From Beyond

At the last second, he tried to guard with his other hand. The moment the glove touched him though, his mind was flooded with nothing but pain. He writhed in pain, forcing her to drop him and severing the connection.

“Oh, poor little Blueblood. Is this the first time you’ve been so easily outclassed, or are you just this much of a weakling all the time?” Aphrodite asked, standing over him. “I earned my position as High Consulate by beating the shit out of little nobles like you. I was born in gutters, my family laughed at because we struggled to feed ourselves. When the Aetherians came, they offered everyone positions based on their strengths, skill, and accomplishments. The nobles all flooded to their side, expecting positions of comfort because they were rich or well connected.” She kicked him in the side, breaking a few of his ribs and sending him skidding into the center of the arena. She followed after him at a brisk pace.

As his magic struggled to heal him, he tried to stand. When he put pressure on his off-hand, he collapsed and cried out in pain. His entire left arm was completely shattered, and his magic couldn’t heal it.

“My father joined, and climbed through the ranks to Artillery Commander because he worked and did his job well. He outranked so many of the nobles that used to laugh at us, but not once did he hold it over their heads. He continued to do his job, but denied any further promotions he was offered. He was content leading the men in his care, and he wouldn’t let any of the nobles take his position. Then I joined.” She said, picking him up by the back of his neck. He felt her body tense, and felt a fist connect with his recently repaired ribs again.

“I climbed through the ranks because I did whatever I needed to in order to do a job. If I was ordered to kill a man, I did it. If I was ordered to get information out of someone, I did it. If I was ordered to punish another soldier for disobeying orders, I did it. I even did it to my own brother who tried to betray High Prophet.” She said, punching him every time she finished a sentence. Blueblood’s magic couldn’t keep up with the damage, and was rushing to repair whatever it could before his body was shattered again.

“When I was offered a spot in the Phoenix squadrons, I took it. I withstood the augmentation required in order to join, and I went so far as to request the Reaper augmentations on top of it. You want to know pain, try having your entire skeleton and all of your muscles replaced while you’re awake. But I did it, without crying out or shedding a tear. Once it was finished, I walked myself out of the operating room.” She said, changing hands to start pummeling the right side of his body.

Blueblood’s lungs were burning from a lack of air, and he was close to blacking out from the pain. However, whenever he thought he would finally be able to pass out the pain would swell and force him to wake up and listen.

“I did a better job than anyone else in the squadron, and I caught the eye of High Prophet because of it. I wasn’t the prettiest, I did the best job. When he called me to his office, I thought I was just getting another promotion.” She said, flipping Blueblood over. She dropped him on his back, forcing the broken ribs to shift.

“Imagine my surprise when he offered me command of the entire squadron. Me, a poor gutter rat who rose to the rank of not only High Consulate to Prophet himself, but the commanding officer of one of the most effective squadrons in his military. I had earned my position, and continued to do a damn good job.” She said, swinging a fist into his left side again. He felt his lungs get punctured as they shifted under the blow.

“When someone even suggests that I got where I am because I used my body, they are technically right. I fought harder than anyone else. I trained every single day. I practiced with the soldiers of the Reaper Squadron in order to perfect my skills. Soldiers who kill during their practice drills.” She said, as she lowered her palm to Blueblood’s chest.

Once it made contact he started screaming out in pain before his lungs flooded with blood, after which he just gargled in pain. After a few seconds, she removed her hand.

With a mild reprieve, he rolled over and started hacking up whatever was in his lungs. He opened his eyes to see a large puddle of blood.

“Your life right now must really suck. Good thing you don’t have to worry much longer.” Aphrodite said, watching him. She rolled him over onto his back again before walking over and picking up his sword. He walked back to Blueblood, who had been watching her from one eye.

“You really didn’t have any idea of what you got yourself into, you little worm.” She said, centering the blade over his heart. “May you be lost upon the path to the afterlife.” She lifted the blade to plunge it through his chest.

“WAIT!” Celestia cried out, ripping the blade from Aphrodite’s hands with her magic.

There was a deathly silence throughout the arena.

“You stand between me and our justice?” Aphrodite asked, turning to look at her. “By doing so, you have stepped in for him. Do you wish to fight me?” She asked, her eyes locking with Celestia’s.

A cold chill swept down her spine. An instinct she hadn’t felt since she was nothing more than a foal.

The instinct to flee from a predator.

Celestia had to swallow her fear before it took her over. “No. I did not want you killing my nephew when this was just a duel for honor.” She said, her voice shaking. She hadn’t felt like this since fighting Discord. An actual fear for her life.

“Aetherian honor demands he or an appropriate substitute die in order to be sated. Are you suggesting that you would take his place under the blade?”

“I will not fight you. The last time I was on a battlefield of any kind, it was against Discord himself.” Celestia replied.

“I don’t know if you’re suggesting that I am weak, or if you will not fight because I do not hold the rank required to call you to a battlefield. As was evident by the broken and still dying form of your nephew, I am not weak.” Aphrodite said, her gloves glowing a sickening black. Celestia could feel the energy flowing from them, and it felt like magic to her. A sick and corrupted magic, but magic nonetheless.

“I will not lower myself to fighting you because you taunt me. You are here because we wish to learn, not because we want to fight.” Celestia said, trying to diffuse the situation.

“We are here because we were sent to retrieve something. Your nephew has insulted our leader, and when his honor was about to be restored you step in and stop it because you are a coward in a leader’s position.” Aphrodite said, the very air around her starting to shimmer with power.

“I am no coward. I believe in the equality of life, and giving a second chance. He has learned his lesson, one no doubt anyone will forget for centuries to come. You have earned back your leader’s honor. There is no doubt now that you earned your position through work.” She had dug quite the pit here, and her words were having no effect except to dig it even deeper.

“You are not worth the time to come up there and break your neck myself. You act out of haste, without concern for what happens after hoping that you can talk yourself or whoever you save out of trouble. That may work on the other species here, but the only thing you have done is prove you have no right to lead.” Aphrodite said, the glow disappearing from her gloves as the air around her returned to normal. She turned and started walking back to the gate she had entered through.

This struck Celestia deep, her reaction swelling up before she could stop it.

“I HAVE SACRIFICED MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER KNOW TO HOLD MY CROWN!” She screamed, summoning up her magic to smite this being in front of her. Luna tried to stop her sister, but before she could get out a word a massive beam of magic shot down from the sky directly atop Aphrodite. The light blinded those who couldn’t guard their eyes fast enough, and the heat made those that sat in the first rows scramble to get away.

“You must have quite the death wish.” Aphrodite spoke up, walking out of the massive sunbeam untouched. “So you do have power, and the will to use it. Unfortunately for you, it is not enough to even touch me.”

Suddenly Celestia felt cold metal against the back of her head, the shock causing her magic to break apart. Luna and the nearby nobles all gasped, as Hades held his rifle against their princess’ head.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t pull this trigger right now and blow whatever brains you have left into nonexistence.”

Celestia felt that chill again. She might be immortal, but she didn’t have any doubt that these beings could end her. One way or another.

“I acted hastily and without thought. I beg forgiveness for my actions, and I swear upon my crown that I will help you however you need me to in order for you to accomplish your mission. I just ask for both my nephew’s life and my own.” She spoke, her voice shaking. She was doing her damnedest to not pass out in fear.

“Your nephew is going to need hospitalization if you want to save his life. I’ve seen two people walk away from a fight with Aphrodite. They were Ares and Prophet. They also happen to be the only ones to come out of a fight with her alive.” Hades said, pulling his gun back. It collapsed into his gauntlets.

All of the nobles flinched as he grabbed something from his belt, dropping it over her shoulder onto her lap.

“That is our mission. You have a week before we come to you. If you don’t have some kind of lead, we’ll take matters into our own hands. And the last thing you want is for us to deal with it ourselves.” He said, jumping down from their stand into the arena. He landed without disturbing the dust, and walked over to join Aphrodite.

Celestia looked down at what he left. It appeared to be a solid grey tablet with black glass in the center, but she could feel power flowing in it. She picked it up and tucked it into her dress.

“The party is done.” Celestia said, standing up and walking off. It took all of her willpower not to collapse in those first few steps. Once she was out of range of everyone, she teleported to her room and collapsed.

“What have I gotten us into?” She asked herself, tears falling from her eyes as the events of the past few minutes caught up to her.

She had saved her nephew, but had nearly lost her own life and very likely the lives of everyone on Equis by attacking Aphrodite. She had no idea what she was going to do, and no idea if she had declared war on the Aetherians.

“Art thou okay sister?” Luna asked, teleporting into the room right next to her.

“Of course not. I might have just started war with beings that have power beyond what we could even comprehend. I don’t doubt that they could enslave our entire world with just the three that are here right now.” Celestia said, crying into the pillows on her bed.

“If they wished to enslave us, they would have already. They had the chance to kill thou, but chose not to. They want peace, but thou broke their rules. The only thing to do is throw thyself unto their mercy. Maybe if thy beg forgiveness, they will see fit to grant it.” Luna said, running a hand through her sister’s mane.

“If that is the only way forward, I will do so. Tomorrow morning.” Celestia said, wiping away her tears.

“Do you mean to tell me that she stepped in an Aetherian duel, and then had the gall to deny you justice by our code?”

“Yes Prophet. I deemed it necessary to let her continue living in order to make our job easier. Hades has given her the necessary information in order to get the search started.” Aphrodite said.

“I gave her one of the mission briefs describing the object we’re looking for.” Hades said.

“Very well. Were her actions enough to dictate a declaration of war?” Prophet asked.

“Under normal circumstances, yes. However, I deem the need to recover the Seed as a higher priority to teaching them a lesson. Should she do such a thing again however, it is in my opinion that she is summarily executed as a war criminal by Aetherian law. Do I have your approval?” Aphrodite asked.

Prophet appeared to be in deep thought for a few minutes before he answered.

“You have the approval to arrest her as such, and should she resist you are permitted lethal force to subdue her and anyone else you need to. Should you arrest her, contact me and I will come down personally to preside over the tribunal.”

“Very well sir. We have given her a week to find something before we take this into our own hands. How far are we allowed to go, should it be necessary?” Ares asked, finally speaking up.

“I have an infiltration squad prepared to move in and help.” Prophet said.

“Which squad sir?” Aphrodite asked.

“Delta squad, personally led by me. This artifact is of too much importance to allow anything less.” Prophet said, a shudder passing through the group.

“Very well sir. We await the beginning of our journey.” Aphrodite said, as all three saluted.

“May those who put you on the path be worthy of such honor.” Prophet replied, cutting the communication.

“I hope she finds something. I do not want to be on this planet if she pisses off Prophet.” Hades said, slumping into the chair.

“None of us do.” Ares said.