FSE

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"I'm sorry Sentry, but I really need a favor and you aren't going to like it." I caught him as he was leaving our temporary housing within the hidden mountain cavern. "I haven't been able to get in contact with Equestria at all since Twilight sent me that strange message. I really need someone I can trust to take the trip back and check on them. You should probably take the rest of the crew with you for backup. Don't worry about the Wyvern, Echelon said after what I did to the creature it was easy to relocate it to a new hunting ground."

"If it were anypony else asking I wouldn't, but I trust you. If I make the flight instead of going by boat I can get there a day in advance of the rest of the crew and scout the area. Just make sure you don't surrender yourself to any more Pirates while I'm gone."

"I'll keep that in mind. You should be careful too, the Alicorn sisters are missing and for all I know Discord is too."

"I will, just let me talk with Xane before I head out."

"How is he?" I asked, remembering our ordeal at the Pillar of Fate.

"It's already like it never happened, they are letting him out of the hospital today with a clean bill of health." Sentry unconsciously smiled as he thought about Xane.

"That's good to hear, I should get Kira and go see what Aeolus and the Nestking want. And thanks for doing this for me, I just wish I could be in two places at once..."

~

"We have decided it is unwise to keep you unaware of the situation," Echelon spoke to Kira and I, apparently speaking on the Nestking's behalf, who sat silently. "The location the prophecy speaks of is quite exact for a scholar, it is a cursed place that saw much bloodshed during the war. Up until now I had believed it uninhabited.

Nevertheless, there have been reports of missing ships and kidnappings from surrounding gryphon and pony islands. It is likely to be Zandria building her fleet, as these reports have been quite common in territories outside of our protection."

"Why don't you send your own fleet to stop this? Did you summon me because you need equestrian aid?" I directed my questions to the king.

"Moving out the army and fleet at this time is unadvisable. It would leave the Nest vulnerable to attack from my daughter, and trust me she has enough spies to know even now where I am. The prophecy speaks of an ancient evil, it could quite easily be that the ancient spirit of sin that possesses her has finally pushed her to act.

No, what I ask is a simple scouting mission to the shadowed isles to determine the truth behind the prophecy. You should be more than capable of handling any trouble encountered. If a war is what is needed then I might yet call upon our new alliance.

Oh, and take Xane. If Zandria is no longer in control of her own actions then he knows what must be done."

~To sea

We flew high above the tumultuous waves, but the weather had begun taking a turn for the worse. Winds buffeted us as we searched for anywhere to land. The crew we had sailed in with had dropped us off an hour's flight from land, promising to circle back to the same location at noon the next day. The dark clouds seemed to circle the distant islands, obscuring all sight of it in darkness and mist.

The light trickle of the sky was already enough for Kira to fear for the magic binding her false wings and the skies just a head seemed even worse. Spotting a large sandbar with a single palm tree for cover we all descended in unison to rest.

"I don't think we should try and reach the islands tonight, the storm and fog around the island feel... off." I spoke, huddling closer to the base of the lone palm as a gust of wind blew a cold spray my direction.

"This isn't something Zandria is capable of, perhaps it is part of an old curse placed upon these lands?" Xane spoke. "But it is strange that I do not sense her presence at all."

"Sense her??" Kira questioned, receiving no answer from Xane who seemed lost in thought. "Cryptic as usual," Kira sighed, looking back to me. "We should get some sort of shelter set up, fly up and pull a couple of the palm fronds. I'll gather up some driftwood.

With a little magic to cheat the system our lean-to shelter and a small fire were set up, the sloped structure hiding most of the light from the land and keeping the fire safe from the winds. Xane insisted on the first watch, as the darker it got the less his avian eyes would see.

~

The second watch of the night had been uneventful, and I found myself nearly bored to sleep. I paced through the sand, keeping my body moving as I looked out into the impenetrable fog that had crept ever closer to our sheltered sandbar.

Looking over to the fire I contemplated taking a break and adding a few pieces of driftwood. As I looked back into the fog I caught sight of a single halo of light. It slowly drew closer and brighter as it cut through the fog, headed towards the isles.

The shadowy outline of a ship made itself clear as a gust of wind shifted the fog away for a mere second. A single lantern glowing ever brighter as the vessel changed its course.

I realized, too late, that just as I could see the lantern, whoever was on the ship could likely see our fire. It was concealed from the land, not by way of sea. I ran over and kicked sand across the flames, causing them to sputter out. Hopefully the vessel would miss the tiny sandbar in the fog.

"Kira, Xane. Wake up." I hissed. The noise of the fire sputtering out and my voice causing them to stir.

As the ship was almost upon us I recognized it as the vessel we had arrived in. Why would they have sailed this close when this was supposed to be a stealth mission?

"Stay here with Kira," I told Xane as he stretched his wings. " I'm going to fly out there to see what is going on."

I darted out across the water before they could respond, using the fog to stay out of sight. My large arc slowly lead me around the vessel as it continued to approach. As I arrived at my destination, the spot where anyone on the ship was least likely to be looking, I flew up as quietly as I could and peered over the ship's rail.

Nothing. The deck was entirely empty, as if the crew had jumped ship or simply vanished. I scanned upwards to the masts, still not a soul to be seen. An empty cup rolled noisily on the wooden planks as I decided it was safe to land.

Something other that ocean currents has to be behind brining the seemingly empty ship here, especially with the recent change of course. Perhaps the crew was hiding below decks?? It didn't make sense, but an entire crew just doesn't up and vanish.

I walked over to a hatch that lead below deck, preparing myself to attack as I pulled it open and quickly leapt back.

It was then that I heard Kira call out, the light of her magic pulsing once before complete silence.

I ran to the bow and leapt off, racing back to the sandbar to see what was happening. Arriving I skidded to a rough halt, finding only a scattered lean-to and freshly disturbed sand. Looking into the mist gave no further clue as to what was happening.

I jumped as the empty vessel beached itself in the shallows around the sandbar, obviously entirely abandoned now.

There was only one place Kira and Sentry could have gone, or been taken to... And that was the shadowed isles themselves.

I didn't bother searching any longer, flying headfirst towards the storm that seemed to perpetually surround the isles.

~~

A blood moon gleamed its unnatural red light upon the exotic jungle of the island. But I didn't care about the scenery, I had my eyes fixed on a well trodden dirt path that disappeared into the jungle depths. The fact that the ground hadn't been overrun by the flora was testament that this island was definitely not uninhabited.

I could feel eyes upon me as I descended, even though I couldn't see Anypony. As soon as I touched the path I was greeted by an Erie silence, even the jungle creatures too quiet. I couldn't be too far behind whoever had captured Kira and Xane so I forged on despite the sense of danger flaring up inside of me.

By now I had come to accept that the two had somehow been overwhelmed and carried off, Kira wasn't one to run away from a fight. Would I have been captured too if I hadn't gone to investigate, or would I have been able to stop this?

The dirt slowly gave way to stones, sparsely placed at first but soon forming a pathway. A slow chill crept up my spine, something was strangely familiar feeling about this...

The path took a turn and suddenly the jungle trees stopped, giving way to decrepit looking buildings of roughly hewn stone. I looked back, catching a single glimpse of a shadowed figure ducking to avoid my gaze.

I could hear noises up ahead, shadows dancing on the ground down the stone path. I felt like I somehow knew this place... I continued on, ignoring the fact that I was being stalked.

As I approached the noise everything suddenly made sense... The strange dreams I had been having for over a week now, they were a warning... I stumbled around one more building in a haze, knowing too well what was coming next.

A hush fell upon the hundreds of clamoring nightmares as I stepped into view. The dreams had been real, these corrupted ponies and gryphons. The bloodied altar of sacrifice up the thirty cold steps.

The mass of dark and twisted creatures began to advance, their hateful gazes and darkened coats distinguishing them from normal ponies or gryphons. A few let out animalistic snarls.

"Hold! Let us properly invite our guest before tearing him to pieces." A voice echoed down from the summit of the altar. It was him, I could feel it. The priest in dark robes that I had dreamt killing and twisting countless creatures to his will.

The snarling crowd parted, allowing me a straight path to the dark stone steps. I stiffly walked into the midst of danger, my hoof falling upon the first step. I could hear my pathway back being blocked off by countless possible enemies.

The sacrificial structure seemed ancient, it's angular build reminiscent of some Mayan temple. A few steps further and I froze, not because of the darkly clad priest or the blood slowly trickling down the top stairs, but because of who was with him.

Kira and Xane floated just off the bloodied stone, suspended as if by some sort of magic. A glow from beneath the priest's hood confirmed my guess. My dreams letting me know exactly what was intended for them.

"Ah ah ah." He threateningly pulled his dagger up, teasing it along Kira's immobilized form as I took another step.

"Let them go, this doesn't have to end in violence." I half commanded, half begged. I knew what happened in either outcome of drinking the tainted blood, they would either become monsters or be cast aside as mindless animals.

"I'm feeling generous, so I'll give you a choice." The priest spoke out, his voce eerily familiar. "A classical hero's conundrum. Who do you choose to keep alive?" He moved away from Kira and pointed the blade at Xane, questioning as if I would actually pick.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked him. "You have no quarrel with me or my friends."

"Tick tock, time is running thin. Choose who lives and who dies." The words flew from his maw, a seriousness to match his threat concealed in the tone.

"Please, let's just talk about this. Just let them go, nopony needs to get hurt." I advanced up one more worn stone stair, only fourteen from the top now. In response the madpony shuffled over to Xane, placing the blade at his throat.

"Hahaha." The robed priest gave a wretched chortle. "There is so much you will never understand Alicorn."

"Explain to me then." I took another step up the cracked stone steps, the robed unicorn tightening his grip on the blade and giving a half growl.

"I'll start off simple. You are no hero, there is no such thing." He grinned, his mouth folding up in a wicked smile as he drew the dagger across Xane's throat. It was all I could do to watch in horror as the blade swept through his flesh, far too great a distance away to prevent it.

Xane was released from the magic, his eyes wide with shock as his life swiftly trickled away along with the bloody flow . The priest held his limp form like a broken doll, taking a long lick over the wound before casting Xane away. His body was discarded to the side without remorse, like so many corpses before.

"No!" I cried out, sprinting up the steps as soon as I got over the immediate shock. I needed to reach Kira before this murderous scum did any more harm.

The unicorn cut himself, allowing several drops of blood to flow free. "Tick-tock, are you quick enough to even save those dear to you?" He made the point of slow motions, taking each step deliberately slow as if to taunt me.

Raising his hoof above Kira's maw as she stood there frozen his eyes stared into mine, cruel and reveling in my suffering. As I neared the top a chant arose from the dark followers below.

Reaching the altar I leapt, launching both myself and a magical gust meant to knock the priest away from Kira.

My motions stopped dead, my magic failing as I gasped for the nearly non existent air. He had anticipated my every move, thinning the air to prevent wind magic and halting my jump with a levitation spell. His grasp on magic must be immense if he could maintain both labor intensive spells at once.

"You were this close," he taunted, his bloody maw twisted in a grotesque grin. "But it seems in the end you really can't save anypony. Or even a helpless eight year old human girl who's last moments were wasted believing her brother could save her..." His words drifted to me over the thin air, my vision nearly going dark as I watched a single drop of tainted blood splash into Kira's maw.

I splashed against the blood soaked stone as he released me, air rushing back into my aching lungs. "How dare you!" I shakily pressed myself up, splashing a wave of blood towards him as a distraction as I attempted to recover enough for a real attack.

"I wouldn't waste what precious time Kira has remaining." He spoke, the flow parting around him on an invisible barrier. "I would say you have about a minute to say goodbye before her light is snuffed forever."

"You know her, and you know me enough to predict my every move, how?" I asked as he took a step back to allow me room to see after Kira.

"How could I not?" The dark priest ripped away his robe, revealing the true color of his coat. It wasn't pure black at is had first seemed but held a small tinge of blue. His flank was accented with a blood crest, a near identical match to mine save the coloration. "Tick-tock." My unicorn doppelgänger spoke, reminding me of Kira's limited time.

Kira had been released from his magic, instantly collapsing to the floor in convulsions. "Kira!" I stood by her protectively, as if my will alone could keep her safe.

"K- kick his ass for me... alright?" She sputtered.

"Kira, come on, you can fight this." I tried to assure her.

"Ike, kill me." She spoke those words clearly with a resolve that nearly broke my heart.

"Kira?!"I gasped in shock.

"Kill me!" She grasped my head between two bloodied hooves as pain plastered its way across her face. "If y- you love me you won't let me live as a damned abomination." She gave a shudder.

A blade splashed down in the blood beside her, the same one that had been used to slaughter Xane just before. "Do it, I'd love to watch."

"No," I spoke in defiance of both requests. "We fight this together!" In a spur of the moment decision I pulled her trembling lips to mine, stilling their movement. Before she could object I thrust my tongue into her maw, feeling the burning sear of the remaining blood from my doppelgänger. If I was to stop the process I had to understand it.

"Idiot." Kira gasped as I pulled away.

"This is priceless. Do you really think you can accomplish anything? We both are destined to be broken, crushed, and now you are just one step closer to realizing everything you have done to aid this land was meaningless." My dark copy chuckled to himself, drinking in the pain plastered on our faces.

I closed my eyes as I collapsed in front of her, my world going dark with agony. I forced myself to remain fully conscious, knowing that a single mistake could be my end. The pain was intense but it was nothing that I hadn't gone through before. One would imagine after containing a volatile power attempting to destroy you from within that other discomforts wouldn't match up.

The burning in my blood was just a distraction, a primer to for what was to come.

I forced myself past the distraction of my searing heart, opening my mind and allowing magic to reach out as my vision. I could sense everything going on around me, wisps of energy streaming from the countless dark worshipers in attendance. The power in their guttural chant was something beyond conventional magic, it funneled up to the sky as a dark vortex of power.

I followed the path up to its apex, feeling an immense surge ripple through the air. Time and space were ripped open for a mere instant as two malevolent entities shot through before it slammed shut.

The two dark creatures shot towards our prone forms at lightning speed, I barely had time to extend my consciousness over Kira's like a blanket before they were upon us. I did my best to shield both of us from the malevolent forces trying to find their way inside.

I knew this feeling, it was something that had swept through me once before... A demonic presence. "Stay away from her!" I didn't know anymore if my voice was out loud or just in my head but I could feel one dark presence give a questioning pause.

Exerting my will upon the demons I pulled at their very essence, slowly tearing one away from Kira before it could take root. These two were already here, there was no banishing them. If I wanted to survive this I would have to destroy them.

I forced every ounce of power that I could into rebuffing both of the forces, the only real signs of battle my glowing horn and the determination plastered across my face.

A cleansing fire burned through me, driving both of them back. Before they could regroup I grabbed at both, pulling them into my flux of power. I would not play the fool again; my band of power was pure enough to destroy a demon if I could directly interact with it, and these two presences combined were weaker than the demon that had taken me before.

I didn't know what happens to a demon when they die, but I really didn't care. Pure energy ripped through what was supposed to be our possessors, rapidly dispersing their dark auras as I destroyed them.

The energy burning inside me seared away the impurities of the tainted blood, removing all of its effects. As I opened my eyes once more I could sense everything had gone quiet, the initiates and even the dark priest silently awaiting their results.

I stood, looking back to Kira who shakily took to her hooves, still under the effects of the blood.

"At least you can now bask in our glory, a perfect blend of flesh and darkness." My doppelgänger spoke. "You may still wish to kill me but the demon within you is already whispering away, telling the great secrets of this infernal universe. Do you understand enough now to see your error?"

I had no idea of what truth he spoke of, so I diverted the question. "Who are you?"

"You should already know me, I am you. We may have different demons residing within but we are still the same. Be glad you are one of the elect, as Sombra and a majority of the original Imperium were, able to retain control and sanity under possession without having your soul consumed."

The Imperium? How blind I had been. I should have told Kira or even Aeoulus the details of my dreams, I could have prevented all of this. I had just assumed Sombra's possession was unique, not that every member of the imperium was a demonic abomination.

But I was supposed to have full control, yet not try to escape or fight? What lies did the demons whisper that could be so compelling? I couldn't dare ask without revealing my bluff. "How are there two of us?" I milked for information, my eyes scanning for any hints of suspicion.

"Ah, that is a strange thing. I do not belong here, but you know better than any you do not belong to this world either. That fact alone helped to drive a wedge in reality diverging as two different timelines: One where you failed to destroy the Alicorn princesses, and one where I succeeded.

When the destruction of my world was complete our world lines collapsed; forcing me, the successful version, into your failed world to fix your mistake.

So, that is why you share a duplicate form... It just happens to be the disgusting Alicorn version."

"A failure?" I looked to Kira, seeing she was barely holding it together. She seemed to be on the verge of collapsing once again. I had to keep up the subterfuge or find us a quick escape or she would be doomed.

"Yes, but you have a chance to redeem yourself, anointed. Go to Equestria, finish the mission or die trying. And bring back their bands of power; I have some candidates who would love to die for me. Now that you have been awakened to the truth you know it must be done so our plans can go unhindered, the bands of power will be very useful once properly corrupted."

"As you wish." I gave a short bow and turned, frantically motioning with my eyes for Kira to follow. When she remained unresponsive I grabbed her, starting to pull her along.

"Leave Kira, from her lack of an immediate physical change it seems she may be one of the elect as well. I never did get a chance to thank her properly for the training, without it I would never have been able to crush Celestia's skull beneath my hooves so... Efficiently."

There was no way she could fake being alright enough for that freak to sexually use her body, and I wouldn't allow it anyways. I had to get us out... I closed my eyes as he approached, listening to the sound of his hooves slosh upon the bloody altar. "Damnit..." I grumbled quietly, spinning around and launching a blow.

My copy didn't see this one coming, barely able to defend in time and off balance a second attack knocked him down. I could hear angered growls at my actions from behind. There was no easy escape that way and it looked like the altar rested on a precipice the cliff side dropping abruptly into dark waters.

The moon on the horizon seemed to flicker with a beckoning light, dispelling the bloody haze that had obscured it in my previous visions. Could Luna sense I was in trouble and was guiding me, or was it just a trick of the light?

I yanked Kira along with me, headed towards the side of the altar where the light shone brightest. I could hear the wet slosh as my dark counterpart recovered from the blow, regaining his hoofing. Coming to the edge with Kira I could sense a surge of magic behind us. I yanked Kira off the precipice and spread my wings just as the stone where our hooves had been exploded in a shower of debris.

The weight of toting Kira below me was too much and it was all I could do to lock into a descending glide, looking below to see where I could land.

Beneath us spanned a dark lake, the moon shining brightly upon the surface, what was I going I do? I could hear the angered cries from behind us as the demon possessed me commanded his flyers to follow. There was no way I could outrun them, and no way Kira could handle a fight. The tainted blood which I was able to self purge was wreaking havoc on her body, the process left incomplete by me slaying the demon meant for her.

My wings strained as the wind battered at us, loosing altitude quickly. I would likely be able to make it to the shallows at best, but then I would have to carry her into the dark woods under pursuit. This wasn't going to end well...

The sky gave a bright flash, my eyes drawn up to see a gleaming moon. It seemed to give out a beam of light, pointing my eyes to follow.

I looked down, the surface of the lake gleaming with a sharp circular outline. The light glossed over the waters surface, causing a near perfect reflection... A mirror!

"Luna, thank you." I angled myself towards the pale disk on the calm waters, launching a familiar burst of magic ahead of me.

"Discord!!" I shouted as I descended towards the calm reflective surface, praying he was prepared. I held Kira's unconscious form close, tucking my strained wings in for a full dive.

A wavering image of the Canterlot throne room took form in the perfect disk, Discord giving me a wink right as I splashed against the surface.

A cold darkness enveloped me, I held Kira close as I drifted through the nothingness between, waiting for the light to appear.

As suddenly as we had entered we shot back out, I turned my body to avoid landing on Kira as we splashed onto the flooded stone floor, water pouring through the imperfect portal at an alarming rate.

"Talk about an entrance." Discord quickly closed it behind us, preventing us from being followed or further flooding this mountainside castle town. "Things sure have been strange around here."

"Get Celestia!" I called to Discord. "Kira needs help!"

"No need we're right he-" Celestia opened the doors to the hall, a torrent of water rushing through. Celestia gave one sour glance at Discord as the throne, floating on its side, drifted by.

Luna, making sure Celestia wasn't looking, gave the plush seat a good shove, assuring that It would be swept away by the current. The water rushed through the halls out to an open balcony, the chair catching momentarily on the rail before tumbling over the edge, Luna's personal vendetta against the desecrated sex throne accomplished.

"Celestia, please." I begged, Kira in near convulsions again, "Do you know any magic that can help?"

"I don't know child, but I will do my best." Celestia lifted Kira, ushering her away.

"Luna, thank you. Without your help I don't think either of us would have survived."

"I could sense the danger and did what seemed appropriate. While I can sometimes see the ongoings of the land at night, I could not tell whom you were escaping from. What is this foul force that clouds my vision and taints the land?"

"In a sense, me..."

~

Meanwhile:

"Our presence is unveiled, we must strike." Ike's demon possessed copy stood in front of a sizable collection of converted ponies and gryphons. "Your way of life goes back centuries, a fusion of flesh and spirit powerful beyond measure. We may have fallen from history, but today we rise anew and unstoppable. Creatures like us once had a name; a name gifted in fear by those conquered, a name that caused the mighty to tremble, a name to end all hope. Let us teach this land the reason for that fear once more.

For the Imperium!"

A dark cry of affirmation arose, all in assembly joining as the cogs of war were put to motion. Their power would only grow with each soul devoured, each bloody sacrifice.

As the demonic hoard scattered to make preparations the dark harbinger of the new imperium winced, grasping at his foreleg, muttering to himself. "I fear I have little time left to complete my task... No, I can not give in before he is set upon the path to despair." He walked to the edge of the altar and let loose a raging inferno of energy, bleeding away the built up energy from the shackle of dawn.

Author's Note:

~

Thanks for reading!

I had this separated into two installments for some reason. One was a bit too short so I just combined them.