The Price of Freedom

Even though their bodies were tired from having barely any rest over the last two days, their minds couldn't allow them to rest while Equestria was still in peril. As long as the corrupted shaman, Zel'Kiron still lived, Equestria would not know peace.

They were nearing the settlement, the final battle was approaching.

"Come on, we're almost there!" Hellbridge tried to motivate everyone. "Just a few more-"

"Inhio Hellbridge!" An indescribably loud shout emerged from the Crimson River Clan settlement. It seemed loud enough to be heard throughout all of Equestria.

The seven heroes stopped dead in their track after hearing the screaming. As they gazed upwards, they saw something flying over the walls of the settlement in a straight course towards them. The object was not large. As it came closer, it became clear just what it was. It was Zel'Kiron himself.

As he made contact with the ground, he smashed his staff against the earth, emitting a massive shock wave that sent all of the ponies flying away, leaving only Hellbridge and himself trapped inside a magical barrier.

"Hellbridge!" The man's allies shouted as they gathered around the outside of the barrier.

Hellbridge stared at the possessed shaman, and in his eyes he saw the burning hatred of a hundred thousand tortured souls as they screamed for release.

"It's time you finally answered for your betrayal, fallen kholanari!" the shaman spoke in a demonic voice. "It's time to see if you live up to the legends that surround you." He turned his staff into a whip of pure, red energy and started walking closer to Hellbridge.

"Taking the word puppeteer up to a whole new level, eh Nor'Kholan?" Hellbridge mocked the possessed shaman, who ignored his threats and readied his weapon for an attack. "You never should have left your cozy, little spectator seat."

"Grrrraaagh!" As a response to his mockery, Nor'Kholan roared and slashed his whip at Hellbridge.

Hellbridge rolled out of its way. "You took away the lives my people could have had, and yet you still dare accuse me of betrayal!?" He jumped aside to dodge another attack. "How many souls did we send you? How many more lives did you want us to take before you were finally satisfied!?" he yelled and dodged another attack.

"They were all weak!" he shouted in fury and attacked again, failing to hit Hellbridge another time. "The kholanari were the only race worthy of living in this universe!"

"Living!?" Hellbridge retorted. "We would continue to kill everything in our path, only to ultimately kill ourselves after there was nothing else left to kill?...Is that your idea of living!?"

"You will be silent!" he roared and focused all his might in another attack. As he missed, he didn't manage to pull his weapon back in time. Hellbridge seized the moment and sliced off the longer part of his whip. "Grrrrr!" The living puppet gritted his teeth and turned his broken whip into a massive, two-handed blade. "Enough attacking from a distance! It's time I taught you proper respect!" he screamed out and charged towards Hellbridge.

As soon as Nor'Kholan reached Hellbridge, he brought his sword down. Holding both blades crossed over his head, Hellbridge parried the blow and kicked the shaman in his gut, forcing him back a few steps. "And I will teach you what's it like to feel mortal!"

Infuriated by the pain he felt through the mortal body, Nor'Kholan swung his blade across the air. Hellbridge ducked to dodge the attack and jumped forwards to deliver a swift right hook to his opponent's face.

The ponies outside the barrier could only lean against the magical wall and hope that Hellbridge knows what he's doing. He seemed to be getting the upper hand in the fighting, but it also seemed like he was a bit overconfident.

"Had enough yet?" Hellbridge asked after delivering another punch.

"Never!" Nor'Kholan shouted and missed another swing. After  taking no less than half a dozen punches, he roared and switched his weapon again. This time it was the same kind of weapon that Hellbridge used. "Lets see how you like the taste of your own medicine!" He swung both blades forward. They were immediately intercepted by his opponents blades.

"Don't fight fire with fire if you can't control it," Hellbridge replied and kept parrying one attack after another.

Dodging became harder as the shaman's attacks became more frequent. Delivering punches also became a task too difficult to perform under such circumstances, so Hellbridge had to resort to parrying only.

The fighting went on for quite a while, as neither combatant seemed to be getting tired. It did seem like Hellbridge was using his swords more efficiently, but when their weapons collided and forced them into a power struggle, the wrath of Nor'Kholan proved superior over Hellbridge's will. Nor'Kholan knocked Hellbridge's swords right out of his hands and instantly plunged both blades into his chest.

"Nooooo!" The ponies outside the barrier cried out and started banging their hooves against it, but their efforts were in vain. They could only stare at the sight with their eyes full of tears.

It would seem that all their hopes were about to die along with their hero. Among the six ponies, Fluttershy was the one that was most devastated by the sight. She fell on her knees and covered her mouth as her eyes teared up so badly she could barely see.

"Any last words, Hellbridge?" the victorious shaman asked with an overconfident smirk on his face.

"Just three..." Hellbridge whispered and raised his head up. "Go to hell," he said with a grin no less cocky and shoved a dagger up the shaman's jaw.

"Raaaaaaaaaaghhhh!" the possessed body released his grip on the swords and screamed with demonic fury as red flames engulfed him and began to melt his flesh.

"I will see you burn for this, Hellbridge! You and every, single, pathetic creature that dared to aid you! Mark my words! I will damn your soul for all of eternity! You will never know peace! You will never know freedom!"

The flames only got larger, and the screaming only got louder. Energies of black and crimson colors started coursing through the shaman's body. Thunder-like sounds were heard without end until the sight finally dispersed into thin air.

The battle had been won, the barrier was shattered and the air felt breathable, once more, but the cost of victory was grave.

"Hellbridge!" The six ponies shouted out and rushed over to the barely conscious kholanari warrior.

"Hellbridge..." Twilight whispered as she lied down next to him. Her friends also approached him and sat down. They all stared at him in sorrow.

Hellbridge coughed in pain. "Why are you sad?" he asked in a tranquil voice. "Equestria and its residents are finally free, as are the souls of the kholanari."

"I only wish you could stay and enjoy the freedom you've fought so hard to obtain..." Twilight whispered and wiped a tear off her cheek.

"He he he..." Hellbridge laughed quietly. "Spilling blood and killing things was the only life style I've known over the last century. Equestria could never house a monster like me...Besides, I've already outlived any other kholanari warrior." He smiled at the skies.

Fluttershy couldn't take it anymore. She burst into tears and threw her hooves around the man's back. "Please don't go..." she cried out softly. "Please...You can't just leave!"

Hellbridge didn't reply right away, he only caressed her mane as he let her cry her heart out. When she finally lifted her head and gazed into his eyes with more tears lining up at the bottom of her own eyes, Hellbridge whispered, "Without you, I never would have known what true freedom feels like..." As his eyes closed and his hand dropped from Fluttershy's mane, he manage to whisper just two more words.

"Thank you..."

Even though his last words did comfort her, there wasn't anything that could have relieved her of the pain she felt inside at that moment. Right as Hellbridge drew his final breath, Fluttershy dropped her head on his chest and continued to cry her heart out.

"Rest in peace, Inhio..." Twilight whispered. "Rest free."