The Lost Serpents

Chapter 4: Heritage, The Knights Lunar.

Kenshi ran as fast as he could, trying to escape a force of Pegasus soldiers that sounded more than happy to attempt to put his head on a spike.

In the distance, Kenshi could sense a castle. The castle itself was about a normal size for a castle, complete with a moat and drawbridge. It's deep blue flag had a silver star in the middle of a moon. Common infantry patrolled the ramparts and soon saw Kenshi running from the Pegasus’ of Celestia.

Almost immediately the castle horn sounded throughout the surrounding area. Kenshi waved his arms, hoping to his ancestors that friendlies were up ahead.

The gate opened and Kenshi ran into the castle. The drawbridge was raised and the infantry on the walls brought out their bows.

The party of Celestia halted gave shouts of outrage.

Then, a steel-plated armored earth pony appeared on the walls. His armor that covered him from head to hoof glittered as the first rays of dawn hit the castle. He had a bastard sword hanging on his flank and a stallion greathelm covering his head. The stallion also wore a surcoat over his armor that had the same symbol of the flag of the fort on it.

“I Demand to know why you soldiers of Celestia are hunting the stallion that came in my castle?” The knight spoke with a voice that seemed to echo throughout the castle.

The pegasus captain sneered, “We have orders to hunt him down and kill him.”

“Then where is the warrant? How come I was not informed of this?” the knight asked.

“I don't have time for games. Hand him over! He is responsible for killing most of the royal guard and Shining Armor!” the Pegasus captain yelled.

The knight looked at Kenshi and stomped his hoof, causing some soldiers to surround the blind swordsman. Kenshi drew his sword and knew he couldn't get out of this one. He was tired and hungry, not making it a good combo to fight soldiers.

As the soldiers were about to skewer Kenshi, a voice said “stop!”

Everyone turned to see Luna herself descend from the sky. The knight immediately knelt, as did the entirety of the soldiers of the fort.

“Sir Lance Pierce Lunar, how are you?”

“I'm fine marelady. I kept the castle in top shape during your absence.”

Luna turned to the Celestian soldiers and said, “I will deal with Kenshi.”

The soldiers, with a huff, flew down to the field in front of the castle, talking amongst themselves. Luna trotted to the kneeling knight and said, “Yes, he is an outlaw that has killed our royal guards and Shining Armor.”

“Then shall we capture him?” asked Lance.

“Yes, but I will interrogate him.”

“Then allow me to join you Marelady, for I cannot let you go near him alone,” the knight said.

Luna shook her head, “I cannot let you come with me, for you need to oversee the defenses of the castle. There will be no doubt that his friends will try to rescue him.”

Kenshi rose an eyebrow in confusion on Luna's’ latest words. He didn't think he had any friends coming to get him. All his friends were in Earthrealm.

The guards then binder him and picked him up to toss him into a dungeon cell.

As the soldiers did so, Lance pulled Luna aside. “Marelady, I cannot let you go to this... Kenshi without someone to guard you, for I fear for what will happen to you.”

Luna frowned, but Lance had a point. What Luna planned to do was a major gamble, and there was a chance that Kenshi will kill her or break free, but, she had to know the truth.

“Maybe your squire is ready for his first assignment. “

Lance shook his head, “you can't be serious, The sleipnir can har-”

Luna fixed him a cold stare and said, “the sleipnir will guard me. That's an order.”

Lance reluctantly nodded and made his way to fetch his squire. Luna turned around and headed for the dungeon.

{******}

Luna commanded the guards to open the cell that held Kenshi captive. Kenshi heard her come in, for his sense of touch, smell and hearing, as well as his psychic abilities was all he had since they took Sento from him. Not that he is helpless without it.

Luna gave him a smile and said, “greetings Kenshi.”

“I'm not sure I should be honored, or disgusted,” Kenshi said with venom dripping from his voice, “I suppose it's off to the gallows with me, but I'm warning you, I will escape.”

The Lunar soldiers moved to make him pay for the insult, but Luna closed the cell door and told them not to interfere.

Luna dismissed the Lunar soldiers and said,”Kenshi, I must know what my sister is planning to do, she was rambling about you stealing some secrets from her own personal archives, I must know about her plans immediately.”

“You… truly don't know, do you?” Kenshi said with surprise, “I can read you… and you seem completely honest, wait… I feel something, an attraction.”

Luna’s face started blushing.

“I only felt these waves of emotion when I read Suchin’s mind. Why is this…” Kenshi lifted his face and said with surprise,”you… you have affections for me?!”

A voice yelled “marelady Luna! You down here?”

“I’m here, Helm Lunar.”

A stallion that was about the same age and height as Big Mac came to the cell and entered it. This pony had a grey coat with a jet black mane and covered in chainmail with a surcoat depicting the Knights Lunar coat of arms. His eyes were winter green in color. But the strangest part was the four extra legs he had. He waited patiently and eyed Kenshi to ensure that the blind stallion did not attempt to harm Luna.

Luna said nothing for a minute, then said, “what are my sister’s plans?”

Kenshi replied, “mass genocide in the Forbidden Jungle and after that, lead a campaign into the Undiscovered West.”

“You dare lie to a princess?!” Helm snarled. He turned to Luna to ask if her could bitch slap the shit out of Kenshi, but Luna looked like she was about to cry.

“Marelady? Is something wrong?” Helm asked.

Luna looked up with tearful eyes and said, “yes, because I helped conceive the plan. Ever since the plan came into this world, it bothers my conscious when I sleeps eat or when i'm lost in thoughts, all alone. It is driving me mad with grief and guilt. That is why i’m questioning Kenshi, that’s why i’m rebelling against her.”

“Marelady… you can’t mean-” Helm began.

“-Marelady, the fortifications are secure and are ready for action,” shouted Lance into the dungeon. Luna nodded to the guards. The guards then entered the cell and began to unbind Kenshi.

“Marelady! Why are we freeing him?!” Helm said with absolute horror.

“Helm… Please try to understand,” Luna said.

One of the guards brought Kenshi his sword. Kenshi put it back in its scabbard and thanked the guard.

“Kenshi, you have the option to run from this place. This place will be attacked by Celestia before long. You can leave and protect the jungle from a massacre. Or, you can stay with us to make a final stand.. The choice is yours.”

Kenshi scanned all the ponies’s minds and found a foreboding sense of sadness and courage and fear.

Kenshi listened to the whispering words of his ancestors in Sento, and said, “I will stand with the Knights Lunar.”

Everypony was shocked that he chose to stand with him, even Luna. Helm then slowly trotted up to him and asked why.

To which, Kenshi answered, “Sento has informed me that there is another group traveling to the Forbidden Jungle to revive the serpent ponies. I believe they are more than capable of keeping the jungle safe. Plus, you could always use someone like me.”

Absolute shock and awe filled the room.

“Now, let’s prepare for the followers of the sun.

{******}

After a day in the bone-dry Badlands, Featherfang and company have reached the borders of the Forbidden Jungle. Featherfang could get an aura of awe and dread that the jungle seemed to radiate. It also radiated a sense of undiscovered beauty. The company agreed to try and find a water source as they stepped into the jungle, with Featherfang’s thoughts on something else.

Featherfang thought,

Lyra then trotted next to him, “Hey, Featherfang.”

Featherfang nodded and said hi back.

“I just wanted to thank you for helping me out, even though it was a bit unconventional,” Lyra said.

Featherfang shrugged, “I did what I thought was right, no need to thank me.”

“Still…” Lyra said with a blush, “I just wanted you to know.”

“Hey, guys! We found water!” Vinyl and Applejack said together with Remnant and Ryoma not far behind them.Ryoma the stallion had came from another dimension like Erron and Kenshi had, but from a different world, a world that he wanted to get back to badly. But he decided to join the group, teach Vinyl the way of the sword, and get back home so he can continued his search for somebody named Corrin before the Nohrians can get to him.

They all came across a stream that had a waterfall a couple feet away from them. The mist the waterfall produced only made them more thirsty, so Applejack and Vinyl and Lyra dashed to the water and drank like they never drank in their life. Ryoma was still getting used to his new stallion body, so he tried to cup the water with his hooves, which failed and reluctantly stuck his snout in the water and began to drink. Remnant and Featherfang both calmly drank the water.

When they were done, the all jumped in the water to wash off the dirt and dust from the Badlands.

Refreshed and energized, the group began their trek through the Forbidden Jungle.

Not even an hour into the jungle, a thunderstorm appeared. The rain was a practical jungle tsunami, but they pressed on. But even they knew they needed to seek shelter.

Soon they came across something similar to shelter, but about 20% cooler.

A massive jungle pyramid jutted out from the rainforest. It stood as it dominated these parts of the jungle for thousands of years. Its ancient stonework was inscribed with so many symbols and etching that not one knew about, but Featherfang felt a strange connection with. Remnant said, “we should probably spend the night in the pyramid, the storm isn’t letting up.”

“I agree,” said Ryoma, “the rain will bog down our progress.”

As everyone went to the pyramid, Remnant gave them a warning, “Don’t touch anything, and anything can still be alive in there.”

The group went up the steps of the pyramid that was practically five stories worth of stairs. They reached the top, breathing heavily, and noticed the temple on top with them.

“What's that?” Featherfang asked.

Remnant looked back to the group, “a temple to a jungle spirit.”

Featherfang began to take steps forward, mesmerized by the patterns of the temple. He could hear faint chanting coming from the temple, chanting, calling his name.

Featherfang turned to Remnant and said, “Let's get inside, let's get out of the rain.”

Remnant nodded and everybody went inside the temple.

Inside the temple was an altar with a pony’s skeletal remains played upon and a shriveled heart was in the stone mouth of some statue of a reptilian creature that looked like a dragon, but was not.

Applejack gulped and asked, “what spirit is this temple dedicated to?”

“Sugrotl, the earth shaker, lord of jungle rivers and lakes, also lord of dinosaurs” Featherfang said.

Everybody looked at him like he had two heads. Remnant asked how he knew that. Ryoma asked him what a dinosaur was.

Featherfang shook his head, “I-I don't know, it just came to me.”

“It must be your heritage-Hey what are you doing?!”

Featherfang was walking towards the stone, reaching for the heart.

“Somebody stop him!” Remnant cried as he ran towards Featherfang. Applejack managed to tackle the hybrid. But Featherfang hissed and stood up like nopony was on his back and continued to walk towards the statue. Vinyl got in his way, but was tossed aside onto the cold stone floor. Lyra attempted to see if Vinyl was alright while Ryoma and Remnant tried to help Applejack pin Featherfang. Featherfang only hissed and shook all three of them off, sending them into the temple walls. With everyone dazed, Featherfang reached out and grabbed the heart from the stone jaws of the statue.

Remnant screamed, “No, Featherfang!” As Featherfang drank the old blood from the heart.

From the blood, many things simply unlocked within Featherfang. All the sudden, he knew what the engravings meant on the wall, and felt a surge of power, both physically and magically. He erased all dobts about his father. And he suddenly understood the most basic of spells for a banned and forbidden type of magic- Blood Magic.

Out of his trance, Featherfang took a sharp breath and exhaled slowly, trying to understand what the fuck just happened.

Remnant shouted, “you son of a bitch! Do you know what you just did?!”

Then the floor began to shake.

Ryoma looked out the door and said, “something BIG is coming up the pyramid!”

Remnant had absolute horror written all over his face with such inspiring words like, “we're fucked,” coming out of his mouth.

The crew ran to the farthest wall, cornered and frightened out of their minds, except for Ryoma and Featherfang, with Ryoma having his Raijinto ready for action and Featherfang holding his chin high.

Suddenly, A giant bipedal dinosaur’s head appeared in the doorway to the small temple. Its slender snout flashed its conical teeth as it scanned the temple and spotted the group at the farthest wall. It let out a earth-shattering roar as the spinosaurus tried to squirm its way through the door with no such luck. It then roared in frustration and withdrawn itself from the doorway.

As the group stood there in shock, a stream of water entered the temple. It pooled in front of the altar that the pony skeleton layed. With sudden force, the water shot upward like a geyser and the water formed into the same terrible lizard that tried to force its way into the temple. The gargantuan beast roared and moved its drooling snout closer to the crew. Remnant got one of his stones in his hoof, still muttering about how fucked they are, Ryoma raised his katana, and both were about to strike.

But what stood between the gargantuan beast and the grim-faced adventurers, was the hybrid himself.

The dinosaur narrowed his eyes and spoke, “who DARES take my sacrificail heart?!”

“It was I, great and powerful Sugrotl,” Featherfang said.

The spirit let out an amused sound, and then sniffed the air,”It seems that one of you are not what they seem. I sense power among you. A power of winds and storms.” The spirit turned to Featherfang and said, “it’s you.”

Featherfang knew who this spirit was and what it is capable of doing, and he even knew the relationship between his father and Sugrotl. So, Featherfang spoke, “Indeed it comes from me, for I am the prophesized heir of the Serponies, the son of Quetzalcoatl.”

The spinosaurus gave a hearty laughter that shook the temple. He fixed his eyes on Featherfang, “So, Quetzalcoatl did get some plot after all, eh?

“Wha-

“ I thought that the people were off their rockers when they foretold that one, but I guess they were true. Anyways, now I understand why you took my sacrificial heart, you needed it more than I do.”

“So you forgive us?”

“I guess I do,” Sugrotl said, “After all these years waiting in the jungle rivers and lakes, I will finally crush Ahuitzotl’s regime.”

“Wait,” said Featherfang, “you survived the war?”

“I did, and even fought that dreaded ancestor and sword Apocalypse and almost died.” Sugrotl said with a hint of pride and sadness.

“Are there any Serponies around here?” Asked Lyra, who finally had the courage to say something.

Sugrotl took one look at Lyra and grinned, making everybody a bit nervous. He said, “that's funny, she is completely oblivious to what will happen to her.”

“What will happen to me?” Lyra squeaked.

“Nothing bad, just be ready to be treated like a queen.”

If question marks were physical, they would appear on the company’s heads.

The spirit motioned them to get out of the temple and they complied. After turning back into his physical form, Sugrotl said, “I will help you reach the Serponies. As soon as we get to the river, climb into my neck. Featherfang, you will have to fly, but fly low, we cannot risk you getting spotted by Ahuizotl’s men.”

Everyone nodded, and they descended from the pyramid.

{******}

It was mid afternoon when Celestia’s armies arrived. Wave after wave of golden armored troops, numbering at two-thousand. Every soldier was armed to the teeth and brought along their siege engines with them as well as the pegasus aerial knights. All they were doing was waiting for Celestia herself to arrive.

In the Knights Lunar castle, the knights were just as ready for the Celestians as the Celestians were for them. The foot soldiers only wore chainmail with snouted helms and carried a spear. They also had daggers and bows. The ones that have endured the training and trials that had become full-fledged knights had fully articulated steel plate armor. Some wore pigface bascinet helms and some wore stallion great helms. Each knight was equipped with a flail and bastard sword, with a dagger to the side. They wore a surcoat over their armor that depicted the Knights Lunar symbol.

Sir Lance was in front of the knights, his armor gleaming. He gave a quick nod to Luna to let her know that the five-hundred infantry and the fifty armored knights were ready. Luna gave a grim nod and flew to the gate and landed on top of it, a clear indication that she was waiting for Celestia to talk with her. When Celestia did arrive, the first thing she did was fly to Celestia to talk terms.

“Welcome sister,” Luna said.

“Luna, what is the meaning of this?”

“I can’t do it anymore, sister. I can't go to sleep knowing full well that I was part of creating a genocidal war. Please, cancel the plan so your hooves aren't stained with the blood of the innocent. Don't make me do this to you,“ Luna Pleaded.

“So you are willing to fight your own sister…” Celestia said shaking her head.

“Sister?”

Celestia turned to the her army and spoke, “bring down this castle, bring down those who would dare arm themselves against us. Cut their throats and pride, kill them all!”

The Celestian army cheered and began their assault

Luna gave her sister a horrified look and flew back to Lance, Lance in turn signalled the archers to do some damage and shoot down any aerial soldiers. Kenshi was there with the archers on the battlements, using his powers to bring down aerial soldiers, slamming them into the ground. The Celestia army then began to move their siege towers that were pulled by teams of two manticores. Helm, who was newly knighted before the battle, whose custom steel plate armor that was built for someone like him, and great helm shined in the daylight, pointed with his one-hoof sword at the manticores and shouted, “fire at the manticores, if they can't pull the siege towers, no one can!”

The force of archers split their attention. Half continued to fire at any pegasus soldiers, and the other half fired away at the manticores. Some foot soldiers were manning the ballistas and we're firing massive ballistas bolts at the manticores, killing them a lot faster than normal arrows.

However, Celestia ordered the catapults to be used, causing some casualties on the Knights Lunar side as the boulders came crashing down upon the battlements and walls of the castle, squashing some ponies. Some soldiers cringed, but continued to fight.

As soon as the manticores were down and out, the Celestian army began to move their shielded battering ram. Helm immediately shouted at the archers to fire at the chunks and gaps in the shield wall defence that was around the battering ram from the side and ordered the ballistas to try to pierce the armor that was equipped on the ram from the top. As the Celestian soldiers had difficulties defending the ram, Celestia began to cast a spell. This spell weakened the front wall near the gate, and Celestia ordered a catapult team to aim for the wall. The team recalculated the aim of the catapult and loaded it with a boulder. Then they let it fly.

Helm was giving new orders on top of the gate when he saw a strange glow come from the front wall, and then saw the boulder sailing through the air. Before he could say, “oh shit,” the boulder smashed into the castle wall and obliterated the stone wall. Screaming soldiers fell to their deaths and some lucky souls survived the fall.

With the a breach in their defenses made, the Knights Lunar lined up behind the breached wall, determined to hold the enemy. As the Celestians charged, Lance led half of the full-fledged knights to aid in the breach defence. Helm continued to order the soldiers on the intact walls to continue firing.

As the Celestian army clashed with the Knights Lunar, they found out quickly that the Knights were the better trained warriors. The infantry was on equal terms with the Celestian soldiers, but the steel-plated knights were an absolute threat on the battlefield. They effortlessly swung their swords, causing decapitation and slicing foes in half and from limb. Those that found themselves under the attack of a flail had their skulls smashed like a hammer smashing a grape and making the Celestial armor next to worthless.

While the knights were focusing on the breached wall, Celestia began to use magic to animate two of the siege towers to walk on their own. Seeing the armored siege towers move toward his position, Helm picked up his custom shield that allowed both right arms to hold the shield and picked up his sword. He stood on his four rear legs and commanded some soldiers to follow him. As the towers got closer, Helm closed his eyes and looked back to see the soldiers that will fight- and die, just to protect the castle and Luna.

As soon as the tower bridge dropped, the Celestian forces charged from the siege tower and met the Knights Lunar head on.

Helm shield bashed one Celestian off the bridge to his death and swung his sword into another Celestian. As he withdrew his sword from the Celestian corpse, spraying blood everywhere, three Celestians tackled the sleipnir and together they tumbled down the stone stairs that led to the besieged wall.

Helm got up quickly and saw that his shield has gone missing. Completely forgetting the missing shield and gripped the one-hoof sword in all for foreleg hooves. The first Celestian charged him and he quickly cut him down. The second and third charged Celestians charged him. Helm blocked one blow from the third Celestian’s spear and parried the second’s sword. He then charged the third one and ran him through, then pulled his word out, disemboweling the soldier. The other Celestian soldier managed to land a blow on his armored flank, but the blow bounced of the armor harmlessly. Helm turned around and sliced his weapon leg off and spun, decapitating the soldier.

Helm then took a deep breath and looked around him. He saw that the defence he led had held and is now destroying the siege tower, the archers are still firing at the Celestian forces and his mentor and the other full-fledged knights are holding back the enemy, inflicting heavy casualties. But some soldiers slipped through the line and were heading for him. Shouting a battlecry, Helm charged at them, ready to tear them apart.

Meanwhile, Celestia was less than pleased to see her troops getting slaughtered by the knights and decided to cut the head off the snake.

Celestia had a sword that was hanging on her flank that was black in color and emanated dark energies that even the gods fear. She spread her wings and bolted into the sky.

Luna spotted her sister coming at her, so Luna brought out her one-hooved, pointed crossguard flamberge called Moonbolt and flew towards her sister, ready to do what is necessary.

The two locked blades in the sky, the swords themselves creating a sonic boom when they connected.

Immediately everybody stopped fighting and watched the two sisters fight in the sky. Both unleashed their swords in archaic fighting styles with Celestia as the aggressor and Luna the defender.

“Are you MAD?! Why did you bring that sword?!” Luna cried as she blocked the sword Celestia swung with utmost fury.

“Because i’ll need it later on,” Celestia hissed and performed a downward strike, intent on breaking Luna’s guard. Luna’s Moonbolt instead sent the blocking vibrations back to Celestia, almost causing the sister of the sun to drop her blade. Celestia growled and struck again and again the vibrations annoyed her and almost caused her to fumble her weapon. Celestia then used her magic to send her sister into a castle tower that collapsed on her sister. Moonbolt fell from the tower and landed on the ground, hilt up.

The Knight Lunars were furious. They resumed their attack on the Celestians. Their fury was quickly pushing the Celestians back onto the field surrounding the castle.

The ferocity of the counter attack was lead by Sir Lance himself and his knight brothers. They smashed with flails, cut down with swords both two-hooved and one-hooved swords, skewered and chopped with halberds, and rammed lances and spears into their enemies.

The Celestian force was completely thrown into chaos and confusion, which made it easier for the Knights Lunar to kill Celestians.

See her lines break and getting heavy casualties, Celestia ordered a retreat for her army and swooped down and landed in front of Sir Lance as he finished killing five Celestian soldiers with one stroke of his bastard sword.

Lance lowered his head and charged at Celestia. Celestai blocked his incoming blows and fought against the seasoned knight. He was certainly more of a challenge.

Celestia slashed at his neck, which he parried and countered with a downward stroke, his sword biting into Celestia’s armor. Celestia yelled in pain and slashed at his belly, her legendary blade finding difficulty trying to get through the armor. She jumped back and evaluated her enemy.

“A valiant effort, Celestia,” Sir Lances’s voice seemed to ring from his helm, “But in terms of swordplay, you are outmatched.”

Celestia raised her sword, “But not in power.”

Her sword glowed in an even darker shade of black than it was before and the sword levitated from her hoof. It then became a black ball of fire and headed to the knight. Sir Lance tried to block the attack in vain, but instead was consumed by the black fire in a fiery explosion.

When the dust cleared, What was left of Sir Lance was a blackened steel plate and a scorched body underneath. The sword appeared in Celestia’s hooves and Celestia spread her wings and flew off after her army.

{******}

Helm slowly trotted his way through the smoke of the breached wall and battlefield, listening to the cries of victory and the chanting of the Knight Lunar’s oath. He wandered into the courtyard, coming across Moonbolt. The blade that was said to bee craffted from iron found inside a meteor that came from the moon itself.

Helm cautiously grabbed the divine sword and slowly withdrew it from the ground. The sword felt light and was just his size. The blade hummed as he held it close to his face to see the engraved filly on it holding the moon, with the moon shedding a tear despite the engraving showing no eyes or mouth.

Then a flashback tore into his mind.

He saw one shining colt and one silvery filly, playing together in the sky, and the sun and moon appeared together in the sky. He saw the primitive armies of an imposing stallion with the same mane as Luna and Celestia’s coat. He hefted the same black blade that Celestia used in the battle and pointed it to the two young ponies in the sky. The playful ponies quickly grew violent and started raining fire and silvery lightning at the army and their apparent commander, the stallion. The stallion then let go of the sword and the sword flew at the two young ponies. It slashed the shining one, killing it. It then flew at the now crying filly and killed her as her tears began to fall. As their bodies disintegrated, two orbs of light, one greyish-white and the other fiery yellow and orange floated down and the stallion grabbed them and left with his depleted army.

Helm then turned to see Luna standing at the entrance of the courtyard. The royal sister trotted up to him, “the sword chose you.”

Helm raised an eyebrow, “the sword chose me?”

“Indeed it has. I may be the one who controls the moon, but I clearly need to undergo more training to make myself worthy to hold it again. Therefore, can I count on you to keep it for me, until I am stronger?”

Helm knelt at her hooves and sai, “with my life.”

Luna gave him the sheath for Moonbolt and he put it inside the sheath.

He got up and followed Luna out of the courtyard and the two went outside the breach to see the knights retrieving the wounded and dead.

“Marelady Luna, did Lance survive?” Helm asked.

Luna was silent, which confirmed his suspicion.

He then let out a single tear of mourning, for he knew that his former master would scold him for lamenting his death. Still, he mourned in silence.

And Moonbolt materialized silver droplets on its blade.