Warning this chapter gets a bit violent! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNEDED

I begin to scan the area of cavern that I and Tenbrion appeared in. Large stalactites erupted from the roof their size matched only by the stalagmites that littered the area. A castle in the distance released a soft glow, its spires raised high but from what I could see it was either unfinished or was attacked recently. The river that flowed past the castle had a small fog over it but the waters were still clear enough see. I look back down at Tenbrion only to see he had already gotten up, he spun around looking at the large cavern both in fear and hatred. He stops spinning and looks at me. His eyes were solid, no tendrils of light coming off it or subtle glow. His body was more solid than before, the shadows that covered his shoulder plates had faded.

"You fool! You interfered with the Shadow Walk!" His voice boomed.

I stand in a laid back fashion knowing that I had the upper hand because of my crossbow, "And I care about that because?"

"Idiot! You sent us to Tartarus! If the Wardens find me again they'll try and cage me again with that bitch again!"

"And what will they do about me?" I question him.

" That won't matter since I will kill you before they ever get here!" He lounges forward.

I dodge to the left; he looks down at me with even more hatred. "If you’re not going to play nice, I guess I'll have to kill you. Lux!"

A moment passed and no bolt had formed. My crossbow was cold and lifeless, I realize at this moment I feel the same sensation in my arm. It felt dead, less like a limb but more like a metal attachment that fitted in its place but didn’t truly belong. I deep laugh erupts from in front of me. I look up at Tenbrion who I could only guess had a look of pure joy on his shadowed face.

"Stupid creature! Even you should know that magic is useless here! Now perish, you annoyance!" He lunged forward again.

I lift my arm to block the strike, just as his claw was going to hit my arm it seemed to bend around like how a stream would flow around a rock. His claw scratched my torso, while his strike did not draw blood it hurt. A large red mark streaked my chest marking where he had struck at.

"You don't get it do you? I am not flesh and blood! I am not limited to a mortal body! I am the shadows and even attempting to stop me is futile!" The shade bellowed.

He comes in for another strike, sending his arm forward in the hopes to pierce my body. I pivot out of the way of his left arm. He sends his other arm toward me while I am pivoting. His finger just misses my wound but unfortunately he cut away some of the bandages. I jump back clutching my side, my breathing is heavy.

" You can't hope to defeat me! Your mortal weapons do nothing! I am pure darkness!" He begins to float over to me preparing to strike again.

Shit, he's right. My arm can't hit him and my crossbow's magic is being stopped by Tartarus. Then there is only one option... I take a stance and face him.

"I only have 3 words for you Tenbrion."

"What might those be?

"LOOK A DISTRACTION!"

" I am not stupid whelp that won't work on me. He continues to advance.

Huh, that worked with the dragon... hold on, maybe if I change it up a bit.

"Can I ask you a question. Would that army behind you, happen to be, those wardens guys you were talking about?"

He turns his head back toward empty space in fear of whatever the Wardens were. As soon as his head is turned I begin to run the opposite direction of Tenbrion. With each stride a jolt of pain erupts from my side. Small pebbles are flung behind me as I sprint across the cavern floor. The echoes of Tenbrion's screams of rage reach my ears. I continue to dash forward. I look back and see the shade slowly gaining on me. I need a place to hide but where?

I look at the cavern's wall for any spaces I could fit through. Various pockets were in the wall but all of them either too small or not deep enough into the wall to effectively hide myself in. I spot a large opening in the wall. A faint glow emanated from the gap. Going into lighted places is probably my best bet. I take a sharp turn into the gap. The entrance was a little tight but nothing too hard to get by. I drop out of the tunnel area into a much more open area. A large round room, there was nothing all too special about the area. Small gems were scattered around the top of the room, each releasing a small amount of light. They must give off a natural light or something.

I take a seat against the wall trying to catch my breath. Small rough bumps on the wall poke into my back as I rested. My breaths soon become lighter and less frequent. I close my eyes to organize my thoughts. Ok how do I beat him? He can't be hit by physical objects and my only effective weapon against him is useless.

"You realize he will find you before the Wardens can stop him again." An emotionless voice declared from in front of me.

My eyes fly open, realizing I was not alone. I quickly stand up and face towards the voice. "Oh, did I startle you?"

I look forward only to see nothing there, I look at the other sides of the room but still nothing was there.  I scratch my head wondering where the voice had come from. "I'm down here."

I look down to see the strangest thing ever. A small alicorn foal stood about 5 feet in front of me. Its coat was a bright white but it seemed to shift colors for a few seconds like how white light changes when it hits a prism. It rose to around my knees, its head was about the same size as Twitch's but smoother, and the appearance was less solid. Its eyes took up a fair bit of its head, the entire eye was golden. The horn had a rounded top obviously it was not able to pierce skin. The wings on its back were slightly larger than they would be on a normal pegasus.

"What the? Who or what are you?" Smooth, Celt interrogate the foal...

The face of the alicorn foal remained dead panned, " I am Hikari, and I am your only hope of defeating Tenbrion."

"Oh really, a child is my only hope to defeat Tenbrion?" I cross my arms and stare down at the child, "So how do you know how to beat him?"

He continues to glare at me with a dead expression, "If I tell you how I know will you accept my help?"

"Why would I need your help in the first place?"

"Because your weakened, inexperienced and in all likely hood going to die if you try to fight Tenbrion without my help." His tone was cold.

"Alright, fine I'll accept your help if you tell me how you know how to defeat Tenbrion."

The foal's horn gave off a white glow, "How can you use magic here?"

"That will be explained, " A large square appeared in the wall, the border was golden while the inside was clear. "Now look."

I gaze into the mirror.

"It was a centuries ago when this happened and yet I remember as if it was yesterday. Long ago there was a village of ponies."

The clear parts of the square disappeared allowing images of a village to take over the screen. The outer limits of the town were a farming country where several farmers that supplied crops to the town were located. In the center of the town was a large circular building, the building was constructed out a mixture of reed, mud and brick all covered by reed outer layer for appearance. Around the central build various stales and shops were spread about. Just past all the shops were houses, all of them had thatched roofs and were only 2 stories.  On the outer road leading to elsewhere read a sign "Welcome to Rada."

"Equal Scale, was a stallion who lived in Rada. He had a talent of keeping everything fair. As he grew up in the village made many friends."

The image shifted to a pony walking down the street. A breeze blows his white coat and black mane. His golden eyes set forward and a goofy smile on his face. His mane was combed around his horn and a single streak or white in the back of the mane interrupted the intense black of the rest of his mane. His cutie mark was a simple gold scale, one side of the scale held a dove and a crow balanced perfectly.

"He was trusting. He did not judge others based on appearance or race. Equal thought everyone good until proven otherwise."

The image shimmers, and a picture of a diamond dog appears. The dog was thin, his ribs were clearly visible. Patches of fur were missing from all around his body and several scars were scattered on his back and chest. He had bags under his eye and his eyes were almost void of all life. It was obvious that if he didn't receive help that he would die and from the look of his legs and arms he wouldn't be able to get it himself to his den or a village without assistance from an outside force.

Beside the dog was Equal, his black hair blowed in the wind. You could tell he was worried about the dog just how he looked at the old mutt. The pony and the D-dog conversed about various topics and told stories from their live, during the encounter it was evident that the dog's health was on a downward spiral. The pony talks to the diamond dog some more and asked if he needed any help at all. The old dog declined saying he would be fine when he got to his pack saying they had enough supplies to keep him alive long enough to do what he needs to do. The pony did not argue or try to force the dog to get help instead he simply said.

"Drop by my village sometime it's just over that hill." He smiled as he pointed toward the hill.

"He had a good life...until the raiders came."

The image of the smiling stallion was torn away violently. The image in front of me of horrible, the entire town up in flames and D-dog raiders captured and beat the ponies as they stole every precious object they could get their grubby paws on. The hungry looks of D-Dogs as they stared at their new slaves, all walking in a row chained together. Various cuts and bruises littered their bodies from the torture of the diamond dogs. Little foals cried for their mothers and fathers as the D-Dogs barked orders. The slaves were one of the lucky ones. Those that were too sick or too weak were taken out of their homes and into back alleys and violently beat on them until they stopped twitching, Once family homes began to crash down against each other destroying anything left inside of the houses for the ponies to return for. Black smoke filled he sky as the howls of the diamond dog's victory echoed across the land.

"Equal had hid inside a hidden wine cellar a little ways away from town with a few other folks who made it there. Unfortunately nothing else survived..."

The image shifted to the stallion walking back into the skeleton of what once was his home town. He followed the same path he took to get home from work, occasionally gazing at the carnage. He looks at the old blacksmith to see the forge broke open and coals littering the nearby floor next to a charred body of the blacksmith. He continued his walk past the large circular building which has collapsed in on itself. Ashes of stalls blew in the wind giving a choking fog obstructing his vision. He approaches his house. The door had parshally saved, only showing a few burn marks and indent in the center showing where the Diamond dogs must have kicked in the door. He trots into the house his face devoid of emotion.

He walks around the remains of the house. All of the living room furniture was char wood with no more fabric on it. The fire place had collapsed outward and crashed into the next house over. Equal continued his tour of what was once his home. He reached the kitchen, the stone oven had been smashed and the cupboards burned and smashed in. Various pieces of shattered glass littered the floor. The back door in the kitchen had been kicked out. The stallion marches into his backyard, the grass burned to a fine crisp creating a crunch with every step he takes. A harsh wind blows pushing the swing forward creating a rusted creaking noise. The stallion ignores the noise and heads toward the shed, various claw marks imprinted into the wood. He treks over behind the shed and his eyes grow.

There lie in the corner where the fence and shed meet sit two ponies. The first was a mare, little tuffs off a red mane peek of the skull while other areas are completely missing the skin showing that it have been ripped off. Her horn was missing it's tip and instead was a cracked edges. Her left eye had been removed placed a little ways before her. Large bumps covered her body, and various places had either been burned or cut. Her cutie mark was shredded leaving no way of knowing what it was. The right leg was bending backwards at an awkward angle.

The other pony was a foal, the more rigid features made it obvious it was a male. In the dead center of the foals head was the other pony's horn. The colt's eye lids were completely ripped off almost as if to say you can never rest.  Various cuts are made around the foals legs and chest. His hooves were crushed a to a pulp. The child's head was completely scorched off. Various bumps and bruise was scatter all over his body.

The stallion sat down, a single tear was in his eye. "Why..."

"At that point Equal became obsessed with protecting people from others and destroying those that attack others. The village rebuilt with his help, and everyone was happy except him." Hikari choked up a little.

"He wanted to save the ones the dogs had stolen and more importantly destroy the diamond dog threat once and for all but he didn't just want revenge he wanted to make sure that no creature would dare commit such evils again. So he stole a ritual book and preformed the Purity Being Ritual in hopes he would become deity and strike divine justice on the villains of the world. However the ritual went wrong..."

A picture of a forest came into picture. A large circular area had been cleared out, not even leaving the stumps. Magical lines traced into the soil, to form ancient symbols of power. There were 8 medium sized circles on the outside and a single large circle in the middle. In each circle was a different kind of gem or magic holding item. In the center stood Equal Scale he studied his stance and his horn glowed with a ghastly grey. The perimeter began to glow with a grey energy. Slowly the grey energy crawled toward the 8 circles until they were enveloped by the glow. The gems inside began to shine with great intensity and rise off the ground. Slowly the gems span around their own circle until they were only blurs. The grey light continued past the 8 circles and slowly crept it's way to the largest circle in the middle like a poison slowly creeping up your bloodstream.

He smiled at his achievement and watched as the first gem stopped and then exploded into dust particles. Then another exploded and another. This continued until there were only 2 gems left, a white topaz and a onyx. Both gems stopped and began to follow the line of grey up to the largest circle. Equal's smile faded from his face and was replaced with worrying visage. The gems began to spin slowly. The gems slowly gained speed, spinning faster and faster until they were only blurs again. A drop of sweat rolls down the stallions face as the gems seem to stop speeding up. The circle of white and black slowly started to close in on the stallion. The gems finally collided into the stallion causing a great amount of energy to be released. In the crater where the stallion should have been rose two figures.

"Me and my 'brother' were born from his altered ritual. The spell was meant to create a new being that is pure not change an existing creature into a pure form. The spell split him, all his dark ambitions and evil ended up in Tenbrion and all his hopes and goodness ended up in me." The large golden screen vanished.

I couldn't believe what I had seen, all that pain and misery inflicted on a single living being was horrible, "But that doesn't answer how you can stop him and why you could use magic."

"The second is easy, all I was doing was bending the light my body produces so that it created the pictures." The little foal remained emotionless.

"And my first question?"

"After the ritual Tenbrion fulfilled Equal's darkest desire, to kill the diamond dogs. He slaughtered them just for the fun of it. After that he destroyed Rada saying it was no longer useful. He then went after the Bast, a cat like people that lived in the jungle. He forced them to worship him as a god and demanded blood sacrifices in his name. The Wardens eventually intervened..."

That catches my attention, "Who or what are the Wardens? Tenbrion seemed pretty afraid of them."

"The Wardens are the guardians and jailers of Tartarus. They are a undead army that cannot be stopped. He fears them because they captured him but he escaped the cage they put him in and they couldn't kill a shadow. So a cycle of him being captured and then breaking out was started. This lasted 10 years, many bast and other creatures lost their lives to his hate and rage."

I lower down so that I was eye level with the foal, "So what changed after 10 years?"

"I finally intervened. I offered to be the cage for Tenbrion to save those from his wrath and himself. They captured Tenbrion once again and they made me into a cage. He could not escape my cage, because one cannot run from oneself."

"Ok, so how would you help me defeat him?"

His eyes remained cold as they stared at me, " You can fire me from your crossbow, and if I hit him then I can become his cage once more."

"And if I miss?"

"Then he will kill you and the Wardens will capture him and put him back in the cage. It's a win-win for everyone except you and Tenbrion. At least this way you have a chance of survival."

I stand back up and pull out my crossbow, " Fine, hop on the crossbow. We have some hunting to do."

Hikari began to glow, his form shrank bending light until he was only a about the size of an arrow. I grab Hikari and place him on the crossbow. A golden string appears pushing the bolt back so that when I pulled the trigger it would surely fire fast and hard.

"Remember you only have one chance to fire me, do not waste it." A soft voice emanating from the bolt spoke.

"Yah, yah."

I walk back toward the entrance of the small hideaway. I  squeeze through the narrow corridor once again until I reach the large cavern once again. I look around the area with my crossbow still in my hands. I begin to walk beside the wall in hopes I would find the shade. I developed a rhythm take a few steps, stop and check around, rinse and repeat. I slowly make my way down the cavern. I pass a small nook where in the corner of my eye I see a spear like hand shoot out. I take a step back and just barely avoid the claw. I prepare myself as Tenbrion floats out of the nook.

"I see you've come out of your hiding place. Does that mean you are ready to die?"

"I don't need to hide from you."

"You have confidence, I will enjoy this more than killing those pathetic villagers all those years ago. His voice sounded as if someone took a sand belt to his vocal chords.

He lunges forward with unnatural speed. I try to lift my crossbow only to have him hit me with a side swipe sending me backwards and my crossbow against the cavern's wall. I stand up just in time to see his claw clutched together to form a spear shape darting toward my head. I duck avoiding his spear arm, I look forward to see his other claw swinging low to slash at me. I roll backwards to avoid the claw and land in a kneeling position.

"This cavern shall be your grave and I will be your grave digger fleshling." He releases a low laugh.

I stand up once more and this I lunge toward him. I unsheathe my blade and cut him vertically, for a single moment his body was split in two but slowly the shade reformed. His claw shoots outward and grasps on to my neck. His grip tightens as I squirm to try to get free.

"Now do you see how pointless it is to fight me? If not then you soon will."

His other claw begins to push into my wound. I wince in the pain. He retracts his claw and flings me toward the cavern's wall. I land with a solid thump, a few loose pebbles and stones tumble downward. I look to the side and see my crossbow just lying here on the ground, Hakari still ready to fire. I reach over to grab Hikari and hold her in my fist but keeping it close enough that the light does not shine outward. I look up at Tenbrion looming over me like the specter of death.

"I'm almost sad. You’re the most fun I've have in a long time. In fact the last time I had this much fun I needed to destroy an entire town. He grabs me by the neck.

"I loved killing that pathetic village, all the happy little ponies prancing around. It disgusted me to no end." I could tell he was smiling as he reflected on the fond memory of his. " Now, for the last time any last words before I rip your spine out and use it to beat the bitch Grey that runs this place?"

I remember what Hikari showed me earlier, "Would your wife and child be proud of you now Equal Scale?"

" You must have spoken to Hikari that goody two-shoe bitch. To answer your question, I do not care what they think of me, they were simply stepping stones to this form of perfection.

"Then you can rot here, for all eternity!" I grab Hikari and shove her deep into the chest of Tenbrion.

He dropped me, screaming in pain as veins of light covered his body. A circle carved itself into the stone around their feet. It began to glow golden as a large golden bubble began to envelope Tenbrion. Soon the bubble had fully formed and swallowed Tenbrion, the bubble suddenly collapsed in on the body of Tenbrion creating a kind of golden sarcophagus all around him. The screams stopped as a golden version of Tenbrion fell to the ground. I stand up and approach the golden casing. I tap it with my foot to know if it was solid or not. A clang ringed out from the mysterious metal prison. I look up to see that the river from earlier is not too far off from where I am. I begin to march toward, what I hope was the river Styx.

Next Chapter: Dust 'N Bones (20) Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 24 Minutes