Darkness, an Eternity

I had resorted to staying in my current form, I enjoyed it so. My wife seemed to be more comfortable with me and my powers as I was around her more, so I resorted to just staying in the room most of the day. I had dug the heavenly blade out of the smaller dark core that was hidden away in my closet and I felt only a twinge of burning pain from holding it. The pain soon left me as I poured more and more of my pure dark essence into it. A knock at the door had temporarily interrupted me and stopped the flow of energy into the damned holy blade for jsut a moment before I continued it.

"You may enter." I spoke and turned toward the door, Violet was still in the closet, going through all the dresses I had transferred from the Underworld castle to here. I'll never understand her need for them anymore than I already do.

Cadence, Shining Armor, and the elements entered. All looking a bit mad at me, but mostly looking for answers.

"Why...? Why kill the Princess?" Twilight was first to speak. She didn't seem to want much pleasantries.

"Because she would have stopped me from having my wife return to her natural way. Because I needed to so she would no longer threaten dark forces such as my people and my armies. Because I could." I answered.

"We'll stand out of-" Twilight began, but Cadence quickly cut her off.

"Stand with you of course." She spoke for her. I knew she wanted to remain friends to some extent, even if I had them under my thumb.

"Now that this incident is over. Let the past stay the past. I can be your friend and so much more if you just do the same back to me. Equestria will no longer have to fear any threat. You no longer have to fear me. I also decided a different course of action." I spoke more, the elements getting a troubled look on their faces, full of doubt.

"What is this plan, Lucius?" Rarity inquired, still shaken by what had happened.

"Cadence will rule over all of Equestria. Shining will assist, but not too much. You six," I pointed at the elements, "will help her greatly and assist the smaller settlements here. Princess Luna will control and train the armies of Equestria, she'll receive Maximillian to help her."

"I can't rule over everyone, I'm not experienced enough!" Cadence argued.

"All of you will learn to accept your positions and we will move on as allies, not as tyrant and oppressed people." I finished, affirming my decision and they all went quiet, "You all also have exclusive access to my guard trainers and Underworld facilities to use at my discretion, you need only ask for permission. There are also guest rooms here in case you wish to stay for a short while."

"This is sudden...why such friendliness?" Applejack questioned. It seems these ponies were full of inquiries.

I began to feel the holy presence in the blade leave more and more, as if it was being forced out of the blade. I was removing a god from a blade to be destroyed.

"This is how the Underworld does things. Those that do not require killing or need my wrath to show an example to the rest of the world have a chance to move on with us as allies, become enemies, or live on as if we never interfered anymore. I did this despite the suggestions of my generals, we are not so bad, I am not so bad. Your people can also rest easy knowing their afterlife is perfect."

"And you'll think we'll just trust you?" Rainbow spoke up, a bit angry and challenging my words.

"Go to Canterlot, see your capital with your own two eyes. If you get in my way, more of that destruction lies ahead. I'm giving you a chance for this force of mine to be on your side as a protector and as political and social equals." I replied.

"Does anyone feel that soothing presence?" Shining interrupted our conversation.

A bright light came from the blade I was holding and I quickly dropped it, not out of pain, but out of knowledge. A little larger silhouette of a man bathed in golden light appeared. As the light faded, he bent down and picked up the now absent spirit sword. His skin was white and purer than any snow and he had no marks of aging or injuries upon him. His hair were in long locks of braided blonde hair as if he was of Norse origin and was raised as a European. He was dressed in golden and marble plate armor. The marble exchanging with the gold plates as it scaled in large circles down his chest and pelvic area, his leggings made of gold rings as well as his gauntlets. His boots were most certainly made of the special marble that the buildings of the heavens were. His eyes were pure white with two yellow orbs of light glowing in the center, they were not normal pupils.

"Impressive, you've cast me out of my blade in a less powerful form than when I was once born through my father's power. I see you've grown much closer than what I thought to my brother." His voice was soothing to everyone and seemed to flow perfectly as if he was lectured by a thousand English professors that were inside of him.

Mortis Lamina, Lucius the God, spoke through me, forcing my mouth to move without my own will.

"We'll battle soon enough, go out and wait for my more mortal reincarnation to handle some business. We'll settle this." My voice was not my own. The words that came out were also perfect, but they echoed with a low rumble of a demonic sound, the very words of it seeming able to kill large bears and whales with heart attacks.

"Very well. We'll see this as our final battle this time." He soon disappeared after his words, a bright yellow light shining through my courtyard window as the guards stopped and drew weapons, backing away from him, remaining wary, waiting for their King to challenge him.

"What is going on, Lu....Lucius?" Violet spoke from behind me, standing at the balcony, looking out the purple shield.

I turned around me and remained dead silent, as did the ponies. Her voice sounded, normal. Normal. Not filled with any hate or resentment, but hate. I slowed walked up to her side.

"The powers against me that took you from me have been forced to return in a physical form. Equestria is soon to be a battleground between two Gods. Light and Dark will soon be let out again for battling. I'll try my best to make it end quick." I looked to Violet, "I'm glad to see you better like this, soon, maybe soon, you'll return and things will be back to the way they were."

"I'm still confused on what to think. Go, your people need you." She spoke normally to me.

"Sorry, friends, maybe you can join Violet and watch the fights if you can keep up with us. I must solve this quickly." I took down the dark core, absorbing the remaining dark energy. My wife showed no intention of running.

I jumped down from the balcony and landed with a thud in the ground, the grass and dirt being moved about and dug up, another job for the gardeners. The dark blade formed in my hand, the armor of it still about me, even more power was surging through us. I continued to ascend in power, surging more and more darkness through me. I began to feel the other will in me forcing my body to walk. I was in reality sharing my body, my vessel, with the my God. I felt incredible, like nothing could stop me, not even this holy being before me. My body continued to walk with my taking control of my arm and raising the dark blade in my right hand as we stopped before him, gaining his attention.

"You were dragged into this, under other circumstances, I would have attempted to create a new vessel for you to inhabit. But standing here has shown me that you love the Dark, and thus you are my enemy, not a forced conflict. If you die, you will cease to exist, whether you are comfortable with that or not, this still must happen. Are you ready?" Dacius, the God of Light spoke in his smooth voice. He wished to make this an honorable fight, as does the Underworld does ever since the beginning of time. I now see where we got our morals from.

"Yes," I began in my own voice,"we are ready." The sentence was finished by the darker voice inside of me.

I raise the blade into a better battling position and the real Dacius did the same. I rushed at him, beginning my own onslaught before he could his. The moment our blades clashed, a great power was used and released a shockwave into our surrounds, the grass being torn up from the ground around us in short distances. In longer distances, the grass blew heavily and the trees shook, and the guard were forced back, stumbling before heading inside. We clashed again and the same force imploded. I took more control over my body and my God allowed me. I slashed upwards, my blade being caught by his and I soon crouched. I forced my legs up and he was sent flying into the air, his wings sprouting out from his back, being quite large, larger than any I've seen in the heavens, having a wingspan a large as two buses from Earth that humans used. I spread my own and took to the skies, zooming towards him and swinging again, causing a loud ringing noise to vibrate through the air, we continued like this for a while, bouncing all throughout the air, beginning to go speeds that would cause normal living beings to lose their flesh. The God of Darkness soon took control once more.

"You're strong yourself, but I see that I now interchange against fighters. Now I face my brother." Dacius spoke, understanding what we were doing.

I felt my body going toward him and then disappearing only to reappear on the other side, our blade catching his. My wings flapped harshly, forcing Dacius to the ground again, standing and holding against the driving force. My arms began to move by his will, swinging swiftly, just as fast if not faster than we were in the air. There seemed to be no end to the battle in the near future. The land was being torn asunder from our immense power clashing.

"Tell me, why do you do this? I know my brother's motives, but not yours. You were just handed a crown, why do you care?" Dacius spoke, having interest in conversation while we fought.

"The same reason your followers fought me, to protect their own and the mortals of all universes. I had followers, humans and my own people, now ponies. I am sworn to protect them the best I can so long as my signet is still in my hands. I do this to ensure our future, our survival, and our happiness." I spoke, hearing loud hoofsteps and footsteps alike from behind me, some guards and the ponies were down here no doubtly.

"There must be more to it than that. You were only handed your office." He spoke once more, trying to get a better answer from me. Our viewers stood a good distance away, but surely heard everything. Dacius had jumped away and jumped back, beginning his attacks as we went onto the defensive. My body partner was focusing on fighting while I spoke.

"There is, and you're right about that. He gave me the one life I needed, he saved me from death, he gave me something to live for, more than just once. I swore to her I'd protect her with my own life, and that's another reason why I do this. I swore I'd serve him well, and I'm keeping my word."

I began to take control again, putting my emotions into my battle, swinging harder, faster, and fighting more interpretative like. I suppose this is what set me apart from Gods. I was just as powerful, but I had a more mortal characteristic, true feelings. Ambition, desire, determination, love, desperation, these feelings are what put me at an edge over them. Dacius began to have little troubles at parts when I continued my assault. I had one particular strike right after another that grazed his leg and caused a good injury, no blood coming from him, but still good enough to injure him and cause damage. The battle continued like this for a while, and slowly by slowly he would endure more injuries, becoming less and less efficient and more and more defensive.

The battlefield was a mess, all kinds of plant life were decimated and the very ground was warped into new hills and gulches. Dacius lay at our feet, battleworn, and most certainly defeated. We held the dark blade to him, pointed directly at his neck.

"Well done...I suppose the better brother won. But remember this, if it weren't for your bond with him, you wouldn't have won. Treat him with respect...you two should be equals." Dacius spoke with his last breaths.

"Trust me, we are now." I replied and drove the dark blade into his neck and his breathing ended.

I withdrew the blade and the heavenly sword in the now dead God of Light's hand slowly began to fade away, rapidly leaving in a flurry of yellow and white particles, as did Dacius's body. I felt no holy presence near me again, I turned to face the ponies and found them there, silent and in awe once more. No holy aura came from Violet either, yet her wings remained and she did too. I slowly began to break the soul bond with the other body inside me. I felt his presence slowly leave me and enter the blade in my right hand again, the armor fading from me and my illusion slowly coming back. I didn't have much power left and could only manage a smile before I quickly fell over, face first into the ground. I was bare, naked, lying on the ground, my face pressed to the dirt, but I was only conscious to notice this for just a mere moment longer, my robes not on me. I was now in a long resting period.