Phantoms Of The Truth

Chapter 13 Act 2

Show Me Your Will

*Location: Man~hatten, outskirts*

After the long trek towards the gang’s next destination, they finally arrived at the most ‘dead’ city in the country, nothing, not a single sound could be heard but the sound of the wind howling around them. They approached the welcome sign but for some reason the ‘e’ was etch off.

“Something tells me Loki’ behind this and about everything else with this city,” Blaze pointed out as they kept walking and seeing almost every mention of the city had the ‘e’ missing

Blaze jogged over to an old newspaper stand and picked one up and saw that even in the text the ‘e’ was missing from the name. Blaze face-hooved at this as he threw it aside.

“Ok, he’s taking this whole non-pun-thing too seriously,” He moaned as Serafin walked over and turned his head towards the massive, glowing building ahead “Oh for fuck sake,”

After about another half an hour of walking the group, consisting of Twilight, Blaze, Serafin, Dash and Pinkie. They came across the first signs of life in the city, it was two unicorns who looked to be guards as the group approached them. At first, they were ready to attack but then noticed Twilight and soon let us walk into the complex.

When they entered, they were greeted by a massive community of Ponies as they either talked with one another or did certain jobs like providing food or medicine. Then as they continued to look around, Pinkie’s body twitched as she pointed ahead like a dog.

“Over there! My pinkie sense says that our friends are nearby!” She said happily as she darted off and Serafin gave Blaze a questioning look

“Trust me when I say, just roll with it, an alicorn, cyborg and A.I have tried,” Dash admitted as she saw the others nod

“You are all really strange,” She answered as they just followed the pink blur

When they finally found her, Pinkie was busy hopping around Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy as they smiled at her antics and then spotted the rest and began to talk among themselves as they laughed. Blaze however just sat off to the side as he thought to himself.

“You really are antisocial, aren’t you?” KAI piped up as Blaze rolled his eyes

“Whatever,” He mumbled as KAI lifted Blaze’s hoof and hit him across the face

“Now that I got you thinking straight, what the hell is wrong with you? Your vitals are going haywire with anger, depression and confusion- oh wait that last one is always there,” KAI corrected as Blaze sighed

“I just don’t know, I’m happy about seeing them all doing well, but I’ve just been thinking about my ‘Problems’,” Blaze answered as he glanced outside and saw the towering building ahead

“I know what you’re thinking and I doubt they would like you to go alone,” KAI added as Blaze glanced back and then his eyes met Dash’s as she stared at him with sadness and acceptance as he smiled and she did two

“Does that answer your question?” Blaze said in a very smug way as he saw his hoof rise and punch him dead in the face again, Blaze then got up and began to sneak his way out  

When he got to the exit his face met yellowy-orange eyes as Serafin frowned at him. Then before he could explain she wrapped him into a hug as he stiffened slightly before relaxing. Then she pulled away and looked at him with an actual smile.

“After this, they need to know,” She said firmly as her frown returned, Blaze then looked down “You’re not alone in this anymore, you may not agree with it, but someday you will,”

“Thanks, Serafin,” He said with a nod before smirking “So, you up for kicking a guy off his high horse?”

Her frown returned as she levitated out her sword and nodded as they ran off towards the ominous building.

*Location: Loki’s Tower, Hallway*

Serafin was waiting by what appeared to be an elevator as she heard the sound of hooves coming from the stairs, she then looked at a wet Blaze as he kicked a crocodile off his tail.

“Ok, why does he even have that lever?” He ask in annoyance as Serafin casted an aura on him and soon his coat was dry again “Thanks,”

“No worries, but I think we better prepare for what’s behind door number 3,” She said as she pointed to the elevator

“Alright, we made through a minefield and got through a rollercoaster of chaos, bring it on,” Blaze said with determination

*Location: Elevator, Loki’s Tower*

"That's it! i give up on trying to understand his motives!" KAI said in a fit as they all just stared

Serafin and Blaze just stood, their mouths agape as they just looked at the massive, hotel inside the elevator. It was quite modern and looked new. Blaze then moved over to the small buttons and saw the number of buttons and then noticed the golden one at the top.

“’Loki’s Observation Deck’ Note it will take at least an hour to reach the top, please enjoy the luxury sweet, huh? Well that’s nice I guess?” Blaze said as Serafin just looked at him then back to the hotel

“Well he did say enjoy the luxury sweet, so no harm, no foul,” She responded with a shrug as they began to walk towards the building “That and you smell like you’ve been burned, thrown into a lake of waste and dumped into the mud to dry,”

“Yea, well you smell like burn charcoal, and not the good kind,” Blaze retorted as Serafin just bobbed her head

“Touché,” She responded as they both decided to enjoy this whist they could, that and Blaze wanted to ready for when he had to fight him again

Loki sat on his throne as he sorted through his cards before hearing the elevator dinging and he grinned. Out from the small door came Blaze with a smile on his face and Serafin with a small smirk.

“I take it that you enjoyed the hotel?” Loki asked as they both nodded and Serafin decided to rest up in Blaze subconscious as she vanished

“Sure did! I must say for a diplomatic nut-job, you know how to relax,” Blaze complimented as he smiled

“Good to here! Seriously, everytime I tried to show some hospitality I just got fired at or cursed at, or both, that’s why I like you, you know how to calmly handle the strangest of circumstances with ease,” Loki explained as he made the card vanish and he looked at Blaze with determination

“But I doubt you came up here just to compliment me, so how bout it? You ready to die?” Loki said more sinisterly as Blaze glared back with a smirk

“Well I hate to disappoint,” Blaze replied as he armoured up and unholstered his golden blade and ‘Vengeance’ “Bring it!”

“That’s it! Staright to the point! Let the Party Begin!!!” Loki shouted in delight as he brought hid rapier out and soon the vanished from sight

After a few seconds of nothing, a sonic boom echoed outwards as the two reappeared, their weapons locked, they soon vanished multiple times, each time still colliding, they then reappeared as Blaze swung madly as the flew around connecting blows.

Loki was still fast but Blaze had improved and this time he wasn’t taking any chances, Loki is different in many ways so it was best to take caution. They then broke off as Blaze saw Loki’s own symbol on his hand glow.

*52 Fuck Up*

Loki then had 52 explosive cards coiling around him as he clicked his fingers and they flew towards Blaze, but this time he was ready.

*Blazing Trail*

Blaze’s body then lit up like the sun as most of the cards burned on impact, Loki knew this but what came next surprised him.

“Oh fuck, didn’t know he could do that!” He thought as half his own cards lit on fire and shot back towards him, even faster than when he sent them, he weaved his way around them, but one caught him “Quack!!!”

Then a chain of explosions sent the Spirit Dweller flying into a building, he soon reappeared as he dusted his suit off. He then took his hat off as he threw his purple overcoat in it as he made the hat disappear as he smiled.

“I must admit, this is new, this is definitely new, but how did you know I was going to do that?” Loki asked as Blaze smirked

“I knew you couldn’t just wait around and do nothing, you like observing your targets of people of interest, so I knew you knew about my symbol-“

“Catalyst,” Loki interrupted as Blaze paused

“Oh, so that’s its name?” Blaze thought out loud as Loki nodded

“We who have it are given 3 abilities tailored to the user specifically, some things can influence their outcome, for instance ‘Blazing Trail’ is because of Serafin,” Loki explained as Blaze nodded in understanding

“So, yours are tailored to your randomness and card dealing?” Blaze answered as a green tick ‘dinged’ above him

“Now then, if were done chatting, let me see what your made of, Blaze Hawk!” Loki dared as Blaze complied and shot towards him

As the collided once more Loki simply blocked his attacks and soon swung at his chest but hit air as his eyes widened and soon felt pain erupt in his back as Blaze dug his blades in an ‘X’ formation in his back as Loki rolled downwards in the air.

Blaze then felt two knuckles dig into the back of his neck then his chin and then two legs smashing into his stomach in rapid succession as he flew through a nearby building and into another. His vision then showed green and purple as he saw at least 100 lasers heading his ways as he gulped.

“Legs don’t fail me now,” He thought as two beings in the back of his mind shook their heads but he didn’t listen as he waited then he leaped

Loki watched as he saw Blaze dashing towards him as Blaze leaped from one laser to the next as they exploded behind him.

“This mother fucker just don’t quit?” He thought as an idea sprung in his head

Blaze then appeared in front of Loki and then behind him and soon he was vanishing and reappearing everywhere as Loki tried to pin point his location. He then felt something grab his leg as Blaze began to spin in around like a hurricane and then let go as Loki smashed his feet into his tower and stopped.

“Ok then Blaze my boy, let’s see you stop this!” He shouted in glee as him along with the tower disappeared, much to his surprise

Then Blaze noticed the massive shadow looming overhead, it was building, or it was, but now it was nothing but a solid rectangle of titanium as Loki held it by a pinky.

“Sorry Blaze, but . . . Game Over,” Loki said simply as he threw the build right at Blaze as he holstered ‘Vengeance’ and held his golden blade to his side

*CRASH*

Everyone in the area watched as the building sized block of metal collided with the ground, The Mane 6 watched from a distance away, their mouths agape as they just watched their friend get smeared into the ground.

Loki watched from above as the block of titanium lay only a few feet away from him as he hummed, then he saw a crack and frowned as he put his hand on it.

“No.” He said firmly as it became bigger

“No.” He repeated but the crack refused as it grew bigger, then he gave a scared chuckle “Ah nuts!”

Then the block shattered as Blaze came flying out towards Loki as he rammed his now glowing blade into his chest as he opened his mouth to speak.

“No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-“Loki rapidly spoke in fear

“ELEMENTAL BUSRT!!!” Blaze yelled as a spectrum of colours erupted in Loki, blinding the world in white

When it was safe to look, everyone was greeted by the mid-day sun as the warmth came down upon them all as many began to cheer and clap. The Mane 6 however began to search for their friend.

They then saw a metal form standing on a pile of rubble as he looked upwards to the sky as the last fragments of the crystal dissipated. Then his armour deactivated and he fell back.

Dash and Fluttershy however were quick enough to catch him as he smiled dumbly at them.

“So… did I win?” He asked as they smiled back and he yawned “Ow cannot even begin to describe my pain right now,”

“Well you did have a building dropped on top of you so I would assume so,” Twilight pointed out as the ruins of it remained in the area, she then looked back at him with a smile “Still I can’t believe you beat him, after all he’s quite… odd,”

“I think that’s the first time you’ve actually complimented me, I guess I can make progress with you poines!” Loki said from above them as he dusted off his purple coat as they all prepared to attack him

“No, leave him be,” Blaze groaned as he got up from his spot “I made a deal with him whist we were fighting, so he on our side now,”

“WHAT!!!” They all yelled in unison as Loki brought out a scroll

“Well you see, you, along with Blaze here have more interesting events than me so I wanted to partake in such events, so during our fight I talked with him and we came to an agreement,” Loki explained as he grinned and clicked his fingers as dozens of sheets began to fall around them

“I made thousands of copies, thousands,”

“So, you mean that you’ll be hanging around us forever now?” Dash questioned as he nodded and she sighed “another Discord in the making,”

“Right, well I would love to stay and chat but right now I have priorities, like playing Tetris with the city until its better,” Loki butted in as he clicked his fingers and soon they were on a dirt road outside the city

“Wait, what you can’t just kick us out!” Applejack snapped as he just laughed

“Yes, well the world isn’t going to save itself, so hop to it!” He ordered as Blaze just shook his head

“Let’s just get going, I made a deal so he won’t do anything to break it,” Blaze said as he began to walk the long, dirt road ahead, everyone else soon joined but Fluttershy waved to Loki to get his attention

“So, um I just wanted to say… thank you for helping us,” She said in whisper but Loki just waved it off

“You should be thanking that cyber-moron, if not for his ‘Very’ persuasive words I might not be doing this right now,” Loki said as she nodded and jogged to catch up

“This is gunna get interesting, Ain’t that right ‘Buddy’?” Loki whispered before turning to face the screen "Well? do you want to find out what happens or not? Get going to the next scene!"

*Location: Everfree Border, 10 miles from Ponyville*

As the group talked among themselves they managed to get a plan sorted for the next encounter, whether it be Omega, Twivine or AB, they knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Blaze however stopped them in their tracks as they all went silent.

They looked around for the sign of danger, for a good few minutes they waited, but nothing came and Blaze breathed out and they continued. For about 5 minutes.

*SHINK-SHINK-SHINK-SHINK*

Blaze stumbled forward before he slowly fell to his knees, then he soon found himself lying in a pool of his own blood as the rest screamed and tried to rush to his aid but only by Serafin and Twilight putting a shield up, did they avoid ‘It’ slashing their pathway to him.

“A.O!” AB greeted as he held two razor sharp sickles in his hands as he glanced at the now bleeding corpse behind him and then back at his prey

“Great, how the hay are we gunna get past this creep!?” Dash spat as the bot looked between Serafin and Dash (Most hostile)

"A.O!" He said again as he taunted them to come closer but Twilight fired a warning shot as it grazed his face

"Like we'll do anything you say!" Twilight hissed as she grit her teeth in frustration "I thought Loki was on our side? where is he?"

“I don’t know but be better think of something quick, otherwise Blaze is gunna be 6 feet under,” Applejack reminded them as they all saddened slightly but Pinkie’s entire body shook as her eyes became pin-pricks

“Umm, Pinkie, darling? What was that about?” Rarity asked as she just stepped back in actual fear as she pointed, this got the bot to look too

Blaze slowly got to his hooves as the bleeding stopped, somehow. Then he turned as he mumbled something, then his armour activated. When they looked, they saw a frown dawn his face.

“You take advantage of our perception, nice,” Blaze commented as AB turned completely around and glared at him, wanting him to continue

“Now, We would keep feeding you more compliments, but We rather grow tired of this crap for one day, fist Loki and now his pawn,” Then he grinned, widely

AB then turned around and raised a blade at the girls, he brought his blade down, only then did a hand grab AB's arm and threw him aside as it look to its left.

The hand belonged to Blaze, but he was ‘Different’ his body was covered in black flames and his smile just grew wider.

“You know, it’s rude to turn away when someone is talking to you,” Blaze mocked as he laughed a little “But then again a dysfunctional piece of scrap wouldn’t know about that, would he?”

Before AB could even swing his blade again, another one connected, it was a purple-blueish scythe (Two on each end) it had holes in many parts of the blade but it glowed with a blue aura. Then the laughing continued.

AB then looked towards Blaze as he lifted his hand and clicked his fingers. Soon his body vanished into the black light as they all waited for the end result, what they got made their minds and hearts freeze with fear, Mostly Dash. Their nightmares had all but came true right before their eyes, and they couldn't wake up.

Their friend was gone, his face black as the void, smiled forever grinning, Eyes never changing from the purple glow. Laughter that never stops.

“I’m back Equestria,” Neckros said as he glared at the Bot as he held his scythe to his side

“Did you miss me?”

To Be Continued…