Blackbirdby Vexing PuzzlezChaptersDevelopmentsOceandustStarving to Death in the Belly of the WhaleWeightSunset Shimmer: Part 1Prelude to The Next Arc"A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 1"A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 2"A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 3"A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 4"A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 5DevelopmentsThe smell of sulfur alerted me to one thing. Well, the yellow smog and tall spires of rock, but I guess you get the idea of where I am. I wasn’t scared this time, so now that I have a squared head, this place isn’t as intimidating. Of course I say that now and end up pissing myself raw when that big motherfucker comes, but I guess that’s just the way things go! My dreams suck ass. “Come on out, Bolas,” I shouted into the dense fog, “You wouldn’t have whisked me away if you didn’t want to talk about something!” “Are you not afraid, young human?” Nicol Bolas’s voice was right on top of me, making my eyes widen a little before I rolled them in boredom. I turned around so that the huge form of Nicol Bolas was visible to me, observing how he was perched like a bored king on a throne carved out from a mountain. His massive head was leaned up on his right fist, and his elbow was on the awkwardly cut armrest. “No,” I stated with a shrug, “But I’m a little bored of this.” “Really,” Bolas responded with a dismissive snort that I had to cover my face for; since the wind pressure was so intense, “So sorry to hear that, but I’m enjoying myself far too much to send you back, I’m afraid. Why do you want to go back to such a boring existence in the first place? As I recall, you were the one who cursed your existence! That was one of the reasons I chose you in the first place!” Bolas boomed. I grimaced audibly and sucked my teeth, “Oh trust me, Bolas, I still hate Earthlings and their governments thereof; but you should know that Earth is my home. This place, this planet called Equis, is hard to get used to. Everyone is so friendly, so...alien.” “The irony is suffocating in that statement, human. Nevertheless, I must thank you for making your life an enjoyable spectacle thus far! I never thought you had it in you to best a paladin and a strong mutt like Dreggen!” Bolas gave a deep chuckle that made me want to punch his lights out, but I was still wary of his Touch. That, and he can summon horrible monsters to fight me as well. “And this guild you founded; Blackbird, was it? I can only wonder how they’ll handle your betrayal! On the topic of your plan, however, comes a question I know you haven’t asked yourself!” Bolas was a little excited now, and that unnerved me tremendously. “And what is it?” “Are you willing to kill one of your friends to keep up your facade?” I froze up. My body literally felt like ice. I never gave any thought to that line of thinking! Holy hell! What if it really does come down to me versus one of my friends!? That’s not cool, man! “It seems I’ve struck a point of interest. You know, I may be older than most things, but at least I take the time to calculate my plans before enacting them out. Senility is reserved for those who are weak of mind,” Bolas stated with a chuckle while using his other hand’s index finger to point at me, “Like you.” “Fuck you, you overgrown lizard! Just tell me why I’m here so that I can go back and think over my plan some more!” I pointed angrily at him. Bolas’s smile faltered into a semi-amused amalgamation of weariness and anger, “Lizard, am I!? Huh, I don’t know where you got this bravado, but you should take heed in realizing it’s preparing you for destruction by my hand!” “Screw off,” I flipped him off before turning around and walking off into the smoke, “Find some other way to occupy your free time.” I felt compacted as I was lifted from the ground sharply, watching the ground zoom by until the feet of a giant dragon occupied my vision of the ground. I gulped quietly and turned around in the ball Bolas placed me in, coming face-to-eye with the ancient dragon planeswalker. “Your power is infantile at best, Justin. You will recognize your place here, mortal.” He growled, a chorus of lion roars and hippo grumbles that was accented by the march of a million soldiers. “Get bent, scalehead. Put me back in my body before things get ugly.” I threatened, earning a roar from the mighty dragon in response. “COUNT YOURSELF LUCKY THAT I’M BOUND BY THE RULES OF THE GAME NOT TO HURT YOU, FOOL!!!” Bolas was hit in the chest with a giant ray of blue magic, making my eyes widen as his telekinetic hold was dropped instantaneously. I popped open my wings, powered up my gloves, and used them to propulse myself towards the place where the beam came from, knowing who shot it. I turned my head from where I was facing, which was towards Bolas’s falling from through his throne, to gaze upon Princess Luna whose horn was glowing white and blue with her respective magical aura. Her eyes were a thousand jack-o-lanterns, promoting her ethereal yet overbearing appearance even more. “The hell,” I yelled in shock as Luna’s eyes returned to normal, “How’d you get in here!?” “Twas a simple matter, truthfully,” Luna returned with a face of pure stoicism, “I am the Princess of the Night, after all. Dream Scrying is something I do every night in order to help my subjects overcome their nightmares.” “Sorry to burst your bubble, Luna, but this bloke isn’t a nightmare,” I exclaimed while looking at Bolas’s laid-out form, “This is Nicol Bo-” “We know very well who this dragon is, Silas,” Luna interrupted, making me wince at how commanding her voice was. She could makeGordon Ramsay feel like shit, “Which also confirms my sister’s earlier inquiry.” I raised an eyebrow as Bolas tried getting back to his feet. “And what would that be?” “You’re human. Which isn’t that surprising, seeing as how you’re not the first one to come across Canterlot.” Luna explained with a shrug of indifference, making me wince again at the tone. Me, being a smart cookie, easily pieced two and two together, “You mean there’s been others? Huh, I thought I was special,” I frowned my face up and turned my head to view Bolas, who had just succeeded in bringing himself to a knee, “Well shit.” “An impressive strike for one so one-dimensional,” Bolas mocked with a chuckle as he raised himself to full height, making me expand my eyes just a little, “You do realize the rules don’t say anything about two “Players” facing one another in a duel, right?” “You seem to be under the impression that I fear you, Bolas. Make no mistake, you are quite the formidable adversary, but I dare say you are a couple thousand years too soon to think of challenging me.” Luna retorted with a cocky grin, making me do a dry spit-take. “ARE YOU MAD!!!??? That’s Nicol Bolas! He destroys powerful mages that walk across dimensions for fun!” I exclaimed at Luna, who merely batted an eye at me before chuckling. “His power, as grand as it is, still lacks any real quality to it. The only thing he has going for himself is his size, ability to breathe fire, and his dreaded Touch; which, might I add, will be next to useless against me,” She looked back towards Bolas, who was growling at her, “Isn't that right...Nicky?” Her eyes powered up as Bolas let loose a powerful roar that seemed to shake the foundation of this dreamscape to its core. Everything shook, with even some mountains crumbling. “Nicky? What kind of name is that!?” “I AM NO LONGER YOUR PET, LUNA!!!” My jaw dropped. Princess Luna owned...as in had legal ownership over Nicol Bolas!? Luna fired another ray, my ears ringing from the deafening explosion of its expulsion. The ray was deflected by a forcefield around Bolas’s right claw. I heard the heating of oil, and that made me turn on my power gloves and blast off to the right, narrowly avoiding the sky-blue jet of flame that came after the inhale. Luna merely flapped her wings, dispersing the jet of flame until the roaring inferno was cut off at the source. The wind from Luna’s charged downstroke hooked Bolas in his mouth, making the dragon reel back in pain from the impact. His feet took three steps backwards as a powerful roar of pain usher forth from the giant planeswalker. “That’s a bad boy,” Luna scolded mockingly as my face became the definition of disbelief. Here was this...this...pony, fucking up a giant dragon, “Mother never taught you to hit others!” Another ray of magic, another impact that sent Bolas to his ass. Bolas growled and teleported to his feet behind us both, making my eyes widen as the sound of rushing wind filled my ears. “He’s attacking!” I accelerated upwards and saw Luna teleport just in time to avoid Bolas’s finger. He had planned to use the Touch on her!? He’s getting serious! I looked behind me to see Bolas flick his eyes to face me, which made me swallow a dastardly lump in my throat. “An insect? Here? I guess you need to be swatte-” Yet another ray hit him in the face, breezing past the side of my head in order to strike him between the eyes. I was blown away by the force in his roar that followed, my body ragdolling through the air as I yelled in worry of hitting something. “THIS SHIT CRAY!!!! THIS SHIT’S SO FUCKED!!!” I cursed as I used the power of my gloves to right myself with a powerful pulse of flame. As I hovered in the air, I instantly saw Bolas stumbling back from the last attack that hit him. And then I saw Luna charging towards him with her body enveloped in blue and white magic, looking like a bullet of the stuff. It even left behind a trail as she impacted on his chest, winding the mighty planeswalker and cracking his chest-scales. Not only was he lifted from the ground, but the attack was fierce enough to send his huge ass flying a couple of feet back before thudding upon the ground with a barrage of dust clouds. He groaned while Luna teleported back to my side with the ping of magic. “So how are things~?” She asked me with an amused smile as her wings flapped to keep her body suspended. I frowned and looked at the rising Bolas, “He’s getting back up.” “Would you like me to-” “No no,” I cut her off with a shake of my head and looked at her, “I got this.” Not waiting for a response, I took off towards Bolas’s massive face. “Levo.” My right glove pulsed with added power. “Levo...Levo...Levo...Levo...” I honestly lost track of how many times I said it. “What are you doing, gnat?” Bolas asked angrily as he inhaled, the heating and bubbling of oil audible to my ears. I zoomed up to his left cheek, “LEVO MAXIMUS!!!” My right glove was so saturated with magic that it was hard to lift it up, but I still did it. Bolas chuckled, “You plan on hitting me? With your power!? Ha!” “Guess what, Bolas?” I bit his name in half. The planeswalker looked at me challengingly with his eyes narrowed, “...What?” “I went to Jared, motherFUCKER!!!” At “FUCKER” my glove slammed into his cheek with the force of what felt like a landslide and a bullet-train collision combined. I knew it wasn’t enough, so I yelled the magical phrase... “Chesto: VIS TRIPLICETUR (Tripled Force)!!!” And there he goes. Yep, Bolas has been socked into parts unknown. I saw his huge body fly into the smoke at breakneck speeds, spinning like a Ferris Wheel as he went. I was feeling light headed after that all-or-nothing attack, but the fact that I just sent something as big as Bolas out of the proverbial park had me smiling. The pants were like hurdles to a new runner, making me strain with each pained inhale. It was becoming hard to stay afloat, my wings beating out of sync as my gloves powered down. The ping of magic to my right alerted me to Luna’s presence. Turning my head wearily, I begun what was sure to be a conversation with her, “Nice punch, right?” Luna’s face of stoicism didn’t change, “Indeed...but the war is far from won it seems.” I snapped my head back in time to see Bolas’s sky blue eyes cut through the smog, the black silhouette of his massive wings and body bleeding through like a living shadow. “You’re nothing more than pests,” Bolas chuckled as he came through all the way, the ground shaking from his thunderous footsteps, “You’ve done nothing but delay the inevitable, pony. And you,” Bolas’s eyes swam to me, making a shiver go down my spine at the pure hatred hidden behind their fiery gaze, “To bite the hand that feeds you...unforgivable. Rules be damned, I will make you pay for that attack.” “Go back to your universe, Bolas. It’s clear you’re not mature enough to partake in this game.” Luna chided strongly, taking a few flaps to get ahead of me. “Maturity? This is not a subject you should lecture, Nightmare Moon!” Bolas mocked with another chuckle. The sound of grating stone filled the air, making my eyes narrow in confusion. Who the hell is grating sto- Oh. It’s Luna’s teeth grinding. My eyes widened. “Oh SHIT!!! That’s Luna’s teeth grinding!!!” I thought in panic as I instantly backed off using my wings, leaning back in the air as the stroke propelled me backwards at a rate that was faster than what I would’ve liked. I came out of the tactical withdraw awkwardly, stumbling in the air momentarily. “Never speak of that event again, Bolas. I’ll have you know that I’ve put my jealousy and anger away once I was reformed.” Luna growled as her body visibly darkened. Sensing the amount of ass-kickery that was about to go down, I waved to get Bolas’s attention. I mean, as much as I would like to see his dumbass pummelded into a bloody, scaley mess; there’s always that chance that the asshole’s my only way back. Yes, I know; why do I want to go back? The truth is, I don’t. I just want the option there in case I feel like it, and having Bolas blasted into tiny bitch bits isn’t gonna exactly heighten my chances of returning home. “Er, Luna,” I called out tentatively, half afraid that she would whirl on me and blast my dumbass halfway across this dreamscape, “Maybe we should tune back the anger a little bit, hmm? Blasting Bolas to death could kill me...” “Nay, it will not. Slaying Bolas will only serve in severing your ties with him. He doesn’t deserve what’s at the end of the game, and his cold and manipulating heart is the main reason I banished him to the multiverse itself!” Luna stomped her hoof in the air while flapping her wings. For a moment, I wondered why she would do that, but something prodded my head to look down and I saw what looked like a large glowing spot on the ground. It would blink bright white, then fade into the crimson ground before repeating the process again. The spot was placed two or so more steps in front of Bolas’s feet, and my ability to piece two and two together left me with a clear reason for its existence. “It’s a mine...And a large one at that! But, what does it trigger?” I rubbed my chin before backing up a little more. “HAH,” Bolas guffawed, “Without me being his Player, the human known as Justin will fade from existence itself after a year!” “WAT!!!???” I screeched in disbelief. I do not like the sound of that!!! “Your human body has been incinerated by your family, which means that if I die, your soul will have no where to run. In order to live, you would have to kill one of my power or higher and devour their soul!” Bolas broke out into maniacal laughter. My whole world was shattered with that revelation. I was stuck in an ultimatum, seeing as how I can’t go back to my body and it’s by Bolas’s will that I’m still in this body. How the fuck is this shit fair!? “Do not be disheartened, Silas! Although his words are true enough, I must also remind you that you have the help of two semi-immortal princesses backing you!” Luna yelled, snapping me out of my stupor of depression and hopelessness. “It matters not if your courage is rekindled, human. Your life is already forfeit into doing my bidding!” “Don’t listen to him!” I cupped my hands around my ears, my eyes widened in fear at the implications of Bolas’s words. Everything was spinning and everything was yelling, tearing my mental walls to smithereens while destroying my heart piece by piece. I felt tears come to my eyes as I envisioned my body being incinerated in a giant furnace, my family gathered around while being dressed in black. The face of my mother and brother stuck out the most, but the scary part was... ...I was looking at them as the flames danced around me... “Blood Limit 2: Opened. Releasing restraints...” My scream broke through the air, pushing the yellow smog away effortlessly. The draconic vocal chords chorused with my human ones, producing a shriek so high in frequency that Luna and Bolas covered their ears and gave yells of pain. A fierce quaking came about the ground and the air itself, rumbling the very foundation of the dreamscape. The wind was rapidly leaving my body, but I could feel something else grow in quantity. It took me a while to figure out what the gurgling in my throat was about, but the screaming had become painful enough to jumble any coherent thoughts. I still, however, discerned the gurgling to stem from a mass of blood in my throat due to the iron-y taste. And then, sweet relief. My mouth shut on its own volition, stopping the screamin instantaneously. I can’t describe how I’m feeling right now after that whole ‘Power up like a fucking DBZ character’ spiel, but I can honestly say that ‘empowered’ is the one that sticks out the most. My body felt more muscular but lithe, and my thinking became even sharper than what it was. My eyes went out of focus, but quickly sharpened up and presented me with an HD view of everything. My body feels like it was...upgraded... “What the fuck...” I breathed out in confusion as I eyed my bare chest, which has become barrel-like instead of fit, “...Happened to my fucking body?” I gripped my hands as my wings flapped, feeling the muscles underneath the scales and under-skin tighten and bulge with power. I grinned, no longer feeling the fatigue of my last attack. “Hey, Bolas!” I boomed, my voice deep enough to make a subwoofer jealous. The dragon looked a little miffed, but I could still see the blatant disregard for my presence in his eyes. Luna was positively stunned at my newly acquired stamina. “And what does the gnat want this time?” Bolas mocked as his hands powered up with the power of darkness. “I want you to scream like a whore.” Oceandust“Me,” Bolas asked with an amused chuckle as he raised his magic-covered hands into into a punching pose, “You’re going to make me, scream? Laughable.” I felt that tingle and my eyes filled with those embers from earlier. My body felt like it was vibrating every atom, every cell possible! The words came out without me knowing. “Sylvan Power Rings, activate. Initiating Blood Limit Protocol: Call To Arms,” The gloves transformed into claw-tipped gauntlets of pure platinum that traced up the length of my arms. Three spikes jutted out from the back of my shoulder blade, making me smile lecherously as I tightened my hands into fists, hearing the precious metal scrape against itself. “Activation complete.” Bolas laughed and I smiled. “Engaging target: Big Scaley Motherfucker.” Let me state that with this new, Blood Limit being released, I now took off at a speed that made my previous one seem snail-ish in comparison! I literally collided with Bolas’s face, sending the massive dragon reeling back with a pained holler as my shoulder made contact. It sounded like a cannon shot when I impacted, so I knew Bolas felt it. He gave a menacing growl as he backpedaled and turned his massive body, the rushing of wind alerting me to foul play. Using the new Battle Gauntlets, I andgled them down towards the ground and shot into the air, just avoiding the massive claw that was caked in black magic. From there, I angled my gauntlets so that my hands faced behind my back, effectively hurtling me into a perfect roll like Sonic’s spindash as I rocketed towards Bolas’s face again. The spinning was making me a little nauseous, but I held my bile in and flipped out of the flaming wheel position, thrusting my foot out just as I came to the apex of another rotation. Due to the speed I was going at, my body was still locked in the momentum that forced my leg to come down disastrously on Bolas’s skull. You know an attack hurts when you see the fucking wave of energy ripple through what you just hit! This disastrous attack sent Bolas to a knee with another roar of pain, effectively blasting me away from his position with the wind force alone. Bolas raised a claw and two massive serpentine-dragons with red eyes shot out, spiraling towards me at speeds I didn’t really care for! “Oh shit,” I thought in panic as my eyes widened. I then tried the same maneuver, thrusting myself into the air right as the black magic dragons blasted through my previous position, “That was close as hell! Bolas has some tricks!” I looked back at the spiraling dragons for a while, watching them fizzle out into nothingness; which, in turn, made me look back- My senses flooded with an unholy amount of pain as Bolas’s large tail slammed into my person. My ribs, and any bone in my torso for that matter, became gelatin under the devastating attack. I gave a grunt of supreme pain before flying back at the speed of a bullet. My flight time wasn’t long, for I crashed/cratered into the side of a mountain which caused some of the most intense pain ever, I gave a pained holler as blood surged from my mouth, splattering my chest. My mind was a haze of smog and pain, making me squint and grimace as I fought off unconsciousness. My vision was swimming, and the black patches around the corners of my eyes alerted me to the fact that one more hit could spell the end of my little revolution here. “M..Medico,” I spat out more blood as my magic had its way with the damage in my body. Using the palms of my gauntlets as braces against the rock, I ignited them once I felt ready enough to resume fighting. The black vortexes around the corners of my eyes did not go away, and even as I flew it felt as if I was drunk on some strong alcoholic beverage, “He slapped the shit out of me...” “Why yes...” I turned around sharply while jetting downwards to avoid a claw slash, “Yes I did. And I’ll continue to do so until you yield,” Bolas was perched above me, his cold eyes boring holes into my soul as the sounded of heating oil filled the air. As I peered up at the giant dragon who was lifting his head and getting ready to expel a large jet of flame, my feet touched something that made my blood run cold... ...The ground. “He’s cornered me into a chasm!!!” I mentally screamed as Bolas waved a hand slowly, blocking off all attempts at exiting the chasm through flight. My bladder never felt so loose... “And now you’ll be punished, human!” Bolas yelled before belching his sky-blue flame at me. Since I wasn’t feeling the whole ‘Get burned to ashes that will be scattered to the winds’ vibe, my hands shot open and expelled flames of their own as I rocketed away from the place of impact. This let me avoid the initial impact, but as I looked back, I could see the flames coming like a flood. “HOW MUCH AIR CAN HE SUCK IN!!??” My body was aligned like an arrowed as a worried expression gaced my features. The only thought on my mind was how I was gonna get out of this situation without sustaining massive injury or dying! “Where the hell is Luna at!? I didn’t tell her to piss off, so why is she not here helping me!?” “Is everything OK, Princess Luna!? I heard screaming!” The Thestral shouted just as he opened the door to the room. He nearly gave a surprised yelp when his eyes came inches from Luna’s. “We art fine, Private Shadow Break. We are...” She trailed off with look of shame on her face before her eyes brightened and she outstretched hoof, “Playing a game! Yes, We art playing a game...for...fun!” “Are you sure you’re alright, Princess?” “Go back to your post.” Luna snapped bemusedly, making the Thestral’s eyes widen before giving a hurried salute and disappearing around the door while closing it. Seeing that she was able to diffuse what could’ve been a disastrous situation for her reputation. Her mind clicked, and she opened the door and angled her head out of the crack, making sure the most serious face she could muster was in place. Both of her guards, Shadow Break among the two, snapped to attention and saluted, “Anypony that chooses to interrupt my private time will have to endure the Lunar Training Course...twice. Is that understood?” “Yes ma’am!” Came the chorused, but slightly tinged with fear, reply. “Then I leave you to your duties. Let no pony enter,” She placed a hoof on her chin for a moment then looked back down at the three guards, “Especially if it’s my sister.” And with that she disappeared back into the confines of her room, closing the door and locking it with her magically charged horn. She stared at the lock for a while, thinking about her orders and of the time before the first game. The time, to be more specific, where she was raising Nicol Bolas. From the time he was a tan and sky-blue egg, to the time he grew into a wyrm. She had taught him spells, spells that he went on to perfect alone while among his own kind. Because of how well Nicol Bolas grew in stature and favor with the other dragons, good relations were instantly made between the nation of T’Rell-Vadriz (Land of Glittering Scales) and Equestria. The dragons were and still are a proud race, so eventually the teachings of friendship began rubbing them the wrong way. This, of course, brought about the first national dispute. Where the throne room’s roof used to be, now towered large dragons that peered down at the sisters. The seven that showed up established themselves as the Seven Lords, even though three of them were female. Tek’Narvis the Greedy. Nell’Vrak the Black One. Nix’Tav the Proud. Art’Krag the Wrathful Obliterator. Qull’Trim the Tortuous Sapphire. Hal’Vara the Desired. Yil’Plagnam the Coveting. “Twas a wake-up call most severe, that meeting. I had wondered how they made the three day flight to Equestria without tearing each other limb from limb, based solely on how they acted around one another during the four day council.” Luna thought with some amusement as she walked back to the bed, noticing the peaceful visage of Silas Epista laying down with his hands behind his head. The council meeting lasted four days, which mainly dealt with the concerns of each dragon lord and lady. There were three ladies to the four lords, who were all hard-headed in their own right. Art’Krag was easy to upset, and every rebuttal against his requests for more land made him storm off in order to destroy something. Qull’Trim had difficulty staying awake during the meetings, often falling over and causing unspeakable amounts of damage with his massive (fat) body. Null’Vrak was always eating something, so in secret, Celestia and Luna nicknamed him the ‘Black Hole’. Nix’Tav couldn’t stand being away from any type of reflective surface for too long. Tek’Narvis had been pilfering some ancient scrolls and tapestries with his tail. Yil’Plagnam was jealous of Celestia and Luna’s ability to fit into small buildings. Hal’Vara kept making obscene gestures towards everyone in the meeting, flirting at every given chance and giving bedroom eyes at whoever made eye contact. The meeting was Tartarus in a Hoovebasket, but thankfully Bolas and his best friend, Phalanx, was there to keep everything from falling apart. Celestia and Luna were close to just using their powers in order to wipe the irritating lords and ladies from existence itself, but it was Bolas and Phalanx that ultimately persuaded them to be more lenient. In dragon culture, those who did not match the scale-scheme of the Seven Lords were considered gutter trash, which was exactly the problem for Bolas and Phalanx. Phalanx was an albino, the only one in existence at the time, and was heavily frowned upon by the other dragons in the conference. He was wise beyond all belief, but was constantly placed in check by the Lords. Bolas was frowned upon for his beige scales as well, which didn’t float so well with Luna when the Lords decided to call him out for it in her presence. It took some serious strength and calming words to keep Luna away from Hal’Vara and Art’Krag, who were just as eager to fry Luna to smithereens. The four days passed begrudgingly slow, but it was with great, painstaking patience that a treaty was drafted. Many laws were put in place, but the overall gist of the legal document was as follows: “Stay away from each other.” Luna shook her head at the stupidity of the meeting as she climbed into bed. She was thankful for Bolas and Phalanx, although the former brought along a new line of thinking from the lunar princess. “He was the first Albino Dragon...and he now currently rules as the self-proclaimed Dragon King. The number of casualties wrought from fighting him is a little too steep, but I hear he’s found pleasant mate and bore for himself an heir,” She tried lifting the blankets but discovered that Silas was an obstacle in doing so, “He’s certainly gotten comfortable.” She thought with a small frown. Her face slightly reddened as she caught herself staring at his muscular chest for a while. “No, bad Luna,” She rebuked herself audibly, “Do not ogle your guest! You will not pick up on Hal’Vara’s habits!” Luna put on a face of determination, snuggling up to Silas’s side. She let out a comfortable sigh. “At least he’s warm,” Luna’s eyes widened in shock as she remembered something crucial, “I forgot about Bolas! I need to help Silas or he may not return!” Her horn began to glow, her magic entering the dream realm as it sought out the familiar presence of Silas’s magic. She found it instantly, her mind becoming a swirling mass of colors before affixing on a plane with red earth and yellow smog. Her eyes closed for a moment before snapping open sharply, the pupils gone as the whites vibrated seismically with her magic. And just like that Luna had made the journey. I wiped some blood off of my mouth as I panted heavily, resting on a knee while my eyes narrowed at the huge dragon looming over me, casting a shadow against the blistering orb of light in the sky. “It was pointless from the beginning, Justin. You should have known better than to try and challenge the hand that feeds you.” Bolas mocked, nary a scratch upon his body. I had thought that with my new power up, he would be a little easier to manage. Obviously I was wrong in that aspect. I gave three more pants, “You know,” I panted, “You’re very prideful. I wonder if you have enough room for a brain,” Another pant, “Beside all that ego, y’know?” Bolas narrowed his eyes before outstretching his arms and hands to the side, making sure they were fully extended. His massive feet began leaving the ground below him as the smog gathered above, swirling into what looked like a vortex of yellow clouds with red lightning flashing in between them. Slowly but surely did Bolas make his way into the air, a mini cyclone building under his body while its winds whipped me in the face, making me squint as I struggled to peer up at him. His hands began gathering orbs of magic, with the respective colors of red, blue and black. The orbs became infernos that segregated themselves on his palms, occasionally blending together. Then, all of a sudden, they decide to fuse and become one solid color of sky-blue somehow. The earth trembled as Bolas’s eyes did the same thing Luna’s would do when she concentrated with magic, the only difference being that his eyes radiated sky-blue like his hand’s roaring flames. The sound was deafening, making me liken it to the time when I was caught in my burning house. “Shiver...At the power of a God.” Bolas boomed as red lightning flashed through the sky and struck the ground, leaving huge craters that had me practically shitting bricks since I was too worn out to move out of the way. “Your aim is shit.” I sassed with a smile, even though I knew my time was up. So much for creating the strongest guild in the world, huh? “Yourfinal words are shit.” He responded, making my eyes widen. Bolas never curses! I’m screwed! “Ah, hell. I’m sorry everyone, but my body’s reached its limits.” “I had saw promise in your obedience, human. As it stands, it seems that for the first time in seven-hundred years, I have erred,” Bolas shot out a hand and it squealed like a chorus of a million whistles, “Now, I will fix my mistake.” I lowered my head and awaited my end. My smile never went away as the faces of my smiling friends and Queenie filled my mind. As long as they’re smiling I can go in peace. “It’s been real, guys. I’ll never forget you, but I really wish it wasn’t an option! I don’t want to die!” There was a bright flash, a deafening explosion, the clap of thunder and the roar of a dragon. Starving to Death in the Belly of the WhaleMy senses flooded with adrenaline. So much adrenaline, in fact, that I sprung off my back and shot into the air with my gauntlets, taking careful looks around the vicinity. Bolas was clutching his right eye and roaring while firing manic shots in random directions. These balls of sky-blue fire incinerated anything they touched instantly, making me wonder how I was even still alive. The reason made itself apparent with a teleport to my left. I craned my head to view her, “You don’t feel bad about hurting him?” Luna didn’t expect a question from me, let alone a question that’s personal. It seems I’ve hit a soft spot, however, for her face became crestfallen as she looked at Bolas’s spinning and yelling form in the distance. “Of course I do,” She gave a sigh before looking at me with cloudy eyes, “He’s technically my son. I raised him after slaying the bastard of a father that tried to eat him, saying his egg was a disgrace because it didn’t fall in line with the scale color of the Seven Lords.” “And those are?” “The colors are as follows: red, green, purple, black, blue, yellow and pink. As you can see,” She pointed at Bolas, “His are beige...or a green-tinted copper. In dragon society, he’s nothing more than an oversized gecko.” Luna’s face became angry as she thought back to that day, apparently. “I see. Well then, I guess Bolas and I have something in common,” I stated with a smile. This perplexed Luna, and she made it known by quirking an eyebrow up. I helped her with, “In a way, Bolas and I are one in the same. I just figured something out that will undoubtedly end this struggle.” I concluded with a smile before taking off towards the massive planeswalker. Luna was hot on my trail, however, her body enveloped in a cocoon-shaped aura of blue as she sped through the air beside me. “We do not comprehend,” She yelled over the wind, “What have you figured out!?” “Bolas has been supplying me with his own powers. When I fought against one of the aliens, he claimed that he was the Blue Mage of my Spark. In Magic lore, the Spark is something only Planeswalkers can have! This strand of information helped me piece together the rest of the puzzle right now!” “And that is...” Luna trailed off. “That the other aliens represent Bolas’s affinity with his core magics! If Sylvan was the Blue Mage, that would make Xiuhcoatl the Red and Veritas the Black,” I exclaimed happily as we just started nearing the raging dragon, “But that leaves one alien in a veil of mystery.” “Silas Epista.” Luna finished with a cryptic tone to her voice. I nodded my agreeance. “My theory doesn’t explain what he’s doing in my head. Something’s up with that guy, and something tells me I’m not gonna like the answer.” I replied determinedly, then willed more magic into my gauntlets and increasing the output of sky-blue flames. I shot off at blinding speeds that I won’t be able to put in words, but let’s just say Bolas was feeling a little winded after the collision. In fact, the impact was hard enough to make me lift him off the ground and rocket him into the sky. The big bastard let out a pained grunt and tried swatting me, but a blue ray of magic caught him in the chin as it flew past my back, making me look down momentarily to see Luna with a shit-eating grin on her face. “Oh come now, Silas,” She exclaimed before firing another blast that freaked me out at the close proximity, “I’ve had a thousand years to perfect my accuracy! You should be comfortable enough to continue fighting!” “I’m glad you’re havi- Shit! - I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself!” I yelled at Luna while Bolas roared as that ray hit him in the other eye, which made him switch the positioning of his occupied hand to said eye. The other one had a massive hole in the center as it leaked a profusive amount of scarlet blood. I nearly lost my lunch as his eye began to grow blood tentacles that writhed violently in the air before growing dragon heads. No matter what Luna may say, I did not scream like a bitch when they started slithering down towards me. As silly as it may sound, I’m deathly afraid of snakes. These niggas were slithering! SLITHERING!!! “BLAST THE FUCK OUT OF ‘EM, LUNA!!! PLEASE!!!” I...um...vocalized. “So noisy.” Luna stated before the sound of a gatling gun filled the air. Multiple rays of blue slammed into the snake-dragons as they leaped for me, blowing back twenty of those gross-looking sons of bitches. That took care of the immediate threat, sure, but the rest of the snakes came faster than a virgin’s first time! Under no circumstances are you to believe that I screamed like a little girl. More rays blew the blood-snakes to smithereens, but it seemed like there would be no end to them unless Bolas’s eye was closed. I had an idea. “Luna,” She looked at me, “Slice off his wings!” Her face paled. “You plan to drop him!?” I nodded. “He can teleport!” She tried as she blasted more blood-snakes. “Then wouldn’t he have already done it by now!? Just go do it!” I yelled out impatiently, watching Luna roll her eyes before flying down and around Bolas’s flailing tail. I stopped the propulsion from my gauntlets, letting Bolas’s body fly away from my body and into the air some more. The snakes that were supposed to spell my doom jumped from Bolas’s stomach in an attempt to bite me. I lifted a hand, mouthed “Eat your heart out, Tsuna,” and then stretched the other hand back behind me. My eye came to life, showing me the balance of my arms perfectly. The Sirios unit let me see how uneven my arms were, so I fixed them, which made the two white lines blend together into one solid line. I took aim for the gem and the snakes as Bolas’s body continued to fly upwards, making me adjust my aim so that I was a few inches above the jewel’s position. “X Burner...” I felt my hands charge up with an unholy amount of energy. I don’t know if this’ll work, but if it doesn’t then I’m screwed,”AIR!!!” A larger torrent of darker sky-blue flame rocketed from my forward hand, but a softer, lighter torrent came out of my back one. This held me in place as the darker sky-blue torrent roasted the blood-snakes before rocketing towards Bolas’s jewel that floated between his massive horns. I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, Luna coming towards Bolas’s back with what looked like a large pole of white, blazing magic. It’s very presence distorted the air around it, making me believe that it was increasingly hot. She angled her head sharply and gave a massive roar of triumph that made me feel like less of a man, the magic around her horn bringing the pole of white energy around in a diagonal arc from bottom left to top right. A large crescent moon-shaped after image ripped into Bolas’s back and wings right as my torrent of condensed flames slammed into his jewel, shattering the thing instantly and making it expel all his stored magic. Bolas gave a mighty roar as he flipped from Luna’s slash, his wings falling to either side of him as his ascent stopped then went in reverse. I could see the flames around his hands die out as he plummeted, and his face became fearful when he noticed his wings were falling beside him. His fearful face became one of absolute rage as he roared loudly. So loudly in fact, that my Sirios unit began frizzing up and whirring unbearably high. My vision became like an unavailable channel for an old t.v, crackling black and white. “Silas!” I heard Luna shout as my head swam and I became nauseous, the fire in my gauntlets stopping prematurely which made me begin a plummet of my own. A sickening whump that shook even the air alerted me to Bolas’s defeat, and I knew that I would be joining him soon. "Revenge should be honey on our tongues, but it's turned to ash in our mouths..." WeightI gave a roar out of my sleep, my eyes shooting wide in fear as I powered up my gauntlets and rolled off the mattress, preparing to do battle with Bolas once...again? Eighty-six that, actually. “You’re safe, Silas! Calm yourself,” Luna’s voice made me turn around so that I could view her. I instantly ran over to the bed, jumping on it and lifting her hooves while inspecting for damage with a serious look on my face, “Are you well?” “I’m fine,” I paused and thought about the significance of that statement. When, exactly, have I ever used that phrase? Now that I think about it, when did this become important? I shook my head and went back to looking over Luna’s body, “Which is odd seeing as how I’m involved, but the most pressing matter is whether you’re alright.” I had lifted Luna’s right hoof after inspecting the left one, but she gently tugged it from my grip. Unfortunately for me, I was leaning forward too much and using her for support. which meant I fell over onto my face as she sidestepped to avoid my falling form. “We art fine, Silas. There’s no need to bend thyself in a knot over our livelihood,” She offered me a hoof and I used it to get back on my butt, “Although the sentiment carries much weight.” She finished with a smile. “I hate to ruin this tender moment, Luna, but I’m still freaked out about what Bolas said before, well, he kicked the bucket.” I responded with an unsure look on my face. If the planeswalker’s words were true, then I’m afraid...deathly afraid. “Are you talking about his words pertaining to your livelihood without his power,” I nodded with a frown. Luna looked momentarily hurt before she took a deep breath and locked eyes with me with resolution in hers, “Are you sure you want an answer to this?” “More than anything.” “He’s right,” Her answer came quick, like she wanted to get rid of the words as if they would harm her. I flinched at the delivery, but I knew that it was to be expected, “I predict that you have no more than a year before you waste away into the current of the multiverse itself.” Luna words were like anvils, stacking themselves three at a time at the end of every sentence. She placed a hoof onto my bare chest, “Your body will weaken. You’ll begin to grow faint at random moments, often blacking out with no memory of how or what you did before then,” Luna surmised as her hoof traveled up to my eyes, knocking out my vision completely, “Your vision will go next, and then your hearing shall follow.” The hoof moved down to my chest again, but its descent didn’t stop. Her hoof soon found purchase just above my Hearth’s Fire, making my eyes go wide. “This is the last step. When the fire is extinguished, your time on Equis shall come to an end. You are out of my jurisdiction, seeing as how the game limits me to helping only my piece.” Her face became crestfallen and she turned her head away to avoid my shocked gaze, my eyes of disbelief. “...This is fucked. This is so fucked.” I breathed out in disbelief before standing up and hopping off the bed. I didn’t even care that I was leaving my shit behind as I walked towards Luna’s balcony doors. “What are you doing,” Her voice was unsure, like she wanted to stop me from exiting the tower. I stopped as her question danced in my head before walking back over to the dresser and getting dressed, sliding my jacket on and then my over-cape. Hope was then slung over my shoulder much like a kid in high school who didn't feel like putting a bookbag on using both straps, “Silas...?” “I’m gonna stand on the balcony. I need to,” I sniffled a little, “Clear my head.” I advanced back to the balcony door without so much as an eye glance back to Luna. “Will you be alright? You won’t do anything rash, will you?” “Thanks, Princess,” I heard her give a sharp intake of breath before I placed a hand on the glass and pushed the door open, letting the cold air rush in to meet my face, “You’ve earned that title.” I finished with a forced smile but with tears coming down my face as I walked through the balcony door, closing it behind me. And I stood here on Luna’s balcony until the rising of the sun. It felt like forever, but it gave me enough time to gather my emotions up. Damn, now I’m starting to cuss again. I gazed out over Ponyville, briefly entertaining the idea for a visit. But, the notion was quickly shot down just as quick as it came. The most I’d get out of a visit from that place would be a party and the fact I could hang out with the Mane 6. But that’s only counting if they wouldn’t run at the sight of a giant dragon. I glanced down at that thought and confirmed what I thought was only an effect of my dream. “Well, I’m definitely taller.” I can’t say for sure, but my over-cape stopped at the bottom of my shin, allowing me to see my feet fully. I gave a sigh at how quickly I was distracted from my musings, cursing my over-attentive tendencies. I gazed back out over the vast countryside as it became washed in crimson-orange, making me think back to the only pony in my guild with a color scheme matching the scenery right now. Maybe it’s my imagination, but Sunset didn’t seem all too thrilled to meet her old mentor when we arrived in Canterlot. Actually, as far as I can remember, they didn’t even talk with one another. There might be something going on between them that- “Silas? What are you doing on my sister’s balcony?” Celestia’s voice made me inhale sharply in surprise, which caused me to swallow a little spit down the wrong pipe. I spent the next couple of seconds coughing up a lung before I could answer the Solar Deity. “Nothing! In fact, I was just about to head out with my guild. Are they back yet?” I asked quickly, trying to shift the focus to her and avoid any further questions pertaining to Luna. Celestia raised her eyebrow much like this... I knew it wouldn’t work... “We were talking,” I said quickly while looking away. She cleared her throat. I cussed under my breath, “We were comforting one another.” I swore it got a little too hot for the dawn sun, “Comforting, how?” “With words, ya beast of burden,” I yelled at her with a severe blush on my face! I mean, could she be any more embarrassing, “Is there a reason why my personal life intrigues you so much!?” Celestia laughed a motherly laugh that made me facepalm. Of fucking course she was trolling me! “It’s humorous in knowing Luna and yourself have the same tendencies, Silas. Of course, the mannerisms would be different given your respective upbringings, but the fact still remains that you two are pretty similar.” Celestia explained with chuckle that made me take that same hand and slide it down my face slowly, opting to use the hand as a makeshift washrag. I then crossed my arms and pouted. “Go away, Sunbutt.” “I can’t. Day Court doesn’t start for another hour or so, and just sitting on my throne has become a droll alternative when my other choice is bothering you.” “Are you implying something here? If you are, then I wouldn’t mind taking this somewhere private.” I smiled lecherously on the side of my mouth, the side where she couldn’t see it of course. “Oh, good heavens no,” She chuckled, “I’m much too old for an act like that.” Most ponies would’ve missed the sarcasm in that. It’s a good thing I’m not a pony. “You’re playing the fool, Celestia. You’d do well to know that sarcasm is as obvious to me as heat is to a stallion.” Messing around with Celestia is actually brightening my mood a bit. It’s almost like she knows when to show up. “Such a strong yet provocative analogy being used in the face of royalty? Have you no shame, Silas Epista?” Her face was angry but her voice reeked with mirth. “Would you like to see my “shame”, Celestia? You’ll come to find that it’s rather hard to tote around.” Que sideways glance and lecherous smile. “Will you ever run out of gutter-minded taunts?” Celestia chuckled. “Will you ever allow me between your legs?” I pushed further, hearing her chuckles turn into stifled laughs. “No!” She responded after a bout of laughter. “Then I guess you have your answer!” I chuckled after that as well, and our synchronized mirth rung into the dawn air for a while before suddenly stopping. My face slowly drifted back down to a stoic expression. “...Your time on Equis shall come to an end...” “...Shit.” I cursed lowly as the revelation wrecked my brain. Something tells me that I won’t have a single coherent thought without Luna’s words haunting me. “Did you say something?” Celestia inquired, making me bat an eye at her before sighing. “Life’s amazing, ain’t it,” I began with a forced smile as I continued staring at her from the corner of my eye, “There’s so much to live for. You could live for money: love, fame, happiness, hate and other stuff too.” “...Where’s all this coming from?” I sighed before turning my head to fully face her, offering a small smile, “I hope I can find my meaning for living. If there's one thing I learned about life,” I hopped up on the balcony railing and turned my body sharply too look at Celestia’s shock-smacked face, “It’s that it isn’t fair.” I leaned back but felt a tear escape as I did so. My body entered a freefall, the over-cape flapping wildly as I slowly turned in the air so that my chin finally pointed towards the rapidly approaching ground. “If this doesn’t work I’m gonna be pissed!!!” I thought angrily as I snapped open my wings just before hitting the ground, feeling the wind yank my body up so that I flew no less than an inch from the surface. I quickly tucked and rolled, seeing as how I couldn’t fly, and came out of the dive expertly by sliding along the ground. My claws dug into the ground minutely, alleviating the momentum instantly. After I stopped, I looked up to behold Celestia giving an irritated shake of her head. I guess I might’ve freaked her out with my stunt. Giggling, I got up from my squatting position and turned around to- “Silas?” Sunset’s condescending voice made my blood run cold, and it made me jump into the air somewhat before glaring at her. “Yes, Shimms’? I was just about go back to Judgement.” “You do realize we crashed Judgement on Celestia’s side of the Castle, right?” I looked at her incredulously, “You make it sound like they divided the Castle! This castle ain’t divided!” I turned around and nearly went weak in the knees. Since when did Sunset Shimmer get a biker jacket!? “Woah, are you feeling alright,” Sunset asked as she ran up just as I fell, using her back as a temporary shoulder to catch me on. I thanked her before standing back up, wondering why I just got weak in the knees like that all the while, “The jacket’s awesome but I didn’t think it’d make you fall!” She gave a chuckle, one I returned half-heartedly as I walked past her and towards the outer ring of the Castle. “...Come to an end...Your body will weaken...” “I need to talk to you, Sunset. Out of everyone in the guild, I think you should be the one to hear this.” I stated somberly just as she came running up to my side with a worried look. “I was serious back there, Silas. Are you sure you’re alright?” “Just,” I paused mid-sentence, growing heavily annoyed for no reason, “Come with me, please.” And it was silent for the remainder of trip back to my ship. Sunset Shimmer: Part 1Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Prelude to The Next ArcSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter."A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 1Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter."A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 2Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter."A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 3Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter."A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 4Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter."A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 5Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
DevelopmentsThe smell of sulfur alerted me to one thing. Well, the yellow smog and tall spires of rock, but I guess you get the idea of where I am. I wasn’t scared this time, so now that I have a squared head, this place isn’t as intimidating. Of course I say that now and end up pissing myself raw when that big motherfucker comes, but I guess that’s just the way things go! My dreams suck ass. “Come on out, Bolas,” I shouted into the dense fog, “You wouldn’t have whisked me away if you didn’t want to talk about something!” “Are you not afraid, young human?” Nicol Bolas’s voice was right on top of me, making my eyes widen a little before I rolled them in boredom. I turned around so that the huge form of Nicol Bolas was visible to me, observing how he was perched like a bored king on a throne carved out from a mountain. His massive head was leaned up on his right fist, and his elbow was on the awkwardly cut armrest. “No,” I stated with a shrug, “But I’m a little bored of this.” “Really,” Bolas responded with a dismissive snort that I had to cover my face for; since the wind pressure was so intense, “So sorry to hear that, but I’m enjoying myself far too much to send you back, I’m afraid. Why do you want to go back to such a boring existence in the first place? As I recall, you were the one who cursed your existence! That was one of the reasons I chose you in the first place!” Bolas boomed. I grimaced audibly and sucked my teeth, “Oh trust me, Bolas, I still hate Earthlings and their governments thereof; but you should know that Earth is my home. This place, this planet called Equis, is hard to get used to. Everyone is so friendly, so...alien.” “The irony is suffocating in that statement, human. Nevertheless, I must thank you for making your life an enjoyable spectacle thus far! I never thought you had it in you to best a paladin and a strong mutt like Dreggen!” Bolas gave a deep chuckle that made me want to punch his lights out, but I was still wary of his Touch. That, and he can summon horrible monsters to fight me as well. “And this guild you founded; Blackbird, was it? I can only wonder how they’ll handle your betrayal! On the topic of your plan, however, comes a question I know you haven’t asked yourself!” Bolas was a little excited now, and that unnerved me tremendously. “And what is it?” “Are you willing to kill one of your friends to keep up your facade?” I froze up. My body literally felt like ice. I never gave any thought to that line of thinking! Holy hell! What if it really does come down to me versus one of my friends!? That’s not cool, man! “It seems I’ve struck a point of interest. You know, I may be older than most things, but at least I take the time to calculate my plans before enacting them out. Senility is reserved for those who are weak of mind,” Bolas stated with a chuckle while using his other hand’s index finger to point at me, “Like you.” “Fuck you, you overgrown lizard! Just tell me why I’m here so that I can go back and think over my plan some more!” I pointed angrily at him. Bolas’s smile faltered into a semi-amused amalgamation of weariness and anger, “Lizard, am I!? Huh, I don’t know where you got this bravado, but you should take heed in realizing it’s preparing you for destruction by my hand!” “Screw off,” I flipped him off before turning around and walking off into the smoke, “Find some other way to occupy your free time.” I felt compacted as I was lifted from the ground sharply, watching the ground zoom by until the feet of a giant dragon occupied my vision of the ground. I gulped quietly and turned around in the ball Bolas placed me in, coming face-to-eye with the ancient dragon planeswalker. “Your power is infantile at best, Justin. You will recognize your place here, mortal.” He growled, a chorus of lion roars and hippo grumbles that was accented by the march of a million soldiers. “Get bent, scalehead. Put me back in my body before things get ugly.” I threatened, earning a roar from the mighty dragon in response. “COUNT YOURSELF LUCKY THAT I’M BOUND BY THE RULES OF THE GAME NOT TO HURT YOU, FOOL!!!” Bolas was hit in the chest with a giant ray of blue magic, making my eyes widen as his telekinetic hold was dropped instantaneously. I popped open my wings, powered up my gloves, and used them to propulse myself towards the place where the beam came from, knowing who shot it. I turned my head from where I was facing, which was towards Bolas’s falling from through his throne, to gaze upon Princess Luna whose horn was glowing white and blue with her respective magical aura. Her eyes were a thousand jack-o-lanterns, promoting her ethereal yet overbearing appearance even more. “The hell,” I yelled in shock as Luna’s eyes returned to normal, “How’d you get in here!?” “Twas a simple matter, truthfully,” Luna returned with a face of pure stoicism, “I am the Princess of the Night, after all. Dream Scrying is something I do every night in order to help my subjects overcome their nightmares.” “Sorry to burst your bubble, Luna, but this bloke isn’t a nightmare,” I exclaimed while looking at Bolas’s laid-out form, “This is Nicol Bo-” “We know very well who this dragon is, Silas,” Luna interrupted, making me wince at how commanding her voice was. She could makeGordon Ramsay feel like shit, “Which also confirms my sister’s earlier inquiry.” I raised an eyebrow as Bolas tried getting back to his feet. “And what would that be?” “You’re human. Which isn’t that surprising, seeing as how you’re not the first one to come across Canterlot.” Luna explained with a shrug of indifference, making me wince again at the tone. Me, being a smart cookie, easily pieced two and two together, “You mean there’s been others? Huh, I thought I was special,” I frowned my face up and turned my head to view Bolas, who had just succeeded in bringing himself to a knee, “Well shit.” “An impressive strike for one so one-dimensional,” Bolas mocked with a chuckle as he raised himself to full height, making me expand my eyes just a little, “You do realize the rules don’t say anything about two “Players” facing one another in a duel, right?” “You seem to be under the impression that I fear you, Bolas. Make no mistake, you are quite the formidable adversary, but I dare say you are a couple thousand years too soon to think of challenging me.” Luna retorted with a cocky grin, making me do a dry spit-take. “ARE YOU MAD!!!??? That’s Nicol Bolas! He destroys powerful mages that walk across dimensions for fun!” I exclaimed at Luna, who merely batted an eye at me before chuckling. “His power, as grand as it is, still lacks any real quality to it. The only thing he has going for himself is his size, ability to breathe fire, and his dreaded Touch; which, might I add, will be next to useless against me,” She looked back towards Bolas, who was growling at her, “Isn't that right...Nicky?” Her eyes powered up as Bolas let loose a powerful roar that seemed to shake the foundation of this dreamscape to its core. Everything shook, with even some mountains crumbling. “Nicky? What kind of name is that!?” “I AM NO LONGER YOUR PET, LUNA!!!” My jaw dropped. Princess Luna owned...as in had legal ownership over Nicol Bolas!? Luna fired another ray, my ears ringing from the deafening explosion of its expulsion. The ray was deflected by a forcefield around Bolas’s right claw. I heard the heating of oil, and that made me turn on my power gloves and blast off to the right, narrowly avoiding the sky-blue jet of flame that came after the inhale. Luna merely flapped her wings, dispersing the jet of flame until the roaring inferno was cut off at the source. The wind from Luna’s charged downstroke hooked Bolas in his mouth, making the dragon reel back in pain from the impact. His feet took three steps backwards as a powerful roar of pain usher forth from the giant planeswalker. “That’s a bad boy,” Luna scolded mockingly as my face became the definition of disbelief. Here was this...this...pony, fucking up a giant dragon, “Mother never taught you to hit others!” Another ray of magic, another impact that sent Bolas to his ass. Bolas growled and teleported to his feet behind us both, making my eyes widen as the sound of rushing wind filled my ears. “He’s attacking!” I accelerated upwards and saw Luna teleport just in time to avoid Bolas’s finger. He had planned to use the Touch on her!? He’s getting serious! I looked behind me to see Bolas flick his eyes to face me, which made me swallow a dastardly lump in my throat. “An insect? Here? I guess you need to be swatte-” Yet another ray hit him in the face, breezing past the side of my head in order to strike him between the eyes. I was blown away by the force in his roar that followed, my body ragdolling through the air as I yelled in worry of hitting something. “THIS SHIT CRAY!!!! THIS SHIT’S SO FUCKED!!!” I cursed as I used the power of my gloves to right myself with a powerful pulse of flame. As I hovered in the air, I instantly saw Bolas stumbling back from the last attack that hit him. And then I saw Luna charging towards him with her body enveloped in blue and white magic, looking like a bullet of the stuff. It even left behind a trail as she impacted on his chest, winding the mighty planeswalker and cracking his chest-scales. Not only was he lifted from the ground, but the attack was fierce enough to send his huge ass flying a couple of feet back before thudding upon the ground with a barrage of dust clouds. He groaned while Luna teleported back to my side with the ping of magic. “So how are things~?” She asked me with an amused smile as her wings flapped to keep her body suspended. I frowned and looked at the rising Bolas, “He’s getting back up.” “Would you like me to-” “No no,” I cut her off with a shake of my head and looked at her, “I got this.” Not waiting for a response, I took off towards Bolas’s massive face. “Levo.” My right glove pulsed with added power. “Levo...Levo...Levo...Levo...” I honestly lost track of how many times I said it. “What are you doing, gnat?” Bolas asked angrily as he inhaled, the heating and bubbling of oil audible to my ears. I zoomed up to his left cheek, “LEVO MAXIMUS!!!” My right glove was so saturated with magic that it was hard to lift it up, but I still did it. Bolas chuckled, “You plan on hitting me? With your power!? Ha!” “Guess what, Bolas?” I bit his name in half. The planeswalker looked at me challengingly with his eyes narrowed, “...What?” “I went to Jared, motherFUCKER!!!” At “FUCKER” my glove slammed into his cheek with the force of what felt like a landslide and a bullet-train collision combined. I knew it wasn’t enough, so I yelled the magical phrase... “Chesto: VIS TRIPLICETUR (Tripled Force)!!!” And there he goes. Yep, Bolas has been socked into parts unknown. I saw his huge body fly into the smoke at breakneck speeds, spinning like a Ferris Wheel as he went. I was feeling light headed after that all-or-nothing attack, but the fact that I just sent something as big as Bolas out of the proverbial park had me smiling. The pants were like hurdles to a new runner, making me strain with each pained inhale. It was becoming hard to stay afloat, my wings beating out of sync as my gloves powered down. The ping of magic to my right alerted me to Luna’s presence. Turning my head wearily, I begun what was sure to be a conversation with her, “Nice punch, right?” Luna’s face of stoicism didn’t change, “Indeed...but the war is far from won it seems.” I snapped my head back in time to see Bolas’s sky blue eyes cut through the smog, the black silhouette of his massive wings and body bleeding through like a living shadow. “You’re nothing more than pests,” Bolas chuckled as he came through all the way, the ground shaking from his thunderous footsteps, “You’ve done nothing but delay the inevitable, pony. And you,” Bolas’s eyes swam to me, making a shiver go down my spine at the pure hatred hidden behind their fiery gaze, “To bite the hand that feeds you...unforgivable. Rules be damned, I will make you pay for that attack.” “Go back to your universe, Bolas. It’s clear you’re not mature enough to partake in this game.” Luna chided strongly, taking a few flaps to get ahead of me. “Maturity? This is not a subject you should lecture, Nightmare Moon!” Bolas mocked with another chuckle. The sound of grating stone filled the air, making my eyes narrow in confusion. Who the hell is grating sto- Oh. It’s Luna’s teeth grinding. My eyes widened. “Oh SHIT!!! That’s Luna’s teeth grinding!!!” I thought in panic as I instantly backed off using my wings, leaning back in the air as the stroke propelled me backwards at a rate that was faster than what I would’ve liked. I came out of the tactical withdraw awkwardly, stumbling in the air momentarily. “Never speak of that event again, Bolas. I’ll have you know that I’ve put my jealousy and anger away once I was reformed.” Luna growled as her body visibly darkened. Sensing the amount of ass-kickery that was about to go down, I waved to get Bolas’s attention. I mean, as much as I would like to see his dumbass pummelded into a bloody, scaley mess; there’s always that chance that the asshole’s my only way back. Yes, I know; why do I want to go back? The truth is, I don’t. I just want the option there in case I feel like it, and having Bolas blasted into tiny bitch bits isn’t gonna exactly heighten my chances of returning home. “Er, Luna,” I called out tentatively, half afraid that she would whirl on me and blast my dumbass halfway across this dreamscape, “Maybe we should tune back the anger a little bit, hmm? Blasting Bolas to death could kill me...” “Nay, it will not. Slaying Bolas will only serve in severing your ties with him. He doesn’t deserve what’s at the end of the game, and his cold and manipulating heart is the main reason I banished him to the multiverse itself!” Luna stomped her hoof in the air while flapping her wings. For a moment, I wondered why she would do that, but something prodded my head to look down and I saw what looked like a large glowing spot on the ground. It would blink bright white, then fade into the crimson ground before repeating the process again. The spot was placed two or so more steps in front of Bolas’s feet, and my ability to piece two and two together left me with a clear reason for its existence. “It’s a mine...And a large one at that! But, what does it trigger?” I rubbed my chin before backing up a little more. “HAH,” Bolas guffawed, “Without me being his Player, the human known as Justin will fade from existence itself after a year!” “WAT!!!???” I screeched in disbelief. I do not like the sound of that!!! “Your human body has been incinerated by your family, which means that if I die, your soul will have no where to run. In order to live, you would have to kill one of my power or higher and devour their soul!” Bolas broke out into maniacal laughter. My whole world was shattered with that revelation. I was stuck in an ultimatum, seeing as how I can’t go back to my body and it’s by Bolas’s will that I’m still in this body. How the fuck is this shit fair!? “Do not be disheartened, Silas! Although his words are true enough, I must also remind you that you have the help of two semi-immortal princesses backing you!” Luna yelled, snapping me out of my stupor of depression and hopelessness. “It matters not if your courage is rekindled, human. Your life is already forfeit into doing my bidding!” “Don’t listen to him!” I cupped my hands around my ears, my eyes widened in fear at the implications of Bolas’s words. Everything was spinning and everything was yelling, tearing my mental walls to smithereens while destroying my heart piece by piece. I felt tears come to my eyes as I envisioned my body being incinerated in a giant furnace, my family gathered around while being dressed in black. The face of my mother and brother stuck out the most, but the scary part was... ...I was looking at them as the flames danced around me... “Blood Limit 2: Opened. Releasing restraints...” My scream broke through the air, pushing the yellow smog away effortlessly. The draconic vocal chords chorused with my human ones, producing a shriek so high in frequency that Luna and Bolas covered their ears and gave yells of pain. A fierce quaking came about the ground and the air itself, rumbling the very foundation of the dreamscape. The wind was rapidly leaving my body, but I could feel something else grow in quantity. It took me a while to figure out what the gurgling in my throat was about, but the screaming had become painful enough to jumble any coherent thoughts. I still, however, discerned the gurgling to stem from a mass of blood in my throat due to the iron-y taste. And then, sweet relief. My mouth shut on its own volition, stopping the screamin instantaneously. I can’t describe how I’m feeling right now after that whole ‘Power up like a fucking DBZ character’ spiel, but I can honestly say that ‘empowered’ is the one that sticks out the most. My body felt more muscular but lithe, and my thinking became even sharper than what it was. My eyes went out of focus, but quickly sharpened up and presented me with an HD view of everything. My body feels like it was...upgraded... “What the fuck...” I breathed out in confusion as I eyed my bare chest, which has become barrel-like instead of fit, “...Happened to my fucking body?” I gripped my hands as my wings flapped, feeling the muscles underneath the scales and under-skin tighten and bulge with power. I grinned, no longer feeling the fatigue of my last attack. “Hey, Bolas!” I boomed, my voice deep enough to make a subwoofer jealous. The dragon looked a little miffed, but I could still see the blatant disregard for my presence in his eyes. Luna was positively stunned at my newly acquired stamina. “And what does the gnat want this time?” Bolas mocked as his hands powered up with the power of darkness. “I want you to scream like a whore.”
Oceandust“Me,” Bolas asked with an amused chuckle as he raised his magic-covered hands into into a punching pose, “You’re going to make me, scream? Laughable.” I felt that tingle and my eyes filled with those embers from earlier. My body felt like it was vibrating every atom, every cell possible! The words came out without me knowing. “Sylvan Power Rings, activate. Initiating Blood Limit Protocol: Call To Arms,” The gloves transformed into claw-tipped gauntlets of pure platinum that traced up the length of my arms. Three spikes jutted out from the back of my shoulder blade, making me smile lecherously as I tightened my hands into fists, hearing the precious metal scrape against itself. “Activation complete.” Bolas laughed and I smiled. “Engaging target: Big Scaley Motherfucker.” Let me state that with this new, Blood Limit being released, I now took off at a speed that made my previous one seem snail-ish in comparison! I literally collided with Bolas’s face, sending the massive dragon reeling back with a pained holler as my shoulder made contact. It sounded like a cannon shot when I impacted, so I knew Bolas felt it. He gave a menacing growl as he backpedaled and turned his massive body, the rushing of wind alerting me to foul play. Using the new Battle Gauntlets, I andgled them down towards the ground and shot into the air, just avoiding the massive claw that was caked in black magic. From there, I angled my gauntlets so that my hands faced behind my back, effectively hurtling me into a perfect roll like Sonic’s spindash as I rocketed towards Bolas’s face again. The spinning was making me a little nauseous, but I held my bile in and flipped out of the flaming wheel position, thrusting my foot out just as I came to the apex of another rotation. Due to the speed I was going at, my body was still locked in the momentum that forced my leg to come down disastrously on Bolas’s skull. You know an attack hurts when you see the fucking wave of energy ripple through what you just hit! This disastrous attack sent Bolas to a knee with another roar of pain, effectively blasting me away from his position with the wind force alone. Bolas raised a claw and two massive serpentine-dragons with red eyes shot out, spiraling towards me at speeds I didn’t really care for! “Oh shit,” I thought in panic as my eyes widened. I then tried the same maneuver, thrusting myself into the air right as the black magic dragons blasted through my previous position, “That was close as hell! Bolas has some tricks!” I looked back at the spiraling dragons for a while, watching them fizzle out into nothingness; which, in turn, made me look back- My senses flooded with an unholy amount of pain as Bolas’s large tail slammed into my person. My ribs, and any bone in my torso for that matter, became gelatin under the devastating attack. I gave a grunt of supreme pain before flying back at the speed of a bullet. My flight time wasn’t long, for I crashed/cratered into the side of a mountain which caused some of the most intense pain ever, I gave a pained holler as blood surged from my mouth, splattering my chest. My mind was a haze of smog and pain, making me squint and grimace as I fought off unconsciousness. My vision was swimming, and the black patches around the corners of my eyes alerted me to the fact that one more hit could spell the end of my little revolution here. “M..Medico,” I spat out more blood as my magic had its way with the damage in my body. Using the palms of my gauntlets as braces against the rock, I ignited them once I felt ready enough to resume fighting. The black vortexes around the corners of my eyes did not go away, and even as I flew it felt as if I was drunk on some strong alcoholic beverage, “He slapped the shit out of me...” “Why yes...” I turned around sharply while jetting downwards to avoid a claw slash, “Yes I did. And I’ll continue to do so until you yield,” Bolas was perched above me, his cold eyes boring holes into my soul as the sounded of heating oil filled the air. As I peered up at the giant dragon who was lifting his head and getting ready to expel a large jet of flame, my feet touched something that made my blood run cold... ...The ground. “He’s cornered me into a chasm!!!” I mentally screamed as Bolas waved a hand slowly, blocking off all attempts at exiting the chasm through flight. My bladder never felt so loose... “And now you’ll be punished, human!” Bolas yelled before belching his sky-blue flame at me. Since I wasn’t feeling the whole ‘Get burned to ashes that will be scattered to the winds’ vibe, my hands shot open and expelled flames of their own as I rocketed away from the place of impact. This let me avoid the initial impact, but as I looked back, I could see the flames coming like a flood. “HOW MUCH AIR CAN HE SUCK IN!!??” My body was aligned like an arrowed as a worried expression gaced my features. The only thought on my mind was how I was gonna get out of this situation without sustaining massive injury or dying! “Where the hell is Luna at!? I didn’t tell her to piss off, so why is she not here helping me!?” “Is everything OK, Princess Luna!? I heard screaming!” The Thestral shouted just as he opened the door to the room. He nearly gave a surprised yelp when his eyes came inches from Luna’s. “We art fine, Private Shadow Break. We are...” She trailed off with look of shame on her face before her eyes brightened and she outstretched hoof, “Playing a game! Yes, We art playing a game...for...fun!” “Are you sure you’re alright, Princess?” “Go back to your post.” Luna snapped bemusedly, making the Thestral’s eyes widen before giving a hurried salute and disappearing around the door while closing it. Seeing that she was able to diffuse what could’ve been a disastrous situation for her reputation. Her mind clicked, and she opened the door and angled her head out of the crack, making sure the most serious face she could muster was in place. Both of her guards, Shadow Break among the two, snapped to attention and saluted, “Anypony that chooses to interrupt my private time will have to endure the Lunar Training Course...twice. Is that understood?” “Yes ma’am!” Came the chorused, but slightly tinged with fear, reply. “Then I leave you to your duties. Let no pony enter,” She placed a hoof on her chin for a moment then looked back down at the three guards, “Especially if it’s my sister.” And with that she disappeared back into the confines of her room, closing the door and locking it with her magically charged horn. She stared at the lock for a while, thinking about her orders and of the time before the first game. The time, to be more specific, where she was raising Nicol Bolas. From the time he was a tan and sky-blue egg, to the time he grew into a wyrm. She had taught him spells, spells that he went on to perfect alone while among his own kind. Because of how well Nicol Bolas grew in stature and favor with the other dragons, good relations were instantly made between the nation of T’Rell-Vadriz (Land of Glittering Scales) and Equestria. The dragons were and still are a proud race, so eventually the teachings of friendship began rubbing them the wrong way. This, of course, brought about the first national dispute. Where the throne room’s roof used to be, now towered large dragons that peered down at the sisters. The seven that showed up established themselves as the Seven Lords, even though three of them were female. Tek’Narvis the Greedy. Nell’Vrak the Black One. Nix’Tav the Proud. Art’Krag the Wrathful Obliterator. Qull’Trim the Tortuous Sapphire. Hal’Vara the Desired. Yil’Plagnam the Coveting. “Twas a wake-up call most severe, that meeting. I had wondered how they made the three day flight to Equestria without tearing each other limb from limb, based solely on how they acted around one another during the four day council.” Luna thought with some amusement as she walked back to the bed, noticing the peaceful visage of Silas Epista laying down with his hands behind his head. The council meeting lasted four days, which mainly dealt with the concerns of each dragon lord and lady. There were three ladies to the four lords, who were all hard-headed in their own right. Art’Krag was easy to upset, and every rebuttal against his requests for more land made him storm off in order to destroy something. Qull’Trim had difficulty staying awake during the meetings, often falling over and causing unspeakable amounts of damage with his massive (fat) body. Null’Vrak was always eating something, so in secret, Celestia and Luna nicknamed him the ‘Black Hole’. Nix’Tav couldn’t stand being away from any type of reflective surface for too long. Tek’Narvis had been pilfering some ancient scrolls and tapestries with his tail. Yil’Plagnam was jealous of Celestia and Luna’s ability to fit into small buildings. Hal’Vara kept making obscene gestures towards everyone in the meeting, flirting at every given chance and giving bedroom eyes at whoever made eye contact. The meeting was Tartarus in a Hoovebasket, but thankfully Bolas and his best friend, Phalanx, was there to keep everything from falling apart. Celestia and Luna were close to just using their powers in order to wipe the irritating lords and ladies from existence itself, but it was Bolas and Phalanx that ultimately persuaded them to be more lenient. In dragon culture, those who did not match the scale-scheme of the Seven Lords were considered gutter trash, which was exactly the problem for Bolas and Phalanx. Phalanx was an albino, the only one in existence at the time, and was heavily frowned upon by the other dragons in the conference. He was wise beyond all belief, but was constantly placed in check by the Lords. Bolas was frowned upon for his beige scales as well, which didn’t float so well with Luna when the Lords decided to call him out for it in her presence. It took some serious strength and calming words to keep Luna away from Hal’Vara and Art’Krag, who were just as eager to fry Luna to smithereens. The four days passed begrudgingly slow, but it was with great, painstaking patience that a treaty was drafted. Many laws were put in place, but the overall gist of the legal document was as follows: “Stay away from each other.” Luna shook her head at the stupidity of the meeting as she climbed into bed. She was thankful for Bolas and Phalanx, although the former brought along a new line of thinking from the lunar princess. “He was the first Albino Dragon...and he now currently rules as the self-proclaimed Dragon King. The number of casualties wrought from fighting him is a little too steep, but I hear he’s found pleasant mate and bore for himself an heir,” She tried lifting the blankets but discovered that Silas was an obstacle in doing so, “He’s certainly gotten comfortable.” She thought with a small frown. Her face slightly reddened as she caught herself staring at his muscular chest for a while. “No, bad Luna,” She rebuked herself audibly, “Do not ogle your guest! You will not pick up on Hal’Vara’s habits!” Luna put on a face of determination, snuggling up to Silas’s side. She let out a comfortable sigh. “At least he’s warm,” Luna’s eyes widened in shock as she remembered something crucial, “I forgot about Bolas! I need to help Silas or he may not return!” Her horn began to glow, her magic entering the dream realm as it sought out the familiar presence of Silas’s magic. She found it instantly, her mind becoming a swirling mass of colors before affixing on a plane with red earth and yellow smog. Her eyes closed for a moment before snapping open sharply, the pupils gone as the whites vibrated seismically with her magic. And just like that Luna had made the journey. I wiped some blood off of my mouth as I panted heavily, resting on a knee while my eyes narrowed at the huge dragon looming over me, casting a shadow against the blistering orb of light in the sky. “It was pointless from the beginning, Justin. You should have known better than to try and challenge the hand that feeds you.” Bolas mocked, nary a scratch upon his body. I had thought that with my new power up, he would be a little easier to manage. Obviously I was wrong in that aspect. I gave three more pants, “You know,” I panted, “You’re very prideful. I wonder if you have enough room for a brain,” Another pant, “Beside all that ego, y’know?” Bolas narrowed his eyes before outstretching his arms and hands to the side, making sure they were fully extended. His massive feet began leaving the ground below him as the smog gathered above, swirling into what looked like a vortex of yellow clouds with red lightning flashing in between them. Slowly but surely did Bolas make his way into the air, a mini cyclone building under his body while its winds whipped me in the face, making me squint as I struggled to peer up at him. His hands began gathering orbs of magic, with the respective colors of red, blue and black. The orbs became infernos that segregated themselves on his palms, occasionally blending together. Then, all of a sudden, they decide to fuse and become one solid color of sky-blue somehow. The earth trembled as Bolas’s eyes did the same thing Luna’s would do when she concentrated with magic, the only difference being that his eyes radiated sky-blue like his hand’s roaring flames. The sound was deafening, making me liken it to the time when I was caught in my burning house. “Shiver...At the power of a God.” Bolas boomed as red lightning flashed through the sky and struck the ground, leaving huge craters that had me practically shitting bricks since I was too worn out to move out of the way. “Your aim is shit.” I sassed with a smile, even though I knew my time was up. So much for creating the strongest guild in the world, huh? “Yourfinal words are shit.” He responded, making my eyes widen. Bolas never curses! I’m screwed! “Ah, hell. I’m sorry everyone, but my body’s reached its limits.” “I had saw promise in your obedience, human. As it stands, it seems that for the first time in seven-hundred years, I have erred,” Bolas shot out a hand and it squealed like a chorus of a million whistles, “Now, I will fix my mistake.” I lowered my head and awaited my end. My smile never went away as the faces of my smiling friends and Queenie filled my mind. As long as they’re smiling I can go in peace. “It’s been real, guys. I’ll never forget you, but I really wish it wasn’t an option! I don’t want to die!” There was a bright flash, a deafening explosion, the clap of thunder and the roar of a dragon.
Starving to Death in the Belly of the WhaleMy senses flooded with adrenaline. So much adrenaline, in fact, that I sprung off my back and shot into the air with my gauntlets, taking careful looks around the vicinity. Bolas was clutching his right eye and roaring while firing manic shots in random directions. These balls of sky-blue fire incinerated anything they touched instantly, making me wonder how I was even still alive. The reason made itself apparent with a teleport to my left. I craned my head to view her, “You don’t feel bad about hurting him?” Luna didn’t expect a question from me, let alone a question that’s personal. It seems I’ve hit a soft spot, however, for her face became crestfallen as she looked at Bolas’s spinning and yelling form in the distance. “Of course I do,” She gave a sigh before looking at me with cloudy eyes, “He’s technically my son. I raised him after slaying the bastard of a father that tried to eat him, saying his egg was a disgrace because it didn’t fall in line with the scale color of the Seven Lords.” “And those are?” “The colors are as follows: red, green, purple, black, blue, yellow and pink. As you can see,” She pointed at Bolas, “His are beige...or a green-tinted copper. In dragon society, he’s nothing more than an oversized gecko.” Luna’s face became angry as she thought back to that day, apparently. “I see. Well then, I guess Bolas and I have something in common,” I stated with a smile. This perplexed Luna, and she made it known by quirking an eyebrow up. I helped her with, “In a way, Bolas and I are one in the same. I just figured something out that will undoubtedly end this struggle.” I concluded with a smile before taking off towards the massive planeswalker. Luna was hot on my trail, however, her body enveloped in a cocoon-shaped aura of blue as she sped through the air beside me. “We do not comprehend,” She yelled over the wind, “What have you figured out!?” “Bolas has been supplying me with his own powers. When I fought against one of the aliens, he claimed that he was the Blue Mage of my Spark. In Magic lore, the Spark is something only Planeswalkers can have! This strand of information helped me piece together the rest of the puzzle right now!” “And that is...” Luna trailed off. “That the other aliens represent Bolas’s affinity with his core magics! If Sylvan was the Blue Mage, that would make Xiuhcoatl the Red and Veritas the Black,” I exclaimed happily as we just started nearing the raging dragon, “But that leaves one alien in a veil of mystery.” “Silas Epista.” Luna finished with a cryptic tone to her voice. I nodded my agreeance. “My theory doesn’t explain what he’s doing in my head. Something’s up with that guy, and something tells me I’m not gonna like the answer.” I replied determinedly, then willed more magic into my gauntlets and increasing the output of sky-blue flames. I shot off at blinding speeds that I won’t be able to put in words, but let’s just say Bolas was feeling a little winded after the collision. In fact, the impact was hard enough to make me lift him off the ground and rocket him into the sky. The big bastard let out a pained grunt and tried swatting me, but a blue ray of magic caught him in the chin as it flew past my back, making me look down momentarily to see Luna with a shit-eating grin on her face. “Oh come now, Silas,” She exclaimed before firing another blast that freaked me out at the close proximity, “I’ve had a thousand years to perfect my accuracy! You should be comfortable enough to continue fighting!” “I’m glad you’re havi- Shit! - I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself!” I yelled at Luna while Bolas roared as that ray hit him in the other eye, which made him switch the positioning of his occupied hand to said eye. The other one had a massive hole in the center as it leaked a profusive amount of scarlet blood. I nearly lost my lunch as his eye began to grow blood tentacles that writhed violently in the air before growing dragon heads. No matter what Luna may say, I did not scream like a bitch when they started slithering down towards me. As silly as it may sound, I’m deathly afraid of snakes. These niggas were slithering! SLITHERING!!! “BLAST THE FUCK OUT OF ‘EM, LUNA!!! PLEASE!!!” I...um...vocalized. “So noisy.” Luna stated before the sound of a gatling gun filled the air. Multiple rays of blue slammed into the snake-dragons as they leaped for me, blowing back twenty of those gross-looking sons of bitches. That took care of the immediate threat, sure, but the rest of the snakes came faster than a virgin’s first time! Under no circumstances are you to believe that I screamed like a little girl. More rays blew the blood-snakes to smithereens, but it seemed like there would be no end to them unless Bolas’s eye was closed. I had an idea. “Luna,” She looked at me, “Slice off his wings!” Her face paled. “You plan to drop him!?” I nodded. “He can teleport!” She tried as she blasted more blood-snakes. “Then wouldn’t he have already done it by now!? Just go do it!” I yelled out impatiently, watching Luna roll her eyes before flying down and around Bolas’s flailing tail. I stopped the propulsion from my gauntlets, letting Bolas’s body fly away from my body and into the air some more. The snakes that were supposed to spell my doom jumped from Bolas’s stomach in an attempt to bite me. I lifted a hand, mouthed “Eat your heart out, Tsuna,” and then stretched the other hand back behind me. My eye came to life, showing me the balance of my arms perfectly. The Sirios unit let me see how uneven my arms were, so I fixed them, which made the two white lines blend together into one solid line. I took aim for the gem and the snakes as Bolas’s body continued to fly upwards, making me adjust my aim so that I was a few inches above the jewel’s position. “X Burner...” I felt my hands charge up with an unholy amount of energy. I don’t know if this’ll work, but if it doesn’t then I’m screwed,”AIR!!!” A larger torrent of darker sky-blue flame rocketed from my forward hand, but a softer, lighter torrent came out of my back one. This held me in place as the darker sky-blue torrent roasted the blood-snakes before rocketing towards Bolas’s jewel that floated between his massive horns. I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, Luna coming towards Bolas’s back with what looked like a large pole of white, blazing magic. It’s very presence distorted the air around it, making me believe that it was increasingly hot. She angled her head sharply and gave a massive roar of triumph that made me feel like less of a man, the magic around her horn bringing the pole of white energy around in a diagonal arc from bottom left to top right. A large crescent moon-shaped after image ripped into Bolas’s back and wings right as my torrent of condensed flames slammed into his jewel, shattering the thing instantly and making it expel all his stored magic. Bolas gave a mighty roar as he flipped from Luna’s slash, his wings falling to either side of him as his ascent stopped then went in reverse. I could see the flames around his hands die out as he plummeted, and his face became fearful when he noticed his wings were falling beside him. His fearful face became one of absolute rage as he roared loudly. So loudly in fact, that my Sirios unit began frizzing up and whirring unbearably high. My vision became like an unavailable channel for an old t.v, crackling black and white. “Silas!” I heard Luna shout as my head swam and I became nauseous, the fire in my gauntlets stopping prematurely which made me begin a plummet of my own. A sickening whump that shook even the air alerted me to Bolas’s defeat, and I knew that I would be joining him soon. "Revenge should be honey on our tongues, but it's turned to ash in our mouths..."
WeightI gave a roar out of my sleep, my eyes shooting wide in fear as I powered up my gauntlets and rolled off the mattress, preparing to do battle with Bolas once...again? Eighty-six that, actually. “You’re safe, Silas! Calm yourself,” Luna’s voice made me turn around so that I could view her. I instantly ran over to the bed, jumping on it and lifting her hooves while inspecting for damage with a serious look on my face, “Are you well?” “I’m fine,” I paused and thought about the significance of that statement. When, exactly, have I ever used that phrase? Now that I think about it, when did this become important? I shook my head and went back to looking over Luna’s body, “Which is odd seeing as how I’m involved, but the most pressing matter is whether you’re alright.” I had lifted Luna’s right hoof after inspecting the left one, but she gently tugged it from my grip. Unfortunately for me, I was leaning forward too much and using her for support. which meant I fell over onto my face as she sidestepped to avoid my falling form. “We art fine, Silas. There’s no need to bend thyself in a knot over our livelihood,” She offered me a hoof and I used it to get back on my butt, “Although the sentiment carries much weight.” She finished with a smile. “I hate to ruin this tender moment, Luna, but I’m still freaked out about what Bolas said before, well, he kicked the bucket.” I responded with an unsure look on my face. If the planeswalker’s words were true, then I’m afraid...deathly afraid. “Are you talking about his words pertaining to your livelihood without his power,” I nodded with a frown. Luna looked momentarily hurt before she took a deep breath and locked eyes with me with resolution in hers, “Are you sure you want an answer to this?” “More than anything.” “He’s right,” Her answer came quick, like she wanted to get rid of the words as if they would harm her. I flinched at the delivery, but I knew that it was to be expected, “I predict that you have no more than a year before you waste away into the current of the multiverse itself.” Luna words were like anvils, stacking themselves three at a time at the end of every sentence. She placed a hoof onto my bare chest, “Your body will weaken. You’ll begin to grow faint at random moments, often blacking out with no memory of how or what you did before then,” Luna surmised as her hoof traveled up to my eyes, knocking out my vision completely, “Your vision will go next, and then your hearing shall follow.” The hoof moved down to my chest again, but its descent didn’t stop. Her hoof soon found purchase just above my Hearth’s Fire, making my eyes go wide. “This is the last step. When the fire is extinguished, your time on Equis shall come to an end. You are out of my jurisdiction, seeing as how the game limits me to helping only my piece.” Her face became crestfallen and she turned her head away to avoid my shocked gaze, my eyes of disbelief. “...This is fucked. This is so fucked.” I breathed out in disbelief before standing up and hopping off the bed. I didn’t even care that I was leaving my shit behind as I walked towards Luna’s balcony doors. “What are you doing,” Her voice was unsure, like she wanted to stop me from exiting the tower. I stopped as her question danced in my head before walking back over to the dresser and getting dressed, sliding my jacket on and then my over-cape. Hope was then slung over my shoulder much like a kid in high school who didn't feel like putting a bookbag on using both straps, “Silas...?” “I’m gonna stand on the balcony. I need to,” I sniffled a little, “Clear my head.” I advanced back to the balcony door without so much as an eye glance back to Luna. “Will you be alright? You won’t do anything rash, will you?” “Thanks, Princess,” I heard her give a sharp intake of breath before I placed a hand on the glass and pushed the door open, letting the cold air rush in to meet my face, “You’ve earned that title.” I finished with a forced smile but with tears coming down my face as I walked through the balcony door, closing it behind me. And I stood here on Luna’s balcony until the rising of the sun. It felt like forever, but it gave me enough time to gather my emotions up. Damn, now I’m starting to cuss again. I gazed out over Ponyville, briefly entertaining the idea for a visit. But, the notion was quickly shot down just as quick as it came. The most I’d get out of a visit from that place would be a party and the fact I could hang out with the Mane 6. But that’s only counting if they wouldn’t run at the sight of a giant dragon. I glanced down at that thought and confirmed what I thought was only an effect of my dream. “Well, I’m definitely taller.” I can’t say for sure, but my over-cape stopped at the bottom of my shin, allowing me to see my feet fully. I gave a sigh at how quickly I was distracted from my musings, cursing my over-attentive tendencies. I gazed back out over the vast countryside as it became washed in crimson-orange, making me think back to the only pony in my guild with a color scheme matching the scenery right now. Maybe it’s my imagination, but Sunset didn’t seem all too thrilled to meet her old mentor when we arrived in Canterlot. Actually, as far as I can remember, they didn’t even talk with one another. There might be something going on between them that- “Silas? What are you doing on my sister’s balcony?” Celestia’s voice made me inhale sharply in surprise, which caused me to swallow a little spit down the wrong pipe. I spent the next couple of seconds coughing up a lung before I could answer the Solar Deity. “Nothing! In fact, I was just about to head out with my guild. Are they back yet?” I asked quickly, trying to shift the focus to her and avoid any further questions pertaining to Luna. Celestia raised her eyebrow much like this... I knew it wouldn’t work... “We were talking,” I said quickly while looking away. She cleared her throat. I cussed under my breath, “We were comforting one another.” I swore it got a little too hot for the dawn sun, “Comforting, how?” “With words, ya beast of burden,” I yelled at her with a severe blush on my face! I mean, could she be any more embarrassing, “Is there a reason why my personal life intrigues you so much!?” Celestia laughed a motherly laugh that made me facepalm. Of fucking course she was trolling me! “It’s humorous in knowing Luna and yourself have the same tendencies, Silas. Of course, the mannerisms would be different given your respective upbringings, but the fact still remains that you two are pretty similar.” Celestia explained with chuckle that made me take that same hand and slide it down my face slowly, opting to use the hand as a makeshift washrag. I then crossed my arms and pouted. “Go away, Sunbutt.” “I can’t. Day Court doesn’t start for another hour or so, and just sitting on my throne has become a droll alternative when my other choice is bothering you.” “Are you implying something here? If you are, then I wouldn’t mind taking this somewhere private.” I smiled lecherously on the side of my mouth, the side where she couldn’t see it of course. “Oh, good heavens no,” She chuckled, “I’m much too old for an act like that.” Most ponies would’ve missed the sarcasm in that. It’s a good thing I’m not a pony. “You’re playing the fool, Celestia. You’d do well to know that sarcasm is as obvious to me as heat is to a stallion.” Messing around with Celestia is actually brightening my mood a bit. It’s almost like she knows when to show up. “Such a strong yet provocative analogy being used in the face of royalty? Have you no shame, Silas Epista?” Her face was angry but her voice reeked with mirth. “Would you like to see my “shame”, Celestia? You’ll come to find that it’s rather hard to tote around.” Que sideways glance and lecherous smile. “Will you ever run out of gutter-minded taunts?” Celestia chuckled. “Will you ever allow me between your legs?” I pushed further, hearing her chuckles turn into stifled laughs. “No!” She responded after a bout of laughter. “Then I guess you have your answer!” I chuckled after that as well, and our synchronized mirth rung into the dawn air for a while before suddenly stopping. My face slowly drifted back down to a stoic expression. “...Your time on Equis shall come to an end...” “...Shit.” I cursed lowly as the revelation wrecked my brain. Something tells me that I won’t have a single coherent thought without Luna’s words haunting me. “Did you say something?” Celestia inquired, making me bat an eye at her before sighing. “Life’s amazing, ain’t it,” I began with a forced smile as I continued staring at her from the corner of my eye, “There’s so much to live for. You could live for money: love, fame, happiness, hate and other stuff too.” “...Where’s all this coming from?” I sighed before turning my head to fully face her, offering a small smile, “I hope I can find my meaning for living. If there's one thing I learned about life,” I hopped up on the balcony railing and turned my body sharply too look at Celestia’s shock-smacked face, “It’s that it isn’t fair.” I leaned back but felt a tear escape as I did so. My body entered a freefall, the over-cape flapping wildly as I slowly turned in the air so that my chin finally pointed towards the rapidly approaching ground. “If this doesn’t work I’m gonna be pissed!!!” I thought angrily as I snapped open my wings just before hitting the ground, feeling the wind yank my body up so that I flew no less than an inch from the surface. I quickly tucked and rolled, seeing as how I couldn’t fly, and came out of the dive expertly by sliding along the ground. My claws dug into the ground minutely, alleviating the momentum instantly. After I stopped, I looked up to behold Celestia giving an irritated shake of her head. I guess I might’ve freaked her out with my stunt. Giggling, I got up from my squatting position and turned around to- “Silas?” Sunset’s condescending voice made my blood run cold, and it made me jump into the air somewhat before glaring at her. “Yes, Shimms’? I was just about go back to Judgement.” “You do realize we crashed Judgement on Celestia’s side of the Castle, right?” I looked at her incredulously, “You make it sound like they divided the Castle! This castle ain’t divided!” I turned around and nearly went weak in the knees. Since when did Sunset Shimmer get a biker jacket!? “Woah, are you feeling alright,” Sunset asked as she ran up just as I fell, using her back as a temporary shoulder to catch me on. I thanked her before standing back up, wondering why I just got weak in the knees like that all the while, “The jacket’s awesome but I didn’t think it’d make you fall!” She gave a chuckle, one I returned half-heartedly as I walked past her and towards the outer ring of the Castle. “...Come to an end...Your body will weaken...” “I need to talk to you, Sunset. Out of everyone in the guild, I think you should be the one to hear this.” I stated somberly just as she came running up to my side with a worried look. “I was serious back there, Silas. Are you sure you’re alright?” “Just,” I paused mid-sentence, growing heavily annoyed for no reason, “Come with me, please.” And it was silent for the remainder of trip back to my ship.
Sunset Shimmer: Part 1Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Prelude to The Next ArcSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
"A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 1Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
"A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 2Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
"A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 3Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
"A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 4Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
"A Heart of Cold" Arc: Part 5Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
