Fallen (Original)

My eyes shot open and I let out a gasp, it felt like I had just awoken from a nightmare… but I knew… I knew it wasn’t a nightmare. I had felt the knife enter me…

“Good you’re awake!” An unfamiliar voice rang out… no, no it didn’t ring out. It resonated inside of my head. “I’m Vyl, you must be Arkantos… the one prince my father intended to kill.”

“I’m not dead though!” I snapped, turning and looking around.

“Because of me. You need to survive… I can’t let you die. I… I saw how happy you were with that mare.” The voice started, I could hear it whimpering in my mind, “I’m sorry I let it get this far…”

“You’re s-”

“I tried to stop him. I desperately tried to… But I failed… until now. I saved you, and now I can make this all right again.” The voice continued.

“How do you intend to make it right?”

“By getting you back into the city, and beating back my father. I WON’T let him ruin your life.”

I pushed myself up, feeling pain course through my body. “That’s… that’s what I like to hear…” I grunted, gripping my side. I felt the intense heat course through me as, in an even more painful way, I seared the wound completely closed. “When I made a heroic entrance into a city before it wasn’t against an army…” I laughed quietly, realizing how stupid this was.

“Always time for something new, right?”

“Damn right. I’m sure that your father has a fail safe of some sort.”

“I don’t think he planned on you surviving. But once he finds out we’ll be facing heavy resistance.”

“Hm, we’ll need something to arm ourselves with then, won’t we?” I mused, “How close are we to a magma pocket?”

“Why?” Vyl’s voice inquired.

“I can create something for us… we should have…” I started.

“Four days till the wedding.”

“Hm, enough time then.” I stated.

“There’s one ten kilometers to the east.” Vyl said.

“Good, let’s go th-” We were both teleported and I stumbled, falling right on my face. “Warn me next time! I wasn’t expecting that…”

“I’ll try to.” Vyl’s voice laughed in my head. “Now, I need to make sure that they don’t find out you’re alive.”

“Wait, I remember Twilight telling me about changelings… don’t you all have a hive mind or something?”

“Y-... I don’t… at least not with my father.” Vyl was scratching his head when I looked at him. “He always… told me to be quiet when I brought up the female voice I heard… and he told me never to answer it…”

“Maybe… maybe whomever it is can help, right?”

“Maybe. I’ll try.” Vyl nodded.

“That’s all I’d ask.”

“I’ll come back with some food and water.” Vyl stated, “Don’t worry about that.”

“I wasn’t going to. I’ll… start work on the things we need.” The heat and glow of the magma was beautiful. Sometime… after all this is over. I need to bring Twilight down to see this. Maybe I could show her a few things… I sighed quietly to myself as I slowly put my hand in the molten rock, my time to do this was limited, I can’t waste any more of it.

In Canterlot Several hours later:

Twilight felt strange, the air in the room felt… colder than it ever had around Ark. She felt it was pertinent to keep her distance now more than ever. She truly couldn’t go to anyone else, this was HER problem, at least it was until Isaac found her out in the garden.

“What do you want?” Twilight glared at him, her suspicions about him were already at their maximum.

“Well, I came to meet the wo-mare who would’ve been my niece…” Isaac sighed quietly.

“Would’ve?” Twilight’s voice trailed off. “Wait…”

“In our world… Gods aren’t just simply a myth, or just a religion.” Isaac looked up at the sky. “They… interacted with our world in so many ways. Bringing back certain people for short periods of time… giving them time to leave behind regrets.”

Twilight went silent.

“They also… ‘forge’ pieces of themselves into the souls of mortals, not to take control of them but to help them.” He paused for several long seconds, “Arkantos isn’t just a human, he was… is a reincarnation. The god he was named after gave his very being to hold back a tide of… nothing.”

“Th-” Twilight paused realizing he had no term for what the god had given itself to destroy.

“The truth of it all was passed through the royal bloodline, generation after generation. Waiting, waiting for the god to be reborn, to lead our entire people to a golden age. But as you already know, something went terribly wrong… well, at least that’s what the original thought was. We were far too slow to stop what came next… to survive the destruction.” Isaac closed his eyes for a few moments. “Arkantos was lucky… it was only a few da-”

“Few days?”

“Time from this world, and time from ours are completely different.” Isaac sighed. “So yes, it was only a few days… those things appeared. The rebels tried to fight first… the Imperial Forces were already annihilated. No other survivors… the Rebels found the campsite where the last of them were. Every single one of them… it was horrible from the news that came out. Even the monsters of our world weren’t capable of such a slaughter. It was… efficient, and brutal. Though they found bodies… magic was capable of harming these things. Any type of magic.”

“So…”

“You and Arkantos together are a threat to this… abomination. This world, your world is a beacon of hope. Maybe if everything goes smoothly… and you both are truly in love, you two WILL become heroes unlike anything any world has seen.” Isaac smiled at her, “Twilight Sparkle, you have a decision to make. You don’t have some ‘fate’ or ‘destiny’ awaiting you. Only your choice and your life stand before you. Your heart can’t decide what the future is. Because you already know what it is, don’t you?”

Twilight clenched her fists and looked at Isaac. Her eyes narrowed.

“My time here… is very limited. The only of our gods that has true power here is Arkantos himself. Your world is already listening to him, and already answering.” Isaac looked down. “He’s doing it all for you… and without you he’ll lose himself.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Twilight snapped, now approaching Isaac.

“Power corrupts everything, it corrupts everyone.” He let out a small sigh, no fear showing across his entire form. “Ark isn’t a god Twilight, but you are a goddess here. Once he stood at the top, humility forced upon him in so many ways. You’ve quelled the heart of a warrior, you’ve changed him in such a short amount of time. There’s one thing you can’t change though.”

“And what’s that?”

“His soul. Deep inside he’s determined to protect you, he’ll do anything to see you, and now his children survive. He’s a soldier Twilight, he always will be. But once you both are married, that’ll be secondary to him being a faithful husband, and companion.” Isaac grimaced, “Your friend Rainbow Dash may embody loyalty, but her loyalty will pale in comparison to that forged in blood and fire. Battle isn’t merely an end for those that die, it’s a new beginning for those that survive, it’s a crucible, and anything that enters and survives comes out stronger, more unbendable, more unbreakable. Tempered in fire, even the weakest bond can become stronger than steel. Though, I shudder to think what happens when a bond stronger than steel goes through the same fire…”

Twilight’s arms went limp, her fists unclenching. “Isaac…”

“You two won’t be able to stand without each other.” Isaac breathed out, closing his eyes one final time. Twilight noticed he was beginning to fade. “I’m happy that I was able to seem him become so strong. I’m sure his father and mother would be proud. Do… take care of him. He’ll need you more than anyone he’s ever had in his life.”

“I… I will take care of him.” Twilight promised. Isaac put a hand on her shoulder.

“That’s all I needed to hear. I wish… both of you happiness and only the best.” Isaac smiled, “And… Twilight.”

“Yeah, Isaac?”

“I won’t be the last person from his life you’ll meet…” He stepped back from her. “Be careful. Our gods act on momentary whims… Including Ark.”

“I will be careful. I have at least one foal inside of me.” Twilight laughed.

“And I can already tell they’ll turn out to be perfect.” Isaac grinned.

“Isaac, before you go…”

“Yes.” Isaac stated, not letting her finish. She tilted her head. “Yes, I have… Arkantos wouldn’t NEED to make contact with the very blood of this world if he didn’t see a very distinct need to.”

“Yet, you’re saying…”

“Reincarnation doesn’t carry over power. Only innate knowledge. He knows how to do things he shouldn’t, things that aren’t natural for any pyromancer or aquamancer just are for him. His body temperature. It’s usually hovering around 140-150. It should kill him, hell you should feel it burning but it changes on contact with anyone to a comforting temperature. Or for you, I’m guessing a very intimate and loving heat. He’s no god Twilight. He’s only as powerful as the world he’s on will allow him to be… but when he gets angry or, when someone he loves is in danger. He taps into energies far beyond the mere primal powers of the world. All myths have an element of truth to them…” He let out one final sigh. “I have to go now… please tell him the truth. Don’t hide anything from him. He needs to know.”

Twilight glanced down for a moment. “I will.”

“Good.” Isaac smiled before he vanished entirely leaving Twilight alone. She took in a deep breath, trying to let everything sink in.

Discord appeared only moments later.

“Discord!” Twilight snapped.

“What? I can’t listen in to make sure one of my friends is safe?” He inquired, albeit less playfully than usual. “And to make sure her loved ones are safe? I’m not as passive as you might think.”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed.

“Oh Twilight… I have a plan, and I do want you to listen to me for once.” Discord grinned, snapping his fingers, the two of them vanishing from the garden.