An Equestrian Lifestream Corrupted and Manipulated

“Hold on everyone,” Cloud spoke to the group which was quickly diminishing in numbers. “I think we need to sit this one out. Genesis can very well handle himself and we need to come up with a solution of our own.”

“I agree,” Cadance replied.

The group stopped where they were right outside Ponyville to take a much needed breather. Cloud turned to Cadance with an inquiry on his mind.

“You said you were going to try and interact with the heart in order to counteract Sephiroth’s influence on it. What happened back there?”

“Well, I believe it rejected me.”

“That’s obvious but why?”

“I don’t know. The use of my spell affected it temporarily. However, it deemed Sephiroth’s influence more important. Perhaps the love in my spell was not strong enough or…” Cadance seemed to be pondering something. “…or perhaps it seeks influence only from those with a similar connection to the current owner. The Crystal Empire shared the Crystal Heart but no one ever explicitly took ownership of it much like King Sombra had done in the past.”

“I don’t follow,” Cloud said.

“Well, in the past when King Sombra reigned he was the only that could affect the heart because he completely controlled it. However, there was one particular pony that used her love in order to circumvent his rule. She released the heart from his dark grip and the empire’s citizens lent her the strength, love, and compassion to banish King Sombra.”

“I don’t remember reading anything about that pony,” Twilight said.

“I suppose you wouldn’t. The pony was stricken from the records and simply vanished with the empire under King Sombra’s curse.”

“How come we never saw her?” Twilight asked. “Especially since the rest of the Crystal Ponies had come back?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe she didn’t vanish with the empire and was an exception to the rule. She was King Sombra’s daughter after all.”

The ponies gasped at this remark. “Then, how do you know about her?” Twilight asked.

“Again, I don’t know. While in the empire, the memory came to me one day. I think it was shown to me by that pony,” Cadance looked off into the distance. “wherever she is. I almost feel like I have a connection with her.”

“So, being family, she was able to wrest control of the heart from King Sombra?” surmised Twilight.

“Yes, I believe so. Family is one of the deepest bonds living beings have. ‘Blood is thicker than water’ as they say. It carries with it the four types of love in its foundation. The power of love in that kind of familial connection would almost certainly be enough to regain complete control of the Crystal Heart.” Cadance regretted saying the word ‘blood’ as she had seen enough of it for one day. Everyone seemed to cringe at the word too.

“’Family’…” Cloud thought out loud looking towards Ponyville. “I believe I have a solution to our problem.”

The group regained some hope from these words looking up to Cloud for much needed answers.

“First, though, I need something done.”

*****

Sephiroth stood in the middle of Ponyville looking around. He saw no one around but was not surprised given that Cloud and his group had somehow headed him off. They probably got the citizens to leave. It didn’t matter; they can run but death is inevitable.

“Soon, ‘mother.’ The time is coming for me to begin my ascension. I will reclaim what was taken and is rightfully ours. Not a single soul will be able to evade my grasp.” He clenched his right fist holding it up in expressing and symbolizing the anger he had long felt against the Cetra for what they did to ‘mother.’ It was one grudge he was not willing to let go. Any who opposed him meant as much to him as those accursed Cetra that denied he and his ‘mother’s’ access to the Promised Land.

The Promised Land was his rightful inheritance and he was continually denied it by lesser beings. They repeatedly called upon the wrath of a soon-to-be-God. It was a mistake every living being was going to regret even if it meant an extreme show of force and power. Power is what Sephiroth had now with the number of souls under his control. In addition, his connection to the lifestream through the Crystal Heart and Jenova’s cells granted him corruption and manipulation of the lifestream. He could now feel the spiritual energy of the planet flowing through his fingers granting him the authority over its magical properties. All that was needed was one more boost in power and he would become a God.

“Once I’m done with this planet, I’ll use it as a second Meteor and destroy Gaia,” he thought out loud to himself. Sephiroth spotted a city far off in the distance on the side of a mountain and made that his next target. Before he could head towards it, however, he felt a familiar presence getting near. “He’s persistent, isn’t he ’mother’? I refuse to call that disgrace a brother.”

Genesis and Weiss landed a few feet from Sephiroth.

“It’s about time you showed, Genesis. Come to enjoy the show?”

Genesis took out his sword and entered an attack stance. “The world needs a new hero. It needs you no longer, Sephiroth.” Genesis held out his right hand to Weiss. “I’ll take Sephiroth alone.”

Weiss obeyed his brother’s command but stood ready to enter the fight if needed. Genesis ran forward striking at Sephiroth who deflected the attacks with ease. One of Genesis’s attacks was strong enough to knock Sephiroth into the air where they continued their fight. However, it was noticed that Sephiroth was not fighting back. In one forward strike Sephiroth matched Genesis’s attack and said in a mocking voice, Is this the best you can do? Genesis was furious by this striking more wildly than ever.

Sephiroth then began to attack with very quick strikes. Genesis slowly realized that Sephiroth’s strength was much stronger now than before on the rocket. One wouldn’t be able to immediately tell but Genesis felt it in every strike of his sword. Being in SOLDIER taught many things about warfare. One of these things was the ability to comprehend an enemy’s strength in physical combat. After so many fights in the Wutai War, Genesis had learned to recognize an enemy’s potential in their combat prowess.

This disadvantage was learned too late as Sephiroth delivered a powerful swing of his sword knocking Genesis into a building below which collapsed upon impact. Sephiroth landed in the street looking at the collapsed building. Weiss, who had seen enough, entered the fight and charged Sephiroth with both swords drawn. Once again, Sephiroth deflected the attacks with ease returning them in kind with his own attacks. However, he noted certain perfection in the art of Weiss’s use of swords. His attacks, guard, and parries were nearly flawless.

Weiss emitted a pulse of electricity from his body that burst into a shockwave destroying a few houses in the process. The force of the attack was enough to send Sephiroth flying into a far off building. Weiss continued his charge towards Sephiroth’s position intending to finish the job. In retaliation, Sephiroth burst out of the building in fury and came at Weiss with blinding speed. Weiss was able to block the assault but the power of Sephiroth’s swings pushed Weiss back twenty feet.

It was in this moment that Weiss was unable to attack. All he could do was defend and, though his abilities were nearly flawless, his strength was easily outmatched. Sephiroth used brute strength not only to put Weiss solely on the defensive but pushed through his guard running him cleanly through the stomach. In pain, Weiss dropped his swords and Sephiroth grabbed his head with his right hand.

“Brother,” was the last word to escape Weiss’s lips before Sephiroth drove his blade further in, twisted it, and pulled it out to let his victim bleed out.

Sephiroth felt a tremor in the ground below his feet witnessing Genesis burst out from the house he fell into. Genesis saw Weiss on the ground and felt his blood come to a boil.

“Now comes the time for the hero to take action,” Genesis said raising his rapier imbuing it with a red aura. The sword reflected this with runes appearing on its sides. Genesis pointed his sword above Sephiroth manifesting a crest of red energy. Sephiroth had no time to evade the attack and instead guarded against a wave of energy coming down on him.

Genesis pressed the attack by throwing projectiles at Sephiroth which reacted violently on impact by causing an explosion with enough force to level half of Ponyville. After the smoke cleared, it was apparent that Sephiroth had survived unscathed. With lightning speed, Sephiroth leapt at Genesis and engaged close quarter combat too quick for Genesis to handle. Blades of energy emitted from Sephiroth’s sword causing deep gashes in the surrounding landscape. While deflecting an attack, Genesis’s sword was knocked to one side pulling his body along with it being dragged for a few yards.

Sephiroth jumped onto Genesis’s back while he lay on the ground, driving his sword into his flesh. Genesis screamed in agony.

“You were right about one thing, Genesis,” Sephiroth said rather coldly. “I’m no hero. I am meant for something greater. A destiny and right given by ‘mother’.” Sephiroth pulled out his sword and started to walk away until he heard a voice. It wasn’t Genesis - who had passed out - but feminine. He turned around and was met by two talking horses wearing crowns.

“I will not abide lawless destruction of my loyal subjects or my lands! Cease you activities or face severe punishment for the crimes committed against the citizens of Equestria!” Princess Celestia demanded in an authoritative tone.

Sephiroth felt the threats were genuine for he could sense much more in these two than any of the world’s inhabitants he had faced so far. It was not a situation he was going to take lightly. He raised his sword ready for a fight that could very well be his match. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna entered their own stance intending to end the destruction this man had caused to their world.