The Soul Reaver

Oh... so you've come...

What the hell? Who's there!?!

Don't be afraid... All will be revealed in the end...

That's not what I asked asshole! Who are you!?!

You will know... Eventually. Until then, be careful. The silent city may destroy you if you are not careful.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Will you survive? Perhaps you won't. But then again, you are a fool.

Fuck you too! The voice sounds vaguely male, but it has a female tone in it as well, making it hard to discern between the two.

"Dean..."

The hell? Steam?

"Dean! Wake up, you have to see this!"

With that, I finally awoke.

I gasp awake as I see Steam looking over me with a frantic look on her face. Worried, I asked her what was wrong, and she pointed out the window with a hoof.

Well it's night, now what can be so- oh dear god what the hell is that...?

Outside the window, I can see Manehatten, but... It's different then from what I was lead to believe.

The city had a steampunk castle

I was worried at the sight, not believing that this was easily done in I don't know how long. I turned to steam with an alarmed expression.

"Was there ever any rumors about this happening in Manehatten?" I ask her. She shakes her head as the train gets ever closer to the station. That explains why there's so few passengers on the train. The train finally comes to a halt, and Steam and I remain.

"Steam, you okay?" I ask her. She shakes her head.

"No Dean, I'm not. What if this is something bad? What if-" Her eyes widened, "What if something happened to my parents?" She begins to rush off the train.

"WAIT!" I call out to her, but it was no use. I sighed, and sat for a moment, until I heard a scream from Steam. I ran out as quickly as I could, and saw...

WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING!?!

It was pony shaped, but... Oh dear god...

It looked like a brute from that Amnesia Game! The only difference is that it's head was intact, but the eyes and mouth were sewed shut.

"HEY ASSHOLE!" I call out as I pull out my wraith blade and charge at him. I brought my blade down on him, but he blocked me with his... Blade arms. Fuck.

"Jeweled Death cap..." A mist of pollen shout out from his slightly opened mouth and into my face. I coughed and tried to shoo the mist away, before I began to feel sick.

"DEAN!" Steams voice became muffled as I fell.

I blacked out.

(Manehatten - Night)

When I awoke, It was still night, but the place was empty. It was very, and I do mean very, unsettling. Not a soul was in sight, and I couldn't see a pony for miles. I got up and looked around. I wasn't going to do that cliched 'hello?' thing, that would be stupid. I began to investigate the area, and tried to find any clues. I remember seeing... some sort of helicopters, and some claws reaching down for the ponies, and that fugly looking son of a bitch that took Steam...

SHIT! THEY GOT STEAM!

Waitwaitwait... I gotta calm down, panicking won't solve anything for me, all it will do is make it worse. I decide to head off into the town, see if I can't find anything there. However, before I could make it far, I end up tripping.

Fucking really? I get up and growl at my stupidity, but when I look at the ground, I notice slash marks on the ground. Where the hell could... Oh yes. That fucked up pony's blade arms. that's my only lead, and I best follow it.

I followed the slash marks, and it led into what I guessed was the marketplace. It was empty, just like Avalon was, but I had a feeling that the castle holds my answers. Still, the slash marks are probably my best bet on finding steam.

"My master is waiting for you..." I looked around for the source of the voice, but found nothing. It was the same voice I heard from that mutilated pony, so it must be him. I heard the clanking of knives when it finished it's piece.

It must be watching me.

That's just fucking unnerving, no matter how experienced you are. When something like that toys with you, it only serves to make you nervous.

I continued on my way, following the blade tracks. But it got worse, as there was droplets of blood on the stone. That made me start running as the droplets got more numerous. I made it the source.

I was angry.

The kind of anger one never thought you could experience. The kind that makes you want to brutalize anything near you.

Steam was on the floor, with a rather bad wound to her side. She was unconscious, so I rushed to her side and froze the wound to cauterize it. I picked her up and ran to the nearest store. It looked like a grocery store, so I ran in and tried to find anything for medical supplies.

I found the aisle, and searched around for anything to help. I found some stitches, alcohol, and bandages. I took her to the back and found the break room. I found a table and cleared it of anything on it, and placed Steam on the table an applied what I knew of first aid. By the end of the process, She was decently patched up. I'm no professional, I've never had to do this to anyone, let alone a pony.

I sighed and found something to sit on and rest. Geez, all I wanted was a friggin' vacation! Is that so much to ask!?!

"Ah. there you are." I shot up and look at the intruder, and it was the man that saved me and the others from Nex and his posse. He was lightly smiling, as if he knew something that I didn't

"Who are you?" I ask him, feeling very uneasy looking at him. There was something about him that jus-

"Louis Cypher." He introduced and held out a hand for me to shake. I take it very reluctantly, and shake it. He smiles slightly wider before pulling away.

Louis Cypher... Why does that sound familiar?

"You know, you could say my name really fast to figure it out..." he suggested playfully. I raise an eyebrow in suspicion but do exactly that.

Louiscypherlouiscy-

Oh fuck me...

"L-Lucifer..." my eyes widen as I take a step back in alarm. His smile widens even more and claps.

"And we have a winner. I guess as a prize, I can tell you what has been going on around Manehatten." He looks serious for once, and gestures for me to sit down. I do so, and at the snap of his fingers, a chair appears under him as he sits down as well.

"Alright... So what the hell is going on around here?" I ask him cautiously. He sighs melodramatically.

"Seriously, I'm not going to hurt you." He then smirks, "Yet, anyway." God, this guy makes me nervous...

He looks at Steam and snaps his fingers. A golden light shined over her, and I noticed the blood that was there disappeared.

"A little gift. Now, onto the business of the happenings of Manehatten." He tells me, "We have another rogue wraith in Death's midst." WHAT THE FUCK, SERIOUSLY?!?

I growled and smacked y face against the table, "Son of a bitch..." I sigh. Louis chuckles before continuing.

"Yes, and that's not all. He's enslaved most of Manehatten to build that Steampunk abomination that looms over the city. He's also managed what most everyone believed to be impossible." He then stares at me hard, "do you remember the pony that harmed your friend?" he asked me. My stare hardens, but I nod. "That was a sentiment... a mutated sentiment. It's now carrying the powers of a wraith." My eyes widen at the thought of something so powerful.

"That's not all, it carries the power of fear and poison, able to paralyze and make your worst fears come to life." He informs me. Oh this just gets better and better...

"Is there any good news?" I ask him with a sigh. He then smiled and pulled out a cellphone.

"I still get coverage from Verizon." I slam my head hard into the table. He can't take shit seriously, can he?

"Alright, but in all seriousness, there is good news." he laughs as he taps my head. "He does have slaves, and I have to say, they're feeling fairly... Rebellious." He tells me. I shoot my head up with surprise on my face.

It then slowly twists into a vicious smirk comes to my head.

"I love humans like you Dean, you have wonderful mischief bred into you that it's too much fun to not watch." he sighs.

"Well, I do aim to please." I chuckle, despite the nervousness I feel around him. He smirks and stands up.

"I expect great things from you Mr. Marcelo. Many great things." He then disappears with a flash of light, leaving me with an unconscious steam.

"mmm..." Wait, never mind.

"Lower... Dean... Lower..." WAT.

I clear my throat loud enough to awake her. She slowly opens her eyes and spots me. Her eye's widen and blushes, "E-Erm, how much of that did you hear?" She asks me.

"Hear what?" I lie, no way am I going to initiate that awkward chain of conversation. She sighs in relief and looks at me.

"Thanks for saving me Dean." She smiles and nuzzles my leg. I smile and kneel down and hug her. She didn't deserve what happened.

"Not a problem Steam. I think if we hurry I can get you-"

"No, I'm not leaving you here to do this yourself." She interrupts me with a glare. I stare at her for awhile before sighing.

"Alright. Fine, but if it gets too bad, I want you to leave me to handle it. Got it?" I glare at her. She smiles and nods. "Alright, then we have our first objective for now. Let's go." I walk out of the break room and into the store.

"What are we doing?" She asks as we leave the store. I look up to the castle and smirk viciously.

"We're going to start a riot..."

To be continued...