Leaning back, I steepled my fingers, the cool stone grounding me as I laid out my terms. "You know the deal. You tell me where the metal is, I get it, and then I'll give you the same empowerment I gave the others—no strings attached." I waved a dismissive hand. "Once I have the metal, the power's yours, free and clear."

Crystallus nodded, his eyes glinting with anticipation. "Agreed, only if we signed a contract." He extended his hoof across the table.

Of course, the bureaucrat would want a contract. I didn't have time for all that legal nonsense, but a goddess's armor was non-negotiable. I'd endure this paperwork charade. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Fine, but I need to look over this first."

He shrugged and handed me the parchment. As I unfurled it, the ancient magic practically oozed from the paper. The contract was simple enough—except for one phrase.

"What’s this 'Devramar law of honor'?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Crystallus remained calm. "Devramar law binds all lesser beings to the honor code of Devramar, God of Truth, Honor and justice. Violate it, and it's bad news for both of us."

I squinted at the paper. "Right," I muttered, signing with my claw, using shadow magic as ink. "Seems... fine."

The deal was struck. Both of us stood, ready to fulfill our parts of the bargain, as our alliance was sealed in dark ink.

I left his office and walked down a violet-lit tunnel toward the cafeteria. The idea of that armor against powerful beings like the princesses was tempting, but I also had other plans. Finding the Pony of Shadows, raiding the Crystal Empire, and—oh, the artifacts. The Bell of Grogar, the Alicorn Amulet... and maybe, just maybe, turning shadows into warrior armor for my own personal army. Yes, this would be so much fun.

As I neared the cafeteria, I quickened my pace, eager to check on my minions. But when I pushed the doors open, I froze. The scene in front of me made my jaw drop.

"What the actual Fu—!"

My claws tore through the stone like butter, tunneling deeper into enemy territory. Puck barked out directions behind me, but I was getting suspicious we were just going in circles.

"Go right!" Puck said, sniffing the air. "We're close, I can smell it!"

I gave him a side-eye. "You sure? I swear we’ve turned right every time."

Puck puffed out his chest, eyes squinting with pride. "I ain't no clueless pup! My instincts are always spot on!"

I shot him a glare, "You *have* been checking the map, right?"

Puck froze. Then, awkwardly, he pulled the map out. "Uh... maybe I forgot? But I know the way!"

I facepalmed. At least now I had the right to dig with my left paw. As I hacked into the stone again, I could feel my patience slipping away. We were supposed to be on a mission, not chasing our own tails.

Puck grumbled, fumbling with the map. "Okay, okay, let's check it—"

"Map?!" I snapped. "No more ‘right’ turns, let's just go left."

Just as I started digging, the ground beneath us rumbled. I slammed a paw down in frustration, and with a crash, we fell out of the tunnel and onto a pile of crystal guards, who immediately froze, staring at us.

We jumped off them in a panic, with Puck scrambling behind me, pulling out his dagger. I dropped into a defensive stance, teeth bared. "You ponies think you can mess with the Gorkjaw Pack? We'll rip off your forelegs and—"

My threats died in my throat. The crystal guards were covered in tar-like vines, their expressions... unimpressed. I glanced around, spotting more guards trapped in similar vines. But what really caught my attention were the tar beasts—minotaur-like creatures—battling it out in the distance, with a crowd of monsters cheering them on.

I quickly dragged Puck down behind the rock pile. "Stay quiet," I whispered. Puck wriggled in my grip.

"Let me go, you big oaf—"

"Quiet, Puck," I hissed. "Danger’s all around us."

Puck gave me a dirty look. "I can see that," he muttered, glancing at the monsters going to town on each other. "What the hell are those things?"

"I dunno, but they don't look friendly," I muttered, peering at the brawling minotaurs. "We’re not fighting those, not today."

That’s when a voice called out from behind us. "Ahem?"

I spun around, paws ready, and found a tied-up guard with a sickly grin. He had the nerve to ask, "Mind lending a hoof to a pony in need?"

I snarled, taking a threatening step forward. "You must be dumber than a rock if you think I'd help a crystal pony."

The guard’s face shifted from cocky to desperate. "Hey, let’s not be hasty. We can work something out. If you’re digging around here, you must want something, right? Maybe I can help, in exchange for some help?"

I cracked my knuckles, grinning. "How 'bout I just smash your face in and take what I want?"

The guard laughed nervously. "Well, you could do that, but what about those monsters over there? They're tough, and there’s more of them than you think."

I smirked, flexing my claws. "I’ll smash their heads in too, if I have to."

Puck cut in, giving the guard a quick, apologetic glance. "Sorry for my friend. He gets... enthusiastic. But we’ve had a chat, and we’re willing to help you out."

I was yanked away by my ear before I could argue, with Puck pulling me aside. "Why are you apologizing to him?!" I whispered harshly.

"Because, idiot," Puck hissed back, "we can use him. If we help him, he can help us get the slaves out of here. And I’m not getting caught up in those monster fights." He shot me a look, tail swishing. "I’m thinking smart, mate."

I scratched my head. "So, we let them fight while we grab the slaves?"

Puck nodded with a wicked grin. "Exactly. We play them like pawns, and walk away with the prize."

We returned to the guard, who was still struggling in his bonds, but his eyes widened in hope. "Thank the gods, you’ll help me—"

"Hold up," Puck interrupted, wagging a finger. "We’ll help you if you help us. Tell us where the slaves are, and we’ll cut you loose."

The guard hesitated, then smirked. "Ah, I can tell you where they are. But... the ones working for you? They’re all dead, thanks to those freaks." He pointed toward the monsters.

Puck’s smile faltered. "Great..."

The guard’s grin widened. "But, there are still about 30 slaves in the storage rooms. Would that cover your end?"

Puck’s eyes narrowed. Thirty slaves? That could work. We exchanged a quick glance, weighing our options. We didn’t have much of a choice.

"Deal," Puck said, grumbling, and began sawing at the tar vines.

Suddenly, a voice boomed behind us, sending a chill down my spine. "What the hell is this?"

I turned around to see one of the minotaur-like monsters walking toward us. Panic shot through me as I grabbed Puck and ducked behind the rock pile. This was going to get messy.

"No, over here, beef head!" a voice yelled. We looked up to see a griffin perched on some barrels, flapping its wings and effortlessly lifting a barrel my size. "We've got ale, boys! Let's go!"

The Minotaur stopped, eyeing the griffin before pointing at the rock pile. "Wait, do you remember this big-ass pile of rocks being here?"

Crap. The Minotaur was about to blow our cover. Puck clung to my leg, shaking like a leaf and gripping his dagger. I flexed my claws, ready to dig us out if things went sideways.

The griffin, unimpressed, flew over, poked the Minotaur in the chest, and deadpanned, "Bro, seriously? You're staring at rocks when there's ale and people beating the hell out of each other?"

The Minotaur stared blankly at the griffin with his lifeless, glowing eyes before casting one last suspicious glance at the rock pile hiding us. He shook his head, swatting the griffin's talon away. "You're right. Enough yapping. Time to drink." He grabbed two barrels and trotted off after his griffin buddy, laughing like a maniac.

"That was way too close," I muttered, letting out a breath as my fur finally relaxed. Looking down, I saw Puck still clinging to my leg, shaking. I flicked his nose, making him whine and rub it.

"Ow, quit it, Bill," Puck grumbled, shooting me a dirty look. I pointed at the guards. Puck facepalmed. "Oh, right. Forgot about them."

He went back to cutting the vines, and after a few more snips, Stonehoof was free. The other two ponies were still unconscious, trapped by withered vines. Puck looked up at Stonehoof with a smirk.

"So, what's your name, pony?" he asked.

Stonehoof tilted his head. "Me? I'm Stonehoof. Why?"

Puck shrugged, finishing up the last vine. "Gotta know whose head's gonna get squashed first if this goes sideways," he said, casually pointing his dagger at the pony. Stonehoof froze, eyes wide.

I positioned myself behind him, making sure there was no way out. Lucky for us, Stonehoof was an Earth Pony. Pegasi would’ve flown away, and a Unicorn would’ve sent us flying. Earth Ponies were strong, but we were Diamond Dogs—at least *I* was strong enough to take a few hits. Puck, on the other hand, might be sent flying.

Puck waved his dagger lazily. "Alright, lead us to the slaves. We're on a schedule."

Stonehoof’s jaw dropped. "W-what? But you said you'd help me!"

"Yeah, we did," Puck smirked. "Now, you help us. Show us the slaves, or I’ll make you into a rug!"

Stonehoof flinched, backing into me. He gulped, eyes darting between us. "But the others—"

"Not our problem," Puck interrupted. "You’re free. Now, move it, or I'll start decorating with pony parts."

Stonehoof nodded frantically, hurrying down a tunnel, with us hot on his tail.

I let out a breath as Stonehoof led the mutts out of sight. Scanning the area to make sure no one else was watching, I snapped the dark vines off my horn and slipped free from the bindings.

"Shadowmist, you good?" I called, only to find her already out, shaking off the few stray vines that had clung to her.

She shot me a raised brow. "Already ahead of you, hotshot. But what's with Stonehoof and the 'slaves'? Last I checked, the only thing down there is a corpse pit. Why’s he headed that way?"

I glanced at the tunnel Stonehoof had disappeared into. She was right—nothing but death and decay in that direction. My suspicion grew.

"So, what's the plan?" Shadowmist asked, her ears twitching with excitement.

"Alright, here's the plan," I said, quickly coming up with something. "I'll free the others, you follow the mutts. You’re better at sneaking than I am, but I’m not sure how your Shadow Magic will hold up against these freaks." She gave me a shrug and a lazy grin.

"Fair enough. Good luck. I’m off!" And with that, she dissolved into a shadowy mist, zipping off to follow the dogs.

I looked around the cafeteria, trying to make sense of the chaos. A dozen guards, split into groups of three, had been caught off guard. Two of our guys were already gone with the Diamond Dogs, leaving nine to free. That meant three traps to dismantle. I wasn’t great with magic, but I knew a decent invisibility spell—though it was a bit unstable. But with all the shadows and drunk monsters, I figured I had a chance to sneak by.

I spotted the makeshift boxing ring, now a free-for-all of monsters rolling around. Four more were passed out on the sidelines, including the griffin. Our weapons were stored nearby, guarded by more freaks. The traps were arranged in a triangle: one by the snack bar, another by some overturned tables, and the last near the crystals.

I figured I’d start with the snack bar trap—it seemed the easiest. As I made my way, I noticed a glowing white eye scanning the area. My fur prickled, but my invisibility spell was holding. I just had to get past this thing.

Approaching the trap, I saw it was taller than I expected. Crap, no way I could rip it down with just magic. Looking around for something useful, I spotted some crystal silverware. Grabbing a few knives, I aimed them at the trap’s glowing eye. The moment I launched them, the trap screamed and convulsed, tentacles shooting out in all directions.

"Great, just great," I muttered, dodging a tendril that nearly skewered me. Desperation clawed at me, but as the knives lodged into the trap’s eye, I saw it twitching in agony. I thrust them deeper, tearing through the eye like wet paper.

The trap collapsed into ash with a satisfying squelch, but the guards above me fell, their vines snapping like rubber bands. Panic hit me, and I used my magic to catch them mid-fall.

"Ugh, who the buck are you?" one of the guards grumbled as he stirred. His red-plumed helmet marked him as Squad Leader. I gave him a pointed look.

"I'm Black Shard. Taskmaster, inciting a riot. We need every hoof we can get." My tone was serious, but my words hung in the air.

He blinked, then nodded. "Understood. Icefeather, at your service. Let’s do this."

"Good. We’ve got two more traps to deal with before we can start the riot," I said, eyeing the chaos unfolding. My smirk grew as I saw two of the freaks too drunk to stand. The rest were too busy brawling.

Icefeather, flying beside me, raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan on handling the rest? We were outnumbered last time, and they regenerate."

I nodded towards the boxing ring. "Six freaks, two drunk, and the rest distracted. This time, we’ve got the element of surprise."

As we crept closer, I watched Icefeather’s subordinates take action. One of them knocked a lunch tray off a table, triggering a deadly burst of spikes from the shadows. The pegasus barely dodged them, his armor dented. Icefeather winced.

"Do your soldiers always take the lead?" I asked, amused.

He fumbled, clearly caught off guard. "W-Well, they don’t usually, but this is... an exceptional case."

I chuckled. "Let’s hope they survive long enough for the big show."

The two pegasi glided over the tables, expertly dodging the dark tendrils that formed a creepy fortress. But then—classic mistake—one of them brushed a lunch tray, sending it clattering into the abyss below. In response, the shadows shot up like angry, spiky tentacles, aiming to skewer him like a shish kebab. The pegasus barely dodged, but not before one of the spikes made a satisfying clang off his armor.

I froze when I saw the trap. If I’d gotten any closer, I would’ve been skewered. My neck tensed as I rubbed it, trying to calm myself down.

Ice Feather snickered, watching his guards handle things. "Good thing nobody's dumb enough to climb that, right?" He elbowed me.

I forced a smile, beads of sweat forming. "Yeah... Maybe you should help them, huh?" I nudged him.

He paused, thinking. "Huh, true. Guess I'll help out. You take care of the last trap." And with that, he took off.

I went invisible with my camouflage spell, sneaking toward the last group of guards tied up near the glowing gray crystals. The freaks guarding them were drunk and stupid, making this easier than I expected. I silently edged closer.

I grabbed a crystal knife from my boot and started cutting the tendrils holding the ponies. As soon as I made the first cut, the crystals glowed, bright enough to make the sun jealous.

Panic set in. I hacked faster, glancing around. One of the freaks noticed. His speech was slurred as he stumbled over, holding a cup of ale like it was his lifeline.

Before I could finish, I felt a cold grip on my shoulder. A freak threw me across the floor like I was a ragdoll. I landed with a thud.

But then, I saw the earth pony break free, bucking the drunk freak in the chest. The Minotaur flew backward, crashing into the wall like a cartoon character. The whole place shook.

The earth pony froze, his leg still extended. “My bad?” he said with a nervous smile, clearly not knowing what had just happened.

The freak, still holding his beer, snored through the wreckage. Meanwhile, the rest of the freaks surrounded the earth pony, looking ready for a fight. We had eight ponies now, and things were about to get real.

The Diamond Dog freak looked around with wide eyes and grabbed the Minotaur by the shoulder. “We got a problem,” he said, ears flattened.

The Minotaur grumbled, "What now?"

The Diamond Dog pointed at us. "Uh, them."

The Minotaur glanced over, saw the chaos, and grumbled, "Whatever. We'll win. We always do."

I just smirked. Ice Feather rocketed into the Minotaur, slamming into his head and sending him skidding. His skull caved in like a smashed melon but then *poof*—it reshaped itself.

“Looks like you were wrong,” I muttered as Ice Feather hovered out of reach, dodging the freaks.

The Diamond Dog swung, but his fist met the Minotaur’s face instead. That left only two freaks standing: the Diamond Dog and a unicorn, both looking increasingly worried.

The Diamond Dog roared and tried to charge, but a blast from the unicorn's horn sent him tumbling, leaving him digging into the ground like a terrified mole.

The unicorn was next. I blasted a beam of light into his face, throwing off his magic. I grabbed a crystal, hurled it at his horn, and *snap*. He hit the floor, clutching his broken horn and screaming like a banshee.

Suddenly, the ground shook. Two earth ponies were shot into the air, only to be yanked into the dirt by shadowy claws. They were stuck up to their necks.

I dodged another geyser of dirt and grabbed a shard of crystal, stabbing it into the shadow arm until it screeched and pulled back.

We were down to Ice Feather, one unicorn, and one earth pony left against the Diamond Dog freak. It wasn’t ideal, but we had the upper hoof.

The ground rumbled, and before anyone could react, a burrow erupted from the surface, sending dirt flying as it moved toward the wall and up to the ceiling. Stalactites shook violently. "Move!" I shouted, barely dodging the falling spikes as they impaled the floor around us. One nearly skewered the two earth ponies stuck in the dirt. Their faces went pale. Too close.

The ceiling cracked, and dirt and rock rained down. I threw up a shield just in time to protect myself, but the shockwave from a Diamond Dog bursting through the ceiling sent me flying. I landed hard, rolling to my hooves, watching the beast dig its paws back into the ground.

The earth pony bucked the Diamond Dog toward me, and I grabbed it with my magic, spinning the beast into the air just in time for Icefeather to body-slam it back into the ground, creating a small crater.

Heavy breathing rattled my chest as adrenaline coursed through me. I stood still for a moment, trying to catch my breath.

Icefeather emerged from the wreckage, looking like he’d been hit by a freight train. His helmet came off with a quick jerk, and he gulped air as if suffocating. Meanwhile, the earth pony was delivering firm kicks to the heads of the unconscious freaks in the ring like it was just another Tuesday.

He approached the Minotaur, whose skull had been caved in by Icefeather. The beast was still twitching, trying to regenerate its head. The earth pony gave it a kick, sending it toppling before bucking it once more—smashing its skull again. “We’ve got a few minutes before they wake up,” he said, as casual as if he were talking about the weather.

I didn’t need to be told twice. “StrawBind, right?” I asked, trying to shake off the surprise of working with him again. "Get the bond crystal."

The earth pony gave me a quick nod and bolted off to get it.

Icefeather sidled up next to me, his eyes darting nervously. "What do we do now?"

I scanned the mess around us—tables flipped, the cafeteria ruined, and more freaks on the ground. "You round up the freaks so StrawBind can sort them. I'll check on the guards."

Icefeather groaned. "Why do I have to do all the dirty work?"

I shot him a deadpan look. "Because I have magic, and you don’t. Now get to work."

He whined but got to it. I healed the guards, making sure none of them were going to bleed out. Then I began digging the earth ponies out of the dirt. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked.

Suddenly, the stone doors crashed open, and Stonehoof and Shadowmist galloped in, eyes wide with terror. “The Diamond Dogs—” Stonehoof started, but then the dogs burst in, yelping and running past us, only to cannonball into the ground and dig away like it was water.

Confusion hit me hard. "Why are they running?"

"Ahhhhhh!" A scream echoed from the tunnel as a writhing mass slithered down the passage, some sort of caterpillar creature shrouded in darkness.

Without thinking, I slammed the door shut with magic, using tables to reinforce it. Glancing at Shadowmist and Stonehoof, I couldn't contain my frustration. “What the hell did you two do?”

They exchanged nervous glances, eyes wide, and then mumbled, “We touched Malachi’s stuff.”

I stared at them, deadpan. “You dumbasses.”

Before I could say more, the door exploded inward, sending tables flying across the room.

I crept through the dark tunnels, my shadowy form barely making a sound as I passed by the oblivious Diamond Dogs. The faint purple glow from the crystals lit the way, but I didn’t need it—vampire ponies had taught me well. Sure, I could’ve used my magic to wipe out these mutts, but I was curious. Plus, Black Shard didn’t think much of my magical prowess anyway, so I wasn’t exactly rushing back. He could handle himself; he was a big pony after all.

Stonehoof suddenly stopped at a door and slipped into the morgue. My eyebrow shot up. The only pony who ever went in there was Malachi from the Great Meltdown, and that guy had a *unique* relationship with the dead.

Grim memories of the Crystal Empire hit me—graveyards were like the busiest part of the city, with skeletons roaming around like they owned the place. Even King Sombra thought they were a little off.

I followed Stonehoof inside, blending into the shadows as usual. Inside the morgue, there was a cage full of creatures. A weird Minotaur, a Griffin, and mostly Diamond Dogs and ponies who didn’t seem to be moving. The mutts didn’t care though.

The little pink Diamond Dog danced around like a happy idiot. "So, these the slaves? One, two, three... Yup, thirty! Hahaha, Gorkjaw gonna be thrilled!" he cackled, clearly high on his own nonsense.

The big mutt shoved Stonehoof aside and pointed to the door. "Open it," he grunted.

Stonehoof hesitated, pulling out a key and—wait—was that a vial of something? I squinted but couldn’t make it out before he stuffed it away. Whatever it was, he was up to something shady.

After some fumbling, Stonehoof unlocked the door, and it swung open with a creak. The little mutt wasted no time barking, “Get up, you lazy sacks! New bosses now!” But none of the prisoners moved. Cue tantrum.

“I said get up, you useless—Huh!?” The little idiot kicked one of the ponies, and his foot went straight through its skin with a disgusting squelch. He yanked his foot out, gagging, and stumbled back.

As the big dog was distracted by his little buddy’s incompetence, Stonehoof seized the moment. With one powerful buck, he sent the big mutt flying into the cage and slammed the door shut.

"That ought to do it," Stonehoof muttered, dusting off his hooves.

I snickered from the shadows. The dogs had no idea what was coming.

Stonehoof smirked as the big mutt fumbled with the bodies he'd fallen on, while the little pink one wiped his foot on a corpse with a grimace.

I couldn’t help but whistle. Stonehoof spun, startled, scanning the room. I slinked up from his shadow, barely able to hold in my laughter.

"Who's there? Show yourself! I am a crystal soldier!" Stonehoof shouted, trying to sound tough, but his voice cracked.

I leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Boo."

"AHHH! What—!?" Stonehoof yelped, leaping into a dresser, clearly trying to hide from a shadow.

"Down here, big guy," I teased, rising from the floor. His face froze when he saw me.

"Shadowmist, you little—what are you doing here? I thought you were asleep in the cafeteria!" He groaned.

I gave a sly grin. "A mare has her ways. But seriously, what’s the plan here? Melting the mutts? 'Cause that stunt won’t hold for long," I said, eyeing the corpse-strewn floor.

Stonehoof pulled out a green vial with a dark grin. "Oh, I’ve got a plan. Malachi uses this to melt bodies, so why not try it on our guests?" he said, chuckling sinisterly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Wow, you’ve got some guts. I like it." I nudged him with my rear. "But let’s hurry up. Black Shard’s making his move, and I don't think stealth is his thing."

Stonehoof grinned as he tossed the vial into the cage. The mutts inside blinked, confused, as the vial shattered, releasing a green vapor that evaporated into the air.

The Diamond Dogs scrambled, but instead of melting into goo, the vapor was sucked into the pile of bodies. I shot Stonehoof a look. "This... isn’t how it’s supposed to go?"

He shrugged. "Usually, it’s a slaughterhouse. But hey, guess the mix didn’t take."

The mutts exchanged a nervous glance, then, as if on cue, the big one dug his way to the door and slammed it shut with a wicked grin.

"Not so fast," the little one said, walking toward us, face hidden in shadow under his helmet. "You like melting and scaring us? How about we return the favor?"

Before I could react, Bill, the big mutt, grabbed my horn, halting my magic before I could escape. "Tsk tsk, pony. It’s rude to run off."

The little mutt rummaged through the dresser, pulling out vials like a mad scientist, tossing them aside until he found the orange "Fire" one. He grinned, opening it and letting a droplet fall. A fireball the size of a baseball hovered dangerously close to us.

"Open their mouths. Let’s give 'em a treat," he said.

Bill held our jaws open as the little mutt raised the vial above us. I panicked, sweat pouring down my face. The drop teetered dangerously above me.

Suddenly, a screech of metal filled the air, and we froze. We turned toward the cage just in time to see the bars bending under some unseen pressure.

A lone pony head emerged from the mass of bodies inside the cage. Its neck stretched like a nightmare, inching closer to us with every twitch, jaws snapping hungrily. Its arms and hooves reached out as though they wanted to grab us.

Just as we thought we were done for, the creature retracted its head back into the pile, as if confused by the hole the little mutt had made when he dug his way out.

The body slithered back, twisting, as more flesh piled out, and with a final twitch, the thing popped out of the cage, crawling toward the exit.

We all stood frozen, watching the horror unfold in stunned silence.

Bill dropped us like a hot potato, and Stonehoof and I exchanged a look that screamed, we’re so screwed. Without wasting a second, I yanked the vial from the little mutt’s paw with my magic and hurled it at the abomination, now halfway out of its hole. It exploded on impact, sending fiery chaos all over the creature. It shrieked in agony as its fleshy, nightmare body thrashed around.

The two mutts snapped out of their stupor and bolted for the door, breaking it down like it was made of paper. Stonehoof and I followed suit, but the abomination wasn’t done yet. It recovered quickly, and we were now the main course in its pursuit.

We dashed out the door, took a hard left, and sprinted down the tunnel. If we can just get to the cafeteria, I thought, maybe those freaks will deal with it. And if they didn't, well, at least it would be out of our hair—win-win.

Behind us, I heard a crash, and when I dared to glance back, I saw a massive minotaur's hand buried in the stone wall. The abomination's body followed like a freaky, fleshy caterpillar, hooves dragging, arms flailing, pony head emerging from the mass with a hungry glare.

Stonehoof, who hadn’t dared look back, paled like he'd seen a ghost.

“We really need to get to the cafeteria!” I panted. “At this rate, Black Shard’s either freed everyone or is a pancake, but if those freaks are still there, they’ll deal with the abomination while we peace out!”

Stonehoof’s eyes were wide with terror. “I’m not running fast enough for this!”

“Just run!” I yelled, glancing over my shoulder. The abomination was catching up. And fast.

"What the FUCK is going on? I was gone for, like, 15 minutes!" I yelled, scanning the chaos around me. Crystal guards were scrambling, my minions were half-panic, half- confusion, and in the middle of it all, a disgusting, caterpillar-like abomination was slithering after them.

I smirked, magic flaring, as I froze everyone in place, leaving them like statues. The only thing that could still move was the freakshow, thrashing and screeching. I raised my hand, a white aura enveloping it, and slammed the creature into the ceiling and walls. It hit with a satisfying *crunch*, then I impaled it on a stalactite, adding a few more for good measure. The creature’s screeches turned into pathetic whimpers before it finally stopped moving.

I turned to my frozen audience, sorting them by faction like it was a freaky school assembly—crystal guards on the left, my minions on the right.

Clapping my hands, I cleared my throat. "Good news, everyone! I’ve had a *productive* chat with your lord, and we’ve reached a deal. There’s a ceasefire for now," I announced, releasing them from my magic.

One of the crystal guards sat up, incredulous. "But you killed one of us!"

"Yeah, and I’ll kill you too if you keep running that mouth," I snapped, my claw lighting up with magic. He shut up faster than a kitten with a sock on its head.

I waved it off. "Anyway, we will leave you to your own devices once I get what was promised. In the meantime, no more fighting between us. Just get to cleaning up this mess." My voice carried authority, and sure enough, the room started clearing itself up.

I looked around for Jinx, my second-in-command. No sign of him. Great. Instead, I found Thunderhide, half-buried in a wall with a mug of ale in hand.

I teleported over, tapped his head a few times until the fog cleared, and watched him pull himself out of the rubble, disoriented. "Did you get the license plate of that truck that hit me?"

"No, but I bet you know where Jinx is," I shot back, noting the hoofprints on his chest plate.

Thunderhide scrambled to his feet, saluted, and muttered a quick apology. "Uh, Jinx took a squad to find you after... you know... the wizard thing. Half the troops stayed behind to guard prisoners."

My eyes narrowed as the chaos from earlier clicked into place. Prisoners... loose... Fantastic.

"Whatever. Come with me. You’re my new bodyguard. I need to look *professional* when I deal with Crystallus," I said, Buddy wrapping around my waist like a living belt.

Thunderhide followed meekly, and we marched toward Crystallus's chamber. Once there, I gave him a pointed look. "I’ll do all the talking. You stand there and look tough. Got it?"

Thunderhide nodded vigorously, miming a zipper across his lips.

I swung open the double wooden doors and stepped into the large cave room, lit by five purple crystals—just enough to see without blinding you. A round table stood in the middle, a map sprawled across it, showing the mountain, nearby cities, and a line dividing "Equestria" and "Stronghorn Dominion." Crystallus and Malachi were already standing there, waiting.

"Ah, you've informed the subordinates about our operation?" Crystallus asked, glancing at me.

I gave a dismissive wave. "Told them enough. They won’t start any unnecessary fights while we're handling business. Now, about the metal?"

I leaned over the table, eyeing Malachi and Crystallus. Malachi slid a glass jar across the table, and as it landed, Crystallus spoke.

"We have a Geode Passage ready to bring you to the horde holding the metal. It's yours." Crystallus slid a triangular-shaped stone with a teardrop-shaped gem in the middle. "This is the key. Just bring it within two meters of the arch, and the portal will appear."

I studied the stone for a moment, then looked up at him. "And what does this Geode Passage look like?"

Crystallus waved a hoof. "It's an archway made of stone with runes around it. When you approach with the key, a portal opens. It was once used by ancient merchants to travel between kingdoms in the blink of an eye, taught to them by the elder dragoness Interstella. But enough history—let's get to business."

I raised an eyebrow. "Malachi mentioned my 'gift' is parasitic. You don't want me to wear it, right?"

Crystallus grinned. "Not yet. I want it placed in the jar for study before I take the risk myself."

I glanced at the jar, then back at him. I wasn’t thrilled about their tests, but putting it in the jar was a hell of a lot better than wearing it myself. I nodded and placed my claw in, letting the dark energy fill the jar like liquid. When it was full, I pulled my hand out and gave it a glance.

"That should do," Crystallus said, his grin widening. "Now, where is this gate?"

I smirked. "Show me the way, and I’ll handle the rest."

Author's Note

Hey, Trashmanic here with an Author's Note. This chapter took longer because I was rewriting some of the old chapters from Chapter 5 onward, mostly making the mind reading more detailed and adding a few new character POVs, rewording a few conversations. Also, Chapter 6 got completely overhauled; it was very rushed before, and I wasn't satisfied with it, so I went to work on it and got it up to my standard.