The Lost Worlds

Chapters

Prologue: Worlds that Cross.
Bars, Blood and gods.
Hatred
Testament to Water
Forged, and Broken
The World Eater
On the Plains of Death
When the Dead Hunt...
Saburo
Last Stand
Conviction
Endgame

Prologue: Worlds that Cross.

“Many ponies seem to think that our world is just another in the universe, floating around aimlessly in the cosmos. Even the most magical scholars seem to believe this. But, I can say without a doubt that our world was the first world willed into existence by the gods, the Prime World. Our world helped spawn all the others and their gods… and spawned our threats.”

-Translated from: The Journals of Star Swirl the Bearded, Vol. 9.

{¤¤¤}

He felt calm, collected and at peace in the void of death. His killer instincts were turned off, his mind was numb. He felt as his he has been in the void since he felt the heir of Isildur’s blade slice through his neck.

He couldn't count the minutes, the days, the weeks, the years. It all felt like a lifetime to this uruk hai in the void.

Suddenly, he felt himself being filled by something. As he began to get filled, his emotions came back to him. His memories, his being, his… name.

He spoke into the void his name.

“Lurtz…Lurtz…”

The void echoed his name, and a blinding white light lit up the darkness in the shape of a star. Lurtz felt himself getting pulled towards the star of light. His emotions kicked in, feeling fear for the first time.

“Do not be afraid,” the void seemed to say, “you are not done yet.”

Lurtz reached out towards the light, and it then flashed and grew unbearably brighter, until he was so blinded by the light that he couldn't see his own hand.

“WAKE UP!” the void said in a booming voice.

{¤¤¤}

Light flooded Lurtz’s eyes, causing him to wince in annoyance. He got up on all fours and slowly turned his head around to scan the environment he was in.

It was the outskirts of a forest, with a town near him. He then slowly looked down in disgust and bewilderment as he realized that his body structure resembled something familiar in his world of Middle Earth.

He slowly examined his hoof, the hoof itself feeling like it was there the entire time, like it was the hoof that drew back the arrows that slain Boromir.

He spotted a small pond near him and he galloped toward it. He stopped at the water's edge and gazed at the reflective surface to fully grasp his appearance.

He still had the white hand markings, (now white hoof markings) on his face and his scout armor on. His Uruk hai bow was slung over his back, underneath his shield. and his arrows were on his right flank, while his Uruk hai sword was on his left. Lurtz made a rather evil smile when he learned that he came into this world fully armed.

He still had all the key features of a Uruk his. He still had the yellow eyes, the jagged teeth and the dark color of a normal Uruk, but it was all ponyfied. His wild hair was now a wild and shaggy mane.

After he checked himself over, he tried some combat moves in his new form. It felt the same and looked the same to his surprise, and he was glad he can still kick ass and take names.

But then, Lurtz wondered how he came back to life. He knows he was killed by Aragorn, so how was he still alive? How does he still have his left foreleg? How does he still have his head? How did that stab wound through the chest simply vanish?

Lurtz did not know how this all came about, but he was determined to find out, no matter how many ponies he would kill so he can learn the truth.

Lurtz made sure he had everything he needed and walked into the woods to make a shelter, for he was pretty sure that the townsponies would throw a fit if they saw him.

{ΩΩΩ}

Trixie sat in the main chamber of a forgotten temple, earnestly translating the huge scratches on the stone wall into something she could understand.

This forgotten temple is her home, ever since she lost that duel to Twilight Sparkle.

Trixie was now a shadow of herself. She has abandoned the “Great and Powerful” moniker for the “Great and Humble” to show that she was no longer great as she thought she was.

She lived like a hermit, only going into Ponyville to shop for supplies. If she ran into anypony, she would put up the snobby personality so they would leave her alone.

Eventually she wandered towards the borders of the Crystal Empire and found this Forgotten Temple. She broke in, and now it is her home, a place all to herself.

The forgotten temple itself was dedicated to a dragon-god named Alduin, lord of destruction.

Ever since she found the temple, she studied the folklore of this dragon-god, only seeing his name appear twice in the entire temple. Once on a word wall and in the small spell tome library.

When she found the library of spell tomes in a small room, she found herself practicing this new form of spells and magic of another world. She could cast lightning bolts that drained magic power from her enemies, conjure an ethereal sword, and even raise the dead to serve her. Maybe… she could even defeat Twilight with her new knowledge of the power of Tamrielic spells.

Even with all the spells she had to master, the Dovahzul language provided another feat she couldn't resist to accomplish. Translating it would allow her to delve deep into the power of dragons and allow her to even communicate with Alduin himself, something Trixie was bent on doing so she could learn about another magic power that only dragons of Alduin’s world can do.

Trixie wiped her brow and closed her Dovahzul translation journal. She then sat and stared at the word wall, scanning the scratches of the claws of dragons.

Trixie got up and trotted out of the main sanctum, through the Hall of Stories, and to the entrance. She took a sharp right turn and opened the old, aged door to reveal her room.

Her room itself was small, matching the size of three janitor closets. Her sleeping bag was on the stone floor, with a pile of straw underneath so the cold stone floor didn't make her lose sleep. Her food supply was next to the sleeping bag and her saddle bags next to that as well.

She collapsed on her sleeping bag and grabbed an apple that she stole from Applejack's family acres with her hoof and began to munch on it as she put the pieces together in her mind the steps to summon Alduin.

She knew that there was a secret chamber under the word wall, but to get there she had to learn the Dragon language. She then had to mix purified Frost, Fire, and Void Salts then cut herself with a dragon priest knife and squeeze three drops of blood onto the center of a drawn symbol on the floor. Then recite a sentence in Dovahzul to initiate the spell.

She already had the salts, and almost got killed by the entities that provided the salts, and knew that the knife was buried with a dragon priest in the secret chamber. A foe she could not defeat alone, she would need help on that one.

That left her with the language.

Trixie finished her apple and retired for the night, thinking herself to sleep.

{Ω¤Ω}

The Pegasi ponies never forgotten the Cloudsdale battle during the War of the Serpents.

It was a major blow to Pegasi pride. Throughout history, the Pegasi were the unrivalled champions of war. They were the troops that made the up Equestrian army's heart and soul. They were the ones raring to fight and the best trained soldiers.

But all it took for them to get their boastful teeth kicked down their throat was when a bunch of Serponies and their god showed up and destroyed Cloudsdale, nearly burning it to the ground and killing almost all of its soldiers.

It has since been rebuilt, but to this day, all Pegasi hold a year-old grudge against the Serponies.

One Pegasus was standing on a cloud that overlooked part of the rebuilt Cloudsdale, his ragged, silver-colored mane flowing in the wind. This Pegasus stallion also had a light-gray coat, a silver tail, an aquamarine eye and a milky-white eye that was blinded by an explosion during the Battle of Cloudsdale. He had a cutie mark that showed a breeze of wind blowing behind a Gorgon’s head

Aether Aegis was the Pegasus’s name.

Aether Aegis was a soldier by birth and lineage, a direct descendant of Commander Hurricane. He enlisted in the Equestrian army as soon as he turned of age, ready to fight for his kingdom and die for it.

But when Quetzalcoatl smashed the city to splinters, Aether Aegis was dragged away by his superior officer before the officer himself was gutted by a machuital the size of himself. In fact, he could still recall the feeling of intestines splattering all over his face as the Serpony warrior shredded his officer's body.

After that fateful day, Aether has dedicated himself to reviving his ancestor’s hoplite army, hoping to create a standing army for all Pegasi.

Aether didn't know it, but he was about to embroiled in a war that the Equestrian continent has never seen before, and he will get his chance to redeem his people.

Aether looked towards the horizon as sunset began.

“Soon… very soon,” He whispered to himself.

Bars, Blood and gods.

Chapter 1: Bars, Blood and gods.

“...The greatest sin that all of ponykind is guilty of, including myself, is believing that WE control the cosmos, and we can pervert it however we want…”

-Translated from: The Journals of Star Swirl the Bearded, Vol. 8

{ฯΩฯ}

King Helm Lunar sat upon the hilltop, overlooking the battlefield. He raised his hoof and quickly brought it down, causing the Lunardite Army to charge forward towards the charging army of Applekoto. As his army clashed with the opposition, he noticed a green armored, Hoshidan-style samurai charge forward with the Darksaber in hoof and a familiar blond mane, slicing through some of his soldiers with ease. After cutting down two more soldiers, the samurai turned towards the king.

“Lunardite general. You face the Daimyo of Applekoto, Applejack! I challenge you to single combat!”

The king's eyes turned to steel as he said, “...I accept your challenge. But, what you face is not a Lunardite general, but the king of Lunardom himself!”

Applejack snarled and got into the stance that Ryoma taught her, “you changed, Helm. You are now nothing more than a power-hungry fool.”

King Helm Lunar slowly pulled out his two-hooved sword, the blade known as Helheim, reforged from the parts of Moonsorrow and infused with Nohrian black magics. This fearsome black bladed weapon glowed a faint green as the king said, “ you have no hope of winning.”

Applejack charged, and so did the king. Both rulers were cutting down enemy soldiers that were in their way. When the two clashed blades, the metallic sound of steel rang throughout the battle field as Lunardites and Applekotojin fought along the sides of the Ghastly Gorge.

{Ω¤Ω}

Aether Aegis trotted through the Cloudsdale forums, taking a quick look over the stalls and vendors of food and drink.

He spotted the stallion he was looking for. The stallion was an old friend of his named Cloud Shine.

The stallion saw him and trotted towards him, saying, “well, if it isn't Twitter shit himself, the proud descendant. How are you doing today?”

Aether let a small chuckle escape his mouth, “I swear, if the other delegates in Canterlot saw you talking like that, they would throw you out of the embassy.”

“Ah, to Tartarus with them! They're a bunch of pampered dickheads if you ask me. Say, let's not talk in the open. You want to talk at the Thunderhead?”

“Sounds good to me.”

The two began to head towards the Thunderhead, a bar that has a reputation for attracting unsavoury ponies. Only Pegasi with death wishes or secret businesses, or looking to get lucky go there for drink.

The entered the notorious Thunderhead, taking a good look at the Pegasi with questionable backgrounds. Near the fireplace, a band of bards played their instruments, weaving notes into beautiful songs.

The two friends went up to the bar counter and ordered some Thundershot, a drink that combined lemon, lime, and crushed red pepper, (since they both knew they needed to be sober later on, with the legal age as low as twelve!)

They picked a table in the back corner of the bar and began talking, ignoring the glares of the bar’s patrons.

“How is your sister doing?” Aether asked.

“Minerva? She's doing fine. She took a vacation in Lunardom. Why she did is beyond me.”

With a smile, Aether said, “I bet she's turning heads in Lunardom, betcha some stallions already tried to get a one night stand with her.”

Cloud Shine laughed, “If you weren't my friend, i'd sock you in the snout and then rip your balls off, but I don't think that i'll win the fight anyway. Plus, Minerva is smarter than that. Remember the time when a Wonderbolt tried a to use a dirty pick up line on her, and she went around him and bucked him in his gonads?”

Both stallions burst out laughing and pounding the table with their hooves. Tears threatened to escape their eyes as Aether said in between fits of laughter, “and-and you remember *chuckle* when she then dragged him outside and literally curb-stomped him? And she broke his teeth and jaw?! Put the bastard in the hospital!”

To other ponies, this would not strike them as hilarious, but these two thought it was downright funny. Their laughter reached an even higher level when Cloud started to imitate a toothless Wonderbolt, causing even more laughter that was not only from those two, but some stallions and even the bards thought it was funny.

Eventually, the laughter died down and Aether said, “Alright, alright. Time to get down to business.”

“That's a kill-joy. Alright, what do you need to know?”

“Has my militia papers been accepted?” Aether asked.

Cloud shrugged as he downed his Thundershot, then motioned to the bartender that he wanted another one. He then turned to Aether and said, “the papers have been accepted and the ratification of the papers is happening now.”

Aether nodded, “good. It's all going accordingly to plan.”

The bartender gave Cloud Shine another Thundershot and went back to the bar counter.

Cloud Shine asked, “Aether, may I ask why you want to bring back the hoplites of old?”

Aether looked at his drink, “because, I believe that all Pegasi need to be able to hold off an attack from anypony. Hoplites had impenetrable defences and a history of winning every battle they fought in.”

Cloud snorted, “yeah, every battle, except The Battle of Galloping Gorge, where Unicorn mages roasted them alive inside their own armor. Not a single Hoplite survived that battle, save the ones that didn't fight that day, which were five hundred that would end up making a last stand and eventually get annihilated.”

Aether shook his head, “it will be different this time.”

Cloud gave him a doubtful look, “look, I know that your ancestors used hoplites in the past, but that was the past. Now, we tons of ways to take down the hoplites. I’m talking spells that will melt the armor off like a butter stick in a microwave.”

“Hoplites were the best soldiers, the triumph in the army of Commander Hurricane. He trusted those soldiers and they never lost when he was in charge. It was that stupid general that sent the hoplites in instead of making the smart decision and sending the light infantry first.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that they still lost.”

Aether looked down at his drink. He understood the dangers of magic towards his dream of rebuilding the hoplite army. Magic was an armored soldier’s worst nightmare.

“I’ll give it some thought.”

Cloud gave him a serious look, “magic is not your only issue. Some ponies in the Canterlot Embassy view your plan to rebuild a lost warrior culture as an immediate threat. Some of them tried to get the embassy council to appeal to Celestia and Luna to arrest you.”

Aether gritted his teeth, “why in Tartarus’s name would they do that?!”

“Think about it. You are a direct descendant of Commander Hurricane, a well known conqueror. His descendants go on to become the most feared and respected Pegasi in the history of Equis.Your bloodline, your ancestors, have made war and has sacked Canterlot five different times. Your pedigree is a sign of the power you can wield, so you are a threat. If you want to build an army, it is an automatic red flag and many ponies will view it as the birth of another Pegasi conquest. With Celestia and Luna trying to rebuild the Equestrian army after the War of the Serpents left it in shambles, it is only logical that others fear your plans.”

“Only paranoid pricks should fear my plan,” Aether said as he finished his drink.

He set down his glass and said, “what news about the major kingdoms.”

Cloud finished his drink and motioned with his hoof to the bartender for round three. Although the drink is not alcoholic in nature, all that red pepper will give him the shits latter on.

The bartender carried the tray with his mouth as he trotted over to their table. Cloud picked up his drink with his hoof and the bartender went back to the counter.

“Where do I begin… let’s start with the Forbidden Jungle. Featherfang has his hooves full with bandits trying to steal the empire’s surplus of gold. Other than that, Empress Lyra Heartstrings has given birth to Featherfang’s heir.”

“Really?” Aether asked.

“Indeed,” Cloud Shine answered, “she has given birth to a filly. They named her after the primordial goddess of dawn. So, her name is Aurora Stream. Have no idea why they gave her the “stream” part of her name.”

“Any idea what she looks like?”

Cloud shook his head, “not a clue. She is supposed to be brought over to Canterlot to show her to the royal sisters as an act of goodwill, but her appearance has been kept a secret because many radical pro-Equestrian groups that have yet to be destroyed will love to assassinate the heir to the empire.”

Aether chewed on that thought, then said, “what about Lunardom?”

“Because of their alliance with Nohr, they have rapidly grown in power over the past year. So much so, that they began flaunting their military’s strength. Yesterday, they engaged the army of Applekoto at the Ghastly Gorge, and they are still fighting them there. It’s a war zone down there.”

Aether then asked about Applekoto, to which, Cloud responded, “same thing with Lunardom, except, replace Nohr with Hoshido.”

Aether thought long and hard. He then said, “”let’s hope the war doesn’t spill onto Pegasi airspace and land, otherwise we are screwed.”

{ΩΩΩ}

Trixie hummed an incantation, calling a Bound Sword. She smiled as the ethereal sword appeared and hovered in the air. She grabbed it with her hoof and swung it around, getting a good feel for the magical blade.

Trixie had been studying the eldritch magics of Alduin’s world for so long that she barely even needed the entire incantation to cast a simple spell. She could call Bound weapons with a single thought and a simple gesture.

She was so close, but she still had that Dragon Priest in her way.

She needed to find somepony that had skills in the art of war, somepony that can help her pull Alduin into their world. If she can just do that...

Trixie dispelled the Bound sword and grabbed her translation journal. She made her way to the main chamber and faced the word wall.

She bit her lip in thought, then opened up her journal and began to write.

{#¤Ω}

Lurtz roared in pain as he felt a spearhead peirce his ribs, threatining to cut them in half.

He faced the Equestrian soldier, his uruk sword in hoof, and growled with pure hatred.

He slammed his hoof on the spear shaft, snapping it in two. He then pulled the spearhead out of his body and stabbed the soldier in the throat. He then swung his sword at the soldier that was choking on his own blood, and sliced the poor stallion in two horizontally.

The other soldiers still fired their arrows at Lurtz, but they were terrible shots, not even coming near Lurtz’s body. Lurtz took cover behind a tree and put his sword away and brought out his uruk composite bow, the weapon that killed the great warrior. He pulled a black colored arrow from his quiver and came out of cover and took aim. As soon as he saw the captain of the company of soldiers giving orders, he let the arrow fly. The arrow hit its mark with a resounding thud, and the captain flopped to the ground, a black uruk arrow that punched through his helmet and stuck in his head.

Lurtz then continued to rain Tartarus on the remaining soldiers, killing soldiers, laughing and roaring as he did so.

Soon, nearly all the soldiers were dead. Only two out of the twenty soldier group survived, and that was because they ran off to live and warn.

Lurtz slung his bow on his back, went back down on all four blood-drenched hooves, and began going around the bodies of the fallen to retrieve his arrows.

He was next to body number seventeen when he saw body number eighteen move. He growled and trotted over to eighteen.

Turns out, eighteen survived being shot through his throat, the arrow somehow missed all the major arteries and the windpipe, which was next to impossible.

Eighteen saw Lurtz coming for him, and tried to get up and flee. However, Lurtz simply tackled him to the ground. He held his hoof to eighteen’s throat, just below the protruding arrow, and growled. His eyes seemed to be scanning the soldier’s soul.

“You-you... monster! Celestia… will have your...head,” the soldier choked out.

“Who is this Celestia? You pitiful soldiers speak of her so highly. Maybe I want to pay her a ‘visit’.” Lurtz said, his mouth forming into a sadistic grin.

The soldier spat on Lurtz, saying, “go to Tartarus!”

Lurtz roared and took the arrow that was lodged in the soldier’s throat and tore it out. While eighteen’s throat started gushing like a waterfall, Lurtz rose on his two hind legs and grabbed the soldier’s head hair. Lurtz then roared as he punched at the neck wound, causing his hoof to punch straight through the soldier's neck, ripping through the windpipe, the esophagus and the spine. His hoof came out the other side of the neck.

Eighteen’s throat gurgled and he fell, twitching and blood pooling.

Lurtz picked up the arrow that was in eighteen’s throat and said, “not as good as man-flesh, but definitely better than maggot bread.” He got back on all fours and bit down on one of the legs of eighteen and began to drag the corpse back to his campsite.

In fact, his campsite was the reason he just killed so many soldiers. You see, his campsite was an ancient ruin that was vastly overgrown with moss and vines, that was also occupied by outlaws. He killed the outlaws before the soldiers came to kill them, causing the soldiers to think that he was an outlaw himself.

Lurtz put the body next to the fire in his campsite, and began to field dress it. He spent a good ten minutes slicing off some chunks of meat. He then fashioned a spit, and put some meat on it and began to slow roast it.

Then the bushes of roses that surrounded the overgrown ruins and the campsite began to rattle. He quickly sniffed the air, for a uruk hai can detect others with their crazy good sense of smell. He smelled nothing, causing him to pay no attention and he continued his sick barbeque.

Then, the blood on the ground from the dressed body began to glow, the wind picked up a little as a warm breeze and the sounds of battle could be heard faintly on the wind.

Lurtz did not notice this until he was halfway done with his stallion steak. He narrowed his eyes as he listened to the sounds of the war-wind and observed the glowing blood.

Lurtz slowly drew his uruk hai sword and was debating whether to get the fuck out of there, or wait.

The blood began to rise and take on a pony-like shape. The figure stood there, and Lurtz growled.

Then, the blood slid down the figure, revealing a dark green stallion… with a deer’s skull instead of a normal pony head. It also wore a bear pelt like a cape, with the bear claws still attached to the cape.

The deer skull stallion slowly opened its jaws, its tongue still in the skull, and a voice that was barely a whisper, it reached out to Lurtz.

“Lurtz…”

Lurtz could feel the power, the malice that raidiated off of the spectre. Lurtz yelled, “what in Saurons name are you?!”

The jaws stayed opened, and didn’t move as the spectre spoke, “I am...the forgotten...hunter, the betrayed protector,... the… entombed god. I am Cernunnos… the god of the hunt, the forests, and...war. Also known as Herne... the hun...ter.”

The stallion rose on its hind legs and said, “your acts of brutality and war has awakened me from my long slumb...er. I need you… to restore my body.”

Lurtz bared his teeth, “and why would I do that?”

“Because,... I need to… reclaim my domain. My forests. I...need to hunt… the wielder of...Apocalypse. He destroyed...my body. I need to… quench the… bloodlust of… bat...tle.”

Cernunnos raised both front legs, causing the rose bushes to part and Lurtz saw a stone altar, with carved runes and a carved likeness of Cernunnos on the side.

The spectre of the god pointed at Lurtz, “I need you to… sacrifice… a pony with no...wings...or horn...on this altar. I can use their...life… to bring...my physical body b...ack. Do this, and I...will...reward you.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then you won’t get...the reward, power...that will allow you to...ta...ke revenge on the one who killed...you,” the god said.

With that, the spectre vanished.

Lurtz was stuck alone with the fire crackling. He took another bite of his ponywitch and began to think on how to hunt down the two escaped soldiers.

Hatred

Chapter 2: Hatred

"Hatred is a thing that never forgets and never forgives. Its very existence poisons the mind, making the victim and the victims enter a never ending cycle of pain and evil. Sometimes, even one small act of hatred can even change the world."

~Star Swirl the Bearded, On Black Magic

Luna and Celestia sat on their thrones, awaiting the arrival of the Serpony royals.

Luna was a bit curious. She was eager to see this new heir to the Serpent Throne. Her mind was swimming with thoughts on the filly, on how she would grow, and how she would carry on Featherfang’s legacy. Celestia was more concerned about the filly herself. She was trembling in thought as she realized that the filly had probably inherited all of Featherfang’s powers and abilities. Mixed with Unicorn blood, that filly had more magical power in her blood than either of her parents ever did. Although Celestia was happy for Lyra and Featherfang, she could not shake the feeling of fear, a fear of the future and what it has in store.

Also attending were two representatives from Applekoto and Lunardom respectively. Representing Applekoto was Applejack’s second-in-command, Vinyl Scratch. During the year of peace she became a different type of Hoshidan samurai known as a Master of Arms and has led many successful battles against the barbarous Chimerae Raiders that raided the coastal villages along the South Luna Ocean.

Representing Lunardom was a Nohrian-style earth pony General named Iron Sides, famous for curb-stomping the Griffon army during the Battle of Baltimare. This battle caused Baltimare to favor Lunardites and scorn Equestrian forces, for the Equestrian army failed where the Lunardom forces did not.

The two representatives glared at each other, daring the other to draw their weapon.

Soon, a commander of the palace guard galloped into the throne room, shouting, “The Emperor and his Empress has arrived!”

The two princesses nodded and the representatives stood up, ready to gauge the Serpony royal family.

The doors to the throne room opened, and Featherfang and Lyra Heartstrings made their way with their heads held high. following them were some Serpony warriors and Serponies carrying strange baskets.

The royals stopped in front of the two rulers of Equestria, and took a bow.

“Welcome, Lord Featherfang and Lady Lyra,” Luna said.

The two got up and looked at the representatives. “Are these two the representatives of the two warring kingdoms?” Lyra asked.

“Indeed they are.”

Iron Sides trotted up to the two royals, his armor clanking and his steps shaking the ground slightly. “My name is General Iron Sides. I have the honor of representing Lunardom.” He then bowed.

Featherfang nodded and the general got up. Vinyl trotted up to Lyra and said, “do you remember me, marelady?”

Lyra smiled, “how could I forget you? It’s good to see you Vinyl.”

Vinyl bowed, and then Celestia spoke, “I must ask, what is inside those baskets?”

“Gold and jewels, marelady,” the lead Serpony warrior said. The Serponies that carried the baskets opened them and dumped the goods on the floor, causing a cascade of gems and precious metals.

The sheer amount of riches piled on the floor caused the Royal Guards’ jaws drop.

“Is this why bandits try to enter your borders so much?” Celestia asked.

“Indeed. My ancestors kept tombs of wealth hidden deep inside their temples. What you see is the amount that came out of a rather large jar,” Featherfang said.

“...wow,” Luna said as she gawked at the treasure.

Lyra broke the silence, “this is payment for a deal we wish to make.”

Celestia narrowed her eyes, “what deal are we talking about?”

Featherfang said, “we wish to offer monthly payment, the same amount that you see on the floor, if you help us with our bandit problems.”

Celestia replied, “we will talk after we see you offspring. After all, that’s why you are here, right?”

Featherfang scowled, then turned to his wife and nodded. Lyra moved to the side to reveal the filly that was hiding behind her.

The filly had a very faint blue coat. Her mane had streaks of white and icy blue, her eyes shone like sapphires underneath a running brook. She had a Unicorn horn and inherited her father’s wings and snake tail. Not one bit of her was covered in feathers.

The entire group gasped in awe and wonder.

“Princess Celestia and Luna, I present my pride and joy, my daughter Aurora Stream,” Lyra said.

Celestia was speechless. In front of her was an Alicorn filly that has the blood of the sky god flowing through her with Unicorn blood tossed in for good measure. If she lived long enough, that filly could very easily kill Celestia and Luna if she wanted to.

While Celestia was thinking about all the things that could go wrong, Luna was thinking about all the things that could go right. With enough training, Aurora Stream could become the best Empress the Serponies have ever known.

Vinyl and Iron Sides were both shocked. If the Serponies had an Alicorn that could wield all the potential power that the filly had inside her, they would be unstoppable. After they leave the meeting, they both will tell their respective lords to prepare… just in case.

Before they could say something, a guard galloped into the room. When he reached the bottom of the two sister’s thrones, he knelt and gasped for some air before saying, “marelady, riots in the streets!”

Celestia immediately jumped off her throne and asked, “riots?! Are you sure?”

“Yes, marelady. The rioteers have found out that princess Aurora is here!”

“Who told them that?! nopony, save the embassy, knows that she was supposed to visit today!” Luna said.

The guard responded, “a hooded stallion told them and worked the town into a frenzy. We tried to stop him, but he… cut down my friend…”

“Wha-”

“He leads the riots, and they are heading this way. Their intent is to get Aurora, and kill anypony that is in their way.”

A loud crash and bang was heard outside the throne room, and the galloping of royal guard hooves filled the hallway outside the throne room. The guards shouted orders to pull all guards to defend the gate.

Featherfang growled and transformed into his sky serpent form. Lyra drew her sword, Chillrend, and told Aurora Stream to get behind her.

“Mama, Papa, what’s going on?”

Lyra looked down at her daughter, “Nothing, my dear quetzal. Stay close to mommy, alright?”

The filly nodded and she hid behind her mother.

Iron Sides picked up his silver lance and said, “I’ll join the defence of the gate with the guards. I’ll make those rebels wish that they were never born!”

“I’m coming too!” Vinyl Scratch said.

“I don’t need help from Applekotojin pussies,” Iron Sides spat.

“You can’t stop me, Lunardom scum. I’m coming, whether you like it or not.”

The General growled, then he turned and galloped to the gate, with Vinyl close behind.

~//\~

The two warriors went up to the gate. The gate was closed, but if the riot continues, the gate will fall. As the two stopped in front of the gate, a captian of the guard trotted up to them, horror written all over his face.

“What’s wrong, captain?”

“My watchtowers sent word that the rioteers have… raided the Canterlot Arsenal.”

Vinyl’s eyes widened, “then that would mean-”

Thwack!

The body of a guard dropped from the rampart that was on top of the gate, an arrow in his head.

“captain! They are armed and are trying to kill us!” one guard said as he fired an arrow at the crowd, killing the rebel archer.

“Why did you kill one?! Deadly force is not authorized!”

“They are killing us captain!”

The captain cursed and then shouted, “deadly force is authorized! I repeat, deadly force is authorized!”

Another guard fell with an arrow lodged in his throat, he gurgled and spasmed before he was still.

The Lunardite General hefted his spear and said, “good luck trying to stay alive, Applekoto bitch.” He then galloped up the stairs and jumped off the wall, landing in front of the gate and crushing some rioteers as he landed. He swung his silver lance and killed five ponies with one fell stroke. He laughed and said, “behold, the power of a Lunardite General!”

He got up on his hind legs and began thrusting and swinging his lance into every rebel he could reach. Arrows and normal weapons and rocks bounced off his armor like rubber balls on pavement. Vinyl rolled her eyes and grabbed her naginata. Before she could jump off the wall to join the General, She felt a searing pain on her side. It was an arrow.

Then another arrow hit her head, and the world went pitch black.

The General then noticed a hooded stallion making his way through the crowd, holding a Nohrian sword called an armorslayer. Armorslayers were made to go through armor like Iron Sides’s.

The General twirled his lance, ready to shish-kebab the hooded stallion.

But suddenly, the hooded stallion disappeared from the General’s vision, then reappeared in front of him.

Before the General could respond, The armorslayer sliced into his belly, almost disemboweling the Lunardite. As the General doubled over in pain, the hooded stallion sliced off his head. The General’s body fell over, lance still in hoof.

~*¥*~

“They broke through! All remaining guards to the gate!”

Royal guards galloped through the hallways, hoping that they survive the fight ahead.

Featherfang and Lyra were ready for anything. With Celestia and Luna next to them, ready to defend the throne and the heir.

Soon, a group of rioters burst into the throne room with weapons taken from the fallen guards.

They charged at the group, aiming for the little filly behind them.

Featherfang roared and swung his tail, smashing aside some of the aggressors while his wife engaged in some swordplay with three others. Luna charged and swung Moonbolt downwards, slicing a pony in half. Celestia summoned a spear of white light and flung the spear at the main body of rebels, a flash of light was followed after an explosion that sent the rioteers in many directions.

They then looked towards the busted doors, seeing a hooded stallion. The stallion had a Nohrian wyrmslayer, a sword made to kill dragons and anything related to them.

Featherfang growled and lunged at the hooded stallion, his teeth flashing.

The hooded stallion fought back, trying to get the dragon-slaying blade to land a blow on Featherfang’s serpent body. Then, the hooded stallion with the armorslayer appeared and galloped at Lyra, who barely parried the incoming attack. More rebels poured in, attacking Luna and Celestia, and trying to jump onto Featherfang to bring him down.

Then, Lyra was kicked down.

Featherfang roared and bit and thrashed, but those that did managed to climb onto him weighed him down, making it the perfect opportunity for the hooded stallion with the wyrmslayer to make his move. He jumped, and swung the wyrmslayer as hard as he could.

Featherfang screeched in pain as the serrated blade went through his flesh like a hot knife through butter. Featherfang flopped to the ground and the hooded pony didn’t let up, slashing and slicing Featherfang’s flesh. He then held the blade high and brought it down on the Emperor’s head.

Featherfang was no more.

Celestia and Luna were cornered and desperately fighting the mass of rebels that were pouring into the throne room. They saw Featherfang and Lyra go down, and looked in absolute horror as the hooded stallion with the armorslayer advanced upon Aurora Stream.

Luna and Celestia were fighting like madmares, trying desperately to get to Aurora before it was too late.

The hooded pony dropped his armorslayer and drew a decorative knife. He stood on his hind legs, grabbed Aurora by the throat and lifted her up.

Celestia broke free and flew at the hooded stallion, reaching out towards Aurora. Then, the hooded stallion with the wyrmslayer tackled her and raised his blade high.

Celestia formed another light spear and stabbed the hooded pony through the chest, causing ghostly flames to spring forth. The hooded stallion looked at the wound it just recieved, then it dissolved.

The other hooded stallion rammed his knife into Aurora.

Then he stabbed her again, and again, and again, and again. Luna killed the last pony that was in her way and ran at the hooded stallion that was stabbing the child of Featherfang and Lyra. She rammed Moonbolt through the hooded stallion’s skull, causing him to dissolve, and Aurora to drop onto the floor.

Then, an Equestrian military force burst into the throne room. Led by Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle, the Equestrian force began to slaughter all the rebels in the room.

Seeing that they were outnumbered and outgunned, the rioters fled, with Equestrian soldiers in pursuit. Shining Armor went with them.

The dust settled, and the throne room was quiet.

“AURORA!!!” Lyra cried as she got up and hobbled over to her filly, who was still clinging to the last hoofholds of life.

Aurora was breathing hard and turned to see her mother crying. She said, “Mommy...I’m scared…”

“Don’t be, my quetzal, you will be alright.”

Lyra turned to Celestia, “please, I need your help!”

Celestia had tears sliding down her cheeks, and didn’t respond. Lyra’s eyes widened and she yelled, “please, can’t you help her?! This is my daughter! Don’t make me live while she dies!”

Celestia choked out, “She… she was stabbed with a reaper knife, no amount of magic will save her…”

“No… no,no,no,no,no,no. NO! She will not die, not today!”

Luna and Twilight trotted up to the group and saw that Aurora was a bloody mess. Luna counted the wounds.

“Twenty-six…, she was stabbed twenty-six times,” Luna whispered to herself.

Aurora said weakly, “Mommy…”

Lyra, with tears flowing, turned to her filly and asked, “Yes, my little quetzal?”

“I see a light… a bright light… I’m scared.”

“Don’t go to the light! get away from it!

“I can’t… I… I can’t see you! Mommy! where did you go?! Don’t leave me alone…”

Lyra shook her filly, “I’m here! Mommy is right here!”

“I hear you, mommy… I’m getting cold.”

Lyra began to lose control of her tears, and began to weep.

“Mommy?”

Lyra drew a shaky breath, “Yes, my quetzal?”

“I see daddy. He says he is sorry, and... he loves you…

Aurora stared at the ceiling and said, “I...love...y...ou.”

Aurora’s eyes glazed over and she stopped breathing.

Lyra couldn’t control it anymore, she wailed and sobbed and beat the floor beneath her.

Her cries could be heard throughout Canterlot.

Testament to Water

Author's Note

Heads up, the Chimerae look like these guys: http://dump.pawism.com/post/44305795582. All credit goes to whoever drew these. Oh, and bonus points to those that can guess the insparation to the fight between Triton and Saburo

Testament to Water

Chapter 3: Testament to Water.

“When the warring kingdoms fight, when the blood of an innocent is spilled on the throne, the gods will awaken, fates will be rewritten, otherworldly kingdoms join the fray, Siegfried and Rajinto will clash and the dark lords rise…”

-Star Swirl the Bearded’s final words before he died.

Smoke and flames, that is all Vinyl smelled and tasted.

She slowly opened her eyes, and slowly got up on all fours, pain flaring on the side of her head and her side. She suddenly remembered what happened.

Her eyes went wide as she realized that she had an arrow stuck in her head, and her side.

Keeping herself calm, she carefully put her hoof on the shaft of the arrow that was lodged in her head. She took a deep breath, then ripped the arrow out of her head.

She gritted her teeth in pain and looked at the arrow. It wasn’t barbed, and she didn’t find any brain matter on it. She thanked the Dawn Dragon for her lucky miracle, and proceeded to take the arrow out of her side. As soon as the painful ordeal was over, Vinyl took a good look at her surroundings.

The gate was blasted apart, probably by some sort of magic spell, and there were bodies everywhere. Rebels and guards were strewn across the streets beyond the gates, and the space from the gate and the palace. Guts, blood spatter and pools of blood, it was all over the place. Vinyl was horrified by the sheer brutality of the aftermath. Tartarus, even the battles she has fought in were a lot less bloody than this.

Vinyl even saw the citizens that weren’t part of this riot stumbling around Canterlot, looking and mourning for their dead loved ones that either were part of the guard, or part of the riot.

Vinyl looked around and spotted a Equestrian flag, the Sun and the Moon were torn and was splattered with dried blood. It was in the hooves of a dead royal guard.

Vinyl looked at him with a sad smile and nodded to the dead guard, acknowledging that he died defending the flag. She trotted over to the ash covered body and pried the flag from the corpse, saying, “sorry friend, but I need this more than you do.” Vinyl tore the flag in two. She stood on her hind legs and used the two pieces of the flag as bandages for her side and head. She got back on all fours again and retrieved her naginata, and made her way to the palace to look for survivors.

/[[]]\

“You don’t feel my pain!”

“I am sorry this all happened-”

“Bullshit! If you didn’t convince my husband to come over here for you stupid diplomatic solutions, He and MY daughter would still be alive. It’s your fault, every bit of it!” Lyra yelled at the princess of the Sun.

Celestia took a deep breath and said, “It was the rioters’ fault. They listened to the two hooded stallions and decided to follow them.”

Lyra yelled, “you knew that there were some anti-Serpony terror groups just waiting to get their hooves on me and my family, my whole world, and you knew that they would come to kill my sweet quetzal…”

“Please, Lyra. I knew the dangers of bringing her here, but I had no choice. I had to know how powerful she was going to be so I could take precautions and build some trust with her. If she was left unchecked, she could've gone down the path of evil. We don’t need another Sombra.”

“So you never thought of us as allies, only a threat?! after we reclaimed the throne for you?! Maybe I should extend you the same courtesy,” Lyra turned away from Celestia, and observed the dead Serpony warrior bodies on the floor. She said, “I want to find the group that did this. I will search every home, every nook and cranny. I want to kill the leader myself. I want to watch the life flee from their eyes, and feel their blood splattering my coat. I want justice.”

Celestia then asked, “justice, or revenge?”

Lyra then bucked the princess across the floor, causing both Luna and Twilight to jump and incapacitate the new threat. However, Lyra decided to not let them do that and spun Chillrend in an arc that sent both princesses flying into the wall.

“I’m coming with an army, and I will purge Equestria of its Serpony-hating filth, and you can’t stop me,” Lyra said in a dark tone.

“Not long ago, you were a Equestrian! You hated the Serponies like most of the population did!” Luna shouted as she got up.

Lyra looked the princess in the eye and said, “Equestria is not my home, it will never be. My allegiance is with the Serponies and the lands of the Forbidden Jungle. This kingdom means nothing to me.”

She sheathed Chillrend and walked out of the throne room, using her magic to carry her family’s bodies with her for burial.

As soon as she left, Vinyl staggered into the room.

All three princesses’ eyes widened when they saw her. They thought she was dead.

“Vinyl!” Twilight cried as she nearly tackled the former D.J. Vinyl let out a small chuckle and said, “So, what did I miss?”

-TTT-

A few days later…

Aether Aegis enjoyed reading.

His favorite place to relax was the Cloudsdale archives, and because of his lineage, he had practically unrestricted access to the most ancient of scrolls, books and scriptures.

He spent most of his time reading about war strategies and ancient weapons of war. He even copied the blueprints so the blacksmiths can start creating the weapons and armor worn and used by the hoplites.

He was in the middle of reading about the Battle of The Burn when he heard the sound of a pony’s hooves coming toward him. He looked up to see a mailmare with a letter in her hoof. The letter had the official seal of the Canterlot throne.

“The princesses of Canterlot told be that this is where I’ll find you,” she said. She trotted over to him, handed him the letter, and then trotted towards the door. As soon as she was gone, Aether opened the letter. It read:

Dear Aether Aegis,

We have seen your papers and have seen what you

plan to do, so we have decided to authorize your plans

to build a branch of hoplite soldiers for the use of war.

To be honest, we need them now, more than ever before.

We are facing an invasion by the Serponies, and our spy network

has us believing the the army of the Serponies is mobilizing, and

plan to exact misplaced vengeance on all of Equestria.

We have faith in you and in your plan, don’t let us down.

sincerely,

Celestia and Luna.

Aether Aegis grinned. He has got his wish.

He had already began training his hoplites, despite the fact that he needed permission to do so. He had already fully trained about three hundred pegasi in the art of hoplite warfare, and he is getting in more recruits that are eager to live the legends.

Aether then frowned in thought, because he wanted his hoplites to emulate the hoplites of old. So far he has produced the weapons and the armor, trained the soldiers exactly like they did in the ancient days, so what now.

Now, he needed a patron deity. The old hoplites had Aether, (the god) as their patron, but he is sleeping, and will be one of the last gods to awaken.

He thought long and hard, then he grinned and said, “Boreas.”

Boreas, the Lord of the North, god of the north winds. If Aether can get his blessing for his hoplites, they will undoubtedly get some kind of icy favors.

Aether put the book away and trotted out of the Archives, and continued towards the Cloudsdale Grand Temple.

The Cloudsdale Grand Temple was the main place of worship for all the patron deities of the Pegasi race. It was filled day and night by those that have discovered the benefits of religion. So, self proclaimed priests and priestesses prayed daily to ask their god on how to align themselves to their patron, and to spread the faith

So far, only the gods of the four cardinal directions and some minor immortals have awakened and have already contacted mortals, telling them the perks of becoming their disciples.

Aether entered the temple, the sound of clergy chanting Bitin filled the air and the ears of Aether Aegis.

He made his way through the temple, looking for a symbol of the god he seeks.

“There,” He said as he spotted an arch that had an engraved snowflake near its top.

He went through the arch, and the arch opened up to reveal a courtyard that had its ground covered in snow. clergy in pale blue and white robes shuffled around it, praying or talking or worshipping the statue of Boreas that dominated the courtyard.

Soon, a priest that had a more decorative robe got up, finished with his praying.

Seeing his chance, Aether made his way to the priest.

“Are you the High Priest of Boreas?” he said.

The priest blinked when he saw Aether coming towards him, and said with a bow, “welcome, proud descendant. What do you need of such a humble priest?”

Aether cut to the chase, “I plan to get Boreas’s blessing for my force of hoplites.”

The priest nodded and directed him towards the statute. He then began to sing in Bitin. The other priests chanted with him “Deum de terra aquilonis, audi vocem meam!” over and over.

Soon, a funnel of wind and cold descended from the sky and swirled around. The group of priests trotted back and the swirl of northern wind lifted Aether off the ground. He had only a second to look back at the priest before he was shot skyward, into the storm clouds.

Then, he blacked out.

When Aether woke up, he could feel the cold caress of the north wind on his cheeks. he got up slowly and turned around slowly, taking in all the details of his whereabouts. He stood in the middle of a courtyard made of ice on a cloud. The fountain was an ice sculpture, the flowers were made of ice crystals and an icy wall that resembled a hedge encircled the courtyard. At the end of the courtyard was an opening that had a entire castle made of northern blizzard-clouds floating five-hundred feet away.

Aether stared at the Castle of the North Winds until he heard a “hello” coming from behind him.

He turned to see a pegasus mare. She had a pure white coat, like pure snow. Her long mane was the multitude of the colors of the aurora borealis, and the ends of the mane ended up in luscious, fat curls that made it seem that the best hair curler in the world belonged to this mare. Her tail was the same color as her mane, but it moved and slithered in the non-existing current like an airborne ribbon. She had two different colored eyes. one was icy blue and the other was icy green. Two giant snowflakes slowly floated around her like will-o-wisps.

“Whoa…”

The mare tilted her head and asked, “are you a mortal? It has been a while since a mortal has entered this part of the skies.”

Aether continued to stare at the mare, causing her to blush. She took a sudden interest in the ice beneath her hooves.

Aether finally snapped out of his trance and said, “Yes, I am. I seek the Lord of the North Wind.”

The mare frowned, “you want to see Lord Boreas?”

“Indeed. I am looking for a patron for my hoplites.”

“Then follow me. He is this way,” she said as she spread her wings and flew towards the Castle of the North Winds. Aether did the same and in a few seconds, was next to the mare. The gates opened up ahead and the two flew into them.

When Aether landed, he noticed that it was a hallway that led to the icy doors of the throne room, with no courtyard, and no security force.

“either Boreas is confident in his abilities, or he is an arrogant prick,” Aether thought to himself. The mare led the way.

“I wonder… who is she?”

The two stopped in front of the gates, and the mare yelled “open sesame!”

The icy doors slowly creaked open, and a blast of cold erupted from the doors, causing Aether to get pushed back. He gritted his teeth and managed to not get blasted on his rear

When the wind died, Aether and the mare, (who wasn’t affected by the wind), entered the throne room. Inside were Pegasi-style pillars carved and made from ice. The castle floor was hidden by a series of rugs made from the various animals and monsters of the north. There wasn’t a roof in the throne room. Instead, there was the night sky. in the sky was the largest gathering of stars Aether has ever seen. Also adorning the sky was the aurora borealis, magnificent ribbons of color that swayed and changed shape and color. Between two northern spruces, a single pegasus stallion with a crown made of polar bear bone was sitting on a throne carved out of ice.

Aether knew immediately who the stallion was, and immediately bowed.

“Lord Boreas,” Aether said.

The stallion spread his massive wings, and flapped them once, sending cold, biting winds towards Aether Aegis. He withstood the gust, bit knew that Boreas displayed a fraction of his power, a power Aether would not dare question if he wanted Boreas’s blessing.

“My High Priest has convinced me that I should grant an audience with you. You should be grateful, because I don’t let any mortals see me on such a short notice,” Boreas said.

“I am terribly sorry, Lord Boreas. I have come to ask if you will hear my request,” Aether said as he got up.

The god rolled his eyes, “of course I know of your request. You want me to be your hoplite’s patron deity.”

Aether asked calmly, “then… may I have my answer?”

“Yes, my answer is no.”

Aether kept himself calm, and checked his bearings. He saw that glint in Boreas’s eyes. The god wanted him to beg for sponsorship. Aether figured that he will have to bargain with the Lord of the North.

Aether called his game, “I won’t beg. I need your backing and blessing.”

Boreas narrowed his eyes, “that may be so, but how are you gonna get it without begging for it?”

“An offer. If I offer something in return, will you bless my hoplites?” Aether asked.

Boreas laughed, “you have nothing to offer me, descendant.”

“I do. it’s called my soul.”

Boreas scoffed, “i’m not an underworld god, I have no use for a soul. You got balls, that’s for sure. But now i’m curious, why did you offer your soul so quickly?”

“Because I want to see my dream fulfilled. I want to see the ponies my ancestors fought for strong and whole again. I want them to easily crush the Serponies when they come roaring for blood.”

Boreas put his hoof to his chin in thought, then got an evil smile. Aether didn’t like the smile, and was thinking on all possible escape routes that he might need to use.

Boreas then said, “i’ll make you an offer. It is the only offer that i’ll make, so are you ready to hear it?”

Aether nodded, “I am prepared.”

Boreas continued, “One. I want your undying loyalty. You will do as I say when I say it. Even if Celestia says something else and tries to order you around, you will only follow my commands.”

Aether nodded.

“The Second condition. I want you to marry my daughter.”

Aether blinked, and the mare turned beet red.

Aether turned to the mare, “wait, he is your father?!”

Boreas said with a hint of pride, “yes she is. She is the minor goddess of snow and ice. Her name is Chione.”

Aether looked at Boreas like he was crazy, “you want me to marry a goddess who is your daughter?! Why are you marrying her off to me? I thought that practice wasn’t used anymore!”

“Gods never change. I don’t care if the practice was abandoned or not. If these conditions are not met, we have no deal.”

Aether looked at Chione. He didn’t feel any special connection with her, or really had an interest with her. She was beautiful, no denying that. But he knew that there was more than that when it came to marrying somepony. He remembered when Cloud would always pester him about getting a marefriend, and he still does to this day.

But it still begs the question. Is it worth an arranged marriage?

Boreas had his full attention on Aether, “so, what is your answer?”

Aether looked at Chione, then to Boreas, then back to Chione. After fifteen more seconds, he turned back to Boreas and said…

“It’s a Deal.”

Boreas smiled. He turned to his daughter and said, “tell your hoofmares that you are leaving, I must speak with Aether alone.”

Chione nodded with a sad smile, then vanished in a swirl of snowflakes.

Boreas trotted to Aether from his throne and stopped within two feet of the descendant. He said, “I could make the usual threats about you hurting my daughter in any way, shape, or form. But I know you will not do anything of the sort. Its not in your nature.”

Aether nodded.

Boreas waved one of his hooves and in a flash of light, a hoplite shield appeared. The shield had a single snowflake as the image on the shield and was cast in a sort of silver. Small icicles hung from the bottom edges of the shield.

“This is Glaegis, one of the four treasures of the the Cardinal Wind gods. Only champions I select can use it. It can repel any attack, may it be magical or physical. Curses cannot harm you, poisons may never fell you, and its aura will turn many weak-willed ponies and monsters and cause them to run from you. As an added bonus, it can project a magical ward around a small army to keep it safe from magical attacks outside of the ward, for a short time.”

Boreas waved his hoof again, causing a full set of hoplite armor (complete with a Dory spear and a Xiphos) to appear in front of them both. Instead of a back-to-front crest of hair, his crest went fromљ side-to-side.

"This set of armor was forged with silver that was blessed by me, that absorbed aurora borealis beams and was heated with blue fire. It is as light as a snowflake, and as hard as Frost Dragon scales. The spear has an northern oak shaft with the same metal that makes up the hoplite armor as the tip. The xiphos has the blade of the same material as well.”

Aether was speechless. He then stood on his hind legs and grabbed the shield. He felt so much power radiating off of Glaegis that he almost dropped the treasure in surprise.

Aether Aegis felt like the most powerful hoplite ever conceived.

“All I give to you is because you agreed to follow my commands faithfully. Once you disobey me, these gifts will vanish from you and you will be stripped of the power that came with being my champion.”

“Then I shall never disobey you, ever,” Aether vowed, kneeling before him.

Boreas said, “I will send you back to Cloudsdale, Chione will join you shortly.”

Aether nodded, and dissolved into a gust of northern wind.

Chione appeared shortly after Aether was gone.

Boreas turned to his daughter, “you do know why i’m doing this, right?

Chione nodded rather glumly. Boreas trotted up to his daughter and hugged her. She returned the hug and a single tear slipped down her cheek.

“Don’t worry, my daughter. I am confident that you will grow to love him, and he will grow to love you.”

“But father, I have many doubts about myself. I have been courted and cheated on so many times by the other gods. What makes him different? How can you be sure that i’ll be happy? How can you be sure that he is different than the gods that showed interest in me, then broke my heart so many times?”

Boreas smiled and said, “because he is mortal. Pegasi mortals are so monogamous it’s not even funny, and they view cheating as one of the most disgusting things anypony can do, even if their patron gods are some of the worst cheaters in the history of the cosmos.”

Chione kissed her father on the cheek and said, “i’ll be back soon.”

Boreas smiled, “I’ll be waiting.”

Chione dissolved into snowflakes and vanished, leaving Boreas lost in thoughts, all alone.

(жфж)

Twenty war canoes headed for a coastal village in the South Luna Ocean, intent on raiding and plundering and killing anypony in their way.

Leading them was a decorative warrior, who was barely older than the Mane Six.

His name was Triton Teeth, and he was leading a raiding party to sack town for much needed medicines and other supplies that his Chimerae couldn’t make themselves.

He gazed at the horizon as the village came into view. He knew that the village will have a presence of Applekotojin soldiers protecting it, and fighting through them was the only way they could get their loot. He turned to his other Chimerae and gave the order to go ramming speed. The Chimerae warriors complied, and began to paddle furiously towards their destination.

Soon, when they about two hundred feet from the shore, they heard a roar of a war horn.

Triton could see Applekotojin archers galloping around the shore and getting their yumi out. Spear fighters taking up positions and readying formations.

Triton yelled, “prepare your weapons! They know we are coming!”

As they were instructed, the Chimerae warriors got out their Taiaha and their Leiomano, their Pololu and javelins and throwing axes made of shark teeth and wood. Triton hefted his giant fishing hook made of whalebone and with a cord of rope attached to it, and the rope wrapped around Triton’s body like the Chains of Hades.

The archers let their arrows from their yumi fly, killing several oarsmares. Some warriors were hit as well, resulting in their deaths, or them falling overboard.

They did not have time to drag their comrades back onto the war canoes, for they must keep rowing.

The archers let their arrows fly again, but by this time, the Chimerae raiders had landed their war canoes and leapt unto the beach. The warriors gave a loud battle roar and got into “wedge formation, with a few raiders galloping at the archers, letting their javelins fly into the hearts of the archers. The wedge formation struck at the spear fighters, repeatedly thrusting into the bodies of the Applekotojin. The spear fighters slashed with their naginatas, but were unprepared for the ferocity of the raiders and their surprisingly disciplined fighting formation. Soon, a force of samurai arrived and joined the battle, making the fight roughly even. Afterwards, the wedge broke, and the battle turned chaotic. In the chaos, one-on-one duels occurred, and they weren’t pretty.

Triton entered the fray, swinging his giant, serrated fish hook, taking the lives and heads of many that stood in his way. One foolish samurai pony got in his way, and slashed at his belly. Triton blocked the blow and slashed the stallion in the face with his claws. He then cut the samurai’s legs out from underneath him and bucked him to the ground, where he proceeded to stomp on the samurai’s unarmored head, killing him instantly. Another samurai swung his katana and missed as Triton dodged and swung the fish hook into the unlucky pony’s jaw, causing the point of the hook to stick out of the pony’s mouth, hooking him like a fish. He lifted the struggling pony into the air, then turned around and smashed the bleeding pony into the ground, breaking his jaw and neck, and causing blood to pool out of the hole beneath the samurai’s jaw. Triton withdrew the giant hook and left the bleeding, twitching body in the sand.

He then noticed the gates.

The Applekotojin soldiers had built a makeshift wooden wall. Archers were raining down arrows upon Triton’s brethren. The gates were wooden as well, and only seven feet high. However, his warriors will get killed if they even attempt to climb the walls.

Triton called out to a warrior that had just killed an enemy spear fighter. “ Throw me your Pololu!”

The warrior nodded and tossed his spear. Triton caught the spear in his paw and then began to run towards the gate. Dodging arrows and weaving through duels, he reached the gate. He hefted the spear, then, with all his might, he punched a hole through the gate. Triton put the spear on his back, then put his fishing hook through the hole. He uncoiled the rope that was wrapped around his body and called out to two more warriors.

The two warriors joined him and took part of the rope. All three Chimerae pulled as hard as they could.

With an ear-popping snap, the gate was ripped loose from the wall. With roars of triumph, the Chimerae raiders surged into the village. They went into homes and began to plunder, killing any Applekotojin soldiers and civilians in their way. The streets were filled with many screaming and terrified civilian ponies. One unfortunate stallion civilian got in Triton’s way.

He was stabbed through the face with the spear Triton used to help with the gate.

Triton bucked the body aside and continued towards the village church. The civilians here meant nothing to him, only what he wanted mattered.

He trotted up to the church, the screams of civilians and Applekotojin surrounding on all sides.

He arrived in time to see three of his warriors engage one Applekotojin swordmaster samurai. The swordmaster sliced one in half, then stabbed the second warrior through the heart. He then bucked the body off his Spirit Katana and turned around, slashing the head off the third.

The swordmaster then looked at Triton and yelled, “Savage!”

Triton growled, “you are in my way.”

“I don’t care if I am in your way. There is only one reason why a savage like you would come to this church.”

“Get out of my way, or die!” Triton roared.

The swordmaster, whose name is Saburo, pointed the blade of his katana at Triton, “my fortress and village burns, my soldiers are slaughtered, and the civilians are dying, and you expect me to move?!”

Saburo got into his fighting stance, “I would rather die than do that. In fact, I would rather have you die instead.”

Triton grabbed his borrowed spear, anticipating a move.

Saburo yelled, “you opened the gate, now you will pay!”

Both charged and both weapons clashed against each other. Triton grabbed the samurai with his teeth and galloped into the church steps, ramming Saburo into the steps, shattering the wood. He then bucked the samurai in the face, popping an eyeball and causing some teeth to fly. Through the pain, Saburo slashed at Triton, cutting his side. With a roar of pain, Triton jumped away, his spear now shattered from the attack.

Triton got his giant hook out, and twirled it around. He threw the hook at the samurai, the hook smacking Saburo in the face. Saburo regained his senses and charged, his katana blocking another strike from Triton. Saburo then bucked Triton, and following up with an Astra. Saburo slashed at Triton, scoring all five hits the skill allowed slicing his body into ribbons. He then bucked Triton again, and Triton was knocked on his ass quite literally. Triton ignored the five bleeding gashes and pulled his hook back to his paw. He then whirled it around like it was a chain weapon.

Saburo nodded to Triton saying, “I will admit, you are powerful.”

Triton growled in response and sent the fish hook at Saburo. Saburo ducked underneath the weapon, and then got his face punched in by Triton.

As he was still recovering from the blow, Saburo was hooked, (literally) in the gut by Triton. Saburo smashed his Spirit Katana into the hook in a bid to dislodge the weapon from his stomach, making cracks to appear on the hook, and also causing Triton to proceeded to punch Saburo in the face to the point of complete mutilation. Triton then pulled the hook out, bringing Saburo’s guts out with it. Then Triton hooked him in the throat, and pulled out his windpipe and the neck part if the spine. But the hook snapped.

Saburo gurgled on his own blood, then fell to the ground, his intestines and other organs were in a pile next to him.

Triton looked at the shattered giant hook he had. He had this weapon since he inherited it from his father. Now, it was broken.

Triton tossed the broken weapon aside, and entered the church.

He could here his own blood spattering onto the church floor as he approached the altar. He scowled as he saw that the altar was dedicated to the Dawn Dragon of Hoshido.

He then picked up the altar and smashed it against the floor, causing it to shatter. Out of the rubble of the altar was a statue of Oceanus made of a navy blue stone.

Triton grabbed the statute with his teeth and trotted out of the church, about to join his brethren in the pillaging of the village.

Forged, and Broken

Chapter 4: Forged, and Broken.

“He is known by many names. He is The Alpha Predator, Herne the Hunter, God of the Green Woods, Warrior’s Bane, and He who hunts the Bloodmoon.”

-Soul Scatter describing the god Cernunnos in the book, Dangers by the Wayside.

Applejack sucked at making haiku.

She has tried to write them everyday in

hopes that she will get better. She sighed in annoyance as she crumpled and tossed another ruined haiku, and began trying to write another one.

Suddenly, a pony ninja appeared.

“What is it, ninja? Can’t ya see ah’m busy?” Applejack said as she continued to write.

“A hundred apologies, marelady. Princess Luna is in the throne room. She says she wishes to speak with you,” the ninja said.

Applejack put down her writing utensil. She grabbed her Darksaber, (just in case) and began to trot to the throne room when a searing pain halted her in her tracks and she gasped in pain. She looked down to the wound she received from King Helm Lunar. It was a now-healing gash on her right hind leg, a memento of his new sword. She wounded the king as well, but his wound was less serious than this.

She gritted her teeth in pain, and kept walking.

When she got to the throne room, Luna was gazing at the Applekoto throne. probably lost in thoughts.

“Howdy, Princess Luna.”

Luna turned to Applejack, a sad smile on her face, “greetings, daimyo.”

“How are things back home?”

Luna answered bitterly, “terrible.”

Applejack frowned, “Ah swear, if those Lunardites are causing trouble with you guys-”

“No, it’s not the Lunardites. It’s the Serponies,” Luna said.

Applejack looked puzzled, “what?! Then what happened when they brought their filly to you?”

“The ponies of Canterlot rioted because somepony told them that she was there. Featherfang and Aurora and countless royal guards died.”

Applejack’s eyes widened with horror.

Luna drew her sword, Moonbolt. She then said, “Applejack, I have a favor to ask you.”

(жиж)

Fluttershy let the body of a drunken stallion flop to the ground, wiping the blood off her face as she did so.

She has been feeding on the populace of the Crystal empire for quite some time now. It seems that every three days she drains a stallion who thinks that they will get a one night stand with her, only to find out that they are her dinner. She doesn’t turn them, she kills them.

Fluttershy let her tongue lick her crimson-coated lips and leaves the body there, not really caring about the police discovering the body.

In fact, nopony can figure out that it is her that is committing the murders. If anypony came close to solving the riddle, she would be tapping their windows at night, begging to get in, and then make them into dinner as soon as they open the window.

Shining Armor can’t track her down, Princess Cadance can’t either. The Crystal Empire citizens are terrified, and that fear always leads to more meals.

It now seems that immortality has changed Fluttershy.

She spread her demonic bat wings and flew out of the alley she used as a dining table.

“She said that the temple was near the south, near the border of the Crystal Empire…”

Fluttershy was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she failed to notice a guard taking aim with his bow. The guard let the arrow fly, and it got Fluttershy in the eye.

Fluttershy screeched, and immediately turned to face the guard. The guard had one moment to think “oh shit” before Fluttershy descended from the sky and tackled the guard.

Fluttershy opened her mouth, a mouth filled with savage fangs, and bit down with the force of a shark. Her fangs sliced easily through the throat of the guard. She ripped the unfortunate soul’s throat out, then plunged her mouth into the throat, gorging herself on the life blood of the guard like a pony who had found water in the desert.

The arrow fell out of her eye and her eye completely healed.

She spread her wings and took off again, heading towards Alduin’s temple.

(#д#)

“N-no, please, I beg you to let me go!”

“I don’t think so.”

Lurtz raised his sword, ready to sacrifice the soldier that got away from him on the stone altar of Cernunnos. The soldier’s partner yelled, “Let him go! Let me take his place instead!”

Lurtz lowered the sword and slowly turned to the hog-tied stallion. He growled as he said, “I don’t think so. You have more meat on you than your friend does, so you are dinner. Your friend will be the sacrifice to summon the instruments of my vengeance. As soon as this ritual is completed, I will travel back to Middle Earth and kill Aragorn.”

Lurtz raised his sword, and in one fell swoop, cut the head of the sacrificial soldier from his body, causing a fountain of blood to erupt from the stump neck. The blood practically watered the ruin’s ground, causing the grass to glow an unholy red in the light of the fire. The twitching body vanished into thin air.

Then, Cernunnos appeared in the middle of the pool of blood. The blood began to slither up Cernunnos’s spectral body like red snakes, slowly wrapping around the spirit of the god. Then the blood completely covered him.

In a vicious shockwave, the blood was blown from the spirit, causing it to splatter all over the grounds.

Cernunnos stood still, then he opened his skeletal jaw and roared. The roar was so powerful, it caused the very ground beneath Lurtz to tremble. Cernunnos’s eye sockets now glowed a sinister green.

Cernunnos spoke, “many thanks, mortal. You have restored my physical body, the body that Apocalypse destroyed all those years ago. I now name you my champion.”

Lurtz growled, “what about my revenge?”

Cernunnos tilted his skeletal head, “patience. In due time, I will send you back.”

Lurtz brandished his sword, “send me back, NOW!”

Cernunnos was silent for a bit, then he stood on his hind legs and held out his left hoof. A tomahawk made of bone and the size of an earth pony appeared in the air, and Cernunnos grabbed it. Cernunnos’s skull transformed into a ram’s skull with the horns larger and sharper than regular ram horns.

“You challenge me, mortal?”

“I do! I had enough time spent here and tracking down those two meatbags to summon you so I could go home. You didn’t even give me any powers yet!” Lurtz spat.

Cernunnos replied, “You revived me, but you haven’t shown your worth to me. I must see if you are worthy of being my champion.”

“Fuck you! I will make you take me back!”

Lurtz charged at the god, swinging his sword. Cernunnos blocked the strike with his tomahawk, then grabbed the blade of Lurtz’s sword. “If you want to leave so badly, then allow me to punch your ticket to Tartarus!” Cernunnos roared. He tore the sword out of Lurtz’s hooves and gored him in the throat with his horns, causing blood to gush unto Cernunnos. Cernunnos then took the Uruk hai off his horns and threw him onto a tree trunk. Before Lurtz could fall to the ground, Cernunnos threw his tomahawk, splitting Lurtz’s skull and pinning his body to the tree. Cernunnos turned and said as his skull transformed back into a deer’s skull, “the moon will turn red soon. I must prepare for the hunt, and call the deer out of hiding.”

He left the body of Lurtz hanging there for the crows to eat.

Author's Note

Sorry for the short chapter, but this chapter is a kind of prelude to the next chapter. The next chapter should be about 20% cooler, and the chapter should be released tonight. Stay tuned!

The World Eater

Chapter 5: The World Eater.

Equis is the Prime World, the world of origin. It was from this world that all manner of life and creation came from. Many gods have fled Equis and made their own worlds to rule over and guide their own races of beings. However, some gods just love to destroy and rule.

Soul Scatter, describng the relation of Equis to other worlds in his book, The Unknown Worlds.

“You are late,” Trixie said as Fluttershy landed in front of her and the temple.

“Sorry, I had a guard to take care of,” Fluttershy replied.

The two entered the temple.

Fluttershy’s jaw dropped when she saw the architecture. It wasn’t the prettiest style in the world, but it did invoke the ancient and powerful aura that seemed to surround the place.

“So… you need my help in killing an undead monster?”

“Precisely. I have been discovering the secrets to this temple for a while now, and the only secret left is the one the dragon priest guards. I need to take his knife, and use it in the main chamber. Unfortunately, the dragon priest slumbers in that very room.”

Fluttershy sighed, “then let’s make this quick.”

Trixie nodded and led her to a set of double doors. She opened them and they walked into a Hall of Stories.

The walls of the hall were covered with stone-carved murals depicting various legends about mortals and dragons. Some were fighting, others were worshipping.

They went to the end of the hall. At the end was three stone rings with the animals (owl, dragon, whale,) on them and a claw print in the middle of the three rings.

Trixie opened her journal and began to shift the rings in the correct order of dragon,owl, dragon. She then took off her hat and pulled from the hat a Tamrielic glass claw. She inserted the claw and turned it in the key hole,causing the thousand year old puzzle to sink into the floor, revealing the main chamber.

The two carefully trotted inside of the main chamber.

The main chamber was spacious, big enough to contain three fully grown dragons while flying and a force of three hundred soldiers. To the farthest side was a Word Wall, ancient stone monuments of draconic origins. Twenty feet from that was a stone sarcophagus, a sarcophagus that Trixie knew had the undead priest in there.

Trixie stood on her hind legs and conjured a Bound Sword. Fluttershy and Trixie slowly approached the sarcophagus, expecting the worst.

The worst is what they got.

The sarcophagus lid flew off, and the dragon priest emerged.

It was floating in the air, and it said something in Dovahzul, something Trixie translated as, “foolish mortals, I will rip out your filthy little innards!”

The dragon priest sent a stream of fire at Trixie, who conjured a ward to block the magic fire. Fluttershy spread her wings and launched herself at the priest, shrieking for blood. She tackled the priest and they both slammed onto the ground. The dragon priest drew his knife and stabbed Fluttershy in the throat, causing blood to surge forth like popped water balloon. Fluttershy staggered back, trying to pry the knife from her throat. The dragon priest readied a fireball spell when he was hit with a lightning bolt that fried half of his face underneath his mask, and blown him into the Word Wall. The wall wasn’t damaged, but the priest was less than happy.

The priest turned, his mask making no emotion and was smoking as he launched the fireball spell at Trixie.

Trixie threw up a ward spell to try to protect herself, but the fireball destroyed the ward and Trixie was thrown from the resulting explosion. Trixie landed and struggled to get up due to the various burns the fireball inflicted on her. If the ward she conjured didn’t tank the fireball, Trixie would have died.

Fluttershy finally managed to pry the knife from her flesh, and struggled to keep her blood inside her body, meaning she was down and out.

Trixie then spoke an incantation and summoned a storm atronach, a daedra that had its floating stone body held together by lightning. The summoned atronach began sending lightning bolts at the dragon priest. The dragon priest was conjuring a spell that Trixie needed to stop, one that would turn the storm atronach on her.

“Oh no you don’t!” Trixie cried as she sent a lightning bolt that blasted the priest. The priest staggered, and summoned a bound sword to his hoof.

Trixie could feel that she needed to stop casting spells. The magic of Alduin’s world could not be cast infinitely like Equestrian magics, and the wielder needed to let their magic rest for a minute before casting again. The good news is that lightning spells drain other beings of magic. The priest was low on magic from the lightning bolt so he used the last of his magic to summon a bound sword. Trixie galloped at the priest, while the storm atronach continued to pelt the priest with lightning.

The priest was getting weaker, but still managed to block Trixie’s sword slash.

Trixie dodged a swipe from the priest and parried another blow. The priest went for another slash, aimed at Trixie’s head. Trixie side-trotted and lunged with all her might at the priest.

She sunk the blade into the chest of the priest, all the way up to the handle. Old, disgusting blood spurted from the wound and splattered all over Trixie’s face. Trixie wanted to gag.

The priest looked at Trixie, and she at him, until the priest was blasted off her bound sword by the storm atronach’s lightning bolt.

Trixie turned to the atronach, “you could of hit me with that!”

The atronach said nothing, and disappeared.

Trixie galloped over to Fluttershy, and tossed he a healing potion. Fluttershy nodded and began to drink it. Soon, her neck wound was a bitter memory.

Trixie picked up the blood-drenched knife with her hoof. It was the ancient dragon priest dagger she needed to summon Alduin.

Trixie turned to the corpse of the dragon priest. She trotted over and pulled the mask off. She wiped the nasty, thousand-year-old blood off and put it on.

Immediately, power from the mask surged into every fiber of her being. She felt it amplify her magic abilities, making her magic greater than Twilight’s, or with more practice, equal to the two princesses. Trixie also picked up the dragon priest’s staff of sparks.

Trixie got out the salts and some chalk. It was time to summon the World Eater.

Trixie opened her journal and began drawing symbols on the floor. She copied the layout of the ritual circle that she designed for the purpose of pulling a god from another world over to hers. It would require more powerful and dark magic to pull that off. It is why killing the priest was important, because the mask and knife could amplify the magic “pool” that Trixie had inside her. That, and all the time she spent in this temple to perfect her magic and to understand the power of Dovahzul. All this training, all this time, was spent for this moment.

Fluttershy asked, “what are you doing?”

Trixie didn’t respond.

“Trixie, I know you heard me.”

Trixie sighed. She turned and said, “I am summoning a god, a god known as the World Eater.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in horror, “THE WORLD EATER?! A god that has that name should not be summoned at all! Stop it, stop trying to summon this evil!”

Trixie’s voice echoed from the mask, “No.”

Fluttershy growled and said, “then I will!”

Fluttershy bucked Trixie off her hooves. Trixie landed on the ground and quickly tried to get up, but was pinned by Fluttershy.

Her crimson eyes glowed as she said, “I won’t kill you, but I will incapacitate you.”

Fluttershy sank her fangs in Trixie’s neck.

Trixie struggled and thrashed, desperately trying to throw the vampire pony off her. She could feel herself going in and out of consciousness, and her blood running down her throat as Fluttershy failed to drink the spilling contents of Trixie’s neck.

Trixie managed to get one of her front hooves free and began chanting as fast as she could.

Trixie yelled, “get the fuck off of me!” And unleashed the spell.

It caused an explosion of light and flame that blew Fluttershy off of Trixie. Fluttershy was burned in many ways more than once. Fluttershy weakly got up, her streanght threatening to evaporate.

Trixie managed to get up on all fours, and said as she charged another spell, “that was known as Vampire’s Bane. A spell meant to kill any undead.”

Fluttershy growled, and said, “Celestia will hear of this.”

“No, she won’t,” Trixie countered, “All it will take is Shining Armor and Candace to say something about vampire killings to Celestia and they will put two and two together. They may not know who the killer is, but they will see you, and they will hunt you down.”

Fluttershy yelled, “curse you!” and she gallopped as fast as her third degree burns allowed her to. She got out of the main chamber and out of the temple.

Trixie turned weakly towards the ritual circle. She was very weak from blood loss.

Trixie staggered to the circle, her blood dripping to the ground. She allowed her blood to fall in the circle, making it glow red. She fell over, and got up again. Her steps were shaky, her breath was fast. She was fading in and out.

Trixie scattered the purified fire, frost, and storm salts in the circle and began to chant in Dovahzul. She struggled to speak, but she persisted. She had to complete this ritual, she had to summon salvation to Equestria, she had to!

The temple began to quake, a mighty roar echoed from the ritual circle, the words on the Word Wall began to glow.

Trixie could feel a huge magical shift in the “magic flows” of Equis. Whatever Alduin’s level of power was, it was affecting the whole world.

Then, with a mighty ear-bursting roar, the World Eater climbed out of the ritual circle.

He had massive spikes all over him, adorning his black scales that can shrug off any attack, may it be physical or magical. His eyes were the eyes that made anypony cower in fear. He radiated power, power that could bring Equis to its knees. He shook the ground with each mighty step and spoke with a voice so powerful, he could quite literally shout you apart.

“WHO DARES CALL ME LIKE A FILTHY MUTT?!

The dragon paused, then slowly fixed his terror inspiring eyes on Trixie, and Trixie had to keep herself from not running away in terror, or shitting herself on the spot. She took off the mask, and prepared herself for the afterlife.

The dragon spoke again, “Tell me your name, before I kill you.”

I-I’m… Trixie. I summoned you to help E-Equis.”

“Zu'u Alduin. Zok sahrot do naan ko Lein!" the dragon said, “tell me, can you even understand that?! If you can’t, then you will die for daring to summon me like a common dog!”

His jaws opened, and Trixie could see fire starting to form.

“Wait!” Trixie yelled, “ you said: ‘I am Alduin. Most mighty of any in the World!’”

Alduin’s eyes narrowed. He closed his jaws and said, “why did you summon me, mortal?”

"I summoned you so you can help me defeat a threat to this world. Only I have discovered it. It will strike when all the major kingdoms of Equestria go to war. I need you to destroy it."

“Why should I help your pathetic dungheap your races calls a world?” Alduin asked rather menacingly.

“Because, I offer to resurrect the Dragon Cult. I have delved into the history of the cult, and found that it worked and maintained peace in Atmora, but not Tamriel. So, I think that the way to peace is the Atmoran Dragon Cult. If you can help me, then imagine this temple with worshippers, with tributes and the faithful. Imagine taking Equis for yourself and ruling it with your kin. I know you have the power to expel the other gods from this world, so it is possible to do this.”

Alduin replied, “you said Equis? Am I in the Prime World?”

Trixie nodded, “indeed you are. I heard from the ancient texts in the royal library that gods native to here and from other worlds constantly try to make this world theirs. But, if you help me, I will make this world yours.”

Alduin was silent, then asked, “why do you want this? Mortals in Nirn would never want me to rule after the Dragon War. What are you really trying to do?”

“I want peace. I want pure and uninterupted peace for all of Equestria. Help me, and I will be your faithful servant, your faithful priest.”

Trixie bowed before the dragon-god.

Alduin spoke, “very well. Is this what you really want, mortal?”

“With every fibre of my being.”

Alduin slammed his tail into the ground causing a small earthquake. He said, “I name you Sahvot! From now on, you answer only to that name. You pledged yourself to me, and only to me shall you answer.”

The dragon priest mask glowed, showing a Dovahzul inscription of Sahvot inside it.

The mask was hers.

Alduin looked at her as she put on the mask.

“We have work to do.”

(&фф&)

Applejack marched with her soldiers, ready to fight in the next battle. This battle was to be different, because she is fighting against former allies.

Applejack looked at her Darksaber hilt.

“Applejack, I have a favor to ask you.”

Applejack looked ahead, then to her side, to see if a certain prince was still there.

Ryoma frowned, "is everything alright?"

Applejack nodded. With Ryoma at her side, she continued leading her army to a battle that would change Equestria forever.

But little did she know that she was being followed.

Cernunnos observed from a cliff with trees on it, as he sharpened his arrowheads. Next to him was Lurtz’s shade, now a mindless ghost/revenant that will follow Cernunnos’s every comand.

Cenunnos's eye sockets glowed a vibrant red as he said, “Let the hunt begin.”

Author's Note

You didn't think I'd kill Lurtz off thateasily, did you? Stay tuned for the first major battle.

Bonis points for knowing the meaning of Trixie's new name, (or alias.) might find the answer on thuum.org translator
Hint: obviously, do dovahzul to english.

On the Plains of Death

Author's Note

Braveheart OC belongs to Kombatant Champion, nuff said.
Oh, in case you have no idea about what Alduin is saying in his dragon-speech, his quotes are in this link http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Alduin

On the Plains of Death

Chapter 6: On the Plains of Death.

Celestia and Luna was overlooking the battlefield with their most trusted general. The battlefield itself was very open. It had a river running through it. To the west were the White Tail Woods, to the east were the Everfree Forest, and to the south was the Ghastly Gorge. The northeast was Ponyville.

Luna turned to the general, “what do you think, Braveheart?”

Braveheart was one of Equestria’s most decorated general. He fought the Serponies in Ponyville and was one of the few survivors of the Serpent Siege of Canterlot. It was during these battles that he lost his right foreleg, which was replaced by a mechanical leg. He also had his wings cut off when he helped the air defence during the Battle of Cloudsdale, and they were mechanical replacements now. After the Serpent War, he went to Applekoto to learn the samurai way from a friend named Saburo, a friend he wanted to see soon.

Braveheart examined the battlefield again. “If our forces get flanked and surrounded, we will lose our entire army. We need the hoplites to form a phalanx in front of our own troops so they can penetrate and spearhead the offense. Then we will have some of our own hold dinospears over the hoplites so the carnotaurus riders can’t destroy the phalanx.”

“What about the Pteranodon riders? Do we have any air support?” Celestia asked.

“We got archers, and the hoplites are a pegasus only group. But hoplites are slow in the air, so we need to rely on our archers,” Braveheart answered.

Luna remembered how ineffective Equestrian archers were during the Serpent War. She grew worried as she scanned the plain, looking for war to rear its ugly head.

They then heard a war horn being blown.

All three ponies turned to see Aether Aegis leading his force of one-thousand hoplites. The soldiers of Equestria's’ jaws dropped when they saw the bronze armor gleaming in the sun and the icy blue crests moving in the wind. The hoplites oozed a sort of ancient and powerful aura that made some Equestrian forces nearly piss themselves.

Aether was the most impressive specimen of them all. His northern silver armor shining harshly in the rays of the sun.

Braveheart trotted up to the hoplite leader and asked, “are you Aether?”

“Indeed I am.”

Braveheart told him the plan.

Aether nodded and said, “sounds good. I will position my hoplites accordingly.”

“Who is the pegasus mare that is with your soldiers? She’s beautiful,” Luna asked.

Aether replied, “my betrothed.”

Braveheart laughed and held up his hoof, “good job bagging that one. And here I thought that you would never get laid!”

Aether was stunned, then quickly said, “jeez Braveheart. I know that we had some drinks together, but please mind your language around the princesses.”

Luna sighed, “He is like this all the time.”

Celestia asked Luna, “where is Vinyl?”

Braveheart answered the question, “I sent her to locate the Applekoto army. We will need them to hurry so we can face the Serponies like equals.”

Celestia shook her head, “we were never their equals in war.”

“Sister, thou must have more faith than that!” Luna said, “we will send them back to the place they came from with their tails between their legs!”

“Um, when did you become a warmonger?” Braveheart asked.

“Since Lyra threatened our ponies with war,” Luna said as she drew moonbolt from its sheath, “I will see that Lyra’s skull adorn my throne before the day is out!”

Braveheart chuckled, “I must say, I kinda like war-Luna.”

Celestia rolled her eyes and said, “we don’t have much time. The Serponies are coming here at a fast pace, so we must draw up formations and prepare for the assault.”

“Son of a bitch, the bastards are already here,” Braveheart said as he pointed to the opposite side of the battlefield. There the four ponies saw the Serpony army marching over the hill. Leading the army was Empress Lyra Heartstrings herself. She was riding on the back of Sugrotl, and had a flaming spear in her hoof with Chillrend in its sheath and strapped to her flank. She wore a feathered headdress that was crimson in color.

Her army came up behind her, in rows upon rows of well equipped Serpony warriors, carnotaurus riders and pteranodon flyers. Their eyes burned with hatred as they shouted war cries that seemed to strike at the hearts of the Equestrian army.

“Well… it seems that Lyra brought the entire army,” Celestia said.

Aether shouted, “hoplites! Phalanx formation, now!”

The sharp metal clang of hoplite shields rang throughout the battlefield as the hoplites locked shields and lowered their spears to meet the flesh of their enemies.

Lyra shouted from her mount, “send your army away, sisters. You have learned before that the Serpony army is a snake that should not be trifled with.”

“And let you gallop around and kill citizens who had no part in the riot and assassination? I don’t think so!” Luna shouted, “if anypony should back down, it’s you!”

Lyra’s eyes grew livid with pure rage, “how dare you! I lost everything that day! My husband, our filly, it was all because of your citizens that they died! Now I have a chance of avenging their deaths, and to satisfy justice, the justice that the Serpony deserve. I will not let your kingdom scar mine again!”

The entire Serpony army roared with zeal when they heard Lyra’s words.

“Lyra, don’t do this, please!”

Lyra turned to see her friend, Sweetie Drops emerge from the Equestrian army.

Lyra showed no emotion, but regarded her friend with narrow eyes.

“The Lyra I know would never threaten Equestria with the killing of its citizens, much less even suggest war to begin with,” Sweetie Drops said.

Lyra’s eyes became steel, “the Lyra you knew is gone.”

“It is not too late, please Lyra, help Equestria instead. I have talked to Celestia and she said that you can help us find those responsible instead of killing entire towns. Please, at least, do it for me.”

Lyra’s eyes began to water, she looked down and began to shake. The Serpony warriors looked at each other, wondering what she will do.

“Lyra, please… trust me”

Lyra was still for a moment. She drew a ragged breath, and bellowed a war cry. She hefted her flaming spear and threw it with all her might. The spear sailed through the air and skewered its target through the belly.

Sweetie Drops looked down at the flaming spear that was torching her insides.

Sweetie Drops croaked, “I… still believe…”

Then she fell to the ground and was still, never to wake again.

The entire Equestrian army was shaken to the core. Luna, Celestia, Braveheart, and Aether looked in horror as Lyra sobbed.

Lyra looked at the four with such hatred that it seemed she was burning a hole in their souls.

With tears of unbridled fury, Lyra drew Chillrend and pointed it at the flaming spear and shouted, “serpent of turquoise, serpent of flames, I call upon you now to decimate our enemies! Come, oh great god of fire, Xiuhcoatl!

Sweetie’s body exploded in flames and the spear transformed into a fifty foot long on-fire snake with fiery plumage. The creature screeched and opened its jaws. It’s jaws acted like a flamethrower, roasting a group of Equestrian soldiers.

“CELESTIA AND LUNA, YOU WILL PAY FOR BRINGING HER INTO THIS!” Lyra screamed as her army surged forward, yelling and roaring war cries.

Braveheart drew his katana out of his sheath and then pressed a button on his sheath, causing it to collapse and extend to form another katana. He activated his magic, grasping both weapons with magic and stood there, ready to receive Tartarus. The Equestrian army behind him drew their weapons, ready to defend queen and country.

Aether stood beside him, his spear ready, and his shield glowing. His hoplites were in front of the Equestrian army, ready to spearhead the attack.

The armies clashed.

The phalanx held strong as the Serponies threw themselves at it, their obsidian blades sparking harmlessly off the bronze coated shields. The shield wall opened briefly, producing spears. The spears sunk in the flesh of Serponies, catching them in throats and heads, causing blood and brain matter to fly everywhere. The shield walls closed and locked again, and the Serponies tried to break it, but failed.

Lyra yelled at the Xiuhcoatl in the serpent tongue, causing the god-snake to blast the phalanx with fire.

For a while, the phalanx held. But, the bronze began to melt.

Then, the line broke, and exploded in flames. Many Equestrians screamed in agony as their flesh melted off their bones in a blink of an eye. The Serponies rushed in, resulting in hand-to-hand combat.

Luna growled and flew into the fray, intent on destroying the god of fire.

Lyra charged in as well. Sugrotl slammed and crushed anypony foolish enough to get in his way.

Braveheart cursed himself, then spread his mechanical wings. He launched himself skyward and spotted Lyra. He shot out of the sky and tackled the Empress, sending them both into the ground. Before Sugrotl could get to Lyra, a bunch of Equestrian soldiers holding dinoslayers surrounded him.

Lyra bucked Braveheart off of her. She brandished Chillrend and growled. Braveheart twirled his two katana with his magic, a clear message known as the “come at me, bro” taunt.

Lyra galloped at him and brought her sword in a downwards slash, which Braveheart blocked. Lyra slipped under his guard and delivered an uppercut to the face. Bravebeart staggered, then regained his stance. He dodged her incoming slash and parried another blow. Lyra was delivering blow after blow that nearly exceeded Braveheart’s speed. Braveheart stepped forward and slashed inside her guard, drawing blood on her cheek.

Lyra jumped back and regained her composure. She stabbed her blade into the ground, and began chanting.

Braveheart knew that whatever spell she was casting, he would not like it. Braveheart launched himself with his wings and flew at her with both katanas aimed at her heart.

Just as he reached her, she stopped chanting and ducked underneath him. Braveheart had only a second to process what was happening before he was impaled underneath.

Lyra lifted the Braveheart shish-ka-bob before flinging the general off her blade.

Braveheart landed with a thud, and was trying to get up. Lyra dragged her blade across the dirt in a demented way, intent on ending the life of one of Equestria’s most decorated and youngest generals.

“Get away from him, you bitch!”

Lyra barely had time to block the darksaber swing.

Applejack, daimyo of Applekoto, has arrived with her army.

“How dare you interfere!” Lyra yelled as she struggled to keep her block up. Applejack simply punched Lyra in the face with her free hoof, sending the Empress tumbling into the blood-soaked dirt. Aether Aegis was at Braveheart’s side.

“Can you trot?”

Braveheart only grunted in pain as Aether hoisted Braveheart onto his back, and galloped towards a battlefield medic.

“I should be out there, fighting with my soldiers!” Braveheart managed to say.

“Braveheart, you big idiot. Haven’t they told you not to charge a spellsword when they are chanting?” Aether said as he rammed aside a Serpony warrior.

He let Braveheart slide off back, and a young mare with short red hair galloped over to them. She brought out a Hoshidan rod and began to heal Braveheart.

“May I ask… who are you?” Braveheart asked.

“I-I’m Princess Sakura of Hoshido.”

Meanwhile, Applejack was beating the shit out of Lyra. As their soldiers clashed around them, Applejack was sending Lyra into the dirt as many times as rain hits the earth. Lyra began chanting to conjure up a spell. And Applejack stood there, waiting.

Lyra then sent a fireball at Applejack, shouting, “you’re finished!”

Then a Hoshidan-style pony ninja appeared and tanked the fireball with some sort of ward. She landed in front of Applejack and threw a steel shuriken at the Empress, who barely managed to dodge.

“Try that again, I dare you!” Octavia cried. Vinyl then appeared behind Lyra and impaled the Empress with her naginata Lyra was flung off the naginata and flopped in the dirt. She was trying to get up with her blood pooling out and a little of her intestines leaking through the wound.

Applejack looked to see Ryoma cutting down everypony of Serpony origin. She saw the carnotaurus getting impaled by spears made to kill them. And Luna, who was still fighting the flame snake. Celestia was firing bolts of light in the enemy ranks, causing explosions of sunlight that fried enemy troops.

She turned to Lyra and said, “it’s over, ‘your highness.’ Time for you to die.”

Applejack, with a sorrowful expression, raised her darksaber to execute Lyra.

Then, a beam of divine energy blasted the battlefield.

“Shit! get me out there! She’s gonna die if I don’t save her!” Braveheart yelled.

“Almost there..” Sakura said as the wound began to close.

The beam faded, and in its place was Quetzalcoatl, in a smaller form. His wingspan was still huge and his body was as long as the fire serpent’s, but he still radiated divine energy.

Lyra was floating in the air as he said, “you intend to kill my son’s wife and mother to my granddaughter?! Do you have a deathwish, mortal?” the god said as Lyra’s wounds began to close.

Applejack was not intimidated. She got in her fighting stance and said, “Ah welcome the challenge.”

Quetzalcoatl roared, “THEN DIE!”

Quetzalcoatl opened his mouth of fangs and shot a beam of divine energy at Applejack, who failed to avoid it. The beam… missed as Braveheart tackled Applejack out of the way. Both tumbled in the dirt as Applejack yelled at Braveheart, “why did ya interfere?!”

“If you think that you can tank a Divinity Beam, then you are a dumbass!” Braveheart yelled back, “that very same type of beam that has defeated entire armies of demons, and the only beings in the universe that can tank something like that would be the Titans!”

Quetzalcoatl roared, “I will make sure the Equestrians roast in Tartarus!”

Xiuhcoatl smacked Luna aside and she flopped to the ground, covered in flames. Aether pointed his spear and a beam of ice encased Luna, putting the flames out.

Xiuhcoatl said, “I will help you with that, dear brother.”

Quetzalcoatl roared and little wards were forming around the Serponies. Xiuhcoatl began to glow.

Chione appeared, and raised her own ice barriers around the hoplites, Applekotojin, and some Equestrians and the key heroes of Equestria and Applekoto.

In a flash of raw power, Xiuhcoatl expelled flames from his body with the force of a meteor impact, roasting alive anypony not protected by the wards. Waves upon waves of fire and destruction flooded the battlefield, burning anything from ponies to grass to the very dirt beneath them.

When the flames stopped pulsing, when the cries of those in agony were silent, was when Chione let down the steaming ice barriers.

She saved Braveheart, Sakura, Aether, Celestia, Luna, Ryoma, Applejack, Vinyl, and Octavia. Some hoplites survived, about two hundred ninety-nine. Surviving Applekotojin numbered five hundred, and surviving Equestrian forces numbered about three-fifty.

Chione floated down and landed in front of a confused Aether. “Are you alright, my love?”

Aether rolled his eyes, “I’m just peachy.”

Chione frowned.

Xiuhcoatl roared in triumph alongside Quetzalcoatl.

“Damn, Dammit all!” Luna cried as she witnesst the carnage. She saw piles upon piles of dead and charred Equestrians and Applekotojin.

Celestia was absolutley stunned.

Quetzalcoatl laughed, “foolish mortals, did you honestly think you can contend with an army that has divine favor? Every time you try to stop my people, i’lI will be there, ready to meet you in battle.”

Braveheart gritted his teeth, “guys, we need to retreat.”

Luna began to protest, “but I-”

“No buts, princess. We don’t have the numbers and strength to repel the invaders and their gods. We need to make a retreat and live another day. Don't make the ponies of Equestria suffer the loss of their princesses!”

“If we retreat-”

“Then we can regroup and gather our strength. I agree with the general, we need to get out of here!” Ryoma said while treaing Applejack’s wounds.

Braveheart turned to the god, “Somepony needs to stay behind and distract them.”

Aether glared at Braveheart, “don’t you fucking dare!”

Then, a roar sounded from the sky.

Quetzalcoatl’s eyes grew big with fear, “no, it can't be. IT CANNOT BE!”

Xiuhcoatl hissed and narrowed its eyes as the roar was heard again.

Even Celestia reconized the roar, and she was literally shaking with fright.

Suddenly, a black dragon decended from the heavens, its roar opening up the heavens, showing the nebula and stars, and casting down meteors. One meteor struck the Serpony army at its core, causing an explosion that killed a good number of warriors. Another meteor struck Xiuhcoatl in the face, making the god flail in the dirt with an explosion. Quetzalcoatl dodged a meteor. On the mighty black dragon was a unicorn in a starry cape and hat with an ancient mask on her face.

A chilling, ancient voice filled the air:

“Zu'u lost daal."

Quetzalcoatl roared at the Serpony army, a signal of sorts to retreat. The Serpony army began to flee as the black dragon landed, his very limbs shaking the ground beneath them.

“Alduin, leave now. You don’t belong in this world!” Xiuhcoatl cried.

Alduin growled, “foolish Serpony god. Did you not remember the last time we fought?”

Xiuhcoatl narrowed his eyes, “indeed I do, and the outcome of that battle will not happen again.”

Sugrotl, who managed to kill the Equestrian soldiers around him, roared, “I challenge you to single combat!”

“Fool, only of we work together can we oppose him, I will help you,” Quetzalcoatl said. Xiuhcoatl nodded and said, “I will lend my strength as well.”

Alduin laughed, “It would seem that you all are adamant about standing in my way. No matter, Nust wo ni qiilaan fen kos duaan!”

Alduin roared again, and meteors began to fall from the heavens.

Celestia yelled, “run!” as the World Eater roared again, blasting a stream of fire that was like one hundred flamethromers on steriods at the Serpony gods.

Braveheart, Aether, Chione, Applejack, Sakura, Vinyl, Octavia, Luna, Ryoma and Celestia, and what was left of the hoplites and Equestrian forces fled the battlefield, the earth beneath them shaking as gods do battle.

Unfortunately, they failed to see Lurtz at the side of Cernunnos. Cernunnos notched an arrow in his bow, and aimed at the group. He pulled the drawstring back and said, “who's pelt shall I take first?”

When the Dead Hunt...

Chapter 7: When the Dead Hunt...

The best prey of any hunt is the one that has the ability to kill you.

-Screaming Arrow, on the topic of the Top Ten Hunts

Sombra laughed wickedly as he smashed the face of a Serpony warrior into its skull with his flanged mace, causing blood and brains to splatter all over his armor.

“How are you doing, Helm Lunar? Need any help?” the former Crystal Empire king shouted as he swung his mace again, crushing a warrior's neck, snapping the vertebra and causing the bone to stick out of the warrior's skin.

Helm swung Helheim, decapitating five Serpony warriors at once. He responded, “I’m good,” then gripped his sword’s blade and brought down the crossguard onto another Serpony warrior's head, piercing its skull. The Lunar king then turned and swung the crossguard at another warrior, smashing the warrior's head to paste.

Helm planted his sword and watched as prince Xander of Nohr cut down many warriors that were stupid enough to challenge him. The dark blade Siegfried cutting through bodies like a hot knife through butter.

Xander raised his sword and bellowed a battlecry that caused Nohrian regulars and Lunardite soldiers to surge forward, brutally cutting their way through the Serpony army. The leader of the army and personal retainer to Empress Lyra herself, Gold Hoof, was frantically calling a retreat. Her warriors were getting massacred, and her soldier's weapons barely scratched the heavy armor the Nohrians and the Lunardites wore.

Helm gripped the sword handle in his teeth and galloped towards Gold Hoof, leading the charge that will ultimately crush the Serpony force sent to make sure the Lunardites didn’t interfere with Equestria.

The Lunardites really didn't care about Equestria, only a good fight to the death would rose their interest.

Helm caught up to Gold Hoof, (which wasn’t really hard despite the armor, because he had four more legs than she did,) and swung as hard as he could, slicing Gold Hoof’s right hind leg off with ease. The blood squirting from the severed leg spattered the king’s armor, making him seem more demonic. As Gold Hoof squirmed and screamed in pain, Helm towered over her, his sword point hovered over her head.

“Let’s see your god save you now!” Helm cried as he plunged the blade of his sword into Gold Hoof’s head and pinning it to the ground. He let the sword sit there as he watched the Serpony army flee.

Sombra, who had just finished reducing a skull of a Serpony warrior to mush with his flanged mace, trotted up to Helm and asked rather excitedly “do we give chase?”

“No, prince Xander will reduce the fleeing army to tatters. It is time that Lunardom comes to the aid of Equestria,”

Helm turned and pulled Helheim out of the corpse of Gold Hoof, making a sickening suction sound. Sombra followed him, grinning about the war he has always dreamed of.

(бфб)

“Hurry, the son of a bitch is still on our tail!”

“He has dogs… oh gods, he has hunting dogs!”

“Ghosts of hunters! No… no! Stay away! Nooooo!”

Every surviving soldier from the recent battle involving four different gods were running from the most experienced, the most vicious hunter that Equis has ever had, Cernunnos himself, with Lurtz leading the hunting dogs. A storm formed with dark crimson clouds rolling in to herald the wild hunt.

As the soldiers try to escape the dogs, they were being shot down by arrows.

Unfortunately, the heroes were with them.

“Come on! Hurry!” Braveheart cried as he tried to lead the group of heroes. Ryoma was carrying Applejack on his back after she got struck with one of Cernunnos’s arrows as they tried to retreat from the battle. It was a rib shot, a shot that nearly went through her completely. She was in excruciating pain, but Ryoma was shouting words of encouragement to make sure she didn’t fall asleep. Normally, Sakura would heal such a grievous wound, but if she stopped galloping, she will be the next trophy mounted on Cernunnos’s wall.

Luna and Celestia stayed on the ground, knowing full well that Cernunnos or Lurtz could easily pick them out of the sky with their bows. Aether ran in the rear of the group, his shield was making a barrier behind them so they would not get hit with a stray arrow from behind, or from one of the dead hunters Cernunnos had summoned.

Luna cut one such hunter down with Moonbolt as the group continued to gallop for their lives. She made the mistake of looking to her right to see one Equestrian soldier fall before a pack of hunting hellhounds. The demonic dogs began to tear out the soldier's throat, his guts, his muscles, everything that was edible in the wild was now their dinner. She saw the hounds beginning to feast on the corpses of the fallen, looking up from their grisly meals, copious amounts of blood dripping from their snouts as they growled at the group of heroes.

Luna though she was gonna puke.

Celestia was in tears. She absolutely refused to see her own soldiers becoming dinner to the most demonic hunt. She looked at the ground to contain her sanity as she heard the bones snap and the flesh tear from the bodies of her soldiers as the dead hunters and hellhounds feasted.

Vinyl and Octavia were guarding the sides, striking down any hellhound that tried to take a bite out of the group. They were absolutely terrified as the witnessed the entire thing. Chione was way behind the group, trying everything at her disposal to slow down the Hunter of the Bloodmoon. She summoned ice upon ice, but the ice evaporated into thin air. She could see the glowing red-eye sockets of the Alpha Predator, and she was terrified.

Even Aether’s hoplites were getting torn apart as the hellhounds tear off their limbs so they can take their sweet time prying off the bronze armor.

Braveheart pointed towards an edge of a forest, “we need to reach Whitetail Woods. The white tail deer there can help us!”

“Um… Braveheart, that is a forest, A FOREST! Mr. bow and arrow behind us likes forests because it is his domain!” Aether yelled as he smacked aside a hound with his dory.

“Trust me!” Braveheart yelled back. With little other choice, the group headed for the treeline.

Braveheart looked back to see that all the soldiers that were part of the battle were dead and being eaten. Almost every single soldier that fled with them died, save some surviving hoplites that were behind the heroes. Chione was with them, blasting anything that moved with icy winds and miniature blizzards

Aether stopped in his tracks, then gave one last look at Braveheart.

He seemed to say, “see you on the other side.”

“Don’t you fucking dare!” Braveheart yelled.

Aether turned around and galloped at the remaining hoplites, ready to stand with his soldiers.

Braveheart turned back toward the tree line, praying to whatever gods were out there that they would make it to the trees, and Aether be granted a quick death.

They reached the forest and galloped heir way through the brush, leaving behind the carnage and the fallen as they continued to gallop, not looking back.

(#^#)

Luna collapsed on the ground, Weary from all the galloping they had to do to escape the hunt of the dead.

“I need to gallop more,” Celestia said as she sat next to her sister.

Luna nodded, breathing hard as she looked at their surroundings. It was almost dusk, but the storm made the sky darker and even more ominous with the red color.

Luna looked over to the rest of the company. Sakura was next to Ryoma, the latter gently letting Applejack slide off his back. She was unconscious, her breathing hard and the wound Cernunnos gave her wasn't gonna close. Luna could sense a fell power preventing the wound from closing.

Vinyl and Octavia were resting as well, their legs felt like lead when they lay down.

Braveheart was observing his surroundings as well. He turned to the rest of the group and said, “we need to reach White Tail villages before the sun goes down. If we don’t, we are as good as dead.”

“But Applejack can hardly move!” Ryoma protested as he and Sakura trotted over to Braveheart, “Sakura’s rod broke when she was trying to heal Applejack, so her wounds are healed halfway. She can’t move like this, it is causing her pain.”

Braveheart fixed Ryoma with a cold stare, “if she can’t move, then she will be the first to die in this unforgiving wood. The forest is not like the Everfree, but dangerous creatures also roam here at night too. On top of that, Cernunnos will track us down if we stay.”

Ryoma assumed a power stance, “I say we stay. We need the rest, and Applejack needs a painless night of rest as well.”

“You don’t get it, do you?! By nightfall, the hounds of Cernunnos will kill us off, one by one!” Braveheart spat, “If we don’t move, the arrow wound will be the last thing she has to worry about.”

Ryoma was going to counter his argument when something rustled the bushes.

In a flash, a velociraptor sprang from the bush, screeching bloody murder.

With quick reflexes, Ryoma drew his Raijinto and slashed at the dinosaur’s neck, and Braveheart used magic to cause the creature’s ribcage to shatter, causing Braveheart’s eyes to glow green for a second. The headless and broken body flopped to the ground.

"Sugrotl's Trackers! They must have folloed us from the battlefield!"

Luna raised her eyebrow, “i'm rather curious Braveheart. Where did you learn that kind of magic?”

"A Velociraptor sprang out of the bush, so you choose the subject of my magic before thinking about moving deeper into the forest so they don't kill us?!" Sighing, and knowing that he was caught, Braveheart came clean. “I learn some dark magic when I was Sombra’s prisoner during the time we spent in the Crystal Empire trying to defeat him before the Mane Six save me and my company's asses.” He gave Luna a rather hostile stare, to let her know that it was a sore subject.

“Regardless, that kind of magic is forbidden,” Celestia said, “if this were a normal day, I would have to arrest you for it.”

“You have to understand-”

Applejack’s scream pierced the air. All the heroes turned to see her getting dragged away by another velociraptor, its fangs deep in her hind leg. The velociraptor looked at them with its… unusual eyes. Eyes that seemed to intelligent, even for a velociraptor.

Ryoma immediately sprung into action, and tackled the dinosaur. As the two crashed to the ground, the velociraptor was forced to open its jaws to use them on Ryoma, causing a gasp of pain to escape Applejack’s mouth. As Ryoma wrestled with the terrible lizard, Braveheart unsheathed his katana, deciding that one blade would be enough, shot into the air and came back down, causing the blade to protrude from the creature’s belly, mere centimeters away from hurting Ryoma. Braveheart jumped off, and Ryoma bucked the creature off of him.

It flopped to the ground, but was still alive. Braveheart withdrew his katana from its back and stabbed it through the throat, causing blood to spurt out.

It roared in pain, but was still alive. Braveheart took his katana out of its throat and stabbed it in the head, piercing its head and skull and brain.

It was still alive, and its wounds began to close.

Braveheart transformed his katana’s sheath into a second katana with a press of a button, and prepared himself for the fight of his life.

Instead, a spear flew through the air and pierced the velociraptor’s skull with so much force that its neck snapped like a twig and brain matter splattered all over Celestia’s face. The creature was still and its breathing stopped.

Braveheart was glad that the beast was dead, but now, they had something else to deal with.

White Tail deer began to reveal themselves to the group of heroes. The deer had them surrounded and their weapons pointed at them.

The White Tails had varied shades of green, brown, grey and reddish fur. The bucks had antlers of different sizes and points and had their faces decorated with elaborate green war paint. The does had a slender body build and slender legs, and some does had some war paint on, but only spirals and triquetra completely cover their right hind legs. The rest of their bodies remained unmarked. And even Braveheart had to admit that there was some pretty attractive does that were aiming spears and arrows to pierce his heart if given the command.

A single buck strode forward, his massive, twelve point, metal-coated and carved up antlers gave him the appearance of authority and power. He also had wings that were three times the size of normal Pegasi wings. His coat was a deep, rusty red.

Celestia muttered under her breath, “great, their leader is a Peryton.”

Braveheart turned to her and asked, “what the tartarus is a Peryton?”

“A winged deer that eats and hunts prey, and they have been known to eat any lost ponies that happen to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time.” Luna answered.

The Peryton buck spoke, “what do we have here? The royal princesses of Canterlot, descendants of the Ancestor who destroyed our gods and tried to eradicate our way of life through mass genocide.”

The deer stomp and pawed the ground and shouted war cries, a clear display of a challenge of authority and a warning that things will turn ugly.

Braveheart turned to the two princesses, saying, “seriously, how many races and ponies did your ancestor piss off?”

Celestia and Luna sighed and said in unison “a lot.”

The Peryton began to sneer, revealing his razor sharp teeth that can puncture steel plate armor and said, “I never tried royal flesh before. Tell me, do think that if I cut them open with my antlers it will spill out sunlight and moonlight?”

The bucks and does bellowed war cries in approval.

The Peryton lowered his antlers and said, “let's find out, shall we?”

The Peryton charged, and Braveheart got in his way and blocked his charge with his twin katanas, using magic to do so.

The Peryton smiled and said, “is that the best you could do?”

The Peryton sharply turned his head, causing the antlers to snap both katanas in half. While Braveheart was stunned, the Peryton clamped his jaws on Braveheart’s right mechanical wing and tore it off. Braveheart then received a sharp kick to the head, nearly knocking him on his ass and nearly knocking him out.

Braveheart felt the blood trickle over his left eye, from the cut the kick gave him. Braveheart staggered back on his hooves and prepared to give his life up to defend the princesses.

“Braveheart, catch!”

Braveheart, without taking his eyes off the Peryton, caught an unknown object from the air that Applejack, despite her pain, managed to throw to him. He used his magic to awaken the dark blade from its slumber in the rectangular hilt.

Braveheart spun the Darksaber around his body and said, “come on prancer, let's see what you are made of.”

Luna’s and Celestia’s eyes widened. Because you never, ever, call any deer a prancer, unless you want to die a painful death.

The Peryton charged again, intense rage filled his eyes.

As soon as the Peryton got close enough, Braveheart flicked the blade with his magic, shearing the metal coated antlers off the Peryton. He then jumped over the Peryton and landed on its back. He then plunged the Darksaber into the Peryton’s back, causing it to screech, then drop dead.

Braveheart pulled the Darksaber out of the corpse of the Peryton and then used his magic to point the blade to the other deer, shouting “who’s next, huh?! Who wants to try and kill the princesses?! I fucking dare you to try!”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Another Peryton appeared. He looked just like the Peryton that Braveheart just killed, except that this Peryton had grey coat.

“Mind if I ask you your name?” The grey Peryton said.

Braveheart narrowed his eyes, “only if you give your first, dickhead.”

The Peryton rolled his eyes and said “fine, i’ll give you the curtesy. Oak Feathers, that is my name.”

“i’m general Braveheart of the Equestrian army.”

Oak Feathers looked at the rest of the deer group. “You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Can’t you see that they have a wounded mare with them?”

The deer’s whole demeanor changed. They stopped what they were doing and ran at the group. Instead of attacking, they picked up Applejack and began to run off with her.

“Hey! What do you thin-”

Oak Feather said, “no time for explanations. I know what hunts you, and we must prepare for it, to fight it at three in the morning.”

“What game are you playing here, Oak Feather?”

Luna asked with a raised eyebrow.

Oak Feather replied, “the game of survival. The game of tag, the grand game of the hunt.”

Saburo

Author's Note

Yeah, sorry about another prelude chapter. More is on the way so stay tuned.
I though this (Blog) song perfectly ties in with the chapter. After all, Saburo's spirit is practically immortal in the eyes of his friends. It also give s a somber tune to read along to.
You don't have to listen if you don't want to.

Saburo

Chapter 8: Saburo

Braveheart was still, his emotionless gaze fixed on a broken samurai helmet.

Applejack came into his tent earlier, telling him the news of his friend’s death at the hooves of a Chimerae raider. Apparently one of her messengers managed to track down the daimyo to tell her the news.

Braveheart continued to stare at the helmet. He shed no tears, for Saburo wouldn't want him to mourn.

“Tears do nothing, they gain nothing. All one has to do is to make their passed on loved ones proud.”

And now, Aether and his hoplites have gone M.I.A, and Equestria’s enemies are closing in on this forest asylum.

Applejack entered his tent, with Saburo’s Spirit Katana at her flank. She had a bundle of something on her back. She looked at the kabuto, then looked at Braveheart.

“You miss him greatly, I reckon.”

Braveheart said nothing.

Applejack trotted over to his bed and placed the bundle on it.

Braveheart turned slowly, his emotionless face regarding her with a cold stare.

Applejack unhooked her Darksaber and held it out.

“Go on, take it. It's my gift to ya.”

Braveheart took the rectangular handle, then turned back to the helmet.

Applejack trotted out of his tent.

Braveheart looked down at the Darksaber and ignited it. The dark blade seemed to tug at his soul, to suggest that it belonged to him.

Braveheart extinguished the blade and opened the bundle on his bed. Inside of the bundle was Hoshidan samurai swordmaster armor. It even had a kabuto like Saburo’s.

There was a note in the bundle as well. It read:

Dear Braveheart

It has been awhile since we spoken… since our falling out. I wish we could of joined Applekoto’s army together, instead of me leaving and you staying.

I became general of the coast, so basically I have to keep the Chimerae away from our lands.

I sent you some armor. You know, just in case some random asshole decides to jump you on the road. I mean, traveling in between Equestrian forts can't be fun for a general like yourself, especially if you are such a high target on the hit list.

You got to come back soon, so we can drink some and catch up on old times.

See you around.

-Saburo.

(Flashback)

They were just colts when it happend.

“Come on man, just ask her out!”

“Can’t do it, I'll look like a fool.”

Saburo and Braveheart were hiding in the bushes, with Saburo trying to convince Braveheart to ask Sunset Shimmer out.

Saburo turned to Braveheart, kinda annoyed, “She is all alone! Her friends will be here soon, so its now or never!”

Braveheart shook his head, “maybe this is a bad idea-”

“Oh no you don't! You will trot up to her and ask her, or so help me, I will grind your eyeballs to mush!”

Braveheart began to back away from the bush, “I-I don't…”

Saburo sighed, “okay. Braveheart, if you do it, you might be able to stand up to bully you have told me about.”

Braveheart’s curiosity was peaked, “how so?”

Saburo said, “you see, if you conquer your fear of being rejected by Sunset, you can beat up the bully for a change. How’s the sound of that?”

“Are you sure?” Braveheart asked.

“Have I ever been wrong? Grow some courage, walk up to her and say ‘hey baby, you want my digits?’”

Braveheart took a deep breath. Then, Braveheart got a wicked grin on his face. He straighted up, shoom alll the leaves out of his mane, and moved out of the bushes towards Sunset...

(Flashback end)

A single tear managed to worm its way out of Braveheart’s eye as he remembered the day he found bravery.

He did ask out Sunset Shimmer, and she did accepted. But, as soon as the bully; Aether Aegis, found out, he challenged Braveheart to a fight after school for Sunset’s affections. Braveheart, spurned on by Saburo’s words, accepted the challenge.

It was a schoolyard fight to end all schoolyard fights. That day, the teachers had to break it up because of the bloody hooves and busted snouts. Nopony knew for sure who won the fight, but afterwards, Aether Aegis had gotten a newfound respect for Braveheart. The three became close friends, and Saburo was always the one to give sound advice to them both, despite being the same age as them.

Aether was the sky, Braveheart was the earth, and Saburo was the core.

Soon, they grew up. Braveheart mantained his relationship with Sunset, Aether went on to move to Cloudsdale, and Saburo stayed in the army headquarters. He never had a marefriend, and never went out much. He tried to spend as much time as he could with his friends.

But, when the Serpent war ended, Saburo wanted to join with Applejack, but Braveheart stayed loyal to Equestria. He remembered the harsh things he said to Saburo, calling him a traitor because he wanted to leave the Equestrian army. Eventually, he learned the way of the katana from Saburo, but only because he was forced to learn by the princesses. But he never called him a friend during the whole routine of training. He always referred to him as Traitor.

Braveheart put the armor on, and it fit nicely. He clipped the Darksaber to his side and turned to the helmet.

“Saburo, I don't know if you can hear me, but I am fine. Sunset and I are thinking about marriage, and moving to Canterlot to raise a family there.”

The helmet didn't respond, but Braveheart kept going.

“I'm sorry, you know. I'm sorry I scorned you for so long. Even when I tried to burn my bridges, you kept on trying to rebuild them so we could be friends again.”

Braveheart knealt before the helmet, “so, I swear to you, as a last act of friendship, I will find your killer, and I will make him pay.”

The helmet said nothing.

“I'm sorry.”

Braveheart trotted out of the tent, with one goal in mind.

Last Stand

Chapter 9: The Last Stand

“Go into battle, determined to die, and you will surely live. Go into battle, determined to live, and surely you shall die.”

-Samurai proverb

(***)

It was three o'clock in the morning, and everypony had a sense of dread lingering in their hearts.

The White Tails agreed to help the heroes, but with their full army, (numbering at forty) they knew it was a death sentence.

A small force of forty-six Applekotojin soldiers managed to escape the hounds, and a force of four hundred Equestrian soldiers were present as well.

The surviving Equestrian soldiers told the heroes about the outcome of the battle before Cernunnos showed up. According to them, Alduin completely decimated and destroyed the physical bodies of the Serpony gods, and even attacked both armies. The Serponies were regrouping and plan on attacking Ponyville on the morrow, while Equestria lost half of its total armed forces in that battle alone. Last they seen of Alduin, he was heading for the South Luna Ocean.

The heroes called a meeting before the stand, and all agreed that, should they survive the battle, Celestia and Luna will fly to Equestria and rally their forces there.

But now, in the eye of the storm, all the heroes were expecting to die.

The unusually bright Moon illuminated the forest with silvery light and revealed the moving silhouettes of many hounds and shambling corpses of many a brave soldier with weapons in hoof marched forward, their moans filling the battlefield with malice. Three thousand of them were ready to fight and die.

At the front of the very small Equestrian-Applekotojin-White Tail army, a certain pony in samurai armor held up a dark blade.

“Remember the cause, remember the sorrow.

Remember everything that has gotten you this far, then fight. Fight against fate, the destiny of the world.”

Braveheart looked to his right; Applejack, Vinyl, Octavia. Ryoma, Sakura were there, determined to get back home alive. To his left, Luna, Celestia, and Oak Feather, ready to defend their citizens to the bitter end.

They all looked at the approaching army of dogs born from the pits of Tartarus and the moving corpses of their fallen allies. Even half of Cernunnos’s army were living, breathing ponies with weapons and the flayed skins and coats of fallen Equestrian soldiers hanging on them like capes.

“Where did those ponies come from?!” asked Octavia.

“They must be survivors of the battle, who pleaded to live and hunt with Cernunnos so he wouldn't kill them.”

Braveheart turned and looked at his army. All the soldiers had solem looks, and many were praying to whatever gods they knew.

“You are all scared, aren't you,” Braveheart yelled to his army, “you are all afraid of that mass off former comrades and vicious dogs. Don’t be. Be afraid of what the army will do if they get past us. Gather your courage and stand with me.”

He turned to face the eldritch army of the hunt, and pointed his Darksaber at the enemies of Equestria and yelled, “where are you, hunter of the Bloodmoon?”

Cernunnos appeared in front of his army with Lurtz at his side. With a spear in hoof, Lurtz slammed the butt of the spear into the ground, causing the spear to stand on its own. The spear spread fear and panic into the small army as the soldiers noticed the gruesome decorations that adorned the spear.

Braveheart felt pure, unadulterated rage.

Skewered on the spear were the heads of Aether Aegis and Chione. Aether’s tongue hung out of his mouth, and Chione’s eyes were milky white.

Cernunnos laughed, “what will your poor excuse for an army do now, princesses? Your own soldiers, living and dead, work for me now. They see how weak both of you are, and want to hunt both of you down and claim your pelts!”

The living part of the army of the hunt bellowed war cries and hurled insults at the royal pair.

Lurtz joined them, pointing at the spear that held the desendant and the ice goddess’s head, yelling “This will happen to you all! We will strip the flesh from your bones, we will-”

“Hold your tongue!”

“The dead don't speak!”

Braveheart turned to see Luna and Celestia step forward, their eyes filled with unbridled fury.

“Do the dead, raised by the bloody hunter, walk Equis before my eyes?!” Luna said as she drew Moonbolt from its scabbard.

Celestia formed a spear made of pure light, “does the hunter raise an undead army of my soldiers, make them fall in and advance?!”

“For those that has abandoned Equestria, and embrace the false pleasures of the hunter, dare meet our gaze?!” Luna yelled.

Celestia stomped her hoof, yelling, “Equestria will not allow it. I will not allow it! You will be crushed like the vile insects you all are, cowering before our wrath!”

Luna and Celestia roared, “AMEN!!!”

Braveheart took a step back, reeling from the magic energy the two alicorns were generating. This energy soaked its way through the heroes’s army, filling everypony’s hearts with righteous fury and unwavering courage. Soon, the forces of Equestria went from sad and moping dumbasses to the righteous soldiers they were meant to be.

Celestia turned to the army and said, “tell us who you are, soldiers!”

The entire army cried out, “we are the soldiers of Equestria! We are the hopes and dreams, the sentinels of Equestria!”

Luna asked them, “what do you all hold in thy hearts, soldiers of Equestria?”

The soldiers answered, “the desire to destroy all threats to Equestria!”

“And what do you offer to the enemies of Equestria?” Celestia asked them.

“A weapon to spill their blood and life, and no mercy to give!”

Both princesses roared, “THEN SLAUGHTER THE ENEMY, WE COMMAND IT!”

The force of four hundred soldiers of Equestria and eighty-six soldiers of the White Tails and Applekoto charged with their vision tinted red.

The hounds and the dead charged as well.

In a furious clash of blades, the battle began.

Braveheart whirled his Darksaber and took the head off a leaping hound. He turned and sliced another corpse in half and stomped on its head, crushing the skull.

He turned and sliced at a living target this time, the soldier dodging the blow. The soldier tried to slash at the right of his body, but the Darksaber blocked- and sliced- the axe head from the shaft. The enemy looked at his axe-turned-stick in awe as Braveheart rammed his horn int the soldier’s throat, skewering the throat, causing blood to spatter all across Braveheart’s snout. Wasting no time, Braveheart lifted his mechanical hoof and punched the soldier in the face as hard as he could, which resulted in the soldier’s face caving in. The soldier fell over with a gurgle.

Braveheart cut down two more corpses and was slowly making his way towards Cernunnos.

Across the field, Luna was also trying to get to Cernunnos. Her flamberge, Moonbolt, was slicing through many soldiers by the group. She parried blows and bucked the dead and the living indiscriminately. No soldier could withstand her fury, no beast could bring her down, and certainly no bloodthirsty god was going to make her kingdom suffer!

Celestia was on the other side of the battlefield, fighting with the main force of Equestrians. Whenever a soldier was going to die, she killed the would-be slayer. When an arrow took a soldier out, Celestia sent a present made of scorching sun directly at them, causing explosions of sunlight across the battlefield. She whirled and whipped her spear of light into the bodies of many a foe who were fooling themselves into thinking they could take the alicorn of the sun in battle.

Applejack and Ryoma worked as a pair, blocking blows and delivering them unto enemy soldiers, their katanas slicing through bodies of the dead and the living. Sakura was taking shots with her steel yumi, nailing hounds in the head. Octavia zipped around the battlefield, tossing shurikens into bodies and skulls. Vinyl Scratch was with her, flinging soldiers off her naginata and using her magic to toss them around like rag dolls. Even Oak Feather was killing like a madmare, using his teeth to tear out the jugulars of many.

But, even with the heroes inflicting great damage to the army of the hunt, it was still roughly even between common soldiers of both armies. The Equestrian soldiers fought their hardest, the hunters still managed to keep up with them in the kill count. Hounds were still taking soldiers out with their packs.

Lurtz was bored by standing there, doing nothing. So he strung his uruk bow and went to work sniping Equestrian soldiers. He laughed as he felled soldier after soldier.

Slowly, but surely, the surviving soldiers of Equestria and their allies were getting pushed into a tight ball. With more and more soldiers falling to the blades of the hunt, it was really starting to look like a last stand.

Soon, Braveheart and Celestia were fighting side-by-side as they were slowly being pushed into the ball.

“I don't suppose you and your sister have anymore pep talks for the soldiers?!” Braveheart said as he used his magic to cause a used arrow to lodge itself in the throat of a hound.

Celestia sent another sun-bolt into a group of enemies that ended them pretty quickly, despite them looking like they got burned in a fryer “Not anything that comes to mind.”

Lurtz then he set his eyes on Celestia.

With a wicked grin, he notched an arrow and took aim.

Then a war horn shattered the air. Everypony stopped to look at the rest of the forest, where the sound was coming from. Emerging from the forest, was King Helm Lunar.

Following him was King Sombra and the crown prince of Nohr, Xander. Behind him was a mixed force of Lunardites, Knights Lunar, and Nohrian soldiers.

King Helm lifted his sword, and gave the order. Immediately, waves of Nohrian Lancers charged.

The army of the hunt was smashed by the incoming wave. The once menacing army was being torn to shreds as knights and Lancers crushed, stabbed and slashed their way through the army of the hunt.

King Helm was slicing through many hunters, and mordhau-stroking everypony he could find.

He had no equal on the battlefield, and was truly a legend.

Then an arrow sprouted from his neck.

The Lunardom/Nohrian army paused as they watched with horror as two more arrow peirced his back.

The king fell over, struggling to stand.

Celestia turned to see Cernunnos with an oversized bow, the only bow that could go through the steel plate armor Helm wore.

Lurtz then fired an arrow at Celestia, striking her in the flank.

As Celestia gasped in pain, Luna, who saw everything, snapped. She spread her wings and launched herself at the uruk, screaming bloody murder. She tackled the uruk and began to punch him repeatedly in the face until brain matter began to leak from his nose. She then gouged out his eyes with her horn, and then used her horn to slice open Lurtz’s abdomen, spilling his guts. She then grabbed his intestines with her jaws, wrapped them around Lurtz’s neck, and began to strangle him with them.

As the icing on the cake, Luna then grabbed her Moonbolt and impaled Lurtz skull to the ground.

While all that was going down, Cernunnos was fleeing into the woods, and was being followed by Braveheart.

(///)

Cernunnos knew that Braveheart was following him, but at the moment, he just cared about getting an away.

Not.

His true intention is as think separate Braveheart from the group. Divide and conquer, or lead one prey item away from the herd.

Cernunnos galloped into a clearing, a clearing that was being bathed in the light of the dawn.

Cernunnos chuckled to himself, noting on how much pain Celestia was in, yet she still is raising the sun.

Braveheart jumped into the clearing, his Darksaber seemingly absorbing the surround light around itself, making the area around Braveheart darker than normal.

Cernunnos turned to face him, his red eye sockets changing to a glowing green.

“Welcome, Hero.”

Braveheart twirled the Darksaber with his magic, “you have a lot to answer for, a lot of pain to give you.”

“You… are so blind. Can't you see what I am, who I am? I'm a god! All the pain in the entire world could not kill me, nor significantly harm me.”

Braveheart shouted, “that is where you are wrong! You are no god, no divine being. You are nothing more than a demon, begging to be released from this morbid existence!”

“Bingo! You favor figured me out at last.”

Braveheart paused, then said “I was right?”

“Indeed.” Cernunnos turned back towards the dawn, “You see, i'm not a god. I am, in fact, a demigod of sorts. I am the son of Hircine, the daedra of the hunt.”

Cernunnos turned back towards Braveheart, “I wanted to be the best hunter in the entire cosmos, to be admired by all… but, I became corrupted by the many paths of evil. My first taste of evil came when I was hunting in the wilds of Skyrim, when I killed my hunting partner over who had the best trophy elk. I then came to this world seeking asylum and forgiveness for that one, evil act. Ponies saw me, and proclaimed me a god. I was filled with the feelings of love and fellowship, so I went along with it. When they found out I wasn't a god, they betrayed me, and burned all the flesh off my face, leaving only skull to this day. In revenge, I killed their families, their offspring, their very lives, made them search for their Lost Worlds. When they begged for death, I killed them. When they begged me to stop, I killed them. So much blood has been splattered all over my hooves and coat that the very gates of Tartarus refuse to open. In the end, it was one warrior that looked like you, my nemesis. One warrior that put me down, but not the way I wanted him to.

Braveheart asked, “what does this have to do with me?”

“You are my end, my undoing, the cleanser. You will purge the world of me for good so that I may know peace.”

Braveheart peiced the entirety of Cernunnos’s plan.

“So, you planned the attack, killed countless soldiers, raised the dead, mutilated bodies and killed a king, just so you could lure me away into a one-on-one duel to the death.”

“Exactly… I am tired of the burden of my sins. I'm tired of all the evil I sowed in the field of pain. The darkness of death is all I seek now… because only a weapon from another universe can truly send my spirit to where it belongs.

Braveheart took the Darksaber in hoof and said, “then I shall return you to the darkness, with darkness itself.”

Cernunnos pulled out his bow and drew back an arrow.

“I will give you one shot. You must kill me before the arrow kills you. If you don't, I will continue to wander Equis and pick off your friends and family one by one.”

He aimed the arrow at Braveheart’s head and yelled, “kill me! Kill me to avenge Aether, kill me to avenge King Helm, for all the souls that were lost today!”

Braveheart charged with his weapon, and Cernunnos released his arrow.

The arrow went through Braveheart’s cheek, and didn't kill him, while Braveheart stabbed the demigod in the chest with the Darksaber.

Cernunnos crumpled to the ground, tears of ectoplasm escaped the eye sockets of the skull.

As the body of Cernunnos disintegrated and was blown away by the wind, Braveheart knelt and cried.

The dawn reflected off the tears streaming down his face.

“You and I are the same!” was what Braveheart shouted into the sky.

“We are just the same.”

Author's Note

I might have butchered the ending a bit.
Let's see if you got the references, and why Braveheart thinks he is the same as Cernunnos. Post what you think below.

Conviction

Chapter 9: Conviction

Braveheart stood over the bodies of Equestrian soldiers.

They were laid out in rows and put into mass funeral pyres, so that their funeral was a quick one clean of scavengers.

Seeing all the carnage and bodies of friend and foe alike in such large quantities should of made Braveheart feel sick to his stomach. But, he felt nothing, and gave no sympathy to the ones who died.

In his mind, they were heroes who would never get a memorial to their name, and would be slowly forgotten in time.

He watched the surviving soldiers pile the bodies high and start to light them up.

As the flames greedily licked the flesh of the dead, Braveheart felt a presence, a presence that he knew, and thought he would never feel again.

“Still playing soldier, Braveheart?”

Braveheart turned to see his self proclaimed rival, Ashen Spectre, casually trotting up to him.

Braveheart growled.

Ashen laughed, “thanks for the welcome.”

“The only welcome you deserve is the one you will get in Tartarus.”

Ashen rolled his eyes, “aw, come on. You still salty over our last encounter?”

“Our last encounter had you almost kill my wife, my life, and almost corrupt Ponyville with you poor grasp of the dark arts. So in short, yes, i'm still salty.”

Ashen sighed, “you know that I had accidentally unleashed those demons from the amulet. I sought no harm on you, your wife, or of Ponyville.”

Braveheart scoffed, “yeah right, and i'm the king of Griffonstone. When will you learn that dark magic will only destroy you in the end?”

Ashen glared at Braveheart, letting Braveheart know that he hit a nerve. Braveheart looked him over.

Ashen Spectre wore standard Nohrian Lancer armor, complete with scarf, but without the helmet. He had a shield strapped to his right fore leg and held a Nohrian silver lance in his left hoof. But Braveheart knew that he probably has a bandolier of knives on him somewhere.

“Have you heard the news?”

Braveheart let his anger evaporate and asked, “what news?”

Ashen looked at the pyre of burning bodies while he said, “Celestia and Luna are going back to Canterlot to defend Equestria from Serpony forces. So, they sending us to the Isle of Origins.”

Braveheart narrowed his eyes, “sending us after Alduin.”

“Exactly. You see, the Serponies declaring war on us was just a ploy, set in motion by somepony to generate enough chaos to power Alduin’s summoning, and to make the dragon god of destruction even more powerful than ever before. Tartarus, i’m willing to bet my soul that Trixie somehow orchestrated the assassination of Featherfang and his family so Alduin can crawl out of his realm.”

Braveheart turned his gaze back at the burning corpses, “and I guess that you have some kind of magic that can counter gods?”

Ashen nodded and summoned his copy of the grimoire Quod Sacra Tenebrae. He held the grimoire with his magic and flipped through the pages, resting on a page with an ominous unicursal hexagram, the points of the hexagram touching a starry circle, with a crescent moon in the middle of the seal.

“The Seal of Sacred Darkness.”

Braveheart shook his head, “like i'm gonna let you cast dark magic in front of me. Calling the darkness ‘sacred’ is an afront of Equestrian laws and beliefs. We will not use darkness to find salvation.”

Ashen’s eyes hardened, “like i'll let you stop me. The darkness you refer to is corrupt darkness. Sacred darkness is the primordial version of darkness, before it was tainted by evil ponies.”

“I don't believe you,” Braveheart said.

A Equestrian soldier approach the pair, saluted and spoke. “sir Braveheart, the princesses ask that you depart for the Isle of Origins immediately. Also, Lord Xander will collow your ship, but Lord Ryoma will not accompany you on your mission. Neither will the Mane Six. They wish that you, the surviving samurai, Ashen Spectre, and his group of Lancers to tie up the loose ends on the Isle of Origins.”

Braveheart sighed and nodded. “message received and understood, it will be done.”

The soldier bowed and galloped away, eager to be clear of the stench of burning flesh.

Braveheart began to walk away from the pyre, saying, “let's go fight some gods.”

(^//^)

Ashen stood at the helm of the ship, sharpening his silver lance, listening to instrumental music through his headphones and breathing in the salty sea breeze, a scent he hasn't smelled since his upbringing in Baltimare.

Ashen was well prepared for a fight. After all, the Isle of Origins was inhabited by the Chimerae raiders, a fierce warrior society bent on making every Applekotojin’s life like the pits of Tartarus. They were fierce enough to kill Saburo, so they should be the only real threat that they need to worry about, apart from the dragon god of destruction.

He heard the stories of the various saliors fortunate enough to escape the brutal wrath. They say that they seek to revive their own god, a deity of the primordial waters, a lord of the waters of creation. Oceanus was his name.

Their fleet had ten warships filled with Applekotojin samurai and Nohrian lancers, all fully equipped and armed. Braveheart in particular seemed eager to meet the Chimerae in battle. He was practicing with his Darksaber, staying clear of Ashen. Ashen could feel the darkness radiating off of the heated blade of the Darksaber, and concluded that it was an artifact made with the most evil intentions.

Ashen put away his whetstone and swung the silver lance around a couple of times. Satisfied with his work, he put the lance down and pulled out his knife harness, pulling out the knives one by one, checking the quality of their sharpness and overall condition.

Things were going smoothly.

“Commander Ashen! An unknown object is closing in on our fleet!” the lookout cried.

Braveheart immediately stopped what he was doing, and galloped over to the front of the ship, where Ashen was already.

They saw storm clouds moving in with the water beneath the clouds crashing and raging.

“So… the clouds are the unknown object?”

Ashen’s eyes went wide as something in the distance breached the water, roaring.

“That's not the unknown object. The unknown object is a Cetus.”

Ashen yelled to the closest ships to his own, yelling, “incoming Cetus! Spread the word and prepare for combat!”

The samurai and lancers scrambled around the decks, preparing their weapons and praying to either the Dawn Dragon or the Dusk Dragon.

As soldiers rushed past the two commanders, Braveheart asked, “what in Tartarus’s name is a Cetus?”

“A species of water monster that is insanely hard to kill. An unholy combination of whale and sea serpent, created by Oceanus himself before he slumbered. Ever heard of the pegasus, Perseus Wingtail?”

Braveheart nodded. Ashen then said, “he is the only pony in the history of the world that has ever slain a Cetus.”

Braveheart looked at the incoming missile of oceanic fury and said, “what are the odds of surviving an attack by this thing?”

“Nearly zero.”

Ashen knelt on the deck and began chanting an ancient and dark language as the Cetus barreled through the waves, its roar sounding like bells.

“Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, for it tolls for thee.”

The Cetus crashed into Braveheart and Ashen Spectre’s warship, shattering and splintering the entire ship. Braveheart and Ashen were thrown from the ship and landed in the ocean, with any soldiers that weren't killed from the initial impact were drowning in the ocean due to their armor, and the sharks that accompanied the massive creature, using this opportunity to feed.

Braveheart surfaced, coughing and sputtering, using his magic to make him stay afloat. When he wiped the water out of his eyes, he saw the sea monster continue to rampage, smashing ships into splinters. The soldiers from the ships were being devoured by the Cetus and the sharks, making the sea around the ships turn crimson, with bits of gore floating in the water. The Nohrian Landers threw their javelins at the Cetus, only for said javelins to bounce off its hide.

“Braveheart! Over here!”

Braveheart turned to see Ashen floating with the help of a wooden plank. Braveheart swam over to Ashen, glad to be alive, but horrified that the soldiers never had a chance.

He looked back and said, “we need to save the survivors!”

“Are you insane?! All its gonna accomplish is your death. The soldiers are beyond saving!” Ashen said.

Braveheart looked back, thinking about his rescue plan for the soldiers. He was about to swim into the heart of the conflict when felt a sharp, instant pain, and he blacked out.

Ashen threw the board he used to knock Braveheart out in the water and used his magic to make the board he and an unconscious Braveheart were clinging to move on its own, away from the drowning ships.

(*^*)

Braveheart woke up just as they hit the hull of a ship with his head.

Braveheart groaned in annoyance as he looked up at the ship.

The ship was Nohrian made, its dark oak wood giving the ship a dark and unforgiving aura. The Nohrian flag flew on top of the main sail. Malig pony knights and pony Wyvern lords flew around the ship.

He turned to Ashen, who was sweating from all the magic he used to direct the wooden plank they clung to into the Nohrian boat.

“WHY THE FUCK DID YOU KNOCK ME OUT?! I COULD OF SAVED MY SOLDIERS!”

“Because you can't do the world good if you're dead. Braveheart, we faced a Cetus! Something that is practically invincible in the heart of the ocean! If you tried to save them, your life is forfeit.”

Suddenly, the Malig knights dive at the two, their wyverns screeching.

As anypony would, both stallions screamed as the wyverns grasped them with their claws and pulled them out of the ocean.

The Malig knights then dropped the two on the deck, in front of the armored hooves of a certain Nohrian prince.

Ashen looked up to see a sight for sore eyes.

“Prince Xander! Um… what a pleasant surprise!” Ashen said.

Xander regarded Ashen with a friendly smile, but frowned when he saw the Hoshidan samurai armor that Braveheart wore.

Xander fixed his eyes on Ashen and asked, “what were you two doing in the ocean? What happened to the company of lancers I allowed you to command?”

Ashen replied, “we were attacked by a Cetus, a monstrous sea creature of unparalleled strength. It rammed and sunk all five warships. Braveheart and I would of died if we we not flung from the ships when it rammed ours. I am sorry to say that we are the only survivors of the assault.”

Xander bowed his head in silence, then turned to a Nohrian Dark Knight, and said, “Full speed ahead. If this Cetus creature finds us, then we will be in deep trouble. Send a Malig Knight to scout ahead. If the Chimerae are as fearsome as they say, we need to know their troops, home and current status.”

The Dark Knight nodded, and turned and started barking orders.

Xander turned and said, “are you two in fighting shape?”

Ashen nodded, and so did Braveheart (reluctantly).

Xander narrowed his eyes at Braveheart, “as for you, if you jeopardize my strategies and my men, samurai, then I will introduce you to Siegfried.”

“What? Do you mean your little pecker you call a sword?”

Xander’s eyes smoldered, and the Nohrian ponies suddenly took an interest in the conversation, putting their hooves on their weapons.

Then, a Nohrian pony shouted from the crow’s nest, “Land! The Isle of Origins spotted! Prince Xander, what shall we do?”

Xander turned and shouted to his men, “prepare for battle!”

Braveheart yelled, “what is one Nohrian ship going to do to an island filled with bloodthirsty Chimerae warriors? Get killed?”

Xander simply said, “heavy armor, and air support.”

(////)

Braveheart knew that the Chimerae were intimating, but the Nohrians… so much so.

The Malig Knights rode undead wyverns, the armor of the Dark Knights looked like some kind of eldritch cross between a Malig knight and a Paladin, Berserkers wore the pelts of various wolf kills and carried rather menacing axes. But the Generals of Nohr put them all to shame. The Generals were heavy armored juggernauts that shook the very ground around them when they charged. Armed with silver Nohrian lances, and steel axes, and with shields as big as themselves, these Nohrians clearly meant business.

He heard something about Nohrian Generals when he trianed with Saburo. He heard it from two Applekotojin samurai. It went along the lines of “a samurai’s worst nightmares are those about Nohrian Generals.”

Braveheart and Ashen stood at the side of Xander, preparing to storm the beach. On the beach were about five hundred Chimerae warriors, with their array of shark weaponry and battle cries.

In the lead of the Chimerae troops, was Saburo’s killer.

Braveheart frowned, “I thought their would be more warriors to fight.”

“While Applekoto and Hoshido help the Equestrians with the Serponies, Nohr and Lunardom have taken it upon themselves to deal with the Chimerae threat. What you see Is the last of their army.” Ashen said.

With that, Xander of Nohr grasped the handle of Siegfried with his hoof and drew the sword. Waves of energy and black flames came of the sword as it was drawn from its scabbard. The shockwaves died down as the black flames engulfed the sword’s edges.

He shouted, “for the glory of Nohr!” as the warship crashed into the shore.”

The troops, numbering about one hundred battle hardened, grizzled veterans of war, jumped from the ship, yelling battle cries of their own as they charged the Chimerae.

Gang planks sprouted from the sides of the ship, allowing the Generals and their groups of Lancers to get of of the battleship with ease, as Generals performed poorly if their armor weighed them down in the surf.

Finally, Braveheart and Ashen, along with Xander, dismounted the warship, and joined with their troops in the Battle for the Isle of Origin.

The two opposing armies crashed into each other, shark weapons meeting metals in a definitive clang.

Generals impaled, Chimerae roared. Berserkers swung, and the Chimerae tore new assholes. Xander was at the forefront of his army, releasing streams of black flames from his divine blade and cutting down Chimerae after Chimerae alongside Ashen, who was twirling his Brave Lance and plunging it into the bodies of the Chimerae.

Braveheart broke off of the main attack force, making his way to Triton Teeth.

Triton Teeth was cutting down Nohrian after Nohrian with a massive two-hooved axe with a blade of… Cetus tooth?!

Where did he get the tooth from?

It didn't matter, Braveheart was seeing red, and the Darksaber seemed to scream with bloodlust.

Braveheart barreled into a group of Chimerae warriors, and swung his Darksaber in a wide arc, taking the lives- and heads of the warriors. As the bodies fell around him, Braveheart locked eyes with his friend’s killer.

With eyes aflame, Braveheart galloped at Triton, determined to crush him once, and for all.

Braveheart slashed, and Triton blocked with the blade of the axe, the Darksaber didn't slice through.

Growling like a feral animal, Braveheart jumped back, and Triton lunged, bring his axe down.

Braveheart put his one and only mechanical wing in front of the axe as a shield, barely blocking the blow as the gears struggled against such natural force.

Again, Braveheart jumped away, his last mechanical wing snapping off.

Trition regarded Braveheart with eyes of pity.

“Don't look at me like that!” Braveheart growled.

“Heed my words well, pawn. I know who you are, and I know why you challenged me. You won't get your revenge, puppet of Equestria.”

“It's not just my revenge. I will avenge everypony that has died by your orders, weapons and warriors. You caused so much bloodshed on the coast. Now, i'm here to repay you for all the blood you used to water your taste for conquest, for your foolish god!”

Triton hefted his Cetus tooth axe, “you are just as stained. Think hard. Do you remember all your friends that you killed in the name of Equestria? All those that fought for what they believed in, and were cut down by you? Remember Saburo, and how you called him traitor, even when he was training you? Remember Ashen Spectre’s attempt to exorcise a demon he summoned in Ponyville to help a possesed pony, and you attempted to kill him during that whole event, all because the demon hurt your wife and because you thought that you had to stamp out his dark magic?”

Braveheart was shaking with fury. He was seeing red, and his eyes began to turn yellow. The humming of the Darksaber seemed to be getting stronger.

Triton continued, “you are a pawn, helping the alicorns keep the gods underneath the seal. You follow blindly, and bark like a dog. You are nothing but a husk with emotion.”

“Bullshit! I act to meet out justice, to end your reign of terror. Tell me, if the gods are so good and so perfect, then why do they subjugate, destroy and kill us mortals?! They abandoned us! Just like they abandoned you to me.”

Triton bared his teeth and slammed his axe into the sand, shouting, “then, pawn of mortals, just try to strike me down! I have faith in the gods. Therefore, let my faith meet your conviction. Let our weapons sing our songs as they clash. Come, Braveheart. Your Destiny Awaits!”

Braveheart galloped at Triton, determined to make him beg for his gods upon death.

When their weapons met, the battlefield heard the sound of two souls locked in legendary combat. Their ferocity was unmatched, their passion unrivaled, their conviction… as hard as steel.

Braveheart attacked relentlessly, slamming and slashing at Triton, who fought back just as hard.

Triton swung his axe, smashing it into the Darksaber, and the blade flickered for a second.

Braveheart deflected another blow from the axe, and slashed at Triton’s leg, effectively slicing off his leg.

Triton went down, with Braveheart leaping onto him, stabbing him in the abdomen with his Darksaber.

Triton roared in pain, then sunk his teeth into Braveheart’s neck. Braveheart yelled in agony, and used his agony to fuel his rage and his bloodlust. He twisted the plasma blade in the chared wound, causing roars of agony to escape Triton’s mouth.

Braveheart tore his neck out of the jaws of Triton, and used his magic to stop the bleeding.

Triton began to pray, and squirmed In agony as his leg and abdomen were aflame with pain.

“Go on,” Braveheart taunted, “pray to your gods, hope they will here you. Oh, wait. They can't hear you. They left you to die, like they did with Featherfang’s family, like they did to Aether Aegis, like they did with everypony else, including Saburo. Pray and die like the filthy rat you are.”

Triton was still.

Braveheart smiled, “just as I thought.”

Braveheart turned to see that the battle still raged, and was about to re-enter the fray.

Then, he felt ripples in the energy around him.

Braveheart turned to see Triton back on his ...leg of water, and his normal leg. The abdomen wound was covered in stationary water, and his eyes glowed blue.

He held out his paw, and the axe transformed into a rod of iron, topped with a ball.

Braveheart charged him again, his Darksaber screaming for blood.

Braveheart jumped into rhe air and brought the Darksaber down. But, the rod of iron blocked the hit.

And it shattered the Darksaber.

Before Braveheart could register what was happening, the rod of iron smote him across the face, sending the Equestrian hero into the sand.

“H-how…?” Braveheart croaked, trying to register the pain that came from his broken and shattered jaw.

“Mortal, you killed my disciple, you have always challenged the gods. Therefore, I smite you in the name of all that is good. You let the darkness in your soul take over, so now, it falls on me to meet out punishment.”

Braveheart said only one word.

“Oceanus?!”

The rod smote Braveheart once more, ending the life of the hero of mortals.

Author's Note

The final chapter draws near. Stay tuned for the finale.
Endgame: The Lost Worlds.

Endgame

Endgame: The Lost Worlds

Ashen galloped as fast as he could up the temple steps, forbidden tears slipping from his eyes.

He saw it, Xander saw it, they all saw it. They saw Braveheart get stuck down by a god, and in such a way.

Braveheart was the soul of the Equestrian army. Without him, the mission was nearly impossible.

No, Ashen will find a way to cast Alduin back into his own world, with or without Braveheart. He had to. Too much was at stake here.

Ashen finally reached the temple gates, and looked down below, viewing the battle between the Nohrian army and the Chimerae warriors. He remembered Xander’s words to him

“Go! Complete what we came here for! I will hold off the Chimerae for as long as I draw breath, but you must seal Alduin away!... Go!”

Ashen Spectre rammed the temple doors, forcing the heavy doors wide open. The Temple Of Origin was made entirely of one, vast room inside, with a massive pool of sparkling clear water in the middle of the room.

Ashen pulled off his saddle bag and checked his gear. He had his runestones, his copy of Quod Sacra Tenebrae, his bandolier of knives, and four very powerful tomes of four other dragon deities from Xander’s world.

Grima’s Truth, Book of Naga, Book of Dusk Dragon, Book of Dawn Dragon.

Ashen put the saddle bag back on and trotted up to the pool, he slammed his silver lance point-first into the ground. As he got closer to the pool, he could see tiny spheres floating in the pool. He understood immediately.

This sacred pool is the gateway to the lost worlds, worlds that have been birthed by various gods, set in their owns universes. Somewhere in that pool was the manifestation of Xander’s world, Julius Belmont’s world, Alduin’s world, they were all among countless others.

Then it clicked, and Ashen’s eyes grew wide with horror..

Ashen heard the shuffling of robes, and turned to face the interloper.

It was none other than Trixie, dressed in dragon priest robes.

“You should not be hear. My patron needs pool prepared for his grand ascent.”

“Stop this foolishness, Trixie! Do you know what Alduin is planning to do?! Imagine world after world subjugated or burning into nothing but ash! He plans to annihilate entire universes, only sparing Equis and his world! Stop this madness!” Ashen pleaded.

“The name is Sahvot. I no longer bear the name Trixie.”

Ashen Spectre could only look at her with horror.

Trixie put on her dragon priest mask, “I believe in this path. I believe that this is the path to true peace.” She spun her staff and slammed it into the ground, causing cracks in the stone floor. Glowing smoke rose from the cracks, and solidified into three figures.

The shades of Aether Aegis, Saburo, and… Braveheart.

Their empty eyes regarded Ashen coldly. Expressionless, they drew their weapons.

“If you stand in the way of peace, if you stand in the way of Alduin and his conquest, his birthright, his revelation, then I have no choice but to destroy you. Warriors… eliminate him.”

Ashen quickly put up a magic shield as his undead friends lunged forward.

Their weapons bounced off the shield, but that didn’t faze them. They went to work on the shield, hacking and stabbing away at the barrier.

Ashen took the saddle bag off of himself as fast as he could and picked up Grima’s Truth, and opened the tome. He grabbed one of his knives, and began to chant in an ancient and almost forgotten tongue.

The barrier was cracking like glass, and the warriors were not letting up.

Ashen kept chanting:

“Grima Domine, suppliciter invocare super sancta tua: Potestatem habeo ponendi es inimicis meis. Sine tuo numine posse cognoscunt, ut et ira tua campana qui finis. Grima Domine, exaudi vocem meam! Da mihi benedictionem, da potestatem!”

The barrier broke, and the warriors surged at Ashen.

Ashen held out his hoof, and a blast of dark magic exploded, shaking the whole room, and blowing Trixie off her hooves.

Aether disintegrated in the blast, leaving Braveheart and Saburo left. Ashen seized the opportunity , clamped his teeth on the blade of his knife, and pulled his silver lance from the ground. He hefted the lance, and threw it at Saburo. The lance went through the neck of the shade, killing Saburo.

But Braveheart appeared, and used the ghostly version of the Darksaber slash at Ashen, who narrowly ducked under the whining blade.

Braveheart growled like an animal as he swung again, and again. Ashen dodged, and even tried to block the attack with his knife. The blade cut through the knife, slashing his eye.

Ashen screamed in agony, and Braveheart swung downwards, and Ashen raised Grima’s Truth to block it. To his amazement, the tome successfully blocked the ghostly Darksaber. Ashen pulled out a knife he made just for this occasion. It was knife made of dragon bone, with a rune scratched into the side.

Ashen darted inside of Braveheart’s guard and slashed his throat.

The spirit of Braveheart screeched as it turned to mist and was blown away by a slight breeze.

Trixie began to chant her own spell as fire erupted from her hooves.

Ashen yelled in defiance as he caused another dark magic explosion, rocking the entire temple as he used the power of the fell dragon-god, to blow Trixie apart… literally.

By the time he was done with her, he knew that other ponies might have to scrape her off the temple walls.

Seizing this opportunity, Ashen opened the other three tomes, and arranged all of them in the corners of the temple. He cursed himself, for he forgot to gring the chalk.

He walked over to the severed fore leg of Trixie, and picked it up. It would have to do.

Using the limb, he drew the circle and symbols with the blood leaking out of Trixie’s limb.

He could hear Alduin’s roar getting closer and closer to the temple as he frantically chanted the verses, trying to ignore the painful fact that his eye is gone.

Alduin’s roar sounded a final time before the ceiling of the temple exploded. Shards of stone went everywhere and Alduin dropped through the whole, and landed on the temple floor with a thud.

“Well, if it isn't the pitiful orphan. Did you think you could kill my priest and get away with it? No matter, all that matters is the Pool of The Lost Worlds. With it, I shall rain Armageddon on many a world, and wipe out entire universes.

Ashen stood between Alduin and the pool. Ashen finished his chanting, and swung his hoof to the side, causing all four tomes to glow.

“You shall not pass!”

The tomes glowed brighter, then a glowing rune appeared on Alduin’s head. The seal that he landed on sprouted chains, chains made of holy energy. The chains bound the dragon god of destruction.

Alduin, outraged, slammed his tail into the ground, causing the beautiful marble floor to crack. He slammed his tail into the floor again, causing the seal to break and fade. Alduin started to make his way towards Ashen

Thinking fast, Ashen summoned another dark blast, causing the floor beneath Alduin to collapse and open up into a wide fissure in the earth. Alduin lunged forward, clamping his jaws on Ashen’s left leg.

“You're coming with me!”

Together, the two plunged into the darkest canyon of Equis.

Alduin bumped his head on the side of the fissure, causing Ashen to break free from his jaws. Now they both were in freefall.

Alduin flailed around as he fell, with Ashen close behind.

Ashen made peace with his demons, then pulled a knife out and plunged towards Alduin.

He grabbed one of Alduin’s spikes, and began stabbing as much as he can.

Alduin shrieked and roared as he squirmed and flailed around, smashing and hitting into many rocks and walls of rock as they plummeted towards the underworld.

Ashen kept on stabbing, drawing many quarts of dragon blood. The knife was slick, his eye hurt, and he was sure his leg is broken. But he was gonna finish the job, even if he died doing so.

The chasm opened up, revealing a subterranean lake.

Ashen smiled and said, “Mother, Father, open the gates of Tartarus. I'm coming home.

His body and the body of the dragon-god plunged into the water, from nearly ten thousand feet.

(***)

*a year later…*

Luna and Celestia, Ryoma and Xander, Sunset Shimmer and Lyra Heartstrings. sat inside the Canterlot Cemetery, viewing the tombstones of the fallen heroes.

Braveheart, Saburo, Aether Aegis, Ashen Spectre, and many more are forever immortalized by the various sacrifices they made.

Xander and Ryoma nodded to the princesses, and left the two sisters to pay their respects.

Celestia patted the shoulder of Sunset as she wept bitter, sorrowful tears for the loss of her loved one.

Luna used a bit of magic to cause four strange glowing grey stone to appear. She set them down on the graves of four heroes.

“These rocks are from the Moon itself. May they guard your graves from misfortune and give you eternal rest.”

Luna then turned and left with her sister, eager to relieve herself of the grief.

Sunset kissed the tombstone of Braveheart, saying, “wait for me up there. And...it's a colt. I will raise our son, and he will remember his father, who gave his live to let him live.”

Sunset turned to the other three tombstones and said, “take care of him for me.”

She began to trot out of the cemetery. She turned back one more time, and saw the spirits of all four smiling at her.

The wind picked up, and the spirits faded.

She turned to Lyra, and Lyra nodded, with tears sliding down her cheeks.

The two left the wretched past, and never looked back again.

Author's Note

That is the end of all. Thanks for everything guys, and thanks for those who read this story. It was fun to write and fun to put on this site. I am almost sad, you know. This series is what got me on this site, and i'm saying farewell to it. Well, onwards! To the future of my writing.

See you around.

The Iced Lance.