Magnificent Soul

by Smexy Sombra

First published 26th of April, 2014

The King of the Undead rises from his throne to seek out the flames to once more rekindle them and bring about a new era. But how will the ponies feel about a ancient warrior of great power coming to give them their due?

A weary Knight comes to rekindle the dying flames, to push back one more age of the dark. But he knows not how long he has been seated. To him time feels like a book, able to be picked up and put down at his own will. But when his tomb opens, how will the ponies react to a blood stained warrior of a time long past? How will he feel about the world's new populace?

He will be faced with monsters of old and new, reawakened demons, and familiar hollowed souls that will stop at nothing to claim his own soul and vanquish all those who are with him. Join the adventurer in his mission to stave off the dark, to link the flames, to save the new world before the Dark Sign may be forced upon them.

---

Dark Souls 2 & MLP Crossover
Warning: Lots of olden Speak and quite a bit of sword play, not the good kind.
Don't like it, don't read it.
((Featured on 4/27/2014 [Thank you all!]
Featured on 5/3/2014 [You are all crazy.]
Featured on 8/2/2014 {Insanity}))

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

The Chosen Undead stood before the Throne of Want, a group of towering golems linking onto each other to create a bridge across and towards the thing he had fought so tirelessly for. The euphoria of his journey finally coming to an end washing over his mind, cleansing the horrid thoughts and wretched memories from his soul. For a moment, he stood, stunned and astonished that his journey was coming to an end.

He glanced towards the weapons in his hands, the Broadsword in his right, the Drangleic shield in his left, the Black Longbow and the large Flamberge strapped across his back. All of these, stained black and crimson from the undead who so savagely threw themselves at him. He looked towards the reflection in his blade, seeing his armored person staring back.

The blue cloth that kept him warm and safe under the plates of armor, the fur around his neck, the gauntlets, all carrying splotches and small stripes of red. A mournful sigh escaped his lips. He was a knight of honor, a knight who protected the innocent and kept his king safe. Now he was a monster who slayed everything that dared stand in his way. No man, woman, or even beast, should have to face the curse of the Undead. To find the Dark Sign upon their skin. The curse to feed on the souls of the fallen to avoid madness and aimless slaughtering.

He shook the monstrous thoughts from his mind. He had to face the end of his journey. To finally end the madness and take a respite from the broken world around him. He carefully stepped across the bridge of Golems, each step feeling as if he had a thousand pounds tying him down. The Emerald Herald, Shanalotte, the woman who had helped him through his journey, watched from the entrance as he slowly walked towards the doors of the Throne. He took a glance back at her, seeing her expression of relief and remorse.

Turning back to gaze at her one last time he found her voice gently echoing in his mind.

“You, who link the fire, you, who bear the curse…” Her words beginning to fill his weary and tired mind. “Once the fire is linked, souls will flourish anew, and all of this will play out again. It is your choice…To embrace, or renounce this…”

He slowly approached the titanic stone doors, watching as they gracefully opened themselves unto him. Dust and ashes flew outwards and towards him, ruffling the fur and coat tails of his armor. He stepped inside, gazing around the impossibly dark chamber. Only one thing laid inside of the large stone prison. A single throne, made entirely from stone. He studied the throne before him. It appeared like any other seat of a king, large, tall, the arms wide, and looking entirely uncomfortable. But he knew this was his end, one way or another.

“Great Sovereign, take your throne.” He heard the words of the Emerald Herald in his ears once more as he walked forward and slowly planted himself upon the seat of the throne, leaning back against the cold rock. “What lies ahead, only you can see...”

And he took a deep breath from the air outside, the somewhat fresh and decayed air filling his lungs one last time as he found the doors of rock slowly closing in on him, leaning no trace of light to ever be seen. As they finally shut, sealing with a loud groan and ear piercing clash, he remained in silence and awaited his fate.

~!~

“Then what happened?!” Sweetie Belle squeaked out excitedly. She and the other crusaders were gathered around a warm blazing campfire, listening to Rainbow Dash read from a book that surprisingly wasn’t a Daring Doo novel. Applejack and Rarity both giggled at the three enthralled fillies, glad to see them enjoying themselves.

The prismatic mare looked through the book, seeing only one page left with only a picture of the great hero whom the story revolved around. “That’s it! He linked the flames and became the new king, ushering in a new era for his kind!” Rainbow said, clopping her hooves together, only stopping when she saw the fillies wilt at the ending. “What? Didn’t you guys think it was good?”

“Well it was great! Ah just thought it’d have a more.... Well a bit of a better ending.” Applebloom said, huffing slightly as she looked disgruntledly at the book.

“Yeah! Like, he kicks Nashandra’s butt and is all like ‘Embrace this!’” Scootaloo exclaimed jumping up and throwing her hooves around as if she was fighting an invisible enemy. Rainbow Dash just chuckled and shook her head. Sweetie belle raised a hoof as the other two continued to babble. When Rainbow Dash pointed to her she cleared her throat.

“What if the Author made it end that way on purpose?” Sweetie asked, earning a confused gaze from the others. “I mean, it does give you a ending, but also leaves a cliffhanger. It pretty much lines itself up for another story!”

“Whoa....” Applebloom and Scootaloo said astonished as they looked to Rainbow Dash, hoping that Sweetie was correct. Rainbow Dash shook her head, giving them an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, girls. This is actually a copy of a really old book. The actual author hasn’t been around for a long time.” She told them, making them both slump with disappointment. Sweetie let out a huff as she too slumped, somewhat pouting at the news.

“Well that sucks...” Scootaloo said. Rainbow frowned at the downtrodden fillies, looking to Rarity and Applejack, both giving her unamused looks for depressing the fillies. Lowering her head with a small pout of her own, she looked at the three fillies and then at the book before her ears perked up. She gave a large grin and flipped to the very back of the book where a small footnote was scribbled at the corner. She had forgotten about it, as it wasn’t really vital to the story, but it could possibly help the fillies cheer up.

“Oh wait, what’s this?” Rainbow Dash said with faux surprise, the ears of the little ones perking up in curiosity. “A note at the bottom of the page!” The filles hopped up and went to see themselves, peeking into the back of the book’s cover. Seeing a small scribbling of words, they all gasped earning a giggle from Rarity and Applejack, and a suppressed one from Rainbow Dash. “It says ‘Though he was imprisoned, sealed away in the tomb of the throne, legend states that on the fullest of moons, the warmest of days, he shall walk his kingdom again. To link the fires, slay the monsters of the dark, and begin the cycle anew. As this is what he foresaw.’”

“Woah...” Was the collective opinion the three gave, their eyes widening. Rainbow Dash left them in their awe as she yawned and stretched out her limbs.

“Welp! I say it’s about time to hit the hay. I mean the moon is in the sky.” She said as she sleepily began to walk to her tent. Rarity and Applejack nodded in agreement as they stretched and walked to their own tents.

“I agree, after all, Beauty sleep is most important. Especially in this horrid weather! You’d think Celestia turned the sun up a few pegs before setting it today.” Rarity mused as she slipped inside her tent.

Applejack gave a yawn before turning to the fillies. “Now, I know y’all are all riled up thanks to Rainbow’s story, but do get to bed sometime before the sun rises. Ah don't’ wanna hafta carry y’all back to town.” She chuckled out as the fillies nodded to her with smiles. She gave one last loud yawn before flopping down inside her tent and onto her sleeping bag.

Soon the fillies were only left with the sound of snoring. They all looked at each other a moment before a large grin spread across all of their faces. Scootaloo stood up on her hind legs, forelegs bent outward in front of her.

“Rawr! I’m the last giant and I am going to beat you up!” She fearsomely roared, the other two filles quietly shrieking and running away from her. They chased each other around the campfire, giggling and laughing. Soon they were picking up sticks and ‘dueling’ each other, using their sticks and pieces of bark as shield and blade.

They battled each other well into the night until they couldn’t battle any more. Exhausted and slightly battered from too much roughhousing, they all finally dozed off into the world of dreams, sleeping on top of one another next to the dwindling fire. Dreams of glory and riches filled their heads, much to the amusement of a certain night princess.

~!~

He still refused the dark, no matter how much of it danced around him. His eyes were closed, resting so that he may face the world when it needed him once more. He did not know how long he had sat upon the stone throne, but he still needed to stay vigilant. He had heard several things from the outside, some stirring him into action, others only annoying him.

Crumbling rock, dripping water, monsters pounding against or shuffling near the door. Scratchings of mice against the outside walls, even a voice. A gentle heavenly voice, much like that of Shanalotte. Some part of his mind longed to speak, to hold a conversation with the voice beyond his prison, but alas, his mouth remained shut as he remembered the rock he sat upon.

Until the doors opened, he would sit. And sit. And sit. The first few hours were maddening, wishing he had a book or parchment. But without a source of light, he wouldn’t be able to read any how. Without any entertainment or anything to keep his mind busy, he began to think.

And he thought of everything. From how much his blade had been used to the memories of delights from back home. Massive feasts, sparring with friends, jesting songs of honorable knights, and merry drinking. His family. His wife, daughter and unborn son.

He had long since embraced the fact that his family was gone. That the world he once knew was only a facade to cover up the terrible facts of life. No amount of glory, drink, or riches was enough to heal the pain that burned in his blackened heart.

And after a while, he simply stopped. He stopped thinking, he stopped shifting in place to get comfortable, he even stopped breathing. His curse wouldn’t let him die, so why should he even bother with mortal bonds? He never hungered, he never thirst, he never even truly needed breath. All these things were only habit now.

And so he sat, still as a statue. Waiting for his time to come or for his will to be commanded by fate once more.

~!~

A loud grinding filled his ears, startling him for the first time in centuries. His body shot up as he let out a loud gasp. With widened eyes, he watched in awe and exultation as the massive stone doors opened. The squealing of rock against rock was almost music to his ears as he felt his legs and arms pushing him up from the throne.

As if he was being controlled like a doll, he pushed himself forward, ignoring the stiffness in his appendages. Once the light pierced the doors, a hand shot up to shield his sight from the blinding light. His feet carried him out of the doors, not waiting for them to open completely, and squeezed himself out between the immense stone walls.

With the weight of his armor and the disuse of his appendages, his body gave out. Falling to his knees, hands slamming into the earth below him, he took in a herculean breath. The crisp and clean air around him filled his lungs, expanding the chapped skin under his armor and nearly tearing open the worn flesh.

With that single gasp, he felt his body start pulsating again. His heart slowly began to pump, his lungs began to breathe, everything began to go back into place. With his body renewed, he lifted his covered head towards the world surrounding him, expecting to see the ashened void where he once fought Nashandra.

But no. Instead gigantic, viridian trees surrounded him. Dwarfing his stature by an almost obscene amount. While they gave a thick camouflage to the world behind them, he could still see moon light pouring from the canopy. With a tilt of his head, he looked up. Seeing constellations and a beautiful blue moon. Neither of which he recognized.

This wasn’t the world he knew. Where were the ash covered stairs? The hollowed soldiers trampling each other to slay him and devour his soul. Only silence greeted his olden form. Not a beast, demon, or man to be seen.

‘How long hath I been in waiting?’ He pondered to himself. Gathering his thoughts, he stood tall and proud. Glancing towards his stone prison, the dome that held him for an uncountable years. A small pang of anger rose before he swiftly turned and began to walk away, listening as the massive stone doors began to close, sealing his fate to wander. He was free to walk once more. Free to breath air and rejoice in the sun. But he still knew his place, to keep the flame lit and the dark at bay. No matter of freedom would change that.

A sigh escaped his lips as he carried himself forward. A smile slowly began to form on his face, the feeling of his boots against soft grass, the wind whistling past his helm. They were things he had forgotten, the simple pleasures that were never given when he was slaying beasts and monsters. Relishing the feeling of delight, he slowed his pace to enjoy it a bit more. He knew he had time.

If it took a thousand years for this day to come, it could wait a few moments for him to continue. The forest titillated his senses, from the sounds to the smells, he was relishing being able to simply enjoy his existence. He only stopped when a soft crackling filled his ears.

It took barely a second before his sword was drawn and his shield placed onto his arm, his feet planting as he swiftly glared at his surroundings. Scanning the trees and waiting for his opponent to step from the shadows and face him. The soft rustling grew louder and louder as it approached him, the grip on his sword becoming stronger.

And the bushes separated, letting the foe show itself. The sword began to swing violently towards the attacker before he saw what so eagerly stalked him through the woods. A small grey wolf pup, glaring up at him, baring its tiny teeth at him. A face of confusion worked its way onto his covered features as he looked towards the pup.

A smile worked its way onto his lips as he glanced down at the wolf, his knees bending so he could get a better look. The pup backed away from him as it let out a high pitched snarl. He nearly chuckled at the sight, holding out a hand to the dog. It stopped a moment, taking a ginger step towards him and sniffing the metal glove. It snorted and sneezed at the amount dust and dried blood that was caked onto his armor.

That got a small laugh out of him. He stood up, seeing as there was no threat, and glanced around. The mother of the pup surely must be near, it wouldn’t be alone without reason, unless animals had changed since his time. A loud yipe filled the air as his head snapped towards where the pup had been, seeing leaves falling to the ground.

His vision went all around the forest floor and then up the tree, a feeling of small rage filling his being as he saw a massive spider, as twice as large as his own shield, concooning the poor dog in its web. He quickly reached for his bow, drawing an arrow from his quiver. He had to make sure to be precise, as he did not want to harm the poor dog.

The spider stopped a moment as it saw him, letting out a soul wrenching hiss and flaring the venomous fangs on its jaws. Eyes narrowed, he let the arrow whiz by and pierce the arachnid’s head, pinning it to the tree it hid in. Black and grey gunk splattered across the ground and over the cocooned pup, staining the forest floor a sickly color.

He reached up and pulled the dog free from its prison, the wolf pup whimpering and cowering into his chainmail covered arms. He was going to let it go before even more rustling began to fill his ears. He glanced upward, replacing his bow with his broadsword. ‘Sweet merciful sun....’

Cobwebs hung all around him, spider eggs clinging to every surface, the corpse of many animals stuck to the walls. The fresh corpse of a large grey wolf hung limp from the ceiling, partially eaten with its entrails hanging from fresh wounds. There was barely a second as before spiders began to pour out of the shadows, crawling all around the trees and forest floor.

‘Spiders... It had to be Spiders!’ He thought fearfully as he looked for a escape. He wasn’t going to let himself fall so early in his new journey. Steeling himself, he opened a empty satchel on his hip and placed the pup inside, the wolf whimpering and cowering inside. With both arms free, he put the broadsword into his left hand and slowly drew the flamberge from his back. ‘If thou wants a fight, I am more than willing to oblige.’

He let out a growl and charged at horde of terrifying beasts, raising his mighty blade he leapt into the air. His boots crushed one of the monsters, while his blade swung in a large arch. It sliced anything and everything in its path, the spiders blood spilled like water flowing from a broken dam. Anger coursed through his blood, there were more than he was used to. No matter. With a herculean kick he sent one of them into a tree, causing the wood to splinter and the spider to splatter. A few leaped onto his back, but he countered them and tossed them in front of him. His blades found themselves deep in the underbelly of the nightmarish creatures.

With a mighty battle cry, he stomped, slashed and kicked everything that dared attack him. A few attempted to tackle him from the front, they were swiftly skewered on his broadsword. With a strong swing their corpses were free from the blade. Bodies lay scattered around him, twitching and oozing disgusting fluids from their various wounds. Their numbers were severely diminished, but still they fought on. Foolish creatures. They were made swift work of by the mighty blades, for nearly ten minutes he slashed and stabbed. Finally, all that remained were the pained hisses of the dying creatures. Their blood was up to his ankles, and bodies were stacked to his waist.

Huffing filled the air, the sound of blood dripping off of his blades and down the corpses around overpowering his breathing. He looked to his left and then to his right, seeing no more spiders attempting to jump after him. A flick of his blade and most of the blood went off of his broadsword, sheathing the stained blade. He ran the Flamberge’s flat side against the blue cloth around his waist, grimacing as the baby blue was now a sickly blackish green. Sheathing that blade as well, he glanced into his satchel, seeing if the pup at been injured at all.

The small wolf had balled up, quietly whimpering and whining to itself and looked up at him. Its eyes were oddly expressive as tears were clearly streaming down its muzzle. And for the first time in years, the Knight spoke. “It’s alright little one. They are all gone.” He rasped, his voice dry and gravelly.

The small pup cautiously poked its head up and glanced around, seeing the mounds of corpses around them. A small whimper escaped it as it glanced up seeing what was left of the wolf in the trees. As it sank back into his satchel, whimpering louder now, the knight felt a wave of pain clench his heart. It was painful to say the least. Glaring at the corpses around him, he reached into one of his filled satchels and pulled out a small jar. It was filled to the brim with dried red butterflies, rather combustible if used properly. Taking the torch from his hip, he smashed the jar against the tip, the torch exploding into a burst of flame.

‘These beasts’ children will not harm others as they have.’ He growled into his own thoughts as he walked to the nearest tree. He cared not for the forest or the creatures it held now. It would make his journey easier and whatever monster’s resided inside would burn. He savagely jammed the torch into the nearest egg sack, hearing the screams of the eggs inside popping and hissing as they were lit ablaze. He went to the next tree, smearing a charcoaled pine resin across the bark before lighting it with the torch.

He continued to light the flames until he was in a ring of fire, the squealing of egg sacs burning and the crumbling of trees bringing familiar memories back. Walking away from the flames as they warmed his armor and coat, he chucked the lit torch into the pile of bodies, grinning as they began to crackle and pop. His uncaring stride taking him far away from the flames. He needed to find someone who wasn’t maddened by the curse, someone who could give him a lead. And that meant getting out of the forest or finding someone who could lead him out. Surely the fire will attract them, so it was only a matter of time until he found them.

No matter what happened next, His work here was done. He possibly held a new companion in his satchel, should the pup stay with him. But for now, he only worried about moving, finding out where he was, and keeping the pup safe. His feet carried him deep into the forest, the moon’s glow the only light showing his path.

Author's Notes:

Yeeeeah....
A burning Forest isn't going to go over well with whoever is inside of it.
Anyway, R&R as usual!
Here is what the guy looks like!

Chapter 2: Mysterious Stone

Author's Notes:

This is the unedited version, edited version to come soon.

Sweetie’s nose twitched slightly as a burning sensation entered her nostrils. Her own loud sneeze woke her to a foul smelling air. She lazily lifted her head, bringing a sleepy hoof to her nose and opened her eyes. A intense light blinded her a moment, making her let out a small hiss. When her eyes adjusted they only widened in shock.

Fire.

Burning all of the trees around her, the once beautiful green trees, now only spires of charcoal, were lit ablaze. Some were beginning to crumble around the campsite, even a few tilting towards the tents. Sweetie was stunned few only a few seconds before she let out a loud shriek, startling her friends and their siblings awake.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash bolted out of their tents as Rarity slightly fussed inside of her’s, attempting to get out quickly, only to trip over several items inside. The groups’ eyes widened in horror as they saw the trees catching fire surprisingly quick, the flames jumping from tree to tree.

“Everyone, git over here!” Applejack shouted as she almost lunged after the three filles. It didn’t take a second calling for them to heed her words as they all ran for their lives away from the gathering flames. Rainbow Dash was attempting to put out as many fires as she could, pumping large gusts of wind against the smaller flames to extinguish them. Sadly, this only fueled the larger fires, causing one of her wings to get singed by some of the more violent fires.

A yelp escaped her a she dropped to the ground, several large embers searing their way into the joint of her wings. She quickly rolled on the ground, putting out the embers, but not quick enough as the flesh, fur, and feathers around the wounds were damaged. She attempted to flare her wings, only to hiss in agony as the charred skin refused to stretch without breaking.

Rarity was left agape by the scene before her, the trees all around their campsite were burning with such intensity that their tents were beginning to wilt and warp under the overbearing heat. A quick jab of a hoof brought her from her shock as Applejack was helping Rainbow up from the ground.

“Rarity! We gotta go now!” Applejack shouted over the roaring fires, a gigantic tree falling in front of them emphasizing her point. Rarity only nodded, doing her best to stay level headed as they turned and ran from the spreading flames, leaving everything behind to escape. Her horn lit up a moment as a small thin shield slowly formed around them, one that wouldn’t stop a falling tree, but it would definitely protect them from stray embers and fires.

They ran as fast as their hooves would carry them, even faster when the flames began to catch up with them. The pounding of their hoofs and the gasping for air drove them all the way to the exit of the forest, luckily not too far away from their campsite. Bursting from the foliage, they tumbled out onto the ground, a safe distance from the ever growing flame.

Awe and relief washed over them as they watched the forest before them crumble, turning into charcoal and ash. Several other campers stumbled out of the forest, coughing as they too watched the fires spread. Only a few minutes passed before one of the pegasi that had escaped went for help, flying as fast as his wings would carry him.

For the group, the next hour almost seemed to blur. The fillies were cowering away from the flames, flinching at every snap or crackle. The other campers began to question how the fire started. Even when the firefighters and medics came to put out most of the forest, none of them could come up with an answer. Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie had arrived not much later to make sure they were alright. While Fluttershy was devastated by Rainbow’s burns, they were all mostly unharmed.

“Alright, Miss Dash. Your wings will not be able to function properly until they have healed, and while the burns are not severe, they are still worrisome.” The doctor stated as he looked over her wings. “If the pain doesn’t seem to lessen in the next few days, I would recommend seeing a doctor. But other than that, just keep from using them and you should be fine in a couple weeks.”

Rainbow nodded to the doctor as Fluttershy gave her a comforting nuzzle. After a few moments of comforting words to the little ones, Twilight trotted over to the group. “Are they going to be alright?” Twilight asked, tilting her head towards the three fillies who all had fallen asleep with Fluttershy and Rarity as they comforted them. Applejack sighed and shrugged.

“Ah honestly don’t know. That was a pretty big fire and we almost got stuck in there plenty of times while running. In fact, if Sweetie hadn’t woken up...” Applejack trailed off, nervously adjusting her hat. Twilight nodded at her words, looking towards the ashened landscape that once was the forest.

“Do you know what may have caused it?” She asked, getting a shake of the head in return.

“Not a clue. Our fire was too far from the trees to cause some that big. And ah ain’t no scientist, but I know darn well that fire doesn’t spread that fast unless it’s been roaring for a while.” Applejack said, looking towards the burnt forest herself. Twilight sighed in a frustrated manner. She had asked a few other campers about what happened, only receiving the same unknowing response from each.

“Well, I am going to find out what happened. Maybe the firefighters will know something. At the very least, they may know the direction that the fire started from.” Twilight stated as she walked off towards the group of firefighters.

They had given her all they knew about the immense fire, telling her it came from near the center of the forest. They knew very little other than the fire consumed half of the forest and almost claimed several lives. The troublesome news only made Twilight want to find out more. She gave her friends a quick goodbye, giving a few quick answers as to why she was leaving, before she took off into the sky.

Her wings carried her all over the barren wasteland of the burnt forest, her eyes scanning the area for any signs of foul play. It felt like hours as she flew, her wings beginning to tire as she hovered over the charred land. She nearly gave up as she scanned the area one last time, letting out a defeated sigh before a very loud and morbid pop snapped her eyes towards a circle of charred trees.

In the center of the circle, was a large pile of smoldering corpses. Twilight frowned, nausea building up inside of her. While this morbid scene was extremely unsettling, the sight alone making her want to vomit, this was the only clue she had found so far. The smell that hit her as she landed pushed her over the edge. After a minute of vomiting, she wiped her mouth and looked back at the carcasses that were crisp and charred, the fires having been put out.

She looked over the corpses, furrowing her brow as she noticed the series of large gashes and slices upon each corpse. While it wasn’t unheard of for jungle Spiders to attack ponies when they got near, it was rare for a pony to even encounter one, much less stumble into an entire hive. What worried her the most was how they were all piled up, as if the pony, or thing, never moved from the spot, only slashing and hacking them as the spiders attacked.

As she studied the pile a bit more, hoping for any more clues, she found a large burnt stick poking out of the side. Grimacing, her horn lit up and she lifted the stick from the corpses, bits of carapace and flesh seared onto the burnt stick. There was clearly a very thin layer of some kind of resin that seemingly doubled the burnt odor that was around her. It wasn’t much, but it did tell her it was no monster that did this and it certainly wasn’t a adolescent dragon, they would have no need for a torch.

She snapped off the area of the stick that held the resin, keeping it to test for any known substances later. Her eyes were drawn to the ground when she dropped the burnt stick, seeing massive oval imprints deep in the ashened muddy ground, veering off into the forest by their direction. Her eyes followed them, one set leading toward where it came and the other toward where it was going.

Twilight thought for a moment. There was a chance she could catch up with the creature if she followed the tracks, but if it was the same being that slaughtered the spiders, she didn’t want to risk becoming a casualty. However; if she followed the tracks towards where it came, she might find a clue as to what it is. Nodding at the latter, she turned on her hooves and began to gallop towards the way the creature came.

Her run was fairly quick as she came to an abrupt stop, her mouth falling open in shock, and her eyes widening. Before her laid a massive dome of stone with two massive stone doors. No design, crest, or symbol of ownership graced the stone. Ash and dust were heavy in the air as the ground all in front of the doors were covered. Taking cautious steps, she approached the doors, her breathing the only sound breaking the silence. Stopping just shy of the ash, she glanced down, her eyes scanning the grey ground before her.

A very visible imprint was left in the dirt, the shapes resembling armor, claws, and hands. All things that point towards something bipedal. But this was nearly impossible. There were no Minotaurs this deep in Equestria, especially hidden in somewhere so closed off. Dragons were out of the question as they had no reason to carry armor. Diamond Dogs were the only logical solution, if only they had five fingers and wore boots.

Everything about the situation was baffling, from the pile of corpses to the shapes in the ash. The dome was the hardest thing to suspect, the other things could have logical explanations if given time for thought, but how could have no one seen this structure before? Twilight’s mind was reeling as she thought, her head beginning to pound with frustration. Opting to give her mind a rest and go to the only beings she knew of that may have an answer, she spread her wings and took the sky. She was determined to get to the bottom of the mystery as she flew back to her friends, taking mental notes of landmarks so she may come back if necessary.

But before she could do anything, she had to get her friends back to Ponyville. Then she could get the answers she needed.

Chapter 3: Gory Greetings

The Knight took in a deep breath of the smoked filled air, the wolf in his pouch snorting and sneezing at the smell. He had long since passed into an area that was scorched by the flames, the sudden change of scenery nearly catching him off guard. But his years of fighting countless monsters had taught him to be observant. The thousands of swords, spears, and axes dividing his flesh and tearing open his insides had taught him to never let his guard down. Even now, his hand rested on the pommel of his sword, hand eagerly caressing the steel and itching for another fight.

His blood was boiling once more for battle, the empty pit in his stomach gnawing away at his insides as if begging for the souls of his fallen foes. Thoughts of rampage and bloodshed beginning to seep into his mind, a stray image of his sword held above the pup flashed in his mind. He let out a small growl and pressed his hand against his helm, doing his best to banish the thoughts.

The curse began to burn on his chest, the black ring pulsing with the urge to slay. While he had been imprisoned, he had no form of sating the hunger. He could only do his best to keep his memories and banish foul thoughts. The urge gone after a few years, only to return with hundreds, if not thousands, of years worth of hunger after slaying the hive of spiders, their petty souls only igniting the flames in his belly.

Both of his hands clapped against his helm as he began to clutch it tightly, gritting his teeth and his knees buckling. His mind began to warp and deter from his memories, things becoming blurry and unshapen. Feeling his hands leave his helm, he watched as they shakily began to go for his weapons, his legs feeling the urge to run as fast as they could to get to the nearest being and slaughter mercilessly.

A loud yipe of terror stopped him before he could venture on, his head snapping down towards the wolf pup in his satchel. He saw the tear-filled brown eyes of the fearful pup, its tail tucked against its chest as it curled up in a ball. In a moment, his thoughts calmed, hands lowering, and his legs once more buckling. Memories of his old life began to fill his mind, simple things.

His family, his children, the family pet. An old war dog, too elderly to fight any longer, laying across his lap as he gently scratched its ears, the loving whimpers as his hand left its head. He even began to remember faces of his friends, even if they were a tad blurry. For the first time since his curse, he could remember his old life properly. No chopped voices, no blurred motions. Just a crystal clear voice of his wife and a loving, warm lick across his cheek and the laughter that followed entered his mind.

He blinked in awe, a smile slowly forming on his lips. He glanced down at the pup once more, gently pulling it from the leather and holding it in front of him. The pup whimpered softly, its legs held against its belly and squirming to get away. He shifted it to a single arm and began to pet behind the ears, soft scratches and light pampers across its fur. The wolf pup slowly began to relax, leaning into his tender touch.

“I’m sorry for scaring you, little one...” He spoke as he stopped his scratchings and held it front of him once more. “Thank you, pup. You have given me a moment of clarity. As soon as I find your kind, I shall set you free.”

He placed the pup back into the satchel, the whimper gone and now replaced by curious sniffs. With his mind clear for a moment, he looked around his surroundings, noticing the moon and stars in the sky. The stars weren’t in their original place, but the moon still held the magnificent glow it always had. It gave him enough light to walk without aid of a torch. He searched his surroundings for any sign of life, footprints, signs, even a corpse would be useful at this point.

Luck was with him as he found a series of footprints going through the grey landscape, the small indents almost hidden by falling ash and soot. With hope in his heart, he began to jog along side the barely visible footprints. Should his luck stay, he would hopefully find others soon.

~!~

His running soon came to a stop as he found himself surrounded by viridian fields, the soot and ash of the forest never reaching past a few feet. The luscious fields tenderly caressed his boots as he walked, the moon illuminating the fields until they almost glowed incandescently. The soft winds gently pushing the grass in such a way that it appeared to be alive, dancing and cascading to a invisible song.

The sight alone almost brought a smile to his lips. Almost. He still had a mission, one that couldn’t be interrupted by a gorgeous view.

Pulling a set of binoculars from his satchel, he began to browse the area around the fields, attempting to find any source of life or even a hint at where the first linking fire would be. He groaned as he saw nothing but mountains and hills of grass in his view. Only a moment later did his eyes perk up.

‘A castle!’ He thought joyously as he spotted a structure hugging the side of the immense mountain in the distance. ‘Mayhap a king or queen may enlighten as to what kingdom I reside in. I pray that they shant yet be hollow.’

Putting away the binoculars, he found himself moving with increased speed, sprinting as fast as he could in the direction of the castle. It was the only lead he had found so far and he was going to take full advantage of it. That is, when he actually got there. He felt the pup in his satchel moving around, poking out its head and letting out small yelps as it bounced in the satchel. Unfortunately, while he did cover quite a bit of land in his dead sprint, he felt himself slowing down, his breath heaving, and his legs burning.

As his feet slowed, he put his hands onto his knees and rested, his heavy breathing making the pup snort and sniff, shaking its head in disgust as it smelled his old breath. Gulping to try and water his dry throat, he stood up and slowly began to walk towards the castle.

“Blasted... Throne...” He huffed as he walked. “I hath forgotten.... what it was like... to exert myself.” He continued his trek, only stopping occasionally to give himself a breather. ‘Next chance I get, I shall bring myself back to my full stature. I would stand nary a chance against any beast bigger than a horse!’ The thought brought out a small amused snort as he walked. Fighting a mear horse to get to the fire, preposterous!

~!~

Twilight had taken Rainbow Dash to the hospital as she was still in no condition to fly, and just incase her wings began to act up. Then it was a quick flight back to her home in the library. She burst through the door, startling her dragon companion. Ignoring his yelp of surprise, she darted upstairs and began to scribble with almost insatiable vigor. Just as Spike had waddled upstairs, he found a scroll forced into his claws with only the words “Send it!” being told to him.

After he gave the scroll a swift breath of fire, he turned towards the panicking mare and cleared his throat. “Twilight? What’s going on? I haven’t seen you this frazzled since the Changeling Invasion.” He asked.

His voice temporarily snapped Twilight out of her stress induced daze. She turned to Spike, seeing his eyes filled with worry and she softly smiled. Taking in a deep breath she calmed herself down and began to slowly pack supplies into a saddlebag.

“It’s... Just something that has caught my eye Spike. An incident has occurred in the Whitetail Woods. As I was overseeing what happened, I found something that... That just didn’t sit right with me.” She informed earning a groan from the infant dragon.

“Oh great, what is it now? A gelatinous blob wants to eat all of Equestria? A land squid wants to enslave the land walking race?” The last one made Twilight quirk an eyebrow at Spike, even though he ignored it as he continued on his tirade. Spike turned around in place, walking out of the room, still ranting about weird and odd monsters that may want to destroy Equestria. She gathered up quills, a few journals to take notes, and a variety of books describing old legends, structures, and other related topics. A loud belch drew Twilight from her packing as Spike once more strode into her room with scroll in claw, still speaking of the monsters that could possibly attack.

“-Giant furry Hydra wearing a pink spandex suit, Pony sized snakes with thousands of tails-” He was cut off by Twilight taking the scroll from his claw and reading what it had to say.

“Dear Twilight, this is very unsettling news as I or Luna do not recall any structure of your description ever being built inside of the Whitetail Woods nor the creature you described. But whatever resided inside appears to be willing to kill or destroy without a second thought. We both will be arriving shortly to accompany you to the forest to find this creature and odd building. Signed, Princess Celestia.” Twilight hummed worriedly as she slipped her saddlebag on and strode down the stairs. She quickly settled onto the couch near the front door and nervously tapped her hooves together.

“Ooooh, this isn't good. Whatever it is, not even Celestia knows of it!” Now Twilight was beginning to fill with dread. She knew that this could only lead to trouble, on what scale she didn't know. Spike worriedly looked to Twilight from the stairs as he walked down. Puffing out his chest, he walked over to Twilight and sat by her, giving the most confident grin he could.

“Well don’t worry, Twilight! Even if it is a giant furry Hydra wearing a pink spandex suit, I won’t let anything happen to you!” He stated proudly, bringing a smile to Twilight’s face. She wrapped her wings and hooves around the drake and nuzzled him.

“I know Spike, and I know that Hydra wouldn't stand a chance.” She mused, earning a smile from Spike. With the mood lightened, Twilight began to calm down. Her breathing slowed to its normal pace and she could think clearly for the time being. “I am sure that it’s not going to be too big. But I fairly sure it’s not going to end up being another old Tyrant trying to reclaim his rule again or an invasion from shape-shifting bugs.”

The two chuckled at the thought, easing the tension a bit more. Until a loud scream ripped them from their thoughts. As Twilight stood to get to the door, it splintered violently as a bipedal creature was blasted through it, a loud angry bellow following its entrance. Spike and Twilight both let out shrieks as it slammed down in front of them, a rogue blade narrowly missing Twilight’s hooves. A sickeningly wicked laugh echoing into the library. They looked towards the sound, seeing a crimson shaded creature, bipedal as well, standing in the doorway.

~!~

The knight had slowly worn himself down to nearly collapsing, having not found a safe place to rest since he had awoken. His legs felt heavy and his arms hung limply at his sides. Even the pup in his satchel had fallen asleep. But Goddess Caffery was gazing lovingly upon him as a village had come into sight. The unburnt thatched roofed, unbroken buildings told him this was a place that had yet been hit by the curse. He prayed to the sun that they were friendly enough to allow him to stay, even if he had to rest in a barn he would be content.

Sadly, with the moon still high in the sky, it meant the populace was asleep and resting. ‘No matter...’ he thought. ‘There has to be a inn somewhere inside.’

He wandered through the streets, glancing back and forth between houses. His feet carried him aimlessly through the town as he walked over the dirt and cobblestone roads. He nearly gave up trying to find a place to rest for the night until a roaring reverberation pierced his skull, sending him to his knees. A powerful scream escaped his lips as the noise died, but mild fear filled his heart as he stood up. He had heard this deafening noise before, the sound of a Phantom, a Undead much like himself, tearing their way into his world to slay him for his soul or a prize from their covenant leader.

He quickly took the pup from his satchel, fearing its demise if the fight become more than he could handle, and placed it gently on the ground near a flickering lamp. As it only slept on, he drew his sword and shield, striding away from the pup to avoid hurting it should he be ambushed.

His vision flickered from area to area as he searched high and low for the invader. A loud snap drew his attention to the large tree behind him, only to see a set of lit up windows and a short door. The sight caught him off guard a moment before he felt a growing pressure against his back. Time seemed to slow a moment before he felt himself being thrown against the wooden door, only to go straight through it, barreling inside of the odd building.

As he slammed into the ground, he heard the cackle of the invader, the menacing voice eating away at his courage. The fear he once held was now overtaken by rage from being toyed with. He slammed his hands into the ground, forcing himself up and turning to glare at the phantom.

The invader was the spitting image of a malicious fighter. The black hood covering the head barely showed the face of a grinning woman, armor of bone and steel covering her from her chest to her feet. The only flesh showing, beside her face, was the golden cuffs that adorned her arms, each ring giving a sinister glow from the etchings upon them. A deadly Varangian sword cackled with with lightning in her right hand as a Royal Kite shield rested in her left and a Falchion sheathed on her hip. A chime and bow were the last things upon her form that he noticed.

“You want a fight then? The thou shalt have it!” The Knight shouted as he grabbed his blade that was embedded in the floor, tearing it out and charging at the phantom. He rammed his shield against hers, forcing her out of the entrance and out into the street. As she staggered backwards, he lunged with his sword, attempting to get in the first strike. The woman deftly rolled away, skidding to a halt as she readied her blade, a twisted grin forming on her lips.

Her dodging only fueled his rage more as he ran after her, swinging the broadsword in his hand with alarming speed. An ear-shattering clash filled the air as the blade made contact with her shield, leaving a deep marking in the steel. He felt his blade being pushed away for a moment before the woman’s own blade slammed against his side, leaving a savage gash to bleed through his armor and sending bolts of electricity through his body, partially numbing his senses.

The wound made him stumble backwards, vision flickering slightly as he walked. A chuckle escaped the woman in front of him as he shook his head and readied his blade again. He prepared for another charge at the woman, digging his boots into the ground, but before he could, she charged forward herself.

His eyes widened as she held her blade high, readying for another damaging slash. Twisting his body as quick as he could, he rolled to the side, watching as the blade narrowing missed his throat. Seeing an opening, he lunged forward, feeling his blade slip between the metal bone covering her form. The blade pierced her flesh, digging deep into the meat of her side, and was ripped out to the side allowing sickly pools of blood to form by her feet. Despite the wound being fatal to any other person, her being a undead gave her the resilience of a angered dragon. A gift in the eyes of some, a curse to many others.

An angered snort escaped the woman as she glared at him, ignoring the wound on her side completely. She turned on her heels, to face the knight once more, opting to chuck her shield to the side and pull the falchion from her hip. Getting into the proper stance to fight with two blades, she let out a war cry and charged at the knight. He felt his arm go partially numb as her blades clashed against his shield, the electricity of her sword being conducted through his arm.

The fight raged on as the two continued to fight through the streets, exchanging blows and wounds as the night went on. He would give her a savage slash across the arm, only for her to give him an even worse one across the leg. The fighting slowly became a fight of attrition, to see who would slip up first.

The knight watched the Woman carefully as she danced around him, the blades in her hands acting as her partner as they waltzed to his demise. His blade and shield were beginning to feel heavy in his hands as the fight went on, his slashes slowed and his movements sluggish. He needed to end the fight quickly. Giving a loud cry, he lunged forward, attempting to slash at her. He was stopped as she bashed herself into his shield, breaking his guard and surprising him.

She gave a hard punch against his helm, sending him into a daze, only for him to feel the pain of a thousand suns as she plunged her Varangian blade into his chest, puncturing his armor. the blade pierce out his back, his flesh and organs screaming in agony as he felt the power of a ferocious thunderstorm coursing through his being. He felt his knees buckle as she left the blade in, using her boot to kick him off by his helm and to the ground.

Weak whimpers escaped him as he felt his own blood pooling beneath him, the grin of the phantom beginning to blur in his fading vision. He watched in defeat as she stood over his body, blade raised high. “May the gods damn your blackened soul...” He sputtered, blood splattering from his lips. While the words were meaningless to an undead, the meaning still remained.

His eyes clenched shut as she began to bring the blade down, only to be stopped when a deafening crack filled the air and the phantom was launched away from him, sent tumbling across the ground. The knight opened his eyes to see the Phantom laying only a few feet away from him, a smoldering circle left on her back. His eyes followed the direction it came from, seeing a wide eyed purple unicorn staring at them, shocked, her horn slightly glowing. Shaking his head, he turned over as quick as he could, ignoring the coursing pain in his body, and grabbed his Broadsword.

He lifted himself up and glared down at the phantom as she slowly began to get up, groaning from the bolt of magic that burned its way into her back. He gave a hard kick to her side, flipping her over, and pressed his boot against her throat.

“I hath been given a second chance, wench. And I shalt not waste it.” He quietly hissed at her, seeing the anger behind her eyes for the fight being interrupted. She fought against his weight, attempting to push him off or at least stagger him, but she was for naught as he raised his blade.

The phantom looked like she was about to speak, but he silenced her as his blade was hammered into his her skull, the obscene sound of bone cracking and flesh tearing filling the air. The woman fell still as her hands limply slide off of his boot to the ground. He held his blade in place until he felt the phantom begin to fade, the red mist swirling around his heels and sword as her body faded off into nothingness, bound to return back to her own world. A sough of hunger escaped his lips as the soul of the Phantom, along with the souls she held, were taken and devoured by his own. The faux feast sated his internal hunger, for the moment at least.

Picking up his blade, he felt his chest heaving and his legs shaking. He had nearly fallen again, had his journey postponed by some foul invader! The thought brought upon anger, but that was overtaken by the feel of deep pain within his gut. He let out a cry of agony as he collapsed onto the ground, his blade falling from his hand as he put a hand over the bleeding puncture in his armor.

“Blasted witch...” He hissed as he saw his own blood pooling along the ground. His eyes flickered to where he had left the pup. It must have awoken during the fight and hid, as he did not see it anywhere near where he had left it. Reaching into his satchel, he pulled out his Estus Flask, an undead favorite. The glowing liquid inside emitting a warmth through his gauntlet. He lifted his helm, only slightly, as he brought the flask to his lips, relishing the slight bitter sweet taste as the regenerative liquid was poured down his throat.

A groan escaped him as he wiped his lips and felt his body quickly fixing itself. The slashes sealed themselves, the fractured bones in left arm mended and knitted back together, and the hole in his abdomen slowly closed up, the internal damage healing slightly slower than the rest of his body. After a moment, he felt better than he had in a few years. He gave a relieved sigh as his body was back to normal, standing up to stretch his aching limbs.

With blood no longer leaked from the cuts and gashes in his armor, he began to search the area around himself. Taking in his surroundings and gingerly moving to gather his dropped weapons. Sheathing the blade and placing the shield onto his back, he moved towards one of the lampposts and searched area, pushing aside bushes and looking around corners of buildings.

He let out a small grunt as he did not find his wolf companion nearby. As he took a step back, a peculiar feeling overcame him. A hand went to his stomach as the feeling got worse and worse. He gagged a moment before a harsh and painful cough escaped his lips, blood splattering across the inside of his helm. His eyes widened in fear before he pulled off his left glove, staring in horror at the black ink beginning to course through his veins. ‘Poison...’ Was the only thought that entered his mind before he frantically began to search for something inside of the satchels, desperately trying to find an antidote.

The world around him slowly began to fade away, his center of balance almost completely gone as he tried his best to remain standing. His search was for naught as he finally succumbed and fell to the ground, sputtering and hacking up more blood than had been spilled during the fight. His body slowly began to go numb as he could no longer feel his fingers or feet. His vision began to vanish completely, the last thing he saw was a small grayish blob scampering towards him and whimpering filling his fading hearing.

Author's Notes:

The great part about this being a story is I can actually embellish the fight scenes and give a more realistic take on them.
Red Phantom was given by Raybony! Give this guy some love and thank you to everyone else who contributed a phantom! I will look for a place for your Phantoms to invade in the later chapters!
And incase you are wondering who Goddess Caffery is, she is one of the many gods that are upon the Name Engraved ring. I don't know much about her, other than she is the Goddess of Fortune.

Raybony's Phantom:
Armor: Black Hood, Dark Grieves and chest, Engraved Gauntlets.
Weapons(Used): Vargarian Blade, Magic Falchion, Royal Kite Shield, Poison.

((Also, next Chapter is going to be mostly Pony.))
(((R&R and please point out any mistakes)))

Chapter 4: Nothing Ventured...

Twilight was terrified as she slowly approached the fallen creature. She had watched it mercilessly brawl with its red counterpart before nearly getting slaughtered. She had given the red creature a blast with her magic, hoping to disable it and keep the fighting from continuing. That plan backfired, ending with the creature in blue getting up and pinning the red counterpart to the ground. Not even moments later did it fall to the ground, spitting up blood and fell to the ground. Twilight had waited a few minutes, making sure it wasn’t attempting to plan anything. When the pool of blood near its head got larger by the second she had began to approach.

A small puppy had run up to the fallen creature, scratching at its helm and letting out whimpers of concern. Twilight gingerly trotted closer and closer until she could hear its ragged breathing. When it did not attempt to attack her, she trotted closer and gave it a gentle nudge, a pain filled groan being given in return.

A small, almost pathetic, growl emanated from the wolf next to the creature. Twilight glanced to the wolf pup, its small teeth bared at her. Ignoring the pup, her vision flickered towards Canterlot Castle, the structure shining gloriously as the sun began to rise in the distance. The hospital was the next location she looked towards, beginning to stress over what to do. The Princesses would be here any minute, but the creature could die by the time they got here.

The situation was starting to become dire, Twilight couldn’t let this creature bleed out in the road. Even if it was evil, with the injuries it had taken, it would be far too weak to attempt anything. Nothing deserved to die with such little dignity. Shaking her head, she had made up her mind. Her horn flashed, glowing with her magic. The glow covered the creature in blue, slowly lifting into the air. But something was wrong, the creature was barely levitating and kept sliding about as if it was a wet bar of soap.

The wolf pup had run over to her hooves, nipping at her and whimpering, trying to follow after or at least get on top of the creature. With a small pant, Twilight let the creature float back to the ground. A small huff escaped her, seeing as this was going to be rather difficult. Opting for the less magic consuming option, albeit slower and dirtier, she only grabbed the arms of the creature and began to drag him towards the hospital. The wolf pup lept onto the creature’s chest, whimpering and scratching at its chest plate.

“Come on! Come on!” She grunted to herself as she slowly dragged the creature towards the hospital. They weren’t even halfway to there before the sound of mist in the wind began to pick up. A baby blue swirl twirled around her mane, fluttering her bangs and startling her. Her vision snapped towards the creature she was trying to help, her eyes widening at what she saw.

The creature’s gloved hands, boots, and legs were all materializing into a fine mist, leaving only the blood streaks and pools of where it laid. A hollow gasp escaped it as the mist quickly consumed his body, lifting ever so slightly into the air as the last breath escaped the helm. The pup let out a whine as it backed away from the mist, whimpering and clawing at the creatures helm. It let out a small yipe as it felt the metal beneath it fade away, the helm of the creature soon disappearing after. All that remained of the fallen creature was a puddle of blood and a stunning swirl of mint green, a soft melodic hum emitting from the center.

Twilight couldn’t believe what she had witnessed, the creature she had attempted to save had quite literally vanished into nothing. No corpse, no armor, no blade or cloth. All that remained of the creature was this strange yet alluring ball of green. It seemed to almost pulse with life and warmth, begging to hold a form and be rid of the dreadful cold. She almost wanted to claim the strange object, to take it and relish the warming appearance it gave off, yet she cowered from it. Something about this energy gave off a powerful signature, one that could be felt by even the weakest of magic users. The feeling made her retreat slightly, stepping away from the entity.

She glanced around her, seeing several ponies gazing from their windows in mild fear. Twilight’s fear had passed minutes ago when she had began to drag the creature, concern and mild panic taking over her mind. Thousands of questions were racing her mind as she circled the swirling orb of energy. Was it volatile? Was it acidic? Would it eat away anything that touched it?

Her thoughts were cut off when a slight whimper broke her concentration. The pup from before was looking up at the orb. It gingerly lifted a paw, Twilight’s eyes widening as it reached forward. Before she could stop it, the pup’s paw when through the ethereal entity, completely intact and unharmed. It let out a small whimper as it pawed a few more times, almost begging the energy to bring the creature back. A somber breath escaped it as it laid down, not caring about the pool of blood beneath it. It almost seemed comforted by the entity.

Twilight turned to face the rising sun in the distance, silently wishing the Princesses would arrive sooner. She was lost for answers, something that tortured her to no end, and if they couldn’t give them, then they would be in for a world of the unthinkable.

~!~

Twilight had blocked off the area where the orb laid, the object of interest keeping many of the Ponyville residents from walking the streets or even leaving their homes. She had been gathering as much information on the orb with whatever minor experiments she could try at the moment. She had found very little through her tests. Her first discovery was that the source didn’t seem to fade nor flicker. Second; the warmth that it emitted was purely psychological, like a hug from a friend or remembering a fond memory. Finally; melodic tune that came from the center appeared to change and fade, as if someone was singing and couldn’t remember the tune.

She would have continued, but a familiar sound of a flying Chariot stopped her. Her vision snapped to the sky where a golden Chariot gracefully flew through the air, the royal guards’ eyes straight forward as they came in for a landing. A small plume of dust escaped into the air as the chariot made contact with the ground, the Guards tensing up as they saw the pools of blood across the ground.

The Princesses themselves were horrified and confused as they stepped off of their chariot, looking to Twilight. The purple mare looked ragged and worn, her eyes carrying bags and bloodshot. Celestia and Luna rushed over to her, Celestia wrapping a wing around Twilight in worry.

“Twilight, what has happened here?” She asked in concern, her eyes flickering between each blood streak and pool. Twilight nuzzled into Celestia’s fur, a soft, exhausted sigh escaping her. She had calmed herself considerably through her work, the effects of no rest and extreme stress beginning to weigh heavily onto her mind.

“Two creatures appeared, fought through the streets...” She spoke tiredly, stopping a moment and turned towards the glowing, mint green orb. “That is all that remains from their brawl.” Celestia and Luna tore their eyes from the gore and locked their vision on the vibrant light. The hypnotizing bouncing and swirling stealing their attention. “I was hoping one of you knew what it was.”

Luna and Celestia looked to one another and shook their heads, neither of them ever seeing something like this before. They broke away from one another, approaching the oddity before them with great caution. Twilight explained in detail the events that had conspired before they arrived, from the details of the creatures to the fight. She finished by speaking of what she had found of the oddity.

“That is... A rather curious tale.” Luna spoke, circling the glowing object with grand suspicion. “What I wish to know... Is where does this wolf pup come in?” Her blue hoof pointing at the sleeping canine, curled into a ball and resting next to the glowing orb. Twilight sighed and shrugged.

“I believe it to be the creature’s companion. It displayed dependant and fearful tendencies when the creature had fallen to the ground.” Twilight spoke. Celestia sat close to the object, her horn alight as she attempted to make sense of the strange object.

“It holds no malevolent magic as far as I may tell. But something feels strange about this energy. As if it holds the mortality of another. The will to continue and endure.” Celestia spoke, Luna coming closer with interest. Twilight strode to Celestia’s side as Luna’s own horn glowed. Not a minute after did she backpedal and gaze upon the glowing orb with a new awe.

Twilight and Celestia both looked at her in wonder, Luna turning to them with a look of shock. “This... Whatever this is, carries the memories of another!” Luna exclaimed, the shock spreading to Twilight and Celestia.

After a moment of silent awe, Celestia walked towards the object, gesturing towards it with her hoof. “Would it be possible to somehow access it? To look inside and see what this creature has done?” She asked.

“I do not know, sister. The object itself appears to be be made of no magic, or at least none I have ever seen. But it may be possible for me to worm my way inside, step into the memories themselves as if they were dreams.” Luna said, taping her chin with a hoof. Twilight stepped forward, a look of worry on her features.

“Are you sure that is wise, Luna?” Twilight asked, gaining the attention of both Alicorns. “We don’t know what this creature has done, or even what it is! You could be traumatised!!” Luna stayed silent, considering Twilights words. There was always a risk of dreamwalking, no matter the pony or creature. Of course she couldn’t truly get physically injured, but the real issue was getting out. Navigating the memories of this creature would be difficult, she did not doubt this, but it was the only way to discover who and what this creature was before it died. Steeling herself, Luna stepped towards the object, her igniting to prepare the spell.

Celestia wrapped a wing around her sister’s shoulders, gazing at her with concern. “Luna, you do not have to do this. We may find another way to-” Luna stopped her with a raised hoof.

“I know it may seem rash, but this is our only choice for the moment. With the strange structure in the now burnt forest, coupled with this recent brawl of creatures unknown, it would be foolish not to explore every option.” Luna nuzzled her sister, attempting to calm her worries. “And I shall be careful. I may be younger, but I am not naive.”

Celestia gave her sister room to work. The guards stood vigilant on both sides of Luna, preparing to deal with any pony that would dare interrupt the princesses. Twilight was beginning to bite her hooves as Luna’s horn glowed brighter with each passing second. Finally, a blinding flash filled the sky and Luna slumped the ground, her eyes closed and her breathing steady. Celestia quickly went to her sister’s side, propping her onto her side.

“Twilight, please go gather some pillows and blankets. We do not know how long this will take and I do not wish for her to awake with a sore.” Celestia calmly instructed. Twilight nodded, trotting over to her home. When Twilight came back, Luna began to let out groans and quiet whimpers in her coma-like state. It was when they placed her onto a folded blanket and pillow did she begin to thrash and scream.

“What is happening!?” Twilight shouted, attempting to keep Luna from flinging herself into the sky with her wings. Celestia’s eyes were wide as she attempted to calm her sister.

“I do not know, I have never seen this before!”

~!~

“DIE YOU FOUL MONSTROSITY!” Luna heard a masculine voice bellow out as she watched through the eyes of another. The blade plunged deep into the chest of a putrid animal, flesh decayed and rotten as it flopped to the shoddy wooden boards that served as the floor. “Blasted beast...”

Luna was in shock, she had been inside these memories only a few minutes and the creature she shadowed had already slew thirteen creatures, all that looked of the same species as the creature. Pushing herself from this particularly gory memory, she sifted through the memories, glancing at which ones would give her what she wished to know.

She began to dread how long she was to be in here before a specific one caught her eye. The look of a creature, obviously feminine, smiling at her. She gently tapped the memory with a hoof, feeling herself wear the body of the creature as the scene before her played out. The memory was fuzzy, as if she needed spectacles to properly view the sight.

“Artemis, do you truly have to leave?” A woman’s voice spoke, the feeling of a loving hand caressing Luna’s cheek became apparent. She felt her own hoof, or hand in this case, move to touch the loving hand.

“I am afraid I do, my love. The call of battle has once more sung my name, but I promise that I shall be home once more. For you and our children.” The voice of ‘Artemis’ spoke, Luna’s vision going down to look at the lover’s belly, plump and round from her pregnancy. “And much gold and spoils I will bring home to you.”

“I care not for objects of desire, just return to me.” Despite the blurred imagery, Luna could tell tears were dripping down the woman’s face.

“I promise my love.”

The memory faded away, Luna feeling a wave of sorrow beginning to follow the end of the scene. She felt her hooves clutch against her chest, a scream of agony tearing into her hearing. Her eyes quivered open as she saw the gloved hands clutching against his chest. They moved hastily as they began to tear of the armor and rip away the clothing under. A gasp of despair and gasping of pain filled Luna’s ears as she saw a blackened ring searing its way onto Artemis’ chest, the agonizing feeling transferring to her as the pain nearly tripled. She felt his gloved hands digging at the mark, attempting to swipe away or at least dull the agony of the brand.

When it was finished, she found herself huffing in sync with Artemis as he gazed down at the marking, a whimper escaping him. “... No... No!” She heard him muttered, tearings filling her vision. “I can’t be cursed...” The memory faded out as his mumbling continued progressing down a more angered and depressed. Luna tried to catch her breath before the feeling of being thrown filled her senses.

Her eyes opened to see a wall of rock rushed towards her, bones smashing audibly as her vision was filled with stone and dust. Her ribs felt as if they were shattered, breathing becoming labored with each short breath. Her vision clouded as she felt her legs and arms push herself up, hoof going to blade as she turned around, seeing an immense being. It was covered head to toe in steel, chest plate looking as if thousands of souls were screaming to escape, massive blade and shield in each respective hand. Glowing red eyes peered down at her, loud labored breathing filling her hearing.

The creature hovered above the ground, bag of weapons jingling and clanking as it bounced in the air. The overwhelming feeling of horror began to overtake Luna as she found herself having a hard time standing. She barely had a moment to react before she saw the terrifying monster rushing towards her, blade held out like a lance. She felt the blade pierce through her, a synchronised scream of pain and anguish as they were pinned to the wall. She found Artemis’ hands struggling to pull himself off of the blade, to be feel of the agony only to find himself ripped from the wall and flicked off of the blade as if he was a toy.

~!~

Luna let out another scream of pain, writhing in throes as she thrashed about violently. Her hooves planted against her stomach, pushing as if she wanted to be rid of something. Celestia could only watch and attempt to comfort her sister as she squirmed. Plenty of ponies had walked out of their homes or peeked through their windows to see what was happening, to get even the smallest idea of what may have been happening. They were quickly shooed away from the scene by the guards and Twilight, being told to leave the Princesses to their work.

Celestia’s eyes were filled to tears as she held her sister in her hooves, the whimpering of her sister piercing her heart like a knife. She prayed that the anguish would be over soon, that her sister would have a respite. She wish was somewhat granted as Luna fell limp, her breathing almost stopping completely. Worry only filled Celestia’s heart as Luna’s breathing began again, this time, steady and slow. This strange occurrence had been going on throughout the hours. her breathing would pick up in pace only to stop and begin again, slower.

Twilight gone to get a nurse or doctor to help Luna incase the worse happened. Celestia could only hope Luna would find what they were looking for soon.

~!~

Luna had been experiencing what she could only call death over and over again. Her body would grow cold, her vision would fade, and she would die, only to be reborn again at what Artemis called a bonfire. These strange fires never extinguished, brought upon strange comfort whenever he would rest at them, and posed as a place of rebirth for when he was vanquished.

Luna had learned much in this Artemis’ mind. He was a knight of a proud and powerful army, held a loving family, and carried plenty of hatred towards the monsters he fought. She could barely handle the sheer amount of will that Artemis possessed, the odd strive to continue his fight. She also had learned how his life was forbidden from ending. He did not age, he did not thirst, he did not hunger. He only tired.

She felt the years that had passed each time she entered a memory, the amount of pain he endured with each passing hour, no matter how long he rested, he would be in for more pain than any other could handle. She had long since stepped out of the memory sequence that she was trapped in, feeling much more than she ever wished. She walked along the scattered memories, nothing in order, all in fragments.

Whatever this creature was, he had been alive for years and years. She would dare say he lived longer than she or her sister, even longer than Discord or Changelings. And so many times had he fallen, his struggle becoming harder and harder with each death. She believed if it hadn’t been for this Shanalotte woman, he would have become one of the monsters he strived so hard to kill.

Despite the amount of horrors and slaughter he faced, he met several interesting characters. Vengrel, Benhart of Jugo, Creighton, Pate, Gilligan, Melentia the hag, Cale, and the foul murderer Navlaan. Some good, and some bad. All gave him aid somehow. Each name bringing up a different emotions ranging from happiness to anger. But this wasn’t what she looked for. She was seeing why he was in Ponyville and who the other creature he killed was.

She finally stumbled upon this memory after hours of searching, the only true intact memory thus far. Taking in a deep breath she strode forward and walked into the memory.

She felt her hooves grasp a blade and shield, eyes fading in to see a horror of which she had never seen. A creature made of bone and darkness, hundreds of skeletons attached to monster’s lower half, each grasping to get away and live a life after death.

“And now.... Be one with the Dark.” This monster, Nashandra, spoke, reaching a hand out. The response she got was a hefty ball of pure flame hurled into her fact, the cascading flames forcing a scream of a wretch from her. The monster raised its hand and spewed forth a beam of blackened flame, digging into the ground and attempted to sear the Knight in half. A deft roll to the side evaded the beam, only bringing about a feeling of rage in the knight.

The fight was over quickly, Nashandra falling and fading away, only to be consumed by Knight Artemis. The memory faded briefly to a point where the same structure that Twilight described laid before her. The immense stone walls opened and she stepped inside, sitting upon the throne in the center and watching as the doors shut with a loud slam. And then... Loneliness. A neverending darkness was all that continued.

A whimper escaped Luna, the feeling reminding her of her imprisonment on the Moon. A feeling she never wished replicated. Luckily for her, the memory faded to a more recent occurrence. the stone doors opened, and she witness everything.

Where the Knight got his pup, the spiders he had slain, the forest he had burned, and the other creature, which he called a Dark Spirit, that had attacked him. The wound that had claimed his life. A mighty warrior, fallen by a slash of a poisoned blade.

She watched as he fell to the ground, coughing and vomiting up blood, feeling the foul mixture of bile and blood force its way out of her throat. His frantic movements of trying to save himself as the poison shredded his insides, the pitiful whine as he could no longer stand and fell to the ground. The cold numbness that slowly set in. Out of all the deaths she had endured, all the pain she had faced, all the monsters that she had watched be slain by his hand, this was the most terrifying feeling she had encountered yet.

The feeling of a victory being tarnished by a underhanded trick, the feeling of helplessness when her limbs gave out, the feeling of defeat as the darkness set in. The utter sadness to have come so far only to be slain so easily. It was heart wrenching. Stepping out of the memory, she felt herself gag at the taste still lingering in her mouth. She had learned all she could about this Artemis, from who he was to why he was fighting in Ponyville. But she had yet to see was his reason for fighting so endlessly.

Why did he continue on this journey? Why did he wait so long in that tomb of stone? Why was he so determined to find these flames and ignite them? This she had yet to find. But she knew that once she was out of this place neverending of pain and torture, she would eventually meet this Artemis. He would soon rebirth and he would come to claim his souls, this would be when they would meet.

She quickly stumbled through the fluctuating memories, dodging and maneuvering around to get out of this place and be rid of the awful thoughts. She just had to find her entrance, and in this place, it would not take long to find. The problem would be getting to it. As she began to get closer to her exit, a sensation overwhelmed her. As if, the place she was in was beginning to pulse and send off a signal.

Her eyes widened as the sound of a heartbeat began to beat into her ears, the sound of clanking coming from the distance. The feeling of anger and hatred brewing in the deepest parts of the void she resided in. The combination of all these signals began to add up as she got closer and closer to her exit. “He’s coming...” She whispered to herself as her pace began to pick up. Her vision slowly began to blacken as she started sprinting towards the exit, feeling her hooves slowly numb. She had to escape before Artemis claimed his souls. She dared not think of what may happen should she reside inside when he claims what is his.

~!~

Luna had stopped moving altogether, aside from her shallow breathing. Her state had become more and more worrisome by the minute. She constantly haphazardly moved, her breathing becoming erratic, mild dry heaving and much worse following the hours. Celestia had never left her side as the nurses and doctors did all they could to keep Luna comfortable and calm. Luna had long since been drenched in a cold sweat, her expressions shifting through pain and terror as she did her job.

Twilight’s friends had arrived on the scene not long after the sun came up, questions of concern and alarm being arose as they arrived one by one. The sun was halfway through the sky by the time Luna had calmed, her expression turning to one of sorrow and her breathing reached a normal pace. Plenty of ponies had stepped out of their homes, despite the warnings of the guards, to see what was going to happen to their princess. Faces of worry and concern was seen throughout the gathering crowds, one particular white and brown colt looking especially worried when he looked on at the Princess.

And for a brief moment, Luna’s breathing stopped. When her breathing did not pick back up, Celestia began to panic as the alarmed medical staff rushed to help and keep the Princess alive, a unicorn doctor getting to her first and straightening her neck.

“Somepony grab the lung pump! We hav-” His shouts were stopped by a deafening, blood curdling scream. Despite the commotion, the Doctor placed the mask over Luna’s muzzle and began to pump air into her lungs, vision snapping up towards the noise. A lone diamond dog was sprinting through the streets, screaming in horror as it ran. Ponies backed away from the mutt as he stopped in front of them, the two guards running to the front of the crowd to defend the populace.

“Ponies must help! Ponies must help! Monster in tunnels! Killin’ everything!” The Diamond dog rambled, shouting and raving as he kept looking over his shoulder. “Please, must help! Monster going to kill us all!”

“Now hold on, Dog! What are you ranting about!?” The solar guard questioned, taking a step forward. The Diamond dog looked over his shoulder once more before turning back to the guards, wringing his paws nervously.

“M-Monsters in tunnels! Burst of flames, killing everyone! Don’t know where is came from, maybe dug too deep, but it is-” A almost silent thwip filled the air before a arrow pierced through the diamond dog’s skull, greymatter and bone flinging forward as his body slumped and limply hit the ground. Screams erupted from the crowd, several ponies backpedaling to avoid the growing pool of blood.

The guards looked at one another, eyes wide with shock. They turned to scan the area before a loud clanking filled the air. All eyes, even Celestia’s and Twilight’s, were fixed in the direction of the noise, the clanking growing louder and louder as a lone shadow began to take shape. Tall, bipedal, dripping with red. A deep and enraged growl filled the air as the figure became clearer.

Baby blue cloth, dented steel plating, blood covering almost every part of the body. Bow in one glove, seething flames in the other. The creature continued on his stride, even as the guards drew their swords, definitely keeping his pace. He only stopped when he was only a few yards away from the crowd of ponies, replacing his bow to wield a maroon blade.

Labored breathing filled the air, loud enough to dwarf the whimpers of cowering citizens. A moment of silence stilled the actions of all, aside from the doctor. The Guards dared not move incase the creature held some hidden plan. Several ponies flinched as a hand was slowly raised and and pointed behind the ponies. “I believe...” A gravely, scratchy voice rasped. “That you are guarding something that belongs to me.”

Author's Notes:

Alright! New Chapter! Yay!
Anyway, to explain the hole soul thing, I believe that the green mists left behind are what make an undead a undead.
So when these are lost, they begin to hollow and lose memory, but when they are regained, they retain and strengthen their minds. Just a little explanation.
Also, next Chapter going to be from Artemis'(Told you he'd have a name!) P.o.V.
Oh yeah, to clarify, yes Luna experiences every little thing when she examines a memory.
Also, this!

Because it's funneh.

Chapter 5:...Little gained

The greatest fear an undead has is what happens to them after they are defeated. Will the next death be their hollowing? Shall they lose their mind, become a hollowed creature living only to slay and slaughter the next undead to brave the new lands? Or would they brave another day? All it relied on was whether or not they held the courage and bravery. The pure will to continue and clutch tightly onto the memories they held dear. He had met many undead on his travels, each telling him of the same thing.

“Do not fear death, young undead. Fear thine own resolve. For thou bravery and fortitude shall be tested and tortured, but only thee may decide when it breaks...” The words rang through Artemis’ mind as he felt his limbs and body slowly forming. It was a feeling he never would get used too, no matter how many times it occurred. A groan cascaded in the darkness as his eyes slowly opened, showing the barely visible room surrounding him.

Arms dropped against his sides, swords, shield, and bow all jingling slightly as he leaned back against the wall of the room. A hand was brought to his helm, clutching it with mild pain coursing through his thoughts. While not deadly, it was alarming. Headaches and migraines were one of the first experiences of going hollow. Memories being torn asunder inside the undead’s own mind brought upon agony most foul, usually crippling for a moment or so.

Both fortunate and unfortunate for Artemis, he had experienced this many, many times before and had grown accustomed to the maddening pain. After a few minutes, he pushed himself off the wall and staggered to his feet. Shaking his head to clear the pain, he squinted to look about the room he rebirthed inside of. An abandoned stone brick cell, rusted metal gate, barely hanging on its hinges, barring the way out. It was nothing special aside from one beacon of hope. A bonfire, undamaged with coals barely alive.

A smile almost graced his lips as he walked towards the ashened sword speared into the ground. Hovering his hand over the near extinguished cinders, a warmth radiated from it. With a small ‘Fwoomp’ flames burst from the coals, ignited the bones gathered around the sword. Watching as the flames danced and ran across the blade, the undead felt more at ease near the glowing heat. Despite his mind and body screaming to him to rest, he turned towards the rusted bars. A swift kick near the handle was all it took to break the damaged iron, the shattering and clanking of metal against stone resonated throughout the darkened halls.

Artemis sighed, irritated that he had thrown away his torch. He would have to brave the darkness, the bonfire illuminated the halls enough to barely glance through the shadows that surrounded him. Drawing his sword and shield, a cautious step sent his form into the darkness. The thickening shade brought upon thoughts of horrors screaming and clawing at him. A quiet growl emanated from his throat, he lightly shook his head to clear his mind.

‘Just remember, Artemis, just keep remembering.’ he thought to himself as he walked through the dark, only occasionally stopping to investigate noises in the dark. ‘I had a wife named.... Named... J-.. Juliana. A daughter.... Named S-Seria.’

His thoughts were already becoming torn. Attempting to keep his mind strong, he slowly began to hum a small tune. An old song from a musical popped into his head, specifically, a Musical that his wife loved dearly. As he walked through the dark, the humming calmed his nerves, hazy memories filled his mind. The lyrics of the song passed his thoughts, a small somber smirk settled on his lips.

“Oh, to you I owe the sun and moon, the warmest night and afternoon...” he sang softly, doing his best to not butcher the verses of the song. “Your caress is something uncompared, your flawless skin, eyes and hair...”

Slowly, his mind began to calm, deviant thoughts were banished for the moment. Sheathing his sword as he walked, he tenderly reached into his chestplate. He grasped at a chain around his neck.

“For you I’d fight an army whole, so long as I could know your life would be preserved by me, My sweet, sweet melody.”

He lifted out of the jewelry and felt his milky eyes well with tears. He gazed down to see a single golden ring. The band had an intricate design, roses twisted and hugged a longsword aimed towards a heart. A gift from his beloved, and the object that helped his sanity over the millennia of bloodshed and death. Lifting the ring under his helm, he gave it a solitary kiss, praying to the goddess of the Sun that his wife reached the afterlife. Beginning to place the ring back into the safety of his armor, a loud explosion threw him into a wall of stone. A gravely voice cackled loudly as smoke filled the air.

“Hee hee... Alpha smart for taking boomsticks from ponies.” The same voice spoke with the sound of claws landing against stone. “Much easier to dig rock... Eh?” Artemis was too dazed from the point blank explosion, his hearing barely registering the voice and his body aching. His vision, blurred and warped from the sudden explosion, landed on a strange bipedal creature. Its legs were bent in the wrong direction along with a oddly thin body. Artemis groaned as he slowly pushed himself up, hissing with pain as his limbs burned. “Yip! What is that thing?!”

Artemis had no time to react as he felt something smash against his head, sending him back to the ground. A small shout of pain escaped him as his face hit the ground hard, feeling his nose break and maybe even a few chipped teeth. A few more thwacks was the response to his cry of agony, each hit sending him deeper and deeper into the collecting darkness. His hand made a almost pathetic move towards his sword, only to be hit one last time, sending him into an unconscious abyss.

~!~

Artemis awoke, head splitting with pain, to find himself being dragged across cold stone and dirt. The grunts of his captors filled his ears, rocking forward as he felt the rough grips drag his through the tunnels and halls around him. His head barely lifted as light came into view, several sounds of gasps and whispers echoing around him. Only minutes later was he thrown to the ground, a small yipe of pain escaping him.

“Well well well… What is it you mutts have brought me this time.” A gruff male voice said from ahead of him. Gingerly pulling his hands to his sides, Artemis began to push himself up before a rough kick to his side sent him back to the ground, he flipped over onto his side. “Well, explain yourselves!”

“We found him in one of the tunnels, Alpha! Groger was blasting the walls like you said and this thing was on the other side! Took two guards to make him stop moving!” The gravelly voice from before spoke.

“He sealed off… interesting.” The ‘Alpha’ spoke, its tone powerful and commanding. Artemis’ vision had finally come back as he tried once more to push himself up, lifting his helm to see the voice before him. A creature that reminded him of his old pet dog stood before him, a thoughtful yet angry expression plastered across its features.

It was clearly a male from the tone of voice. Looking like a doberman war dog, face and arms covered in scars. A old worn bandage covered its left eye while a tunic and kilt covered its legs and chest. Finally, this creature was tall and broad, bulging muscles almost tearing the Alpha’s skin open. One of the small creatures, looking much weaker and shorter than the Alpha walked forward, holding all of Artemis’ weaponry.

“He was carrying these on him, when he was found!” The almost ear gratingly irritating voice spoke. The alpha took the weapons from the dog roughly, he gave the Flamberge a few test swings and smiled.

“A blade of a true warrior.” He said, looking it over. His icy gaze fell on Artemis. “Yet we do not see this warrior’s face.” The alpha left the sword with one of his underlings, his steps caused the ground to tremble as he got closer. “Nor do we know his name…” The alpha knelt down to peer beyond Artemis’ Helm. “No matter, remove his helmet.” The dog stood up and made his way back to his underling.

Artemis felt a set of paws grab his arms and raise him to his feet, barely struggling as his mind was still mildly reeling. When he saw another of the strange dogs walk towards him, his instincts began to kick in, making him thrash in the dogs grips. Despite his efforts, they held him in place with vice grips while the dog gripped his helm and yanked it off.

A sudden gasp filled the air followed by the clinking of Artemis’ helm against the ground. Silence ensued as the guards holding him let go and staggered away, whimpering at the sight of his features. Artemis knew what he looked like, with his skin green and decayed, eyes milky white. He was a sight that even the reaper would cringe too.

“What are you, dogs or ponies?” The alpha said to his mutts, subduing his urge to flee. He instead walked towards Artemis, growling at his subordinates. They took the man’s arms again. “Stand him up, stand him up straight.” The guards complied, roughly holding his back straight. “Tell me, foul creature of the crypt, who are you?”

Artemis barely acknowledged the Alpha before him, opting to remain silent and stare back with his lifeless eyes. The alpha sniffed the air for the moment, then smiled.

“You may not know this, corpse, but I have a certain knack for finding things.” He said, gesturing to Artemis’ chest plate. “You’ve been very rude to me, and my associates here. We simply are defending our home, asking basic information, yet you must be difficult.” The other dogs nodded in agreement. “Now, I am in a forgiving mood, and I’m willing to help you out. For a price.” The grin on his face increased immensely, he tapped Artemis’ chest.

Artemis’ hands clenched into fists and his brow furrowed, a glare attempting to burn the Alpha away. He remained silent, his jaw clenched shut as to not say or do something that would cause incident.

“Struck a nerve, have I?” The alpha said with a chuckle. “Well corpse? Do we have a deal?” Artemis was silent. “I take silence as an agreement.” The alpha reached forwards.

“If thou dare touch it, I will rip thine arms from your body and sear you alive.” Artemis snarled, baring his teeth at the dog.

“Ohohoho…” The alpha said gleefully. “He doth speak in the tongues of old. Thou must have been sealed away for a long time. No wonder time has not been kind to you.”

“I art giving thou only one warning, mutt. Let me go or I shall rip thee and all thine servants apart.” Artemis warned, his angered grip beginning to dent the metal of his gauntlets. The alpha paused for a moment.

“You would kill pups? Innocent mothers?” The alpha asked, losing all mirth to his voice.

“I kill those who get in mine way.” Artemis growled, beginning to pull against the grips on his arms.

“Then perhaps it is thou who hath become the savage BEAST!” Alpha said angrily. “If such is the case, then I will take pleasure in removing that necklace from thine corpse!” He snapped his fingers. “Barf! Bring me his weapons.” The dog holding Artemis’ death dealing weapons approached, the dog took the flamberge in his grizzled paw. “Release him, give him the other blade. If he wishes harm to my pack, I shall face him alone.” The other dogs cheered loudly.

“HAIL, Devil Dog!” They shouted, forming a circle around the two. Flamberge in hand, Devil Dog stood in a defensive stance. The guards let go of Artemis, dropping the sword in front of him. He bent down and grabbed the sword, feeling much more relieved at having a blade in his hand.

“Have at thee, foul beast of tartarus!” With that, Devil Dog charged forth. No matter the outcome of the fight, he would be ever loyal to his pack. If he failed, then he failed with honor. He viciously swung the blade at Artemis.

Fully awake and coherent, Artemis backstepped narrowly missing the swing. He was used to having his shield with him, more so having the element of the first strike, but he would make due. Devil Dog swung the blade once more, attempting to sever his head. Raising his sword, he gripped the blade with both hands and let the flamberge clash against his own sword. He gave a hard shove against the Alpha, sending him back and allowing him to dart forward. The Broadsword in his hand swung deftly, each time nearly splitting Devil Dog’s stomach.

A single slash across the dogs chest became apparent as blood splattered along the ground and painted the tip of Artemis’ blade. A smirk slowly slipped onto Artemis’ lips, the hollowing thoughts beginning to fuel his actions. His slashes started to become more violent and harder, each hit landing drawing more and more blood. Devil Dog’s own expression had turned to one of anger and pain, his attacks becoming fiercer and bolder.

The Flamberge landed against Artemis’ arm, tearing deep into his flesh until bone could be clearly seen. A small howl of pain escaped him, his brow furrowing. A savage slash across his side brought about another wail, his anger rising with each wound. Devil Dog’s eyes were showing cockiness, becoming more aggressive with his movements.

Despite his injuries, Artemis growled and charged at him. A mighty clash was heard as their blades connected, Artemis reeling his arm back and slamming their blades together once more. He relentlessly pounded against Devil Dog’s defense, sending him back with each hit, it was only when the Alpha’s paw slipped and he fell did the attack even barely lighten up. Artemis did not stop as he stepped over Devil Dog, slamming his sword over and over against the Flamberge, sparks beginning to fly.

Finally, Artemis’ tireless attacks stopped when he turned his attention to the Alpha’s paws, sending his broadsword to the fingers holding the sword. A cry of agony filled the air as several fingers and the Flamberge fell to the ground, each becoming red with passing seconds as blood flew through the air. Artemis stopped as he saw the blade laying in the dirt, the dog beneath him defeated and bleeding. The sight alone was almost enough to quell the monstrous thoughts in his mind. Eyes snapping towards the dog, he brought a hand down to the scruff of the Alpha’s chest and roughly brought him to his knees.

“Just know, you started this, mutt. What happens next shall be your doing.” Artemis whispered to him just as he raised the blade and run it through the alpha’s chest, a ‘urk’ escaped him as the blade pierced him clean through, poking out of his back.

“At least I can die with honor.” The alpha rasped, glaring at Artemis. Letting him go, The Alpha slid off of the blade and flopped onto the ground. The tunnels were silent as the guards and underlings of the Alpha stared at the corpse of their leader. Artemis grabbed his Flamberge from the ground, gently resting the pummel on his hip, and turned to the rest of the dogs around him.

“Now... Who else wants to intervene with my quest?” He spoke, glancing around the group.

“FOR OUR THE ALPHA!” One of the guards shouted, as he and dozens more began to descend upon Artemis. The man glared at them, his hand began to glow, igniting in a burst of flame. With one arm he fended off the hordes while the other charged a storm of chaos. When the energy was at its peak he slammed his hand into the ground. Large pillars of flame shot upwards from the floor, burning and singing guards and innocents alike. The flames spread through most of the tunnels, maiming and burning any and all unfortunate enough within. Artemis strolled through several burning bodies and out into one of the tunnels, ahead of him he could hear the remaining defenders preparing to fight.

To his surprise, however, there was a corpse that had been unburned. The body of the Alpha had been dragged from the chamber into one of the safe tunnels. A small doberman pup was laying near the body, gently nudging it with its paw.

“D-Daddy?” It said with in a female voice, tears were welling in its eyes. “Daddy, wake up… Please?” It looked at Artemis and did its best to look intimidating. The man walked past it, as he left it behind he heard more of its forlorn cries echo through the tunnel. It was all he heard until he came upon the next contingent of guards. “Daddy?”

~!~

His blade slashed the final throat of the remaining guard, the mutt gurgling as it slumped backward. He had long since retrieved his equipment, and had replaced his helm, from the central chamber and had fought his way until he had found light. Blood dripped from his blade and hands, the ball of flame engulfing his glove evaporating all the blood before it could dry. Several of the diamond dogs had fled when he started killing, many staying to fight but falling to his sword as they attempted to slay him. After the final guard had been killed, he had found his way out, a tunnel filled with light.

When he stepped outside, he found several dogs running away, each screaming or cursing him as they ran. His hand went to his bow, extinguishing the flames in his hand to properly wield the bow. He didn’t need them coming back with reinforcements. Only seeing a few dogs in the distance, he drew back the string with an arrow knocked. A thwip filled the air as he saw one dog drop to the ground, an arrow sticking out of its back. One fled into the forest near the tunnel entrance, a curse escaping him as he lost sight, another charged off towards a familiar town.

‘Delightful,’ he thought. ‘Killing two birds with a single stone.’ He took off into a light jog towards the dog, following close on its heels. The run was quick and without incident, the dog stopping in front of a group of those ponies, like the one he had seen earlier. He hid behind a thatch roofed home and held up his bow. The dog appeared to be ranting and raving to them, flailing about as it spoke. ‘Time to perish, mongrel.’

An arrow fell into place on the bow, drawn back slowly. Artemis took his time to aim, having to get this right lest he injure an innocent. With a single breath, he let the string go and watched as the arrow sailed over, perforating the dogs skull. Satisfied, he stepped out of the shadows. A familiar feeling of warmth began to well up in his chest, a feeling of his own soul pulsing and begging for him to come and claim it once more.

Rolling his shoulders and neck, he began to stride towards the ponies, following the call of his soul. As he stepped forward, he found plenty of eyes upon him, the only two armored ponies bracing themselves as he walked forward. A growl escaped him as he began to grow annoyed at the continuous interruptions. He took in a deep breath and quietly let it out before he raised and hand and pointed towards a familiar mint green glow.

“I believe...” He rasped. “That you are guarding something that belongs to me.” The ponies looked between each other, some glancing towards the orb of green behind them. The guards exchanged looks before one nodded and stepped forward, standing defensively.

“You may not pass strange creature! The princess resides within that... thing and cannot be disturbed!” The guards shouted, his voice authoritative and final. Artemis sighed, stepping forward, despite the guards standing before him. “Did you not hear me!? I said you are not-”

“If they continue to block me, I shall be forced to take hostile action to retrieve my soul, dost thou understand?” Artemis spoke firmly, stopping only a few feet from them. The guards beginning to debate whether or not to continue to stand in his way. “I hath slew enough lives today, I only wish to retrieve mine soul and continue on my journey.” Before the guards could respond, a taller pony stood up from behind the rest, much taller than the colorful counterparts. Her coat white as snow and mane that of a flowing rainbow, a longhorn just barely separating the colors from her forehead. Her expression one of protectiveness and defense. A set of grand and pristine wings splayed out as the group of ponies separated for her.

She strode towards Artemis until she was within arm’s reach. Artemis raised an eyebrow to her, standing tall with his hand firmly holding his blade. The guards looked as if they were about to say something before she held a hoof. “Creature, I am Princess Celestia, Co-Ruler of this land. If you continue on your path, I will be forced to restrain or, if necessary, kill you to protect my subjects and sister! Do you understand?” Celestia spoke, her tone carrying the commanding nature of the Iron king and the force of a Demon’s hammer.

Artemis remained silent, admiring the bravery of this, apparently, royal creature. Not to mention he was grateful for not being immediately attacked or thought a monster for once. He slowly raised his sword, the guards behind Celestia tensing. Taking his time, he gingerly sheathed the red stained blade onto his belt, never once taking his eyes from Celestia.

“Admirable, Your highness. Not many royals would care to face a problem without the aid of an army.” Artemis spoke, bowing his head slightly in respect. His tone took a darker step as he spoke again. “But I am not leaving without my soul, and I will not hesitate to draw my blade if it is the only solution.”

Celestia glared at Artemis, her eyes boring holes through his helm and into his skull. His response was to stand still and let her decide the next course of action. It was only a few moments later did Celestia turn to gaze back towards a seemingly darker version of her. When she turned back her expression had softened, her eyes almost holding tears.

“You may claim what is yours, creature, but you must let my sister return to her form before you take back your... soul.” Celestia stated, her voice telling Artemis that there was no arguing. Artemis glanced towards the darker counterpart, hollowed thoughts saying he should simply kill them and take back what is his. He banished the thoughts as he looked back down to Celestia.

He held up a hand and pointed a finger to the sky, the sun halfway through its usual routine. “Thou will have until the moon has claimed the sky. Then I shall take what is mine, regardless of who remains. And even if I must use force, I shall claim it.”

Celestia never had a chance to respond as Artemis turned away and strode towards the fountain, finding himself a place to sit right next to it. Crossing his legs, he placed his hands on his knees and stared straight ahead. He would take the downtime to collect his thoughts and regain what little control he had over his own hollowing.

‘Remember, Artemis. The souls of those dogs fed you well enough, now remember.’ He gently spoke in his mind, soothing the violent thoughts. He focused on his breathing and surroundings. After a moment he began to hum softly a melody to himself. His eyes opened, and humming coming to a stop, when he heard a small yip, a happy one at that. His head turned towards the ponies to see the small wolf pup from before slipping between the forest of hooves and bounding towards him.

A feeling of warmth gradually filled his being as the pup ran over and hopped onto his legs, whimpering and pawing at his chestplate. Chuckling deeply he placed a hand on the pup’s head, giving it a tender scratch behind the ears. He resumed his humming as the pup calmed down considerably, relishing the feeling of its ears being itch’d. As he was petting the pup, his vision picked up on a growing pool of coagulated black goop dripping down his sides. His own blood from his wounds, the familiar sting of pain as he moved his arms. Frowning, he let his hand idly pamper the wolf while his other went to his satchel and pulled out his estus flask. The glowing bottle warmed his palm as he raised the chin of his helm and took a deep swig.

Shivering as his body mended, he sighed in relief. ‘Mayhap I should consider a respite. Tis been too long since I have truly slept....’ He pondered as he looked towards the pup laying in his lap then towards his soul on the ground. His frown deepened as the anger of being kept from soul was coming back. ‘They best hurry soon. My patience has grown thin during my time in that tomb.’

After one last glance towards the ponies, he put away his flask and resigned his his humming.

Author's Notes:

Alright, you are all probably wondering why Artemis was a total prick and everything turned a bit dark? Well, if not, I am still going to explain as it will bug me if I do not.

After fighting through all the horrors, monsters, undead beings, previous champions and etc, he would have become stoic and develop the "Victory at all costs" mentality. Not to mention with his family passing away and being forced to try and stop a new era of Undead from erupting, he would not really be the most likable fella.

So in short, his years, if not centuries, of fighting and the loss of his family made him cold hearted and stoic. The only true thing that is keeping him from going absolutely ballistic on anyone who gets in his way are his memories and his will to not become the monsters he slays. So yeah, the ring around his neck and the memories of his family are the only things that are barely holding his sanity in place. Not to mention that he was beginning to hollow and that tied in pretty heavily when I was writing this chapter.

As for why everything turned dark halfway through, well we simply can't ignore the fact that some of the guards and other dogs probably had families and it would be ignorant to ignore that. Plus, let's face it, we all know those poor hollowed guards and soldiers we slaughter all had families.

Sorry, that's it, I just thought that needed a bit of a explanation. But don't worry, He isn't going to go on a killing spree every time he gets stopped.

Anywho, hoped you enjoyed it!

Special Thanks to: The Boss for writing the song lyrics, he actually wrote a full song that I may include later, as well as helping me with several parts of the chapter. So go check him out, he is a awesome guy.

((Music is Two Steps from Hell: Sons of War all copyrights belong to them, etc.))

Chapter 6: A Battle won, A War beginning

Luna was becoming exhausted. She had been running for who knows how long, dodging memories. The darkness that was attempting to cloud her vision was becoming harder to retreat from. Her exit was lost among the memories and madness of Artemis’ soul. Her hooves had long since numbed from how long she had ran, her chest heaving greatly and her mind feeling like she was being beaten with a pipe. Luna spared a glance behind her, seeing the darkness eating away at the world around her, memories and emotions becoming corroded by the dark.

The sight alone was enough to make her run faster. Finally, a glimmer of hope showed itself, a blinding white breach in the soul of Artemis, the place she had entered and soon to be the place she escaped from. A smile worked itself onto her face, happiness seeping into her heart as she found herself to soon be rid of this warped and disturbed soul.

Putting what little she had left into her movements, she bolted forward. As she got closer and closer, she could hear the outside world. Opening her wings, she gave a mighty leap towards the opening, her wings propelling her forward. Her hooves could nearly feel the embrace of her physical body, the warmth of the sun heating her coat.

But she was stopped not a inch from the opening, her hooves unable to grasp the outside world. Her eyes widened in horror as she found herself being dragged back into the dark. Her head whipped behind her, tears of terror welling up. A skeletal hand, coated in black fire was clinging to her hind hoof dragging her back into the dark.

Faces, skulls, bones, and rotted corpses began to take shape in the dark. She had seen this before, the fear of what Artemis fought so hard to avoid. The Hollowing.

Nary a second before soul crushing pain flushed through her, her muscles tensing and numbing as she felt her behind get dragged towards the dark. A scream escaped her, tears falling down her cheeks as the darkness was nearly engulfing her. She shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to see the maddening sight before her any longer.

Then it stopped. She no longer was getting pulled across the ethereal surface of the soul she resided in. Eyes opening she found a creature, figure much like Artemis but wearing a strange turtle shell like armor, grabbing her hooves and pulling her from the dark. She felt herself escape the darkness’ embrace before she was thrown over head and landing roughly behind the creature. A small whimper escaped her as she fell, her eyes darting towards the creature.

It was one of the souls that Artemis had claimed, the Darkness seemingly repulsed by the figure. Then more souls came, each a monster, man, or animal that Artemis had slain. Souls of Dragons, Knights, Giants, and soldiers, even a mighty king faded into existence. The souls said not a thing as they stood defiantly in front of the darkness, seemingly pushing back the hollowing dark. And it did not stop there, more and more creatures poured out of the air, pushing back the dark.

Luna could not believe her eyes at what she saw, the thought of consuming the souls of the fallen brought upon images of horror and madness, a hell to all those slain. But this seemed more of an endless war against one's inner being. Shaking her head, she had no time to ponder the scene. Standing up as quickly as she could, her hooves carried her towards the exit and pushed her through, the feeling of warmth upon her skin telling her she had escaped and was finally free to rest.

~!~

A gasp filled the air as Luna’s eyes shot open, the warmth of the setting sun seeping into her skin and softness of her sister’s coat bringing on comfort. Luna’s eyes shot all around her, studying her surroundings to make sure she was truly out of the nightmarish place she ventured in to. She ripped off the breathing mask that was placed on her muzzle and sat up right. Her head snapped it all directions, startling the medical staff and guards. Even Twilight jumped into the air, regardless of her tired state.

As her gaze landed on her sister’s worried expression, she immediately turned over and latched onto Celestia in a nearly bone crushing hug. Despite the surprise at the sudden movement, Celestia wrapped her hooves around her sibling, cooing gently as the lunar Alicorn silently sobbed into her chest.

“It’s okay Luna, you are safe now.” Celestia whispered softly, rubbing her sister’s back and doing her best to calm her. A soft clatter filled the air, the sound of heavy boots against stone. Luna’s head lifted from her sister’s chest, glancing towards the noise. Her eyes widened in both horror and awe, the undead whose soul she was sifting through, was walking towards her.

Armor stained red from recent endeavours, the wolf pup following him at the heels. Despite the helmet covering his face, Luna could clearly tell he was locked onto the glowing mist beside them. Having seen what he was capable of first hand, not to mention invading his very soul, she was nearly trembling with fear. Despite having the power to crush the guards before him, he stopped in front of them, his eyesight switching to the ponies barely half his height.

As his vision slowly left them, the line of sight was set on Celestia. Luna glanced up at her sister, seeing her expression of joy and concern quickly changing to one of protection.

“Your sibling has returned, Celestia. Call off your lackeys.” Artemis’ voice pierced the air, his tone was raspy and slightly gargled. Celestia’s guards looked to her, a nod making them step out of the way. As soon as the guards were out of his way, he was striding quickly to his soul. The medical staff stepped out of the way as he walked through them, beelining for his soul.

Still weak from both the entry and exit of the soul, Luna shied away from Artemis as he passed, pushing herself against her sister for comfort. The Knight barely acknowledged the princesses, or any of the ponies as he walked. Stopping at the orb of green, he knelt down and placed a hand within its depths. Not seconds later did a soft wing began to pick up around Artemis. The Mist swirled around his gloved hand, trailing up his arm and around his chest before slipping under his helm.

The glow of the mist barely illuminated the shadows of his helm. As the mist trailed around his body, the orb shrunk until it was nothing and the last of the mist wisped away under Artemis’ helm. A relieved and almost lustful sigh escaped Artemis’ lips as he stood up and rolled his joints.

~!~

Artemis’ mind felt almost renewed as he retrieved his soul, the darkening thoughts immediately pushed away. His memories became clearer, and the overwhelming feeling of power coursed through his veins. Fists clenched, his neck rolled, and his body relaxed for the first time in near a millennia. Truly, there were few greater feelings than reclaiming the power you once lost.

A sigh escaped his lips, a breath of fresh air taking its place as he rolled his joints. He turned to Celestia, seeing her sister cowering in her arm before looking off towards the castle in the distance. This was his true destination, as he had already met the self proclaimed “Princess”. But where there is a princess, there is a King. And he needed to warn the King of the peril his Kingdom was in.

Turning towards Celestia, he gave a courteous bow, crossing his arm in front of him. Celestia’s expression became one of shock as he dipped his body in respect, her sibling more or less cowering away from him. As he stood back up, he gently adjusted his armor and helm.

“I offer my apologies for earlier, your highness. I become rather... Rude when my souls are not with me.” He stepped past her and walked by the guards, heading in a straight line towards the castle in the distance. “I bid you farewell, Celestia, Princess of this land. I pray we may meet again, under better circumstances of course.” Turning in place, he slowly started walking. He turned his head towards Celestia once more as he walked, speaking in a serious tone. “But I warn thee, Princess. Should you send any to follow me, there shall be dire consequences.”

And without another word, he left the town. Only stopping to grab a few foodstuffs from abandoned stands, mostly for the wolf pup following his boots. As he walked, he saw a Orange mare standing completely still, aghast, near the dirt road leading into town. He gave her a curt nod of the head as he walked by, picking up the pup in his arms so it did not get squashed under the wheels of the wagon.

~!~

Celestia watched the creature leave, her glare following its every move as it walked away. She knew that she could have easily stopped the creature in its tracks with a blast of magic, but something about it sent off warning signs in her mind. Shaking her head, she pushed the creature aside in her thoughts and focused on her sister. Luna was shivering and whimpering into her chest, eyes stained with tears.

Luna gingerly looked up, scanning the area a moment before looking up at Celestia. Her eyes showed a deep concern, one that she hadn’t seen since the reign of Sombra. “Sister, if what I have seen is true, then we have much more to be wary off than a wandering Knight.” She softly spoke.

Celestia’s ears perked up as confusion lined her features. “What do you mean?” She asked. Luna’s breath shuddered a moment as she gingerly looked towards her legs, muscles tensing as she remember the blinding pain.

“He wishes to stop the dark before it can begin.” She whispered, curling her legs against her chest. Celestia scrunched up her nose in confusion as she heard these words. Did she mean stop the night from coming? Did she mean to keep some ancient evil at bay? As she began forming questions, she heard a soft snore escape her sister. Looking down she saw the lunar mare sleeping soundly against her chest, her dream walking having exhausted her mentally, emotionally, and magically.

Despite the situation, she smiled softly. She knew the situation was beginning to turn grim, no doubt action had to be taken soon. For the moment, however, she was glad her sister was safe and resting. Turning her head, she called for her guards. She told them to prepare carriage to the trip back to the castle, the guards saluting and going off. Then she looked for Twilight, finding her examining the ground the creature had tred on.

“Twilight?” Celestia spoke, gaining the alicorn’s attention. The purple mare trotted over quickly, stepping aside for the medical as they packed up to leave.

“Yes, Princess?” Twilight asked, sitting on her haunches.

“I need you to gather the elements and meet me back at the Castle as soon as possible. Recent events have showed we need to start preparing. For what I am uncertain, but I believe my sister may know. When she awakes we may hopefully have answer.” Celestia spoke. As the guards pulled up the carriage, Celestia gently placed her sister inside and climbed in herself. She looked to Twilight and smiled warmly. “Please be careful, Twilight. I fear we may have more problems we can see.”

Twilight nodded as the carriage was pulled into the sky and made a beeline towards the castle. Not taking a moment to hesitate, Twilight ran into her damaged home. She had to prepare before they left.

Author's Notes:

Sorry about the Chapter. I hit a hard case of Writer's Block after the Luna scene.
Not really pleased with this chapter, but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging.
Chapter will be revised and made WAY better
But for now it will allow the story to progress so you all may at least get some entertainment in the meantime.

Tl;Dr: Not pleased with Chapter, going to be revised, progressing the story, stay tuned.
Hang in there everyone!

Chapter 7: Revelations

The waxing crescent moon was raised high into the sky, lighting up the marble city upon the mountain. The light also shined off of the silver helm of the weary Knight walking across the empty fields of emerald green. Nearly three moons had passed since Artemis left the small town and he hadn’t stopped walking. His feet ached and his legs burned, but he knew he had lost enough time waiting for the blue winged unicorn to recover. Thanks to his curse, he did not become drowsy or sluggish, only slowed on occasion.

Ever since he had recovered his souls, he found himself thinking back. The forest he’d burnt down without a second thought, the dogs he had slain so viciously, and the looks in their eyes. Remorse would have filled his heart, if it had not blackened over the centuries. Coming to terms with immortality and never ending torture jaded his mind and fizzled out his empathy during the first few years of his curse.

Artemis reached up and grabbed his helm, taking it off for a moment to enjoy the midnight air. His footsteps stopped for the first time in three days, a tired gleam in his milky eyes. He glanced towards his pouch, the wolf pup softly snoring with its muzzle peaking out of the flap. Taking in a deep sigh, he looked to the reflection in his helm. He saw a monster staring back at him.

Hair was already falling out, his eyes white as snow. Skin green and decayed, peeling off like that of a orange. It disgusted him. But in another part of his mind, he found it fitting. A man of true mind and body would have attempted to speak and compromise with the dogs, a true man wouldn’t have burned down a forest just to get the attention of the populace. Replacing his helm, he continued on his journey.

He needed to stop this curse before it began, to save the thousands of mothers and fathers from losing their children and vice versa. Should he survive and not hollow throughout his journey, then he may give himself a brief respite. But until then, there was no rest for the wicked or the damned.

~!~

The mountain was unforgiving to Artemis for trespassing upon its steep slopes. For three days he had trekked up the massive mountain and fought against the bone chilling winds with only his basic knowledge of pyromancy to keep the wolf pup in his satchel warm. He followed the large tracks of timber and iron, hoping they lead him to the city.

His already cold breath froze in the mountain air, plumes of fog spilled out of his helm. He could still feel the pup in his satchel, shivering despite having his flaming hand near it. Groaning quietly to himself, he continued marching along the carved out path leading up the mountain. His feet stopped in place as he felt the ground beneath them beginning to rumble, ice and snow shaking off the sides.

An ear-shattering whistle snapped through the air, forcing his hands to his head in an attempt to stave off the wretched sound. He barely had time to turn before he saw a massive metal monster barreling towards him. His head whipped in all directions to find escape only finding running or jumping off the side as his only options.

Turning in place, he began to sprint as fast as he could, the metal beast behind him already closing in. His breathing quickened as his legs stamped against the wooden boards beneath him. He spared only a glance behind himself as he saw the metal contraption let out a soul wrenching screech, sparks flying from its underbelly. The sight was something to behold for Artemis, but he did not falter from his running.

Moments later, his boots slammed into the ground as he was a fair distance away from the metal horror. Turning in place, he saw it had stopped completely, grey smoke billowing from a hole on its head.

A cheer of victory quietly shouted in his mind. Seconds later did Artemis feel his boot slip from underneath him. Going face first into one of the metal bars on the ground, his world blackened a moment while his body tumbled backwards down the slope. As his vision regained, he found himself at the very edge of the pathway, his legs already dangling off, and he wasn’t stopping.

His eyes widened as he turned onto his belly and reached to grab anything at all to stop his descent, the ice and snow forbidding any type of grip. Time seemingly slowed for Artemis as he felt his chest leave the ground. His eyes widened, he reached to his belt and grabbed his sword. With the last of his might, he slammed the blade into the side of the mountain, his shoulder was almost dislocated as his weight nearly jerked the blade from the ice.

Quivering, rapid pants filled the air as Artemis dangled off the side of the mountain. His eyes unfocused as he looked down, the feeling of vomiting filled his throat. Shifting his vision to the satchel, he saw the wolf pup cowering deeper into the sack, whimpering loudly and yiping occasionally. He had probably been hurt when his body tumbled. Grunting loudly, he reached for the edge of the cliff, finding it a fair distance out of reach.

“Blasted ice!” He shouted as he felt his sword slowly tilting downwards. He swung his hand towards the edge of the cliff, using what strength he could to lift himself up. He gave one hardy swing, feeling his hand connect with something. Hope filled his eyes as he tried to pull himself up, finding whatever he was holding onto to be sliding towards the edge. He found his grip beginning to slip, grunts of annoyance escaping him.

“Hey!” He heard a male voice shout. “Somepony get out here! I need some help!” As the shouting ended, the sound of several boots or shoes in snow was heard and Artemis felt several appendages wrap around his hand and forearm. Series of grunts, groans, and heaves filled the air as Artemis was slowly pulled up the mountain side.

Using his sword as a faux ice pick, he quickly found himself onto stable ground, flopping into the snow as his body was brought from the edge. Gasps for air filled Artemis’ hearing as he got onto his hands and knees, trying to push back the feeling of vomiting. After a few minutes, he felt something touch his shoulder, causing him to flinch and whip the sword in the same direction. The blade stopped barely an inch from the throat of another one of the ponies. This one was the color of beige with a chocolate mane and wearing an odd blue outfit. A look of fear replaced the worry in it’s eyes as the blade hovered near him. Several ponies behind him looked terrified as he held the blade.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Artemis dropped the blade, letting it land in the snow next to him. His chest heaved for a moment in shock, the thought of losing the pup in his satchel and having to scale this mountain again was a stomach churning thought. Not to mention he was never very good with heights.

He lifted his helm, bracing himself with a hand against the ground, and proceeded to vomit what little was in his undead stomach. With his body emptied, he wiped his mouth and sat up right, resting on his knees. Turning his head, he saw the group of ponies still remained, the one he nearly cut open standing the closest. A few minutes passed before the pony cleared his throat and took a ginger step forward.

“A-Are you alright... Sir?” The pony asked, caution and worry lining his features. Artemis paused for a moment, considering the pony’s words. He was by no means ‘Alright’, but he remained alive and less hollowed, that was enough for him. Nodding to the pony, it sighed and took a chance and going towards Artemis to assist. “Do you need some help up?”

Starting to stand, he waved a hand, only to tumble to the ground. Grunting in annoyance, he found the pony standing next to him, the concerned look still present. Accepting defeat, he grimaced behind his helm and nodded to the pony.

“Yes, I... Do need some help.” He muttered, the pony smiling softly. Gingerly pushing his head under Artemis’ hand, he acted as a bar for Artemis to gain footing. As the knight stood up, nearly buckling the poor pony beneath him, he staggered. The pony beside him pressed against his side to stable him and gestured towards the metal beast behind him.

“If you come with me, we have medical supplies in the train.” The pony stated, drawing Artemis’ attention. He warily eyed the metal beast, lifting a hand and pointed at it.

“You... tamed that beast?” Artemis asked, the pony looked at him quizzically. It dawned on him after a few moments.

“Oh, no no! It’s just a machine used for moving quickly across vast distances!” The pony told Artemis as he led him towards the beast. “It can’t hurt you, it’s just a big hunk of metal.” The pony must have been telling the truth, for the beast did not turn its gaze to the man as he passed by. As they approached, Artemis found a few ponies peeking their heads out just to see what was going on. “Just hop up in the carriage and I’ll get you to Canterlot for some proper medical attention. You look absolutely frigid.”

Artemis eyed the machine one last time before grabbing a hand rail and hoisting himself up, growling quietly when he slammed his head against the low entrance. Crouching down, he walked inside with the pony following in after him. Seeing the cramped spaces of the cab, the pony lead him into a larger area where several ponies were sitting.

Wide eyes and shivering hooves greeted him as he was lead towards a leather seat that was rather low to the ground. Giving a relieved sigh as he was seated, the pony before him looked over him in concern. After waving the pony away, Artemis placed his forehead in his hands. His head was swimming from his near death experiance, heights having always instilled great fear in him ever since he was a lad. A few minutes later he found his mind starting to blur, blackness sinking in on the edges of his vision.

Becoming startled, he stood up, nearly bashing his head once more, only to fall back down to his seat. As he landed, the seat nearly broke from his weight. The hollowing was beginning to take effect on him, pushing back against his own soul and slowly overpowering it. He grunted and growled to himself, hands pressed against his helm. He barely registered the ponies scooting away from him or the pony who had saved him, none of it mattered to him in that moment.

A soul-shattering pain shot through his mind, nearly crippling his ability to think and move. He needed to kill, to find souls and consume them, he needed to feed to stave off the darkness. A agony filled wail escaped his lips, the world darkening completely for a moment. His limbs became numb and the collapsed to the ground, armor and blade clattering against the wooden flooring. His eyes opened to see the pony who saved him staring at him with both concern and fear.

His mind faded off with that final image, the darkness clouding his vision until he was lost in the realm of unconsciousness.

~!~

Artemis stood before a strange man caged in a cell, wearing a metal mask that covered the entirety of his head, the only exposure of flesh was his eyes and a few holes dotted around the mouth. His exposed upper body held horrendous scars, areas of unmended flesh showing the muscles beneath. The man’s left hand was horribly mutated, a single claw melded to what once was a hand. The right was left mostly unchanged aside from multiple scars.

He was a living experiment of Aldia’s keep, raspy breath escaping the mask. The man turned creature dragged himself towards the bars of the cage, Artemis remained in place, internally debating whether or not to run. The creature rushed and rammed the bars of the cage, bending the metal slightly, the deformed claw lunging out and startling Artemis. He retreated a safe distance from the cage as the claw lashed out, trying to clip the Knight across the chest or at least grab him.

“Please!-” A voice shouted before it stopped to hack out a horrible cough. “Please... Don’t let me them... Hurt me anymore...” Artemis lowered his shield, staring suspiciously at the creature in the cage. Taking a step towards the cage, the creature retracted its claw and the deep blue eyes of the man stared pleadingly at Artemis. “I beg of thee... Kill me, let me go mad! Let my suffering stop!”

As the knight reached the cage, the abomination kneeled before Artemis, his eyes filled with tears of agony and depression. He stuck his head through the bars, mask facing downwards, both hand and claw gripping the bars of his cage. “So hungry... So much agony....” The creature whimpered out, stray tears leaking from the mask. “For the love of the sun, kill me...”

Artemis held out his blade, using the tip to lift the creature’s head. “Before I slay you, tell me your name.” Artemis spoke. The creature stared somberly at Artemis before sighing.

“I am... Was... Julius, a shadow warrior hired by the king.” He spoke, eyes closing. “Now please, end my torment...” Artemis nodded somberly and raised his sword high above his head, preparing to decapitate and end the man turned beast before him, but something stopped him. A blackened ring sealed onto the creature’s flesh.

“You’re marked.” Artemis spoke surprised, lowering his sword. The creature nodded, fresh tears dripping from his mask. “Do you know what will become of you should you perish?”

“YES!!” Julius snapped angrily, slamming against the bars, hard enough for the metal to bend outward, his eyes with lit with rage. He settled down, laying against the bars, the fresh contours holding his body in place. “Yes... I know what I am...” A shuddering breath filled Julius’ lungs, followed by a choked up exhale. “But I’d rather go hollow and forget what I am, than remain conscious and fear what I have become...”

He reached his unmutated hand out, gently grabbing the blade in Artemis’ grip and pulling it too his throat. “Please, I beg of thee...Take my soul and let my mind be free of this wretched corpse.”

His eyes were filled with pain, anger, and sorrow. The look of a man who had lost all his will to carry on, the look of one who held something dear to him and lost it. Artemis pulled his blade back, barely cutting the creature’s hands, and walked along the length of the cage.

“What are you doing? Don’t leave me here!!” Julius shouted, standing from his place and grasping the bars of the cell. Artemis looked back towards him, giving him a nod, and pulled out a key. Opening the cage door, he took a step back and gestured for him to follow.

“I don’t care who or what you are, no man or creature deserves to die in a cage.” Artemis spoke. Julius looked at him with defeated and disappointed eyes, standing from his spot and walking towards Artemis.

~!~

Artemis awoke with a start, the first time in nearly a century he had awoken from a slumber. His chest was heaving and his mind was racing, limbs feeling numb as the day he became an undead. He reached a hand up to his head, fingers finding skin instead of his normal helmet. Panic began to ensue in his mind as he shot up, smashing his head against the wood above him.

Groaning, he rubbed his aching forehead, eyes scanning the area around him. He appeared to be in a cramped cell of some sort, mostly made of wood. This didn’t seem like proper detainment for a prisoner. He found his helmet laying on a cot across from him, proudly reflecting his decayed appearance. A loud knocking startled him, causing his hand to reach for his sword, hand meeting the fabric around his waist. He quickly replaced his helm onto his head and stared at the door.

Panic began to set in as the doorknob wiggled and the door swung in, Artemis leapt to his feet and raised his fists to fight. Instead of a hollowed jailer, monster, or twisted sorcerer, he found a new pony, staring at him with surprise. She was a light blue with a butter yellow mane, the same blue uniform covering her body. A tray with food and water was balanced on her back. Artemis’ face softened as he lowered his hands to his sides, the pony relaxing considerably as he took a step inside.

“What are you doing out of your bed, Sir? You looked like death warmed over when they brought you in here.” The pony told him as she walked in, placing the tray of food where his helm previously resided. She gestured to the bed, patting it with a hoof and offering him a cautious smile. “Now, sit down, dear, from what the conductor told me, you had a really close call out there on the tracks.”

Artemis’ gaze switched from the pony to the bed and back, his mind reeling with thoughts. Most were pointing towards escape, to simply throw the pony out of the way and get out of there as quick as possible, but something made him stay in place. Perhaps it was the hospitality he was being given, the genuine concern in the pony’s voice when she spoke. ‘Mayhap I crave more companionship than the pup-’

The last thought made his eyes widen, his head whipping towards his pouch as he began to dig inside of it. Most of it’s contents remained aside from the defensive utilities such as his throwing knives and bombs, but the pup was no where to be seen. The pony must have noticed his frantic searching as she tapping his leg, making his look at her.

“Worried about your pet?” She asked with a eyebrow raised. He nodded and closed his satchel. The mare giggled and gestured outside. “Your wolf pup is being well taken care of. The little girl was nearly frozen, but don’t worry! She is being well taken care of.”

Artemis let out a relieved sigh, actually taking a seat near the bed and putting his head into his hands. He had forgotten the stress and treachery that came with companions, no matter who or what they are. Despite his jaded nature, memories of his past forced out the caring nature he’d lost long ago. The pup reminded him of his lost family, his lost life, and he wished to cling to those memories for as long as possible. He lifted his head to see the pony staring at him in concern.

It almost warmed his heart to see the genuine expression on her features. Almost. Standing straight up, startling the mare, he gestured to his satchels and barren belt. “Where is my equipment?” His gravely voice asked, giving her a light glare from behind his helm.

The mare’s expression faltered a moment as she collected herself. “They are being held in the back of the train with the luggage and supplies of other passengers. Your pup, however, is being taken care of in the-”

“Take me to them.” He stated sternly. The mare’s face completely fell as she looked at the towering knight.

“I-I’m sorry, I was instructed to-” She was stopped we a cold, metal hand latched onto the scruff of her neck and brought her to eye level with Artemis. She let out a smalls squeak and curled her legs towards her chest as she saw the shadowed visor. Without missing a beat, She carefully lifted out a hoof and stuttered out, “R-Right Th-This way...”

Putting her back down, she began to lead him through the train, the terrified and frowning pony keeping her pace quick. Artemis ignored the whispers and fearful looks he got as he strode through the isles. When they finally got the final car, the mare pointed to his supplies at the end and immediately darted out of the room.

Snorting at her actions, he reclaimed his gear and replaced it upon his person. Sword on his left him, Flamberge, Bow, and shield strapped across his back, and all of his defensive equipment back into their places in his satchel. It hadn’t taken very long for him to find his wolf either, it being the only animal on the entire train. She gave him a happy yip when he found her, placing her into the usual spot in his satchel.

It wasn’t even minutes later did the train jerk, sending him backwards and crashing into several bags and seats. A loud whistle pierced his skull, making him clench his teeth and cradle his head.

As the whistling stopped, he stood up and slipped a hand under his helm to rub his aching temples. He stumbled out of the car, hissing as a blinding light struck him. As his eyes adjusted they widened in surprise. He was inside of a grand city, gold and silver lined buildings, polished cobblestone roads, not to mention the crowds of ‘Noble’ ponies that wandered the streets.

Turning his head, he saw several ponies hopping off of the train. He followed suit, hopping over the railing, he landed on the wooden platform with a very loud thud and quiet splintering. Apparently, he was much heavier than he previously thought. Rolling his shoulders and ignoring the shouts from the train, he began his trek towards the castle, determination filling his heart once more.

~!~

Luna awoke with a start, chest heaving and cold sweat pouring down her features. Another Nightmare of Artemis’ life having ripped her back into the world of the awoken. She wiped her head, whimpering as the feeling of being split in two remained on her belly. A soft knocking filled her room and the opening of a door.

Celestia strode in, a worried smile on her lips. That expression was for naught as she saw her sister’s face. Quickly trotting over, Celestia wrapped her wings around Luna, the smaller alicorn relishing the comfort.

“Another nightmare, Luna?” She asked, the alicorn only nodding in response. “You really must let us find a way to stop them, Luna. I am afraid of what they may do should they not stop.”

Luna shook her head, pulling away from her sister. “No, no. I will endure. They are just fresh in my memory. They will be gone soon enough.” Luna spoke, her tone carrying confidence. Celestia only looked down at her worriedly. Sighing, Luna nuzzled her sister once more. “It is alright, sister. I have learned much about this Artemis, and when Cadence arrives tonight, we shall all know about him.”

Celestia only sighed and nodded, nuzzling her sister once more. Unfortunately, their moment was interrupted as a guard burst in. His eyes showed fear and panic, sweating dripping from his face as if he had ran miles.

“P-Princesses! Creature, in streets! Not stopping! Just forcing his way towards the castle!” The guard sputtered out, prancing in place as he looked over his shoulder continuously. Luna and Celestia looked towards each other in despair, Luna turning to the guard and speaking.

“What does this creature look like?” The guard stopped and looked to Luna, using his hooves as he spoke.

“I-It’s really tall, covered in stained clothing and metal, swinging swords and hurling fire!” The guard blabbered out. This confirmed what both princesses were thinking. The guard didn’t get to finish as both princesses shot out of the room and towards the nearest exit.

~!~

Artemis was walking down the street, walking with a bit of a twitch in his step as he strutted past the ponies. Something felt off about the city he strode through. A feeling of despair and immense power wafted over Artemis. His gaze was set upon the castle, the glamorous look was something to behold now that he had a proper view. He only stopped when his head lowered and he found several guards pointing their weapons at him. The spears and swords being held in a ethereal grip made him wonder how far magic had been taken since his incarceration. Pushing the thoughts aside, he stood tall, watching as a pony clad in vibrant golden armor stepped forward towards him.

“Creature! You are ordered to peacefully leave Canterlot, should you refuse, we will use force to stop you.” The apparent head guard stated. Artemis’ eyes slowly scanned the group in front of him, helm ever so slightly moving as his eyes traveled.

‘Around thirty guards... Spears, swords, and magic no doubt.’ His mind wandered until his eyes fell on the leader. ‘I had hoped it wouldn't resort to this... But these equines leave me no choice.’

Slowly raising his hands, he walked forward towards the guards, the leader smirking somewhat. As he got within arms’ reach, he leapt forward, wrapping an arm around the leader’s neck and drawing his sword. Pulling the pony up to his chest, he held the blade barely an inch from the pony’s throat, glaring at the guards as they gasped and growled. When one began to move, Artemis pressed the blade against the pony’s throat, the fear in his eyes pleading to the others to save him.

“I am going to the Castle on my own accord, Equines. And should anyone try to stop me, there shall be grave consequences.” Artemis growled out, emphasizing his point by barely dragging his sword across the pony, a thin line of crimson forming with the motion. The pony whimpered as the Guards looked between one another, debating if they should attempt it or not. “Now move or I shall-”

Artemis was cut off as he felt his unprotected groin get smashed by the metal hoof of the guard in his grip. A breathless scream escaped Artemis as he dropped the pony to cup his genitals, swearing and cursing the world around him to the highest of heavens and the lowest of hells.

“Now! Seize the creature!” He heard the leader shout, his voice accompanied by the sounds of hooves against the ground. Artemis barely had time to stagger backwards as a spear grazed his helm, leaving his burning nethers, and pulled his shield from his back. As he raised his shield, he felt spear and sword smash against it with a almost hellish fever, each hit sending him back further down the street.

A loud yip filled the air as a spear passed his hip, his eyes shooting down towards his satchel to see it partially torn open and blood leaking from it. When the whimpering began to fill the air, Artemis’ mind went blank. Letting out a monstrous roar, he gripped his shield tightly and ran forward, ramming against the nearest guard he could find. He found himself throwing several guards back before he raised his sword and brought it down to the nearest pony, crimson and fur flying through the air as his blade practically tore through their flimsy plate armor.

The next pony charged towards him, spear raised, only to have his attack stopped with his spear getting split in twain and a blade cutting through his backside. Guard after guard charged at Artemis, each getting sliced, stabbed, or pummeled by his shield.

Artemis roared once more as he stabbed a guard with the gut, letting go of his blade and forcing flames to ignite from his hand. Magma and flame dripped from his hands as a ball of fire and heat formed. Turning on his heels, he lobbed the ball of flame directly into a guard’s face, igniting him and forcing a horrendous shriek out.

Grabbing the next pony by the throat, the flames covering his hand searing the flesh, he chucked him into the flaming pony and ripped his sword from the dying guard beneath him. As they collided, screams coming from the both of them, Artemis turned to see only two guards left, the leader no where to be seen. Snarling savagely, he flicked his sword in their direction, blood splattering against them.

They flinched and dropped their weapons, backpedaling away from the raging knight. As he saw them cower away, the grip on his sword slowly weakened, the terror in their eyes stopping him in his tracks. He looked towards the blade in his hand and the blood covering the streets, bodies of the guards surrounding him like a hellish sacrifice.

Closing his eyes, he let out an inaudible sigh. Lifting his sword and pointing at the guards, he uttered only one word. “Run.” And run they did, fleeing away and running directly towards the castle. As they ran off into the distance, Artemis was left to the sounds of the burning corpses and the dripping blood that ran like rivers down his blade. Lowering his head, Artemis let out a apathetic sigh. A familiar noise filled the air as Artemis felt his eternal being grow and become sated as a white mist flourished around him.

Sheathing his sword, he knelt down and began speak a humble and quiet prayer, asking the goddesses of both favor and the sun to make a place for the lost souls when his quest was finished. The beating of wings and rushing winds caught his attention. He did not stop his prayer as the sounds of hooves landing against the maroon stone became apparent.

Barely raising his head, he caught the face of the great white equine called ‘Celestia’. Her expression was one of pure horror and unending, infernal rage.

“What... Have... You.... Done?!” She roared, her wings unfurling in a display of power as her horn ignited with brilliant incandescence. Lowering his head back down, he rose from his position on the ground.

“I have done what I must to secure the safety for the future of your kind.” He spoke stoically. Raising his head to meet her eyes, he took a single step forward. “And I will continue until my mission is done.” Celestia’s eyes began to glow as her teeth ground against one another, her horn’s luminescence increasing until it was blinding.

Artemis had to think quickly, he could not let this Equine stand in the way of his plans. At the same time, he knew he could not best her in open combat. This resulted in him coming to the logical conclusion of honesty. With a breath, and a silent prayer, Artemis stood tall and held his hand out in a commanding fashion.

“Thou shalt listen to mine words! Then you may do as you wish!” He said firmly, Celestia was at the brink of bringing destruction, but against her better judgement she stopped her spell. “Killing me will only hasten an event that is certain to bring death and destruction upon your world. A curse you see as impossible, a curse I live with.”

“He speaks the truth…” Luna said, looking at her sister. “I have seen it.” Artemis lowered his hand to his side.

“This curse will cause misery for eons to come.” He spoke. “It shall turn your subjects into monstrous, soul hungry creatures. Much like myself. They shall wander through the world endlessly and do as I have done on an unfathomable scale.” Artemis sighed and brought his hands to his helmet. “And they shall look as I look.” He removed the helm, revealing the green, rotten flesh that was his own. Celestia and Luna flinched. His voice, now uninhibited by the metal, was raspy and grotesque.

“This shall be the fate of all who shall suffer the curse should I fail my quest. It shall be slow at first, then their flesh shall decay, their being will weaken, and eventually they shall lose their minds, bringing upon horrors the likes of which thou has never seen.” Artemis hissed, pointing a finger at the Princess. He took several steps towards her, causing the mare shrink. Eventually he was nearly screaming in her face. “And with every death, they shall return more ravenous than before! The blood they spill will be your own doing! CASUALTIES IN THE BILLIONS, ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!”

“S-Stop!” Luna said, trying gain her composure.

“IT WILL SPREAD THROUGHOUT YOUR WORLD WITH NO END! NO WHERE WILL BE SAFE! ALL SHALL SUFFER! NEIGHBOR SHALL KILL NEIGHBOR! LOVERS SHALL KILL LOVERS! FATHER’S SHALL KILL THEIR CHILDREN!”

“How?! How do you know this!?” Celestia asked, shivering as the stench of rotten flesh filled her nostrils.

“BECAUSE I HAVE DONE IT!” Artemis shouted, panting. He paused and Celestia could see the anguish that spread over his face. He backed away from her and replaced his helmet on his head. The wounded wolf pup was shivering in his satchel, and so he took the creature and cradled it in his arms. The gash across its foreleg and side bleeding down his arms. “Shh… Shh… Never fear little one…” He pulled his estus flask from his belt and brought the bottle to her lips. It gently lapped at the glowing liquid, letting out a pleased whine as it drank. Almost immediately, the wound was healed. “There you go, all better.”

In the mean time, Celestia and Luna looked at each other. The rage from before had become wrapped in confusion and empathy. Unsure of what to do, Celestia looked at the man.

“You speak of endless suffering. How long was your kind affected by this plague?” Celestia inquired, taking a ginger step forward. Artemis let out a small, melancholy chuckle.

“I stopped counting after a millennium…” He patted the wolf on the stomach, causing it to let out a happy yip. “Time between deaths becomes irrelevant after the first twenty or so…” The man sighed and looked at the princesses. “You have heard me, now you must decide. Assist me, or hinder me. And chose wisely. I have all the time in the world, you, however, do not.”

Author's Notes:

THE PLOT THICKENS!
Also, be on the lookout for snippets of Artemis' past. I believe you will be quite intrigued.
Anyhow, R&R as usual!
((Edit: Sorry, Publish and Edited buttons too close.))
Also, please give lots of love and thanks to The Boss for helping me out with this chapter!

Chapter 8: Interruptions (Rewritten)

The tension in the air was thick enough it was almost dripping down the walls. The Princesses looked between one another and back towards the undead knight, his tirade having opened their eyes to his mission, whether he was lying or not was debatable. They could not simply let him off with what he had done, even if what he said was the truth. Celestia and Luna gave each other a knowing gaze before turning to Artemis.

“We have yet to make a decision, bold Knight. Your actions dictate that you should be sentenced to death or worse.” Luna spoke firmly, stepping forward. “But if your words ring true, we ask that you peacefully come with us to the castle, so this may be further discussed.” Artemis glanced between the two princesses, placing his pup into his pack as he did. It would get him into the castle without much hassle, and should they attempt to put him in bonds, he would be close enough to stop it.

He gave a curt nod, putting his hands at his sides. “I shall accompany thee, but I shall warn you. Should any attempt to shackle me be made, I will respond with hostile action.” He warned, giving a accusing point of the finger towards both of them. “My patience for tricks and deceit is entirely nonexistent.”

“That is likewise for us, Knight.” Celestia spoke, her gaze forming a harsh glare upon him. Rolling his eyes behind his helm, he replaced the pup into his satchel. “We will make haste to the castle, it shall not take long at all.”

Artemis gazed at the two quizzically, watching as they flanked him and let their horns illuminate the bloodied streets. Shifting his eyes, he looked to the castle. ‘Tis a long walk, I doubt we’d get there before the sun-’

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a loud crack. His feet left him and white consumed his vision. Not even seconds later did he feel his footing return, along with an intense wave of nausea. He staggered in place for a moment, eyes blinking to clear the temporary blindness forced upon him. His extremities felt numb, blood rushed to his head, and his orientation was completely lost.

Next thing to register in knight’s ancient mind was the cracked marble floor he was laying on and the muffled voices filling his impaired hearing. As his senses came back, he looked brought a hand to his helm, slipping the glove under his mask. The cool steel felt delightful against his pounding head.

“-ight Artemis! Are you alright?” He heard the voice of the Lunar Princess. “We did not know that your kind has was this effected by magic.”

Artemis lifted his head and glared at the Princess. “It’s not a matter of affect, equine. I have simply never used that.... Method of transportation.” He stated as he shakily pushed himself up, ignoring the concerned gazes of the Princesses before him. When he was properly situated, he checked onto his pup. The small dog had a expression that told him the teleportation had been rough on it as well. After doing a quick check of the pup and his belongings, he turned to the Princesses and gestured forward with his hand.

Celestia nodded her head in the direction of the Throne Room, signalling with a hoof for them to follow. As they walked, the guards lining the halls tensed at the sound of Artemis’ boots. The rattle of his heavy armor echoed through the area.

Celestia signaled a guard to follow and the reluctant recruit followed after, keeping his head low as they walked. “Send an emergency notice to Twilight Sparkle, telling her that the creature is within the castle walls.” Celestia whispered to the recruit, the guard quietly gulping and nodding. “Hurry now, don’t waste any time.”

The guard nodded, giving a salute before turning on his heels and scurrying off down the halls. Artemis watched with a raised eyebrow as a guard ran down the hall, internally grimacing. ‘Lovely, more royalty...’ He annoyedly thought as they turned a corner and came upon the massive doors to the Throne Room. The group stopped as Luna commanded the guards.

“We are not to be disturbed during this meeting. No pony gets inside unless they are Princess Cadence or Princess Sparkle. Is that understood?” The guards each gave a stoic salute. With a firm nod, Luna and Celestia stepped forward, the immense doors slowly opening. Artemis hesitantly stepped forward, a hand subconsciously patting his satchel to make sure he had his supplies. A small yip gave him a smirk as he walked through the doors, watching over his shoulder as they closed.

The Princesses had walked the length of the room, taking their spots upon the thrones. The sight confused Artemis as he walked towards them, surely the king would have heard of this incident. As he reached the thrones, he looked to his left and right. With a deep breath, he turned to the Princesses and spoke.

“And may I ask why thine King and Queen are not here on this occasion? Does it not merit their attention?” Luna and Celestia glanced at one another, each shaking their head. Turning to face the Knight, Celestia cleared her throat.

“I am sorry, Knight Artemis, but the King and Queen have long since passed on. My sister and I are the current rulers of this nation.” Celestia informed. Artemis blinked, his mind processing the information.

“You are telling me.... That this kingdom is being commanded by children?” Artemis slowly asked, a hand slipped beneath his helm to rub his eyes. Luna and Celestia frowned at the remark, both their gazes hardening at the knight.

“You would be wise to not assume, Knight.” Celestia spoke sternly, eyes narrowing at Artemis. “I have been ruling this Kingdom for over a thousand years and my sister having ruled by my side since her return.” Artemis glowered at the Alicorn.

“Do not lie to me, horse.” Artemis growled. “That is not possible unless you are a winged serpent in disguise or an undead.” Celestia’s gaze turned to a glare. Luna placed a hoof upon her sister’s shoulder, gaining her attention. Luna gave her a calming smile and turned towards Artemis.

“That may have be true in your time, Sir knight. But in ours, we are a breed of Pony that live for an exceptional amount of time.” Luna stated softly, trying to quell the fire building between the two before something destructive occurred. Artemis glared towards them both before sighing in defeat.

“Fine...” He stated before taking a deep breath. “We were to discuss what my pursuit in your land is, correct?” Receiving a nod, he continued. “Well, we have little time, so I shall be swift-”

Artemis was stopped as he heard a devilish reverberation. One so brutally powerful it sent him to his knees. A scream escaped him, startling the Princesses from their seats. Hands clapped against his helm while his pup leapt out of his satchel and began to whine loudly. As the pain stopped, his breathing became erratic and heavy. Quickly standing up, ignoring the nausea that began to sweep over him, he began to examine every corner of the Throne room.

“Knight Art-” Luna began before he turned and cut her off.

“Are there any other entrances to this room?” He asked in a rushed manner as he drew his sword. Luna took a step back and shook her head, the pup at Artemis’ feet whimpering and scratching at his boots.

“Good... Then this should be quick.” Artemis stated as he walked the length of the carpeted floor with the pup following at his heels, stopping as he heard Celestia trot up behind him.

“What do you think you are doing!?” she snarled, stepping in front of him with her horn lit ablaze. “Going to kill more of our guard?!”

Artemis stood unfearing as he gripped his sword tightly and drew his shield. He had no time to deal with her, opting to simply stand in place and prepare. “I would recommend thou find a safe haven away from this room, Princess.” he spoke as he opened his satchel and rummaged around for anything useful.

“And why-” Celestia was cut off by a distant scream from the hallway, it was followed by yelling and then breaking glass. A deafening roar of fury shook the walls, and the floor began to tremble. “What in the name of my mother was that...”

“My opponent.” Artemis spoke as he took a green flowery herb from his bag and quickly popped it into his mouth. As he chewed, a wave of energy passed over him. The trembling of the floor was rhythmic, and the loud screams of guards seemed to play a symphony of destruction and death. The distinct smell of brimstone filtered into the room, and an explosion rocked the room. The footsteps were close to the door now. Through the wood and metal, they heard another window shatter. It was accompanied by a scream that grew distant.

Smoke filtered in under the door, the footsteps stopped and a roar of anger reverberated through the room. Then, the doors exploded off of their hinges. The limp, charred form of a guard was hurled through the gaping opening and smashed through a window. There was another scream followed by a sickening splat. All those present in the room gazed at the new comer. While Artemis was calm, the princesses shivered.

Standing before them, growling with fury, was a tall human. It was obviously male, and it panted with rage. In the invader’s grasp was a massive, molten blade that glowed with heat. In his free hand, flames danced from his fingertips. From head to toe, he was covered in thick, charred plate armor of an old Dragonrider. Behind his helmet, his eyes glowed red. The princesses had never seen such a menacing red before. It perfectly accented the imposing red glow that seemed to radiate from him.

Celestia shook the awe from her eyes and turned to her sister, Luna already galloping over. When the lunar mare stood by her side, they both ignited their horns, preparing to eradicate the imposing figure that stood before them. The princesses released their power, sending a two toned beam of energy towards the monster. Instead of the beam of energy impacting and blowing the man through the doors and into the halls, the magic phased through him, blowing apart some furniture and decor in the hallway. Ripples of mist flowed from his body as if a rock had been thrown through fog.

Celestia and Luna worriedly looked to one another, hoping for an answer. The only answer they received was Artemis walking past them, shaking his head. Rolling his neck and picking up his wolf pup, he placed the dog upon Celestia’s back and patted its head. “You should move out of the way.” He spoke stoically, stepping away from her and her sister.

Celestia nodded as she retreated with her sister, both of the alicorns dumbstruck by the capabilities of the red creature. They stood at their thrones, watching in awe and terror as they two beings glowered at one another.

“Ah… So zhis is vhere you are hiding!” The invader said in a booming voice, Celestia and Luna noted it sounded as if he was from Germaney. “I must admit… Zhis is quite different from vhat I had expected…” He let out a deep chuckle, it sounded as if the souls of thousands were crying out for release.

“Stow your worthless tidings, heathen, and let us get this over with.” Artemis snarled as he gripped his blade tightly, his eyes locked onto the phantom and boots grinding against the floor. “Your blade shant stain this world with anymore innocent blood.”

“Oh ho… I zhink it vill, mein friend.” The phantom raised his sword and stood in an offensive stance. He slowly stalked forwards, the smell of sulfur and brimstone seemed to fill the entire room. Artemis grit his teeth and began to circle his enemy, glancing towards his enemy’s weapon, he grimaced at the blade of molten metal. His shield would be worthless against such intense heat and magma.

As the Phantom drew closer, an idea sprung to mind. Loosening his grip on his shield, sprinted around the Invader and whipped his shield towards his enemy, putting as much power behind the throw as he could. The phantom raised his flaming hand and a ball of fire flew forth, it slammed into the shield and sent it sailing through the air before it embedded itself into a wall. Several inches from Celestia’s head.

The princess let out a yelp and instinctively covered her face, flinching away from the metal projectile. It glowed red from the heat, singing her coat ever so slightly. She and Luna looked at the fight with uncertainty while the pup buried itself into Celestia’s mane from fear. They watched as Artemis rushed forward, taking the opportunity to get in the first strike.

His blade clashed against the Phantom’s head, sparks and ash cascading from the strike, leaving a nasty scratch across the face of the helm along with a sizable dent. As the beast of a man’s sword swung into the air, Artemis rolled across the marble flooring, readying himself once more as he found his enemy lumbering towards him once more.

“You fight vith strength!” The phantom bellowed, bringing his molten sword down onto the floor. Jets of flame exploded from beneath Artemis, sending him into the air and the ceiling. His lower body burned as he fell back to the ground. “BUT I AM STRONGER!” The phantom laughed loudly, his boots cracking the marble floor as he stomped towards Artemis. The burned knight was slowly struggling to stand, with another chuckle the invader kicked him onto his side. Artemis groaned as he faced away, thinking quickly for a way to save himself.

“Zhiz vas truly a disappointing fight, mein friend.” Said the menacing voice of his opponent, his shadow loomed over him like a shroud. As swift as he could manage, Artemis turned on his side and lobbed a large glowing sphere at the Phantom, the object crunching against his helm. As it connected, a blinding flash of blue fire and light erupted, sending the Phantom back a few steps. As his opponent was staggered, Artemis rolled to his feet and readied his blade again. With a slight groan, the invader rolled his neck. There was a spitting noise and several teeth fell from beneath his helm.

“Now… Zhis is getting interesting!” The phantom said, obviously smiling behind his helmet. “Come on, svinehund! DO YOU VANT TO LIVE FOREVER!?” Celestia and Luna covered their ears at the volume of the shouting. Meanwhile, the phantom took a wide swing at Artemis. The knight took a leap back and readied his stance once more.

“No, you blasted fool. I just want you to die!” Artemis roared in his own window shattering tone, rushing forward and ramming a fist into the side of the Phantom’s head, leaving a large dent in the side. The phantom swung his blade and slammed into Artemis with the flat of the blade, sending the man into a wall. It was followed by a swift blast of fire to the chest.

Artemis growled as a hand idly rubbed the scorched chest plate and rolling his shoulders. The fire from the blast had spread to several tapestries on the wall, and the marble floor was scorched and cracked. Growling to himself, Artemis rushed forward at his enemy, gripping his sword with both hands. He rolled to the side as the Phantom brought down the massive sword. Letting his rage take hold for a moment, he began to aimlessly slash, hack, and pound against the Phantom.

His sword sent sparks and chips of metal as he slashed, the Phantom raising a plated arm in defense as it was slashed and chipped. As an arm would raise, Artemis would give a wicked slash. As the flaming blade would swing, he’d deliver a heavy punch. To Artemis’ surprise, the phantom began laughing. Even as the strikes continued, he laughed. It was manic laughter, and each time he laughed there was still the sound of thousands of souls crying out.

The Princesses watched in horror and shock as they watched the once calm and collected Knight savagely attack as if he was a starving wolf hunting a deer. Even the monstrous laugh of the creature in red struck them to their cores. Never had they seen a fight so painfully tedious or foes so devastating.

The Phantom reached out with his hand and grabbed the blade as Artemis brought it down for another swing, with a grunt he stood to his feet and spun. The force was surprising, and hurled Artemis through the air. He ended up slamming into one of the pillars that supported the roof, cracking it and shifting it out of place. He barely had time to recognise the pain however, as a blinding light filled his vision. It was bright, brighter than a thousand suns.

“NOW I AM BECOME DEATH!” The phantom shouted with a cackle. “ZHE SHATTERER OF VORLDS!” For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze. Celestia and Luna stared with slack jaws as they watched the invader draw his arm back, the appendage glowed with white intensity before the phantom’s laugh seemed to snap time back to its normal pace. He shot his hand towards Artemis, and both princesses clenched their eyes shut. Even then, their eyes burned as if a second sun has formed in the throne room.

“Oh what a jovial sight...” Artemis hacked out. Milliseconds later all he was felt was pain, a massive explosion rocked the building. The windows shattered, and Artemis was pushed through the support pillar. It shattered and pieces of stone were flung like toys out of the castle, taking a large section of the roof with them. The debris rained down on the city below, while the once pristine marble floor had been transformed into eerie, green glass.

The Princesses blinked in awe and horror, the once pristine white walls and marble floors surrounding the blast radius were charred black and cracked. The right wall near the entrance of the throne room was now completely missing, the heavy winds of their altitude wafting the smell of burnt flesh and molten stone through the air.

“Ironic, mein friend.” The phantom said, obviously smiling behind his helmet as he stalked towards Artemis who was laying prone on the floor. “I use zhe power of zhe sun to spread zhe vord of zhe moon!” There was a chuckle from his throat as he used his boot to kick Artemis onto his back. “Now, hear me, mein friend. Zhe moon is your god now!” The phantom reached down and grabbed Artemis by the throat, then held him off the ground.

Artemis thrashed as best as he could in the Phantom’s grip, using his arms to hold himself up so he could breath. The Phantom found this humorous, and he chuckled as he lumbered towards the gaping hole in the room. When he got there, he looked down and then at Artemis.

“Zhere are some very sharp looking fence pieces down zhere, zhey should minimize zhe pain.” Said the invader in an almost caring tone. With a final chuckle, the Phantom extended Artemis out over the ledge. “Farevell, mein friend.”

Artemis looked down, then at the phantom. Thinking quickly, he used the last of his strength to grab the invader’s arm and twist his weight. There was a surprised yell as the two of them began to plummet towards the ground, Artemis used the element of surprise to his advantage and managed to twist the tank of an invader towards the ground.

Artemis began to snarl as he gripped the Invader by the chest piece of his armor and began to mercilessly pound his fist against the helm of the Phantom. Each punch landing created a new dent in the horned helmet, blood occasionally flying from the eye holes and mouth slits. The wind rushing by intensified as they fell, the ground coming closer and closer. Within a blink of an eye and one final punch, they both land with a nearly catastrophic impact.

The sound of metal crunching filled the air along with flesh being torn apart. Earth, dust, and rock was thrown into the air as they landed, an ear-shattering echo piercing the sky. All was silent as a fog of debris clouded the area.

Celestia and Luna had rushed to the gaping hole in the castle, having watched as the two plummeted to the ground. Looking to one another, they nodded and spread their wings. Celestia kept hold of the pup on her back as they glided down to the ground, using the air beneath their wings to help clear the clouds of destruction.

Before them was an immense cavity in the earth, showing the depths of the world beneath the castle. Crystals were clearly seen, jagged stalactites and stalagmites of varying minerals and gems poked from the ground and exposed ceiling. The sun seeping in through the breach forced a glow out of the crystals, big and small, giving an oddly pleasant glow. And at the bottom of the cave sat Artemis, clutching a spear head that was jammed within his shoulder.

Next to him laid the dead invader, the twitching body that had been first impaled upon the fence then a massive stalagmite. The phantom’s helmet had fallen to the dirt revealing the face of the invader. He looked like a young man, if the knight had anything to go off of. That was all he could discern, as almost every visible piece of flesh was covered in grotesque burn scars. The laughs that came from his opponent slowly began to turn into hacking coughs.

“Heh… It has been so long since I have felt zhis…” He rasped. “So… Cold.” With that the body went limp and evaporated off of the spears and rock, leaving only the blood of the fallen phantom to pool across the floor. Artemis looked up at the entrance, seeing the princesses horrified expressions.

Author's Notes:

Okay! So here is the rewrite that sets up the next Chapter! Mostly the same, with a few key differences.
As usual, hoped you enjoyed it and don't forget to R&R! If you find any mistakes, feel free to PM them to me and I will change them as soon as I can!

Phantom: Dragon Rider Armor, Smelter Sword, Pryomancy.

Cut Content: Chapter 3

Luck was with him as he found a series of footprints going through the grey landscape, the small indents almost hidden by falling ash and soot. With hope in his heart, he began to jog along side the barely visible footprints. Should his luck stay, he would hopefully find others soon.

~!~

His running soon came to a stop as he found himself surrounded by viridian fields, the soot and ash of the forest never reaching past a few feet. The luscious fields tenderly caressed his boots as he walked, the moon illuminating the fields until they almost glowed incandescently. The soft winds gently pushing the grass in such a way that it appeared to be alive, dancing and cascading to a invisible song.

Then a reverberation so powerful, so deep blasted through the open air. The force behind the sound blew Artemis off of his feet, tumbling through the grass. Soon he smashed into one of the many trees surrounding the forest, a harrowingly deep voice laughing at his misery. His vision blurred momentarily as he looked up, eyes catching a shaking figure in the distance.

“Initiating Phase one.” The voice thundered, Artemis stood uneasily. He wavered in place for a moment, his hands going to sword and shield. “Powering up the Sonorous Cannon.”

As his vision cleared up, he found a tall and foreboding figure holding his arms out at him. In the opponent’s right hand was a Zweihander that glowed with the power of flames and chaos. In his left an standard looking shield with a emblem of a two tone tree and roots. The figure himself was layered in an odd looking armor, shoulders and chest broad. The armor was gold plated with a white cloth centered down his abdomen. And the strangest of the adorned headpiece.

A brass mask that looked of a man grieving with a head of hair and full beard.

Artemis barely had time to prepare before he heard the voice speak again. “FIRE.” And the man charged forward, place the shield on his back and preparing to cleave Artemis in two. Artemis wasable to roll off to the left before the blade was swung, ripping and incinerating the trunk of the tree behind him. Readying his shield and sword, he stood defiantly, glaring towards the horrifyingly overpowered man.

The mask faced him as he pulled the blade from the ground. “Well, what is it!?” The man roared out before charging again, thrusting the blade forward to pierce Artemis. The blade dented Artemis’ sheild as he blocked, feeling himself get pushed back by the sheer force.

The ground was torn asunder as the Opponent swung and slashed at Artemis, throwing debris into the air with each devastating swing. Artemis couldn’t believe what he was seeing, this monster of a man was burning the earth around as they fought. On the next swing, Artemis took his chance and charged forward, swinging his own sword to cleave apart his enemy. The blade punctured the armor, squirting blood into the grass and forcing out a immense wail of the man.

Artemis felt weightless for a moment as he saw a hand grabbing his armor and lifting him into the air. He was roughly tossed like a rag doll, his sword barely kept in his grip, flying through the air and crashing into a large tree. Spitting and coughing up blood for a moment, he stood once more, ready to fight off this abomination of a man.

He didn’t even get a chance to speak as he was charged again, the Zweihander being lunged towards him again. Artemis found himself pinned to the tree, the blade buried deep into his chest and the fire within the blade searing him from the inside out. A wail of agony escaped Artemis as a hand clutched the Zweihander, trying to pulling the blade out.

The masked man pushed the blade deeper into Artemis and the tree, taking a step with each push. The blade stopped about halfway up the blade before the masked man walked over to Artemis, grabbing his helm and forcing him to glare at the bronze mask.

“The legend...” The masked man began as he pushed the blade even farther into Artemis. “Never... DIES!!” He bellowed out, slamming the blade into Artemis until the hilt dented his armor. Artemis’ felt his life slipping away as he glared at the bronze mask, hearing the deep chuckles of the sadistic monster. He let out a cry of anguish as he felt the entirety of the blade ripped straight out of him, nearly flinging him across the grass.

He fell to his knees as blood poured from his wounds, the giant standing next to him beginning to let out full laughs of victory. Artemis lifted his head, watching as the Zweihander was lifted into the air. Gritting his teeth, he let out a roar of his own, throwing his body into the man, sending them both to the viridian floor. As they landed, Artemis took his chance and pulled a dagger from his belt and began to manically stab the horror, blood flying through the air like rain during a storm.

Wails and screams of pain echoed through the empty air as Artemis stabbed and slashed. The sun had begun to rise in the distance when Artemis finished, panting and whimpering at his actions and wounds. The man beneath him was now a bloodied mess of mangled armor and maimed flesh.

Artemis slowly began to stand before a hand whipped forward, grabbing Artemis by the collar of his armor and yanked him down. Artemis let out a yelp as he found himself staring into the soulless eyeholes of the mask.

“THE LEGEND WILL NEVER DIE!!!” The demented and hollowing voice screeched before Artemis slammed the Dagger into his skull. The hand went limp and fell to the ground, the wind picking up fiercely. Artemis could only stare in relief and awe as the being beneath him faded from existence, the words last spoke forever burned into his memory.

‘The legend will never die.’

As the mist faded from sight, swirling around in the air, Artemis felt a shiver run down his spin. And in the moment of silence, Artemis heard the voice give one last whisper.

“...I’ll be back...”

Author's Notes:

NO the Legendary GiantDad will not be returning to this story and NO this is NOT cannon.
This was made to appease the continuous requests of GiantDad. Also, to have a bit of fun.
This chapter was heavily inspired by the insane amount of Comments for GiantDads and this little video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcy7RqxI1ho

Hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!

Bloopers: Dark Souls Style

Author's Notes:

Be warned these Bloopers contain mildly dark humor and joking. Please do not take seriously and have a nice day!

Smokey Arrival: Chapter 1
Six months before Magnificent Souls’ Pilot Chapter.

As the timber wolves reached the halfway mark, meaning the entrance to the cave, he backed up until his foot was on the edge of the plateau. He looked down to see the long fall that awaited him if he decided he didn’t want to be mauled by wolves. He took a shaky breath as he was trying to make his decision. With a final deep breath he stood straight up and prepared to jump off before a sudden light filled the air.

Time seemed to stop as the massive sapphire flames spewed out of the cave entrance, spraying the wolves in front of Chad with their intense and beautiful power. He stood there in awe as he saw the wolves turn from the beasts of the forest, to simply lit kindle for a nice bonfire. As the flames stopped pouring from the entrance of the fire, the only proof of the wolves ever being there was a dozen piles of blackened ash.

“Holy shit...” Chad muttered before smiling and pumping both of his fists in the air. “HOLY SHIT THAT WAS SO FREAKING COOL!”
There was a somewhat loud ‘THUMP’ as the blue dragon from before crawled out of the cave and looked down at Chad with a disappointed stare. “I thought I told you-”

“DIE, FOUL MONSTROSITY!!” An angry, masculine bellowed out. Before anyone could register what was happening, a man clad in steel and blue rushed forward and leapt onto Sapphire’s nose, holding a large blade in his hand, preparing to plunge the steel down. Sapphire snorted and shook her head hard, sending the Knight of kilter and towards the ground. He land with a loud crash, some debris being sent up from the set as his armor dented the floor.

“What the fuck?! Who the hell are you!?” Chad shouted as the man leapt to his feet, far to agile than he should be in his heavy armor. The man turned his head for only a moment before a large blue paw came down and snatched him up, squeezing his arms against his body.

“I’m Saving your life!!” The man shouted, as he pulled an arm from the Dragon’s grip. His metal hand ignited and began to glow blindingly bright as he pull his arm back. Everyone began to panic as a large ball of flame launched from his hand, narrowly missing Sapphire’s head.

“EVERYONE! CHILL THE FUCK OUT!” Shouted a man in a security uniform. “You!” He pointed at the man. “CALM THE FUCK DOWN!”

“But it’s a beast of legend!! A monster that must be slain!” The man shouted, pulling a dagger from his belt and jabbing at Sapphire’s claw, Despite it doing nothing but annoy her. “Why! Won’t! You! Die!?” Sapphire groaned and dropped him in front of the security officer. “AAUGH! I LANDED ON MINE KEYS!!”

A collective “oooooh...” was heard through the studio as the man writhed on the ground, shifting wildly in place, clutching his side. “THE PAAAAAAIN! THIS IS WORSE A FORBIDDEN SUN!!” The man wailed before rolling onto his uninjured side, whimpering quietly, the security guard pointed his taser at him and fired. The barbs deflected off of his armor and hit a technician walking by, he was smiling and whistling a merry tune. In his hand was a piece of paper saying he’d gotten into harvard with a full scholarship. The man let out a yelp and fell to the floor convulsing.

“OH MY GOD! I HIT REGGIE!”

~!~
Chapter 1:

‘These beasts’ children will not harm others as they have.’ He growled into his own thoughts as he walked to the nearest tree. He cared not for the forest or the creatures it held now. It would make his journey easier and whatever monster’s resided inside would burn. He savagely jammed the torch into the nearest egg sack, hearing the screams of the eggs inside popping and hissing as they were-....

“Uh, Artemis?” The director’s muffled voice sounded out as he walked out in front of the camera. The Knight groaned as he took the flaming torch out and jammed it back in. When it did not ignite, he sighed in annoyance, pulling out the gunk covered torch.

“It won’t light! I swear, this didn’t happen during rehearsal...” Artemis spoke, waving the torch in a tandem with his voice. A tech stepped out into the scene with a jerry can of kerosene. He quickly doused the spiders with a generous helping of fuel before turning to the knight

“Here, we’ll just edit the two scenes together in post.” The man took a zippo lighter from his pocket and flicked the wheel. A small flame formed and he lowered the device to the kerosene soaked props. They quickly caught on fire. “There we go-” The fire then spread to the tech. “HOLY SHIT! I’M ON FIRE!” The man started running around in circles before slamming into the backdrop. He laid there for several minutes, burning, before a scowling earth pony finally stepped in and beaned him in the head with a fire extinguisher.

“Dumbass!” Shouted the pony, he turned and started away from the now beaten, burning man.

“Hey, Sledge! Pay up!”

“FUCK YOU! HE DIDN’T EXPLODE!” There was a small explosion. “Nevermind, lemme get my wallet.”

“... Are we really just gonna leave him there?”

“FUCK YOU, REGGIE!”

~!~
On Set: Crew and Cast interview.
One Week after Artemis’ integration.

Director’s POV:

“So, what’s it like working with a man who comes from a time of dragons and magic?” A voice asked from behind the camera.

“Well... it’s difficult to say the least.” I stated. “I mean, he has a very low attention span, he keeps scribbling all over the floors with that weird crystal, and on more than one occasion have I caught him having sex with most of the female members of the crew... Some of the cast... Even nurse I think.”

“... Really?”

“Oh yeah... he makes NO effort to be quiet... Says he’s been pent up.”

~!~
On Set: Crew and Cast interview.
One Week after Artemis’ integration.

Sledge’s POV:

“So, what’s it like working with a man who comes from a time of dragons and magic?” A voice asked from behind the camera.

“I come from a time of dragons and magic. You don’t see me *BLEEP*ing everything that moves!” Sledge says angrily. “I HAVEN’T FELT THE LOVING EMBRACE OF ANOTHER LIVING BEING IN THREE YEARS, AND HE JUST COMES IN AND TURNS INTO SOME SORT OF HUGH HEFNER!? WHAT THE *BLEEP*!”

*beep*

“I’m calm… Sorry… I just.. I HATE HIM SO MUCH! I WANNA RIP HIS THR-!”

*beep*

“Moving on, how has he been adjusting to his new role?”

“Oh! He *BLEEP*ing LOVES it here! Are you kidding!? He hasn’t shut up about Airplanes, or ‘Metal flying beasts of legend’ as he calls them! Don’t even get me started on how he *BLEEP*ing talks!” Sledge let out a sigh. “I mean, working with the Princess of the night, you learn to speak royal we. But this mook? No *BLEEP*in’ way! You say something nice, he gets pissed! Say something mean, he loves you!”

“Can you give us an example?”

“I told him he looked nice, I liked his armor, very nice patina.” Sledge states. “He looked at me like I kicked his dog into a woodchipper… Not that I’ve done that before…” Sledge looks around for a moment. “Moving on, he shouts *BLEEP* even Luna doesn’t get…”

~!~

On Set: Crew and Cast interview.
Two Weeks after Artemis’ integration.

Director’s POV:

“Have you worked with anyone so... Unique before?”

“No... .” The director muttered, nursing his leg. The appendage was wrapped in a large cast and there was a crutch leaning against his chair. “Never with one who would so willingly throw me through a window..”

“He... Threw you through a window?”

“Yeah. Said I ‘disgraced’ him by telling him to take off his armor before he steps into the showers.” The Director sighed and gingerly rubbed the part of his leg that wasn’t casted. “He apologized afterwards which I accepted because I didn’t want him to throw me out another window.” There was a long silence before the Director sighed and stood up. “Get someone else, I am not in the mood for this *BLEEP*ing *BLEEP*.”

~!~

Chapter 1: For fuck’s sake...

“Uhm, Sir Director?” Artemis asked as he walked off the set. “I have a problem.”

“What is i- what the fuck!?” The Director shouted, back pedaling into a technician. Artemis had his sword sticking from his stomach, the large blade sitting comfortably between his armor and flesh. “How are you still moving around!?”

“Oh this? Ah, just a small spat between friends. But anyway, my problem is I require a shower and that strange blue drake is stalking me.”

“Forget the dragon! There’s a sword sticking out of you!” Shouted the director, drawing the eyes of the other crew members.

“But it’s only a small injury! I’ve had worse!” Artemis stated, throwing his hands into the air.

“Son of a bitch, why do they keep sending me crazies…” The Man muttered.

“So.... Can someone help me with the dragon? They took away my sword.” Artemis asked, crossing his arms.

“For fuck’s sake.”

~!~
Off set: During break

Artemis wandered into the break room, sighing loudly as he walked inside. He flopped onto the couch, relishing with the soft fabric. As his eyes wandered around the room, they landed upon a thin black rectangle. Sitting up properly, he looked to the doorway, curiously watching to see if anyone was passing by.

Using a single hand, he poked the device, watching as it did nothing. Casting another glance at the door, he picked up the device and looked it over. Finding a small latch, he opened it up. Not a second later did he drop it onto the table as noises poured from the device. After only a minute of seeing what was on the screen, he lifted his fists and began to mercilessly pound the device, plastic and glass going everywhere.

“BANANAS!! ARE NOT!! TO BE USED!! THAT!! WAY!!!” He roared, smashing his fists into the device until it sputtered and limply laid on the table. Artemis panted heavily as he stared at the once pristine pile of plastic and glass. When it gave a final sputter he picked it up and chucked it as hard as he could into the wall, watching as the device exploded into pieces and debris.

In the doorway, a few crewmen and cast members were watching with curiosity. Chief among them was a very depressed looking earth pony, the fiance of the Lunar princess, and an all around depressing to look at mother fucker.

“Why…?” Sledge asked in a quiet voice. “Why must you destroy the things I love…?”

~!~
Chapter 3:

“Oh great, what is it now? A gelatinous blob wants to eat all of Equestria? A land squid wants to enslave the land walking race?” The last one made Twilight quirk an eyebrow at Spike, even though he ignored it as he continued on his tirade. Spike turned around in place, walking out of the room, still ranting about weird and odd monsters that may want to destroy Equestria. She gathered up quills, a few journals to take notes, and a variety of books describing old legends, structures, and other related topics. A loud belch drew Twilight from her packing as Spike once more strode into her room with scroll in claw, still speaking of the monsters that could possibly attack.

“-Giant furry Hydra wearing a pink spandex suit-” He was cut off by a loud rumbling, the walls shaking the set trembling. The ground pulsed with sound, each quake sending the cast and crew off kilter.

Before they knew it, the doors to the set were torn open and in popped not one, not two, but three massive and furry heads. Each gave a ear piercing hiss as the beast slithered inside, standing tall! The immense creature was a Hydra! Covered in thick fluffy, amber fur with ruby red eyes.

Oddly enough, wearing a pink Spandex suit that left barely anything to the imagination. The creature snarled and reared its heads down as everyone on and off the set backed away. It opened its mighty maw and....!!

“Uhm, is this Studio Nine-Forty-Four? I’m looking for the set to the ‘It’s a small world’ musical.” One of the heads asked in a feminine tone, using one of its claws to pull out a slip of paper. A loud sigh was heard as a tech walked towards, tapping the massive lizard on the knee. Leaning one of its heads down, he whispered into its ear and pointed to the paper. When he looked it over he turned to the Hydra and shook his head, pointing to the right. The creature gained a heavy blush through its fur as it reared up, beginning to wring its claws together. “O-Oh! Uhm, I am so sorry! I’ll... I’ll just be going now...”

The each head of the hydra gave a sheepish grin as she left, being sure to somewhat replace the broken doors. Each of the crew and cast looked at each other before Artemis walked up behind the group, holding a cup of coffee and donut. He stopped as he saw the shocked and slightly terrified faces of the cast. He looked around a moment before clearing his throat.

“Did I miss something...?”

~!~
Chapter 6:

Nary a second before soul crushing pain flushed through her, her muscles tensing and numbing as she felt her behind get dragged towards the dark. A scream escaped her, tears falling down her cheeks as the darkness was nearly engulfing her. She shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to see the maddening sight before her any longer.

Then it stopped. She no longer was getting pulled across the ethereal surface of the soul she resided in. Eyes opening she found a creature, figure much like Artemis but wearing a strange turtle shell like armor, grabbing her hooves and pulling her from the dark. She felt herself escape the darkness’ embrace before she was thrown over head and landing roughly behind the creature.

Then there was a loud thump. “Help! I can’t get up!” A voice echoed from the metal covered man.

“Ironclad is stuck on his back again!”

“Someone help him, ve need him for zhe big fight scene!” Shouted the Pyrotechnician.

“Can’t he get up? I’ve seen him do it a thousand times!”

“Each of those times he was slightly on his side.” The director stated, putting one of his hands at an angle as an example. A groan was heard as a few people walked out into the dark set and began to help up the large armored man.

~!~
During downtime: Before Chapter 8 Fight scene.

“Hey, boss?” Asked a technician, leaning against the door to the director’s office.

“What now?” The director muttered, putting his head into his hand while the other massaged his temple.

“You’ll never guess.”

“He’s stuck on his back again, isn’t he?” The technician shook his head.

“Nope, he’s stuck on the dungeon set with that horny female dragon from the studio next door. You know, the blue one?”

“........”

“So… Should I try and get him out?” Asked the technician.

“Depends...” The Director asked as he snapped his fingers towards an intern, who brought an advil and a small glass of water. The Technician blinked as the director took the medicine and watched the very pretty female intern leave. “Do you like your groin?”

“... I’ll just leave him then.” The tech said, turning to follow the intern. “Hey, Franz! You like fire, right?” He shouted, causing the director to scowl and put his head in his hands.

“JA!”

“Get in the bossman’s office.”

~!~
Right before shooting: Chapter 8 fight scene

“So, I just act like old cheesy german villain?” Asked Franz, the pyrotechnician, as the makeup artist finished putting on his scars, when she’d finished he slipped the heavy helmet onto his head. The crew had set up in the throne room of Canterlot Castle, and unbeknownst to the princesses of the land, they were rigging it with explosives.

“Yup.” The director stated, taking another advil. “Just think James Bond, and you’ll be fine.” A two foot tall minotaur handed the pyro a glowing molten sword, then went off to do other things. Meanwhile, Princess Celestia was nervously looking around the room.

“Why are we doing this in the actual Throne Room again?” Celestia asked the director as he walked out with a cane, Franz in tow.

“Authenticity and realism.” The Director bluntly droned as he walked next to the Camera crew and plotted himself into his chair. “Alright, places everyone.”

“They’re going to pretend to destroy the throne room, right? You’re just CGI the destruction, right?” Asked Twilight Sparkle.

“..... Yeah sure, whatever helps you sleep at night.” The Director muttered

“WAIT! Why aren’t we helping Artemis in this scene?” Inquired Celestia.

“Well, there are a number of reasons...” he began, straightening in his seat. “The biggest one being... You’re a total bitch.”

“Wha-?”

“ACTION!”

Moments later the doors exploded off their hinges and a burning stunt pony was thrown out through a window.

“Was that Smexy?” Idly asked the earth pony who had given the fire extinguisher to the technician early. Celestia, Luna, and Twilight all stood with gaping mouths as the destruction unfolded before them. The earth pony casually trotted up behind the Lunar princess and began patting her back. “Just relax… It’ll be over soon.”

“That’s what she saaaaaiiiii-!” Shouted the stunt pony before he hit the ground. “....iid!”

~!~
After shooting: Scene end.

“Hey, you did great out there!” Artemis spoke as several of the crew took their weapons and began to pack up their supplies.

“You don’t zhink it vas too cheesy?”

“That was the entire point.” Said a technician, who was sweeping some rubble out the gaping hole in the throne room wall. The Princesses hadn’t moved from their spot, still staring at the destruction of their throne room. “Don’t we need them for the next scene?”

“Just use CGI, it’ll take less time.” The Director muttered as he walked away, limping away with his cane. The earth pony from before was still massaging the Lunar Princess’ back, looking slightly concerned.

“Luna? Y’alright?”

~!~
Two days later: Aftermath

The Director was pacing in front of the cast and crew, grunting as the pain in his leg began to act up. He turned and gave the group a sardonic glare. “So.... Apparently, you can cause a panic in local towns, burn down a forest, and blow up underground caves... But when you trash the throne room, you're banned from Canterlot.” A collective groan filled the air. “So everyone get your last kicks of Equestria, we’re going back home.”

~!~

I just want to say Thank you to all the people who have supported this story since it began, and assure them I will continue to put out chapters as quick as I can! Thanks for ready and I'll see you all later!

Also, a big Thanks to my Editor, Pre-reader, and friend THE Boss for helping me out!