Starheart the Fallen: Reminiscence

Chapter 3

Ancient Foe

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Celestia pushed open the door with her magic "Are you ready Starheart?" She looked serious "The Creature is already moving toward the castle we need to hurry before it causes any more damage"

Starheart nodded galloping to Luna's Side "I'm ready, I'll do everything I can to protect you" The two Galloped outside the castle in a flash and took to the skies. Hovering in the air

"We will join you as soon as possible" Celestia called after them "Starswirl had to go back to his Quarters to collect the Tome the spell in written in" She gave a hopeful look "Be careful you two" she added

Starheart nodded and turned away to fly on moving a bit slow as he noticed Luna had lingered. No doubt something personal between the two sisters. He noticed her enter his peripheral vision. "You two seem to be getting along well" he said softly filling the tense atmosphere. He looked over and noticed a pain in her eyes. "Luna?"

The Pain vanished in an instant and she gave a soft smile "Yeah" she shook her head slightly "but theres no time to talk about that we need to be ready for battle.

As they soared above the trees around the castle a wicked form came into view the Dark mass cast a shadow on all it towered over "What?! When did it get so Close!?" Starheart exclaimed.

"Do not Worry. We can hold him off no problem" Luna cast him a fierce reassuring glance.

"It's good to see you Luna. It's been so lo-"

"LOOK OUT!" Luna screamed

Starheart turned his eyes back forward just in time to see a large black mass approaching his side.
"AH!" He turned his head just in time to set his horn a glow with magic and swipe at it putting a gash on it making the mass recoil slightly. He felt a small twinge of achievement, that faded as quickly as the mass flowed instantly back together, small black debris falling off it and hitting the ground killing the grass it touched instantly. The Mass Surged again to fast for him to slash again he tried to conjure a barrier as fast as possible. "Too late" he thought as he felt a Jarring Thud. Starheart gritted his teeth at the impact, a harsh pain rocking his body but all at once it felt so cold. So hopelessly lifeless as it touched him, he could feel the tiniest hint of despair creep up on him as if someone were injecting pure misery into his heart. He reeled as he plummeted toward the ground.

He struggled to balance himself and catch his breath all at once as he stretched his wings just in time to avoid colliding with the ground. Kicking up a cloud of dust. He exhaled quickly and looked back toward the enormous creature, just in time to see a second another mass falling toward him so hard the very trees near them swayed. He took a breath and readied another spell. His eyes glowed bright as the magic from his horn stretched several feet up from the end of his horn he flapped his wings hard rushing toward the monstrous on coming mass and sliced through it with a sickening sound but no blood spilled from the wound as he glanced back to see his work instead the mass slid back together in an instant. His eyes widened

"WHAT!?" He heard a loud boom roar out to his left and looked over to see Luna had taken the a mass of the creature clean off with an explosion the remnants of black fell to the ground below as Luna's eyes ceased their glow. Starheart couldn't help smirk at seeing her power.

"I see you've learned a lot since we were little" he called out.

"No time for Nostalgia" Luna snapped back her eyes fixed on the massive dark form.

Starheart nodded and glanced down at the black forms on the ground sliding together the grass seeming to melt away as it slid over it. Tiny arms seemed to appear in the mass and start to shoot up toward -

"LUNA!!!" Starheart's horn glowed as he charged to intercept the tendrils moving up to engulf her. He blasted a wave of magic at the arms but they dodged the shot giving Luna enough time to ascend away from their approach. They turned on Starheart and before he could ready another spell they slammed into him binding his wings. He gasped as the mass seemed to form into a hand and rejoined the rest of the creature.

He winced at the sheer force of pressure that started squeezing him. He could feel his bones straining. And his determination waning a bit, as the creatures cold touch started affecting his mind. "NO!!!" He screamed as the taste a copper trickled onto his tongue his body seemed to be numbing,he thought that might be so bad if he also didn't feel his determination and his loyalty to Equestria fading along with it. He shook his head as he collected his thoughts. "ENOUGH!!!" He shouted . He felt something trickle down his chin and focused on it Letting the pain sear back into his mind and make the numbness fade. He gritted his teeth as his emotions returned in a blaze. He lit his Horn and Conjured a small Barrier making the mass melt away from him. He tore his wings free and raised a hoof to wipe the trickle from his chin glancing at it. His eyes narrowed. "blood" he whispered as he gathered the copper on his tongue and spit it out.

"We're Here!" Celestia and Starswirl called out.

Luna joined Starheart in the air. "Starheart, I'm going to join the others. Will you be alright?" She looked at him seriously her horn a glow as she surrounded him with magic and healed what she could on the spot. "I will slow the beast as much as I can but it will be up to you to keep him at bay while we perform the spell" She turned back toward the beast her horn glowing bright and launching a beam of light larger than he'd ever seen her conjure before. The beam crashed against what must have been the creatures head causing it to vanish and the black mass to droop into a large mass on the ground, but it began to slowly reform immediately. "Good luck Starheart" Luna said in earnest as she flew down to join Celestia and Starswirl. The three formed a triangle as Starswirl began to chant something along with them and all their horns began to shine.

Starheart nodded seriously and turned back to the reforming enemy he took a deep breath and started summoning his magic his eyes glowing once more his mane and tail whipping wildly as he gathered his power into his horn, he tilted his head forward aiming his horn at the beast, a drop of sweat beginning to roll down his muzzle. He picked a focus point right in the center of where the mass was reforming and a visible orb of light came into view. Pulling the creature in on itself before erupting out and causing the creature to droop to the ground in a massive puddle. He smirked panting slightly as he watched the puddle formless on the ground, unmoving, he took deep breaths watching it.

"Maybe the spell isn't necessary after all" he whispered. He started to turn and tell the others when he noticed that the grass around the mass and the debris that had flown out away from the explosion turned black and faded into dirt, the mass bubbled and started to pull back together again. "I should have known, that would've been too easy" He said with a smirk. He started summoning more magic as the mass started reforming more quickly. He looked at the beast and cringed as he spotted a pair of grotesque eyes appearing on what must've been a chest. It looked right past Starheart at the three staring for a moment before it's body started reforming at an Alarming rate. Starheart's eyes widened in concern. "It's noticed!" he launched another wave of magic erupting against the form. Causing it to distort for a moment before bubbling back to full size again. Starheart could feel the sweat trickling down his cheek in earnest now. "Never had to use this high level of magic so much before" He said with a deep breath. He eyed the beast fiercely and launched another attack this one barely causing an indention in the creatures chest "Damn" He shook his head and spread his wings as the creature started toward him. He panted as he conjured the most powerful Barrier he could manage. The beast stopped short placing it's hand on the barrier and instantly recoiling as it sparked. Starheart couldn't help smirking.

"That should slow you down" he panted heavily now. "Barriers are one thing, but an electric barrier is harder than I remember" He called back "Your Highnesses! I Hope the spell is almost ready. My barrier won't hold up too much longer" He looked back to see the creature was now slamming it's form against the barrier barely reacting to the electric shocks now. He could feel it shake with each strike. Gritting his teeth he winced as it cracked. His eyes widened. "No way!" He thought. His horn glowed anew and he focused his power. His magic beamed toward the barrier the cracks slowly being repaired.

He jolted and his horn lost it's glow as he felt something cold slither up his body he looked down to see a black mass crawling up his back "WHAT?!" He looked shocked as several more of the tiny black masses hit him from below "DAMN!" He shouted as the masses moved straight to his horn. He shook his head trying to bat the blob from his horn with his hooves. The Barrier shattered and he gasped as the rest of the mass was upon him in a flash. He tried to cast a spell but the blob on his horn seemed to block his power. The mass joined the blob and pulled at his horn. He clenched his teeth and pumped his wings hard "Get off me you foul beast!" he cried as he pulled back, feeling his horn strain now. "Let GO!" he said lashing out at the mass with his hooves. It was like trying to fight a bowl of Jelly. "Damn beast!" he said tears started to form in the edge of his eyes now as he felt blood trickle down from his horn. "NO" he screamed trying to summon more power and thrashing desperately against the impossibly strong creature, blob of a creature. He bit his own tongue hard as he felt his horn pull away from his head. Blood poured down his face now, blurring his vision red. He did everything he could to stifle his scream. "I...can't risk...breaking their concentration" he tried to tell himself panting as the searing pain shook his body. He nearly lost it as the beast tore the horn across his face halving his vision. In a fit of rage he flew forward fast smashing his hoof hard into the eye that was fixed on him. Eliciting a very welcome scream from the creature. He gritted his teeth his vision red only searing pain and unfathomable anger keeping him from screaming in agony. "You " he stammered wishing desperately for someone to come along and verbally put the creature in its place, his fury totally killing his vocabulary. "Damn Stupid Monster" he said too furious and in pain to come up with anything better.

"Nothing can stop the s-" He didn't hear the rest as he barely managed to see the creature try to grab him from the blood red periphery of his eye.

"Stop the what?" He said legitimately shocked that the creature suddenly spoke. He flew back surveying the beast again trying to wipe the blood from his eye. Shaking his head "doesn't matter what it called itself I need to stop this thing" he resolved his mind begging him to do nothing more than scream in pain. He Flew forward again this time turning his flank to it and bucking hard ellicting a another roar of what he truly hoped was pain.

"Nothing can stop the Smooze!" the beast screamed trying to wash over him like a wave.