My Wrath Is Finally...Gone

...

Celestia just stared silently.

Before her was a stallion that was so tall he reached the top of her horn. All over his body were strange marks and her sun glowed off the golden gauntlets on his forelegs.

When Twilight sent her a letter explaining somepony important wanted to speak to her she expected anything but…him.

And Luna’s piecing glare wasn’t helping calm her down.

Sometime earlier…

“Okay I sent a letter to Celestia. She’s the princess of the sun and one of the four leaders of Equestria…that’s where you are by the way.” Twilight and the others had chosen to sit down at the park as to get Asura out of the middle of the street. “So before she writes back do you have any questions?”

To any pony looking at him they would think Asura wasn’t listening. He had his head raised up and was looking at the lush greenery around them. He would look down every now and then and prod at a blade of grass softly. “This…Celestia. How does she rule?”

“Rule? Well she’s kind hearted and patient. She’s stern but understanding and um…” Twilight tapped a hoof on her chin. She wasn’t thinking anything other than he hadn’t been listening to her. “Why do you ask?”

“…do you want the truth?”

Twilight swallowed and nodded.

“In the world I was from nearly every leader thought themselves a god.” Asura clenched his teeth as thoughts of Deus and Chakravartin filled his mind. “They were fools that thought themselves above life. Who were too weak to do anything for themselves.” The air around Asura became rather warm. “If this princess of the sun was anything l them...I would not have let it be. Gods that only take are not necessary. But…” His building rage turned into a smile and he look at Scootaloo who was now sitting by his side. “All of you are so...happy. Honestly I…hope to speak with Celestia on…peaceful terms…” Asura nudged Scootaloo with his hoof and she lean into him happily.

Twilight shook off the sheer force of his now subsided rage, “What did you do…to the ones you’ve met before?”

“…in time.” Asura’s eyes stayed focused on Scootaloo. Her simple smile and fragile frame…it remind him of the girl he met.

This didn’t go unnoticed. “I um…” Rarity spoke up. “I noticed that little Scootaloo has become rather…attached to you…” She looked around him and saw Applebloom swinging from his tail and Sweetie was asleep on his head. “As are the others…”

“I uh…I do have a daughter of my own. Maybe that is why?” Asura put Applebloom down and smiled at her. “I had forgotten…what it was like.”

“What do you mean?” Rarity tilted her head.

“Hearing children. To hear them laugh and play without fear of the ground and sky…” Asura’s eyes reflected a cold sadness. One that reflected to Twilight that Asura had seen many terrible things.

“So…what was your daughter like?” Twilight asked trying to lighten his mood. Simply getting slightly mad made the air around them hot, she feared what his sadness could do.

“She was strong…she went through much pain but never gave up hope I would find her. I spoiled her, she and her mother were so precious to me…but all I was good at was…punching things.” Asura’s looked at his hoof and chuckled dryly. “As a matter of fact…that’s why I’m here now…”

“What do you mean? Or is that a part of your story?” Asura’s smile told her everything. “Right, but it sounds like you care for your daughter a lot. Where is she?”

“…I left her behind…you see I sacrificed my life to see her and the world safe. But it seems another of Yasha’s useless lectures were useful…”

“Yasha? Lectures? What lecture? And who is Yasha?”

“Yasha was my…brother. Brother-in-law, I married his sister Durga. Yasha was the type to think about everything, as a matter of fact I used to hate that about him…but maybe I was jealous…” Asura looked into the sky. “But he told me that energy cannot be destroyed only transferred…so I guess I transferred…”

“I…I have so many questions…”

Spike, who had been leaning up against Asura felt a familiar sensation. “Urp!” He burped out a quick fire that became a letter and Twilight grabbed it with her magic.

“Dear Twilight, Luna and I have a bit of time tomorrow, stop by and bring this guest with you. I look forward to meeting him.”

Back at Canterlot Castle…

“Did I do something wrong?” Asura looked over to Rarity who had chosen to stand beside him as to help other ponies get used to his size and build.

“No not at all darling. Luna is just being…cautious…”

Asura looked around at the guards that had surrounded himself and all those that had come with him to Canterlot. Spike and the Crusaders, who had snuck aboard, were on Asura’s back. Twilight and the one he knew as Applejack now was standing in front of him. Rarity and a Pegasus called Rainbow Dash were at his sides, Rainbow had been asking him many questions about his battles. A timid yellow Pegasus named Fluttershy and a pink ball of energy called Pinkie Pie brought up the rear. They had entered the castle without much incident but the moment this Princess Luna saw him she called for the guards.

“Cautious…right. I just hope I handle it better than the last time I was surrounded suddenly by guards…” Asura coughed out as a whisper.

“Luna please call off the guards.” Twilight pleaded again. “I know he looks big and rather…rugged…no offence.”

Asura clicked his tongue in disapproval but nodded.

“But I promise he means no harm.” Twilight was trying very hard to believe her own words right now.

“Ah think he’s might fine myself Princesses. He looks a bit sturdy but ah can see it, those are the eyes o a stallion who’s got a dern good heart.” Applejack pitched in but Luna seemed to ignore them and continued to glare at Asura.

“Does she always glare at newcomers?” Asura looked at Rainbow Dash and watched her shrug.

“She’s not normally this…hostile. But you have to admit you do look kind tough, plus you’ve done lots of fighting I bet you’re super strong!” Rainbow let her wings flap happily.

Luna’s glare got harder and Asura’s temper began to rise. “I have done nothing to your world. Is this-,” He glared at the guards that had taken a slight step towards his side where Rarity was and made them back up more than a few feet. “-how you greet those who come to your doors?”

It might have been what he said. It might have been the fact that he was right. It could have been that as he said those words the room got hotter. Whatever it was she knew one thing. This stallion named Asura had done no wrong.

“Luna!” She called out forcefully and snapped her sister out of her glare. “Guards you are dismissed.” The guards looked at her in shock and she narrowed her eyes. They were gone in a matter of seconds.

Celestia walked off her throne and over to Twilight. “Hello Twilight I’m sorry I was so…unfocused…” She then walked past her and looked up at the strong looking stallion before her. “I am greatly sorry for what has happened.” She began to bow and a gentle yet strong hoof stopped her.

“Don’t, I despise nothing more than being bowed too…” Asura’s voice was calm but held a strength to it.

Celestia stood straight and looked into the gentle red eyes that bore back into hers. “I…I am Princess Celestia, the Princess of the Sun. The rather rude navy blue pony over there is Luna, my sister, the Princess of the Moon.” Luna’s ear flopped to the sides of her head and she walked over slowly.

“I am…sorry. I saw you and well…you do have a rather intimidating presence about you…” Luna stood up straight and looked into Asura’s eyes.

“Sorry. I would like to begin immediately. I have spent my patience for the day.” Asura looked towards the door and at a few guards who had peeked inside. He snarled at them and they ran scared.

“Very well, I assume what you have to say will take time?” Celestia tried to calm him down by speaking in her normally motherly tone.

“It will…and it will not be a happy tale. Leave now if death of the innocent bothers you, for I will spare no detail.” Asura looked at Fluttershy in particular, she had been keeping a distance from him and he could feel her timid spirit.

Fluttershy picked up on this. “I-I…I want to hear it…”

He then looked at the children on his back. He simply chuckled when he saw the steel in their eyes. “Very well…it all began when I began my training with my former mentor Augus.”

Though Asura and company had arrived at Canterlot rather early in the morning, half of his terrible story took him until sunset to tell. And none in attendance had been mentally prepared for the kind of pain…the kind of hate…that he felt from being betrayed and then beaten into oblivion. Loss after loss, deadly fight after deadly fight. They needed time to absorb this much of his story.

Celestia knew this well. “…S-sir Asura…I-I believe we would all do well…to retire for today and pick up tomorrow…” Her eyes were faintly red from tears she had shed, and she was not the only one.

Asura looked around him and every one of the ponies that had been listening were shaking, crying or both. He sighed and nodded. “Tomorrow then… Where will we stay? I do not want to take the train ride here and back.”

“W-worry not…I will have rooms ready for you…excuse me…” Celestia and Luna walked out of the throne room with blank but sad expressions.

Asura looked on his back and at Scootaloo who had been crying into the back of his mane. Spike had gotten down and was hugging Twilight for dear life, much like Applebloom and Sweetie. The six older ponies that had been a wall and kept their protective distance were now much closer to him. Each sobbing or trying not to cry. But in the rainbow colored one’s case…

“Those…those….those jerks! He fights for their peace and protects the world! What do they do in return! Betray him! And not only that but they k-,” Rainbow choked on her words and pounded an angry hoof into the floor. “Why would anypony do that?!”

Fluttershy was curled up into Asura’s foreleg weeping and mumbling incoherently. Rarity and Applejack stayed strong and held their sisters. Twilight did the same with Spike while whispering that she’d never leave. Pinkie Pie’s one lively mane was now flat and near colorless, she was sniffing hard and kept pulling napkins from…somewhere.

“They were fools…each of them.” Asura said softly and rubbed Fluttershy’s head with his hoof carefully.

“Y-yes well…they certainly sound the part but...” Rarity looked at him. “Was it truly necessary? For you to…”

“I do not pretend to be pure of heart. Because in my heart I knew what had to be done…no matter how ‘wrong’ it may be. I will say it once more…gods that only take…are never needed.” Asura looked at Rarity and then the rest of them. “Think ill of me if you wish, I will not blame you.”

“But you did nothing wrong!” Fluttershy shouted and cried into his side. “All you did was give and give! And they took advantage of that! Of you!” Fluttershy sobbed until a strong force wrapped around her. She looked up and Asura had a foreleg around her, and a thankful smile on him face.

“Thank you.” Asura said simply. Fluttershy and the girls nodded and smiled back at him.

A short time later two guards came in and told them rooms were ready for them. The guards also said that Celestia and Luna deeply and truly apologize for leaving so suddenly.

“Can you imagine it?” Luna said softly. The two of them were on the balcony that over looked a good portion of their kingdom. “Living with all of that? The lies, the pain, the betrayals…and still fighting…”

“The both of us have a clear idea…” Celestia said dryly and sighed. “But his anger is…unmatched. But that was only a portion of why he kept fighting…”

“Yes…he fought to protect his daughter. To save her and the world she was born on. Even if it meant fighting every single one of his previous comrades…” Luna shivered slightly. “He has been through much…”

“Yes…yes he has. And we are not even done with his story yet…”