The Lost Serpents

Chapter 5: Revelation.

Helm knew that he was leading a campaign that targeted Celestia and her kingdom, a campaign that has failed every time a villain or some power-hungry fool wanted the Canterlot throne.

Helm knew that the Knights Lunar will be hunted by Celestia's army, he knew that he might have to face Celestia in combat, he knew that he could not fail.

Luna had recently promoted him to Knight Grandmaster, thus making him the leader of the Knights Lunar. A huge burden to be sure, but Luna seemed to think that he was the one to lead, despite there being older and wiser knights before him.

Moonbolt and Sir Lance’s sword weighted heavily on his flank and back as he made his way to the town of Hollow Shades. It will be in Hollow Shades where he will visit the Temple of the Moon.

Helm knew he needed guidance, a guidance that he can only find in the temple.

Luna told him that the Temple is the final resting place of the goddess of the Moon after her ancestor killed her with Apocalypse. It was here that Moonbolt was forged, and it was here that Luna inherited the Moon itself.

Helm made his way through Hollow Shades. The town was populated entirely by bat ponies, who were suspicious of outsiders, but greeted him with warm and sharp smiles when they saw his Knights Lunar symbol on his surcoat. The knights have always had close relations with the bat ponies, for they have sent donations and guards to help Hollow Shades and the bat ponies have always sent their best warriors to join the Knights. Heck, Helm was engaged, and knew a couple of his friends that are engaged to bat pony mares. Helm even caught a group of mares batting their lashes and squealing and shrieking with delight and blushing when they looked him over. Even the stallions gave him a smile and acknowledging nod.

Helm smiled under his helm as he received a hero’s welcome, but frowned when he began to think about Celestia and how would she view this town after the Battle of Lunar Keep. After all, she would be foolish to turn a blind eye on Hollow Shades.

The bat ponies began to follow him, squealing and shrieking. To the untrained ear, this would produce a headache. But this was nothing short of a parade, a parade of a hero.

He ended up in the town square, with the gothic treehouses surrounding the square. In front of him was the temple and to the left was the town hall, and to the right was the midnight market. A fountain was in the middle with the mayor and his daughter, Moon Sliver.

Helm kneeled before the mayor, to which the mayor responded in kind. His daughter trotted up to Helm and the crowd grew silent.

“Where have you been this whole time?” Moon Sliver asked.

“Knightly duties and such. How are you?”

Moon Sliver rolled her eyes and planted a kiss on his lips, making the crowd go wild.

She whispered, “as awkward as ever,” into Helm’s ear.

Helm could only smile.

“What brings you here, Helm Lunar,” the mayor asked.

“First, to see your lovely daughter. Secondly, I seek audience with the spirit of the Goddess of the Moon.” Helm answered.

The mayor’s face went sour, as did concern grow on Moon Sliver’s face.

“Is something wrong?” Helm asked.

“The spirit of the goddess is restless. She suddenly awoke and started to drive away anypony that is not a priest or a member of the choir. She says she is waiting for somepony…” the mayor said.

“Maybe it's me she's waiting for,” Helm guessed, “After all, I'm carrying Moonbolt.” Helm drawn the legendary sword from its scabbard and held it aloft.

The bat ponies stared in awe as the light coming off the glowing mushrooms gave the flamberge a soft gleam.

Moon Sliver tugged on his surcoat with her teeth, indicating that she wanted to show him something, which also gotten laughs from the crowd.

“I'm not sure I have time, I got to-” Helm started.

“Oh no you don't,” said Moon Sliver with a twitching, mischievous smile as she clamped down on his surcoat and spread her wings. Helm’s eyes widened as he realized what she was going to do. He opened his mouth to tell her to not even think about what she was indicating she was going to do, but before he could, she took to the skies with Helm in tow. You see, Helm had a fear of heights, and he tried not to scream in terror as Moon Sliver flew to her tree house.

She then proceeded to unceremoniously toss him through a hole for a window and into the living room.

Helm groaned as he got up off the soft wood floor and checked his armor for any dents. After not finding a single dent or scratch, he climbed up the stairs, knowing that Moon Sliver was already in her room waiting for him. Helm entered her room to see her in some kind of armor.

“Like it?” she asked.

“What kind of armor is it?”

“According to this book, it said that this armor was worn by a type of warrior called a samurai. Of course I had to modify the back for my wings, but other than that, it's really cool,” Moon Sliver said.

Although the armor looked cool, Helm could sense that his armor is superior to hers, but decided not to bring that up.

Moon Sliver then took off her helmet and brought out some sort of slashing spear.

Helm raised an eyebrow when he saw the weapon, “what's this?” he asked.

Moon gave it a twirl before handing it to him saying, “this is called a naginata. Pretty awesome, right?”

Helm nodded in agreement, but decided he would stick to his polearms.

He asked, “where did you get all this stuff?”

“Some weird portal opened up outside of town and a manual dropped out of it before the Royal Guard closed it. I was able to bring it to the captain of the town guard who was an able mage, and he translated the entire book. Since then, we have been forging the weapons with the instructions found in the book. Currently, we are trying to train the guard to use them.”

Helm only nodded and continued their conversation well into the night.

(******)

Helm woke from his sleep. He looked around and found Moon Sliver curled up next to him, worn out from the previous day.

He slowly climbed out the bed to avoid disturbing her. He put on his armor slowly as well to prevent clanking and other metallic sounds that could wake her up. After strapping Moonbolt and Sir Lance’s sword to the appropriate places, Helm went over to his bride-to-be and planted a kiss on her cheek, making her unconsciously smile.

After he exited her tree house, Helm made his way into town. He looked to the canopy to see the time of day it was, but could not see through the trees. After the ten minute walk, he came into the town square and stopped in front of the Temple.

“Here goes nothing,” Helm muttered to himself and walked up the Temple steps. He took a deep breath and pushed aside the twenty-foot double doors and went inside.

The first thing he heard was the sound of chanting by the choir.

“Salve Regina,” they chanted, “deam Luna!” they shouted in high crescendo.

The temple was huge. The roof seemed massive from the ground. In the middle of the roof was a stain glass window that confirmed that it was nighttime, and the Moon was waning. It was dark, but the Moon lit up the place with silvery light. They also had an altar made of cherry wood and on top of that altar was a silver platter surrounded by glass. Curious, Helm trotted over to the altar and looked to see that the platter contained a silver unicorn horn, the Horn of Destiny, cut from the Moon goddess herself.

While he admired the gothic and dark architecture of the temple, a Moon priestess came up to Helm. Moon priestesses are always mares, and stallions are not allowed to become one. However, either sex can become a choir member.

“Are you Helm Lunar?” The priestess asked.

“Indeed, I am,” Helm said with a bow, showing reverence to the priestess. Since he was a Knights Lunar member, he knew all the protocols and religious gestures he needed to do in this temple.The priestess then took him into a secret room and closed the door. She lit a candle that gave a silver colored flame and gave it to Helm. The candle began to levitate and repeated the words “deam Luna,” She then said a blessing and walked out of the room, leaving Helm alone to navigate the Catacombs of the Moon.

With the candle to guide him, Helm plunged into the Catacombs of the Moon. The silvery light the candle cast revealed the skeletons of the the dead and the fresh corpses of those who died recently. Strangely, the Catacombs did not stink of rot and filth, but we're as fresh as mountain air.

Helm was careful to not disturbed a grave, for plenty of rumors told of how a young pony would mess with the bones of the departed, so the skeletons tore him apart and ate him.

Helm can still hear the chanting in the Catacombs, which was the only thing that comforted him in his journey in the dark.

Helm went through winding tunnels and room sized chambers with engravings that were thousands of years old. One depicted a filly crying in the clouds above while the ponies below fought and killed each other. Another was showing what Helm saw when he picked up Moonbolt, he saw the same engraving that was on Moonbolt that was on the wall in front of him.

Helm began to pray to the goddess of the Moon, as he should when making a pilgrimage like this. After he finished his prayer, he began to chant with the choir.

“Salve Regina,” He sang.

Soon he gotten far into the Catacombs. So far in fact, that he came across empty graves that have yet to be filled. This far into the Catacombs, nopony visited, as evident as his hooves made their mark on the dust that was on the stone floor.

He finally went through the last tunnel, and into a throne room sized room, the candle stopped and continued to float at the entrance of the tunnel that Helm came out of, a clear indicator that it will wait for him there. Helm took in the size of such a room and knew where he was. He was in the Lunar Sanctum, the place where the Moon goddess was laid to rest. Magic silver candles lit the place up with holy, silvery light.

Helm immediately got down on all eight and prayed again, and chanted with the choir, saying, “Salve Regina,” over and over again.

Finally, he got up and slowly climbed the cobblestone stairs to a silver sarcophagus with a stone lid. On either side of the sarcophagus were silver statues representing the three phases of the Moon. One was a young filly, another was a middle aged mare, and the last on was an old mare with a cowl.

Helm drawn Moonbolt from its scabbard and placed the blade in a slit on the floor. Immediately, the sarcophagus glowed and the stone lid began to move.

The stone lid slipped of the sarcophagus and a ball of silver light came out of the sarcophagus. It then took the form of a young alicorn filly with her horn missing. Her silver coat rippled with the breeze that came from the Catacombs. He mane flowed like the royal sister's and was silver in color.

The filly put on a sad smile as Helm immediately went to his knees.

“Welcome, Helm Lunar,” the goddess said with a voice that can soothe a Ursa Major that has rabies.

“I am not worthy to be in your presence, but I have dire need of your assistance,” Helm spoke without lifting his head.

The Moon goddess nodded and said, “you wish to ask what path to take in the coming battles.”

“Indeed.”

The Moon goddess shook her head and said, “I cannot help you.”

Helm looked up in shock, “but… you're a goddess, my order’s patron, besides marelady Luna. Please, I beg of you to help.”

“Helm, long ago I was struck down by Apocalypse, and since then, I don't have any power to wield, save for the one that allows me to send ponies to everlasting life in my realm of Moon’s Light. I've been powerless since then.”

Helm hung his head, “Then I came all this way for nothing.”

“Not for nothing, my young stallion. You have braved the Catacombs, and no ordinary pony can do that. In fact, the only reason I chased out the other ponies that weren't part of the Temple was because I needed to focus on you, and you alone so I can see you and offer you one piece of advice.”

Helm asked, “what is the advice then?”

“You can only beat the coming darkness with darkness of your own, and you will eventually have to wage war on Canterlot until the heir awakens the last of the gods and wages war on Canterlot. You must be the thorn in Celestia’s side and keep her distracted.”

Helm understood what she was saying and asked, “this dark power you speak of, what is it?”

“The power of an Eldritch knight.”

Helm was shocked that she would actually suggest that. An Eldritch knight were Knights that began to study the dark arts for power and were practically the magical juggernauts in battle. But the main reason why they were shunned and outlawed was because the power and knowledge they gained from the dark arts corrupts them, turning them into literal Dark Knights, turning into power hungry knights bent on taking over Equestria. They become power hungry shells of their former selves.

“Y-you can't be serious!”

The Moon goddess let a tear slip from one of her eyes, and said, “do not be afraid, Helm. I always suggest the best for my followers, and right now, an ordinary knight cannot fight Celestia on their own. I'm so sorry, but i-it's the only… *sob*.

Right there, the goddess broke down and cried.

“Are you okay?”

“It's just that *sniff* I know of the other gods and spirits, how most of them were wiped out. You have… no idea… on how the restless souls of the gods yearn for their peace. They want to see the world they were tasked with keeping. They, like me, have spent thousands of years inside tombs like this. N-now, I have this o-one chance to *sniff* set things right, for all of us…”

Helm lowered his head and thought about how the gods became shadows of their former selves, trying to claw their way back to the light. He knew that every god wants to go back to their position in the cosmos, and want to see the world that they molded and cared for.

Helm decided that in order to defeat Celestia, sacrifices will be made.

“I'll do it, I'll become an Eldritch Knight. I will lead my men to defend the heir you speak of. This I promise you.”

The goddess of the Moon wiped her eyes with her hooves and looked at him with admiration. Her eyes threatened to tear up again but she held them back and said, “most courageous Helm, The other gods and spirits will forever be indebted to you, thanks.”

Helm nodded, “I have one question though. Where do I find teachings on the dark arts?”

“I do know that a pony was buried here with a basic dark arts tome near the entrance of the Catacombs. If you find it, then that should get you started. I will tell the candle to lead you to it.”

Helm nodded and put Moonbolt back in its sheath, and turned to get started on his journey. He was about to get back into the Catacombs, but he looked back and saw the goddess of the Moon wave with her hoof before she disappeared, and the sarcophagus closed.

(------)

After the holy meeting with the goddess of the Moon, Helm found the black arts tome.

Soon the candle lead him back to the Temple. He emerged from the Catacombs and a priestess closed the door behind him. She bowed and so did Helm, and she trotted off. But one priestess was crying and was babbling about something, causing the other priestess’ to try to cheer her up. But she refused to.

Helm found this disturbing, so he decided to check it out. He walked up to the group of priestess’ and asked what was wrong.

“They are killing everyone, EVERYONE!” the crying priestess said.

“Whoa there, who is killing everyone?” Helm asked.

“The Royal Guard! They are killing the town guard and everyone else! I saw them fighting the mayor with my own eyes, help us knight! HELP US!” the priestess sobbed.

The first thing that ran through Helm’s mind was, “Moon Sliver!”

Helm unsheathed Sir Lance's sword and bucked open the double front doors and galloped into Hollow Shades, now on fire.

(¤¤¤)

Helm ran through the town as the bat ponies flew around in panic and some in fury as a unit of Celestian pegasi killed unarmed civilian bat ponies and fought the samurai guard on the ground. The guard put up a fight, but they weren't sufficiently trained to take on the Royal Guard. Helm cried a battery and threw himself into the fray. Helm quickly swung the bastard sword and decapitated a pegasus, blood spraying on Helm’s steel plate armor and bucked another Royal Guard onto the naginata of a Hollow Shades guard. A Royal Guard captain lowered his spear and charged at Helm. Helm smacked the captain's spear aside with a swing that involved all four forelegs and kicked the captain, who staggered a bit. Helm then gripped the blade of his sword and performed a Mordhau stroke, smashing the crossguard into the captain's head, effectively scrambling the brains of the captain with the crossguard stuck in his head.

Helm pulled the sword’s crossguard out of the captain's head, causing blood and brain matter to spill on the ground.

Helm turned to the Hollow Shades guards and said, “where is Moon Sliver?!”

One of the guards pointed with his hoof towards the market, “we were fighting with her in the market, but we got separated.”

“Follow me,” Helm shouted as he ran to the market with the Hollow Shades guard trying to keep up.

The market was a total mess. Bodies of bat ponies and a few Royal Guards were strewn in painful ways, even some corpses had been decapitated, disemboweled, or both. Blood was spattered on the cobblestone street, its surface reflecting the burning stalls.

Helm and guard frantically searched the area, until they stumbled across five dead Royal Guards and one Hollow Shades guard, the body of the mayor, and Moon Sliver’s broken body that was still breathing frantically.

Helm rushed to her, dropping Sir Lance's sword in a pool of blood and taking off his great helm.

“MOON SLIVER! Can you hear me?!”

Moon Sliver turned her head to see Helm, thankful that he's alive. She weakly said, “Beat you to it… *cough*.”

“It's okay, we will get you healed up. Please, don't die on me now!” Helm pleaded.

“It's okay… we will still… get married… at… Moon’s…” Moon Sliver said, then Helm saw the life dim and disappear from her eyes.

Helm closed his eyes, and put on his great helm. He then cried in his helm. A stream of tears came that never came for his master, that never came when he saw the bodies of his fallen comrades. He let out all the tears that built up inside him from all his years. The surviving Hollow Shades guard looked on with sorrowful eyes.

Then, an entire group of Royal Guards came upon the group and got ready to kill Helm and the Hollow Shades guard.

Helm looked at them, and a sudden hatred cracked him, all that mattered to him was seeing the Royal Guard in pain and dead at his hooves. He grabbed Sir Lance's sword that was now soaked in blood, and gave the most savage and rage filled battle cry that was ever heard.

Helm launched himself at the Royal Guards, determined to make them suffer.

The first guard was sliced in half with so much force, his guts splattered on the cobblestone street. Two guards tried to spear him, but Helm's steel plate armor deflected the spearheads and he decapitated the two in one fell strike.

One tried to shoot a bolt from a crossbow, but the bolt bounced off of Helm's armor without a scratch and he punched the pony in The throat with his armored hoof, snapping the guard's neck. The captain of this group backed up in horror as Helm gripped the blood-soaked sword blade with all four forelegs and swung downward, impaling the guard's spine with the crossguard. As the guard screamed in agony, Helm took the crossguard out and brought it down on the captain's head, causing a similar result with the first captain that Helm killed.

Then, Helm turned back to Hollow Shades guard and said, “we rescue any survivors and we kill all enemy guards, understand?”

The guards nodded their heads slowly.

Helm then turned away and said with a hate-filled voice, “I will make the Royal Guard pay, they will all die on my blade. I WILL see their lives drawn from their eyes as they call for their families. I am death incarnate!”

(ΩΩΩ)

It has been an entire day traveling on the rivers of the jungle, something that just seemed like a complete ruse, but had its perks in helping them not being spotted.

Featherfang soared above the river, taking care to not fly to high. He grew anxious with every passing hour.

After a while, Featherfang suggested that they should pull up onto the river shore so everypony could get some feeling back in their legs.

As soon as everypony got off Sugrotl, Sugrotl decided that he would hunt for Featherfang so that the heir doesn't starve himself because of the blood-curse.

With a fire going and peace and relaxation coming into the camp, the group began to have actual conversations with each other, something that has gotten scarce ever since Appleloosa.

It was then Featherfang stood next to the water's edge, thinking on what was ahead, what was in store for him and his destiny. Soon, Remnant came up beside him as soon as he grew bored watching Vinyl and Applejack train under Ryoma with sticks.

The two sat at the water's edge for a while until Remnant spoke up.

“So Featherfang… you ready to meet your long lost people?”

Featherfang shook his head, “I just don't know. I know that whatever happened in the pyramid temple definitely changed me and gave me proof of my heritage, but my soul is still coming into terms with all of the recent events that have transpired. I mean, from what I heard, I am the one that is supposed to bring these people glory and prosperity with my return. But, what if I fail in that? What if I become a disappointment to the people that essentially made me?”

Remnant shrugged, “I do know that you will never be a disappointment to them. You are everything to them, you are their last sliver of hope for a better future.”

“...Remnant.”

“Yes, Featherfang?”

“Why are you helping us? Why concern yourself with people that aren't related or have any obligation to help a fallen civilization?” Featherfang asked.

“My people want to stay free,” Remnant answered, “they know that as soon as you are eliminated, Celestia will finish her ancestor’s work. The Undiscovered West is the only place that has never been subjugated and conquered. If you are out of the way, she has her full undivided attention on the Undiscovered West, and my people won't stand a chance with her new army strategies. I help, because my colt, my wife, my everything is at stake. I help, because I must.”

Featherfang looked down and said, “Then you are certainly better than me.”

“Featherfa-”

“Hey, Remnant! Do yah mind helping me with these fruits over here? For some reason, they don't come down no matter how hard I buck,” Applejack shouted.

Remnant gave Featherfang a nod and then trotted over to Applejack. Featherfang was alone on the river bank again. That is, until Lyra came over and sat next to him.

Lyra looked at the sky and said, “wonderful night, isn't it?”

Featherfang's heart skipped a beat, but he only said, “what do you want?”

Lyra lowered her head and said, “I want to help you. You seem so depressed and hopeless and lonely.”

Featherfang's eyes hardened, “I don't need help, what I did for you does not need to be paid back in anyway at all. Now please go and leave me alone.”

Lyra scooted closer and pressed her flank up against Featherfang's, causing the hybrid to suddenly go stiff. Lyra then started humming a soothing melody that quickly put Featherfang's troubles to rest. In fact, Lyra nuzzled Featherfang and continued to hum her beautiful song. Her face was on fire, but she didn't care. She wanted to soothe his sorrows and his despair, his pain and agony.

Lyra was the most comfortable she has ever been. She could sit there all night, sing all night, just for Featherfang. Featherfang wanted to protest, but this warm, fuzzy feeling that he felt in his chest felt way too good to break contact with her. Featherfang snuggled even more closely to Lyra, causing both of them to look like their cheeks are on fire. It was this closeness that almost made Lyra stop her humming and singing, but she continued.

“Thank you Lyra,” Featherfang whispered low enough so Lyra couldn't hear, “thank you.”

(-----)

Next morning…

“Again!”

Applejack swung her stick just like Ryoma had shown her, bringing it down on Vinyl’s stick as well. Vinyl parried and swung for Applejack’s hind legs, Applejack avoided the attack and parried a blow coming for her head.

Applejack knew that Vinyl was holding back on her strikes if she could parry without to much worry, and Applejack didn't like that at all. The trees and harvest season didn't hold back when she was at Apple Acres, the jungle warriors weren't going to hold back on her if Vinyl did lose her duel with the Sepony leader. Applejack didn't want Vinyl to hold back because it made her weak. It felt like Vinyl was putting a handicap on her.

“Stop. That is enough. You each get a one hour break,” Ryoma said. The panting mares gave a grateful nod and went to the river to drink. As soon as Applejack was done drinking, she decided to wander the area around their camp.

Applejack wondered how everypony was doing back in Ponyville and at the Sweet Apple Acres. She wondered if her friends; Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Twilight, Fluttershy, have all decided to look for her. She wondered what kind of grief they were going through. The wake of her disappearance. The mere thought of putting her friends through that was unbearable. If that wasn't enough, she was pretty sure that Celestia had gathered them all to fight against Featherfang, provided that she told them about Featherfang already. If that were the case, she would have to fight her friends for a cause she didn't believe in. She would rather remain loyal to those who shed blood, sweat and tears with her. She could hardly give a damn about the Serponies, all she wanted was to be with her friends.

Then she tripped over a mess of vines, making her faceplant onto the soft soil of the jungle. She cursed as she spit out soil and leaves as she got up.

Then, she noticed something partially buried in the dirt.

Applejack frowned and pulled the object out of the dirt. The object looked like a rectangular handle of some kind. A very subtle button was on it.

Applejack swung the handle around. It felt good in her hoof. She could even put her other hoof on the handle, meaning she could use it with the samurai style Ryoma was teaching them, if it had a blade!

Applejack thought that maybe she could put a blade on it later. But there is one thing that bites at her mind; what does the button do?

Applejack held the handle and with her other hoof, and pressed the button.

Immediately, a black blade sprung out of the handle, causing Applejack to drop it with a yelp of surprise. The blade extinguished.

Applejack slowly picked up the handle and pressed the button again. The black, slightly curved blade came out again with a soft hum. She held it before her, unsure on what to do with it. She swung the weapon, and it made a subtle, high-pitched hum that wasn't high enough to hurt ears or alert somepony.

She swung it again, this time with the stance Ryoma taught her. She then turned and sliced at a tree, expecting the wood to stop the blade. Instead, the blade passed through the wood with no resistance at all, cutting down the tree. As soon as the tree fell, Applejack realized that this was no ordinary blade. She even looked at the tree stump to see that the blade-thingy did not only just cut down the tree, it also burned it as it cut the tree.

Applejack smiled at the lucky find, a find that gave her a powerful weapon to boot. But she had one question.

Where did it come from?

“Applejack,” Vinyl called, “training is about to begin!”

Applejack pressed the button again to extinguish the blade and ran to the camp.

“Guess what ah found!” Applejack said as she ran up to Ryoma and Vinyl.

“What did you find,” Ryoma asked.

Applejack held her hoof out to show the handle of her weapon, which received confused looks.

“Wow… a piece of metal?” Vinyl said with a forced smile.

“Not just any piece of metal! Stand back and watch the magic,” Applejack said as she pointed the weapon away from the two ponies. She pressed the button and the black blade came to life. IImmediately, their eyes got big with shock and surprise.

“What is that?!” Vinyl cried.

Applejack frowned, “what? What's wrong?”

Remnant cautiously approached Applejack and said, “Applejack, give me the weapon.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes, “why should Ah give it to you? Ain't you ever heard of finders keepers?”

“Whatever that blade is, it is not of this world. It must be something created by dark magic. Give it here, so I may dispose of it.”

“No, Ah don't think it's dark magic at all! I'm gonna keep it, and that's final.”

Remnant drew his tomahawk, causing Ryoma, Vinyl, and Applejack to back up. “Give me the sword, NOW!”

This pissed off Applejack, “or what? You gonna try and gut me?!”

“This will help disarm you, I don't plan to kill you. I will take the weapon and destroy it.”

Applejack rose on her hind legs and got into the stance she was taught by Ryoma and said, “Only if you can pry it from my cold, dead hooves.”

Remnant charged, his tomahawk swinging for her left side. Applejack, drawing on her training from Ryoma, managed to avoid the weapon and got back into her stance.

Remnant raised an eyebrow. He then took out one of his stones. Applejack's eyes widened at the realization of what he was going to do. He threw his stone at her and pointed with his hoof, letting a stream of lightning out towards her.

Applejack raised the black blade instinctively in an attempt to block it, which made Remnant smile at the fact that the blade will only conduct the electricity and knock her out. But instead, the blade blocked the lightning, causing the lightning to deflect and strike the surrounding environment. Ryoma and Vinyl didn't get struck, but they still took cover behind a fallen log.

Remnant was dumbfounded, astonished that somepony actually managed to block his lightning. Applejack was just as surprised that she could block lightning, but she quickly turned that surprise into confidence. She knew that she could beat him.

Applejack charged towards Remnant, holding the blade like Ryoma showed her and performing a downward slash that Remnant tried to block with his tomahawk. The black blade sliced the tomahawk in two and nicked Remnant’s ear. Applejack then struck him with the butt of the handle, causing Remnant to flop on the dirt. Before he could regain his senses, Applejack held the humming blade to his throat.

“Yield,” Applejack said.

Remnant glared at Applejack. With her blade a couple of millimeters away from his throat.

“I...yield.”

Applejack pressed the button on the blade, and the blade extinguished. She held out her hoof for Remnant to take, but he smacked it away. “You brought shame unto me! Now I can never regain my lost honor…” Remnant said.

Applejack could feel her rage building again. Before she could say anything, Remnant got up and started to walk into the jungle.

“Where are ya going?!”

Remnant stopped. He turned to Applejack with a snarl, “I'm going to train, and will not be back for a couple of days.”

Featherfang and Lyra came out of the bushes. “So, you are leaving us… just because you lost?!” Featherfang said.

Remnant nodded, “you see, in my homeland’s culture, honor is lost when we are spared battle, honor to us is everything! I will leave you for now, but when I comeback, I will fight Applejack,... to the death. And I will join you once that is over and my honor restored.”

With that, Remnant disappeared into the jungle.

Vinyl turned to Ryoma, “he doesn't mean that… does he?”

Ryoma shook his head grimly, “I know those eyes anywhere, and his eyes told us the truth, that he does plan to go through with this.”

Featherfang only looked to the opposite river bank and said, “Then he’s an asshole! All the respect I had for him is gone now.”

Featherfang turned to Applejack and said, “Applejack, when the time comes, you will face him, and you will need to do what is necessary to end it.”

“Ah’m not gonna kill him,” Applejack said.

“He won't leave you with that choice.”

Applejack looked down with distress. She then lifted her head and nodded, but said, “If ah can avoid it, ah will not kill him.”

Featherfang raised an eyebrow, “I will not sugarcoat it, I learned while I lived in the wilds and streets that if you don't fight, either it be a belief or for survival, that if you don't kill the root of the problem, it will always come back.”

As he finished those words, Sugrotl rose from the river and said, “Time to leave, we should get to the Serpony capital before nightfall.

(§§§)

The river was was uncomfortably calm as Sugrotl lazily swam the river with Featherfang overhead and staying close.

However, Applejack had a hard time trying to go to sleep on Sugrotl’s neck with Ryoma and Vinyl. Lyra was still awake though, watching out for river hazards and monsters. Applejack chuckled when she thought about how they were on a spirit of the jungle rivers, and Lyra felt the need to watch to make sure that nothing messes with them. Applejack doubted that anything would attack a dinosaur.

Then her thoughts turned into thoughts of today's events. The way Remnant looked at her as he promised that he would return, and his homecoming would be a fight to the death between him and her. That look of unbridled rage.

Applejack looked at her weapon, a weapon that the group named the Darksaber, and thought on how she would use this weapon in the upcoming duel. She had Sugrotl examine it and found out that dark magic did not create this weapon, dark forces made it. He said that it was from another world where the dark and light were constantly fighting on a galactic scale. He refused to say where it came from, but did say it was a sort of “lightsaber”; whatever that meant.

Applejack then looked back to Lyra Heartstrings. She was still wondering why Lyra accepted this group so easily. Did she not remember Twilight’s heroics and deeds, or any other good deeds of the mane six?

Applejack then decided to find out why.

“Hey, Lyra.”

Lyra turned and smiled, “what's up, Applejack?”

“I got a question.”

“Go ahead.”

Applejack took a deep breath and asked, “How come you practically adopted this group? I mean, why side with them? Celestia and Twilight have done many good things for Equestria… so why reject them?”

Lyra looked down with a sad smile, “I ask myself the same thing. I know I should be on Celestia's side, and be in Canterlot and Ponyville with war preparations with Sweetie Bell or others, but… I feel that I belong with Featherfang and his company, like my destiny is intertwined with his. Plus, I don't like having my throat slit by the guard.”

“Wait, you were attacked by the guard?!”

Lyra nodded, “the same people that keep our homes safe and the streets clean have tried to kill me, just because I tried to defend Featherfang. I guess that they saw me as a traitor.”

All Applejack could say was, “You're lying.”

Lyra gave her another sad smile, “I understand why you won't beleive me, but I will wait for your eyes to see the truth. In truth, I would probably do the same thing too. Promise me one thing, Applejack. Promise me that when you discover the truth, chose what is best for the world. Please chose what will give your family and friends a better future.”

Applejack understood what she was saying, and said, “I promise.”