Chapters Eternal Blaze: of Sun and Shadows
AGAIN!!! A voice screamed, causing Eternal Blaze to writhe in his sleep. The voice screamed at him repeatedly and he started to weep.
He found himself in the same situation he had been in before, fighting a prisoner-of-war to the death in an arena. His opponent was an Earth Pony easily a full two sizes larger than him, armed with a battleaxe. Blaze was equipped with a simple shortsword... putting him at the disadvantage.
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
The Earth Pony spent no time waiting and charged, bringing his axe in a down in a downward chop. Blaze put up his sword to block, but the axe shattered the blade without losing momentum.
Blaze was too slow to be able to counter in time... Death had come for him at-
"WAKE UP!!"
Blaze woke up in a cold sweat, gripping his sheets as if they were a lifeline. He rolled onto his back and found his mother, Princess Celestia, standing at the foot of the bed, her eyes filled with worry.
"Same dream?" She asked as she sat next to him.
Blaze nodded in silence as he sat up, wrapping his arms around her. They sat there in silence until Blaze felt a sharp pain on his head.
"M-Morning Philomena." Blaze groaned, acknowledging the Phoenix that made itself at home on his headboard.
So much had change since he had returned from his self-banishment to Tartarus, the culture, the industry, and life itself (the only one whom he could actually relate to was his aunt, Princess Luna, but even then it turned into a brawl). Ironically, he opened a portal that placed him in the castles main hall.
He was a quick learner in the past, a scholar of the denizens of Tartarus, and he would sooner be damned before he fell behind... and not much had changed so it was easy. He received dozens of letters after his return, but none stood out like the one that was handwritten by Spitfire (his personal crush), the main reason being she wrote to him as a possible recruit, and not royalty.
"Spitfire will be here in an hour." Celestia chimed, snapping Blaze back to reality.
"A-AN HOUR!!!" Blaze exclaimed, hopping out of bed, throwing on a robe.
There was a knock on the door and it opened slowly as a kind, but also authoritative voice called out, "Rule number one, rookie. ALWAYS be prepared."
Blaze saluted as the door revealed Spitfire flanked by Soarin' and, the world famous, Rainbow Dash.
"Relax kid, you don't need to salute." Spitfire said, smiling warmly.
Blaze nodded and whistled a shrill note as he held out a foreleg, Philomena immediately perching on his arm.
"Forgive me, I need to-"
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
Eclipse found himself back in the arena, his hooves caked with blood. Beneath him was the stallion from earlier, only he was now missing his lower jaw and his ribcage had been ripped open, with his internal organs strewn about the ground. The worst part about it, Blaze was laughing.
"BLAZE!!!"
Blaze blinked again and found his mother cradling him, Spitfire trotting over.
"PTSD?" She asked, to which the answer was a slow nod from Celestia.
Philomena nudged Blaze affectionately and he sat up.
"Tartarus will do that to you." Blaze said as he stood up, using magic to put on his Phoenix Aviation suit. "So, tryouts? A race?"
"Breakfast?" Soarin' chimed and Blaze's stomach growled.
"Y-Yeah... Breakfast will do."
The group left the bedroom and headed to the dining hall, their hooves clacking against the tile floor.
Blaze remained silent as he say the dozens upon dozens of stain-glassed windows recalling every major feat since the castle was constructed. The defeat of the Changelings, Twilight's coronation, Discord's second defeat and the defeat of King Sombra... his father. He then looked at the Wonderbolts, wondering how they thought about him now that they know about his 'side effects'.
"Good morning, Blaze." A soft but deep voice said, drawing Blaze's attention forward.
Sombra smiled warmly, his once jet black mane was now plagued with white at the roots, he grew a beard which made him look much wiser, and his eyes retained that fierce intelligence. The two bowed to each other, then hugged each other for a brief moment.
Sombra had somehow managed to reform a third time and was given a second chance by Celestia, knowing the fallen king's knowledge would be useful. As Sombra adapted to his new lifestyle... and eventually made amends with Celestia. When Blaze entered Equestria, he was the first to defend him.
"Going to breakfast?" The king asked, looking at each pony before him.
"Yes, father." Blaze answered. "Would you care to join us?"
"Unfortunately, I have to see to the Saddle Arabian royalty."
Blaze gritted his teeth and was about to yell at Sombra, when an all too familiar voice chimed in behind him.
"Well we would like to join you for breakfast."
Blaze turned and saw Sandstorm, one of the first ponies he befriended, trotting towards him, adorned with the robes of a Sultan.
"YOU'RE A SULTAN?!?" Blaze asked as he teleported over.
Sandstorm nodded and slammed his forehead into Blaze's with a loud "CRACK! ", the usual greeting between the two stallions. They continued onward, talking about how their lives had changed the past few years, Sandstorm bragging about his swordsmanship while Blaze bragged about his new flying techniques.
When Blaze mentioned his Phoenix Rising was rival to Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom , the cyan mare laughed haughtily.
"In your dreams!" She said between laughs, drawing a groan from her senior officers.
"Care to test that?" Blaze asked, his wings flaring out with a small flicker of fire, the feathers on his chest flaring up.
The two crouched and the guards at the main entrance opened the doors, this sort of thing was DEFINITELY going to be taken outside. The two glared into each others eyes, daring for the other to back down.
"GO!!!" Sandstorm shouted, hoping to startle them. Instead, the pegasus and alicorn took off, Rainbow Dash leaving a faint rainbow trail, while Blaze left a trail of fire.
The game was on.
Author's Note
Alright, it took me DAYS to make this, sorry if it seems a little rushed!
Now... without further ado,
Eternal Blaze: of Sun and Shadows
The open sky welcomed the pegasi, it's warm air filled with excitement as Canterlot woke up to the spectacle of Cloudsdale's finest facing of Canterlot's newest arrival.
"Your good, kiddo." Dash said casually.
"Not bad yourself." Blaze retorted.
The two immediately shot towards the ground, pulling up so that they were parallel to the ground, then proceeded to weave through the city. They kept neck and neck... then Blaze heard his stomach growl and judging by the look on Dash's face, hers did too.
"DONUT JOE'S?" He called out over the wind as he narrowly avoided a taxi.
The cyan mare nodded and the two pulled a loop over a small group of buildings, then set down gently at the front door of Donut Joe's shop. Blaze opened the door, and held it for Dash... who cast him a sly wink as she entered.
Did she just... wink. He thought, trying to focus.
CRACK!!
Blaze felt a sharp pain cut into his back, now finding himself in a Griffon Kingdom prison camp. He gazed down at the massive cuffs holding his hooves close to the ground.
"Move it, whelp!" The warden screeched kicking him to the ground.
Blaze was SUPPOSED to secure a steady relationship between the Crystal Empire and the Griffon Kingdom, only to have one of his advisers actually be a Solar Empire spy. Selling him out for a petty amount of bits.
Blaze defiantly stood up to full height, a head and a half shorter than the griffon, and felt his magic start coursing through him. His father's magic, like any other unicorn, shrouded his horn in a sort of veil; Blaze's magic altered the color of his horn according to emotion... blood red, the color of fury.
The griffon laughed and raised his whip, then howled in agony as his legs exploded, coating the ground with blood.
Blaze walked over to him, watching as the crippled warrior beg for mercy... the one thing Blaze was lacking. Blaze then raised a back hoof, then proceeded to stomp.
CRUNCH!!
The griffons beak shattered.
CRUNCH!!
He felt the griffon's skull give slightly.
CRU-SPLAT!!!
Blaze looked down and smirked when he saw the griffon's skull had caved inward, causing blood to spray out onto the ground.
"BONEHEAD!!!"
Blaze found himself still holding the door... Rainbow Dash waving her hoof in front of his face.
"You okay?" She asked.
Blaze shook his head and took off once more, drastically picking up speed. He felt a piercing pain in his temples and he reached for a cloud... only to black out.
He woke up seconds later in a free fall, going into a panic as he tried to level out. His descent picked up speed and he became shrouded in the flames of his wing.
The last thing he saw... was the streets of Canterlot.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sombra was talking with the young Sultan about possible mares to marry when Rainbow Dash landed, sobbing.
"H-He's not b-breathing!" She screamed, fear filling every word.
There was a dreadful silence as everypony looked upon what she was carrying... the broken, limp form of Eternal Blaze.
Sombra decided that panicking wasn't the course of action and started barking orders.
"Celestia, slow down the bleeding. Wonderbolts, get him to his bed. Sandstorm, fetch an E.R. Unit. Luna, get Cadence."
He had already failed his son once... he would sooner be damned than to fail him again.
1000 years ago:
"AGAIN!!!" Sombra bellowed from his balcony, glaring down at the ponies in the arena.
Eternal Blaze, his damned fool of a son, claimed that he was no warrior and saw no sense in fighting. He sounded like his mother... like Celestia. Sombra told him that he was going to fight whether he wanted to or not, and put him in the arena
Sombra watched as his son failed to block an axe, and turned away. The cheering died down and Sombra felt something hit his ear, then clatter to the ground. Using his magic, he picked it up and found it was a part of a pony's jaw... with the flesh still attached. He turned towards the arena and saw his son ripping his opponent to shreds with no weapon, breaking bones and pulling out organs.
Maybe there WAS hope for his son...
"Good show, son!" Sombra said, patting his son on the back.
Blaze simply grunted, staring at the ground.
Sombra sighed and noticed his son was shaking, tears falling from his face.
"Y-You... made me... kill him." Blaze growled. "His name was Ironside, a father of four fillies, husband of Tempest... he did no crime... he didn't even SPEAK... yet you had me kill him to... turn into you?"
Sombra was taken aback by the venom, the anguish, the HATRED... what was his son?
Author's Note
This took less time than the first... but I feel it really speaks volumes!
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Eternal Blaze: of Sun and Shadows
The Truth about Blaze - Birth and the Early Years
Author's Note
I REALLY stepped up my game! Tell me what you think!
The Truth about Blaze - Birth and the Early Years
Beep... Beep.. Beep...
Sombra sat in an armchair a little ways away from Blaze's bed, holding his head in his hooves... as he had done for the past few days.
"Sombra..." Celestia said quietly, putting a hoof on his shoulder. "You need to rest."
Sombra looked up at her then sighed saying, "You're right." He then rose out of the chair, casting one last look at his motionless son before walking away.
Celestia rubbed his back gently, offering words of comfort, when Sandstorm cleared his throat.
"Excuse me, your majesties." He said with a polite bow.
"Yes?" Sombra inquired, his voice filled with anguish.
"It appears that these... episodes... have been getting worse. I want to know all there is to know about Blaze's past, no matter how dark it gets."
Sombra sighed and looked to past the Sultan, noticing that the Wonderbolts were approaching.
"As you wish." He said solemnly. "We'll take this to our chambers. You can join us if that is what you wish, Spitfire."
He turned and led the group into his and Celestia's bed chamber. Sitting on the bed with Celestia as the others sat down in varying locations.
Sombra took a deep breath and began to tell his son's history.
Over 1,000 years ago:
Celestia's face contorted into an expression as she howled in pain, her beautiful white coat glistening with sweat.
"You're doing great." Sombra said reassuringly when in reality, he was worried about her health. He took her hoof in his, letting her know he was there beside her.
"All right your majesty." A doctor said, sitting near the princesses open hind legs. "I'll need you to push on three. One... two... THREE!!!"
Celestia screamed with effort as she followed the doctor's instructions, her hoof gripping Sombra's with the might of a dragon.
The grueling process went through three cycles... then there was silence, followed by the crying of a newborn child.
"It's a colt... an alicorn" The doctor announced as he used his magic to cut the umbilical chord, then rinsing off the colt before wrapping it in a towel before presenting it to Celestia.
The colt was a brilliant crimson red, with a mane of black and gold that shimmered like his mother's.
Celestia took the colt and held it to her breast, gasping softly as it latched onto her teat, suckling heartily.
"W-What should we name him?" She asked, looking up at Sombra.
"We'll go with Eternal Blaze like we agreed." Sombra said, pride swelling inside him.
"Eternal Blaze..." Celestia said, crying softly as she held him up, kissing the new prince's forehead.
For once in the entirety of their unstable relationship, the two lovers felt as if they were invincible.
Five years later:
"Hold still!" Sombra growled playfully, rubbing his hooves on Blaze's tummy.
Blaze erupted into uncontrollable giggling, trying to get away from his father's dastardly clutches. Sombra kept going, getting every spot the colt left open... unaware of his sons glowing horn.
BANG!!!
Sombra flew back a few feet and crumpled to the ground, groaning as he clutched his stomach.
There was a soft chuckle and Sombra found Celestia looming over him, wearing a simple sun dress and a mischievous smile.
"You okay?" She asked, trying her hardest to suppress a laugh.
Sombra felt his cheeks warm from embarrassment and sat up, noticing a tray of sandwiches and some lemonade being held aloft by her magic.
"I made lunch." She stated loudly, moving the tray of sandwiches aside as Blaze attempted a snatch and run, then watched as he maneuvered quickly, coming around for another attempt.
Celestia's horn flared briefly and Blaze vanished, then reappeared sitting next to Sombra, bouncing in place as Celestia set down the tray.
"Peanut Butter and Jelly." She said, levitating one of them over to the eager colt.
Blaze grabbed it with his hooves and attacked it like a wild animal, taking massive bites and smearing most of the sandwich on his adorable, little muzzle, drawing a small bout of laughter from both of his parents.
Celestia pulled out a hooferchief and wiped the mess off of Blaze's muzzle, then leaned against Sombra.
"I love you." She said, planting a kiss on the stallions cheek.
"I love you, too." Sombra said, kissing Celestia's lips.
"EEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!" Blaze protested, covering his face.
Sombra's hollow laugh echoed through the bedroom. He had what he wanted most of all, the mare of his dreams and an heir to the throne. However, he felt as if he wanted more.
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Eternal Blaze: of Sun and Shadows
The Truth about Blaze - The Story behind His Cutie Mark
Author's Note
Now... Time for a neat twist on what 'magic' is to a man (-AHEM-) STALLION of logic.
Now starring: The (10th) Doctor Hooves and Derpy!
Note: Wing-Boners ahead.
The Truth about Blaze - The Story behind His Cutie Mark
10 years later:
Blaze wandered about the castle, talking with the guards, the servants, and even some of the esteemed delegates from the other nations of Equestria, learning about the different lifestyles ponies and others had.
"Nephew." A serene voice called, drawing the prince's attention to his right. "It is time for us to teach you your next lesson."
Blaze turned and saw Princess Luna standing by the library's entrance, her usual stern expression accompanying her gaze.
"Coming your highness." Blaze responded, bowing to the Saddle Arabian known as Dust Devil (whom is Sandstorm's ancestor), then trotted over to his aunt.
The two were silent as they entered the library, their hooves clacking against the stone floors.
"We have already gone over levitation, defensive, and teleportation spells." Luna stated, her voice filled with pride. "Now, we will teach you directed spells."
Blaze shuddered at the announcement, failed directed spells had a habit of blowing up in a pony's face.
"You have already shown you are specialized in fire spells." Luna continued. "All you need to do is focus on a specific point, and channel enough energy to said point."
Blaze smirked slightly and looked to his aunt's cutie mark, and focused on it. There was a yelp and Luna took off, rubbing her cutie mark delicately as Blaze rolled on the floor laughing. Luna's cheeks flushed red and she retaliated, Blaze curling into a ball as intense cold washed over him.
RETALIATE!!! A voiced screeched inside Blaze's head, causing a pain similar to a dragon's grip.
Blaze rose and aimed at his aunt, watching as her expression changed back to her usual .
HOW DARE SHE RETALIATE TO A HARMLESS PRANK?!? He screamed internally, his horn lighting brighter than it's usual glow. HOW DARE SHE-
Blood rushed to his head as he fired the spell, an unequestrian screech escaping his mouth. Then... the world went black.
When he regained consciousness, he felt raindrops hitting him, evaporating as they touched his coat. His head felt like it was on fire and his chest was itchy, but he felt fine over all. He rose to his hooves and his heart dropped to his stomach.
Half of the library was missing... and the rest was on fire.
Blaze rushed into the thickest region of the flames and started throwing burning books aside, soon finding Luna underneath them. He reached into the flames and lifted Luna out from under the burning books.
"MOM!!!" He cried, heading to the door. His heart was gripped with the fear that he had just murdered his aunt.
"How is he Doctor?" Sombra asked as the tan coated stallion as he held his 'sonic screwdriver' near his son.
The Doctor arrived SECONDS after Blaze called for his mother, quickly treating Luna's burns, then had Blaze fall asleep after taking a 'pill' so he could examine the changes Blaze underwent thoroughly.
"He's fine... just... different." The Doctor responded, his device clicking closed. "He tapped into some serious energy though! The feathers on his wings are capable of producing flames, the fluff on his chest is a group of feathers, and he is RADIATING massive amounts of residual energy from Tartarus-"
"WHAT?!?" Celestia shrieked, her wings flaring out in agitation.
"D-Derpy!" The stallion yelped. "I need the chart now!"
A blonde-maned, grey-coated pegasus landed by the stallion's side, holding up a diagram written on a scroll. However, Sombra felt uneasy when he looked at the mare's golden eyes... wondering if she was trying to look up or down.
"Equestria exists around MULTIPLE spheres of control, so being able to tap into them shouldn't be difficult!" The Doctor began, pointing at the chart excitedly. "Celestia, you and Luna channel energies from the Celestial Sphere, Princess Cadence channels energy from the... Emotions Sphere, meaning love, Sombra channels energies from the Shadow Sphere, and Discord channeled energies from the Chaos Sphere!"
Celestia's wings folded, obviously intrigued.
"If Chaos and Sun were to merge, you would get Illusion. Sun and Emotions would get Healing. Emotions and Shadows would get Void. Shadows and Moon would get Distortion. Moon and Chaos would get Eclipse. Now... You and Sombra are on the complete OPPOSITE sides. So naturally, the magic would balance it out... The Sun is the symbol for life, and Shadows are the symbol for death... that would put Blaze in a state of limbo until they balanced each other out. Look closely, what is the meeting point labeled?"
"Phoenix?" Celestia inquired. "What does a Phoenix have to do with Blaze and Tartarus?"
"The Phoenix is one of the many symbols of Rejuvenation, it dies and comes back to life." The Doctor answered, pointing at a sphere surrounding it. "The Phoenix is a powerful creature that can fly between the spheres with ease, each one affecting it differently, but the one sphere it feels the most power in is..."
"Tartarus." Sombra stated, understanding what the Doctor was getting at. "Because Tartarus is a dangerous wasteland where only the powerful survive, and since the Phoenix can 'regenerate' as it were."
The Doctor flinched at the word 'regenerate' and said with great enthusiasm, "It carries every memory from each life it's had, increasing it's power even further! Your son tapped into the most powerful being in existence!"
Celestia face-hoofed and groaned, "It doesn't make sense."
"Because Magic is like Time." The Doctor said making a spherical motion with his hooves. "It's similar to the big ball of timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly 'stuff'... only it's a big ball of Hasbro-pony, Friendship-is-Magicky 'stuff'... in a sense."
Celestia groaned and face-hoofed again as the Doctor turned to leave, signaling for Derpy to follow which the mare answered with an amorous sigh, eagerly following him.
"BE SURE TO VIEW HIS CUTIE MARK!!!" The Doctor called cheerfully as they turned a corner, disappearing from view.
Blaze's parents immediately looked at their sons flank... now bearing a Phoenix symbol.
WOOOOOOSH!!! WOOOOOOSH!!! WOOOOOOSH!!!
Sombra made sure he remembered that sound... having a feeling he would need to remember it later.
Present day Canterlot Gardens:
WOOOOOOSH!!! WOOOOOOSH!!! WOOOOOOSH!!!
The wheezing sound filled the air, silencing as the TARDIS came to a stop, the Doctor poking his head out the door wearing his 3-D glasses... taking a deep whiff of the air.
"Canterlot Gardens!" He announced, stepping into the open. "The smell of Flora and Fauna... and... MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF CHRONAL ENERGIES?!?"
He looked around quickly, his groomed mane quickly returning to it's wild state.
"I take it we're going to need this?" Derpy asked as she presented his sonic screwdriver.
"We will!" The Doctor asked, grabbing at his sonic... only for it to be snatched back.
"You have to kiss me first." The mare teased.
The Doctor pulled his companion into a kiss, taking the sonic as her wings went rigid, a massive blush accompanying her features.
"Thank you!" He said, breaking the kiss then running to the castle.
Derpy waited for a moment, then pumped her hoof.
"Yes!" She squeaked before flying after him.
Eternal Blaze: of Sun and Shadows
Intermission - Wake Up Call
Author's Note
This is everywhere, confusing, and not my best work overall... I just had to do SOMETHING before my writer's block got worse!
Intermission - Wake Up Call
Blaze gritted his teeth in pain as he tried to move, hearing muffled noises as he slowly came to. His head hurt, his body hurt, and he felt like there was somepony on his chest. Opening his eyes, his jaw dropped.
Curled up on his chest was Spitfire, her sides rising and falling as she slept.
Blaze cleared his throat, which wasn't the smartest thing to do because she used him as a launch pad during take off.
"S-Sorry!" The mare squeaked, landing beside his bed in a deep bow. "You were screaming a-and I-"
"Thank you, Spitfire." Blaze interjected, patting the bed as he sat up. "I was screaming?"
Spitfire rose and sat on the bed, saying, "It was like you were being stabbed... The Doctor-"
As if somehow being connected the the name, the wild-maned stallion appeared.
"There he is!" He stated, walking over to the prince as he drew his sonic screwdriver. "Hold still..."
There was an odd warbling noise as blue light touched his skin, causing Blaze to shudder a bit. The noise persisted for a few minutes, then the Doctor clicked it closed as he rose his 3-D glasses to get a bet look.
"W-Well..." Spitfire said as the Doctor ran off. "He said you're suffering from 'Chronal Whiplash', meaning when you went into Tartarus, you left fragments your memories here... now they're catching up..."
Blaze nodded slowly and stretched, his muscles screaming and his joints popping as he warmed up to move.
"How long was I out?" Blaze asked.
"A week."
Blaze nodded and got out of the bed, then unceremoniously fell on his face, Spitfire choking back a laugh.
"Easy there..." She said as she helped him stand. Noting every small detail on his soft yet rugged expression... the kind gleam in his serpentine eyes... the-
NO!!! Spitfire snapped internally. I am here to help in anyway I can that does NOT take advantage of-
"Me?" Blaze interjected, causing Spitfire's wings to shoot out in embarrassment. "Honestly ma'am... You're easier to read than Rainbow Dash."
Spitfire snorted and looked away with an upturned nose, blushing vividly.
"A-And why is that?" She asked.
"Because..." He said as he pecked her cheek before taking off. "I KNOW YOU'RE SINGLE !!!"
Spitfire roared and took off after him, bound and determined to make him pay.
Sombra and the others watched as Blaze dodged Spitfire as they flew through the castle, even placing 20 bits that Spitfire went 20 minutes before tiring, Celestia betting in their son's favor alongside Sandstorm.
The two Wonderbolts placed a rival wager in their commander's favor.
The chase went on for a small while, both fliers dodging guards and maids, weaving between pillars, and turning tight corners. Then Blaze collapsed, panting heavily as Spitfire stood over him.
"Good goin' kid." She said reaching down.
He grabbed her hoof and allowed her to pull him up.
"Alright..." Spitfire continued, blushing slightly. "You're right... I am single. It's just that..."
"Nopony wants to date you because they don't want the possibility of-"
"No! By Faust's mane no!" Spitfire exclaimed. "I just... haven't thought about slowing down until... I saw you."
Blaze turned a violet shade of scarlet, his wings shooting out in sync.
"Y-You mean..." Blaze stammered, trying to understand.
"I'll see you in my office on Monday." Spitfire said, kissing his cheek. "You know... You're cute when you blush."
Blaze blushed, watching as Spitfire walked away with a sexy swing in her hips.
Wait... He thought, his mind reeling at a new revelation. DID SHE JUST SAY YES?!? Sombra, Celestia, and Sandstorm groaned as they slid their bits towards the Wonderbolts, grumbling at the loss of the wager.
"Now..." Celestia said with a gentle smile. "Who wants breakfast?"
Eternal Blaze: of Sun and Shadows
The Truth about Blaze - The War
Author's Note
In this chapter, Celestia loses her shit... and Blaze goes nuclear.
I know this is rushed but I needed to do SOMETHING!!!
The Truth about Blaze - The War
After the ponies had a good laugh over the whole 'Wake-up Call', they noticed Sombra looked even older than he did... almost corpse-like.
"M-Milord?" Sandstorm asked softly, being careful with what he said. "Are you alright?"
Sombra shook his head and said, with almost pure anguish, "Then the war came... and I saw my son more as a tool than an heir..."
Over 1,000 years ago, after Blaze's 20th birthday:
"Father!" Blaze called as he entered the throne room, outfitted in a suit of armor similar to Sombra's. "Canterlot forces are in the Outer District!"
Sombra growled as he rose, wrapped a hoof around his scythe, a steel rod topped with a crescent blade as black as night, then slammed the butt of it into Blaze's nose with a wet crunch.
Blaze winced in pain as blood gushed from his nose and onto the floor, but did nothing other than look up at his father.
"GET BACK TO THE FRONT LINES AND BUCKING KILL SOMETHING!!!" Sombra roared, causing the castle to rumble.
Blaze took a deep breath, the edges of his eyes becoming lined with fire, then said with steely resolve as he drew his rapier, "You have crossed the line for the LAST. FAUST-DAMNED. TIME!!!!"
Sombra lunged and slashed downward with his scythe, watching as the fool he called a son, step to the side as he lashed out with his right leg. He slashed, twirled, swept and jabbed to keep his new opponent on the defensive to prevent him from using the pathetic toothpick.
Blaze arched backwards and came up as if he was launched from a catapult.
CRACK!!!
Sombra staggered back and put his free hoof to his nose, feeling the warm sensation as blood trickled down it and his forehead, and charged recklessly, slashing wildly.
Blaze tried to leap back, but was still caught in the curve of the blade, swung around, and thrown into the wall with enough force to crack it. He coughed up a little blood, then looked down... at the slash that split his stomach open.
"BLAZE!!!" A familiar voice cried.
Sombra turned and was about to charge when a silver scythe locked with his, drawing his attention to Luna as Celestia picked up Blaze, gently.
"Be-gone..." Blaze coughed. "Bitch of the S-Sun..."
Celestia, Luna, AND Sombra stopped at the words that escaped Blaze's mouth.
"Ooooooh Sombra." Celestia chimed as she set Blaze down gently. "You remember when I said you would face your crimes against Equestria?"
Luna lowered her scythe and backed away as Celestia turned to face Sombra.
"THAT WAS BEFORE YOU POISONED OUR CHILD TO THINK I AM THE ENEMY, CUR!!!"
The wall and floor shattered as Celestia lunged at Sombra, grabbed his mane, spun around and through him THROUGH his throne, taking off after him. Sombra twisted in the air, moving his scythe to deflect Celestia's pole-arm, and received a drop-kick to the chest that slammed him into the ground, leaving a crater around him.
Celestia aimed her hoof at the dazed tyrant when a commanding voice echoed throughout the war ravaged city.
"ENOUGH!!!"
The two combatants looked to the edge of the crater, Blaze leaning against Luna, his eyes glaring down at Sombra.
"Before I let her finish you off..." He growled fiercely. "What does she-" He points a hoof to Celestia. "-mean by 'our child'?"
The air became thick with tension, as Sombra looked up at Celestia, his eyes begging her to end him, only to have her turn and invoke the Canterlot Right of Descent.
"I, Princess Celestia, herald to the morning star and all things blessed by its light, acknowledge Eternal Blaze, son of Sombra and I, as prince to the thrones of the Crystal Empire and Canterlot and as my equal."
There was a suspenseful silence and as Sombra looked at his son, he saw something inside him break.
"LIES!!!" Blaze shouted, smoke pouring from his open wound. "MY MOTHER WAS A SIMPLE MAID WHO DIED DURING MY BIRTH!!! YOU ARE LYING!!!"
Luna howled in agony as Blaze's skin began to radiate heat, then disappeared in a flash of blue.
"MY MOTHER WOULD HAVE NEVER DREAMED OF LEAVING ME WITH THIS... THIS MONSTER!!! I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO ME IMPOSTER, GIVE ME ONE GOOD RE-"
His voice refused to work as Celestia wrapped her arms around him, her skin sizzling as she touched him.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
Blaze roared and a wave of energy knocked Celestia away, then vanished in a flash of black energy... splitting the ground in a web-like pattern as he vanished.
Sombra was about to laugh and proclaim he still won when a five point star hovered over him.
"Y-You wouldn't..."
Celestia let out her pain, anger, anguish, and despair out in a blood-curdling roar... and Sombra vanished in a pillar of light.
Meanwhile in ?????????
Blaze stumbled over a rock and looked over his shoulder.
How long had he been here? Where was he? What was chasing him?
He felt a sharp pain in his temples and collapsed, twitching as pain like no other wracked his body. He heard the sound of mighty wings flapping, followed by a soft thump next to him.
Blaze was about to ask who was there when the world went black.
