The Banished Brother

A dark blue pony with a black crown looked out at a thriving city from her lonely post at her balcony. “Luna?” called another pony this one pure white with a golden crown.

“In here sister” replied the blue pony known as Luna.

“Ah, good. There is something we must discuss tonight. A strong magical presence has been found on the lonely mountain, it has a few…peculiar qualities that we need to look into” the white pony known as Celestia said.

“Very well Celestia shall we be off?” inquired Luna.

“Yes, we shall go there immediately” said Celestia as a bright light surrounded both of the princesses and when the light dimmed both of the Alicorns had vanished.

When the sisters reappeared they stood at the mouth of a monstrous cave, within even from so far away they could sense as well as see a swirling ball of red energy and as they approached they could tell it was powerful, very powerful.

Suddenly with the sound or metal being ripped apart the swirling ball of energy expanded to a little bigger than Celestia and became a flat disc. And with a thunderous boom a single flaming hoof stepped forth from the portal, and another blast of sound as a second hoof strode forward. A head began to emerge and the sisters could see that this creature was indeed an alicorn, at least so far.

As the rest of the creature emerged it was confirmed to be an alicorn, it looked around and smiled when its blood red eyes alit upon the sisters, “big sisters, its good to see you again” said the strange alicorn.

Celestia’s and Luna’s eyes grew wide as they realized why the magic had seemed familiar. “n-no its not p-possible, we locked our baby b-brother within the burning hells for slaughtering several cities” stuttered Celestia worriedly.

At this the Alicorn smiled wickedly, “yes you did sister, but the next time you try to get rid of a magical creature don’t send it to a place filled with useable demonic magic” said the alicorn, he looked to Luna, what is wrong Luna? Don’t recognize little Nidhoggr?”

“I never knew anyone of that name.” mumbled Luna “my little brother was named Ruin”

“Much has changed these past few millennium sister my, my powers are under my tight control now. I have mastered my rage, and my hate. I have become a more powerful mage than both of you combined, the Asire saw to that!” laughed Nidhoggr .

“who?” inquired Luna, who was becoming used to the presence of this strange alicorn who claimed to be little Ruin all grown up. But the more Luna looked at this pony the more she became convinced that he was telling the truth.

He was black with streaks of red on his coat and his cutie mark was that of a hollow summoning circle surrounded by six runes of power. The only major change that she could see was the hooves and the mane and tail. The hooves were on fire, and it wasn’t a friendly looking fire, it looked hungry and furious. His mane and tale were black, not like her own mane that was black with thousand of stars shining brightly within; it was a soul sucking black with flecks of red that moved within and sometimes broke free only to sputter out and die.

“when you’re done staring I’ll answer your question…and the questions I can see you are about to ask” said Nidhoggr with a grin “I’m not all to surprised that you don’t rember the Asire, after all you fisted so many dimensions looking for help against Discord. They are gods over the nine worlds. You visited them in their home realm of Asgaurd asking for help, the declined because they had issues to solve in Midgaurd.”

“after I lost my temper and killed so many ponies you sent me to hell. One thing you didn’t know is that all the burning and freezing hells are connected, I found my way to neifleheim after a few hundred years of killing demons and taking whatever power they had, and it was this that changed my mane and tail. When I got there my name was already well known throughout the nine realms as a demon slayer of considerable power.”

“by the time I arrived there I was nearly dead. I felt like it was hardly worth the effort to get back to a realm that hated and feared me, it was then, in my darkest hours that Odin and his sons and daughters appeared before me. He looked down upon me with a sneer and looked to his companions.”

“See? This poor creature dosen’t even have the will to keep himself alive, let alone take care of the dragon for us”

The strange alicorn looked at his two sisters and sighed,

“Odin was right, at that point in time I was ready to die, ready to give up. But you know how stubborn I am when someone puts a challenge to me” said Nidhoggr with a grim smile, “I don’t remember much after that. I think Freya actually levitated me onto her back and carried me to Asgard, she never told me why she did.”

“when I awoke there was a strange unicorn sitting next to my bed looking at me” he said as his eyes became distant and he became lost in his memories

“Do you know who I am and where we are?” asked the odd unicorn

“No to both actually…last thing I remember is a group of ponies saying…something to me” said ruin

“Well my name is Freya, I am the goddess of love.” She said proudly “and you would be the pony who has been slaying all those demons in the hells correct?” she inquired.

“yes, I am Ruin. In the realm I come from I am the avatar of war and rebellion.” Said Ruin looking rather subdued.

“a noble sphere you have then.” Said Freya “you should be proud of your title” she said as she walked from the room.

Shortly after that young Ruin fell asleep but it was not restful, it never was since he began absorbing the essence of demons. This night he had night terrors but they were far worse than normal, he saw his sisters laughing at how weak he had become, at how he would never return and that he would perish in hell.

Here the Demons made a mistake, instead of the nightmares crushing his remaining spirit they enraged him and he awoke not in a cold sweat but shouting all manner of threats to the absent sisters. Suddenly a large Alicorn with a single eye rushed into the room his horn alight ready for battle. He looked around and asked bemusedly “nightmares?”

“no, the demons I’ve absorbed are trying to gain control over me again” corrected Ruin.

Odin laughed and his horn glowed brightly and Ruin could feel the presence of the demons in his mind wilt and disappear. “what did you do to me?” asked Ruin “I needed that power!”

“calm yourself little one. I only destroyed their minds, you still have their power, little as it may be” said Odin laughing to himself .

“oh…thanks” said a subdued Ruin “why did you help me?”

“simple, I need you to kill something for me” said Odin with a shrug “I doubt you will be able to however, Even at your strongest.”

“what could be so powerful that I could stand up to an entire pantheon of Gods?” asked ruin

“a dragon, but not just any dragon, THE dragon. Nidhoggr, Malice striker himself” said Odin “and the only reason we haven’t killed it is because the Norns will not allow it.”

“But your gods aren’t you? Can you not simply… override what these ‘Norns’ say?”Inquired Ruin

“No he cannot” intoned three voices coming from nowhere yet everywhere, “Odin may be chief among the gods but we are the Fates. We decide when Ragnarock begins and the great dragon is to be a tool for the end. Be silent it is time to be judged”

With that Ruin passed out. He dreamt of the past. Of his crimes against all ponykind. He saw himself laughing as he burned his was through a small town, killing everything in his path; stallions, mares, even the young fillies and colts. None were spared from his fire or his steel.

He saw himself find a mother blocking her colt with her body, he watched in horror as he began laughing as his horn glowed a brilliant red, there was a flash and the smell of burning flesh intensified as the mare writhed in pain and through the screams she begged for her son to be spared. But her cries fell upon a stone heart. For as she lay there dying the raised his hoof and brought it down on the colts skull, crushing it and killing him instantly.

The dream changed and he watched as a squadron of unicorns attempted to bind him, they raised their horns high as magical energy wrapped around him and brought him crashing to the ground. Ruin struggled the entire time but his struggles stopped emediatly as his sisters appeared before him in a flash of brilliant light.

“for thine crimes against the crown and ponies everywhere thou art banished from this realm and from this world, may you burn for what you have wrought upon us” with that Celestia and Luna raised their horns and brought forth all their power and sent him to the burning hells.

Just before the light struck there was a weak cry “goodbye” from the youngest of the three siblings

Ruin awoke with tears in his eyes and misery written upon his face. He looked around and saw that the entire Pantheon was gathered and watching. “we saw everything”, said Odin. “and I now see that you regret everything quite a bit.” He looked around with his one good eye and said to the assembled gods “he will be taught, who will teach him?”

A massive Alicorn stepped forth and proclaimed “I will teach him how to wage war, and how to maintain honor”

The little unicorn (Ruin noticed she was indeed quite beautiful) from before stepped forward “I will teach him of pride and repentance”

“very good” Odin said “and I shall teach you of wisdom and knowledge little one, you will need it if you are to defeat Nidhoggr.” With that all the Gods walked out of his room save for one, an odd green and silver unicorn he leaned forward and said “that was very impressive, I like your style” and with that he to left.