Warily, I started walking on the bridge. Every single step that I took seemed to make me considerably more nervous each time. My breaths were shallow and short. My heart was threatening to leap out of my chest if it continues to uphold a beating-interval similar to the one that I have right now.

Suddenly, I froze up; my legs wouldn't even obey my command to move further. I was paralyzed by fear, albeit, for good reason. "No. Fear wouldn't be beneficial for my current circumstances." Disregarding the fact that I could be burnt to a crisp by those two hybrids, I braved on.

I was just a few steps away from them now, but they seem to be quite occupied in some sort of a very intense conversation. They didn't even notice my audible footsteps. Seeing this an opportunity, I studied them. They did in fact have horns and wings, which just furthers my worry. They also appear to be quite more slender and taller than the rest of the ponies. They were donning regalia of some sort. Perhaps they are royalty?

With one steady motion and a deep breath, I closed in the distance between me and them. "I call for a truce! A truce! You hear me?! Don't kill me!" I yelled out, hanging my hands above my head signalling that I'm surrendering. "I'm not a threat!" I stated to the two unicorn-pegasus hybrids standing guard on the bridge.

Instantly, I took their attention. The midnight-blue one glowered at me with eyes that could pierce through even the most hardened of souls. "You!" she yelled out in raw ire. Without a single warning, she ignited her horn in a blue light as she flared her wings before she soared high into the sky above. "You will have to pay accordingly for your doing!"

The brilliance centered in her horn intensified, leading me to believe that something terrible was upon me. I was probably done for--there's no cover within sight, no weapon for me to use, and there's probably no time left for me to flee.

"Luna!" the white-coated one shouted. "Stop! it's over! The attack is over! There's no reason to prolong the slaughter!"

"Hundreds are dead because of this repulsive thing!" the pony, who I know presume is referred to as Luna, responded back with a snarl.

"I am aware of that." The taller white one paused to sigh, "Also, if you decide to annihilate him with that amount of magic, there's a good chance that you'll end up destroying the whole bridge too."

With a bit of hesitation, Luna reluctantly dissipated the big ball of energy she was accumulating on he tip of her horn. I was too stunned to even process that I'm not going to wind up dead, so I simply stood there, completely motionless as if I was petrified in stone.

Luna gently hovered downwards before approaching me with an icy glare that was devoid of any emotion with the exception of pure vengeance. Of course, being in the unresponsive state that I'm in, I couldn't react to this.

She lit up her once more, indicating that she was casting some sort of spell. I say it's a spell because the taller one mentioned of "magic" earlier. If I was still able to, I'd scoff a bit and then laugh at that concept. This place is starting to get cliche now.

I felt an unforeseen force grasp me, tightening itself around my neck. The force applied to my throat wasn't definitely suffocating, but it was definitely nearing that point. I was shoved down to the ground by the invisible kinetic energy. Of course, I was snapped out of the entranced state that I was in.

The blue one's horn was still enveloped in that peculiar, transparent aura. if it wasn't obvious at this point, she's definitely the one applying this pressure onto me. "Oh... come on. Telekinesis? They have that too?" I muttered in a strained breath. I couldn't do anything at this point, I couldn't even move limbs. I knew it was a mistake going here, but, at the very least, they don't seem to be contemplating of killing me.

"Do you have any idea..." Suddenly, I was lifted above the air. Luna was hovering the same altitude that I was on. "Do you have any idea how many you've killed? How many families were lost to you? How much sorrow you've brought to them?"

I could only reply coarsely as the grip on my throat tightened, "I didn't intended any of this!" I felt the vice holding me lessen. This was my chance! As subtle as possible, I slipped my hands in my robes to retrieve the book. Suddenly, I was let go. I fell to the stony floor with a thud. Coughing and wheezing, I added, "I was kidnapped and imprisoned here! My followers simply saw my life being threatened and had no choice but to rescue me!"

"Your abominations that you call your followers are responsible for hundreds of corpses littered on the streets of our city!" she yelled at a deafening volume, making me grimace as I winced.

Before I could even respond to the outburst, I was violently toss to the railings of the bridge. Using my hands for support, I grabbed onto the railings. Dazed, I barely had any time before my ears were assaulted by the blue lunatic of a unicorn-pegasus thing. "Look at all the damage you've brought to our city!"

Snapping out of my daze, I was appalled by what I saw beyond the bridge. Hundreds of buildings were missing either a large portion of their structure, or they were completely halved. Corpses, both ponies and necromorphs alike were bathing the street with blood. Entire houses were ablaze with towering infernos.

The sight made me feel guilty, but nonetheless, neither did I condone this, nor did I approve of this. In fact, I greatly loathe the genocide. "I will not try to dissuade your fury against me when I say this--I am aggrieved by all of this, but the fact still stands. I am not the one to blame for all the murders."

"Then please, recall them from wherever they came," the elder one pleaded.

I nodded in agreement. "It shall be done immediately," I paused, not being able to figure out her name. "I'm sorry. I am not aware of your names."

"That leads me to believe that you're not from here," the white one approached as she spoke. "Apologies. I am Princess Celestia." She makes a bowing gesture. "This is my sister, Princess Luna. Together, we oversee our nation."

What, so this place is a monarchy? However, a monarchy doesn't operate anything like that, though, since this is a place with almost everyone capable of unleashing flashy death-rays, I suppose some alterations would be sensible... No, wait. It still doesn't make sense. Gah. I suppose that this is tradition, or something.

Princess Luna called out to her sister, "Sis! What are you doing? Are you certain that formally greeting this beast is the best course of action?"

Celestia simply nodded before she responded, "Yes." She has a look of raw sternness as she said that. I think it alone shoved a chill down my spine...

I was taken aback from that answer somewhat. I wasn't expecting such an absence of hostility from this "Celestia" character. Perhaps she's attempting to avoid provoking me? After all, my army is in her city, and by the looks of things, her defenses are all destroyed, or at best, crippled severely. I can see why she would avoid picking fights with me. I commend her for foresight.

Though, I must ponder. With the devastating effects of their magic, how did the necromorphs sneak into this place? It must've taken a tactical genius... or perhaps the necros simply battered their walls until they gave in. The latter seems more probable...

Celestia looked towards me with eyes that struck me with sincerity. "We promise you no harm will be dealt to you..." Judging by the looks of her face, she truly meant that.

Luna takes a step backwards, visually aghast regarding that her mouth is agape. "W-what? Sis-"

"Luna, there is not much that we can do. Furthermore, he did not intend any of this. So we can't exactly say that this is his fault." Celestia stood firmly on the ground below her, not faltering even by the slightest as she said those words.

Her citizens were tributes to the roaring flame that was my army, but, she has yet to display any form of bitter resent towards me. Honestly, I am both appalled and impressed by her at the same time.

The eerie silence was deafening. Only the howling breeze and the sizzling fires could be heard on top of this crumbling stone bridge.

Finally, I spoke up. "So, I take it that you want to me to remove my soldiers?" I asked.

Luna opened her mouth to say something, but was quickly interrupted by Celestia. "That would be most favorable for us, but given the circumstances your safety is in, I understand if you choose not to." If it was any indication that Luna was opposed against Celestia's choice of words, it's that poorly concealed frown on her face.

I shrugged. "I assure you. After all that I've done, this is the least that I can do." I reached in for my robes, withdrawing the Grimoire. If my recollection is sharp, there should be a feature that allows me to return whatever I "borrowed" from a universe back to aforementioned universe.

Ha. What a surprise. They didn't confiscate my book despite its ominous and foreboding text and inscriptions written all over it. I give an acknowledging smile. "Hm. Thanks for not taking away this book."

"That book..." Luna stated as if she was in an entranced state. "We couldn't remove it from you due to unfathomable reasons."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"It scalded our hooves whenever we tried to touch it, and magic is actively nullified by it," Princess Luna answered.

"Ah. I see," I said in reply before I flipped the book open. Turning to the page where my necromorphs are detailed, I thought to myself. "Right, so all I have to do is say 'un-summon' while the book is opened to the page regarding about the currently summoned minions. Should be easy."

I spoke in a subtle, low tone, "Un-summon." The book went aglow with a red flare. It increased in brightness before it dissipated. "I think that was it..." I muttered, a bit shaky from that sight.

"Thank you," Celestia said with a genuine smile.

I began walking, "Now then, if you don't mind me, I'll be departing."

However, I was suddenly forcefully halted by none other than Celestia herself. She dove into my path, preventing me from going any further. A bead of sweat formed around my temple. "Did she change her mind?" I thought with dread.

"I can't allow you to pass here. We've rallied the survivors in that building. Forgive us for the lack of trust, but we do not bestow you with our full extent of our trust," Celestia said in a ghastly tone filled to the brim with stoicism.

I found it a bit difficult to reply to the sudden shift of behavior, but I managed a response. "I understand. I will simply-" Suddenly, the buzzing sound of static coupled with unearthly screams roared in the back of my mind. Out of nowhere, a pain that was incomprehensibly agonizing echoed through my skull. "What- what the hell!?" I shouted out as I fell to my knees, clutching my head. This, of course, startled the two alicorns.

"Is everything alright?" Luna asked, concern feigned in her voice.

Suddenly, a voice that I knew all too well spoke out to me from nowhere. 'Ha... pitiful. You're seriously considering going the more passive route? Unacceptable,' the voice that I heard from when I was still unconscious condescended. I clutched my head, confused and panicky by the reemergence of the voice. 'No matter,' it continued, 'this should remedy it.'

I find myself raising my hand, holding the book firmly in my vice. Without any warning, the book started to emit a dark-purplish fiery aura. 'Remember when those two imbeciles mentioned that the book negated their magic?'

Finally, the book seemed to have launch out some sort of bright spherical orb similarly colored to the aura the book is radiating. As the projectile was launched, however, it created such a shockwave that it sent the two Princesses in front of me flying. 'The book wasn't negating it. It was absorbing it.'

The voice began to gradually disperse as it started to laugh hysterically. The two princesses slam into the most adjacent surface, which happened to be a large pile of rubble on the bridge. The both of them impacted the rubble with a resounding thud as dust enveloped them. As the dust settled, I found their unconscious bodies lying on the ground.

Realization struck me as if it was lightning. I was paralyzed, but not due to electrical shock, but out of fear. The presumably explosive orb of volatile magic was hurled directly at the base of the building where the surviving ponies are being grouped. My eyes widen, and I felt a sting of incomprehensible disgust pierce through my chest.

I turned towards the opposite direction. I decided to run, and so I did. I vaulted over any rubble that was in my way as I made my way back to where I was. Was I hesitant? Definitely not. Once those two pegasus-unicorn hybrids are awake, they'll be hellbent on killing me. Was I remorseful? Possibly...

As I ran, I opened the book once more. Slowing down to a more suitable pace so that I could operate the Grimoire more efficiently, I flipped to a blank page. "Regret. Regret. Regret," I chanted.

And so, the familiar red rift appears above me. Ceasing my running, I wait patiently for whatever is brought from the other side of that portal.

Author's Notes:

This is the end for the revised chapters for now.

More soon coming.