A Random My Little Pony Fan Fiction Story 3: John's Kingdom

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Chapter 7: TK

The path was set, the destination was in stone, the boat was in full capacity, and The Eternal Night beckoned the call of The Knights of John to their destinies. John sat there on the boat, waiting for TK and Glacio to fill in their places on the vessel and to depart. To pass the time, John kept to himself as usual as he continued to be tormented by his own reality and of his own mind.

While the others conversed with each other, John stared into the densely fog filled lake that looked like that it could stretch on for miles upon miles. He looked deeply across the lake as far as he could see, only to be met with a wall of grey, depressing mist and vapor. It only reminded him of the gloom of what he had become and the fate of everypony else. And yet he could not stop looking deep into an abyss filled with misery and despair.

He was caught in a trance; going deeper as his mind further degraded. On the surface level, his mind only produced random thoughts at an alarming rate. But underneath the iceberg of thoughts and memories, he was screaming to get out. He wanted to be free of his existence and to see the blissful void of nothingness.

The howls of grief clawed at him, aching to be relieved of life itself. He wanted only the silence and the end to his own consciousness. And yet despite the cries for help, he could not scream. His eyes only remained cross-eyed as he starred deeply into an endless cloud filled with agony and regret. And yet despite the foreboding nature of it all, it called to him as if it was his home. He wanted to reach out to it and go deeper into the endless, welcoming void. He wanted no more to than simply leap off of the boat and carry himself to the edge of the emptiness that only filled with his heart with joy. Yet how could he when all his thoughts remained suppressed by his own mental capacity that couldn’t even make a single sound of desperation?

And yet, with all of his heart, he could not make himself go through it all even if given the chance to break free. He was who he was as he had thoughts of his dear wife on his mind and the everlasting struggle to reach Paradise.

John then blurted out the words as he turned his head around to the others like a creepy little creature, “Chicken apple soup is where you put the moose on a goose in! And then it explodes!”

Ventus, Terra, and Ignis remained silent as they stared at him with a concerned look on their faces. They were previously talking about their hopes and dreams when they got back to their universe, and yet John abruptly spoke out loud. And yet they were not offended, only questioning why John was the way he was; but only John knew why he was the way he was with no other living soul to tell his tale. The two parties remained silent for a minute, waiting to see if John said anything else.

However, John only reined his head back towards the lake as Ventus went back to his conversation, “Well as I was saying, I would love to get back into a warm, soft bed again.”

Terra only rolled her eyes playfully, “You and me both.”

She then looked over to Glacio, wanting to pick up the pace, “Hey! Are we ready yet!?”

Glacio who was standing on the docks, yet far from the boat looked over and responded back, “Just about! Just waiting on someone….”

Glacio looked over at TK menacingly as TK stood by the cabin and keeping a keen eye on the woods. He only growled to himself, becoming a bit distressed as if he was looking at something.

Glacio however was growing weary of his actions and said with a tone of annoyance, “Are you done yet?”

TK slightly looked over his shoulder as he stood tall and firm like a rock, “Yeah…. I’m done. We’re in the clear…. for now….”

And so the two without a word made it to the boat. Once everyone was on the vessel and ready to go, TK gave it a small push to give it a head start from the pier.

He then quickly hopped in and made it to the other end to get a clear view of the lake. They only needed to move in one direction and it was straight ahead. So with Ignis and Ventus rowing the oars of the boat at a swift, yet easing pace, the boat moved gently through the fog and into the unknown. Everyone kept silent as they moved further and further away from the cabin until it too disappeared into the unknown. As they kept rowing, everyone seemed a little bit anxious.

Ventus was worried if they would hit something. Terra was keeping an eye out for anything that might stop them. Glacio and Ignis were keeping their wits on TK, trying to keep him in check unless otherwise. TK only looked ahead and never looked back; determined to reach the end of his long journey. John on the other hand was the only one in the group that remained pure of heart and only kept his mind preoccupied with his own happy thoughts, even if it was random at best. However to John’s slight delight and his unknowing, Ventus quietly slipped over as he was roaring and tried to slip him a few words by his ears as they perked up.

John kept looking deep into the mist, but Ventus only wanted him to hear what he had to say, “I just want to say real quick, thank you John. Thank you so much for helping me back there. I know you couldn’t have done much and it was mostly up to me, but I want to say thank you is all. I couldn’t have done it without you. And I’m glad to call you my friend.”

Ventus went back to focusing on his roaring as John heard his words. He did not smile or say anything random back, but only embraced it all in his mind to sooth his pain. And Glacio overheard their little conversation as well as all he could was force a little smile across his face. He looked over at John and knew he was the right choice and hoped that in the end, everything would work out.

And soon as they sensed they were well middle into the lake, Glacio wanted to confront TK in front of the rest of the group; and to perhaps reveal his true colors and to see if he can even be trusted. As TK stood the tallest among them, Glacio looked up at TK with a pain in his heart, and yet resentment on his face. He wanted to tackle him and beat him to a pulp, yet somewhere deep down he knew that would be impossible.

So as TK had his back to him and everyone else only listened, Glacio asked him with a sense of grudge in his voice as he stood before him, “So TK, what are you thinking?”

TK only gave him a cold response with his voice being as gruff as usual, “None of your concern.”

Glacio held his head high as he had a look of fire in his eyes starting to ignite within him, “It is my concern. You just being here is my whole point in asking you the question. Now answer me, what are you thinking right now?”

TK only turned his head slightly to look over his shoulders, “Then that’s your problem then, not mine.”

Glacio got a little bit closer as he threw up a fist in expression, “You listen here you swine. The entire time that you have been here, not only have you done nothing for us, but you have increasingly become a strain on our patience for you. Now I don’t know who you really are or where you come from. I don’t even know what you even look like underneath, yet I’m sure under that helmet of yours; you are nothing more than a hollowed shell. If you didn’t have your tough looks and angered tone all the time, you would be nothing but an angry, weak little man with nothing to show for it.”

Glacio was starting to raise his voice as the others kept their heads down, not wanting to be a part of it. The only one enjoying the sight was Ignis as he kept rowing. The fact that he thought that TK was getting what he deserved only pushed him to row faster and with more energy to where even Ventus noticed.

Glacio continued his little rant with his ever growing tone of voice, “You show no remorse for your actions. You care little about our needs and only for yourself. You have no respect for the dead. You show no interest in sharing anything about yourself while we have shown all that we have to show, even down to our weaknesses. You abandoned what you said was your post without a single care. And yet despite all of that…. You want your share of the King’s Crystal. I will forgive all of that, if only in return you give me something to think otherwise. And I don’t mean later, now. We are all here, gathered in the middle of nowhere in a body of water; now is the time to come clean with not only me, but to the rest of us. What is it going to be?”

There was only silence with TK keeping his eyes forward, yet he was thinking. Ventus was nervous however, not wanting things to go sour. Despite agreeing with Glacio, he wanted no bad relations with TK. Not only did he seem frightful, but he simply did not want to make more of a mess of how things already are. He wanted to say something, and had the courage inside of him to interject. Yet it seemed that it was not the right call, so he kept all of his comments to himself. Terra and John waited to see what would happen while Ignis only sat and waited, enjoying every word of the little bought between the two. Glacio only huffed and puffed, wanting to see what TK would say or even do. Anything that he would do, he would be ready, even getting his hand close to his sword and feeling his other hand the coldness of ice.

TK then turned around in full, stared directly into Glacio’s eyes and only gave him a warning to heed, “If you ever speak to me like that again; or make demands out of me; I will be your fucking end. I will tear you limb from limb and make you choke on your own blood. And I will beat you into the dirt, crushing you with my own hands. And I will kill every single one of your friends here in front of you to make you suffer even more if I have to. I am not fucking around. I will end you and make you wish that you were in Hell rather than living.”

Glacio only stared back like TK not giving a single nudge to him.

He only stared back with anguish as he said to him with no fear, “I am not afraid of your worthless words. They are not even threats to me, only foolish ideas that will never become reality.”

TK only growled back like a beast watching his prey. Glacio only stood firmly as he could, “I don’t think we need any more of your assistance then TK.”

TK then slowly moved his hand to go for his sword on his back as he nodded his head a little, “Then I think you’re going to have a problem with that.”

In a sudden moment, both Ventus and Ignis stopped rowing as both TK and Glacio were at each other’s throats. Glacio saw this coming from a mile away as he tried to go for his sword first while trying to charge up his ice element. However he was caught off guard by a fraction of a second as TK swiped his right leg and made Glacio trip and fall towards the right side of the boat, rocking it a little bit as slight waves were made in the water.

Glacio fell on to his back and teetering on the edge of the boat. TK then swiftly took out his sword and put it towards Glacio’s neck, only millimeters away from cutting his throat open and letting all the blood spill out into the lake below them. Ignis stood up, his right fist ablaze, yet holding still like a Mexican standoff.

Terra and Ventus remained in shock, not sure what to do. John on the other hand kept his eyes on the two.

TK and Glacio only kept his eye on Glacio and with a gruff voice demanded, “Give me one good reason why I should gut you like a fish right here and now.”

Glacio struggled to talk, yet while gritting his teeth, “Because you still need to find the King’s Crystal.”

TK only gave him the cold shoulder, “Bullshit. I can do it on my own. It’ll just be a lot harder to find, but I’ll pull through as I was made to do.”

Glacio only looked more pissed as he struggled to push back, “Then go ahead then. Kill me right now and do it yourself. But my friends will avenge me.”

TK only shot back, “I’ll like to see them try.”

He then quickly looked over to Ignis as he was ready to shoot first with his fiery hands, “Keep going.”

Ignis only looked more offended than Glacio as he said, “You don’t tell me what to do.”

Ventus grabbed a hold on his oar as he looked at frantically at Ignis, “Just do what he says. We’ll get back on land soon enough and we can settle this there.”

Ignis, with a struggle in his heart, gave in to Ventus and said, “Alright fine. Fuck me then.”

Ignis then sat back down and started to row with Ventus in unison and as fast they could.

TK looked back at Glacio as he stared into that black void into his helmet, “You think you’re so tough? Why don’t you take that fucking thing off and face me? Huh? FACE ME AND SHOW ME WHO YOU REALLY ARE!”

TK backed up his sword a little, inching towards another kill to add to his count, “I am tough. But I’m not stupid either. Your sense of honor is what gets you killed in worlds like these. It makes you weak. They all did the same thing like you did as they died by my hands.”

For a brief second, it looked like TK was going to go for the kill, but abruptly John shouted out to the both of them as he tried to reach out with his right hoof, “STOP MAKING THE TACO MAN ANGRY! The hippo and the Zingers are only breaking apart!”

TK looked back at John with frustration. He then quickly turned to see they were near the shore that connected back to the forest again nearby. So with the sense of everyone against him and a king that seems to do nothing but spout out nonsense, yet is supposed to help them was enough for him. He no longer wanted any more of this.

He quickly got up and looked at all of them as he got off of Glacio, “That’s it. I’m done with this. I’m not wasting my time with your kind anymore.”

He then looked down towards Glacio with anger and disappointment, “And I’m not wasting my energy on you either.”

As they were close to the end of the lake, TK leapt off the boat and into shallow waters. He then moved as fast as he could and on to the dry land and back into the nearby forest. Glacio rubbed his neck wear the sword was near and all seemed to have been relieved that TK was gone from their party.

Ignis only spoke for the entire group as he sat like a stump, “Good riddance. What an asshole.”

However John did not take this lightly as he had a look of worry fall on to him as he too leapt off the boat in a hurry to catch up with TK.

He yelled out towards him, “WAIT KITTY CAT! COME BACK!”

Ventus tried to reach for him, but he was too late as he cried out, “Wait! Don’t leave! Just let him go!”

John however did not listen and simply ran for TK without a care. The others looked at each other. They knew they needed to go after John. And so they quickly gathered their things and exited the boat and ran into the dark forest ahead of them.

John ran blindly into the Eternal Night with the unfortunate path of dead trees blocking his views. There was very little light pouring in from Luna’s moon, so John had to rely on his own instincts, assuming he had any to begin with. Yet no matter what, John chased after TK as he tried to follow the sounds of his footsteps crackling along the dead leaves and fallen branches. As he passed by, he caught little glimpses of ghosts in the woods.

Were they real? Were they just part of his random nature that took part in his head? Who knew other than John himself? And even then, not even John knew what lurked inside his own head; let alone what was around him. Yet he had the feeling of ghosts of the past watching him. At the same time, he could hear the others following not so far behind him, as they breathed heavily and tried to push past some low hanging branches and skimpy, dead bushes.

He could even hear Glacio saying towards him the best he could, “Wait John! Come back!”

Yet he didn’t wait for them. Who knew how much time was left before his dear precious Luna was squashed to death by the fowl beast that took his throne. Yet somehow none of that ever crossed John’s mind to begin with. John eventually saw a little bit more light at the end of the path with a tall dark figure standing there, motionless like a statue. He knew it was him though without a doubt. He made it to him but soon made a dead stop right next to TK who was still as a rock; looking down on the ground; staring at something as if it was life or death.

The others soon followed John with Glacio once more saying out loud as they caught up with him, “Wait for….”

They all gathered right up next to John too, almost all lined up perfectly in a row, frozen like a putrefied statue, as they caught a glimpse as to what stopped TK in his tracks. TK with a hand on his sword, ready to pull it out if needed, remained dead silent regardless of the company.

Ventus then squeaked out for a quick second, “What we just standing around here for?”

Ignis was confused as well, “I’d like to know as well.”

Terra exclaimed on a more positive note while raising her shoulders, “Maybe he came to his senses?”

TK interrupted her as he kept staring dead straight towards the ground, “No. It’s the train tracks that bothers me. Something isn’t right.”

Everyone except for John who kept staring with dead eyes forward, looked at the ground befuddled. They all looked at each other and wondered if TK was even right in the head to begin with. TK was stopped in his tracks because of some random train tracks running parallel in a middle of a large, open area. It looked like it ran on for miles with the other side leading to more of the dark covered forest filled with the usual dead trees and branches and leaves scattered about. To the rest of the humans it wasn’t adding up to them why this would stop TK in his usual behavior.

Ventus looked over to TK while poking his head slightly outward, “You’re afraid of…. Train tracks?”

TK then slowly raised his head up to look forward with John as well, almost as if he saw something far into the distance, “No. Something’s up….”

And without a sign of warning and with no surprise from TK, The Fire of Fate surrounded the group in a blaze of glory. It surrounded a huge portion, covering two train tracks on the ground in a circle and entrapping them all in.

Ignis as he scanned around in annoyance said, “Oh come on! Again with the Fire!? What is this time?”

Everyone had drawn out their weapons and were prepared with their elements for anything. Ventus even had a scouring look for once, almost as if he had the heart to kill anything.

Glacio as he tried to remain in the front of everyone said under his command, “I don’t know. But whatever it is, we can take it on together.”

TK then burst their bubble as him and John continued to walk forward and ahead of them, with TK slightly further than John, “It’s not for you. It’s for me.”

Everyone was confused, yet knew not to question The Fire of Fate as they have done many times before. They saw TK and John slowly walking away from them, knowing it was best not to follow their path. Up ahead they could see a figure walking up to the two in the distance who had a strange presence. From a far, it all looked hazy. However up close, they could make out a man.

He had a brown cowboy hat on, a dirty, scraping black cape dragged across the ground following him. He wore nothing but a bland sense of clothing, yet it reflected his nature of being who he was as they saw a set of evil, sinister looking eyes with a wicked smile to follow.

TK whipped out his sword as Terra asked in curiosity, “Who is that?”

TK gave one simple answer, “TF.”

Soon the two were meeting face to face as far as they could go as TF smiled like a broken mad man.

He held his arms out and opened, “TK! How’s it been? I can see you’re still in good shape after all this time. You were the favorite after all.”

TK said back to him as he slowly circled his opponent, “Cut the shit. I know you’re not the real TF. You’re only taking the form of him.”

TF tried to playfully gaslight him, “Oh you know me. I might be off just a bit, but it’s me…. TF…. The one you still have yet to put down like the rest.”

TK then said as John tried to keep a bit of distance between the two, “Oh shut the fuck up already you worthless bird. I’ve noticed that you have been following us from the very beginning, sent by Chernobog to slow us down and hopefully kill us as well. I’ve seen the play before.”

TF then smiled for a bit while even laughing a bit, “Ok then. You’ve caught me! It’s really just me Custos. But I know what makes you tick though, what drives you crazy and what can really break you. It’s sort of my specialty. It was a pain to look through your minds and memories but…. It was all worth it for my master.”

TF then looked towards John with a bit disappoint look on his face, “Although I couldn’t quite get through your mind. But I don’t think it matters now anyways. You all are not getting past me this time.”

The four humans looked pissed when he said that, yet TK rebuttled, “Like the 3 other times you tried? No, it doesn’t matter what form you take and what knowledge you have of me and of my creation and of my creator. Either way, I’m going to enjoy ripping you apart and gutting you out, while strangling you with your own intestines if I have to.”

TF looked back with a tease, “Is that so? Is it because you want revenge for all of the things that I have put you and the rest through on your quest? Or is it because you couldn’t get TF? I have seen your memories as far as back as you met him you know? Strange that I can’t look further back, yet I can see him telling you not to kill him. What was the problem though I wonder?”

Glacio was starting to get confused, yet curious as to what was going on, “What is he even talking about?”

TK without looking over to the others and keeping an eye on the supposed TF like a hawk murmured, “It’s none of your business.”

TF then said as he stood there like a maniac, “Oh please. IF you’re to show me how you would gut this TF, the very least you could do is tell a little. Even I am a bit curious to say the least.”

TK with his sword, ready in hand as he leaned in a bit closer with growl deep inside his voice, “That’s for me and the real TF to know.”

TK then lunged forward and attempted to strike straight down his sword in front of TF. But in a quick second in TF’s favor, he raised his arms up high to shield his face and a shadow of darkness clattered with TK’s sword.

TF teased with a small smile, “You almost had me there. I can tell that you must be fun at parties. Strange how I couldn’t figure that about your nature. Hmmmm…. Perhaps I’m missing something.”

TF then took out from what it seemed like from mid air from his free arm a black crystal sword, similar looking to TK’s sword. It was long and protruding, yet sharp like any other great sword there ever was to exist. He tried to slash as TK with it, but TK backed up quickly and without hesitation.

TK remained vigilant and kept his guard up high. TF tried to get his grounding, “You like it? My master showed me how to do it once he gained his powers. It’s lovely isn’t it? A sword made out of the same stuff as my master; and just as deadly as he is too.”

TK then said as he raised his sword up, “I don’t have time for this.”

TK tried to go in for another strike, yet John at the last minute jumped in between the two and looked at both of them with a look of worry on his face.

He held his right hoof up to them to signal them to stop right away and to hear him out, “The JEEEs and the Moozles must stop fights and not blow up the gas station! They must become the MozzlesJEEEs!”

TF looked a bit dumbfounded and said to John in a mocking way, “No wonder I couldn’t get anything out from you. You must be very hollow on the inside.”

TK on the other hand didn’t want to deal with John as he quickly grabbed him and tossed him to the side like clutter, “Get out of my way pony!”

John as helpful he tired to be, was now powerless. However on the inside he did not give up hope just yet as he let the two struggle for survival. TF held his sword up high as well with some confidence and a smile that said it all.

TF went on to exclaim, “Now let’s get this fight started!”

TK as he tried to strike TF with his sword but ended up clashing with the other sword instead said, “For someone who looks deep into someone’s memories to profile them, you’re not even close to who TF is.”

The fake TF then exclaimed proudly as he attempted almost a fencing technique with his sword play, “Well what can I say? I tried my best. But I am sure I can hit a hard note on you somewhere,”

TK tried to go for a low strike but Custos caught him just in the nick of time as the two circled around each other with the sound of clinging metal and crystal ringing through the air, “I’d like to see you try.”

They continued to struggle with each other as the rest remained in conclusion yet with a little bit of shock.

Ventus looked over to Glacio, “I don’t like where this is going. This could end badly.”

Ignis folded his arms with a little smirk as he threw his head back a little bit, “Nonsense. TK couldn’t have cared enough about us, I’d say let him fight. And if he dies, then that’s one less thing that we have to worry on our backs.”

Glacio however took a slight step forward with a sense of concern, “Yes, yet the way John ran after him tells me something different. I don’t think we should give up on him whether he is a friend or foe. He agreed to be with us and help fight for our cause after all.”

Terra then became a bit agitated as she pointed towards TK, “Are you kidding me!? He almost killed you back on the boat! And you want to all of a sudden forgive him for that!?”

Glacio then took a quick glance at Ventus who seemed to have the same thought as he did.

He then smiled for a bit, “Yes I do forgive him,”

Glacio however then turned around and looked onward with despair, “However this is his fight. We must let him do what he needs to do.”

As John tried to walk back and forth between the two, the two swiped at each other with their swords as they bickered with one another.

TF asked loudly, “Ok then! So what is it then that makes you hate TF the most!? Why was it this form that was given to me that made The Fire of Fate appear!? It does not come from out of nowhere for no reason at all! It comes for a reason! So tell me, is it because you’re afraid of TF!?”

TK yelled at him as he stroked down heavily with his sword while TF was starting to have trouble with his balance, “No!”

TF as he tried to remain stable in his fighting position, “Oh come on! You must be afraid of something!?”

TK in an unexpected move then used his right leg hard as he kicked the fake TF hard and far down to the ground as he was pushed away a few feet as he said, “I’m not afraid of anything!”

Custos then stumbled and fell stiffly on the ground as he tried his best to catch himself. He started to become in distressed as he looked at TK from down below, seeing how menacingly he truly he was.

Yet he shook his head quickly and asked him an important question, “Don’t tell me you’re not afraid of anything. You must be afraid of something. Surely you must be scared of the Devil himself even!”

TK then stood there for a quick second as he produced a low growl under his voice.

He looked down at the fake TF as he exclaimed as clear as he possibly could to him, “That’s because I am the devil.”

A part of TK’s suit then started to be set ablaze a little bit as well as his sword. He then jumped as high as he could with his sword pointed towards the ground as he slammed straight into the dirt. As he was doing so, TF looked worried as he tried to get back, only for the ground to shake like an earthquake as soon as TK landed on the ground. Once more, the fake TF stumbled and fell on the ground. This time however, he felt a sense of dread brush over him. His eyes were widened as he saw the beast before him stand up straight and tall with no second thoughts.

TF had trouble getting up as he tried his best to cope with it all, “Oh come now. T-there’s no need to exaggerate.”

Custos began backing up from TK as the devil walked slowly towards him. TK then said in a deadly tone as he seethed his sword and reached around near his back right side.

Hidden under his cape, he took out same shotgun with a bit of hellish red on it that he used from earlier, as TK said bluntly, “I’m not.”

Without taking his time, TK cocked the weapon, aimed, and fire directly at TF’s left arm blowing off a proportion of it clean off. The sound blasted loudly with a loud boom from his deadly, devilish weapon of choice. TF then fell down to his knees as he screamed out in pain. Despite the form only being an illusion, he could still feel all the nerves that went with the image. It was one of his downfalls as it was done in order to sell the act that he put on, yet it never did him any favors in the end. With this fake TF helpless, TK put away the shotgun and took hold of his sword once more from his back and was ready for the final kill.

TF as he struggled to get away from the monster with very little success, “That’s not fair man! You can’t do that!”

TK then said as he drove the sword straight into TF’s chest without warning, “I just did.”

The sword pierced through the fake TF’s form. However it was not done yet as TK was expecting. Instead he pulled the sword only to find many lawyers of shadow surrounding Custos slowly eating away at his many forms that he had taken in the past, forming into one giant mess of a blob. As his outer shell mish mashed together into something more horrid, his body started to vibrate as he screamed out in pain as his eyes were shot with blood. TK and the rest took a few steps back as Custos could only scream in echoes of pain and agony, as the sounds of time running backwards hit his ears, almost as if the angels of death were telling him his time was near.

Yet he fought it as he struggled to get up as he said to himself, “This can’t be! I can’t fail. Not yet! I promised the master that I would not fail! I will not lose!”

Custos then stood up, only to reveal a more horrific, truer form of himself. He was a tall, dwindling, twisted figure made up of shadows and faces with long dangling arms with only the shadows to cover his legs. The only thing left of resemblance of himself was a more tangled and contorted version of what his face used to be as his voice could not even be heard by any living creature as it only mumbled in echoes to their ears.

He stood taller than TK by four feet and looked nothing more than a monster of legend. Everyone in the group, except for TK and John, all looked at him in horror, yet was ready to fight alongside TK to end this once and for all. Yet he looked at them with no hope in his eyes. He tried to mess with them all to no avail. However, he then looked slight over to his right to spot his prize: John. He just stood there being cross-eyed looking back, almost as if he was a friend.

Custos then bend down like a sleep paralysis demon and took hold of John as he held him still while speaking in tongue, “Look into my eyes. I want to see what you see.”

Their minds started to become entangled with one another, sharing information with Custos getting the most out of it. And soon he found something that even John was afraid of. Custos smiled as his body slowly tried to take form. John could see it all though, the images in his head and twisted fate that he had seen.

It was all coming back to him as Custos tried to take form of John’s mysterious black figure. John started to scream out in terror, as if he was being murdered and stabbed several times and over and over through and endless loop. The fear started to settle for once in a long time in his eyes as he screamed uncontrollably with nowhere to run.

Custos felt like he still had hope to appease his master as he said to himself in a deep, twisted voice, “Yes John…. Come to me….”

As Custos was distracted by his next target, TK quickly went over to Custos as he spotted a faint outline of what was his heart. A weakness of vulnerability when Custos was connected it had seemed. It was dark as Custos was, yet he saw his moment to strike.

TK grabbed a hold of his sword with both of his hands, aimed, and strike once more at his heart and finally ending his life with one more final strike. Custos screeched out like a monster of the night as TK growled once more and removed the blade, ending Custos once and for all. Custos then began to walk in an irregular pattern as he slowly withered away back into his helpless raven form as the shadows dispersed all around them and into the Eternal Night sky.

The Fire of Fate also started to disappear as well as the deathly screams of Custos turned into tiny whimpers from a helpless bird. As the raven flapped about with broken joints, TK went over to it and stomped it hard with his right boot, crushing most of his skull in one fell swoop that produced an eerie yet satisfying crunching sound. Some blood splattered on him, but it was nothing new to him. As the dust settled, TK only looked away from the others as John tried to get his bearings. Ventus tried to reach out, but Glacio quietly forced his hand down. Glacio then silently walked up behind TK in peace. He made sure stop at four feet behind him though to ensure he had his personal space.

TK knew he was behind him, but let him talk. Glacio politely talked to TK, “I know that…. We may not have gotten off on the right foot. And I know we can disagree on a few things. But after some time to cool our heads, I would like for you to stay with us until our journey is over.”

TK subtly looked over his right shoulder with his back slightly hunched, “And what’s it to you?”

Glacio as he rubbed his head almost as if he was ashamed to say it, “Well, we could really use the help. But it’s also that…. We care.”

Glacio then pointed towards John as he looked back over, “Clearly John cared enough about you to go after you back there. He didn’t give up as he didn’t give up on us it had seemed. And I think it is important that we stick together on this until the very end at least.”

Glacio started give a warm smile toward TK, even if he didn’t care about it.

TK thought about it for a few seconds and gave his answer shortly after, “Fine. I’ll stay.”

TK then turned around as Glacio reluctantly asked of one more thing of him, “Great but…. One more thing though. Can you please tell us your story? If we’re to work together, even as friends, I think it is best to know who you are. We don’t need to know who is under that mask, we just need to know who is behind you is all.”

TK started to growl heavily once more, but John quickly stepped as he tapped on TK’s left leg. TK looked down as did Glacio as John waved his hoof to motion TK downward. TK then kneeled briefly as he whispered something in his left ear. Glacio tried to make it out, yet he couldn’t tell what he was saying to him. He even smiled; wanted to even laugh about it.

TK then got back up and said calmly towards the rest, “Fine. I’ll talk to you this once. Let’s just get off the damn train tracks already.”

Glacio then smiled brightly, “Agreed.”

He then signaled the others to follow him as they walked over the train tracks and to a nearby clearing in the woods. As soon as they left the area, Katas flew and circled of what remained of Custos. Yet he could still see him twitching a bit so he flew down and landed right next to him.

Katas held his nose up high as he could only shake his head in disapproval.

Custos with the little bit of breath that he had left pleaded, “Help…. me….”

Katas then told him in the bluntest way possible, “Our master will not be pleased by this at all. He shouldn’t have sent a dimwitted to do a job like this. Goodbye Custos, you at least tried your best.”

Katas then turned the other way and flew off high into The Eternal Night sky.

IN A CLEARING SOMEWHERE….

An hour had passed and the band of heroes went back into the deep, dark woods and far from the train tracks from before. Within the forest filled with what seemed like endless trees and foliage, they found an opened area big enough for them to take a break from the madness of The Eternal Night. They found some rocks, a fallen tree to sit upon while they surrounded an open camp fire. They all hunkered down, sitting right next to each other, all with their eyes being on TK who was the center of attention for the time being. They all wanted to hear his story that he resisted so much their entire journey.

And while he was reluctant to say anything about his past, he gave in after John had convinced him otherwise. It was still a waste of time, but for a moment, he would allow for a brief period of serenity to all who searched for it. TK looked at every single one of them and stared at their eyes as the orange, fiery glow from the bonfire bounced off his helmet.

Even then, no one could see beneath his helmet. Not even a slight shadow of who he was under his mask could be seen. He only showed them what he wanted them to see.

TK sat on a rock as he told them all what they needed to know, “The universes are more complicated, yet simple than you can imagine. With every universe, there is more than just our alternate selves. There is the existence of creation and those who are connected to it. Many have created universes of their own without knowing what they have made. The short and less complicated story is that I am a creation. I was made with someone’s mind and was given life by them. And yet it wasn’t god who created me, but no more than a human like you but even weaker. And yet I was made by him.”

Ventus started to get confused as he raised his hand slightly up as if he was in school and asked curiously, “So wait…. Are you saying we are all made by someone somewhere else?”

TK looked straight at him, slightly annoyed by his interruption, “Who could say? For all you know, your existence and your universe was written in a book, was made in a drawing of some kid’s imagination, some creep who was high on cocaine, or maybe you exist in a mind and only in a mind. But none of that should concern you. What matters is that you exist, you are alive and breathing; you see and you hear and you feel things; and what you do with that is up to you. It is part of what it means to exist.”

Ignis interrupted too asking, “So you’re telling me you were imagined?”

TK, while giving a slight low growl in his tone of voice, then said, “If you want to believe it like that, then yes. All you need to know is my creator made me who I am, the way that I am in his head. And he’s nothing more than a kid. From what I’ve seen and been through, he was no more than a kid in grade school when he made me. And by the time he was in his later years still young, he found me. At first I didn’t believe him, yet he showed me where he came from. From there, everything came together like pieces to a puzzle. And instead of being weak and denying it, I embraced it fully. We then explored the outside of the universes together.”

Glacio then had a surprised look on his face as he was taken back a bit, “The outside of the universes? So that’s what the place was? I thought it was someplace else, another world that you happened to be in that had connected to the other universes.”

TK looked over at Glacio as he tried to explain everything, yet painfully so, “No it wasn’t. It’s the outside of the universe where we met. And when Lord Chernobog came running through, that’s when you saw me. And in the outside, time does not exist and only what you can do with your body and mind as well as well have access to every universe that exists and that continues to be made by the second. And when Knight and I saw the outside, we searched through as many universes as we saw fit. Some we were dragged into, some Knight went in with some curiosity. Later on, we would find the place where forgotten creations go to wither and die; and let’s say they didn’t take kindly to him, let alone me. That’s who TF was, a forgotten creation who wants revenge on Knight for being forgotten. I’ve tried to kill him before, but Knight persisted on keeping him alive, to ‘try and save him’. But in my eyes, he was no more use anymore. To my disappointment and anger, TF has pushed me aside, locked me out, and now it’s only him and Knight in a universe. I’ve tried everything, but the outside of the universes is more than I can understand for now. I believe the crystal might give me assistance in finding Knight and getting him back and stopping TF before it’s too late.”

Terra with a sense of comfort asked TK while tilting her head, “So Knight is the one who created you? Aren’t you afraid that he might be dead already if TF is as bad as you say he is?”

TK while staring deeply into the fire before him, “Knowing him, he can handle himself; the question is for how long? I’ve tried to teach him how to survive like I do, but he isn’t built for it in an ironic sense. But knowing Knight, he may have found a new home for himself by now. It’s just TF that I’m worried about. Wherever he is, I know he is planning on finding Knight and killing him. So just like anything that lives in existence, I must kill him first.”

There was tension in the air as TK’s words lingered amongst everyone.

They were heavy in their meaning, and yet Ventus remained the most curious one out of them all, “Was there anyone else besides Knight?”

TK as he continued to look into the fire, almost as if he was put into a trance by it, “There were two. Lawman is dead and long gone, ironically by Knight’s design unintentionally. The other one goes by the name of Rainbow Dash, but a different version of her. Knight gave her the name of Factory Dash as she torments souls just like I do in her ‘rainbow factory’. She admires me and has become my apprentice, but most times she wants nothing to do with Knight so she is not much help most of the time.”

Glacio then brought up an interesting question, “When you said you were the devil, what did you mean by that?”

TK finally looked back up from the fire and stared at Glacio was a hard look, even if you couldn’t see it, “I am the devil. Despite my creation, Knight gave me the story of once being human. I then put on the suit and never took it off. After my death in my universe, the suit was then bounded to me, and the path that was set for me was to then kill a devil named Satan and take his powers and his throne in hell. There, I rule over demons and damned souls while “God” who thinks created the universe tries to kill me as he sends his angels after me. All the while they think their god is the creator when they are none the wiser. Lawman should have been in hell with me though, but something went wrong. Knight doesn’t know what happened either. But I don’t blame him, the universes have their own rules and neither of us are sure how it all works still. Like I said, it’s complicated, yet simple.”

Glacio was going to talk more, but TK noticed and just kept talking, “Despite the confusion and the oddity of my story, it is as simple as it sounds. I was made to be the way that I am by someone else. How I feel, what I see, what I think, how I act; it’s all by design. And yet I can’t think of it ever being different as I was not made to be that way. I am the way that I am because I was made to be this way. And I embrace it all.”

Everyone fell silent to TK.

TK continued to speak with wisdom, yet with resilience as he looked up towards the sky and beyond the Eternal Night, “In the vast array of universes, you think your existence is meaningless, yet it doesn’t matter how many there are of you. You are you. You exist. I exist. And that’s all that matters. With what you do with your existence is entirely up to you to decide. Just make sure it’s the path you tend to follow to the end. Most of ourselves will end in nothingness while the few will end with a meaning to exist. Just hope yours is the one that actually means something in the end. Existence, it’s the only thing that makes sense to us, and yet there is more to see beyond even our own realities. The only question is what existence lies beyond everything?”

The only thing that could be heard was the crackling sound of the campfire as everyone stared blankly at TK and at the stars beyond the Eternal Night. They were starting to think what TK was once he was made from the mind of someone else that was less than him. And yet no matter for the reason of the creation, it was only a struggle for living and existence that meant most.

Ventus looked at TK with a sense of realization as he looked upward as he scratched the back of his head, “Wow. I never thought of it liked that. I knew there were other worlds maybe but…. When you put it like that….”

TK interrupted him and continued in a calm manner, “Not many do. Most if they catch a single hint that there are other universes, most tend to think small of it and see no more of it other than as a mirror to themselves. They do not have the third eye to look past it all and to see what lies beyond everything that they perceive to be as their reality. And so most living things in most universes lack ambition to explore the out of bounds and into others. It becomes more astonishing to know that only a handful have seen the outside of the universes, let alone been to another one that was not a reflection of themselves. However, the universes are a big place; anything can happen at any time.”

TK then let the silence roll in once more, allowing the others to give thought to his words. John on the other hand got up without anyone noticing and walked away from the fire and to a nearby spot in the clear to gaze upon the stars of the Eternal Night alone.

Glacio however was the only one to speak up as he seemed regretful of his past choices, “TK I’m…. sorry for how I treated you. I thought you had something more sinister plotted against us. But I see now that there are more than just us out there or even here. And while it’s still hard to wrap our minds around, I’d like to say on behalf of us all that we apologize for misjudging you. And we would like for you to continue on our journey with us.”

All TK could muster up in response was a half effort grunt as she nodded his head towards him. Glacio smiled and figured it was the best he could give to as apology accepted, even if maybe he didn’t really mean it. TK on the other hand noticed John’s absence and scanned to see that he was far behind the others by his lonesome self.

TK got up with his chest out, “Rest up, we’re leaving in four hours.”

TK walked as the other looked towards each other and talked amongst themselves quietly about TK’s story. TK quietly walked over to John as he had his back turned. TK stood right next to him silently like a ninja as John seemed to have noticed, yet did not care about TK’s presence.

TK tilted his head to try to see what John was viewing up in the sky, “Don’t give up John. You’ll see her again one way or another. Here or in another plane of existence, you’ll see her again. For now though, focus on getting your title back and your home. We’ll get him, together even if it comes down to that. Just whatever you do, don’t stop, and embrace whatever rage and hatred that you have built up inside. Those who do not embrace it are the weak ones and eventually die off with a whimp.”

TK then turned his head to stare at John in a peculiar state, “I don’t know you. I don’t know what your endgame is, let alone how you even seem to function as a living thing. But I do know that somewhere deep within you, you are more within you than you let out. Take your time John.”

John as the last second looked at TK as he turned around walked back towards the others. In his head, all John could think to himself was the peaceful tranquility of the moment.

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