shoulder gave her. “Are you ok, Dash?” Fluttershy asked, worried. The future Wonder-Bolt just shook it off. “Yeah, it's just my bum shoulder acting up. No biggie.” Twilight looked at the map, seeing the collection holographic cutie marks pointed at a spot that seemed most… Odd. It was on the outskirts of the White-Tail Woods…. And seemed to be moving? She shook her head, and rubbed her eyes with her hooves, to remove any feeling of exhaustion from her mind… And indeed, the group of Marks seemed to slowly, but surely moving towards Ponyville. “Uh, girls?” Twilight said, getting everyone's attention. She then pointed downwards at the table, at mobile symbols. “Is it just me, or are our Cutie Marks moving?” They all leaned in to see what the purple alicorn was talking about, and the group was shocked at the detail not before noticed. Pinkie then raised her hoof and slammed it down on the map, making it sputter slightly. This also resulted in Fluttershy ducking behind her chair, and shiver in fright from the unexpected noise. “Ah, Pinkie?” Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow at the pink party pony’s action. “What are you doing?” Pinkie continued to bash her foreleg on top the table, wearing a face of concentrated determination. “Why,*SMACK*, isn't,*PAP*, this,*CRACK*, working?!?” Pinkie shouted in between each blow, scaring the butter-colored pegasus even more. She finally stopped abusing the crystalline table, and sat back down with her forelegs crossed, as the multicolored dot on the holographic map of Equestria continued to moved forward. Everyone around just looked at each other with confused expressions adorning their faces. “What the Hay was that all about?” Rainbow whispered to Applejack beside her. The farmer just shrugged her shoulders, and responded. “Ah dunno, sugar cube. Must be a ‘Pinkie-being-Pinkie’ thing.” The cyan Pegasus rolled her eyes, and turned her focus back to the map. “Well, aren't we gonna go towards the…. Whatever it is?” Twilight looked at the map once more, and nodded. If this problem was a creature that was lost, then why didn't it just send Fluttershy. It also just seemed to appear out of thin air: no warning, just popped into existence, while everyone showed all at the same time…. So much for relaxing for another weekend, reading the same books for the seventh time in a row…. “I guess you girls should grab your things, cause we're going on a road trip.” The former unicorn spoke, heading towards the door after the map shut off. Just as she was going to open the door, she saw something out of the corner of her eye, something on her bookshelf that wasn't there before. Walking over towards it, she saw a thick tome that seemed out of place, and one that she didn't recognize. As she was about to reach for it, a sudden appearance of orange fur entered her vision. “Hey, Twi? Ya coming?” Applejack asked. Twilight shook her head rid of the cobwebs in her mind. “Y-Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.” She replied. Hearing the door click shut after everyone left, the alicorn studied the spine of the new tome, as most she had didn't have a metallic pattern on them… One that was constructed so complicated, that is. Curvatures, points, and rivets lined the majority of its spine, while the cover seemed to be made from genuine leather, rather than the synthetic material more commonly used. ‘A rather odd choice…’ When going out to touch the mysterious book, a spark of sky blue light shot from it, to the outstretched hoof. “Ouch!” Twilight cried, clutching her hoof against her chest. In the middle of the sole, was a small, black burn mark, just about the size of a bottle cap. She looked from her hoof, back at the book, and down at her hoof once more. Wincing slightly as she applied pressure to the recently abused limb, Twilight made her way to the door, but not before looking back and saying: “This isn't over yet.” Closing the door on her way out, she didn't notice the quiet chuckles of a disembodied voice, coming from the area she was just in. All the while, a faint golden glow escaping it's pages, as it began fading in and out with the steady rhythm of a heartbeat. “Oh, I can hardly wait, my dear…” **Location: 5 Miles outside Ponyville Time: 1:45 pm PoV: Young Man** The wind blew against my face as I flashed in and out of existence every few seconds. Looking at my feet, I saw the green glow around them start to fade away slowly, and I started to feel breathless. I stopped after flashing another fifteen feet, letting fatigue settle in my bones, as my Arm continued to give a pulsating sensation, as if my arm had grown a heart in place of my bicep. The more I kept moving forward, the more frequent the limb began to pulse. It was as if it was looking for something. I don't know why, but something was edging me to keep going in one specific direction. It was strange, even for me… Added on for the fact I’m wearing a long coat on a hot summer day, which clearly isn't obvious enough. I reached into one of the coat’s many pockets, pulling out two specific items. The first being a pristine white, fluffy feather that had a soft, delicate feel, while a small crack was forming in the stem, spreading upwards. The second was a small bottle, filled with a crystal clear liquid, topped with an eye dropper to preserve the contents. After sitting down on a nearby stump and taking off the dropper, I filled it to it’s maximum capacity, and very precisely, placed three drops on the feather. After placing the top back on the bottle, the feather glowed a warm green, and the crack sealed up, renewing the properties. I looked at the bottle in fascination, as I always have wondered how this ‘Lacrima’ had the ability to renew magical items, but didn't act as a healing property, unless after using one of those blasted Rites… so much for wondering about the properties of the tears of my former mentor and friend. I turned my attention back to the small feather. The feather of an Elven Queen… Why did I choose to use this and not a falcon’s? I guess it had to do with how many times I could cast the spell, and how long it took to wear off. While a regular falcon’s tail feather usually allowed for half a minute, it didn't have as much of a charge to be cast. An Elven Queen’s however, had a shorter duration, but more casts… Plus I like the challenge of paying attention to how long it takes for it to wear off. It also looked more beautiful, and had more of a meaning than having a regular birds feather in my pocket. After placing the items carefully in my pocket, I began to take my coat off, before I heard something: voices. They were all female in tone, but I couldn't make out what they were speaking. They may have just been to far off, but they were heading in my direction, slowly, but surely… Time to meet the natives, I guess. Lovely timing. PoV: None As the six equines made their way through the beautiful landscape, they noticed an out of place and unknown plant that none of them recognized. It seemed to look like a normal pea pod, but had a stronger exterior than said vegetable, and was duller colored(1). There were only select areas they noticed this plant seemed to grow when they walked by, but were growing in high abundance in those parts. Twilight noticed something odd about the pea pod: a high concentration of magical energy. It wasn't volatile, but it seemed a little too strange for a pod so small to have a large amount of energy inside. Keeping it in a pouch she brought along, the alicorn made note to document it's properties in the future, in case more plants similar to it appear. “So, what are we looking for exactly?” Rainbow asked, bored out of her mind as she followed everyone hovering over the ground. The only unicorn of the group looked back at her, and shrugged in response. “I guess that we’ll know what it is when we see it…” Rarity suddenly stopped and looked at the prismatic equine’s hooves in shock. “Oh my goodness, darling!” “What? What is it it?” Rainbow followed her gaze, and immediately hid the limbs from view, to only have one yanked into the unicorn’s line of sight once more. “Have you been taking care of your hooves? It sure doesn't look like it…” Sure enough, the limb in question had a few chipped areas, as well as a few cracks lining in some places. With a slight touch, Rainbow winced at the pain shooting up her leg as she pulled away. “Can we talk about this later? Now may not be the best time.” Rainbow looked at Rarity with a pleading look, and seemed reluctant to answer her question. The unicorn looked at her confused. “Why? Your hooves could be in jeopardy if there isn't any immediate trea-“, she stopped as a pink limb poked her, and she immediately noticed that her friends were looking straight ahead… And, by Celestia’s right hoof, was she in for a real treat. In front of the six equines, roughly about three meters away, was a tall, bipedal creature. It had no hair on it’s body, save for the top of it's head: long black hair that had pulled into a long ponytail and a small amount of stubble on it’s chin. It was wearing a strange ensemble: a long,dark magenta coat with gold straps fashioning it's left arm, and glowing red scripture running over it's entire length, a gray colored shirt underneath the coat, worn blue pants decorated it's lower half, as well as the mahogany leather boots. The right sleeve of the coat was removed, as the arm of the creature was frightening in appearance: black, scaled skin that seemed to absorb the light around it, glowing red veins running up the entirety of it's being, twin horns jutting out from it's elbow, and scaled, clawed finger tips akin to that of a dragon's talons. With closer inspection, as the biped looked up, the right eye of the being was a warm violet, while the left had a reptilian pupil, a crimson iris, and a sickly yellow colored sclera. Around the left eye, were black veins that ran from the top of it's eyebrow, to it's neck, and around the right side, coming in area of the right arm. The sight of the creature… scared them, frankly. Even the pink party pony seemed a tad nervous. As the biped looked up, it gave an amused look, and spoke in a calm, but quiet masculine tone. “Well… This certainly isn't what I expected.” The male rose, as the female equines seemed to take a step back in response, save for Twilight. For an odd reason, she felt a strange companionship towards the creature, but at the same time, a deep hatred and sense of fear. ‘What is going on with me?’ The alicorn thought. She shook her head, ridding the cobwebs that clouded her judgement, and stood her ground. “Hello? My name is Twilight Sparkle.… Who and what are you- OUCH!” She began, until a sharp pain came from her rear, right at the base of her tail. Twilight looked back to see Applejack pulling her towards her group of friends, all of them wearing fearful expressions. “What the hay, Applejack?” “Sugar-cube, Ah don't think that what y'all were doing was such a good idea.” The cow pony responded, looking warily at the man that had a confused expression adorning his face, and both arms crossed. Twilight rolled her eyes. “What wasn't a good idea? The fact I wanted to see if it could understand me, and if I could get it's name, if it has one? Or the fact that it might attack us is I even stepped near it?” Applejack, as well as four of the five others looked at her with a deadpan look in their eyes, save for the pink-maned pegasus, seeing as she was hiding behind a nearby tree, in fear of the mysterious being. “You all know that ‘it’ can hear you, correct?” The young man said, looking more annoyed than confused. “And the name is Valï, by the way.” Twilight perked up. “Oh! So, you can understand us!” The newly named Valï just nodded, and stepped forward, but as he did so, the other ponies, save for the purple alicorn, stepped back two paces. “Yes, I can. I just was… Well, not expecting to meet talking equines.” Valï responded, inching closer to the group, as they continued to move backwards. “You understand that I mean you no harm, right?” “And why should we believe you?” Rainbow Dash asked, skeptical of the man’s actions. Valï's left eye twitched slightly, and let of a slight glow. “Because I don't attack those who are injured, especially when it comes to those with a screwed up shoulder and aching feet.” He responded, shocking the ponies on his accusation. The pegasus just scoffed, and rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah? Even with this bum shoulder, I can still take you on!” The human just raised an eyebrow at her boasting. He then just shook his head, and laughed lightly. “What's so funny, chuckles?” Rainbow Dash asked. Valï just stared at the pegasus, . “I don't know why, but to hear you speak reminds me of a woman I used to know… She would never give up until the job was done...” He paused before he continued. “Sadly, I will never get to see her again… All because of that damned Ordeal.” This made Twilight tilt her head to the head slightly. ‘An Ordeal? What is he talking about?’ Valï suddenly stiffened, and stared off into space, into the clear blue sky and completely ignoring the mares in front of him. “Umm…” Fluttershy began, finally coming out of her hiding spot behind the tree. “...Valï, was it?” All she got in response was a slight nod, as the human looked around, as if looking for something that shouldn't belong. “…if I may … What…. What are you, exactly? If you don't me asking.” The timid pony got no response, as Valï continued to search the area. As this was going on, Twilight was unsure of what to make of the situation: a never before seen creature appearing before her and her friend, that doesn't seemed to be hostile towards them at all, and now was in a form of high alert due to his position. Nor did it add the the fact that she felt like she's seen this creature before… As if there were a partnership that was long since buried, but finally uprooted. She couldn't help but let her mind ponder on the question that invaded her thoughts, that was until Valï stopped moving when the sound of a snapping stick was heard. “What was that?” Rarity asked, fear creeping in her voice ever so slightly. Valï was just frozen, not moving an inch, but the alicorn sensed something stirring within the man… Something dark and foul. “… You girls may want to start running…” That was the only thing he said, before something monstrous leaped out of the bushes. Valï cracked a wild grin in response, as the six equines cowered in fear. “…Cause it's time for a PARTY!” …To be continued…
Chapter 2: Rats in the Valley“The need to fight to survive: instinct. Use it to fight for your life, but also for others as well.” Chapter 2: Rats in the Valley PoV: (Valï) Jumping in front of the mares, I prepared for the worst. From out of the nearby trees and brush, jumped out a large, deformed creature with the resemblance of a giant rat with an overgrown left arm. The peculiar thing about it, was the amount of vines, plant life, and fungal growth coming out of its back, and covering it's entire body. To an ordinary person, they would scream, and run with their tail between their legs… However, I knew exactly what this monstrosity was... A damned Toadstool Goblin… if there was one around here, that meant there were more, just by following the rules of a rat’s lifestyle. The aforementioned abomination looked at us, and screeched as loud as it could. Sprinting towards the beast, I grabbed hold of it's short, stubby right arm and pulled with all my might. I keep forgetting that, even though they may be large, they weigh less than a normal person, as the rat flew into one of the many trees, and left me falling forward. “SQUEEK!” The damned creature screeched again, sounding more like a defenseless animal than a monster of death and destruction. I just looked up at the fumbling beast, and then back to the mares behind me. “What in the name of Romalus are you doing? Get the hell out of here!” I shouted, forcefully. The winged unicorn just looked shocked, while the others began making a run for it. As the purple one kept staring, the Goblin began to recover, slowly standing back up as it's beady red eyes were glowing. “Come on, Twilight! Let's go!” One of the others shouted, finally making her regroup with her companions. Finally! Now, the Goblin had fully recovered, and started scampering towards me at a high speed. I grinned, flashing my teeth at the monster before me, and laughing all the way. My right hand lit ablaze with crimson flames, tickling my skin, and stinging my palm, all the while making my blood rush faster and excitement pump through my veins. “It's just you and me, vermin. Let's dance!” PoV: (3rd person) As the six colorful equines ran, they kept looking back, confused at what they had all just seen, and unable to be able to guess what was going on. Two unknown creatures had just mysteriously appeared in Equestria, and they were unsure as to what they should do, but to follow the bipeds’ orders. They stopped at a nearby cliff, being far enough away from the scene so that they could be safe, but they would not be injured in the fight. Turning around to watch, they saw multiple flashes come from the creature that was bipedal. They saw that his arm that appeared monstrous glowed slightly, and out of thin air came four sets of, oddly, frozen roses, dangling in the air by his magical grip. Throwing his arm in front of himself, the roses shot towards the rat-like creature, and exploded in crystalline shards of ice upon contact. The deformed creature stumbled once before falling on its’ side. “Oh my!” Fluttershy whispered, and unexpectedly, flew up into the air and flew down to the scene. “Fluttershy! Wait!” Twilight shouted, and the five followed the butter colored pegasus down to the creatures. It took them but a few moments to get down to the two. The rat-like monster was then swallowed by a blob of black goo, and then it dissipated. The first creature with the deformed arm stood over it, and as the slime revealed a small pile of squirming rats. “Stop!” Fluttershy yelled, the bipedal being remained motionless. His sinister, insane grin had left him, and all that was left was a blank look, devoid of any and all emotion. “What are you doing?” Twilight asked, it took her a second to realize the columns of translucent lavender light appearing over the rodents. Several seconds passed, until the male stepped towards the squirming vermin. “...I understand.” He muttered. The six stood back as he kneeled down, and one could hear faint, eerie but calming whispers in the distance. But, what struck the six the most was the strange, glowing blue aura that had encompassed the rats. Multiple orbs of pale light began to stream from the creature’s left arm and engulfed the helpless animals. More and more streamed from him as the light became almost blinding- then, a flash lit up the scene, as a sky-blue and white cloud of energy ascended from the pile of rats, and entered the bipedal creatures left arm, which was held up to capture the cloud on its descent. The rats then, one by one, stood up, and squeaked one last time before burrowing underground. The creature stood in silence, his left arm slightly glowed for a few seconds before it faded completely. Amongst the silence, he did not think to check behind his person, as the six snuck up without alerting his presence. “Now!” Twilight shouted, Dash tackled the creature. “What the f-!?” He was interrupted as he caught a rainbow colored blur out of the corner of his eye. She pinned him to the ground and forced him to stop moving, placing her hooves on his hands. Every cell on the blister of his right hand screamed in pain. He shouted as a small amount of blood flowed from the blister, but soon became a steady stream. “Get off me, damnit!” He shouted, he freed his right hand from her grip, placed it on her chest, and a flash of red mist could be seen coming from his hand. Dash flew into the air and rebounded of a nearby tree, soaked in a crimson red liquid- it took her a second to realize it was blood. Thinking it to be her own, she screamed in disgust and shock, as Valï ran and hid behind cover, clutching his right arm in pain. As he ran, he stopped and raised his right hand, causing a large stone to raise into the air, and flung it towards the six. They jumped out of the way just in time- it exploded, erupting in a large dust cloud the moment it hit the ground. “Hey! Stop!” Twilight shouted, the sorcerer moved at an unnatural speed, leaving a lime green flash, and white translucent feathers in his wake. The six mares exchanged knowing glances and all nodded in unison. Seconds later, six pillars of multi - colored light descended and engulfed each one of them. As he ran, Valï looked over his shoulder, and noticed the six mares using a type of magic he had never seen before- it’s primary effects caused their hair to have more vibrant color to it, stars aligned their legs, and allowed them to levitate in mid-air. “Stop right there, you varmint!” The orange one called, the creature looked unimpressed. “Really? I've been called worse, you know.” He said, what he did not expect was a giant beam of rainbow colored energy to shoot at him from the six. “Woah!” He shouted, now on full alert. Diving out of the way just in time- he looked back at the damage and noticed everything in the beam’s path had turned to stone. “What the hell…!?” He whispered, and slowly turned around to face them- only to get hit with the beam of light seconds later. He froze before he could do anything, and he found himself trapped in stone. A familiar feeling by now. “Got him!” The Pink one said. ‘Not even close, fluffy.’ The young man thought. Within a few short moments, he had broken free of his confines, shaking loose the dust that had accumulated on his coat. “What!?” The six shouted in unison. Valï just stood there and grinned. “That was weak. A mandrake (1) can do a better job at keeping me frozen.” He said, his grin turned slowly to anger. A third bolt of light shot from the six mares, only to be stopped short by him raising a wall of rocks in front of himself. Slamming his fist into the wall, it broke apart into multiple arrowheads and small stones. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He said, aiming each individual one at the six. The six mares did not heed his warning, and shot another bolt at him. The creature then shot into the air, via stone pillar launching up below him, sending him fly flying high. The stone shrapnel followed in his wake, leaving behind a faint trail of dust. With one swing of his arm, the sharp stone chunks shot forth, and each had missed, just as he had planned them to… ...all but one. A scream could be heard from within the group, and all participants of the conflict stopped in their tracks. Valï's reptilian eye widened, darkening his vision, and saw that one of the mares expelled a red aura. He didn’t mean to hit one of them. Raising his right arm again, he summoned a second set of arrows and approached slowly. “Aaaagggghhhh!!!” It was the violet colored one. She clenched her chest, as a stone fragment stood out from her fur, covered in the crimson fluid of life. Wisps of white light could be seen descending upon her, as well as scarlet energy surrounding the ground around her, similar to blood pooling into the earth… “W...what?” She asked, upon seeing the lights, only to wince at the pain in her abdomen, as she lay upon the grass covered earth. The other five tried to stop the man from approaching, only to have him summon the stone shrapnel once again, and have one arrow head pointed directly between their eyes. “Stay. Back.” Valï warned the mares, getting distrustful looks from all, especially Rainbow Dash. As he stepped forward, he heard two voices, just only whispers, but noticeable to only him alone: Kill the brat. Make a sacrifice! The first said- it was that of a man, malice pouring in great droves from the message sent. Listening to it, made Valï almost sick, but almost tempted to give in to the evil voice, but not before hearing the other. No. She has to live. Don’t hurt her. The second said, another man, only gentler, calmer, and more composed than the other. A voice of reason, one may say. Listening to it made him feel at peace, and think clearer than before. ‘He's right. She's not going to die... Not by my hands...’ He had made up his mind. Without thinking twice, Valï knelt down and clutched his left hand into a fist, causing again the sky-blue orbs of light to stream from his arm and envelop the mare. Her wounds faded into small scratches and the stone fragment disintegrated into nothing but dust. Within a flash of silver light, the pain left her body. An orb ascended from her, and the sorcerer took it within his left arm. ' …There's something special about you.’ This is what echoed through his head, just one last thought. Looking up at the human, Twilight only saw him gaze at her with merciful intent, but anger as well. Anger directed at nobody in particular, but himself. “...Are you going to attack me again, or are we going to play nice?” He asked, the six just stared. PoV: Valï I gazed at the equines, waiting for a response, as they looked at me in shock. What drove them to attack me? I did nothing wrong, other than save the souls of parasitic vermin. Then again, the soul energy that was coming from them wasn't malevolent. Quite the opposite, actually. The lavender colored horse looked at me, confusion permeating the air around us. “Why?” She asked, slowly getting up, stumbling to maintain her balance. I laughed quietly. “Why not?” I replied, confusing her even more. “Besides, I never wanted to fight you. I only reacted in terms of my situation.” The rainbow maned pegasus just scoffed. “As if! You looked like you were about to kill us!” Did she not hear what I had just said? It’s like talking to Carnatux’s brother.... “Well, I apologize for my actions, but remember this…” I turned to face the arrogant mare, her face portraying the malice directed towards me.. “...You were the ones that attacked me first. I only acted in self defense, as any normal being should do while being attacked. Besides, if I wanted to kill you, I could've already snapped my fingers, and you wouldn't even know it before you hit the ground.” “…he's right, Rainbow. We didn't give him a chance to explain what it was he did to those mice.” The purple one said, making the equine look at her in utter disbelief. “But… But, Twi! He-“ ‘Rainbow’ started, before she was cut off by the orange one. “Rainbow Dash, give it a rest! She has a point, and for the record, we did just attack him without reason.” The blonde haired pony then looked at me, before continuing. “Speaking of which, what did you do to that…. Thing.” I shrugged, before I sat down on a nearby stump. “I gave it a second chance.” Responding to her question. The six mares looked at me confused, as the pink one raised her… Hoof, I guess? I pointed to her, and she placed it back down. “Whatcha mean by second chance?” The mare asked, somewhat… Eagerly? I shrugged it off, and answered. “The form it had before was merely a shell of all it's malice, anger, and hatred. By destroying that, the rats had been revealed, waiting to be dealt with. If they hadn't, they would've been reformed back to a Goblin, or they would've died off.” After finishing my explanation, they all looked horrified, especially the yellow one in the back of the group. “That's… Unsettling.” The blonde said. I merely shook my head, and rubbed my head with my left hand. A wave of nausea came over me, as I felt the familiar effects of saving. I was then brought back to reality by one of them shaking my shoulder- the ivory colored one. “Are you feeling alright, sir? You look a tad pale.” I shook my head once more, before standing up to only fall back down onto the stump. “….Someone catch me….” And with those words, I saw nothing but a nebulous of pure black, and fell forward into unconsciousness. Just before I passed out, I heard a female voice whisper something to me. It was… Faint, but I could just barely make it out: …. The Eternal Recursion will begin anew…. Grim… ….To be continued….
