Tales of the Forgotten: Eternity

I walked slowly down the hall towards my room as I reached the top floor of the northeast tower of Canterlot castle. I began to detach each piece of charred armor starting with my pauldrons, thud the left pauldron hit the deck with my left boot, then the right one thud. My vambraces were virtually tattered pieces of leather attached by melted buckles I ripped the left one off with ease but the right one took a bit more to tear it loose, they fell to the floor letting the metal clang as they hit. I had to slide my cuirass off over my head and the chainmail with it as it melted to the leather, the silk undershirt or what was left of it fell to the ground dissipating as it hit. I snapped off both of the calf protectors and threw them to my left before unbuckling the insides to the pieces protecting my thighs and crotch. I snapped the buckle on the left hip protector as the last of the armor fell to the ground leaving me standing in front of my door without a shirt and burnt pants and my boots that were falling apart with each step. I could feel it behind the door, the demon and my future. Did I want to do this? Not in a million years. Did I need to do this? I owe them my lives, if I don’t do it who will become the one to bear the sins others can’t bear to commit? My heartbeat was evident now as it felt like it was pounding out of my chest at that moment as I stared down at my hands one was calloused and textured after years of hard work, the other was wrapped in bandages reminding me that one era had come to an end to remind me that another one will if I don’t protect it. An entire world put their afterlives in my hands, in the sound mind that I would save the ones alive now. How does one wield this trust? Should they help others or should they help themselves? I shook my head as I threw that thought out of my head, why the hell would I betray the ones who have entrusted everything to me? They’re my family, they’re my friends...they’re the ones who see me as a monster, as a demon. A necessary loss, no matter how much they want me to be my old self I can’t, I’ve taken too many lives to even think I can return to that innocent life. I’m a murderer, I’m a killer, I’m a monster and a demon. Yet above all that I am a loving father, and a friend of those who would have me. I looked at the doorknob and began to reach for it as a memory played in the back of my mind, I sat on a swing all alone at some playground back on Earth. I watched as others went by and played with each other while I sat there all alone. No one cared for me back then, no one wanted me as a friend, no one but Zachary. The memory shifted to the night I knelt in the alleyway over his dead body crying and screaming for him to come back to me. He had been lost to an unfair fate, that's why I fight...right? To protect the ones I love? Or is it because you love the blood? The memory shifted again to the person who had made fun of him the following day as I was in a rage and slammed the kids against the stone brick wall causing it to crack. To hurt the one who would defame the dead? Or to take your rage out on anyone around you? The memory faded to Michaels smiling face as he saw me arriving at his house from the airport the summer between freshman and sophomore year. To be able to keep him smiling in the darkest of days? Or to betray them when it benefits you? A brief image of my ex-girlfriend of sophomore year running from me as I broke up with her. To let them go to escape the real me? Or to betray the family you love? The memory faded to an image I hadn’t seen before but I quickly realized the setting it was my home but then again it wasn’t as the walls distorted and the faces as well but I could clearly tell it was a family of four sitting in a living room with a barren christmas tree. Two were crying and the other two were dealing with their depression in their own way, it was my family. As I realized this their images made themselves clear. But I have a new family that I must protect! Do you really think she’s your family? The image faded to the day I found Faelen, the small dragoness sitting in a ball as she cried for a reason I don’t know to today. I WILL protect her this time! The memories shattered as I grabbed the doorknob and opened the room slamming the door against the wall as I walked in and turned to the armor that created the uneasy feeling that haunted this room. How do you plan to protect her? it screeched as a black entity formed behind it with blood red eyes. “By claiming you as my own Traveller.” But can you wear me? Can you commit the deeds you need to save her? Can you succumb to the darkness that is me? it growled as it waited for an answer. I reached my hand out touching the chestplate looking dead in its eyes, “I will become the demon of this side, in the name of Equestria, in the names of my friends, in the name of Michael, and most importantly in the name of my daughter. Make your bond demon and let me use your power to fight against Grimoire Dusk.” I replied as a jagged blood smile appeared before the demon disappeared into thin air. It left me alone in the darkened room as I slid my hands under the armholes and picked up the cuirass and set it aside.I unclipped the chain mail shirt and let it slide onto the floor while I picked up the shirt and hood sliding it onto my body. The cool touch of the silk fabric sent a shiver down my spine, I proceeded to replace my pants with the new ones provided, they were made of a polyester type fabric, light and breathable. They fit perfect. I buckled the crotch piece on along with the two thigh pieces followed by the boots that had the lower leggings attached. I looked over at the cuirass with hesitation before picking it up over my head, slowly lowering it over me, it was tight and fit my body very well but also scared me. I looked in the full length mirror several feet away and what stared back at me wasn’t...me. Yet the one looking back was far more like the real me than I had ever been. His eyes were tired and yet carried a flame within them, ready to fight and ready to kill, wrinkles had already begun to form on his forehead and his resting look seemed somber in a way. Was this how my Dad was when he was thirty? I thought as I briefly saw an image of him cross my mind as he wore his flak and kevlar with an m16 slung in front of him with one hand on the pistol grip and the other on the barrel. He was so young in that image no older than 22 years old and yet he looked as if he was already 36 years old. Of course it isn’t, I’ve fought for years yet never have I fought a war. I buckled my pauldrons onto my shoulders, taking comfort in their protection making me seem a bit bigger. I pulled on the right vambrace and glove, I pulled the straps tight tucking the excess under before picking up the left one. This one was far different, on the palm of the hand was a large star with a moon, a sun, and a heart in the middle of it. They were etched into the leather but I realized their meaning easily, a reminder to the citizens of Equestria that were counting on me. The top of the vambrace had different designs all over it, each one was a reminder of the races in Equus but in the middle of all of it was a clearing and smack dab in the middle was what I could make out as a human holding a sword. The real unification, I was of the few that could travel anywhere they wanted without repercussion and each race knew me not by my real name but through different ones and through different stories. The ones that all had in common were that of the Traveller so it only made sense. The fingers on both gloves were sharp at the end with metal tips to allow for a weapon when I find myself without a staff or a sword. They weren’t sharp enough to do damage by me just holding onto someone or something but if I were to be serious about hurting someone it’d be easy to do damage. I picked up my sword from the bed and its sheath before placing it on my left hip. I was fully armored now all except for my hood that hung limp on my back and the cloak hung limply over the right side of my body. My blonde hair hung limply over my left shoulder without any ties to hold it back, I moved it back behind me underneath my hood as I looked in the mirror. “I guess this is goodbye.” I whispered with a sad smile. “Until next time, my old friend.” I waved as I pulled the hood over my face watching as I disappeared under the darkness while my eyes glowed yellow in the darkness. I turned and walked towards the window, putting my fingers to my mouth and letting out a loud whistle that cut through the air, not a moment later Faelen appeared in front of the window in a hover wearing her own armor. I stood on the balcony staring at her and her at me, while mine was with a smile hers was with a sad expression as if she had lost something dear to her. I took a step forward, the door to my room slammed open, “Robert!” They screamed for me but I ignored them.  “You don’t have to do this!” She screamed as I heard the rapid approach of hoofsteps. I stood on the ledge now looking out at Equestria, the storm had come and now raged over this once peaceful land. I turned around and brought my arms up as I stared at Twilight. “I am no longer Robert, Twilight. He lies dormant inside while the Traveller walks again.” I stated as I slowly started to fall backwards into a freefall from the balcony. “ROOOOOOOOBBBBEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!” Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs as her head appeared over the balcony watching in shock as tears fell from her eyes. Just before I hit the ground Faelen caught me and we sailed back up and past her in the direction of Ponyville. Nephilis caught up with us and when she saw me this time instead of being scared, she smiled at me. This was it, the end of peace, and possibly the end of Equus as we know it.