Waves upon waves of a multitude emotions were flooding his brain as he awoke to a gentle breeze rushing over his face. His mind was a clouded mess of feelings, thoughts and questions, all stirring about and making his head throb painfully. He didn't know why any of them were there, and he couldn't pin down what exactly he was feeling or what questions his tired, groggy brain were able to muster out of oblivion. Upon opening his eyes he was met with a rather dark canopy above him, the dull grey of the sky above barely peeking through the scarce holes provided. The holes expanded and shrank in a kaleidoscope of shimmering light as the branches swayed back and forth. As the fog of sleep began to recede upon his waking, and his thoughts began to clear, several of those questions took the opportunity to spring forward in his mind.
'Where am I? Shouted one question above the others. It wasn't to be outdone however, and he was barely able to register the question as another perked up not long after.
'Where is everyone? This one was reasonable, but the former was much more pressing, he decided. A soft mist still hung over his mind as he took in his shaded surroundings. It seemed to be like any other forest. Tall, scrawny trees, a small creek running away to his left, a thick canopy of dark leaves above him. There wasn't much out of the ordinary, because it was an ordinary forest. He shifted from his prone position on his back into a kneel, sitting on his right boot for support.
Looking to his immediate left, he saw a small lump in the leaves not a foot from him. The soft green-grey striped pattern of the cover was familiar and he immediately scrambled for the helmet, looking it over and turning it in his hands inspecting for any damage. A hole was torn through the canvas cover providing it camouflage, and pierced through the underlying metal. Confused he turned it over to look inside. Speckles of red were dotted around the hole and the metal inside was twisted and too speckled with red, and a rather large splatter painted the lower lip of the back. He dropped the thing in the leaves and stared hard at it as it rolled away before it clattered against something else hidden beneath the leaves. He sat for a moment, just watching the protective bowl of metal, as if it would move if he looked away. After a moment of silence, he shifted over to it and picked it back up. He turned it to look at the penetration and exit holes and lifted his opposite to his forehead. As he felt the bare skin with his fingers, he felt a scar. A large, rough patch just above his left eye.
'Is... Is it mine?' He thought, looking for the name he had engraved into the lower lip. His mind went numb again as he eyes traced over the words Friedhelm Winter running along the inner edge of the helmet. He dropped it again and began crawling away backwards, slipping and falling in the thick carpet of leaves as he did so. Looking down, he noticed several holes in his camouflaged tunic, red splotches meeting the beige and green pea patterns. His breath became labored as fear began to grip him. He quickly undid the buttons and pulled the article away, revealing the white undershirt, which only pronounced the blood even more. The dark splotches were wet and still somewhat warm. The most concerning thing wasn't the blood, however, and it wasn't the holes in his tunic. It was the lack of holes in his chest, much like his head. Where the bullet wounds should have been were only lumps of apparently long-healed scars, but the blood on his skin and clothes was still fresh. None had dried. He brought shaking fingers up to his forehead where the hole in his helmet had been again, right below his hairline, and even more lumps and lines where no doubt shrapnel had embedded into his skin along with the bullet.
Then, like a freight train, it all came rushing in all at once.
The memories, the feelings. The thoughts, the questions. They all flooded his conscious at once, and the fear and anxiety hit him, a wave of emotions crashing into him and rendering him almost unconscious. His mind went blank for a moment, denial trying to resist what it was that was happening. It seemed to be winning for a time, as the tears in his eyes seemed to slow.
No no no. That's impossible. No man can survive wounds like this and live. I'm dreaming. I'm in the hospital again. Charlie is there. Wilhelm is there. Charlie is taking care of me.
"Y-yes. That's it. I'm just dreaming." He said, trembling as he stood up. "I'll be along anytime now. Wake up and the war will be over and I can go home."
Wilhelm is dead. Charlie was sent away. You know that! Where have you to run? How can you be dreaming? The Russians would kill you outright. Why would they take care of you? The Russians should have already killed you.
Friedhelm had nothing for this. He couldn't counter that truth, and he didn't want to.
He rose and stumbled over to his helmet, noticing his rifle tucked in the leaves next to it.
"I should be dead. I should be dead. I was shot. Mowed down, slaughtered by those damned partisans. Why am I not dead? I should be dead!" His mindless ramblings turned into frustrated shouting as he began a tantrum, dropping everything and pacing about the small clearing. He loosed a stone from the ground and hurled it into the dark forest, unsatisfied when he wasn't rewarded with it colliding with something other than leaves or bushes. He gave his helmet a hard glare, and quickly snatched it from where it lie. He hurled it at a tree only to have it harmlessly bounce away without a scratch to neither the tree nor the protective covering. He screamed in unholy rage as he picked up the rifle, shouldering it and firing rapidly. The poor tree that he assaulted with the helmet was now being peppered with bullets as he fired all five of his rounds into it. He loaded another set and fired it off in quick succession. He threw the weapon down on the ground with more force than he meant to, but he didn't care. He squatted down and laid his head in his knees, in a sort of standing fetal position, holding his legs close as he began to sob.
"I- I... Sh-should be dead..." He choked.
Then finish it. Why complain if you could finish it now? If everyone's dead then finish the job.
Friedhelm looked nervously to the rifle at his side, and considered what he had just told himself. He sniffled and rubbed the tears and spittle from his face. Should he? Why should he be dead?
Because everyone else is. Why should you have to suffer without everyone else? Your country is dead, Wilhelm is dead. Everyone.
"That's not true. Everyone is still alive. Everyone survived." He knew it was a complete lie, but he needed something, anything to cling to.
Why?
The question echoed in his mind. It only served to frustrate him further. He gripped the sides of his head and began rocking back and forth.
"Shut up shut up shut up." He whispered harshly, spittle shooting from his mouth and running down his chin. A mist fogged his mind again and he found it hard to think on his own.
Why?
It kept coming. Echoing. It didn't stop. It wouldn't. It filled his head. Thousands of voices were asking the question. They wanted to know. He wanted to know. It was such a simple question, with such a simple answer. He glanced to the rifle at his side, then down to the pouches where his ammunition was held. It would be easier, wouldn't it? To just save himself and everyone else the trouble? He could see Wilhelm, Greta, Charlie, Viktor. He could just go back home and everything would be okay. They would all go to the bar and laugh and have fun and sing and dance. He began to chuckle as he enjoyed what going back home would entail. No more death, blood and mud. Everything would go back to normal and they would all be happy. He opened his eyes, apparently having closed them, and looked back up to the clearing he had previously been stomping through.
"...Wilhelm..."
There, standing before him was the disheveled figure of his older brother, tunic tattered and hair oily and unkempt, his helmet dangling from its strap clutched in his hand, which promptly dropped upon Friedhelm's exclamation. The younger of the two slowly rose, looking at his brother as he had his helmet, as if looking away would denounce his existence.
✠0✠0✠
"I heard it. I know I did!" She half shouted into the dark Everfree forest more for her own confidence than for the butter yellow mare to her right. "It was loud! About as loud Rainbow's rainboom."
"Twilight we all heard it." Fluttershy said, trying to reassure her normally overly-paranoid friend. "Even if it wasn't anything significant, at least you had the initiative to go and look out for danger." Things like this happened frequently. Twilight would pick up on the slightest hint of danger and take the opportunity full swing to try and turn it into a friendship problem.
The lavender unicorn shook her head. "I know I know, but it's not that. What if it is something big? What if we can't find it? We've just come back from defeating Sombra, I'm not sure we'll be able to come back from being caught off guard again." Fluttershy responded with a soft smile, knowing exactly what to do in this situation, having been through it countless times now.
"Twilight, it's okay. We're here together, and here for each other. If they knock us down we'll come back up like we always do. It's okay. We just have to work together again."
Twilight blinked rapidly, shaking her head a giving Fluttershy a soft smile.
"Y-you're right 'Shy. It's nothing we can't handle if we've beat back everypony we've come against so far. Thanks."
Fluttershy responded with a kind smile, and the two fell back into a relatively comfortable silence in the Everfree. The many sounds of the enchanted forest were almost deafening, but having traveled its path so many times, both mares were far used to the cacophony. It was almost it's own soothing rhythm. Which was why both mares jumped when a tomboyish voice rose above the din.
"What's with all the noise here? You guys find anything yet?" The blue pegasus mare asked, hovering above the two.
"For Celestia's sake, Rainbow! Don't scare us like that!" Twilight said, stomping a hoof.
"Jeez, sorry. Didn't mean to, just asking what's up." Rainbow replied, rolling her eyes.
Fluttershy had just finished composing herself when she spoke up.
"Uh, nothing yet, Rainbow. It sounded much deeper into the forest. We're just hoping it's nowhere near the Castle."
"Great, you said it. Now it's gonna happen." Rainbow replied. She slapped a hoof to her face.
The trio jumped as a loud crack echoed off into the distance. Then another. And then another. Two more rang out before the three ponies began galloping, sans Rainbow Dash, who sped off in flight, toward the location of the sounds.
✠0✠0✠
Friedelhm walked slowly through the Castle corridors silently with his brother, arms around each other's shoulders. Their boots clacked loudly in unison against the stone floor, but otherwise neither made a sound. The somewhat intact tapestries lining the walls of the castle depicted many pictures of moons and horses, and Friedhelm and Wilhelm discussed them without a single word. Facial expressions and eye movements were the only thing exchanged between the two. Dusty sunlight washed the corridor with a dark, yellow glow, and Friedhelm would relish in the heat anytime he passed through one of the rays. Friedhelm looked to his brother again, who looked at him as well. A wetness filled his eyes as he embraced his older brother, fingers digging into the back of his tunic. He couldn't believe it. He saw him dead, buried under a pile of rubble. But he wanted to believe it. He was here, tangible, he felt him, and didn't want to let go.
✠0✠0✠
The dark clouds floating in the darkest corners of the old castle watched the display with apt anticipation. The illusion was perfect, and he was almost where it wanted him. As it watched, familiar feminine voices pulled the Darkness from its pleasure and it revolted in disgust and slight fear as it recognized the ponies walking the long bridge across the ravine. It looked back to its prey, such soft, tender meat, yet tough in all the right ways. It couldn't stand to have this taken away from it. Not now, not after so long. Within the shadowy clouds, a fanged smile glittered as a plan unfolded before it, and it seeped deeper into the memories of the prey.
✠0✠0✠
Wilhelm put a hand to the back of Friedelhm's head, grasping his hair and sniffling into his shoulder.
"I thought I'd lost you." He finally said.
Friedhelm lost all control at that point. To hear his older brother speak, to hear those words. To finally have something tangible and loved before him after the many years of torture and suffering, he began sobbing loudly into his chest.
"I'm sorry Wilhelm. For all I've done and haven't done. I love you, brother."
"It's okay, Friedhelm. I hold none of it against you. You were merely the subject of circumstance. All is forgiven."
The younger brother only squeezed tighter at those words.
The two were broken from their revere as the shouts of Russian soldiers echoed about the chamber. As soon as they released each other and reached for their rifles, the door swung open forcefully, and the tan-clad infantry fired a volley into the room, bullets flying in all directions. Friedhelm heard a dull thunk beside him just as he raised his rifle to the door. Time seemed to slow as he looked to his left and then down. Blood seeped into his tunic and down his face. A bullet struck him clear in the head, and three in his torso. Friedhelm could do nothing more than scream. To scream in denial of what had happened. He had just found his brother. A brother he thought long dead. And here he was, dead before him anyways. A loud voice in his head told him to fire away at the Russians, to slay them and get revenge on his brother. But he couldn't do it. His muscles ached and his mind fogged with fatigue. His rifle clattered to the floor as his vision went black.
✠0✠0✠
The three mare's stood in the doorway of the castle entrance. The scream of the bipedal creature before them rang loudly in their ears, even when he fell unconscious and lay silently on the castle floor. It wasn't a normal scream, one of physical pain or mild frustration. It was a hollow scream, one of loss and sorrow. It demanded no help or rescue, only remorse. Twilight stepped slowly towards the creature, the other two following closely behind. As the closed in, they all noticed the blood on its thick clothing.
"Oh Sol above..." Fluttershy whispered, running up to the prone figure. The unicorn and pegasus both attempted to stop her, but she was already upon the bloodied clothing, prodding at the wounds, seeing as she was unable to manipulate the buttons on its coat. Her concern immediately turned to confusion as she noticed the absence of any open wounds.
"Twilight, there are obvious wounds here, but they've long healed, even though the blood is somewhat fresh." Fluttershy ran her hooves over the rough skin. She counted seven of the vaguely circular holes and noticed many others of all shapes and sizes along the rest of its torso.
"That... Doesn't make any sense. Even the strongest healing potions and magic take days to completely heal, and judging by the amount of blood these were serious injuries. Either we're dealing with a powerful alchemist or Dark Magic, and I'm willing to put my bits on the latter."
"Don't mean to interrupt or anything," the cyan pegasus butted in, hovering over the body. "But what the heck is this thing?" At this the ponies began taking in the features of the strange creature.
"It looks like a minotaur, but everything's all wrong. No fur, no horns, nothing. It obviously doesn't have hooves considering whatever's covering the end of its legs. Fluttershy? Have any clue what it could be?"
"I'm afraid not." She said, still studying the creature. "I've never seen anything so... bland before. So colorless as if it were... dead."
"Is it dead?" Rainbow asked.
Its breathing is okay. So no, thankfully. Should we take it back to Ponyville?" Fluttershy asked. "It can rest in my cottage until it's better."
"I'd say yes on any other day, 'Shy, but isn't it strange how we hear all these strange noises, coming from The Castle of the Two Sisters mind you, right after our return? Right after Sombra's defeat? I don't think we should be letting it into our homes until we've figured out exactly what it is. I'll pen Celestia a letter on it this evening."
Fluttershy looked down at the unconscious creature from where she sat. The features on its face were very young, but a multitude of scars along its face and head contradicted that notion.
"Until then, I'll place a mild sleep spell on it, so it won't have the initiative to run off while we sort this out. For second measure I'll put a tracking spell on it while I'm at it. We'll bring the rest of the girls tomorrow if things go south."
Rainbow shrugged.
"Sounds like a plan to me."
Fluttershy gave a soft, sad look to the creature. Even if they were unfavorable or evil, she hated to see another suffer. And a cold night on the stone floor in this castle was a less than ideal idea, but she conceded Twilight's point. As Twilight got into a comfortable casting position, Fluttershy began looking around. She noticed something lying not far from the strange creature and made her way over to it. It was a strange, staff-like object. A length of fabric dangled from one side attached to both ends, and a tube of a strange metal seemed to run down its length.
A grunt of frustration tore Fluttershy's attention from the object and she looked to Twilight, whose face was twisted in a sneer.
"I-I can't put any sort of spell on it. It's as if he's Magically inert." She said breathlessly.
"Uhhh, put that in a way I can understand." Rainbow said scratching the back of her head.
"It has no Magic, Rainbow. It's a vacuum.Any applied to its being is dissipated."
"That's impossible, isn't it?" Fluttershy said. "I remember helping my father in a Magic theory course in Cloudsdale when I visited. The instructor had said Magically inert beings are physically impossible. They couldn't interact with our physical world otherwise."
"That... that's exactly right. If it has no Magic then it's physically impossible for it to interact the with Magically fueled particles in the physical world. But obviously that's not the case." Twilight's eyes began to light up but Fluttershy butted in quickly before that idea could gain traction.
"What about that?" Fluttershy pointed at the staff lying on the ground. I'm pretty sure it was holding that when we walked in. Twilight took notice of the object and attempted to levitate it off the ground. The purple aura from her horn did not present itself on the object, however. Curious, she rose and trotted over, scooping it into her hooves.
"maybe we should bring this to Celestia. no doubt we need to - ouch!" She dropped the staff and let it clatter to the floor as she fell back and shook her hooves.
"Twilight! Are you okay?" Both pegasi said at once.
"I'm fine. It just stung a little. Possibly a defense spell to prevent theft."
"Alright I think we should go ahead and report this. Starting to freak me out now." Rainbow said, taking to the air."
"Agreed." The yellow pegasus began a quick trot to the castle doors. Twilight however, hung back a few seconds more, studying the creature with furrowed brows. "Come on Twilight. Don't want to get caught out in the Everfree at night."
The unicorn stood slowly and trotted back to the doors in deep thought.
✠0✠0✠
The Darkness looked on with confusion. This was not exactly how it presumed it would go, but the end result was just as well, if not better given the circumstances. The prey would stay the night, and would be sleeping. A perfect opportunity, laid right in its hooves by those who wronged it so long ago. As the Elementals left after Magic had cursed the being with a sleeping spell, the Darkness slinked a single, nigh invisble tendril towards the prey's head. Upon connection, the Darkness began a steady flow of magic directly into the beings mind. The main door of the Entrance Hall was slammed shut, and the room was bathed in evening darkness.