Equestria. A land of magic and wonders, a land that houses the most unique of creatures, a land that has come to be the dwelling place of the two sisters, the two rulers.
The two goddesses.
Ahh, gods, the perfect and all-powerful beings. Beings perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who are worshipped as creators and rulers of the universe. But what is the true definition of gods. Is a god can be anything with unfathomable power? Immortality?
No.
There's no such things as gods, they're myths, legends of old, the result of an over creative mind and naivety. They were born inside the minds of mortals, who could not explain the nature around them and so, created their false gods as their answer.
And although the gods are truly a subject to discuss hours on end, our story begins with a tad bit of simplicity.
It starts with a unicorn.
A powerful unicorn.
A unicorn known throughout the land for her and her friend's heroic deeds, such as the cleansing of Nightmare Moon, or the recapture and later reformation of Discord, and let's not forget the epic defeat of the tyrant king, Sombra.
Her name is Twilight Sparkle, and she's about to become the trigger to unleash a series of events that'll change Equestria forever.
For she had found something rather odd.
It was during the early hours of day. The sun barely rose across the sky, and the air was still mildly chilly, but she could not help it. The situation at hoof was too great to pass.
She stood in the middle of her library; each book was in its proper place, categorized and checked for any imperfections, but it wasn't important right now, none of it was, the only thing the aroused any kind of interest in the mare, was the golden sphere she found.
The sphere wasn't big, about the same size of her head. It emitted a peculiar glow and had unique engravings on its surface.
Twilight levitated a book in front of her; the cover reads 'Ancient languages and inscriptions'.
"Nothing … absolutely nothing. Not Gryphonian, not Zebrican and definitely not Equestrian." Twilight lowered the book just enough to take a glance at the sphere "What secrets do you hold?"
"Twilight? Are you messing with that ball again?" The voice of her number one assistant, Spike, called. The young drake watched in awe as the shining sphere hovered in front of his caretaker.
"I can't help it Spike, this thing, whatever it is, is fascinating. It's like nothing I ever seen, and that's including the royal archives. That sphere is practically radiating energy."
"So… It's a magic battery or something?"
"Yes and no, actually. It definitely holds something inside, but it's not magic. It emits energy from nothing, and although it's practically impossible, well… you can see for yourself. This thing can create energy, pure, raw energy. Out of nothing."
"I don't understand."
Twilight rolled her eyes. Sometimes she wished to have somepony with the same level of intellect and understanding as hers.
"This thing defies physics and magic as we know it. The form of energy radiated from this sphere is natural. It can become anything, even mana energy," Twilight explained.
"Yeah… still not following…"
Twilight sighed and shook her head. "Never mind Spike, just stay back a bit, okay. I'm about to cast a spell directly on the sphere, I trust you know what to do."
Instead of answering, Spike saluted and hurried behind a nearby table.
Twilight made sure to cast a protective bubble around Spike just in case. She wasn't as good as her brother in protective wards, but he did teach her a thing or two about barriers spells, just in case.
Finding everything to be in order, Twilight focused her attention back on the ominous sphere. Her horn blazed with power as a small wisp of lavender mist rose from the tip of her horn. The smoke trail slowly drifted towards the sphere like a snake, stalking its pray.
It was mere inches from the sphere when it glowed with blinding light. Twilight shielded her eyes from the burning light and turned away.
The light receded as fast as it came. Twilight rubbed her eyes with a hoof. Her vision was blurry slightly.
"Spike? Are you alright?" Twilight called.
"Yeah… What was that anyway?"
"I don't know maybe it was- Hey! Where did it go!"
When Twilight's vision returned to normal she noticed that the sphere was gone. The only thing indicating its whereabouts was a trail of seared wood which turned to seared ground as the trail led to the outside.
"Round up the girls, Spike. I don't know what just happened but it can't be good…"
~An unknown wasteland~
Two warriors stood against each other, both had a look of determination plastered across their faces. The scenery around them was ablaze as everything was either burnt, or cracked.
"Just… Give up…" One of them croaked. He panted heavily but did not lose his grip on his giant sledgehammer.
"Not in your wildest dreams, Jetno!" The other man shouted. He had in his hands a long trident that ended with three menacing looking tips. He had a confidant and cocky grin.
Jetno snorted and stood straight. "Like hell I will, Jonathan!" He wasted no time and slammed the hammer into the ground, creating a whirlwind of sand around it. The sand swirled faster and faster until it launched itself towards Jonathan.
The sand came in like a wave of death, further destroying the once green scenery. Jonathan smirked as he stood his ground. Fire cackled from his fingertips and flowed through the trident. Three small flames formed on the tips of the trident as Jonathan waited for the perfect moment to strike.
He braced himself against the wave of sand until it was just inches away from him. At that moment, he pointed the trident towards the wave and released a powerful torrent of blistering fire. The wave almost immediately turned the sand into molten glass as it pooled around Jonathan's knees. Any other mortal would have screamed in agony, but Jonathan merely felt warm. He spread his free hand down towards the molten glass and it shifted under his will. Seconds later, the molten glass turned into a wave of hot death and was headed towards Jetno.
Jetno leaped high into the air and above the wave of molten glass. He readied his hammer and was about to bring it down on Jonathan's head when suddenly his opponent yelled "STOP!"
Lost all momentum, Jetno fell down towards the sea of molten glass. Just before he hit the searing substance, he sucked the heat out of it and landed softly as a feather of the transparent surface.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Jetno called, looking at each direction, trying to find where is Jonathan, who suddenly disappeared. "Jonathan?"
"Shhh…can't you see I'm busy," Jonathan hissed from a nearby rock. He was perched on top of it, his trident rested at the base of the boulder, and his eyes were glued to a small screen of a smart phone. "I just got a friend request!"
Jetno facepalmed. Hard. "Jonathan, I swear, sometimes I think that maybe the Void is an extension of your head."
"What's going on here?" another voice called, and a man holding a staff with deep red robes and a hood that covered his face
showed up. "Jetno, care to explain why your brother is neglecting his training?"
"Hey, don't blame it on me, Kaizer. It's not my fault that this numbskull is more interested in this droid than training," Jetno cried.
"It's not called a droid you idiot! It's called an android. A-N-D-R-O-I-D!" Jonathan yelled, not even bothering looking up from the screen. "Ohh, an ad, let's see… Doctors hate him… eternal youth… simple technique… free! You heard that! Mortals discovered the secretes of immortality all on their own, they're truly fascinating creatures- HEY!"
Jonathan watched helplessly as Kaizer yanked the smart phone out of his grasp and threw it beyond the horizon.
"There… now that this little nonsense is out of the way, I can do this…" with a jerk of his arm, Kaizer swiped his staff in a horizontal swipe and hit Jonathan in the side of his head, sending him to the ground with a nasty crack noise.
Jonathan groaned loudly. His head was firmly planted in the middle of a small crater. "Seriously dude? You can be such a jerk sometimes," he moaned.
"I try my best," Kaizer replied, "Oh, and Jetno?"
"Yeah…"
In an instant, Jetno felt a spike of pain in the middle of his forehead as a staff was hurled directly to his head and staggered backwards. His head throbbed with immeasurable pain. "What was that for you maniac!" He cried.
"Because I felt like it," Kaizer said as he huffed a small air of frustration at his two little brothers. "Seriously guys, if I can't teach you properly than I have no choice but to beat some sense into you, you're supposed to be gods for crying out loud!"
Kaizer was about to continue his rant when a cold chill crept up his spine. He eyed his younger siblings and saw them shiver as well.
Jonathan suddenly felt a hand grab his shoulder and yank him upright. He turned around and peered up towards the last person he
wanted to upset. "Uhh… hey big…*gulp*… bro…"
"Jonathan…" hissed Sihn-Lah, his older brother and the elder of the four. "Don't think even for a moment that I haven't watched that pathetic display you demonstrated moments ago." His glare was so fierce that Jonathan had to avert his gaze from Sihn-Lah. What surprised Jonathan further was a hand landing softly on his head and start ruffling his already messy black and red hair. When he looked up, he saw Sihn-Lah was smiling. "You can be such a pain," he chuckled.
A wave of relief washed over Jonathan when he realized his elder brother wasn't mad at him.
"Don't go easy on him, Sihn-Lah, he's supposed to train, not play Candy Birds and Angry Crush or whatever," Kaizer chided.
"That's totally NOT what those games are called you-"
"Jonathan hush!" interrupted Sihn-Lah. "While I'm not as mad at you as Kaizer I'm still disappointed. This world is already dead, which is exactly why Kaizer and I let you and Jetno fight. We take into consideration your desire not to hurt living beings, so all I ask in return is that you take your training a bit more seriously. Okay?"
Jonathan looked down again. He hadn't said anything. Instead, he simply nodded.
"That's a good little brother…" Sihn-Lah teased as he scratched behind Jonathan's ear.
Jonathan gritted his teeth and pulled away from Sihn-Lah, using one hand to try and comb back his unruly hair.
"Jeez, Sihn-Lah, you know I hate it. Why do you keep doing that?"
"You just answered your own question little brother." Sihn-Lah chuckled and then looked all around him. A small sigh escaped his lips as his grin slowly faltered until it was no more.
"Well, since training is obviously out of the question, I guess it's time to wrap things up. Kaizer already took any salvageable sources of knowledge, Jetno made sure that time is still intact, and I took care of the dead and delivered their judgment accordingly. It all falls to you now, Jonathan. Seal this world's fate."
Jonathan looked crestfallen.
"Jonathan," Sihn-Lah whispered, "I understand your distaste in taking away something you worked so hard to create, but this world is no more, it'll never need it ever again. Take it now so you may use it to those who deserve it."
Jonathan nodded. "You're right Sihn-Lah… I don't even know why I'm so bothered by it…"
Jonathan turned around and looked up towards the grey sky. No clouds hovered above, only grey skies and a dying red star.
Jonathan raised his hand and squinted his eyes. From his perspective, it was as if he was holding the red giant between his fingers. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He stood like this for a few minutes, just standing still and breathing to an unseen rhythm. When he opened his eyes, he still saw the red giant between his fingers, only when he lowered his hand, the sun was no longer in the sky, but rather hovering just above Jonathan's palm. He closed his fingers around the glowing red orb and crushed it with ease between
his fingers.
Jonathan sighed and looked around him. This world was now plunged in darkness, and was doomed to remain barren and cold.
A fate worse than death, or so Jonathan believed.
"Let's leave this place," Jonathan uttered, "I want to see green again…"
~Back in Equestria - The outskirts of the Everfree forest~
Six mares stood on a road that led into the dark depths of the Everfree forest, looking warily at the gloomy woods that housed all manner of evil and dangerous creatures.
Twilight was the first to break from the group and started walking into the shadowy abyss with a clear goal in mind: Retrieve the golden orb.
"Twilight wait up!" called Applejack. She trotted until she reached Twilight and then matched her pace to hers, the rest of her friends close behind. "Are you sure this a good idea sugercube. Ah mean, this place is mighty big, and finding this… shinin' ball in such a place is like searchin' for a needle in a hay stack."
Twilight averted her gaze from the forest and craned her neck to look at Applejack with a smile. "I know it's a lot to ask of you guys, but this is too great of an opportunity to pass. I might just have found a completely new type of magic, or perhaps a powerful artifact."
"And don't you think it might be a tad dangerous, darling?" chided Rarity. "Don't get me wrong but it seems like we're walking straight into a trap, and Celestia knows we saved Equestria four times too many."
Twilight looked thoughtful for a moment and then turned her attention to Rarity. "If this thing is indeed some sort of trap or evil, then it's in our best interests to contain it. Either way, we can't ignore the fact that this cannot be overlooked."
"I guess you do have a point." Rarity sighed.
"Hey, it's not like we can't defend ourselves! We're the elements of Harmony! Protectors of Equestria! I reckon that if anything, and I mean anything, tries to mess with us, it'll have its face rearranged!" boasted Rainbow Dash as she took to the air and stuck a heroic pose in front of her friends.
A sense of relief washed over the mares as they chuckles at their prismatic friend's antics.
Once the last bit of laughter left Twilight's lips, she turned to her friends and said, "Come on you guys, let's find this orb and get back to our homes, I'm sure we'll find it sooner rather than later."
-Three hours later-
"I'm borrrrrrrrrrred…" groaned Rainbow Dash. She was flying over the forest's canopy for three agonizing hours. She winched each time her wings brushed against a branch. "Three hours and all we found is big smelly pile of nothing!"
"This ball is by far the best hide-n-seek player ever!" exclaimed Pinkie as she darted between the trees, looking behind every bush, rock and fallen branch. Her energy seemingly endless.
"Keep your eyes peeled you guys. I'm sure it's here somewhere, I just know it," reassured Twilight, though her resolve was slowly faltering as well.
"M-maybe you scared it…" chimed in Fluttershy.
"I doubt that, Fluttershy. Though this thing does seem to have a mind of its own…" admitted Twilight.
"Ah reckon we should head back to our homes before it's getting too late. Celestia know this forest can get awful scary at night."
"Applejack darling, are you implying you're scared," teased Rarity, looking at Applejack with a smirk.
"Why you little… why don't you come a little closer and say it to mah face!" snapped Applejack. Her cheeks were rosy red and her eyes showed spite.
"Girls shush!" called Twilight. "I think I just heard something, it sounds like… talking?"
The mares all quietened down and listened carefully. They stayed firmly planted in place and breathed slowly.
"Ah think ah heard something from there," whispered Applejack, pointing towards a seemingly random direction. The mares looked at each other, giving meaningful nods that conveyed their thoughts, and as one, they started walking towards the noise.
With each step they took, they could hear the sounds more coherently. It did sound like talking, but they were too far away to make sense in them.
Finally, after a few tense moments of silent walking, the mares stopped behind a bush overlooking a clearing in the forest. There, they saw the most bizarre thing they've ever encountered.
Four alicorns!
"Ahh! This is the life," called one of them. He had a white coat similar to Celestia, but instead of a multicolored mane that swayed in the breeze, his was considerably shorter and black with a few strands of red. He took a deep breath and then exhaled loudly, rolling on his back and stretching his hooves. "That's what life is all about. Green, beautiful world!"
"I still don't understand why we must use these bodies. I just can't figure out how to coordinate with four legs," muttered the alicorn next to the one splayed on the grass. He had a dark blue, almost black coat, and a spikey light blue mane. He looked down upon his wobbly legs and tried to take a few steps, but when the first step almost sent him to the ground he decided against that.
"Come on Jetno, don't be such a stick in the mud, It's nice switching bodies for a while. And besides, it's all about concentration, once you got the hang of it, it'll be a second nature to you," bragged the white alicorn on the grass, a smug grin on his face.
"Oh, is it now, Jonathan?" Taunted a jet black alicorn with a black shoulder length mane. "Because I remember you were constantly whining when we first arrived here."
The one known as Jetno started snickering while Jonathan smiled shyly.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your intelligent conversation," started the fourth alicorn. He had a light brown coat and a long grey mane, "but this chat is no longer private…"
The mares all froze when four sets of eyes turned towards them. A second later, they felt a powerful force lift them from their hooves and carry them into the light of the clearing.
"What do we have here?" wandered Jonathan, his horn was alight with a black and red aura, the same aura that encased the mares. He was still sprawled out on the grass and he had a lazy smile on his face. "Six little mortals, how cute…"
"Put me down NOW!" yelled Rainbow Dash as she struggled against whatever invisible force was keeping her ensnared.
"And why should we," said Jetno. He tried to look menacing but the wobbly legs kind of ruined that image of him.
"You're right Jetno, you suck at being the bad guy," Shin-Lah pointed out.
"Scrrrrrrew you, Sihn-Lah," Jetno retorted, though the smirk on his face assured his brother that he wasn't harboring ill feelings towards him.
"Let me handle this, guys," Jonathan said, suddenly rising on all four. Twilight felt the power that held her and her friend slowly lessened until it was no more, making it so that she was gently dropped back to the ground.
Jonathan took a few steps forward until he was just in front of the six confused mares. He sat down, cleared his throat, and extended his hoof.
"Greetings fair maidens. My name is Jonathan, a deity of the void …"
"…"
"Umm, I think you shocked them a little bit Johnny," commented Jetno, looking mildly concerned towards the six pairs of almost unnaturally wide eyes, all staring at Jonathan.
"Quite," Kaizer agreed, looking rather amused.
"What should we do then?" asked Jonathan, looking worriedly at the six dumbstruck mares. Jetno stepped forward slowly and carefully and placed a hoof on Jonathan's shoulder.
"Let me handle it," he proclaimed. He then sat on his hunches and summoned his divine powers. Sand began to accumulate near the god's hooves as he penetrated the minds of the six mares and erased the last few moments from their heads. Once done, Jetno released a sigh he did not know he was holding.
Jonathan slowly and gently laid the mares back on the ground and gave them a once over. "Hello?"
"Who… are you?" gasped Twilight. In all her long, yet eventful life, she had never seen other alicorns with the exception of Celestia, Luna and Cadance. It was especially baffling considering she was now staring at not one, not two, but FOUR different alicorns. And males at that.
It was unheard of.
"Allow me to introduce ourselves," proclaimed Jonathan. "I'm Jonathan, and these are my brothers, Jetno, Kaizer and Sihn-Lah." Jonathan then pointed at the dark blue alicorn, then the brown one, and finally the black one. He was careful not to reveal too much information, as he did not want a repeat of what happened earlier.
"B-but you're alicorns!" accused Twilight.
"So this is what we are called, and here I was thinking we were some kind of winged unicorns. Or perhaps horned pegasi. I'm not that good in terminology," admitted Jetno.
Twilight was at a loss for words. Alicorn weren't like any other race in Equestria. They were ascended ponies who were touched by divinity when they reached a certain revelation, or so Princess Celestia had told her. This transformation is also quite grand. There's no way four other ponies have ascended without the princesses' knowledge. So how come there are four additional alicorns in front of her eyes? Are they royalty as well? Do they know the other princesses? Or maybe, they are their… consorts?
Twilight shook her last theory out of her head and tried to figure out what to say. Luckily, or unluckily for Twilight, Pinky Pie stepped forward.
"OH MY GOSH you're like the coolest ponies I've ever seen! Can you control super big things like Celestia and the sun or Luna and the moon and like Cadance and love? Can you even control emotions? What's it feels like? Do you have super-duper strength? What about- hmphphmph…"
Luckily (for real this time), Applejack shoved her hoof into Pinky's mouth to muffle her sugar addled spree.
"Sorry 'bout that fellers. Pinky can get mighty excited when she meets new ponies. Name's Applejack." She introduced herself.
Rarity then stepped forward as well and gave each alicorn a court nod. "And I am Rarity. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Not wanting to be left behind, Rainbow Dash flew up high, made a few stunt moves and landed. "And I'm Rainbow Dash." She thrust a hoof into the air. "Fastest flyer in Equestria!"
There were only two ponies who have not introduced themselves yet to the four alicorns. One was two puzzled to speak up, and the second to frightened.
Sensing the building uneasiness, Jonathan approached the buttery pegasus and knelt down, but even then, he was still terrifyingly tall for poor Fluttershy, who whimpered slightly at the sight of Jonathan.
Fluttershy looked up, still slightly shaking, and gazed into Jonathan's eyes. From the close distance, Fluttershy saw that his eyes never stayed the same color for too long, but rather changed hue every now and again. "And what might be your name, little one," he whispered gently, his eyes turned light yellow that seemed the copy her own coat. Somehow, just being near him, Fluttershy felt more confidant.
"I'm Fluttershy," she said simply, offering a smile. Jonathan smiled back and turned his attention to Twilight.
"And you are?" he inquired.
Twilight blinked a few times before realizing she was asked a question. "T-Twilight, Twilight Sparkle."
"It is a pleasure meeting you all," claimed Jonathan. He walked back to his brothers and the four bowed respectfully to the mares.
The mares were slightly taken aback by the chivalrous act, but swiftly recovered.
"So, you really are alicorns," Twilight marveled.
"It seems so," answered Kaizer. "Say, since you're obviously natives, care to tell us the name of the land perchance?"
"You… don't know what this land is called?" inquired Twilight, sounding mildly surprised by the fact that the four do not have a clue to their whereabouts. The four alicorns nodded all at once. "Well… this world is called Equss. As for the country itself, you're inside Equestria, the Everfree forest to be more precise."
Kaizer nodded and hummed thoughtfully. "I see, thank you, Miss Sparkle."
Twilight blushed and nodded shyly, suddenly feeling like hiding behind her mane like a certain friend of hers.
"So," stated Jetno. "I don't suppose you'd like to stay for a picnic, do you?"
"Oh, I don’t know…"
"Oh come on Twilight," pleaded Rainbow Dash, we've been searching for hours for that stupid ball, let's eat!"
"Well, I suppose…" Twilight felt a little reluctant to stop the search now. She was close and she could feel it. But her rumbling stomach did poorly to justify her opinion. Sighing, she nodded.
"Woohoo! Picnic, YAY!" called Pinky, already pulling a striped blanket and laid it on the grass. But before she could have pulled the food itself, Jonathan stopped her in her tracks.
"Allow me."
With a wave of his hoof, plates and bowls filled with different assortments of foods materialized in front of the mares' eyes. Sandwiches, salads, and a few cold drinks were laid neatly on the blanket.
What amazed Twilight though was the fact that she did not feel the slightest usage of magic. She felt an energy flow, yes. But it was not the common unicorn magic. In fact, it was not magic at all.
But unlike herself, Twilight's friends were more than awed by the marvelous spectacle, even by Equestrian standards.
"Well, what are you waiting for? This food won't eat itself, now would it?" Jonathan teased.
In mere seconds, the blanket was occupied by five very happy mares and four pleased alicorns. The only one who seemed suspicious was Twilight.
"What's the matter, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash chewed on a tomato sandwich while looking at Twilight. "Don't tell you're not even slightly hungry. I heard your stomach earlier."
Twilight blushed in embarrassment as she looked away. "I don't know guys. I mean, we're accepting food from complete strangers, alicorns at that, in the middle of the Everfree forest. Doesn't that bother you even for a second?"
Rainbow Dash looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging.
"I assure you Miss Sparkle that were we intended to inflict harm upon your and your little friends, we wouldn't be having this conversation, now would we," remarked Sihn-Lah. His tone was cold and fluid, charming even, but also had a dark quality to it, as if daring Twilight to say the contrary.
Twilight gulped and took a few steps back from the blanket.
Kaizer eyed Twilight for a moment and then glared at Sihn-Lah. "Now look what you've done, Sihn-Lah. Honestly, when it comes to thoughtlessness you are second to none." He then turned to look at Twilight. "Please don't mind him Miss Sparkle. Sihn-Lah is just not as social as the rest of us. Here, have a salad."
A plate with an inviting looking salad hovered towards Twilight. She eyed the plate suspiciously, feeling yet again this strange energy emanating from it. After a short time, in which Kaizer cleared his throat to snap Twilight out of her thoughts, she took the plate in her own magic and gave the salad a cautious sniff.
The heavenly smell almost caused Twilight's legs to buckle. A warm smile formed across her muzzle as she spotted a place between Applejack and Jonathan for her to sit. Once seated, Twilight took another whiff from the salad as her stomach cried out for her.
Twilight felt something nudge her gently on the side and craned her head to her right. Jonathan held a fork for her while eating on a sandwich of his own. Twilight gratefully accepted the fork and promptly shoved a whole load of salad into her waiting maw.
The only thing better than the smell was probably the taste. It was so rich but not overwhelming, slightly sweet and just the right amount of salt. Twilight closed her eyes as a small smile graced her face once more.
"So," started Rarity, wiping her mouth for a moment before looking at the four alicorns. "How come four gentlecolts like yourselves are doing in this dreadful forest?"
"We came here to have a little vacation," answered Kaizer. "It's been too long since we just took some time to ourselves."
"But why here, of all places?" asked Applejack.
"We don't know, random teleportation is the best in my opinion. You never know what's on the other side," answered Sign-Lah, his tone much lighter and upbeat.
"Random teleportation?" inquired Twilight. She never heard of it. Usually to teleport, one needs a clear destination in mind, otherwise it will not work.
"Yes," responded Sihn-Lah, offering no further insight on the subject.
Time seemed to fly as the ponies ate, drank and generally had a good time. The mares took great joy in the company of the four alicorns, even if they offered less than ideal answers to Twilight's questioning.
The sun was kissing the horizon by the time the four alicorns decided to end their little vacation. They rose on their hooves and exchanged goodbyes with the mares.
"I guess this is it then, I hope we could meet again sometime," mused Jonathan. His smile was the largest out of the four and his eyes turned light orange.
The four alicorns turned around and were about to leave this world when something caught their eyes.
It was the sphere.
"No…" whispered Kaizer. "I thought we've got rid of it, it can't be."
The very sight of the sphere caused the eyes of the four alicorns to widen, as well as their muscles to tense. Jonathan's eyes turned yellow-green as horrors of long forgotten past played back in his mind.
"Okay, here's the plan," started Sihn-Lah. "I'll direct some of my powers to the Box. When it launches at me, I want you all to run. Do I make myself clear!?"
"Sihn-Lah, no!" Kaizer hissed. "I'm not letting you deal with the Box alone, you need us."
"This is not up for debate, Kaizer!"
"What's going on?" whispered Twilight, looking slightly startled by the way the four alicorns reacted to the sphere. And why they kept referring it as the Box?
"Twilight, I want you to take your friends away from here as far as possible," directed Jonathan. "This box contains powers beyond the understanding of mortals."
"What? I don't understand!"
"Twilight just go!" Jonathan shouted. He snapped his mouth shut and covered it with his hooves. He looked back at the sphere as it suddenly bolted towards him. Moments later, Sihn-Lah stood in front of Jonathan as a crack appeared along the ground. From it, a blaze of black fire shot towards the sky. The scorching black wall of death managed to stop the sphere on its collision course with Jonathan, but with each passing second the roaring flames turned smaller and smaller.
"Agh! I can't hold it for too long. Jonathan, run!" Just as he finished saying that, the flames died out completely and the sphere collided with Sihn-Lah instead. Sihn-Lah screamed in pain as power kept flowing from the sphere and corrupted him to his very core. The evil that was sealed inside the sphere kept gushing out into the closest host. Black fire erupted from Sihn-Lah and burst forth. The three remaining alicorns just barely managed to create a protective shield over them and the mares. The flames kept licking at the power shield, but did not burn it. The same could not be said about Sihn-Lah.
His fur burned almost instantly as skin and flesh melted under the searing heat. His screams became a bloody gurgle as the last tissue of flesh evaporated from his charcoal skeleton. The fires extinguished almost instantly, leaving behind a shivering skeleton. It craned its neck at the group of ponies, before crumbling into dust.
No one dared to utter a sound as the ashes shifted and swirled across the clearing. The trees withered and died and the grass turned yellow. Death slowly crept to the rest of the forest. Anything caught in it died. Animals, plantation, and even insects. Everything died.
Luckily for the mares, the protective dome around them also protected them of the same curse that leached the life out of the forest.
"What's going on here?!" cried Twilight, overcome with fear and terror. The same unknown energy she felt earlier was now ravaging
across the forest. It was not magic. It was something much, much stronger.
Then, everything seemed to stop. The ashes that once swirled across the forest stopped their frightening dance and they gently fell down to the ground.
But the momentary peace was only an illusion. As the last speck of ash fell to the ground, the shadows of the forest suddenly moved on their own accord. No longer had they hid behind objects to avoid the sunlight, but rather, they were drawn into the middle of the clearing, where the shadows took form and materialized into a solid object.
The black blob hovered a few feet above the ground and it seemed that something was trying to get out of it. Slowly, the blob took shape of a man. The blob then sizzled and started changing texture, instead of its slimy appearance, the blob turned wool-like and smooth along the legs and torso. The very end of the legs turned into a pair of black leather shoes. The upper middle part of the torso tore open, revealing the white, bloby insides that changed texture as well into a white breast shirt. Both sleeves had silver skull cufflinks attached to them and the part under the open tuxedo was buttoned up by two black buttons.
The blob that formed the head also started changing, turning whiter and whiter until it was almost see through. The empty face then began to become more detailed. Two holes in the front sank into the head and a thin slit appeared in the middle. A well-defined nose appeared in the very middle of the face as the eyes took shape and the mouth was done. Strands of long , black and silky hair ascended from the top of the scalp and ran down all the way to the neck, where it was pulled back into a ponytail. Two white hands slid into the appropriate sleeve as the figure flexed its fingers. Once done, the figure took a long shuddering breath, and released it, opening his eyes as he did.
Twilight felt her breath got caught in her throat. He was so handsome! The way his black tuxedo complimented his pale skin, and how his hair seemed so smooth to the touch. Twilight felt a wanting desire to willingly give her soul to him, to forfeit her life for him.
To die for him.
"Ahh… much better," Sihn-Lah mused. He eyed for a moment his true form and then stared at his brothers with eyes as black as the void.
"Sihn-Lah, please tell me you didn't-"
"Oh I did, Jonathan, and the feeling is beyond thrilling," said Sihn-Lah, interrupting Jonathan.
Kaizer stepped forward, a look of utter rage in his eyes. "Sihn-Lah I warn you! Expel the evil from your heart!" he commanded, slamming his hoof down on the ground and cracking its surface to emphasis.
"And what if I say 'no'?" teased Sihn-Lah, leaning slightly forward, his eyes slowly scanning every tiny detail.
Kaizer growled and moved forward, but suddenly stopped.
"Kaizer?" asked Jetno, worried for his brother and mentor.
It wasn't until Kaizer started making choking sound that Jonathan and Jetno realized something was wrong. They dashed forward
just as Kaizer collapsed. Jetno caught Kaizer in his hooves and noticed he was having trouble breathing. Sihn-Lah hexed Kaizer.
There was a pulsating black mark along Kaizer's neck that resembled a barbed wire. Each passing second the marking would appear to tighten around Kaizer, and with each second, Kaizer's struggles were more and more desperate.
"Sihn-Lah, stop!" Jetno screeched, but it was too late. With a wet snapping sound, Kaizer ceased his flailing and lay limply on the ground. His head was turned in an unnatural angle and a constant stream of thick blood dribbled from his mouth. A moment later, he was encased in a golden glow and dissolved into nothingness.
"Such a shame. Kaizer showed so much promise. But perhaps I can still salvage something out of you." Sihn-Lah turned to Jetno and offered his hand. A sincere smile graced his angelic face. "Do not fret, Jetno. Kaizer had to be taught a lesson in respect, but I'm not cruel. I've rediscovered myself! Finally, I see the worlds for what they truly are, and so could you, should you wish to join me…"
Before Jetno could express his opinion, Jonathan stepped forward and glowered at Sihn-Lah. "You bastard," he whispered. "YOU BASTARD!"
Jonathan was about to pounce when Jetno beat him to the punch quite literally. With unmatched speed, Jetno reached out for Sihn-Las and delivered a crushing blow to the deity's face.
Sihn-Lah merely stood there. He took the punch without budging a single inch from his spot. His once gentle smile turned quickly to a saddened frown. "I see. I must confess Jetno that I am… disappointed."
With a thrust of his hand, Jetno was flung backwards and hit the ground hard. A trail of turned earth led to Jetno's mangled body. His hooves were twisted in awkward angles and his eyes rolled in their sockets. The same hex appeared on his throat. Jonathan watched helplessly as the life was literally squeezed out of his body. Jetno released a final cry of pain before him too, stopped completely. The same golden glow encased Jetno and he vanished into nothingness as well.
Jonathan just stood there, his body shook violently as tears streamed down his cheeks. "No… why… why did you do it?"
"It had to be done," explained Sihn-Lah, his voice was solemn, as if it pained him to kill his brothers.
Jonathan gritted his teeth, his eye were ablaze with fury.
"Don't make the same mistake as your brothers did, Jonathan. I care for you. I want you to be there by my side."
"Go to hell!"
Sihn-Lah sighed. "I was afraid you might say that. That's why…" Sihn-Lah suddenly vanished and appeared right behind Jonathan "…I'll make your death as quick and painless as possible."
Jonathan closed his eyes shut, bracing himself for a brief sharp pain, immediately accompanied by the sweet relief of death.
Sihn-Lah wrapped his hands around Jonathan's neck and was about to deliver the finishing blow when a stinging sensation shot through his shoulder. He turned his head to see the lavender unicorn from before, her horn slightly smoky and her face were just as rage-filled as Jonathan was.
"You… you monster!" she accused. "You just killed your brothers in cold blood!"
"So… I fail to see your point. Brothers should know better than to disrespect their elder. I merely reminded them of that simple fact."
"By killing them!?"
"Yes."
"I will never let such a vile creature such as you roam our land, killing on a whim. Your evil deeds end now!"
"My, my, such brave words," Sihn-Lah remarked. He let go of Jonathan's neck and moved towards the mares. Slowly and deliberately, he crouched down until his head was just above Twilight. "But tell me mortal… can you back those words up against a god?"
Without missing a beat, Twilight nodded. "I can and I will!"
Sihn-Lah chuckled and grasped Twilight by her chin, looking deeply into her eyes. "I rather like you…" he moved closer until his mouth hung just above her ear "… that's why I'll make sure to save you for last. Your cries of pain will be most… delicious."
Before anything else could be said, Sihn-Lah was slammed by a powerful forced that knocked him over and away from the mares. Jonathan stood next to them, glaring at Sihn-Lah. "Never look away from your opponent. That's the first thing you taught me," he spat. He then looked over the mares. "He didn't do anything to any of you, right Miss Twilight?"
Twilight shook her head. "No, but I don't need help. My friends and I can take anything-"
"Don't be stupid Twilight!" Jonathan hissed, and for the first time in her brief encounter with Jonathan, she saw him frown, an act that was highlighted with the dark red of his eyes. "Don't ever say that when facing Sihn-Lah. With a mere thought, he can have you killed. Your body would just stop from existing and your soul will drift to limbo for judgment. No, Sihn-Lah is powerful, ever by our standards."
Twilight felt her ears pin against her skull. It was always unpleasant when someone scolds you, and it was not different this time.
"I will take care of Sihn-Lah. I want you to run away and do not look back!"
"No, I will not stay in the sidelines while this... lunatic is roaming free. And I'm not leaving you behind either," Twilight argued.
A projectile of raw power just barely missed the mares as it soared passed them and decimated the forest behind them, long line of
ruined landscape a testimony for Sihn-Lah's powers.
Another projectile was headed towards the mare, but this one was blocked by Jonathan. He grunted as the projectile collided with his chest. Before he could regain his senses, Sihn-Lah appeared right in front of Jonathan and kicked him to the ground. The force of the impact shattered the ground all around them.
Sihn-Lah had his shoe firmly planted on Jonathan's throat as he applied more and more pressure with each passing second.
"S-Sihn-Lah… Please… Stop," Jonathan choked. He tried to lift himself up, but he was still in an alicorn body, and he did not have a good vantage point to do so.
Sihn-Lah's weight on his throat increased tenfold and Jonathan spotted darkness creeping in the edge of his sight.
And when he finally accepted his fate. When Jonathan realized that there is no escape. When the calm embrace of death finally caught him, he found himself breathing again…
Blinking a few times, Jonathan shakily rose back to his hooves. Sihn-Lah was lying in a smoldering crater. His back was scorched though his suit was surprisingly left untouched. He then turned around to the other side, and saw the mares equipped themselves with pulsating jewelries.
"Good job Twi, them teleporting magic sure saved us the trouble of goin' to yer home to retrieve the elements," praised Applejack.
Twilight smile triumphantly.
"Well, I do like to think of myself as-"
"You fools! You just enraged him," cried Jonathan, interrupting Twilight as well. He looked fearfully over the crater, but the body of Sihn-Lah was already gone. He blinked, and a sharp pain shot through him. Sihn-Lah stood before him. His left hand was morphed into a long javelin and in struck Jonathan directly in his chest. Small droplets of blood matted Jonathan's pure white coat as it dribbled down to the ground.
"I hope you could find it in your heart to forgive me for this, brother." Sihn-Lah slowly and painfully pulled his javelin/hand out from Jonathan's body, causing the flow of blood to increase in spurts.
But just as Sihn-Lah was about to extract the last inch out of Jonathan, the latter grabbed the javelin with both hooves and secured Sihn-Lah in placed.
"And now you're just delaying the inevitable, Jonathan. A good warrior knows when to quit, I told you this a long time ago."
"Yes you did… but you also told me that a good warrior can find an opportunity at any given moment." With a mighty heave, Jonathan lifted Sihn-Lah off his feet and slammed the god on his back.
Sihn-Lah quickly rose from his place on the ground and dusted himself off "Really, Jonathan? That's the best you can offer? It seems the body you're wearing is starting to affect your judgment."
"That attack was never meant to harm." Jonathan smirked and braced himself. "It distracts. Now girls!"
Sihn-Lah had no time to avoid as he was struck by a beam of rainbow straight to his back. He yelled in agony as the beam tried to purify his body from the evil inside. It was not strong enough to defeat Sihn-Lah, but it gave Jonathan the chance he so needed.
While Sihn-Lah was kneeling against the ground, breathing as much air as he could, Jonathan leaped forward and struck Sihn-Lah in his chest. The impact was weak, and it barely budged Sihn-Lah. But that was the idea.
Before Sihn-Lah could react, Jonathan used his blood and scribbled different runes on his own brother. When the last rune was in place, Jonathan pushed Sihn-Lah to his back as chains of light erupted from the ground and ensnared him.
"What's the meaning of this!?" snarled Sihn-Lah. His face consorted into a deep and hateful snarl as he tried to break free from the chains.
"Sihn-Lah…" Jonathan boomed, his voice carried the magnitude as well as the power of a god. "You broke one of our tenets, as well as threatened mortal lives for petty reasons! By the power bestowed upon me by the void, I banish you from this body. May your soul never find rest!"
Sihn-Lah screamed as more chains erupted from the ground and impaled him in the back. The more he resisted, the more aggressive the chains were. Before long, Sihn-Lah's body was nothing more than mangled pieces of metal and golden blood.
Jonathan stood there, looking downward on the remains of his brother. Slowly his body shut down as his acts in the battle started to take their toll on the weakened god. He looked one last time at the shocked mares, smiled, and fell to the ground…
Changes from the original version: EVERYTHING
Of introductions and monsters - rewrite
~Ponyville's hospital~
Jonathan woke up with a throbbing head and a painful sensation across his chest. He groaned, then coughed, and then wheezed in agony once he realized he was out of breath.
"Ohhh…" Jonathan moaned. He tried to move his hooves, only for them not to respond.
A sudden sound of shuffling hooves near him caused Jonathan to tense up and for his ears to perk up instinctively.
"He's waking up, Doctor! What should we do, he shouldn't be up for another week!" a feminine voice cried.
"Stay here with him and make sure he isn't in too much pain. I'll go and tell the mares outside that he had awakened," replied a deeper, masculine voice. Jonathan heard the sound of a door opens and then closes and deduced he was probably in a hospital.
Jonathan heard the shuffle of hooves again and felt something jab him in the vain. He felt a little discomfort but compared to the other ordeals he has been through, that was not so bad.
"Umm… excuse me but could you please help me with my bandages, ma'am? I would like to be able to see again," asked Jonathan after realizing his head was practically mummified with bandages. He felt unnaturally weak and it scared him a little bit.
"Oh… umm, sure…" the nurse replied hesitantly. Jonathan felt a tug on the side of his head, and a few moments later he felt the bandages, which were previously wrapped tightly around his head, fell off and allowed light to penetrate his eye lids.
"Ahh… much better." Jonathan then turned to the nurse near his bed. "A thousand thanks to you, fair maiden."
The nurse blushed profusely and turned her head to the other side of the room, looking nervously at the heart monitor. "T-thank you, sir."
"Please, the name is Jonathan. What is yours?" Jonathan asked politely.
"I'm Redheart."
"Well then Miss Redheart. Please forgive me for my bluntness, but how did I end up here?"
-Perspective change-
For the past four days Twilight and her friends visited Jonathan in turns, she was very worried for him. When she brought him to the hospital, he was nothing more than a few pieces of meat hung together inside a pool of blood. Nurse Redheart said that he was on the brink of death.
Twilight hated to wait but for the past four days his condition seemed to improve. She was at the waiting room along with Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy when a blue stallion with glasses and a syringe as a cutie mark approached them, "Twilight Sparkle?" He asked.
"Yes? What is it? Is he okay? Can we see Jonathan?" Twilight bolted with questions, the stallion chuckled a bit and then continued.
"He's fine, He just woke up and he seems okay. His recovery seemed miraculous though. His wounds were healed, literally overnight. I don't believe there are words within the borders of reason to explain how he managed to heal that fast."
"It's about time he woke up. Who can sleep for four days?!" Rainbow Dash grumbled.
"Please darling, after what happened to the poor fellow he deserves a bit of a rest." Rarity tried to calm down Rainbow Dash, Waiting was not one of her qualities.
"Rarity's right sugercube, after all that happen' to him" Applejack said.
"Well let's not waste any more time and go meet our new friend!" said Pinkie while bouncing up and down, humming a small tune to herself. As the mane 6 walked through the halls of the hospital, all of them thought back at their first encounter with the mysterious alicorn. His chivalrous acts against his own brother, the seemingly endless power that practically oozed out from him and the way his generally carried himself. He sure seemed nice enough, but a small whisper of doubt still lingered in their hearts. Something about him just did not add up.
The all too familiar room came into view as the sound of conversation made itself known. It was clear that Jonathan was the one speaking. He had a slightly deep voice that was hard not to recognize. As for the other voice, it could only been Redheart. She was fiercely loyal to her patients and always enjoyed a good conversation every once in a while.
The Doctor led the mares into the room as each mare took a place near the bed.
"How are you feeling Jonathan?" Twilight immediately asked. Jonathan looked over to where Twilight stood and smiled, his eyes hanged into a golden yellow color.
"I'm fine Miss Sparkle. Believe me that this little inconvenience is nothing new to me. And besides, Miss Redheart was such a delight to talk to. She is a marvelous mare once you get to know her."
Redheart blushed at the compliment and gave Jonathan a thankful nod, which Jonathan gladly returned. He then shifted uncomfortably in the bed and faced Redheart again, this time pleadingly. "May I stand up and stretch for a bit, Miss Redheart? I understand that hospital policies prevent you from agreeing, but I would very much appreciate it."
"Well… you did heal rather quickly. Nothing about you is like anything I've ever seen and you clearly speak out of clear mind… all right, but promise me that you will return to your bed should you feel any discomfort."
"I give you my word," Jonathan replied. Slowly, he lifted himself off the bed and stood up high.
Twilight never had the chance to admire his features the other day, but Jonathan was unlike any other pony she had ever seen. Putting aside the alicorn aspect, Jonathan was pretty handsome by pony standards. What little of his coat Twilight managed to see under all the bandages showed the purest of whites. His shaggy, shoulder length mane was outlined with red bangs and his eyes never seemed to stay in one color.
Jonathan took a deep breath and outstretched his wings, reveling an admirable length as the wingtips brushed against the opposite walls of his room. His was an odd one. An encircled six pointed star. He groaned until a satisfying 'pop' sound came from his back. He sat down on the floor, a content smile on his face, and sighed. "Ahh… that's better. I'm not used to a quadruple body."
The mares looked confusedly at each other.
"I think your head is more messed up than your body," admitted Redheart.
Jonathan chuckled and looked down upon his hooves. "Oh believe me, my head is beyond the definition of 'Messed up'."
"I think that you should return to bed," offered Redheart. Jonathan stopped laughing and looked at her. Redheart felt a cold chill crawling up her spine. She giggled nervously while slowly backing away. Once her plot came into contact with the door, she bolted away from the room, leaving Jonathan with the six mares.
The room suddenly became a few degrees colder as Jonathan's face turned darker. "I guess you have a lot of questions to ask, don't you?" he said seriously.
Twilight gulped before speaking up, "We do, but we are more concerned for your wellbeing."
Jonathan's dark demeanor took a turn as he was caught off guard. He cocked his head to the side and looked at the mares with a questioning gaze, something that Twilight found cute. "My… wellbeing? Why worry over such a trivial thing? The body is merely a vessel, a tool to be used. Tools are meant to be broken, and repaired."
"Trivial? Are you crazy?!" exclaimed Twilight. "You just woke up after being in a comma for four days because you were impaled through your chest and you don't even care!"
"So… I don't see your point," Jonathan replied. "I once got my head partially severed by a rusty guillotine, absolutely awful experience. Blood everywhere, flailing limbs, and screaming, lots and lots of screaming, not mine mind you…"
A dull thump noise made everyone turn to Fluttershy, the source of the noise. Apparently, she fainted.
"Oh my," Jonathan mused. "It looks like your friend here is a little bit on the sensitive side. Hmm, now that I think of it, maybe mentioning the head fiasco was probably a bad thing."
"You think!" Rainbow Dash shot angrily as she stepped closer to Fluttershy. She tapped her once and then planted her ear on Fluttershy's chest.
She was still breathing.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Rainbow Dash turned to Jonathan and stomped her hoof once. "What was that all about?! Are you trying to give us a heart attack, you jerk!"
Jonathan took a step back. His ears splayed backwards and his head instinctually bent downwards in a submissive manner. "I'm deeply sorry Miss Dash. I was not aware my speech was perhaps not for the faint of heart."
Jonathan then stepped forward and nudged Fluttershy slightly. When she did not respond, Jonathan nudged her with his head until she was lying on his back. He rose to his full height and turned to the other mares. "Where's Miss Fluttershy's home? I'm sure waking up in a familiar environment would help the poor dear when she wakes up."
The mares looked at each other, obviously confused. Sure, they helped saved Jonathan and came visiting him for the past four days, but he was still a stranger. His willing to help unconditionally was admirable, if a little suspicious.
"Are you sure you want to help? I mean, you're probably still a bit weak and need to sleep," said Twilight, the rest nodded in agreement.
Jonathan merely shrugged, "Meh, might as well do something since I am awake. I do not see myself on that bed anytime soon." And with that said, he left his room with Fluttershy on his back, ignoring every doctor and nurse who tried to convince him to go back in the process.
~Outside Ponyville's hospital~
"Hmm… now that I think about it, I do not know the way to your home Miss Fluttershy," Jonathan admitted, looking at the unconscious mare on his back and chuckling. A few moments later the rest of the mares came out from the building and gathered around Jonathan. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had looks that could only be described as defiance as they stepped in front of the alicorn and blocked his path.
"And where do you think you're goin', mister?" Applejack hissed.
"I already said that back in the hospital. Surely you're not that incompetent," Jonathan shot back. He knew it probably was not in the best of his interests to insult his rescuers, but that mare needed some sense beaten into her.
"Hey! Nopony is allowed to insult Applejack but me!" Rainbow Dash chimed in.
Jonathan sighed and magically lifted Fluttershy off of him. He gently put her down on the ground in front of the mares and looked directly into Applejack's eyes. His own eyes turned alarmingly dark orange.
"Hit me…"
"Scuse me!" Applejack cried, looking mildly surprised but not unwilling to oblige.
"I said hit me. If you truly believe that you are in the right, and that I cannot be trusted, then prove it," Jonathan shot back, "But, know this… if you do attack me, I WILL hit back…"
Knowing Applejack is too prideful to decline the challenge, and being witness to Jonathan's frightful power, Rarity jumped between the two glaring ponies.
"Applejack darling please, don't step down to his level, he wants you do just that." Before Applejack could answer, Rarity blocked the farmer's mouth with a hoof and faced Jonathan. "And you mister, I understand that you are somewhat peeved that Applejack as well as Rainbow Dash distrust you, but try looking at things from our perspective. You probably saved our lives and for that, I thank you on behalf of all of us, but you are still a stranger, so why don't we all start fresh like civilized ponies, shall we?"
Jonathan was the first to break his glare. He looked down on the unconscious body of Fluttershy and sighed. "Your friend speaks the truth. I believe we all got a little worked up after the ordeal we went through." He then extended his hoof forward and smiled weakly at Rarity. "Will you accept my apology, Miss Rarity?"
Rarity blushed and slowly reached with her own hoof. "But of course. And please, simply refer to me as Rarity. As much as I like the whole 'Miss' thing, I much prefer my friends call me by my name."
"Friend?" Something inside of Jonathan ignited as he realized what Rarity just meant by 'friends', a wide grin formed on his face as he quite suddenly, wrapped both hooves around Rarity and hugged her. "Friend?! Really?! You mean it?! Oh we live in wondrous times, wondrous times indeed! My first real friend!"
Twilight briskly pried Rarity from Jonathan's death grip and looked him in the eyes, which were now pink. "You don't have any friends?" she asked, a little saddened.
"I have now!" Jonathan replied joyfully, all traces of hostility he had earlier vanished as if they never existed in the first place. A blur of pink tackled Jonathan to the ground and when he looked up, he saw Pinkie have latched herself onto his neck.
"No fair, I want to be your friend as well!" the pink menace exclaimed. She looked at Jonathan with big, pleading eyes.
Jonathan truly believed that he died and somehow ended in heaven. Two friends! On the same day! Without thinking twice, Jonathan nodded and wrapped Pinkie in a bone crushing hug, one that Pinkie was more than happy to return.
Rarity, despite her frazzled mane, smiled. It was nice seeing how well Jonathan was interacting with others, despite everything that he went through. She could still detect hostility in Rainbow Dash, and Applejack toned down her glare a bit. Then, her eyes rested on Fluttershy, her eyes widened, how she could forget about her poor friend.
Rarity cleared her throat just loud enough so that every eye was focused on her and said, "Well, now that we are all well acquainted I say it is high time to bring poor Fluttershy back to her home. The hospital is probably the best place to go, but knowing Fluttershy, it's probably better to drop her at her place, no if you don't mind…" Rarity turned to Jonathan and gestured towards Fluttershy. Jonathan nodded sheepishly and once again lifted Fluttershy to his back.
In no time at all, Jonathan was walking with Fluttershy on his back.
"Umm… Jonathan, I don't believe we ever told you where Fluttershy lives," says Twilight.
Jonathan stopped, blinked a few times, and chuckled. "Oh my, how foolish of me." He then gestured with his hoof towards the road. "Lead the way…"
~Fluttershy's house~
Carefully, Jonathan laid Fluttershy onto her sofa in her living room while Rarity ventured towards the kitchen to make everypony tea. Twilight and the rest stayed with Jonathan while he looked at the downed pegasus and frowned. "I do hope Miss Fluttershy will wake up soon. I would like to apologize to her."
He then glanced around the room, noting any small details. Fluttershy's home was small, cozy and an inviting feeling to it. But what caught Jonathan's attention more than anything, was the fireplace.
With a shift of his mind, the fireplace roared to life, wrapping the room in warmth. The mares watched in amazement as a single wisp of flame extended from the fireplace and snaked in an unnatural angle towards Jonathan. The small flame licked Jonathan's hoof until it was burning as well, but the flame did not consume him, it stayed on his hoof, not spreading beyond that.
"As you can clearly see, I'm not what you may call 'normal'," admitted Jonathan, his eyes were transfixed to the flames as their light reflected in his eyes, making them appear godlike. "I'm not of this world, nor am I truly a pony or alicorn as you call this form. I'm something greater. Devine being some say. God, devil, ultimate life form if you feel the need to be dramatic." Jonathan chuckled a bit before looking up. All eyes were upon him, even Rarity stood by the entrance to the kitchen with a tea set floating in front of her.
Jonathan took the tea set within his own power and set it on the coffee table, taking a small tea cup for himself and pouring some tea in it. The tea was still steaming when Jonathan took a sip. He smiled dreamily as the taste landed on his taste buds, it has been so long since he drank something decent.
"Then what are you?" Twilight's voice pierced the silence.
Jonathan smiled at her bluntness. Twilight appeared to be very straightforward in his eyes. "I am a deity… I guide mortals to new levels of consciousness beyond the grounded preoccupations of ordinary life. My brothers and I possess absolute power over mind and matter."
"This is… unheard of…" muttered Twilight. She too, had a cup of tea on her magical grasp, but had no yet had the luxury of tasting it just yet.
"I must agree with Twilight," said Rarity, "what proof do you have to justify your claims. I'm sure you do not expect us to believe you so blindly."
Jonathan smiled and for the first time since he entered the house, he looked up towards the mares. His eyes turned deep brown. "Whether you believe me or not is entirely up to you. All I can say is that everything I said thus far was truth. But that's not the reason we are all here. If it were up to me, my brothers and I would be long gone, but as you can clearly remember, it wasn't the case.
"First I'd like to apologize in my brother's name. Sihn-Lah is a good person, always noble and headstrong. The way he acted… words cannot describe the shame he had brought upon himself. Jetno and Kaizer deserved a better fate than that."
Hearing that, the mares cast their eyes downwards. "We're so sorry for your brothers, Jonathan. If there was anything we could have-"
"No, no. Stop." Jonathan interrupted Twilight. "I know what you are thinking. They are not dead, not really."
Twilight glanced towards her friends, confused. She then turned back to Jonathan. "I don't want to be rude, but we all saw what happened in the forest."
Jonathan simply shook his head. "Tell me Twilight. When my brothers 'died', what happened then?"
Twilight was confused, but she did tried and recall what happened four days ago. He eyes snapped open when the answer revealed itself. "Their bodies disappeared!"
Jonathan nodded solemnly. His hoof has long since ceased to burn, and all that was left was a wispy trail of smoke. Jonathan took another sip of tea before continuing. "You are correct. When a mortal dies, his body is left behind while the soul is sent to judgment. In our case, the body is disintegrated and returned to The Void to be reconstructed while the soul either roams to the past of the future to be reborn. I believe that since both Jetno and Kaizer 'died' in this world, they will sooner or later return to their previous glory. Sihn-Lah knew of this."
"But why, I don't understand?" Twilight voiced her concern. As far as she could tell, Sihn-Lah gave her the impression of a gentlecolt. At least, before he turned against his brother. What could have caused him to-
"The sphere!" Twilight exclaimed. "Before Sihn-Lah turned against us he was struck by the sphere I found!"
"The sphere you… found?" Jonathan questioned.
"Yeah, I just found it, floating near the Everfree. I brought it back to the library so I could-"
"Twilight," Jonathan interrupted Twilight. His voice was quiet and menacing. "Do you have the slightest idea in how much danger you were in," he hissed. His eyes blazed red and the look he gave Twilight was one a parent would give to their child when they have done something very bad.
"I-I don't understand…" Twilight muttered, "What do you mean by that?" she asked, her eyes, again, pointed down towards the floor.
Jonathan sighed before his eyes changed from their fierce dark red color into a soft pink one. "I'm sorry Miss Sparkle, it was uncalled for. But you must understand, The Box must not be tempered with."
"What box? What are you talking about?" interrupted Rainbow Dash, finally unable to stay quiet any longer.
"It goes by many names," Jonathan continued as if Rainbow Dash never said a thing to begin with. "The Box, The arc of a thousand cries, Death's scythe, Pandora's box and many more. It was part of The Great Salvation. When the first worlds came into existence, the four deities, Sihn-Lah, Kaizer, Jetno and yours truly, sought a path for eternal peace, a way to vanquish evil once and for all. The Box was that solution. For hundreds of thousands of years, the four of us had been gathering evil wherever it may be, and ensnared it inside of The Box. We thought that by doing that, we could achieve true peace. Oh, how foolish we were.
"We basically cut off the hydra's head, only for two more to take its place. No matter how hard we tried. No matter how powerful we were. Evil found a way to manifest itself. Finally, we gave up, but by the time we did, The Box was filled with horrendous horrors the kind of which I would never like to face again.
"Back in the clearing, you saw The Box charge at me. Unlike other inanimate object, The Box, for all intents and purposes, was alive. And it wanted to set its power free. Sihn-Lah sacrificed his mind and soul so that I won't have to suffer such a horrible fate."
Jonathan ended his tale with his head held low in shame. His eyes burned as tears threatened to leak from them. He sniffled once and lifted his gaze up. "I'm sorry. It is my fault this world is not safe anymore. I promise you, with all my heart that I will do whatever it takes to keep this world safe."
The mares all had their mouths wide open, beside poor Fluttershy who still hadn't gotten up. Was the threat really that serious? Is Equestria yet faces another foe? Can they trust Jonathan? After all, his brother is said foe.
The mares were so engrossed in their internal questions that they failed to see Fluttershy shuffled on the sofa and opened her eyes. Jonathan however, did not.
"Ahh, Miss Fluttershy, you are awake." Jonathan gave the timid mare his most reassuring smile he could muster.
Fluttershy eeped and moved to the far as she could from Jonathan, who sat on the same sofa as her. Jonathan frowned and came closer to Fluttershy. "Hmm, it seems that you are still a bit weak." Jonathan observed. Fluttershy hid behind her mane as a full blown blush adorned her cheeks, a blush that only intensified when Jonathan placed a hoof on her forehead. "My goodness, you're hot!" he exclaimed, not thinking that what he just said might be taken the wrong way.
Fluttershy, unable to contain herself anymore, passed out again.
Jonathan recoiled from the downed pegasus. He looked at his hoof, then at Fluttershy, and then back at his hoof. "This is just not my day…"
Twilight and the rest decided it was best to let Fluttershy be after Jonathan's slip of the tongue. Applejack and Rarity had each to go back to their respective jobs while Rainbow Dash stayed put and watched Jonathan's every move. Pinkie disappeared before they entered Ponyville, though Twilight assured Jonathan that this was simply Pinkie being Pinkie.
During the small trek across the town, ponies watched with confusion and awe at the great alicorn walking casually beside Twilight. His mood changed drastically the moment they exited Fluttershy's house, and he conversed with Twilight the whole way back.
"When the patient woke up, his skeleton was missing, and the doctor was never heard from again!" Jonathan started laughing hysterically. Twilight laughed too, though it was more out of nervousness. Jonathan sure had seen a lot of excitement and he was not unwilling to share them, much to Twilight's dismay.
Thankfully though, Twilight's house was just across the street.
"So, wanna hear another story. This one is a very cool one and even has a Spanish Donkey, I'm sure you will love it," Jonathan offered.
"Sorry, Jonathan, but I neglected a lot of studies while the girls and I checked on you for the past four days," Twilight apologized while entering the darkened room with Jonathan in tow. As she did, Twilight felt a weird sense of De Ja Vu. "I just need to be alone so I can study without a bunch of crazy alicorns trying to give me a heart attack. Now, where's the light?"
click
"SURPRISE!"
Twilight yelped and almost bumped her head in the ceiling. Once she was down her back was arched, her hairs stood on end and she made a hissing noise not unlike a kitty. Her house was filled to the brim with ponies. In fact, the entire town was inside, and every little bit of space not occupied with a pony was instead decorated with party decorations or filled with pastries. A long sign stretched from the ceiling and on it, it said 'Welcome to Ponyville Jonathan!'
Jonathan, on the other hand, had a very different reaction to Twilight.
He started laughing.
"HAHAHAHA… Oh I cannot believe that, this is awesome!" He exclaimed.
Pinkie Pie popped in front of him but before she could utter a syllable (which was impressive) Jonathan snatched her from the ground and hugged her close to his chest, eliciting a squeak from the pink menace.
"This is sooo cool! I have never been in an actual party before!"
Pinkie gasped and hugged Jonathan even tighter. "Then I'll make sure to make this extra special for you, Jonny!"
And extra special it was.
Pinkie made sure to introduce everypony with Jonathan. The deity was pleased to know that so many of them accepted him, despite his larger stature and possessing both wings AND horn. Twilight, once she calmed down, joined the festivities. She even spotted her friends. Apparently, they were part of the plan, and they had to leave earlier to prepare for the party. Even Fluttershy showed up, albeit a bit cautious than normal.
Techno music played in the background as everypony mingled and talked among themselves. Most of them conversed with Jonathan, eager to know more about the new alicorn in town. Surprisingly, Jonathan, despite his excitement, did not know how to properly talk with all the ponies around him. He was awkward and a bit silly, but considering who he is and his past interactions with mortals, he was making good headway.
The party stretched to the small hours of the night as more and more ponies headed back to their homes for some much needed sleep. That left Jonathan and the girls the only ones in Twilight's house. Jonathan was sprawled on the sofa, sighing contently and rubbing his cake-filled belly. "That was-" Jonathan stifled a burp. "-one heck of a party."
"I know right! My parties are the best!" Pinkie exclaimed, somehow still retaining a heavy portion of her energy, though anyone close to her could see that she was actually laid back.
"Well guys, I think I'll fly back home and catch some Z'," said Rainbow Dash as she flew out of the window.
"Ah reckon I'll go as well. Don't worry Fluttershy, I'll walk you home," assured Applejack as she saw Fluttershy's look. Fluttershy sighed as a small smile graced her lips and silently thanked Applejack.
"I'll go with you," Pinkie volunteered as the three mares departed together.
"My, my, look at the time. I think I would certainly be best if I'll head back home and have my beauty sleep. I do have to work tomorrow after all," said Rarity. She bid Twilight and Jonathan goodnight and headed back to her home, leaving Twilight alone with Jonathan.
The godlike being yawned and rose to his hooves and started making his way towards the exit. "Hmm… sleep does sound very appealing right now. Thank you Twilight for having me here for this party, goodnight."
"Wait, you're leaving?!"
Jonathan raised his brow. "But of course. It is, after all, nighttime."
"I know that, but where are you going to sleep? You don't exactly own a house here in Ponyville."
Jonathan stopped mid stride and blinked a few times. He then turned around and chuckled. "You do have a valid point Miss Sparkle. But it's not like I do not have any options. And besides, sleeping under the stars is more rejuvenating than people give it credit."
"Well, if that's what you prefer," Twilight muttered. "It's just… Well… I was kinda thinking that maybe… you know… you would like to sleep here?" The last part was barely above a whisper, but Jonathan heard everything clearly.
"Miss Sparkle… Are you offering me a place to stay?" he inquired. He felt he needed to hear exactly what Twilight meant, lest he'd assume something that would leave the both of them in an uncomfortable spot.
Twilight nodded slowly, not looking at Jonathan directly.
"Thank you…" she heard him whisper. "Your kindness shall be remembered Twilight. And a god never forgets the ones who aided him, you shall be rewarded handsomely," Jonathan promised.
"Umm… thank you?"
"You're welcome. Now…" Jonathan yawned again. "Where shall I sleep?"
Twilight gestured Jonathan upstairs. The two walked slowly and sleepily up the stairs and into Twilight's room. Jonathan saw two made beds on the opposite sides of the room, one was hastily made, and a basket occupied by Spike, Twilight's assistant. He introduced himself to Jonathan at the party.
Twilight was too tired to be embarrassed by the fact that a stallion, and a rather handsome one at that, was sleeping in the same room as her. As for Jonathan, he did not care in the first. He merely saw the inviting bed and almost collapsed on the spot. Maybe fighting with Sihn-Lah took more than just his pride.
Jonathan crawled into his bed, not caring it was a little too small for his proportions and rested his head on the pillow.
Twilight slipped into her own bed as well and turned towards Jonathan. "Hey, I know the bed is a little too small, but if you'd like I could-"
'snore…'
"Never mind then…"
Twilight magically turned off the lamp on her night drawer and drifted off the sleep.
~The dreams plane~
"Where… am I…" Jonathan asked no one in particular. He stood in the middle of Ponyville. Or at least, he thought he it was Ponyville.
Everything was either ruined, burnt, or both. Sand covered the ghost town as a cold wind swept the dust across the street, like the grim reaper, slowly swaying in a terrifyingly silent grace.
Bodies were none to be found, only bits and pieces of deformed flesh that slowly rotted away. Dark grey clouds swirled far above the Deity's head, partially concealing the red sky.
But the most terrifying thing of all… was the silence. There was not a single sound to be heard. Not the wind, not the crunch of sand beneath Jonathan's hooves, not even the
small fires that still burned.
Everything was as silent as the grave.
Until…
Something pierced the silent…
It was distant, but it gotten louder…
Was it… walking?
Jonathan turned around, facing the source of the noise, and what he saw was certainly unexpected.
"Sihn-Lah!"
"Jonathan!" Sihn-Lah called back, rushing to his brother and embracing him. "I was so worried about you! When you refused to listen to reason, I thought-"
"Back. Off!"
Sihn-Lah broke the hug and looked sadly into Jonathan's eyes. "Jonathan… what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? What's wrong?! Everything is wrong! You killed Kaizer and Jetno without a second thought and acted unnecessarily cruel towards mortals! You went against everything we worked so hard to create and maintain! You betrayed our order, and now you act as if nothing is wrong!"
Sihn-Lah shook his head. "No, you are wrong. I finally understand, Jonathan. I finally understand. There's a solution for us, for you and me. We both could lead the life we sought for so long. You just need to follow my lead. Together, we shall start the Great Rebirth."
"What solution? What Great Rebirth? What in the void's name are you talking about?" Jonathan asked, taking a few steps back from his seemingly delusional brother.
"I'm talking about starting everything from scrap. Complete restart. We'll tear down the old foundations and build anew. We will build better worlds, worlds where mortals will know about us, worship us, treat us with the respect we deserve, the respect YOU deserve. Please Jonathan, I know you'd make the right choice, I know you can see the light."
Jonathan stopped and looked down. This is all he ever wanted.
A life.
But at what cost? What was he willing to sacrifice to achieve his goals? Does siding with Sihn-Lah is the right call? He seemed to have a pretty good control over the evil that poured into his very soul.
Jonathan shook his head.
No. Temptation is a sin, especially for such selfish reasons. Gods are meant to serve mortals, not the other way around.
"I'm sorry Sihn-Lah, but it seems you are the one lost in the darkness."
Sihn-Lah sighed. "I was afraid you might say that. Tell me, Jonathan. Do I mean nothing to you? All this time, all those countless millennia we've known each other… are we going to let that fall?"
"W-What?! No, I do not want that. Please Sihn-Lah, repent. You are not thinking straight. This is the evil of The Box that is making you think like that, please Sihn-Lah, return to us."
"You are right, Jonathan. The Box is making me think like that. It showed me things, brother. It opened my eyes. I am reborn. Greater, stronger, wiser. I know things that I have not known before… But it's still not enough to convince you, I understand. Our paths will cross again, brother. Please reconsider by the time they will, goodbye, little brother."
"Sihn-Lah wait… Sihn-Lah! Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihn-Laaaaaaaaaaaaaah…"
~Back to the real world~
"Jonathan! Jonathan, wake up! It's only a dream!" Twilight cried. She woke up to the sounds of screams coming from Jonathan and practically jumped from her own bed and shook the sleeping alicorn wildly.
"Please, come back… please…" Jonathan cried over and over again. He sounded panicked and hurt. He shot out of his bed abruptly and looked around. His yellow-green eyes darted around the room, looking for any sign of decay. Without saying a word, he bolted outside of Twilight's bedroom and practically flew across her home and to the outside. He heaved a sigh of relief once he saw the quiet looking town unchanged. There was a flash of purple from behind Jonathan and he turned around to see Twilight.
"Jonathan what happened?! What made you so scared?" She asked, her own eyes shone with worry. Jonathan merely shook his head.
"It's nothing, just a bad dream."
Jonathan walked past Twilight and into her house. He was uncharacteristically quiet and sat down on the sofa in the living area. His heart was still beating a mile a minute and his thoughts were all over the place.
Concerned for his wellbeing, Twilight trotted to the living area as well and offered a hesitant smile to the distraught deity.
"I don't know what you saw in the dream, but I do know that there is no greater way to lift ones spirits with a big breakfast. That's a little something Applejack taught me."
Jonathan smiled weakly at Twilight, his now light blue eyes still felt heavy.
"Sure Miss Sparkle, I would be most grateful."
"Excellent, a please, no more 'Miss'."
"As you wish… Lady Sparkle."
Twilight shot Jonathan an angry glare as Jonathan merely chuckled. It seemed his demeanor changed to his, more appealing, joyous self.
During breakfast, Twilight and Jonathan conversed over a large field of subjects. It was a nice change of pace to discuss with somepony with the same, if not greater, level of intelligence, Twilight thought. She loved her friends to bits, but they weren't great chat buddies. Rarity preferred gossip, Fluttershy was way too passive, Rainbow Dash wasn’t even interested, Pinkie was too random and Applejack rarely discussed about anything but apples.
Jonathan though, proved to be a great partner. He was smart, but Twilight could still enlighten him on certain things. He was decisive, but still respected Twilight's views. Not to mention that he led a wondrous life… minus all the gory bits.
Twilight in return, told Jonathan about herself, her friends and Equestria. Twilight accepted the fact that Jonathan was not of her world, and figured it would only be fair to share her knowledge with him.
"So let me get this straight," Jonathan started. "This country is governed by two princesses who are also sisters."
"Yes."
"And they both rule over the day and night cycles?"
"Yes."
"Let's see… the elder sister, Celestia, raises and lowers the sun. And the younger sister, Luna, raises and lowers the moon?"
"And stars," Twilight corrected.
"Interesting. I wonder, Twilight. May I request an audience with the princesses?" Jonathan asked.
"If a matter of fact you can, my friends and I are invited to the Great Galloping Gala, and after the report I sent them regarding you, they wanted to meet you as well."
"You know the princess personally? And you told her about me?" The gears inside Jonathan's head began to work, 'If I meet the princesses, I could warn them about Sihn-Lah, they deserve to know, after all.'
Twilight nodded in agreement.
"Celestia is my mentor; I keep her updated on important events." Jonathan was about to say something but he was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.
"Twilight, Are you in here darling?" Rarity called.
"I'm in the kitchen, Please come in" Twilight called back.
Twilight and Jonathan practically cringed when Rarity entered the kitchen. Her mane was messy and unkempt, and her eyes had heavy bags under them from lack of sleep.
"What happened, Rarity? You look awful." Rarity looked at Twilight pleadingly.
"Twilight you've got to help me, of all the worst things that could happen, this is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!" Twilight rolled her eyes upon seeing the poor act.
"What is it this time Rarity?"
Rarity immediately stood up and said.
"Well you see... I was working on your dress for the grand galloping gala but I need you to model for me so I could add the finishing touches."
Twilight face hooved, She knew Rarity was right. Too bad she couldn't continue her conversation with Jonathan. She rarely gets to speak to someone with equal levels of interest as hers.
"Okay fine... Is it okay with you, Jonathan? I'll probably be back in a few hours, feel free to read anything you'd like."
Jonathan nodded. "Your hospitality truly knows no bounds Twilight, Please don't mind me." Twilight smiled and went outside with Rarity, Leaving Jonathan alone, well... almost alone.
As the two mares left the house, Spike came down running, "Did I hear Rarity?! Was she here?!" Spike looked the entire house to no avail.
"They just left, Spike. Why- Wait! Do you have a crush on Rarity?" Jonathan teased the baby dragon, Spike's eyes suddenly twitched.
"Please don't tell anypony, I-I'll do anything you ask!" Spike pleaded.
"Calm down Spike, I was just toying with you, I promise you I'll not tell your secret to anypony."
'Although everybody probably already know.' Jonathan thought.
Jonathan spent the next three hours reading a few spell books. He discovered he had a knack for equestrian magic. Each spell went without a hitch, although he skipped the more destructive spells from obvious reasons. He also read a few history books to better understand this world. To his amazement both Celestia and Luna were revered as goddesses. Could it be that they're like him? If so why haven't he sensed it? The more he thought about it, the more he was confused. Suddenly the door opened and Rainbow Dash bolted into the tree house. She took a few seconds to scan the area and turned to Jonathan. "Where's Twilight?"
"She left with Rarity so she could help her with a dress," he replied. Rainbow Dash grunted.
"Now what I'm gonna do! I need somepony to help me with a new move but everypony is busy. Even Pinkie is too busy taking care of the twins."
Jonathan thought for a moment and finally said, "I'm willing to help you if you want, Miss Dash."
Rainbow Dash raised her brow. "Reaaaaaaly… why?"
Jonathan sighed and closed the book he was currently reading. "Look, I know you don't like me, and I don't blame you. I'm not what you call 'social', but I do try. Just give me a chance to prove myself."
"Dude, you talk way too much," Rainbow Dash concluded. She gave him a solid punch on the shoulder. "Now come on, awesomeness never rests!"
Rainbow Dash flew out of the library with Jonathan in tow. He was idly walking down the street while Rainbow Dash flew beside him, babbling about a book series named 'Daring Doo' and a sports team called 'The Wonderbolts'. Her previous ire towards Jonathan seemingly vanished as she talked about her hobbies.
"…and then, Spitfire flies through the loop and lands right next to Fleetfoot and Soarin. Right next to them dude!"
Jonathan was at a loss for words. Of all the mortals he encountered in his never ending life, he'd never encountered such a fierce fangirl, or would it be fanmare?
"So, where are we going?" Jonathan tried to change the subject.
Rainbow Dash did a loop in the air and landed next to Jonathan. "It's a small field outside of town. Mayor Mare doesn't like me training inside Ponyville, so I usually go there, which is fine by me."
Jonathan nodded and continued on his present course. Rainbow Dash smirked and trotted just a bit faster than him. Jonathan grunted and accelerated his pace as well. The two quickly tried to overrun one another, both smiling merrily.
The two finally arrived at the field Rainbow Dash had mentioned. It was more of a hill really, overlooking the small town. The hill was completely barren of trees. Lush green grass stretched from one end of the hill to the other. A lone cobblestone road led from the hill back to the town.
"So, what do you require my assistance with?" Jonathan asked, sitting on the ground.
"Simple, I need you to launch at me these loops right here-" Rainbow gestured towards a pile of colorful loops she already gathered before arriving with Jonathan. "-towards me mid-flight while I fly through them. Simple as pie."
Jonathan nodded. "Sounds simple enough. Okay, let's do it."
"That's the spirit, come on…" without a second to spare, Rainbow Dash spread her wings and launched into the sky. She made a few simple tricks and stunts to get the blood flowing before signaling Jonathan to start throwing the loops.
Jonathan hurled loop after loop at Rainbow Dash, sometimes at different angles, sometimes a few at a time. Rainbow Dash succeeded in all, not missing a single loop.
She was graceful in the air, Jonathan had to admit. Sure, her personality needed a bit of a tweaking but there is no denying her flight skills were extraordinary.
Jonathan was about to toss another loop into the air when something caught his attention. On the edge of the hill he saw a black shape coming towards Rainbow Dash at incredible speed. The black mist came fast, and Jonathan could not do anything as the mist rammed into Rainbow Dash and twisted her wings in an unnatural angle.
Screaming with agony and pain, Rainbow Dash fell to her doom. Jonathan, who saw it all, could not think of anything. She was too far from his magic radius, and she fell too fast to try and catch. For the first time in his everlasting life, Jonathan truly felt helpless.
But… there was another option…
'No, I cannot…' Jonathan thought, using his powers…
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…"
Rainbow Dash's screams pierced through the air like an arrow.
No, there is no other option. Jonathan has to do it.
A spark of light formed on the tip of Jonathan's horn. It turned brighter and brighter with each passing second until it completely engulfed him…
Rainbow Dash never imagined dying falling. Such a lame way to go. All her life she pushed herself to the extreme, is it too much for an appropriate end? Not to mention every fiber in her body burned like a hot iron have been pressed across her body.
She kept falling until...
A complete stop, even the pain slightly receded.
Did she hit the ground?
Was she already dead?
And why death made panting noises?
She opened her eyes and immediately regretted doing so. Holding her mid-air was a monster! It was ten feet tall. Its limbs were covered with sharp white scales. Its abdomen and chest were completely exposed, revealing black, marble-like hardened skin. It had not only one but TWO sets of wings. The first pair looked like a normal feather wings with an enormous wing span of about sixty five feet! The other pair was made completely out of blades, Rows and rows of blades. The second set of wings was equally as long, but twice as terrifying.
And then, Rainbow Dash saw its face…
A minotaur flat like face –minus the horns- with black, shoulder length hair tinted with red. Its mesmerizing eyes kept showing every color of the rainbow and beyond.
"J-Jonathan?" asked Rainbow Dash, distracted from the pain momentarily.
The creature sighed and averted its gaze from hers. He gently landed on the ground below and eased Rainbow on the ground as well.
"I know... A monster, I feared it would come to this." Even his voice was Dark, deep and menacing, although it held sadness. "What you see in front of you is my true form... or at least half of it."
Rainbow Dash was about to say something, but the pain on her back came back with a vengeance. Her hooves failed under the immense pain and she collapsed, face first.
"Miss Dash! Are you alright?!" Jonathan cried.
"Absolutely-" Rainbow Dash grunted. "Peachy…"
"Let me see." Jonathan quickly but gently rolled Rainbow Dash so her back was facing upwards. He gasp at what he saw.
Rainbow Dash's back was completely rotten!
Her back lost its bright blue coat, revealing a decayed gash that went across her back and exposing blackened bones.
Rainbow Dash sensed Jonathan's worry. "What is it?!"
"Don't you worry now, Miss Dash. I can help you, but you must remain calm."
Rainbow responded by a yelp of pain.
"Stay still," Jonathan urged. He conjured a small sharp knife out of thin air and extended his hand over Rainbow's open wound. He grasped the knife from its sharp end with the extended hand until a few droplets of golden liquid sipped from it and landed onto the wound, making faint sizzling noises. "Recéde maledicto tenebris ! revertere ad me, et a corpore ad inferos," Jonathan chanted. The air thrummed and vibrated with energy. The wound slowly began to close, the rot slowly receded and a sky blue coat grew back. As far as Jonathan was concerned, the curse perished and Rainbow Dash was safe once more.
Jonathan took a few steps back to let Rainbow Dash have some time to recover. She shakily rose on her hooves and flapped her wings experimentally. There were a few popping noises as Rainbow Dash groaned in satisfaction.
"Huh? I feel fine?… I feel fine! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Rainbow Dash tackled the monstrosity known as Jonathan and squeezed the air out of his lungs.
Jonathan was surprised to day the least. He honestly thought that Rainbow Dash will scream in terror, or at least run to her friends and warn them about him. But here she was, hugging him. She was a strange mortal indeed.
"So what's up with your body, dude?" asked Rainbow once she broke the hug. "Don't get me wrong, it's almost as awesome as me. But… how?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Dash, but I'm not comfortable talking about that, please understand," said Jonathan as he reverted back to his alicorn form, his ears dropped and his expression downcast.
"Hey, don't worry big guy, I'll keep my mouth shut. Nopony will ever know."
"Promise?"
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," chanted Rainbow Dash, making odd gestures as well. Jonathan's mood seemed to be improved as he smiled weakly at her.
"So… what should we do now? Do you want to keep practicing or…"
"Nah, I think the best thing we can do is head back to Ponyville, we both need rest."
Jonathan nodded, "That we do…"
The duo parted ways as they reached Ponyville. Jonathan was not headed anywhere specific. He enjoyed strolling around town, greeting ponies as he passed by. When he got to the other side of town, which is when he saw Rarity.
"Oh Jonathan darling it's so good I found you."
"What's the matter Rarity?"
"Since you're invited to the grand galloping gala as well, I thought I might design you something formal to wear."
Jonathan thought for a moment and replied, "I thought you make dresses only."
Rarity chuckled a little and said, "While I do make mostly dresses, I also know how to make male outfits as well, but for that I need to measure you."
"Well... I wouldn't want to come to such an event without some kind of formal wear, I guess."
"Excellent, we'll begin right now."
~Two hours later~
It was evening when Jonathan left the Carousel Boutique, so he figured he should head to Twilight's home without any delays. When he got home he was immediately bombarded with questions from Twilight who was apparently worried. After explaining her all that he went through -Leaving the accident- she seemed to calm down.
"Next time leave a note or something, I was worried."
Jonathan sight but agreed.
"Fine, fine, Next time I'll inform you."
After a series of yawns both ponies agreed that it's time to sleep.
~The dreams plain~
Jonathan found himself back at the destroyed Ponyville, this time Sihn-Lah wasted no time showing up.
"What an eventful day, I do hope everything went according to plans?" He said nonchalantly.
"So it WAS you, you damn son-of-a-bitch!" Jonathan replied.
"Now, now, Jonathan, no need to use bad words. After all, I'm here to congratulate you, your little stunt today sure was impressive." Sihn-Lah smirked.
"I take no pride in using that form. Someday, it will consume me." Jonathan lowered his head in shame.
"Sihn-Lah sighed and moved closer to Jonathan. He rested his hand on Jonathan's shoulder and offered a smile. "But there is a solution, Jonathan. I can help you get rid of the beast."
"No!" Jonathan shot back, brushing Sihn-Lah's hand off of his shoulder. "You cursed one of MY friends and caused her great pain. We're through Sihn-Lah. You are no longer my brother."
Shin-Lah's shoulders dropped and his expression seemed hurt. "Jonathan… y-you don't really mean that, do you?"
"Go away…"
Sihn-Lah extended his hand, but Jonathan backed away from it. Finally, he sighed. "As you wish… brother…"
~In the real world, somewhere else~
In the black night sky was a single mist of black. It searched the land for a suitable host. It searches led it to a nice city named Canterlot. There, inside the castle, in one of the towers, one reformed draconequus was enjoying its freedom.
Celestia gave permission to Discord to use his powers as long as he did not cause any damage to anypony or property.
Although it was less fun that way it, was better than being encased in stone for fuck knows how long. The mist was quick to take actions. It began to engulf Discord without any mercy.
"What the meaning of this?! What's going on?!"
The mist mercilessly wrapped around Discord completely. Shoving his conscious to the back of his mind and making way for the new host to take its place. Once the last of mist was absorbed into Discord, he opened his eyes. Two black pupils stared at his new body in the mirror.
"Such a wonderful body, full of potential…"
Changes from original version:
* Extended hospital scene.
* Added Fluttershy's home scene.
* Explained Sihn-Lah's change.
* General fix
