Fallen (Original)

Egos, if he could move would have stepped back from the being before him.

Arkantos wasn’t rising or sinking, instead the molten rock and metal flowed around him, the armor he had now as just as on fire as he was. Ark slowly rose his hand, Egos quaking at the sight.

“Wh… what the fuck are you?” Egos muttered, feeling the congealing of magic in the air, right at Ark’s palm.

“I am War. I am Fire. I am Annihilation.” The voice wasn’t fully Ark’s, no, there was something more ancient behind it.

Though, just before Ark fired off his spell, Egos managed to hit him hard, sending him flying into a building which crumbled under the heat, burning to ash in mere seconds. Egos grinned, now driving much stronger tendrils down against Ark’s body.

“Fool.”

Ark completely vanished, the air literally bending around him. Egos was stunned for a few moments before he groaned in pain, Ark’s hand literally going through his chitin and grabbing the blade lodged inside him. “W-wha…”

“There will be nothing left.”

“Of you maybe!” The ‘blood’ Ark had thought was burning earlier in fact was a ruse, and the sludge quickly slid up the liquid metal and rock roiling over his body. Soon he was completely consumed by the bile, tendrils wrapped around the sludge covered entity, slamming it harshly into the ground before throwing him into another building. “I won’t even give her your head! I’LL JUST KILL HER TOO!”

For once the thing in Ark’s body was silent. Egos thought he had won, thought he had killed a god…

“They will all burn. My flames will purify this filthy world. Beginning with you.”

A wave of fire burst out from the sludge, boiling and turning it to nothing.

“None shall survive purification.”

Egos attempted to further attack him, only managing to have his tendrils bounce off his armor uselessly.

“N-no… y-you…”

“Can you hear it?”

Egos’ heart stopped for a moment.

“You’re final death knell. It tolls.” The being in Ark’s body was standing before Egos, who now knew what fear truly was.

“Wh… who are you? Y-you aren’t that… h-human…”

“I am Arkantos. God of the Flames. This vessel has run it’s course. And now I take control.” The god spoke, no longer was the human’s voice entwined with the god’s. “He was weak. I am not. He had intents to bring you in, charge you. But I have judged you unworthy of a chance. Your sentence is death by flame.”

“I… I won’t… l-”

“Let your last scream ring out for all to hear.” His hand slowly rose, the magic congealing was too strong for Egos to attempt to survive. “You will be the first. Let all know they have been judged unworthy, corrupted, and evil.”

“Y… you’re a monster…” Egos muttered.

“By fire be purged!”

Egos’ scream did ring out. But that was unneeded as the pillar of pure flame could be seen for miles even in the broad daylight. All knew Egos had been slain, but now they could feel something else there. Something uncaring and unfeeling.

Celestia for the first time felt dread for not just Equestria but the entire world.

“S-sister… w-what is that… f-feeling?”

“It’s Arkantos…” Chrysalis muttered quietly.

“That… isn’t…” Shining muttered.

“It isn’t him. It’s something else… something so much worse…”

They were all further surprised by the bright purple flash, Twilight teleporting herself to Celestia after she saw the pillar of flame. "Is Ark still in the city?"

"Yes! Bu-" Shining was completely cut off as Twilight vanished, having teleported herself into the city. “TWILIGHT NO!”

“I-it’s too late… Get all the troops together… we… may have to kill him…” Celestia muttered.

“We’ll… need an eclipse to even fight that power…”

“Then we need to make it happen.” Celestia said quietly. Luna closed her eyes. “I hope… if Twilight’s alive when we finish… that she can forgive us both for what we have to do.”

“She may never, Sister.” Luna said.

“Then so be it… it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to take.” Celestia let a few tears drop. “If it means protecting so much more…”