From the Ashes

Alex raised his foot and in one quick motion brought it down into the concrete. A Shockwave flew outwards and knocked everything within thirty feet of him into the air. The ground shattered sending massive chunks of debris into the air.

Black smoke billowed around his body obscuring him from view. Celesita watched in shocked awe as she raised to her feet. Three of her guards lay beside her, each one to the ground. She turned her attention to Chrysalis. The queen was fifteen meters from her and standing in a similar position her horn glowed and she disappeared with a pop.

The smoke continued to rise. Thousands of ponies had stopped to watch the ever growing cloud. The fighting at the front line stopped. The ponies may have watched with awe but the effect on the humans was very different.

They abandoned their posts, running as fast as possible in the direction of the control center. At the sight of the running humans the ponies awe turned to fear. They had been fighting for every inch of ground and now they run. Why?

Celestia took a step back, She didn't want to loose her composure in front of all her men and the last thing she needed was for them to retreat at this time.

It was then that she started to hear something, A deep breathing as smoke began to move as if it were being blown. And then a growl.

A massive body pushed into the smoke. Massive limbs could be seen behind the smoke screen as well as a colossal body. Celestia held a gasp as the size of the creature became apparent. It had to have been thirty meters tall and it was still growing.

“Hello world.” A deep voice rumbled from the smoke. “ Did you miss me.”

The smoke began to clear and Celestia's could only mutter one thing “Wyvern.”

Alex stood before her, his human form replaced by the behemoth. His scales were the darkest of black. Glowing green eyes stared down at Celestia. A maw of massive white teeth grinned at her. She involuntary took a step back. His wings were folded against his forelegs that stood like the tallest of pillars. Claws the size of cars spread from his hands and large spiked tail swayed behind him.

She moved her lips in vain to find speech. All the while the wyvern looked at her, hunger in his eyes. A glint of light caught her eye. His shoulder was bleeding, heavily. Dark red blood poured from the wound. Chrysalis, Celestia thought, remembering that the queen stabbed him with the blade.

She smiled, he was hurt and she knew it. “Surrender now!” Celestia yelled. “And I may rethink my decision on refusing your conversion” She got her answer.

He lifted his head to the side, a bright light glowing in his chest that reached up to this throat. His green eyes flashed red. Celestia barley had time to cast a shield around herself before the wall of flame spewed forward.

Bright blue flames collided with her shield forcing her back. Armour and pony alike were turned to ash, no shield to protect them from the wall of death. Celestia closed her eyes and prayed that her shield would hold as the ground around the shield began to melt away. She smelt burning fur as the heat began to seep through her shield.

The flames abated and, she opened her eyes and was dumbstruck at the devastation. Everything that was behind her, and entire armoured legion had been disintegrated. If she dropped the barrier her hooves would be consumed by molten rock.

Celestia turned her attention to the beats that slaughtered her little ponies. He was breathing heavily and his shoulder as bleeding heavily, even more so than to begin with. She smiled, she knew how to defeat him.

She charge her horn and called upon the power of the sun. She stood on her hind legs before lunging forwards. A beam of white light erupted from her horn, hitting the wyvern in the chest. He tumbled backwards from the impact crushing even more of her ponies who were cowering behind the beast.

“Star Swirl!” Celestia cried. A dark grey unicorn appeared with a pop just outside the molten ground. He had  a large white beard and a dark blue hat with bells attached to it.

“I need you to hold it off whilst I get the elements.” Celestia cried as she teleported beside him.

“Yes princess.” He replied in a gruff voice.

“Stay safe my friend.” She said once more before disappearing with a pop.

He turned his attention to the now standing wyvern. The beast looked down at him with rage filled eyes. Star Swirl said a silent prayer before charging his horn.

“Ah, she sends her pet to do her bidding...” They wyvern growled, his voice like a landslide.

Star Swirl didn't answer he released the spell he was charging. The wyvern raised his arm, covering himself with his wing. The spell struck his wings and he yet again was sent falling backwards. Star Swirl didn't allow himself to smile. He rushed forward and charged another spell. The wyvern's tail flicked forwards. Star Swirl ducked and the tail flew over his head.

He ducked to the side and fired the spell. The beam of blue light shot forwards hitting the wyvern in the back. He smiled, when the wyvern  tried to raise to its feet only to fall, he had done it.

Alex breathed heavily. His body was in so much pain. His wings had been reduced to nothing and his back leaked blood. He shuddered when another bolt of light struck his back. He didn't have the strength to try and stop it.

His eyes fell, they were heavy, he was tied and everything was gong black. He had failed for the last time. Cheers ripped through the base as the wyvern fell.

With one last ounce of strength he squeezed his eyes open. He could see the complex, it was only a two hundred meters in front of him were humans, men, women, children, but every single one of them dead. Many had been impaled onto spikes or had their throats cut.

One thing caught his attention a little girl was mounted onto a spike. Her chest was weeping blood where the spear had pierced through, her eyes blinked at him, she was still alive. The guards, pony guards laughed and cheered. Cheered as children bled to death on spikes, cheered as people watched their family die in front of them.

KILL

His eyes flared read. His chest grew white hot and he let out a roar that split the heavens. Blue flame spewed forwards towards the stunned guards as they stopped their cheering. Flame engulfed them killing them all instantly.

Rage filled him, unlocking strength that was hidden away. His wing Shawn white hot as the membrane grew back. Along with his missing scales on his back. His attention turned to Star swirl and the rest of the army that gathered behind him.

“You will know death!” Alex roared. The based shook and he got into position to rain death upon them. Star swirl readied another attack, but he was to late. Flame erupted from the daemons head engulfing everything before it. Star Swirl raised his shield and stood his ground. His shield lasted for barley as second before it faltered. The last thing he felt was his skin melting from his body.

Flame engulfed everything, every nook and crane was bathed in blue fire. Everybody, human or pony alike was turned to ash.

He roared again. His attention turning to the base entrance.

Steel feather, a newly converted pegasus couldn't wait to see some action. He had been drafted as the reserve force just in case the main attack force was repelled. He couldn't wait to have his chance to convert people and show them a better way.

“Do you think we will get a chance?” He asked an earth pony beside him. “To convert some humans?”

“I hope so.” The earth pony replied. “I can't wait-”

RAHHHHHHHH

“WHAT WAS THAT!?” Steel feather shouted.

Then he was it. A wave of blue fire was cascading down the tunnel towards him. Shouts for Celestia to save them fell onto deaf ears as the wall of flame engulfed him.

Alex grinned, he pushed his way down the corridors through a field of ash. Their were no bodies or armour remaining, only ash. He grunted as a wave of pain shot through his shoulder. He knew it was hurt bad but he couldn’t let himself forget his mission, kill Celestia.

He came to the entrance. It was so small he could barley put his leg through it. He growled, his chest glowed bright red and flame shot forward. The rock face was nothing to him. The extreme heat had melted it in seconds. Causing it to pool around his feet.

Black smoke billowed forwards due to the draft it created. Smoke and ash flew forward engulfing Alex. He had his work cut out. Outside the mountain fortress were thousands, no hundreds of thousand of ponies waited.

He grinned. They shook in fear as the black some covered their view of the new exit he had created. They had no idea he was there, and he loved every second of it. The fear on their faces, the tremble of their bodies. It was exhilarating.

His chest grew red hot again. Before he unleashed the torrents of death he said one thing, one thing that shook ponies to the bone. “Vengeance.”

*pop*

Celestia readied the shield around her and got ready for the attack. It never came. She looked around and saw nothing. Only fields of ash. Her eyes caught onto the destroyed command centre at the far end of the fort. It was the only thing that remained standing. She looked down at her saddlebags and sighed in relief that they were still there.

She looked down at her hooves. She was standing in at least a foot of ash. “No, no no no.” She said, snapping her head in all directions. “Star Swirl!” She called at the top of her lungs. Her voice echoed for a moment before everything fell silent.

Maybe he got away unharmed. She thought hopefully. She turned her attention to the entrance to the fort. Or what was left of it. The metal doors had been sheered off and the only thing coming from the tunnels was darkness.

She extended her wings and took flight, pulling up a wave of ash as she went. She descended into the tunnels. The walls were melted and ash covered the floor. She was breathing heavily now. If he could do this much damage was there any hope in stopping him?

She flew all the way to the mane gate, she looked out at the lands before her and froze, the air left her and she fell to her knees.

The green land was gone. In its place was a black scorched wasteland. She ground was black, not a single drop of green as far as the eye could see. The sky was black with ash and the smell of death filled the air.

Celestia didn't know what to do. An army of over two hundred thousand of her ponies stood guard outside the fortress. Two hundred thousand.

“There will be more of this.” A voice like thunder growled. Celestia turned and looked up. Alex stood tall on the mountain side looking down at the scorched land. “So tell me Celestia, was it worth it?”

She summoned a shield around her. “I will kill you!” She roared as her horn charged.

The wyvern's eyes narrowed. “I will enjoy this.” His chest glowed red hot as he unleashed a wave of blue flame. Celestia teleported away, turned and fired. A beam of light cascaded from her horn towards Alex. He jumped from his mountain perch just as the beam it, blowing the mounting face to pieces.

He soared upwards into the sky and above the cloud cover. Celestia readied another attack and waited. She set her eyes on the sky waiting for the time where he dives down onto her. They are only for last resort. She thought eyeing her saddlebag.

A screech filled the air and Alex broke through the clouds. He directed himself directly at Celestia and sent a wave of fire towards her. She teleported away moments before it hit. She reappeared to his side, she fired her magic and the beam hit his side.

Alex tumbled from the sky, the beam had hit his wing and disintegrated most of the membrane. He fell to the ground with a crash.

Alex growled and turned to her. They stared at one another for the longest of moments. Waiting to see who would react first. Alex did. He built the flame in his chest and let loose. Celestia fire her beam moments later. The two streaks of death met.

The explosion was sow powerful the two assailants were thrown from into the air. Celestia slammed into the ground but was quickly back on her hooves. She wasn't going to be defeated that easily. Alex was another story.

He struggled to get back up. His wounded shoulder casting daggers of pain throughout his forearm. The wound no longer leaked crimson, no, the blood had turned a sickly green. The blade was working its effects.

Alex stood heavily. He couldn't show weakness, not now. Celestia took to the sky and closed the distance quickly. Her horn glowing even brighter. Alex turned and flicked his tail. Celestia easily dodged the attack and sent another beam of light towards him.

He threw his massive body to the side. The beam of light glancing across his back. The pain from his shoulder was unbearable. He knew he couldn't take it for much longer. He ready fro one last attack.

He built the heat in his mouth but stopped. Celestia stood in the distance. Six object floating above her head.  White light engulfed her as she floated into the sky.

“You do not deserve the mercy of death!” She roared, the white light increasing. “None of your race does.”

The light shot forward towards Alex. He readied the the fire in his chest but was to slow. The beam hit him and his vision turned completely white. White hot pain flashed across his body, most notably his shoulder.

His vision turned white and he felt weightlessness. He knew he was now in his human form, the way he felt lighter through the air. He landed with a thump.

The air left his lungs and he lay still. He didn't have the power to open his eyes, the only thing he could do was listen, listen to the birds...

Birds?