My steps were soft--barely audible as I cut through the cave. Rubble and debris alike prodded away at my foot as I ventured through what remained in this cave.

"So." I recoiled back as a stray pebble fell just ahead of me, kicking up dust from the ground. I held the book closely to my face as I spoke, "Tell me, what are 'Summoners'? What is their purpose?"

No response.

I groaned, continuing on walking over mounds of shattered earth. The cave was placidly boring; the same thing over and over again--corridors of cracked earthen walls and boulders laying about.

"I am certain that you can hear me," I uttered in a sharp tone. "Could you just answer my-"

Without warning, the Grimoire flashed a brilliant red aura, startling me thoroughly as I recoiled back. Despite being panicky, I managed to avoid dropping the tome.

It flashed once more, scattering a spectrum of red throughout the dimness. It flared open, revealing its pages. It flipped back and forth through blank pages.

Finally, it paused--stopping at a blank page. Symbols that I can't even describe began etching themselves onto the page. As it did so, a tear in the space in front of me began to open.

The rift in the middle of reality was similar to that when I brought forth armies, but it was much smaller- barely stretched out enough to accommodate my size.

"Perhaps this could answer my questions?" I stared at the abyss idly. The end of the wormhole was obscured by some sort of red mist. What lies beyond it is a mystery for me.

Reluctantly, I trudged forward, inching close to the portal. With one final nervous gulp, I threw myself in.

As soon as I entered the gateway, red began to blur my vision. The touch of cool miasma swathed my figure. I felt as if I was falling, though I felt as if I was falling at a constant, slow velocity.

The scarlet pigment departed from my sight. My optical sense regaining its clarity, I blinked.

I blinked once more.

Where I was at was a complete desolate piece of land--yes; just a lowly piece of land. It was similar to that of an island, except that there was no water in sight, just a void of black. It seemed to be suspended in mid-air.

There, protruding high into the abysmal space above was a tower. It was colossal, yet was in ruins. Its half was sundered- the remnants of its upper half laying beside the lower half.

"Sheer folly." A familiar voice rang out from behind me, spooking me somewhat, "Could you not have learned how to wait?"

Without turning, I steeled myself. "I know that voice. You're the insane psychopath that possessed my body in Equestria and ended up killing hundreds, aren't you?"

I could hear his steps- he was walking towards me. "Being sealed in this desolate, barren place tends to warp the minds of people, novice."

I sighed, taking a brief moment to prepare to face whoever this was. Turning around, my glare met his.

His appearance closely resembled that of mine. He was garbed in jet-black fabric. His left eye emanated a glow, but unlike mine, his shone green. His hair was that of a golden brown, and his normal eye had a piercing blue hue deepened within it.

"I take it that you're willing to answer my questions now?" I asked, arms folded.

"More or less." He turned around, taking a few casual steps towards the tower. "I think you'll find it much more easier to grasp the concept should you see some reference."

I nodded, promptly catching up with him.

"The Summoners," he began to speak as I walked beside him. "We are an extinct select people that are bound by the Grimoires."

He sighed before continuing. "No- I am mistaken. We were extinct--that all changed when you appeared and claimed the Grimoire for yourself."

"So..." I glanced over him, taking note of his apparel that is similar to that of mine. "I presume that we're the last of them?"

"No." He shook his head coldly. "You're the last of the Summoners--I'm already dead."

I widened my eyes, being taken aback. My jaw fell open slightly as I felt a chilling feeling pang my chest, preventing me from taking another step.

I fumbled with my words, but I managed to utter out coherence nonetheless. "Wait! How am I seeing you then?"

"That Grimoire of yours and I share a very powerful connection," he shrugged as he spoke. "Because that's my Grimoire- think of yourself as my successor."

I paused, my eyes darting back and forth at the book and at him. I cleared my throat nervously. "Did you die due to being a Summoner?"

He nodded subtly. "Yes," he answered with a low tone. "That's of no relevance now, however. Simply be quiet and follow me into the tower- that is, if you still want your previous questions answered."

Anxiety tugged at the back of my mind, but I managed to shrug it off. Following him, I noticed the lack of any sound whatsoever present in this void-like place. Only the sounds of our footstep made any noise- and it was relatively quiet.

"The silence is unnerving here." I grimaced at the dullness of this place.

"When you stay bound to this place for centuries," we neared on the tower- and it was much more sizable upfront rather than from being viewed far away. Taking a few steps further towards the sealed doors, he flipped a switch. The ground briefly rumbled as the gates swung open, "the word 'unnerving' becomes an understatement."

I paused, giving him a concerned glare. "Centuries?"

"Yes. Centuries- or perhaps longer." He shot me a lifeless expression on his face. "Though, you don't have to worry about being sealed here. It's only me that's forever stuck here."

"Why?"

"Why?" He chuckled, surprisingly enough. "Because I'm the first Summoner. If anyone is deserving to receive the judgment of the Summoners, it would be me."

He disappeared from sight as he entered the tower. Hasty, I began to chase after him.

Catching my breath as I entered the massive interior of the decrepit construct, I was appalled by just how large the building truly was.

Streaks of charred black ran up the walls as if they were vines--a past inferno probably was probably a huge contributing factor to the desecration of this place.

Though much of the walls were chipped and were in ruins, most of the place were still intact. What I presume to be at was the main lounge. The carpet, albeit tattered and scorched, lay magnificently upon the middle of the room. Windows gave clear view of the outside--I could see the spot from where I stood from them.

"Quite a grandiose place, don't you concur?" he asked me as I let my eyes wander around aimlessly.

Examining a door in the middle corner of the room, I replied, "Yes. It quite is. Mind telling me where that door leads to? Quite foreboding seeing it just being placed there."

He let out a dull sigh. "I suppose you have a point there; the door does look eerie, considering that it's the only thing present here in this room."

He walked towards the door, scratching his chin as his steps grew nearer towards it. "I don't actually remember why I chose the door to be placed here."

"You don't?" I asked, an eyebrow arched. "Don't you own this place?"

"Own this place?" he repeated, shooting a questioning smirk at me. "I guess that fits just fine, but truth be told, I just can't remember much anymore."

Twisting the knob, he pulled the door open. Walking inside, he gestured me to follow him.

"I suppose living for centuries and dying takes a toll on your mind then?" I shot him a deadpan stare.

Closing the door behind me as I entered the room, he chuckled. "Unlike the rest of the former roster of the Summoners, you actually have a sense of humor."

"Speaking of that, what happened to the previous Summoners?"

The room was incredibly confined--there seemed to be a runic circle embedded onto the middle of the room. It was no more than a few feet wide. It's ceiling was just enough for my head to fit in.

It somewhat reminded me of an elevator.

"Oh." He shot me an expressionless, dead stare. "They're all dead."

Taken aback, I took an uncertain step back. "Dead?"

"Do you have a hearing problem?" he jabbed with a strained tone. "They're deceased; unbreathing and have long since decomposed into dust. They were killed for good reason--because we sucked the lands dry of their light."

A cold sweat beaded across my face. "Killed for good reason?"

"Aye." He subtly nodded. "You know that book of yours doesn't just run on nothing, right?"

I gulped down nervously. "I always thought that it simply fueled itself by sapping any magical sources nearby. Does it drain more than just that?"

"Of course." He threw up his hands in the air. "How do you think you're capable of bringing forth whole armies from another realm into wherever you stand? It sucks away the harmony from the earth as well, causing darkness to spiral round and round."

I simply kept silent. 'Could that be the reason why the land of Equestria is being distorted and warped? If so, that's a likely reason for why that golem-like creature received form and attacked me...'

"Could you just please just open your book?" he spoke, derailing my train of thought. "Just open it to a blank page."

Shrugging off the cold sensation still having its vice clutching onto my chest, I opened the book. Flipping page by page, I stopped at a blank page.

As expected, a red light shone from the surface of it faintly. Soon enough, words in some sort of archaic, forgotten language began to etch itself onto the page.

"Good," I heard the eon-old Summoner commented across from where I stood. "Just say 'Library' and it will take you there."

"And why do I want to go the library-"

The book shone intensely, blinding the entire room. Ripples of energy began to warp and manipulate every limb of my body--startled, I stumbled backwards.

As the light faded, my vision regained its focus much quicker than before- I must be getting used to it.

Standing up, I brushed myself off. "So... I take it that this is in fact an elevator? A needlessly complicated and elaborate one, but nonetheless an elevator essentially."

"Aren't you just astute?" he spoke as he strode to the door. "If you like to put it in that way- yes. This is an elevator."

The door's locks clicked, and with a push, the old Summoner pushed it open.

What laid scattered upon the room were what I could barely discern as bookshelves--horribly mangled with ash and bits of it were mostly gone. Strewn haphazardly on the floor were hundreds of books- all too burnt beyond recognition.

"Gah. Of course those bastards burnt every piece of history we made." The Summoner of old shook his head, a look of sheer disappointment.

"You haven't been here in a while, I take it?" I asked, peering out of the room to view the charred mess in it.

"I don't have a Grimoire, so I don't exactly have the means to wander as I please through this place." With one last sigh, he placed himself upon the wall. "I don't remember much, but whatever that I have still within my ghastly mind might be of use to you."

"That would... be appreciated." I perked up my ears, intent on listening to him.

"The Summoners were eradicated because of a defector."

"A traitor?" I furrowed my brows, struggling to ponder a reason for why someone would betray such a strong group. "Why would one of our ranks stab us in the back?"

"For some obvious reasons; we were a mercenary force that would cripple if not outright destroy an entire world, we were quite merciless, and as well as doing some ruthless pillaging."

That sounded really... off.

"So." I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. Reopening them, I asked, "We were merely sell-swords? Nothing more?"

He shrugged. "I don't remember much. We could have been more than that, but I'm not certain."

"Alright then." I nodded my head slowly. "How did the Summoners began?"

He smiled- it was genuine and warm. "As I have stated, I am the first one. As such, I was the first one to create the first ever Grimoire--the one you're holding onto right now--and to put it simply, I kept making more."

I stared at him with intensity.

He continued, "I passed a Grimoire to another, and then to another, and then to another; the cycle repeated until we had a hundred in our manpower."

"And then it all came crumbling down as one of your own became rogue?"

"Indeed, but it wasn't just that one lone rogue." He folded his arms, closing his eyes as if to recall a fleeting memory. "It was a joint effort. The ones that we targeted before and our rivals saw the opportunity and seized it. In the end, our tower was besieged and we were effectively reduced into an extinct kind."

"So... How did the Summoner's un-extinct themselves?" I pointed at my chest. "How did I receive this Grimoire--your Grimoire?"

"I have not a clue."

Infuriated, I persisted, "Really?"

"The reason why I wanted to drive you to kill was that I was enraged- the bestowing of a Grimoire is a ritual that might span for years." He paused. "Though, I saw it in you; something. You have potential."

"Potential for what?"

"I don't know. Perhaps anything." He glared at me keenly. "Perhaps the resurrection of our dead guild?"

"I'd rather not..."

He shrugged. "I suppose we shouldn't repeat history."

"You said that the Grimoire sucks away the light from wherever land it exists in, right?" I asked, concerned. "What happens when it is at its pinnacle?"

His demeanor dampened itself. He looked awfully depressed. "Unless there's some sort of relic dampening the ruination process of the Grimoire..."

Perhaps the Elements of Harmony- or whatever will be enough?

"But if it does reach critical state, the land will be ravaged completely by the discordant powers sealed in the Grimoire."

I stood idly, my gaze fixated on him. "How do I go back to Equestria?"

"Equestria?" He scratched his chin. "Curious name. Whatever. It seems urgent, if need be, you can use the 'elevator'."

"And what do I say to transport me back?" I frantically flipped through the pages of the Grimoire, stopping at a completely empty one.

"Depart." He gestured towards me with a salute. "I hope you do survive whatever tribulation you'll encounter. I'd like to see you become a true Summoner."

"A true Summoner?" I looked at him awry. "You said something about that earlier- something to do about the duties of one?"

"Aye. I did." He shrugged once more. "Sadly, one of the reasons why I wanted you to be led into the library was that I forgot the conduct of one."

"Ack. Bloody useless..." I muttered sharply underneath my breath.

Taking a calming gasp of air, I spoke. "Depart."

Likewise, I vanished away into the air in a display of red brilliance.