The faint blue glow of the portal flickered and vanished as I stepped into the cold, damp Geode Passage. Jagged walls of stone glimmered with veins of mineral deposits, doing little to dispel the oppressive, suffocating atmosphere. Behind me, Buddy—my loyal shadow construct—hovered like a dark, flickering ghost, a sinister presence in the gloom.

"Rockyforge!" I called, my voice echoing in the cavern’s endless depths. "I’ve got the Shard. Time to honor your word—break the seal and hand over the armor!"

The ground trembled beneath me, and I could feel the heat emanating from the dragon’s lair. Of course, Rockyforge had to make an entrance. I could almost hear him roll his eyes before his deep, rumbling voice filled the air. “You disturb my rest, mortal. Do you value your life so little?”

I scoffed, holding the shard aloft. “Cut the drama, Rocky. We had a deal. Armor. Now.”

The dragon's glowing green eyes narrowed, studying me like a fly trapped in his web. “You bring me this shard... and demand armor? Bold for a mortal.”

I clenched my fists. “I didn’t slog through a kingdom of savage beasts just to hear you pontificate. A deal’s a deal. Break the seal and give me the armor, or I’ll reduce your hoard to ash.”

Buddy hissed in warning beside me, and I felt the air grow thick with tension, like the calm before a storm. Rockyforge growled in a low, guttural tone and finally spoke. “Very well. You’ve earned it. The seal shall break. The armor will be yours.”

With a swipe of his enormous claws, ancient runes shimmered into existence around me. The seal that had bound my body cracked with a resounding noise, and I exhaled, feeling a slight release of pressure. My shoulders relaxed, just a fraction. “Good. Now, the armor.”

Rockyforge’s grin was wicked, a sadistic glint in his eyes. “To wear this armor, you must bond body and soul with it.”

Before I could comprehend the full meaning of his words, his colossal claw shot forward and swatted me off my feet. I sailed through the air, crashing into a pool of molten lava with a sickening splash. The impact sent a wave of searing heat over me, and the pain was instant—like being roasted alive from the inside out. My body screamed, every nerve firing in protest, but I couldn’t escape. The lava wasn’t just hot—it was alive, and it began to coil around me like some sentient, fiery serpent.

My muscles screamed in agony, but the molten metal held me fast, pulling me deeper into its suffocating grip. It wasn’t just burning my flesh—it was fusing with me, sinking into my very soul, as though it were claiming me as its own.

Through the haze of pain, I heard Rockyforge’s voice, dripping with dark amusement. “Well, kid. It’s either gonna work... or you’re dead.”

The molten metal fused with my body, the searing agony threatening to tear me apart. But through it all, there was a strange sense of purpose. The pain felt familiar, as if this was exactly what I needed. My body and soul were bound to the armor—dark, fiery, and alive—its blackened surface adorned with glowing orange veins, pulsating with raw power.

As I stood, newly forged in molten armor, I felt more alive than ever. More powerful than ever. My mind was ablaze with rage, and I felt unstoppable.

Rockyforge gave me a nod of approval, his massive form towering above me. "You got what you wanted, Vex. Now control it, or it’ll control you."

I smirked, testing my new form. I flexed my arms, and the armor shifted and moved with me, like a second skin. “I’ll handle it. Don’t worry.”

Pain still pulsed through my body, but with each passing moment, it felt more like fuel than torment. Lord Chrysalis’s betrayal still burned within me, and the memory of that damn Dragon’s warning pushed me to my limits. If I had died in that lava, it would have been his fault. But now? Now I had the power to take him down. I’d make him regret ever crossing me.

“Leave now,” Rockyforge rumbled. “Cause chaos for the princesses. They’ll regret crossing you.”

I chuckled darkly. "Princesses? I’ll deal with them later. First, I’m building my own kingdom. They won’t even know what hit ‘em."

With a snap of my fingers, I teleported directly into Lord Crystallus's camp. His guards froze in confusion as they laid eyes on the molten monstrosity standing before them. One hesitation was all I needed. A surge of White Flame erupted from my body, disintegrating them into ash before they could even react.

I didn’t spare a second thought for the survivors. Crystallus had to die.

"Crystallus..." I muttered, savoring the venom in the name. This wasn’t just a mission—it was personal.

The war room was a dimly lit chamber at the heart of the camp, illuminated only by the pale glow of crystalline sconces. At its center stood a crystal table, shimmering with magic and displaying a map of Equestria and the Stronghorn Dominion. As I entered, the last of the guards disintegrated into ash behind me. Crystallus was waiting, standing tall in his gleaming steel armor. His crystal crown reflected the light like a shattered star, and his milky white eyes peered out from behind a porcelain mannequin mask. His voice slithered out, smooth and mocking.

"Ah, Vex. How delightful. I see you’ve burned your way here like the tempest you claim to be." His tone was rich with condescension, dripping with false admiration. "But tell me, my fiery friend, did the dragon amuse you? Or was the golem's company too cold for your liking?"

I grinned beneath my helmet, my voice a low growl. "They were warm-ups. Obstacles, nothing more."

Crystallus tilted his head, his mask glinting eerily. "Still carrying that confidence of yours, I see. How charming. Though one might call it... misplaced." His chuckle was dry, like the sound of cracking glass.

Shadows coiled around me as I flexed my fingers. "Confidence? No, Crystallus. What I have is certainty. Certainty that you’ll regret crossing me."

Before I could unleash my attack, a burst of golden light tore through the shadows. The air crackled with divine energy, and from the shadows stepped Malachi. His golden mask, carved like twisted roots, gleamed in the dim light. His ruby eyes blazed with righteous fury, his dark green cloak swirling like a storm, and his golden staff radiated power.

"Ahhh... so it is thee, flame-born scourge," Malachi intoned, his voice low and measured, each word dripping with disdain. "Thy hubris bringeth thee here to challenge forces beyond thy reckoning?"

I snorted, summoning a wall of shadows to block the bolt of golden lightning he hurled at me. "Still talking like you’re some ancient prophecy, Malachi? Get over yourself."

From behind me, a familiar figure emerged—a tiny, impish shadow with glowing white eyes. Buddy. He floated lazily, grinning at Malachi with exaggerated mockery before sticking out his tongue.

Malachi's brow twitched. "This... creature serveth thee? Truly, thou art the embodiment of folly."

"Not as much as you think," I replied, shadows pooling around me. "Think your light can outshine me?"

"Thou shalt regret thy insolence, heretic," Malachi snarled, slamming his staff to the ground. Golden arcs of energy shot toward me, sizzling the air. My armor absorbed the blasts without so much as a scorch mark. I stepped forward, unfazed.

"Is that it?" I taunted, shadow spears erupting from the ground around him. Malachi twisted, evading most, but one grazed his side, drawing a flash of blood.

"You dare!" he bellowed, his ruby eyes flaring.

Before I could press my advantage, the floor beneath me erupted, a massive crystal spike impaling my side and sending me skidding across the chamber. Crystallus stepped forward, his voice dripping with mock sympathy.

"Dear, dear Vex. Did you truly believe you could face both of us? How naive." His laugh was low, sinister, echoing through the chamber. "Malachi, shall we teach our little firebrand a lesson?"

Malachi nodded, his staff sparking with golden light. "Together, we shall extinguish thy darkness and banish thee to the void."

Buddy, undeterred, zipped around the room, summoning shadow creatures that prowled like wolves. The tiny demon giggled maniacally, throwing Malachi and Crystallus off balance with his chaos.

Crystallus sighed, his tone laced with disdain. "Must you rely on such trifles, Vex? This is embarrassing."

"Embarrassing? I call it strategy," I retorted, surging forward towards Malachi while he was distracted. The room seemed to slow as I closed the distance between myself and Malachi. He was distracted by Buddy's antics, weaving in and out of the shadows, and that was all I needed. My fist, crackling with white-hot energy, shot out and slammed into his side before he could react. The impact sent him flying backward, his golden mask striking the far wall with a deafening crash. Dust and rubble erupted in a cloud around him as his staff clattered to the ground. Smoke rose from the damage, the twisted metal and stone glowing faintly.

Malachi staggered to his hooves, his dark green cloak singed and frayed. His ruby eyes gleamed ominously through his mask, but his aura flickered weakly. His voice rasped as he grunted, struggling to regain his posture. "Ah, a brute with a temper. Thy vigor burns bright, but thy judgment falters, unrefined as the beast thou art."

I didn’t respond. I was focused on the next target.

Crystallus stood tall, his crystalline armor shimmering under the flickering light, a white pony mannequin mask covering his face with an eerie crystal backing. His milky eyes stared at me, unblinking, as if he were untouchable. He spoke in that smug, almost melodious tone, though his words were tinged with venom.

"Vex, darling, must you ruin every room you enter? Such raw brutality, no finesse, no grace. Tsk, tsk," Crystallus purred, his voice dripping with disdain. He raised a hoof, summoning crystalline projectiles that whirred dangerously through the air. "But I suppose you've come to ruin my perfection again. So predictable."

I didn’t wait for him to finish. My body was already in motion, my feet slamming into the ground as I rushed forward. I was done with his arrogance. Done with the way he thought his elegance could overpower anything.

"Regret crossing me yet?" I snarled as my fist exploded with raw energy and collided with his chest. The shockwave from the impact sent a tremor through the room, and Crystallus staggered back, his crystalline form cracking under the force of the blow.

His voice faltered, but there was still that wicked grin, even as he staggered. "Oh, the barbarity! You’ve marred my divine visage!" Crystallus scoffed, his horn glowing faintly as he tried to regain control. "Do you truly believe your brutish strength will suffice against me? Adorable, truly."

Electricity crackled along my body as I closed the gap. "You don’t get it, Crystallus. I’m not here to fight fair. I’m here to take you apart—piece by piece."

Buddy’s shadowy presence was still distracting Malachi, weaving between the cracks in the room. I could hear Malachi growling in frustration, his staff crackling with dark energy. "Thy mischief doth irk me, little shade," he hissed. "But thou art a fleeting annoyance. I shall see thee vanquished."

But I wasn’t concerned with Malachi anymore.

I raised my fist again, smashing it into Crystallus’s side. His armor cracked, pieces of crystal shattering like glass, and I heard the faintest gasp of pain slip from him. But that didn’t stop him. It never did.

"You’re stronger than you look, darling," Crystallus sneered through gritted teeth. "But strength alone is so… pedestrian."

I grit my teeth, pushing myself harder. "You don’t know who you’re dealing with." My fist slammed into his chest again, and this time, his body buckled, his crystal crown splintering from the impact. His form staggered, but he managed to stay on his hooves, still taunting me.

"Fight back, Crystallus!" I shouted, each word seething with fury. "Show me something! You think you can just talk all that bullshit and not back it up?"

Each punch was a release of pure, unrelenting rage. My energy flowed through me, pushing me forward with every swing. His body jerked with every strike, his crystal armor shattering more and more with each hit.

"Pathetic!" I screamed. "You’re nothing but a joke!"

Crystallus coughed weakly, his once-pristine form now a twisted mess of broken crystal and burned flesh. His defiant gaze faltered, but his lips curled into a twisted smirk.

"Such… inelegance," he murmured, his voice strained, but still dripping with sarcasm. "You’re simply a hammer, darling—a brute with no artistry."

My fury didn’t cease. Every blow felt like a release, the satisfaction of watching his arrogance crumble under my fists. His mask cracked, his crown shattered, and still, his eyes—the same smug, lifeless eyes—stared up at me in defiance.

The pressure in my chest built as I continued to hammer away at him. His form grew more and more disfigured, each punch making him seem less and less like the proud figure he had been.

Finally, the anger that had fueled me started to burn itself out. My arms were heavy, and I could feel the exhaustion creeping in. My body slowed, my fists dropping to my sides, the final remnants of my fury waning.

Crystallus wasn’t moving anymore. His body was a broken mess beneath me. I stood over him, panting, my chest heaving with each breath. The air was still, thick with the remains of my rage.

"Did you really think you could take me on?" I whispered, the words more for myself than for him. But Crystallus didn’t answer. He was beyond that now.

With a final, disgusted glance at the shattered remains of his form, I turned away, my body still shaking from the effort.

My eyes locked onto Malachi who was overwhelmed by buddy's creatures, his form fallen, his twisted body sprawled on the stone floor like a broken doll. His once-glowing aura had dimmed to a weak flicker, barely a pulse beneath the golden mask that twisted in the dim light. His cloak, once regal, lay in tatters around him. He still breathed, but the arrogance he had carried like a mantle was now reduced to a pitiful mess of flesh and blood.

I didn’t want to waste any more time.

Without hesitation, I raised my foot, ready to crush his skull beneath it. The thought of ending him right here, right now, sent a surge of cold satisfaction through me. No more games. No more tricks.

But as my fist descended, everything changed. His body shuddered unnaturally, the air itself bending and warping as though reality was afraid to touch him. Suddenly, thick vines erupted from his form, wrapping around my legs, my torso—gripping me with the strength of an ancient, unseen force. I roared in fury, thrashing against the tree-like tendrils, but they only tightened their hold, as if mocking my struggle. The pressure surged, and the vines dug deep into my armor, constricting with an iron grip that refused to let go.

The weight of the world seemed to settle on my chest as I fought to break free, my power surging in desperate defiance. But it wasn’t enough. Not yet.

Then I saw it. Crystallus, broken and battered, his once-pristine form reduced to little more than a crumbling statue, began to stir. His cracked armor groaned as he moved, the sounds of his bones cracking reverberating like a death knell through the room. Slowly, painfully, his decayed form rose to its hooves, the jagged remnants of his armor clattering to the floor. His mask—now little more than a twisted mockery—still clung to his face, the milky eyes barely visible behind the fractured glass.

As he began to limp toward me, I saw it—the faintest shimmer of golden particles swirling around him, like dying stars that refused to fade. He was… alive? No, not alive. Not truly.

I seethed. "What is this?" I hissed, my teeth gritted in fury. "How are you still standing? I destroyed you!"

Crystallus gave a soft, rattling chuckle, the sound like bones grinding together. He tilted his head, his cracked and rotting face forming into a smug, almost mocking grin.

"Ahh, you think you’ve won, do you?" His voice was a soft rasp, filled with venom and cruel amusement. "But you are mistaken, dear Vex. You can never truly destroy what is beyond death. You may have shattered my form, cracked my armor, but I am beyond such petty concerns. I am—" His smile widened, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "I am undying."

I stared at him in disbelief, watching as his body reformed, the decayed flesh knitting itself together with sickening ease. The golden aura around him flickered once more, as if to remind me of the dark power that still lingered within him, even as he moved like a ghost.

"You’ve failed," he continued, each word laced with mockery. "Look at me. I am broken, yes—but not dead. No, that is a privilege reserved for those who do not possess my... immortality. Even death cannot hold me." He chuckled darkly. "You have only delayed the inevitable, my dear Vex."

My chest burned with anger, my muscles straining against the vines that held me fast. I struggled, trying to tear myself free, but his words only made my fury grow.

"You’re nothing but a zombie now," I spat. "Pathetic. How does it feel to be a mockery of life?"

He limped closer, his decayed hooves dragging across the stone floor, leaving behind a trail of broken remnants. "A mockery?" he rasped, his face still carrying that twisted grin. "Oh, Vex… How quaint. You think this is a curse. But this is the price of power, the curse of immortality. You see, even when you try to break me, I will rise again. Always. And when I do, I will make sure you feel every inch of that failure."

I clenched my teeth, the pressure in my chest almost unbearable as I watched him rise. "No matter how many times you rise," I snarled, "you’ll always be the same. A rotting husk of what you once were."

He chuckled again, low and menacing, his voice now a whisper. "Ah, but it is your perception that is flawed, my dear. I may be broken, but in my brokenness, I am still more than you could ever hope to be. And I am not alone." His milky eyes glinted with something dark. "You see, Vex, even if I must step back for now, know this: the princesses... will be your undoing. They will rise against you, and you will fall. All you have worked for, all you’ve built... will crumble."

As he vanished into the shadows, my last growl was a mixture of fury and frustration. He was gone, for now—slipped away like the coward he was.

But my rage—my fury—was still there. It boiled inside me like a storm, threatening to break free. Crystallus’ mocking words echoed in my mind, taunting me, reminding me just how close I had been. How I was so close to crushing him beneath my heel. Yet, as always, he had evaded me. Slipped away like a shadow, as everything always did.

My teeth ground together, the taste of blood filling my mouth as my anger grew. My aura flared, blinding white light exploding outward as my magic surged, wild and uncontrolled. The tendrils of the tree that had held me captive groaned in protest as I channeled all my power, and with a roar, I tore the roots from the earth. The mountain shook as the tree snapped and cracked, its form bending under my fury. I lifted it high into the air, before burning it to ash with a single wave of my hand. What remained of the tree scattered, reduced to nothing but smoldering dust and charred remains.

“Why?!” I screamed into the cavern, my voice raw with the weight of my rage. “I was winning! For once, I was about to win, and you take it all away!”

I slammed my fist into the ground, the force of the blow sending shockwaves through the entire mountain. The rock cracked beneath me, the very walls trembling as if they too were protesting the fury I unleashed. My eyes blazed with pure, white-hot magic, each pulse of my power sending waves of arcane energy rippling through the air.

But then, as if a veil were being drawn across my vision, I felt something. Something cold. It swept over me, familiar and suffocating, the cold embrace of the darkness I had forged into my very being. The power that had become a part of me. My dark magic.

It was as though the rage within me had found its match—a soothing balm for my burning heart. My thoughts slowed, and I paused, letting the suffocating darkness envelop me like a blanket. What was I to do with all this power? All this anger?

A thought, a realization, struck me like a bolt of lightning.

Crystallus was gone. The base was mine now. His operation, his treasures, his resources—everything he had worked so hard to build—was ripe for the taking.

The cages.

The prisoners who had been foolish enough to think they could escape Crystallus’s rule. They were nothing now—just pawns in my game. I would own them, bend them to my will. When they were mine, they would become the force that would drive my plans forward.

A wicked grin spread across my face.

I melted into the shadows, my form becoming one with the darkness, as I moved silently through the wreckage of the base. They were mine, all of them. And soon, this entire operation—this base—would be under my command. I would reign.

Author's Note

Hey, Trashmanic here with Chapter 15 of The Shadows We Inherit! This one takes a darker turn compared to the previous chapters. Vex is getting closer to reuniting his entire crew and, after a long journey, finally obtains his armor. Not only that, but he also has the seal removed.

As always, your feedback means a lot to me, so drop a comment if you have thoughts or just want to chat about the plot or characters! Things are about to get even more heated. Stay tuned for what’s next—Vex’s rage is only just beginning!

I've been trying to update this fic twice every month, but I’m also working on another fic, so updates may not always be on time. That said, I’ll aim for that time frame and will update you in an author's note (or even here) if anything changes.

Thanks for reading, and keep being awesome!

Armor concept ideas: