Axton’s Mind, the Dreamscape.

Axton stood up slowly, to find himself in a dark, dank and dimly lit chamber. As he walked around this chamber, he examined the scene that he was in, looking up at the light sources that seemed to be torches. He took a step back, feeling queasy as he saw what the torches were made from. They were made from merged skulls, pony and other creatures alike, with the skulls upside-down so that tar could be held in the top, or at least he hoped it was tar. The tar-like substance was set alight, which cast a dim and foreboding glow around the room when set alight within the many skull torches.

Fortunately, the floor was not made out of skeletal parts, but rather a dark and murky dark type of glass layering, with jet black gemstones beneath the seemingly solid floor. Inside said gemstones, a dark purple mist swirled contained by their crystalline cages; the mist called out to Axton, almost mesmerizing him as they shrieked with voices of the tortured inside his mind. He broke away from the sinister gems before stumbling back a little and falling on his flank. After a few minutes, he composed himself, before further investigating the malicious room. He pressed a small button that he found on the wall. With a grating scream, a corridor revealed itself to him. The corridor had spider webs in every corner, and furiously burning braziers crafted of even more bones lit the corridor as he continued his way down this reincarnation of darkness that he was experiencing.

Finally, he reached the end of the corridor, where a seemingly glowing black light was glowing upon the head of a carved monstrosity of a being. It had the head of pony, but had an assortment of other body types upon its head. This being reeked of some sort of dark magic; whatever types of magic this being gave off, made Axton’s stomach churn. As the door turned open and Axton walked into what seemed to be a rocky pathway. He walked along the pathway, taking in the scene around him. Lava fell from small cracks in the rock chambers walls, and the temperature was stifling; was he in Tartarus?

He continued observing the scene, only to find his gaze drawn to a bipedal dark being that possessed a towering height within the room, his demonic form sitting carelessly upon a throne of massacred bodies that had been melded together so they were literally unrecognizable. This demonic being was clad in obsidian black-purple armor, which emitted a mysterious and clouded shadowy mist. Axton walked towards the being, who, when noticing him, turned his coal red eyes towards Axton; the eyes bore into the very depths of Axton’s soul, making him involuntarily shiver.

“So, this is the Machine heart... Interesting. What did Abraham see in you, a puny colt?” The demon’s voice was grating and condescending as he looked down upon Axton, who now glared with an intense ferocity at the demon “Ah, potentially unlimited magic, I see... Undying spirit, strong heart. Pure. Soul. Bah!” The demon hawked into the lava below, his blue spit sizzling in the fiery depths of the chamber; He spat those words as they disgusted him.

“I’m not scared of you demon! You’re nothing but a reincarnation of darkness, a plague to all things good!” Axton spat at the demon with venom in his voice; anger bubbled away inside him due to this monster carelessly insulting his gods.

“Listen to me, child. In the coming times, there will be a plague of darkness and the kingdom of Equestria shall crumble under the mighty legions of the undead. Understand this. Not even the Machine Heart can stand against the might of my legions. No one can against the legions of the Mortem Domini!” Domini roared the last words, and as they escaped his ravenous maw, the earth seemed to shake under the demon’s anger, wailing in pain that his very presence caused.

“No.” A calm voice came from behind Axton, and turning around, he saw that the three machine gods stood behind Axton, their eyes glowing brighter than ever. Abraham stood directly behind Axton and looked down to give the colt a reassuring smile “We stand as one, and Axton’s magic, when unleashed, will banish you once more. Not even you can begin to comprehend what this child can do. He is more powerful than you think, Mortem.”

“HA! You think a mere colt can stop me? When I rise, the lands shall be drowned in my darkness and not even you, nor shall your pathetic magic of Law stop me. No, I will rise once more. Then you will all regret banishing me from Olympus in the first place. You and ALL the other gods!” Domini’s eyes were glowing a bright red now, the idea of revenge making them glow greedily.

“That will not be so, Mortem. You boast of your hoards of the undead, while we have the very creatures that made up this land in the first place. Not even the magic of the dead can stand up to the essence of creation itself. I doubt even any of us could achieve such a feat with your useless excuse of Necromancy that you possess.” The gods nodded at Abraham’s words, agreeing with him that any being that manipulates the dead so easily would be banished and vanquished by the forces of good.

“I will talk no further with you, fools. Now be gone from mine chambers!” With a sweep of the demon’s hand, Axton found himself among the gods within their metallic and safe chamber once more.

“I’m sorry you had to see that, Axton. As he said, that was Mortem Domini. He is a greater demon of death and commands his legion of the undead, which, like him, have been dormant in the very depths of Tartarus. He is a being of Darkness, a Death Lord as you will, who despises living creatures. But you need not have any fear for when the time comes, and you must fulfil your destiny, good will ultimately triumph over evil. Now, rest for what is left of tonight and get some rest.” Abraham smiled as Axton faded and left the dreamscape to fall asleep within a dream of his own. He turned to the other two gods.

“So” Hephaestus growled “You think Mortem is coming back? If he is, why rest our fate on the colt?” The berserker god was itching for an answer as he shifted from one hulking foot to another.

“The reason I trust him” Abraham replied levelly “is because he holds a great power within him, one I have not seen in many millennia. The prophecy foretold that he would win against Mortem. I only hope that this prophecy speaks the truth for if it does not... we are all doomed to succumb to the darkness.” He spoke gravely, but he was not deterred; he had faith in this pony child, and deep down, he knew that Axton would not fail. He only hoped the boy would not die in the process of trying to save Equestria.

Author's Notes:

Many thanks to Fluttershy Auditore for proof reading and pointing out the odd mistake :3

If any of you wish to message me about anything concerning this fanfic that seems overly important, please don't hesitate.

Gears are Grinding,
Axton