darkSpyro

"Then how can he represent hope? Are all that is ancient in that world complete monsters? And if they are, can they be saved from they're paths of self-destruction?" asked Patriatic.

"Because the same rules don- don't apply to him." Hellena shook her head wearily. "Of course he's bitter, and he's angry... but he's still trying to do what he's been doing for the last couple of millennia. I dunno, he's powerful enough not to let it get to him proper." Straightening up, and taking a deep breath, her tone took on a harsher quality. "Why would you care?"

"Because dear mare," he explained sounding as sincere as he could, "tragedy is going on everywhere. It's already happened here, it could've happen in another world or maybe this whole planet, and besides, you have peaked my interest on how to help control this 'Loony' pony."

"Control?" her magical grip on her axe tightened, the cracks between the charred wood glowing an embery orange as it heated up, before she relaxed slightly. "...Go ahead and try, and then it won't be me you'll be fearing."

---

"Yeah, and you didn't stop her from doing something stupid?" Grey snarled, flaring out his wings. It would've been a threatening display if Loony hadn't seen it hundreds of times before. The sparks shooting from his wings were a nice touch, admittedly, but it was all theatrics.

"No, I didn't. Your point? She's alive, if that's what you're yelling at me about." Loony shrugged, scratching his nose casually while watching the filly curiously.

Grey swore, taking off through the trees without another word. Loony laughed.

"My regards, Mr. Zephyr. I'm sorry for what you've had to put up with, both with the Announcer and everything going on recently. I've never known Grey to be so... volatile. It's interesting."

Argaent grunted, shrugging. "He'll come back."

"I'm sure he will, and I'm sure I will too." With that, he vanished.

"Very well than, but even if I did fear him like a complete coward, I still would need some help on deducing his weakness or finding something he isn't strong to...have any ideas?" he questioned.

"You don't understand, d-don't you? What you probably think is... is a part of my subconscious that became sentient to me, or something... took out the Nightmare... by himself." Hellena kicked at the ground in frustration. "He did what... nine of the best b-bloody mercenaries in Equestria could not. Without effort. And he was holding back."

The unicorn shivered, but not with cold. "I-I go ba-back on my earlier statement. Don't go after Loony, for your o-own safety."

---

She felt wretched.

Lying on an outcrop of stone beneath a flickering light, Phosphora lay on her back with her eyes puffy and red, half-lidded from her ill-fated attempts to get some sleep. Her mane, usually arranged in perfect locks of yellow, black and red, was tangled and dull. Her normally pristine coat was dirty, and stained with tears.

Phosphora didn't drink; she had no reason to. Now, she yearned for sometime to flush the pain away, whatever cruel promises for temporary relief the alcohol promised.

But worst of all were the emotions. Guilt, grief, anger and resentment churned throughout her brilliant mind, each one returning in full force when she believed she had a reprieve from it, if just for a moment.

How had it that she mourned the death of what Equestria believed to be a predator and a pest, but hardly bat an eye at the prospect of seven possibly dead siblings and her mother?

Phosphora was enraged at herself for not checking up on the systems that maintained the tiny changeling hive, placing the full weight of the responsibility upon her withers. They didn't deserve to go out like that. The dozen or so left didn't deserve to be left without a mother and family.

All because of her.

---

It had taken a while, he had to admit. He'd heard some fighting in the distance, and the angry ranting of a few familiar voices nearby. He would've investigated the argument further, but Arlon had a goal in mind, and little could be done to sway him from his path. His father and half-brother was of little interest to him at this moment.

Soon, he reminded himself. Soon.

The base of the mountain Canterlot was positioned on was littered with ruins from the fallen city. Ignoring the marblework, the earth pony navigated his way through the ruins, right up against the cliff face of the mountain.

Eventually, the manipulator smiled. There it was, one of the few entrances left into Zephyr Laboratories. Shoving through the thick steel door, he disappeared into the inky black.

Behind him, a brown, red and white filly flickered into sight, vanishing but a moment later.

"So to put this in perspective: he is a hematomaniac who is as powerful as a force of nature, in this case, omnipotential, meaning he is like the devil or Tirek: a creature tempting you to do wrong-doing's for they're sadistic pleasure's. And he can turn you into this whenever he wants to for several years? Is this correct, Miss Hellena?" Patriatic asked.

"Let me answer that with my own voice." Loony cut across Hellena as she started a sarcastic retort, appearing in full view by the treeline, casually observing a hoof. His voice was clearly audible.. "No, no, no, no and no. You're mistaking me for a Nightmare. The filth that stalks this land. I do not consider myself to be among their number."

Patriatic was taken by surprised, but calmed himself, "Then what are you then if you're not a nightmare? Answer me!" he demanded.

"A dream, of course." Loony laughed shortly. "But really, nightmares aren't as bad as you make them out to be. It's just the queen. The same could be said for us, too. Huh."

"So you're a manifestation? An addiction of power in her mind and only willpower can stop you? Am I closer to the truth?" he questioned.

"A manifestation of the dream world brought to life by my charge's peril and by the Nightmare Queen, actually." Loony explained, a smik playing against his round muzzle. "I tore myself free from intangibility to do some real good, instead of just watching ponies sleep. Hah. I can never go back. Really, I don't care."

"Who is The Nightmare Queen? Is she the one who controls Hellena here?" he further questioned.

"The controlling entity behind the tyrant Nightmare Moon." Loony stated coldly. "Well, yes, controlled her once, I suppose. I made sure it wouldn't come back."

Hellena grunted, tossing back her mane. "Hh."

"'Hh' yourself. Hah. Well, this has certainly been the conversation, I should take my leave before your lunatic of a coworker shows up."

"Grey has every right to mad at you."

"Perhaps. But I'd prefer not to be throttled by the supposed 'weak' one."

Patriatic raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Coworker?" he asked in curiosity.

"What happened? Where am I?" Ash asked rather quietly, but was sure the pony could hear him.

Not an initial reply, "I am not here just to see you again," the voice had a bit of an echo to it, it echoed at least twice behind the base voice, "I am here for a rouge dream entity. I am using you as a conduit, a source of existence," Ash's blind fold was removed. The room as decently lit by a lanturn in the corner of the room. Two other sources of light were on the floor, but they were attached to the pony's font hooves, "Gaze upon me once again Ash. I am your pride, an agent of will, and bearer of needs... Say my name," the figure turned to Ash, his irises were in forms of burning living flames.

"Sheppard of Fire," Ash replied weakly. His eyes wandered the room with a sense of annoyance. The fiery pony lit up with fire, and shot over to the side of the table Ash was held to, "I'm not too happy to see you if you couldn't tell already..."

"I know your thoughts, and what you will think. I chose you for a reason, you refuse to die, but you have an open mind," The Sheppard leaned over Ash's head as the flames returned to his hooves, "And that 'dark side' of you, he keeps you aware of everything around you does he not?"

Ash then realized he was cautious and observant of everything, if only to avoid dangerous scenes, "I don't want anything to do with this fight... But, you not letting me go are you?"

"I cannot, not until I stop the rouge dream," Ash's binds burn away and release him rom the table, "I am your trust, you must follow," Sheppard burned away into nothingness, "I have limited effect on the world of reality, but it should be enough to help you locate the annomoly."

"oh please" Sicolus replied, turning his head to S "It's not like there are a billion other ways to go about it and a billion other ponies we could use. Besides that's a long term plan for when we run out of fun here."

Dusten took advantage of the situation charging at the black unicorn. Sic was quick to react lowering his head under Dusty's hooves and flipping him quickly on his back.

In the mean time Jed darted for the sphere in S's hoof.

Barkis raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Sicolus is in the fight to?" he asked, "you don't seem like the type for fighting to me..."

"Grey." Hellena stated shortly watching Loony depart. Her face remained flat, but there was nothing short of dislike and anger showing in her eyes. Whether aimed at herself or the frustrating little being who was her closest friend, she didn't let it show. "Hh, can only be Grey. Everyone else is dead."

"Even Grey is associated with him? Who is not associated with him that is not dead then?" questioned Patriatic.

"Apart from the links between me, absolutely nothing. One of my closest friends and colleagues, and one of my oldest. There's nothing more to it. It doesn't really matter, I just hope that Grey doesn't obsess over trying to kill him. Hh. Oh."

A dark, lanky stallion landed in front of them, kicking up dust with his wings.

"Hello Grey. You look really happy."

Patriatic smiled, He must have heard, either that or he's become infatuated by Hellena. Personally, I can see why: she has such great power, is shown some depths, maybe more that are hidden, of regret, and can be saved from a curse from a demon. Maybe I can save her... he thought enamoured by her.

S looked up from the orb to Jed. The sphere flew up into the air, "fight time?" He stared at Jed for a second as he closed in, "Ok," his eyes narrowed. Setting his front hooves down, and pushing up to pull his hooves back into the air. The rest of his body followed suit, he had managed to jump up about six feet. A magical platform spawned under him, "Ever fight a unicorn who could fly?" Two magic based blades formed at each side of the platform, ready to combat Jed's sword.

--

"It seems the rouge has allowed others to see him, but is still rooted to a unicorn," Ash was climbing a set of stairs while the Sheppard spoke, "This dream is a much older spawn, and has been rouge for quite a while. Chances are they don't know me at all, but I know just about everything about him."

"So," Ash had to push open an above head hatch, "Who is this unicorn we are looking for?" He. Limbed out to find he was near the train station. There was the sound of braking glass, and then a loud boom.

"Enough!" A dreadfully familiar voice shot images into Ash's mind.

"He... is here," Ash lowered back into the port opening, "Do we have to take the train?"

"No," a fiery figure manifested onto the ground outside the port, "The last location of appearance was witnessed somewhere in the forest along Ponyville," the Sheppard had a sharp fanned long mane with ten stripes with a repeated pattern in two groups of five, going from a dark red to orange and into a bright yellow. His somewhat short tail only hade three colors to match the first third and last in the mane's pattern.

Ash sighed deeply with a little bit of a whimper, "Alright, as long as I don't have to see him."

Barkis, realizing if he could defeat Sicolous could become they're new leader immediately turned to Sicolous and whipped out his sword, "Are you a fighting-type Sir Sicolous?" he asked smiling devilishly at him with an almost unnoticeable sweat matk on his forehead.

Jed looked up at the unicorn. It was truly a clever trick, but that is not his objective. He quickly turned the orb a flew up towards it making sure the closest part of his body to the other pony was his armor.

Sic turned to Barkis "I've been in a tussle or two" he said "But whether I can fight or not should not be your worry. If I where you, and thankfully I'm not, I would worry about that funky virus in you. Who knows when it will activate, and I swear to you it will not be pleasant." He sneered at the pony in a form strange to his usual demeanor.

Dusten picked himself back up cursing. 'this is not something I can rush into blind, he has more skill then I thought. I thought he was just mad, but there something deeper here.' Dusty thought to himself 'he is obviously capable of rational thought although nothing he has done to this point is rational. He is just sick, and like a sick dog I need to put him down. How?'

Sic turned his attention back to Dusty only to receive a hoof to the face. Sicolus stumbled backwards a little surprised "that was dirty" he laughed.

"Ain't no such thing as a dirty fighter" Dusten said jumping on his hind legs swinging his left hoof forward and following it up with his right, which held the hidden blade "just an educated one."

"You want my ball?" The blades dispelled from existence, "I'm afraid it's not yours to take. But you can chase it like it's bade of yarn, little kitty," S's platform started to raise, but only to the top of the trees. The orb was wrapped in magical aura from S1D3 5W1P3's horn. That platform was shrunken to just the radius of the edges of his hooves, to focus more on the movement of the small object, "Do you even know what it is?"

--

Gulaven was not stopped by the blade in his arm, but was stopped by the blade touching his neck. The blade was the one attached to the pony's leg. Gulaven was pinned between pain in his already bad limb, and certain death from a rigged weapon. He took the only logical option, his right leg detached from his shoulder, causing a flurry of loose liquids. He was then able to back up, and fling his hind legs up to kick the blade and pony back. With a powerful thrust from his wings, he sent himself hurling back at the pony. Driving his living left front hoof into the pony's blades limb, which ripped the nearest joint out of place, breaking the skin, and cutting the pony's side. Gulaven proceeded to bite down on the loose weapon set limb, turning it around and pushing it through the pony's chest. The only remaining raider pony jumped up from behind the now dead member, and waved a spiked bat. Though she was stopped quickly by a large spear pinning her to the side of the train car.

Barkis' eyes slightly widened, "How horrible is this virus?" he asked, somewhat paralyzed in fear in how he could have forgotten and how it could have represented cancer or worse.

Grey straightened, his expression hardening under his heavily scarred face in response to Hellena's sarcastic remark. "How is it that every time you're left alone, you almost kill yourself in some stupid fight?"

"Dunno. A-ask him. I h-honestly -hhck- don-don't know..." she trailed off into a hacking cough, her horn glowing a faint blue-purple for a moment.

'Happiness'. This is really pushing it, Loony. I'm not happy.

Sorry our ****ed up wonderland doesn't apply to reality. Or I should say mine. Pyroland hasn't existed for two years.

Grey's expression softened slightly, though he was still frowning. "You're hurt. And you," he turned on Patriatic, wings tucking against his side. "Explain. Now."

"She told me about Loony after the battle." he explained looking hard into Grey's eyes, "She told me about how he has been some kind of...thought-form, about some kind of 'Nightmare Queen' presumably Nightmare Moon, and all this was told after the battle. During it, she exhibited some form of fire storm and brief insanity, presumably Loony, and came back down almost dead injured. That is all."

Grey swore under his breath, shaking his head. He began pacing back and forth, eye narrowed as he muttered to himself.

"Alright," he spoke up a little after a minute or so, sighing heavily. "Alright. I'm saying this now, the little sociopath should've stayed out of the picture while it was still relatively believable."

He brushed past Hellena, careful to avoid her injury. "Are you really okay?" he muttered. She shrugged in response, but didn't reply.

"Sociopath? You mean he's contemptuous of those who seek to understand him, does not perceive that anything is wrong with him, unable to feel remorse or guilt, yet at the same time unable to seek pleasure from harming others, has extreme narcissism and grandiose and is flat-out anti-social?" he questioned.

"Yes." Grey replied flatly.

"No." Hellena responded at the same time, tail swishing uneasily. "No, you're wrong. You're lying."

I can't deny any of this, as much as I want to. It's... difficult to decipher what's really going on when you've been out of touch with both my reality and yours. I've been cast out from mine. I don't belong where I am now.

Yes, I have let ponies die. I take full responsibility for what happened with Nightmare Inferno. I have lied. Manipulated. Yes, I abandoned my true place. Why? Because Luna made a big mess of things when she fell. It only took me a thousand years to realise that. I broke taboo and went 'rogue'. I believe that's what they call it.

"So he does have a large ego? How dangerous is it? And how anti-social can he be on such occasion's?" he asked now in deep curiosity.

Grey shook his head, chuckling under his breath as he stopped pacing, casting a wary glance towards Hellena, who had her eyes fixed shut and horn glowing a faint blue. A familiar colour from her, but she wasn't showing the full extent of those particular abilities. Not that it would've meant anything.

"Ahah, no. I think you know enough about us." he replied, unfurling his grey-black wings warningly. Sparks lingered near the tips, the result of pegasus magic. An idly threatening display, but it was just that.

Patriatic smiled like a sadist, "A battle I presume?" he asked, his horn now glowing mahogany again, but now was sparking with black electric sparks, "Very well, so you wish it, SO IT SHALL BE!"

Grey chuckled again, tossing back his wild mane. "No. I know where I'm beat. Direct combat isn't my forte. We're done here."

"Hh." Hellena grunted, somewhat dejected, watching quietly from behind her own purple-blue mane.

Patriatic's horn stopped glowing, he was somewhat disappointed with his lowered expectation's, he had, however, managed to keep his calmness intact, "...Very well then," he replied, "I suppose we should be going then."

Sic easily blocked the left hoof. Dusten smiled as the blade popped out of its sheath aiming right for the neck. 'there is an arterie there, if I hit it he will just bleed out' Dusty thought to himself 'time to put this rabid dog down'.

Much to Dusty's surprise the shot missed and he was quickly jolted back to his situation when his face met a hoof. He stumbled back tempted to just fall down and lay defeated, but his pride wouldn't let him. "you're going to have to try harder than that" Sic sneered like somepony who had an assured victory.

This only served to fuel Dusten's anger 'he has really fast reflexes' He thought 'or he has already seen that trick and had it scouted.' Dusty cursed under his breath 'I didn't know he had any real experience.'

---

Jed starred at the black unicorn contemplating what to do. He drew his sword, which his days of retirement had served only to sharpen the blade. Although it may have chipped in a few places breaking through the bones of the last pony, that does not matter as much as it would with a smaller sword. If it loses its edge it just became a club, and that is what Jedidiah loved about it.

He charged the clone slamming the blade into the makeshift platform 'anything that can hold a pony and be so solid like this has to require a lot of energy' he rationalized.

"That would be best." Grey folded his wings, drawing back with a tired air, staring out into the forest. Struck with an idea of what he's seen earlier, he suggested, "There's something going on in there. I don't like it. Why don't you go have a look, if you've got nothing else to do?"

"That other guy went in there before." Hellena commented.

Barkis ran out of the forest in fear, realizing, or thinking, that Sic manipulated him into being infected by virus and started running faster into the direction of Hellena, Patriatic, and Grey.

---

Patriatic nodded and turned towards the direction of the forest, "Does anypony else see something coming closer towards us?" he asked as Barkis ran farther towards them.

"Generally when ponies ask that, I see things that they don't." Hellena replied stiffly.

Grey had to turn properly to see what Patriatic was pointing at, to get a proper look unhampered by lack of a right eye. "Huh. Well, I was right, wasn't I?"

Barkis came closer into view as he soon stopped before tripping and falling before Grey. Patriatic sighed before picking him up with his magic and cleaned him off, "Yes, yes, what is your predicament?" he asked Barkis.

Barkis spat out some dirt in his mouth as he started to explain, "There's a battle over there going on, occult for Luna, I'm infected with a virus, Sicolous...Dusten, other ponies, dead guard...that's all I can say!" he answered.

Grey stepped back, head cocked at a slight angle. "That's... great."

"I'm not going to forget introductions this time. Hi! I'm the overly complicated moron, and this is my friend the cripple!" Hellena's voice dripped with sarcasm as she held out a hoof.

Barkis' eyelids narrowed his expression, but he had a smile now, "I see...and I can tell we'll get along just fine." he said shaking her hoof affably.

Patriatic, however, was annoyed, "Must all the ponies I meet be linked to a tragedy?" he asked, "can't for once one have found a hidden area to live peacefully in?"

S reared up just as Jed struck his magic platform, but from here he spawned smaller disk plates under his front hooves, "As I can see, you think that magic platforms holding me up would cost a lot of magic to sustain altitude. But if you take into perspective that my platforms are based on staying stationary, not lifting," he dropped to all four, with magic discs under each hoof. He was pretty much walking on air as new disc appear as he stepped, the others faded away quickly behind him, "As you can see, no strain. Now, if I based them on a moving set, yes it would drain me rather quickly," the sphere flew up to his side, "Now, what do you want my soul stasis orb for?"

--

Ash scurried out of the hole, running from building to building to building. He eventually found himself face to face with a small group of drugged out earth ponies wearing unicorn horns like spikes around their shoulders and necks. They all turned to Ash and began charging at him, but from the fear and forced sadness, he quickly stood tall with a deep laugh. His hysterical laughter was followed bad a dead sprint into the small crowd of about seven ponies. He dived sideways, throwing his body into the group. He had knocked over the first three, but had tossed his legs over upon landing to roll back up. Upon standing, he jumped up and stuck his limbs out fast to kick the others that had been close enough. He found one of the horns stuck in his side, just above the entry wound from the sign, and pulled it out. He jumped up once more toward one of the fallen ponies, jabbing it down into the side of their head. He quickly pulled a few of the horns off the pony who seemed to still be alive. His speed became unmatchable, unnatural, and simply physically impossible. In a split second, each of the ponies had unicorn horns shiver into their legs and jaw line. He even emasculated the males with little treats in their rears. Before his irises could return to their sad blue, he had "released stress" to one of the females.

The Sheppard walked up from behind Ash as if he had been there the entire time, "I gave you the speed to dispel them, not to have fun."

Ash lowered himself to the ground, "I can't control what I do all the time," he begun sobbing, "I thought you knew... I have a split personality, I've had it since I was four years old. I was kicked out of school for language, harassment, and brutality..."

"No one believed you, and even your parents disowned you got it, I do know, but I was talking to the other you anyway," The Sheppard placed his hoof under Ash's chin to lift him up again, "If my highers allow it, I will bind your mind to be of a single soul, a single personality," he dared not smile, what would ha smile for? He wasn't being sincere, just giving Ash a motive, "Come on, the dreamer is not much further from where we are now."

--

Gulaven heaved heavy breaths, but was determined to see who saved him. Hopping his one leg to his left and bringing his rear around to face his savior, it was Torch. Torch had a quarter sized hole in his chest plate with a little blood dripping down, but his flesh just under the armor seemed just as clean as before he put the armor on, "Are you alright?" Gulaven asked barely taking notice of the nonexistent wound.

"I'm great, but you look like you need medic-"

"Not necessary, I've lived many moons without that poisoning thing, I'll be just fine without it," he then proceeded to limp into the train car. The body, after their clothing was used to mop up blood, was tossed out onto the concrete. Cauldron walked around to the door after taking a glare at Torch who was on his way to the engine, "Cauldron? Will you please inform the others it is in their best interest to come inside?"

Cauldron poked his head in, "Uh," taking notice of the missing limb, "Y-yes sir," he backed out to do as told.

OCC: What happened to Raptor and the guard?

Barkis carefully eyed Hellena and looked up and down at her, examining her cutie mark, confused by what it was supposed to represent, "Say Hellena," he said, beginning to speak, "what does your cutie mark represent?"

Luminia's wings flicked, having stood still for most of the fight. She would've kicked herself for not doing anything, and by extension not caring too much about the outcome. She hadn't really seen what she could do without proving a hinderance. Her tall frame was quite a big target, and her armour wasn't really built with bullets in mind.

The pegasus had been too empathetic once. Once.

---

"What'd you think?" Hellena stepped back, an eyebrow raised. "A nurse? No. I'm a firefighter."

Both Hellena and Grey laughed, though the former's was a bit strained.

"That sounds 'bout right." Grey smirked, shifting his wings into a more comfortable position.

Patriatic chuckled until he stopped and turned to Barkis, "So you two, what do we do with this soldier?" he asked, "should we see if he knows anymore things?"

Grey's good humour faded as quickly as it'd come, sighing heavily as he admonished himself for letting his demeanor drop, "There is no 'we.'" he stated coldly, before turning to Hellena. "Look, we should really get going (before Argaent gets sick of waiting, aheh). We've gotten too sidetracked with this little adventure."

"Good call."

"I'll admit, this is getting a little boring."

"Not you." Grey hissed, turning to face the treeline. He didn't see anyone there, but he assumed the dream to be lingering there.

"Indeed." he said releasing Barkis from the magic aura, "it's time the three of us had got going dear sir. Have a good day."