Blackwing: God of Humanity

They followed a trail of blood, whose it was couldn’t be said but it led them towards the right direction.

They had walked the field for several minutes, Mitchell occasionally made circles in the sky to see the captors whereabouts but descended back onto the ground with no bearings.

“Where are we even going?” Mitchell asked.

“This field goes on and on for a long time, if we go west enough we’ll reach a wall of mountains.” Bloodline replied.

Quicksilver struggled to keep up with them, only able to scuttle on her short legs.

The field was hilly, grassy, and had no end on the horizon.

“Big sister, can’t we fly there?” Quicksilver asked her.

“I can’t, I’m still getting used to this flying thing...” Mitchell replied.

Quicksilver sighed.

“When I find whoever took Storm, I’ll pound them senseless...” Bloodline mumbled.

“If we can find where they even are.” Mitchell argued.

Countless hours passed, even with many breaks, the three were frayed and barely awake.

But then, a beacon of hope appeared over the edge of the earth.

“Mountains!” Mitchell cheered.

Quicksilver rode slumped on Bloodline’s back.

“Oh, thank the fates...” Bloodline groaned.

They had reached the first incline, their legs struggling to hold them up.

“Whoever took Storm, you got to admit, they have stamina...” Mitchell panted.

They rested for a few minutes, under the tall stone peaks.

Bloodline nudged Quicksilver to awake.

“Get your shoes on...” Bloodline said.

Mitchell hadn’t even noticed she brought a large satchel, she pulled out a set of shiny iron boots and gave them to Quicksilver.

Bloodline pulled out two round metal disks; no larger than a frisbee, bearing the same symbol of the one on her rump.

“I haven’t put these on in forever...” Bloodline reminisced.

She placed one disk on her left flank and then her right, they attached to her with a hydraulic whine.

Mitchell noticed she cringed a little.

Bloodline passed him a small battery-like apparatus.

“Mitchell, place that on my back please, on the spine.”

Mitchell acknowledged and placed the battery on her back, she yelped a little as the battery dug a rod into her back.

“What is that thing?” Mitchell said with a disgusted look.

The battery had shot out two rubber tubes that connected to the discs with a pressurized hiss.

It looked like weird technology from a sci-fi movie.

“It’s a device that amplifies the strength of my hind legs.” Bloodline explained.

“Where did you get this? It looks pretty sophisticated...” Mitchell asked.

“Every legionnaire gets a gift when they’re initiated, Cordis calls them ‘cybernetics’, it was an old human practice, they made machines that strengthened themselves.” She replied.

Mitchell noticed Quicksilver had put the boots on and walked over to her sister.

“Then what’d she get?” Mitchell asked Bloodline.

“Watch.” She replied.

“Quicksilver, make it up to that cliff up there and drop this rope.” Bloodline handed her a long curled rope.

Quicksilver nodded and Mitchell blinked.

She was gone, instantly vanishing from sight.

Mitchell flinched in confusion. “Jesus!”

Bloodline smirked.

A roped dropped from the sky.

Mitchell looked up, there Quicksilver stood waving.

Bloodline started climbing the rope, “Those boots make her run really, really...”

“Fast... Yeah.” Mitchell interrupted and followed her up the rope.

The jagged path of rock ahead was hard to traverse, I didn’t help that there was almost no light.

Yet even though they were in the middle of nowhere, Mitchell saw the glow of fire up ahead.

Not a single fire, many scattered in the distance.

“A village up ahead...” Mitchell said in disbelief.

They traveled towards the community nestled in the base of the mountain, in a quarry of stone and dead trees.

The three walked under the village’s gate, nobody to be found in the market, none by the farming land.

But further down the dirt road, a stone staircase leading up the mountain, up to a castle.

Mitchell squinted, making out three figures climbing up the treacherous staircase.

Two black, one yellow.

Stormcloud.

Mitchell sprinted with all of his ability, shooting past the two girls behind him.

Up the staircase he went.

Step after step after step after step.

The staircase went up into forever, never ending in his mind.

And before he knew it he reached the top.

Facing a tall wooden gate, he panted uncontrollably.

He approached the door, he was surprised as it slowly creaked open as he walked forward.

There stood the blue alicorn, posed fearless and noble.

“Luna...” Mitchell whispered to himself as he raised his sword, yearning to slash her throat into ribbons.

The sword started to glow, he noticed the princess nudged her head and the blade flew right out of his hands.

Huh, so that’s magic...

Several guards flooded out of the castle, moving to surround Mitchell.

They encircled him, he was trapped.

His raised his arm, the gauntlet glowed with a vibrant red tinge.

A guard was running towards him, spear stuck out.

Mitchell aimed his hand towards the colt’s weapon.

He felt a disembodied grasp for the weapon, he could feel the wooden pole.

So he lifted it up, out of the guards hooves.

He threw it towards the princess, it only stuck itself in the dirt inches away from her.

“Stand...” Luna growled.

The guards stopped, staring at the human.

“Let me make you a deal.” Luna proposed.

Mitchell did and said nothing.

“I’ll release the disgusting Legionnaire if you turn yourself in. If you won’t, I’ll just kill her.” She continued.

Mitchell looked behind him and saw Bloodline and Quicksilver walking the final steps up.

Bloodline gasped at what she saw.

Mitchell sighed.

“Alright...” Mitchell said.

Luna told the guard to let the prisoner go.

He saw a guard at the gateway kick Stormcloud to the ground to leave.

She sprinted to her sisters.

“What’s happening?” Mitchell could hear Quicksilver say.

Bloodline mumbled an incoherent response to her.

And his view of them was obstructed as guards moved towards them, warning them to leave.

Bloodline shoved one of them away and ran towards Mitchell.

“Mitchell!” She yelled.

The guard she pushed tackled her down.

A guard poked him with a spear to move into the castle.

He obliged and slaved his way to a dungeon.

A dark, decrepit dungeon aged with the horrific deeds of torture performed here.

Mitchell; the savior of Equestria was just another victim in the eyes of the shackles.

The sisters left for home home worried sick, they had no choice but to leave the town as the guards put them on the ‘kill on sight’ list.

Stormcloud was the most affected of all, he had possibly saved her life and all she could do in return was stare and leave.

She couldn’t even mutter a ‘thank you’.

As they passed through the empty village, a wrinkly, old mare peeked her head out of her cottage door.

“He’s dead you know... Luna never lets anypony leave her castle, ever...” her voice lingered in the air with a dreaded tone.

The three didn’t stop walking, only Quicksilver acknowledged her with a sad glance.

And she slammed the door shut, making the sisters even more uneasy as they walked off...

Several days passed after that, as Bloodline walked her little sister to the schoolhouse like normal, she overheard conversations that disgusted her.

“Y’know that monster that almost killed that filly last week? Princess Luna threw him in jail...”

“Good.”

Bloodline clenched her teeth, she wanted to buck them in the jaw, but she just marched past them.

When they arrived to the school, Bloodline kissed Quicksilver on the head.

“Big sister... Where’s big brother?”

Bloodline couldn’t tell her that he probably wasn’t coming home.

“He just got into a little trouble, he’ll be home, don’t worry.”

“Ok...”

Quicksilver trotted her way into the schoolhouse and Bloodline walked back the way she came.

Oh Mitchell... Please come back safe.

The last few days gone on unnoticeably, Mitchell sat in blinded lonesome for hours on end with the only interaction with a living thing was a guard giving him scraps of food and water.

But when he woke up, he felt different, as if he was levitating.

The guards were moving him to somewhere, he could feel himself moving, but they blinded him with a cloth.

They stopped.

They dropped him.

Mitchell grunted as he landed on the navy blue marble floor with a thud.

Someone took his blindfold off.

His wrists and ankles were still chained together.

He sat on his knees, Luna scowling at him on her throne.

Mitchell struggled to free himself of the shackles but a nearby guard struck him in the stomach..

He fell over on his back but still tried to wriggle out with no progress being made.

Luna laughed at him.

She stood up and a guard walked over to her with a ornate sword.

She somehow grasped it with her hooves, Mitchell raised an eyebrow.

How the hell is that possible?

But he realized he had worse things to worry about, she slowly walked forward, raising the sword.

“I thought you would put up more of a fight Human, your kind struggles to snake their way out of things...” Luna mocked.

Mitchell panicked, his heart pounded in his chest.

What do I do?! WHAT DO I DO?!

He whipped his head in every direction he could rotate and it hit him.

He couldn’t escape, he was in it deep.

But he thought of something drastic just in time.

Luna swung the sword down and cut her way through the air.

Mitchell lifted and spreaded his legs outward.

The sword struck the iron chains of his cuffs, the sword flew back and the chain links broke off with a clunk.

Mitchell jumped off the floor onto his feet.

He could smell the adrenaline pouring out of him in a mixture of sweat and pheromones.

Luna stood frozen in shock as did her guards.

Before they could react, Mitchell jumped over the guards’ heads.

Luna screamed in frustration.

Mitchell ran as fast as could out of the throne room.

Behind him, he heard the Princess screech.

“GET HIM!”

He could see the exit in his sights.

His gear was also near the door, lying next to a pillar.

What a moron, putting my stuff here...

He stopped at the pillar and grabbed his sword with a cramped hand, cutting the chains between his arms with ease and they too fell off.

He sheathed his sword and grabbed the gauntlet, continuing his escape.

As Mitchell forced the wooden door open by running into it, he left he saw the guards sprinting towards him with a deafening clopping sound.

He had strapped the harness on the back of his armor, the familiar feeling of his wings gave him confidence back.

Mitchell was back outside, looking for the staircase back down the hill.

As he ran towards the stairs, more guards stomped up the steps, blocking his path.

Surrounded yet again.

Oh man, oh man, oh man...

His only way out at this point was the drop of a perilous cliff.

He avoided the guards and stopped at the edge of the rock.

The guards stampered nearer and nearer.

They were only a jab of the spear away to get him but...

Mitchell looked back at them, smiled at them and leaped off the cliff.

None of the guards reacted openly, but he could feel their surprise.

The wind pounded his face as he fell, struggling to get his wings moving.

Thankfully the mountain was tall, he had the height to take his time.

He felt the nerves in the wings click click click.

He was able the thrust them down and he did.

He stopped falling and now he was soaring.

Mitchell had flight.

He didn’t look back but he could hear the sound of a certain princess screaming her ass off.

And he laughed, he laughed and couldn’t stop laughing until he reached home.

Luna stomped her hooves on the dusty peak several times in an absolute rage before calming herself down.

She turned around, staring down her troops.

“Where did you find him previously?” She yelled.

Not a single colt out of the company of soldiers had spoke.

Several of them shoved their commander forward, forcing him to speak.

He stuttered uncontrollably in front of their leader in raw fear.

He couldn’t remember what the scouts told him, so he decided to guess.

“U-uh... T-the scouts said... P-Ponyville madam, t-that’s where he should be...” He stammered as he shook in his armor.

Bloodline and Quicksilver were sound asleep but Stormcloud couldn’t fall asleep.

She couldn’t stop thinking about Mitchell.

She was covered up in her blankets, struggling to get her mind to shut off.

She heard someone stepping on the glass outside.

She shot up and looked out the window, who she saw lifted a heavy weight off her shoulders.

“Hey... I'm back.” Mitchell said in a joking tone.

He stepped inside Stormcloud’s room.

She thought she was seeing things.

“Mitchell! How’d you escape?!” She yelled.

“Get me some damn food and I’ll explain...” He replied.

They sat in the dark kitchen alone, Mitchell explained his time captive as he gorged himself.

“Why did Luna want to kill you?” Stormcloud asked.

“Dunno, but that’s not going to be the last time I see her, I just know it.” Mitchell replied.

Stormcloud hugged him, he continued to eat.

“Thanks for doing what you did...” Stormcloud said.

Mitchell wrapped his arms around her, “It’s what I had to do, she wanted me, not you...”

they finished their hug and they both went back to bed.

Mitchell would have been mistaken to be in a coma if Quicksilver hadn’t woken him up.

She hopped on the bed in excitement.

“Big brother! Big brother!” She repeated over and over with a large grin on her face.

“That’s enough Quicksilver, get off of him.” He heard a disembodied Bloodline say.

He opened his eyes, the three of them were standing next to the edge of the bed.

“Glad to see you back to being a lazy bum...” Bloodline chuckled.

“Oh well... You know me...” Mitchell said sarcastically as he stood up.

“Sit back down, I have a surprise for you...” Stormcloud said.

Mitchell shrugged and sat down on his bed.

“Close your eyes!” Quicksilver said.

Mitchell closed his eyes.

He heard some sort of liquid sloshing nearby.

He felt bony hooves run across his head, messing up his hair.

He could hear Quicksilver giggling quietly.

“Alright... What are you doing?” Mitchell asked.

“Open your eyes...” Stormcloud said.

And he did, looking at a mirror she had placed near him.

He chuckled.

They painted a black stripe along his scalp, like all of theirs.

“So, why’d you do this?” Mitchell asked with a smirk.

“We just wanted to say ‘Welcome to the family’...” Bloodline said.

They all hugged him.

But something in Mitchell’s head clicked.

It’s been the first time in a very long time since he felt like he belonged to a family.

It felt good.

“Thanks guys...” He said.

The reunion was interrupted by the violent shaking of the earth.

everything rattled uncontrollably, glass objects smashing themselves from a distance.

Everyone was knocked to the floor, unable to get a foot or hoof on the carpet.

The shaking slowly died down, Mitchell’s room turned into an absolute mess.

Everything was silent, not a sound was made.

But then Mitchell’s ears were assaulted by hundreds of screams.

It was coming from inside town.

Mitchell hoisted himself up and ran for his gear.

His newly founded sisters groaned.

Bloodline flipped herself back onto her stomach, “What’s happening?”

Mitchell fitted the gauntlet on his hands and adjusted several black leather straps.

“I think our pal Luna is back.”

He got the hang of flying so he lifted himself over the treetops and made his way towards the screaming.

Over the horizon of the pine trees he saw the mob of black clad soldiers pillaging Ponyville.

He honestly thought everyone in town deserved what was coming to them, but he couldn’t let anybody die because of him.

He really didn’t need it.

The soldiers were shoving and attacking anypony that crossed their path, but they were more occupied by searching the town very, very thoroughly, obviously for Mitchell.

He saw the furious Princess Luna in the middle of town, grabbing random citizens and yelling questions about Mitchell.

When they failed to answer, she just threw them aside.

He landed on the roof of a store, presenting himself to the detestable princess.

“Looking for me?” Mitchell yelled.

Luna looked up at him, he grinded her teeth and threw the pony she was interrogating at him.

The mare screamed as she was flung at him.

He jumped at her in midair and braced himself as he held out his arms in attempt to catch her.

She landed right on his chest as he fell back down, his boots dropping to a loud skid on the cobblestone road.

He dropped the girl.

She yelped in fear when she realized who saved her.

“Get out of here...” Mitchell said.

The mare didn’t answer, she only got as far away from him as possible.

He stood combat ready with his sword out as Luna approached him.

“Before I smite you human, tell me your name.” Luna demanded.

Mitchell’s mind fiddled for several seconds.

Then it snapped, he was no longer Mitchell Alan Gherri, he had to adapt to his new name.

The name given to him by the Spirit.

“I am Blackwing.” He responded.

The responsed lingered in an endless echo among the town.

They heard his name and it embedded itself in every head in town.

Luna only scoffed and pointed to him.

“Wipe him off the face of the earth.” She ordered her soldiers.

The soldiers; all masked and cloaked in armor with none of the skin or flesh from their bodies exposed, formed a circle around Blackwing.

Blackwing firmed his grip on his blade, ready to strike.

He scanned the encirclement to see who was about to attack.

They all were about to.

Blackwing powered up the gauntlet with it’s eerie red glow and raised it in the air.

The soldiers were confused but they didn’t stop moving.

Blackwing slammed the gauntlet on the ground to clear up some breathing room.

As he smashed the rocky ground, the clang of his gauntlet caused the earth to rattle.

The soldiers covered their ears to protect them from the deafening screech of the vibrating iron tool.

As the sound died down the soldiers snapped out of it with a suddenly moving Blackwing hacking and slashing through their numbers.

The soldiers retaliated and thrusted up their spears and their swords.

He sprinted through the barricade of bodies in hopes of reaching Luna, blocking off swipes with his weapon.

He broke through, past the soldiers and stumbled and fell in front of Luna.

“Pathetic...” Luna insulted.

On the ground, Blackwing grabbed ahold of her neck, crushing her windpipe with a vice-like grip.

Luna stood and choked as Blackwing got back up on his feet.

Unbeknownst to him, a group of soldiers jumped on Blackwing’s back to protect their princess.

He was forced to let go of Luna and fall to the floor once again.

He struggled to throw off the three colts that had tackled him down, but they kept on beating him senseless with their steel hooves.

Blackwing felt extremely dizzy as he felt an unending and intense pain, on the brink of passing out, the soldiers stopped punching him and backed off.

He felt the bruises and the headaches forming.

And after several seconds, he saw the blurry figure of Luna loom over him.

She stood triumphantly over her fallen enemy, laughing in strife.

Somepony, out of Blackwing’s view, had thrown a stone at Luna’s face.

It smacked her in the head with a thud and she had yelled in pain.

Whoever threw that, they were a lifesaver, Blackwing had his opportunity to react.

He reached for his fallen sword and grabbed ahold of it.

He crouched back up, cocked his arm back, and swung at the tall alicorn.

The sword stuck itself deep in the side of her neck with a gory squish.

Luna stopped screaming.

Luna stopped moving.

She fell to the ground with a loud thump.

A pool of warm blood flowed out onto the cold stone.

It was over.

Blackwing stood back up and looked at the soldiers of the late princess.

They had somehow disappeared with a smokey black poof, leaving behind hollow shells of armor and dust as if they never existed.

Crowds of mares and colts came out of hiding, huddling together from outside their homes.

The masses stared at the human who had killed Princess Luna, who they thought was an all-powerful and immortal being.

Nobody knew why they were happy with Luna’s death, but everypony cheered for Blackwing.

Blackwing sat on the ground panting, wiping the fresh blood from the black sword.

Every resident of Ponyville personally thanked the man who saved them from the traitorous princess who almost destroyed their lives.

Mitchell was weary and voxed at the constant praise but he was willing to talk to the woman who approached and said she was the mayor.

“We can’t thank you enough... Blackwing was it?” The mayor said.

Blackwing nodded.

“You saved our town from Luna, without you this place would be up in ashes.” The mayor flattered.

“She was looking for me, I couldn’t let her kill anyone because of me.” Blackwing replied.

“Well that was very noble of you.” The mayor said. “I believe a reward is up for discussion, is there anything we can do for you?”

Blackwing laughed, “I couldn’t ask anything from you, this was all my fault to begin with.”

The mayor nodded, “Have it your way, but if you ever need anything, we owe you.”

Blackwing stood up and stumbled on his various bodily injuries. “I’ll keep it in mind, thanks...” He said.

Everypony had left Blackwing and returned to their homes, he decided to hobble out of Ponyville and back into the Everfree Forest.

The fires were doused, but the extremity had not come yet, he had the strange feeling that it wasn’t over yet.

He had nodded off and stared into space as he walked out onto the flat pastures.

He was in a deep stasis until a familiar voice broke his train of thought.

“Mitchell? Are you okay?”

He looked, it was Fluttershy who caught up with him.

Blackwing rubbed his eyes.

“Hey...” He said tiredly

“That was you who saved the town?” She asked.

Blackwing nodded.

Fluttershy gasped, “Are you hurt? Do you need help?”

“No I’m fine.” He replied.

“Alright, sorry...” She said in a disappointed tone.

“By the way... Where are you living?” She asked again.

“If I tell you, will you not run away or scream or whatever?”

She nodded, “I promise.”

“Those ‘witches’ you brought me to visit, I’m living with them...” Blackwing.

“Oh...” Fluttershy said in a concerned tone.

“They’re not witches, they perfectly normal... We’re like family.” He defended.

“If you want to, you can come meet them.” Blackwing proposed.

Blackwing could see the fear residing in her eyes.

“Uhm...” She stuttered.

“Come on, let’s go. Time to put your fears to rest.” Blackwing commanded.

It started downpouring around noon, they had dodged the weather just in time.

“Ow!” Blackwing yelped as Bloodline wrapped gauze around his bare, raw legs.

Sweat soaked by his pants had trickled its way into the fresh wounds, Blackwing had no wishes of travelling anywhere for a while.

“All done, I’ll replace them before you go to bed.” Bloodline said with a smile.

Fluttershy sat on the torn couch with Blackwing, shaking uncontrollably.

Bloodline walked past her, chuckling to herself, never had she had someone from Ponyville visit, now she knew why.

Blackwing sighed in relief and lied down on the couch in long awaited comfort.

Quicksilver jumped on Blackwing’s lap, curling up in a ball like a dog.

“Hi big brother!” She said.

Fluttershy stopped shaking, “Who’s this?”

“Quicksilver...” Blackwing said with his eyes closed as he tried to fall asleep.

“Hello Quicksilver.” Said Fluttershy with a sincere grin.

“Who are you?” Quicksilver turned around and asked.

“Yeah Mitchell, who’s your girlfriend?” Stormcloud mocked as she walked into the living room.

“Shut up Storm, I’m not in the mood...” Blackwing replied.

“Isn’t this the same pony who brought you here in the first place?” Bloodline asked.

Blackwing nodded, tired of questions.

Fluttershy nodded too.

“So, why’d you bring her here?” Bloodline continued.

“Because she’s my friend and I just wanted her to get over her fear of you guys...” Blackwing answered.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but blush a little, “We’re friends?”

Blackwing cracked an eye, “Of course, why the hell would I bring you here otherwise?”

“Fear? Why is she so afraid of us?” Stormcloud interrupted.

“A better question is why does she know where we live? Nopony has ever found this manor...” Bloodline interrogated Fluttershy.

“I just spend a lot of time in the forest, I just came across this place and saw you guys living here, I didn’t mean to intrude, I’m so sorry...” Fluttershy defended.

“So wait... You started the rumor that we’re witches?” Bloodline said angrily.

“No, no, no, I would never do that...” Fluttershy replied.

“Come on guys, leave her alone. Fighting isn’t going to fix anything...” Blackwing said in the background of the argument.

“I just said that they were ponies living in the forest, somepony must’ve taken the story too far...” Fluttershy explained.

Bloodline didn’t look amused, she just stared at her.

“Listen, since it’s raining outside, why don’t we kill some time with lunch?” Blackwing proposed.

Bloodline shrugged, “Alright, I’ll get it started soon, what do we want?”

“Anything but meat...” Blackwing whispered to her.

Bloodline scoffed and walked her way to the kitchen.