The Black Sun

Orion’s Determination

In a village near the ancient Mohenjo-Daro Ruins, a tournament is commencing. “Welcome, my friends, to the village of Mohenjo-Daro!” A griffin announcer called out at the arena, where about 100 griffin spectators have gathered. “Which houses the ruins and legends from a civilization from long, long ago. It is a village of romance and mystery. Oh yes, in deed. Right now, the village is in the middle of our annual Swirling Dust Festival, and this ancient stadium will host the main event: the traditional Sword Tournament is about to begin,” the announcer said, getting cheers from the large crowd.

“And the prize for winning is, a years supply of Mohenjo Villages locally mined salt. Oh, boy! Mmmm!” The announcer finished, causing the crowd to look on in amazement at the half meter tall pile of salt on the cart that has been brought up. “Now, without further delay, lets begins the first match! We all know the first competitor, the strongest griffin in the entire village, Ali al-Saachez!” The announcer cried as a muscular griffin walks into the arena.

“And his opponent, a traveler who just happened by to check out the festival is ... a blue changeling with a cutie mark?” The announcer said when they see a male changeling, only with of blue hair and eyes, around the same size as Chrysalis, with the same eyes and gapes in his legs. But the main difference is that he has a cutie mark, the constellation Cetus, meaning only one thing. “According to this, his name is Cetus, and he’s the King of Blue Changelings! But why would the blue changeling king, Cetus, come to our little festival, in our defenseless village?”

“I’m looking for something,” Cetus answered as he creates a sword made of ice, while Ali al-Saachez suddenly sees a sea serpent behind Cetus, which terrifies him.

“I guess I have no choice but to fight,” Ali al-Saachez said as he pulls out a sword and readies himself for a fight. Ali al-Saachez charges at Cetus, but the changeling just does one swipe from his sword, and it sends Ali al-Saachez all the way to the wall of the arena, leaving a griffin shape impression.

“It’s over! It’s a split-second win,” the announcer said as Ali al-Saachez gets out of the bay. “Cetus has simply crushed our own Ali al-Saachez in the blink of an eye. Just how strong are changelings?”

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“This changeling continues to win with overwhelming power! Can no one stop him?” The announcer said after Cetus wins his ninetieth victory in a row, as a griffin, wearing yellow and gold silk, walks into the arena.

“Hey, Cetus,” the griffin said. “I will defeat you right now!”

“Its King Indus!” The announcer said in an excited tone. “So, Mohenjo-Daro’s legendary king would clash with the King of Blue Changelings in battle! On a night when a star fell from the sky, King Indus the Third was born at the village chiefs home. He is the legendary warrior who is said to posse the power of the star. He has won this tournament 5 years in a row, his abilities are simply out of this world!”

“The power of the star, you say?” Cetus asked, not noticing a unicorn colt in a red cape with a large blue and yellow pony logo on it, and wearing a wide brim hat, covering his face.

“Send that changeling flying, King Indus!” Someone in the crowd cheered.

“Yes, if the king of Mohenjo Village can't save our honor, no one can!” The announcer added.

“Cetus, my friend, you are no doubt a fine opponent,” Indus said as he pulls out an axe and prepares for a fight. “However, I shall claim victory this year as well.”

Cetus then smiles. “King Indus, the griffin who took the power of a star itself.” Cetus said, remembering his fight with Anubis.

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An indigo light enters Anubis, and explodes out of him as he screams, while a powerful wind sends the spear into the volcano. Suddenly, Anubis’s fur changes from light gray to a deep black, while his broken rock turns into a scepter with a gold ring, with a pyramid in the center with an eye, and has four gold spikes hanging from it. “Now *you're talking!*” Cetus said as he has the sea serpent breath water at Anubis, sending him back yards before he lands hard. “It looks like that story of yours isn’t a lie after all,” Cetus said, surprising the group.

“What?” Everyone asked. “Join us then, Cetus,” Andromeda said.

“Don’t be ridicules,” Cetus said, confusing the group. “A new Star Fragment, huh? The Black Sun, too? Very cool. So, in order for me to rise to even greater heights myself, I will take control of it all with my own hand!”

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“Now, I’m here to make sure your telling the truth,” Cetus said as he takes on a fighting stance with his sword and shield made of ice.

“Now, let the second match of the semifinals, King Indus vs. Cetus battle, begin. Right now, right here!” The announcer called out as the two prepare themselves for the fight.

“You don’t scare me for a second, Cetus!” Indus said as he slashes at Cetus with his axe, but Cetus just blocks each attack.

“Look at him go,” the announcer said. “Our legendary warrior, King Indus, is attacking Cetus again and again, and he just won’t stop! The tables have turned, it is as if Cetus has no way to fight back! Has he no answers?”

Suddenly, Indus jumps back. “I’ll end this here and now!” Indus said as he charges at Cetus, not thinking at all.

“Foolish,” Cetus said as with one, weak swing of his sword, he sends ‘king’ Indus back, all the way into the bay.

“Ah!” Was all the announcer and the audience could say, as King Indus gets back to the surface of the water, gasping for air. “What just happened? Cetus tossed out King Indus the Third into the bay with ease.”

“This was a wast of time,” Cetus said as he takes his leave.

“Ah, wait a minute! Cetus, sir, don’t leave, there’s still the final round!” The announcer said as the unicorn colt in a red cape with a large blue and yellow pony logo on it, and wearing a wide brim hat, covering his face, shows himself.

“Thats right,” the colt said. “The fight isn’t over yet,” the colt said as he jumps down and lands behind Cetus, who turns around, just to see who the it is.

“It's the winner of the first match of the semifinals,” the announcer said.

“Beat it,” Cetus simply said. “I don’t have any time for you or anyone else here.”

“Cetus, I came all the way here just to talk to you, which won’t happen till I beat you. You must stay and fight,” the unicorn colt said.

“Tough talk for a cape,” Cetus said.

“Okay, that’s it!” The colt said as he takes off his hat, showing his lavender coat, midnight-blue mane, and magenta eyes. It’s Orion! “Fight me now, Cetus!”

“And you are?” Cetus asked, shocking Orion to his core, nearly making him fall over.

“What!? You know who I am, Cetus! I’m Orion! We meet on that island in Indonesia, remember?”

“Oh,” Cetus said, remembering the encounter. “Your one of Andromeda’s water toys.”

“Who are you calling a water toy?” Orion said, before he shakes a disturbing image from his head. “I’m Orion! Orion! My name is Orion!”

“I don’t have time to play guessing games,” Cetus said as he begins to leave.

“Hey, just wait a minute! Okay?” Orion desperately said. “Ah ... What if I told you that I’m a Legendary Warrior? What then?” Orion asked, making Cetus stop as he turns his head toward the son of Twilight Sparkle with interest.

“Is that true?” Cetus asked.

“Cetus, you're looking for the Legendary Warriors, the ones who have the power of the Star Fragment, right? So, are you sure you want to do this, just walk away from me, now? If you win, than I will do whatever you ask, but in exchange, if I win, you have to listen to my request. Deal?” Orion asked, getting his answer when Cetus turns around, ready for a fight. “Thats more like it. Bring it on, Cetus,” Orion said as he goes to the other end of the arena as the two get ready for the fight.

“I have no idea what is going on,” the announcer said. “But as far as I can tell, the final round is starting! Let’s get ready to roll!” The announcer said as Orion takes the axe of the defeated King Indus.

“Man, this thing is heavy,” Orion said as he levitates the heavy axe in a red glow as he charges, and breaks though Cetus’s shield with it, the first to do so.

“Totally amazing!” The announcer said. “Orion has just destroyed Cetus’s shield with one swing from his axe, something no other competitor has done!”

“I got you now, Cetus!” Orion said as he charges a blast and fires, but Cetus materializes the sea serpent, which sends Orion flying back several feet.

“Whoa!” The announcer said, completely stunned.

“You little...” Cetus tried to say as Orion gets back up.

“Yeah, that's right. I’m not a Legendary Warrior,” Orion admitted as he turns toward Cetus. “Anyway, Cetus, let’s talk...” Orion began to say, only to see that Cetus is already leaving. “Hey! Wait a minute, Cetus!” Orion called out as he goes after the Blue Changeling King.

“Excuse me, mister Cetus,” the announcer began to say, “you forgot you salt! A year's supply, it’s all yours, sir. It comes with a cart.”

“Keep it,” Cetus said, shocking everyone in the arena.

Just outside the village, “Hey, Cetus! Hold up!” Orion said when he finally catches up with the blue changeling. “Wait, listen! Listen to what I have to say, please,” Orion said as he gets in front of Cetus.

“Get out of my way, kid.”

“No I wont! I’ve got a job to do, here. Everyone I know is trying to help somehow.” Orion said, only guessing what the others are doing.

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Back in Jakarta, the group is either training or doing research. “Leone!” Taurus cried out as he throws a tree log down a waterfall, to where Leone is waiting. Leone then creates a sword out of some gems, and slices the log clean in two.

“Don’t wast my time!” Leone said to his minotaur friend. “Next one!”

“Yes, sir!” Taurus said as he throws another down. Not far away, Anubis is doing some research on the Legendary Warriors via books and his tablet, while Andromeda is in the sky, racing Tempest.

“You sure are fast,” Tempest said as they land near the others.

“Thanks,” Andromeda said as she takes a seat, panting heavily. “How can you pegasi handle such speed?”

“It’s all in the breathing,” a familiar voice said. Those who aren't busy look up and see...

“Mrs. Rainbow Dash?” Anubis asked.

“Mom!” Tempest said as he flies up and hugs his mother. “Why are you here?”

“Two reasons,” Rainbow said as she lands. “First, Twilight wanted me to give you this, Andromeda,” Rainbow said as she pulls out a small computer and gives it to Andromeda.

“Thanks, Rainbow,” Andromeda said as she takes it with her magic.

“And second, we got some news about a possible Legendary Warrior in China,” Rainbow finished.

“China!?” The entire group asked.

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“That’s why,” Orion said to Cetus. “Fight me one more time. I beg you. And if I win, listen to what I have to say. I’m not a Legendary Warrior, I know that, but I want to at least be useful to my sister and the others. If I win, please lend Andromeda and the others your strength, I beg you, Cetus!

This is all I can do. The only way I can help them out now,” Orion finished, only for Cetus to walk past him.

“Get out of here,” Cetus threatened. “Or I wont go so easy on you next time.”

“No way, Cetus! I won’t give up! If you won’t listen, than I’ll follow you until you do!” Orion said as he goes after the blue changeling king.

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Strangely, Cetus doesn't use his wings, despite the fact he has some, as he, followed by a certain blue-violet coat, midnight blue mane, and crimson eyed unicorn colt in a red cape with a blue and yellow pony symbol. “I won’t give up!” Orion said as he tries his best to keep up with the changeling.

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Cetus doesn't use his wings again as he reaches the top of a cliff, followed by Orion. “I WON’T GIVE UP!!!!” Orion said as he hangs onto a ledge. Until he listens to what I have to say, I will follow him everywhere and anywhere! Orion thought to himself as he catches up to Cetus in a jungle, completely exhausted.

Suddenly, Cetus sees something moving in the bushes, and stops. “Huh? Have you decided to listen to me?” Orion asked with much hope, only for him to see the rustling bushes also, along with some growls. They see the animal making the sound walk out and its a ... “TIGER!” Orion screamed as he frantically climbs the closes tree, but notices that Cetus isn’t moving away, but towards the tiger.

“What are you thinking, Cetus? That thing is dangerous!” Orion pointed out as the tiger roars at Cetus, but receives a dirty look from the changeling. It’s so intimidating, that the tiger flees with its tail in between it’s legs. “Unbelievable! You scared off a tiger with a dirty look,” Orion said as Cetus keeps moving, while he falls to the ground.

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In another part of the jungle, Cetus is calmly walking across a fallen tree across a canyon, while Orion panicky follows by crawling across it. “Wait, Cetus!”

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The two then climb up a canyon, with Orion nearly falling down twice. After about two hours of climbing, Orion reaches the top. “Cetus? There he is. I finally caught him,” Orion sad when he sees the blue changeling a few feet ahead of him, only to disappear as he jumps down a vast fracture in the ground.

“Hey, but I just climbed this thing!” Orion pointed out as Cetus walks across the fracture. “Why isn’t he using his--” Orion said to himself, before the answer comes to him as he climbs down. “Wait, now I get it. Changelings don’t walk on normal paths, but they instead choses the most difficult paths on purpose. For them, it’s part of their everyday lives to become the strongest.”

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That night, Cetus has set up a small fire, with Orion sitting a few feet away, trying to start his own. He finally gives up and throws the wood and stick aside. “It’s no good, I can’t get it going,” a defeated Orion said, while Cetus eats some fruit. “Huh, I thought changelings only feed off the emotions of others?” Orion asked to himself, only for his stomach to growl loudly a few times.

“Great, he probably doing that on purpose,” Orion said as he looks at all the fruit Cetus has. Later, after Cetus has eaten his fill, the two try to fall asleep, but Orion’s growling stomach doesn't let him. “I just can’t fall asleep with an empty stomach bugging me,” Orion then looks over toward the left over fruit near Cetus, with his stomach growling even more. His stomach than growls so load that it hurts. “I can’t take this any longer!”

Orion crawls over to the leftover fruit and is about to grab one, but his other hoof slaps him. “No, no, no, no!” Orion whispered. “I can’t do something like this! I swore I would work very hard and not rely on anyone else. No matter how hungry I am, I have to get though this thing with my own strength, and I will get Cetus to change his mind,” with that, Orion crawls back to his little camp, and lies down.

Orion's stomach than bugs him again, but he realizes that Cetus must be asleep by now. “I wonder?” Orion then uses his magic to breaks off a wood branch for him to use as a weapon. But, with blinding reflexes, Cetus gets up and fires a blast of water toward Orion, which encircles him before dissipating as Cetus glares at Orion before going back to sleep. Amazing, Cetus really is fantastic. I have to bring him back. Orion thought to himself.

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The next day, in a desert, Cetus, not bothered by the 100+ degree heat, is still being followed by Orion, who isn’t doing so well. “I can’t believe that just following one changeling is so hard to do!” Orion said, wishing he brought some water. “I won’t give up! I will follow him, forever and ever. But I’m so hungry, my body feels heavy, and my legs...” Before he could finish, Orion falls to the ground.

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Hours later, the desert they were in gets a rain storm, which wakes Orion up, and quickly gets up, and can't see Cetus. “Oh no! How long was I asleep? Where's Cetus? Have I lost track of him?” Orion then sees that Cetus is standing behind a lone tree.

“Ah, he’s just over there. Thank Celestia,” Orion said, only for Cetus to continue to walk across the desert. “Wait up, Cetus! Not again! I can’t lose sight of him, anymore,” Orion said as he runs after the King of Blue Changelings, again.

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In a jungle, it’s sunset as Cetus and Orion rest, with Cetus resting on a broken log, while Orion is under a nearby tree, groaning in both hunger and pain. “Oh ... My whole body hurts,” Orion said to himself. “Is this the way changelings of all colors spend everyday of their lives? No wonder they’re so strong and tough,” Orion’s stomach than groans. “Oh, I’m really hungry. I need something safe to eat,” Orion added as he pulls out a survival guid he has in his saddlebag.

“Lets see, I know I'm somewhere in southeast Asia, so...” he looks over the book, till he finds the Edible Plants for Ponies in Asia section, and finds that the most common plant for him to eat is “water grass?”

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At a nearby lake, Orion is in a few feet of water, looking for some water grass. “Let’s see ... Ah! Here go,” Orion said as he spots some sea grass and walks toward it, not noticing something in the water is watching him. Suddenly, a giant catfish jumps out of the water, with Orion running for the shore as fast as he can, screaming as the giant catfish swims after him. Luckily, Orion reaches the shore, while the catfish strands itself. Orion then begins to sneeze. “Great, I caught a [sneezes] cold.”

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Later that night, Orion is freezing cold as he tries to start a fire, but can't. “I’m so cold, but it won’t start. Come on already, start!” Orion said, fed up with not being able to start a fire. Suddenly, a small blast hits the wood, and it catches on fire in an instant. Orion sees that it was Cetus who fired the blast, carrying some fish and water grass.

“Cetus?” Orion asked as Cetus walks up to the fire, and places the fish above it. After about an hour of cooking, Cetus begins to eat the fish and the water grass, while Orion looks on in hunger. “Uh, excuse me--” but before Orion could finish, Cetus throws some water grass in Orion’s way, surprising him. “I can have it?” Orion asked, getting nothing but a growl from his empty stomach in response.

“Really, Cetus? Thank you so much!” Orion said as he quickly takes and eats the water grass.

“Once you’ve eaten, hit the road,” Cuts said, making Orion stop.

“Huh?”

“Don’t ever follow me again, kid,” Cetus added.

“But, Cetus...” Orion then begins to cry a little. “Okay, I understand that if I was strong ... if I were a Legendary Warrior, I wouldn't have to do this, and I can give my strength to my sister and the others that I care about. But I’m not that guy, I’m not a Legendary Warrior, and that I'm not good enough! I’m just not! But you are, okay Cetus, you could give them your strength if you want to, I’m begging you!” Orion pointed out as he gets up.

“It has nothing to do with me,” Cetus said.

“It does, too! Andromeda and the others need your strength!”

“Just give it up!”

“I’ll just keep asking over and over again until you say yes. Do you hear me? I’ll follow you forever if I need to!”

“Why are you willing to go so far with this?”

“Because this is all I can do, now! This is the support I can give them, with all my might and strength!” Orion said, getting nothing from Cetus but a dirty look, the same one he used to scare away the wild tiger. “I’m not a tiger at all, I'm much weaker than that tiger. Doesn't matter, your glare won’t make me run away!” Orion firmly said, as a small stare down happens, with the only sound being the crackle of the fire.

“Then challenge me, kid,” Cetus said, breaking the silence. “No matter what time it is, or where we are,” Cetus added, making Orion gasp in surprise. “Weather were eating or sleeping, can you actually force me to take you seriously.”

“Cetus, you just watch,” Orion said, still slightly surprised. “I will follow you, Cetus anywhere and everywhere, and I will force you to take me seriously.”

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In a desert that Cetus and Orion are crossing, they are walking through a harsh sandstorm, with visibility nearly at 0, but Orion manages to keep his eye on Cetus. Just you wait, sis, and everyone else, too. I’m gonna bring Cetus to you. Orion thought to himself as the sandstorm continues.