Prologue nightmares
The room faded to black. And was replaced by the outside view of a small peaceful village, and the peacefull village faded to black to be replaced by a hell. The village was burning and a brown dragon was flying above it. Ponies ran in terror and burned as the dragon made another pass breathing fire as he went. The flames rose engulfing the village. In a house in the same room he had been reading in the Pegasus huddled in the corner. While his parents looked out the window in horror.
Before anypony could say anything, dragon fire burst threw the window engulfing the Pegasus parents. He cried out in horror and bolted jumping out the same window terrified beyond reason. He didn’t even land before a claw pierced his soft belly. He was dragged up flailing and whimpering in pain to look the dragon in the eyes. Its eyes were cold and heartless devoid of mercy, it gave a growl and flicked the Pegasus off his claw. With a laugh it took off leaving the ashes of the Pegasus past life. As the Pegasus lay near the entrance to the home he lived in bleeding, dying. The village in flames around him a silent tear slid down his crimson eyes, as he saw the burned remains of his parents.A figure slowly moved thorough the flames moving towards the black Pegasus, it looked like a pony except the Pegasus could see threw it. the pony approached the broken Pegasus.
[/i the thought came into the Pegasus head.
"Who are you what are you?" the Pegasus croaked in a horse voice.
" As the Pegasus lay their he felt a harsh flames around him. But they were nothing compared to the fire that was beginning to burn within.
"I want to live." the Pegasus croaked finally and reached a hoof out to the stranger. The black hoove met the ethereal one and the bond was forged.
With a gasp I woke up silent tears of rage streaming down my face. I relieved this moment every night and was reminded of my reason to keep living. As i looked up to the moon i said the same thing i did every night.
"My name is Erebus and i will have my revenge."
a fimilar voice spoke up in my head.
There was no reply from Ultio the spirit that had saved me, but then i hadn’t expected one. With a sigh i rose to my feet fully. I wasn’t a little colt anymore but a fully grown Pegasus. I could even fly although it had been painful to learn.
Even though it was still dark i could see almost perfectly. I thought sometimes i could see better in the night. I cracked my neck and stretched my limbs. The ground wasn’t forgiving to sleep on but i had the dragons trail and i wasn't going to lose him, and that meant i had to move fast no tents nothing i didn’t need to carry.
"Seven years I’ve waited, seven long years, but now im ready to face you." I had only started chasing him recently the last seven years i spent learning about a magic i never knew existed.
Ultio chimed in.
[/ii]" i said observantly.
I paced in silence for a while Ultio was fused in my soul. It was how we could speak.
Finally he answered.
[/i I asked curiously to have a magic even the princess themselves didn't. This was something i hadn’t expected.
"You never asked you were always so concerned with learning how to use it as a weapon. Never about its origins why are you so interested now?" Ultio asked i could feel his curiosity.
." I confessed.
"So why does that make you want to know more about the magic?" Ultio asked he seemed genuinely confused.
"I don't know Ultio. I just feel like i want to know now please answer this question just how powerful am I?"
" i asked
" Ultio replied
i asked it didn't make sense overlooking something so clearly powerful and dangerous. With just what little i knew i could torch a good portion of the everfree forest turn it into complete ash.
I asked bluntly this wasn't making sense if i learned everything from Ultio then why was i the only user in so long.
." Ultio said in a dry voice. I was really confused.
." i asked shrewdly there was clearly more then he was letting on.
Ultio said in a cold and final voice that told me no matter what i tried i wouldn't get an answer.
I grunted thanks and started walking while we had talked the sun had risen casting its brightness all along the road. i pulled the hood to my cloak down to let the sunshine hit my head basking in it. I really only kept the cloak on to hide the scars from the dragon and a few other incidents i didn’t like answer the inevitable question of "where did those scars come from?" by almost everypony i met.
I asked
." Ultio replied.
chapter 1 past sorrows
7 years ago shortly after Erebrus meeting Ultio
.
Laying at the door to the house i watched as the blood in the area began slowly moving. I had to blink just to convince myself i wasn't going crazy. The blood slowly coalesced to where my hoove met the ethereal pony. There was a flash of light and blinding pain and the world went black. I woke slowly the world coming into focus the spirit was no where to be found. I had been unconscious for a while the flames had died down only the embers remained. I wanted to belive it had all been a dream but looking around i saw nothing but corpses most charred beyond recognition.
If i hadn't seen my parents die in front of me i would have never know which body was theirs. Pushing myself to my feet i stumbled towards them and sat next to them silent tears falling down my face. I could’t say how long i sat there everything seemed unreal like a dream i couldn’t wake up from. A glint caught my eye and i looked in its direction an locket with a chian. somehow it was not burned and sat in the corner of the house near a burnt drawer. I picked it up there was a small button on the bottom so i brought it down on my hoof sure enough the locket opened when the button hit my hoof. Inside was a note and a picture i had taken with my parents a week ago i had wondered why they had wanted to take pictures. the note read
We hope you will have happy memories every time you open this, Love mom and dad. I remembered it was my birthday today i had spent all day wondering what they had gotten me.
With tears running down my face i closed the locket put the chain around my neck, turned and started walking i didn't know where just away from the ashes of my old life. As i turned looking at the ashes of the village for the last time the sun slowly set. The beautiful red-orange glare in the backround of the ruins of my village would haunt my mind. I couldn’t say how long i spent walking. I felt dead and everywhere i looked i saw my parents faces charred beyond recognition. I just kept walking in what i hoped was a straight line. Faintly i heard the spirt in the background encouraging me telling me to keep going. I couldn’t even bring myself to wonder how i could still hear him. At some point it started raining the drops hit my face mixing with the tears i had been crying. silently i just kept walking it was all i could bring myself to do. Then as i reached the top of a hill a village came into view over the horizon shivering from the cold rain My pace quickened and i started galloping down the hill. I hit something a rock,a stump i never saw what it was. I felt my leg snap as i rolled down the hill hitting another bump i rose into the air coming down with a resounding SMACK feeling something else a bone i would guess snap as well.
The spirit said in a harsh voice. I saw the dragons face looking at me with his cruel eyes.
Coughing up blood i started pulling myself forward with my good hoove. I couldn’t walk but i could crawl. my anger fueling my strength the pain was intense each time i moved forward i almost passed out. I kept repeating the same thing over and over in my head seeing the dragons face hearing his menacing laugh.
The small shower had turned into a big storm. thunder boomed and i could see flashes from the lightning the wind whipped my mane into my face. Through my soaked mane i could slowly see the village coming into focus mud began clouding my vision. I refused to stop. After an agonizing eternity I could see a big building in a straight line from where i was crawling. I forced myself forward inch after agonizing inch. A lightning bolt landed right in front of me with a frightening CRACK. After crawling over the burnt spot where the bolt struck i reached the front door. I put as much force as i could into my hoove slamming it on the door and hoping somepony was home. I wasn't going to last much longer it was getting harder and harder just to stay conscious and i had no feeling in any part of my body. As my vision began to blur the door opened and the vague shadow of a pony appeared. It slowly looked around and finally looked down when i slammed my hoove into it's foot. With a yelp the pony looked down and gave a gasp of surprise when it saw me. Coughing up more blood my vision finally fading to black as i shivered the last thing i remember hearing was my pony savior saying.
"Where did you come from?
Consciousness came back slowly. I could feel soft sheets and a softer bed? I opened my eyes and turned my head around slowly. The walls white and the room bland, it smelled sterile. Looking down even the sheets were white.
A voice spoke
With a yelp i jumped into the air and promptly flew of the bed landing on the not so soft floor.
I began to ask "Who are you?" but the memories came to me the pain, the death and finally my crawl to live.
"Your a spirit aren’t you." I said after a moment of pondering.
the voice, spirit replied.
"How are we speaking?" I asked curiously.
"Wait you can read my mind?" i asked frightened at the thought of never being able to think anything without it knowing.
There was a chuckle from the spirits end.
that's when i noticed i had sat down and was feeling no pain.
I thought confused
the spirit replied
"How i saw you in a ghost-like form but i saw you with no horn. Your not a unicorn how can you do magic?"
Before i could ask what the spirit meant i felt a snap inside of my mind and cringed as pain flared in my skull.
"Ah" i cried clutching my head.
I said angrily
the spirit replied.
I asked.
I interrupted.
I walked over to a nearby window it was nighttime now aside from a few clouds out it was clear the moons brilliance shining through the window. I closed my eyes and saw the dragons face again. Felt his breath on the back of my neck and saw his eyes cold and ruthless looking at me as if i was weakling not worthy of life.
My eyes opened two crimson spots burning with anger and determination.
