A Hardened Warrior

Got bored... decided to look on thesaurus for synonyms to the word ‘forgive’. Exonerate... I liked it. It sounded fancy. Also, I suck at writing the princesses...

Chapter 22 - Exonerate

Princess Celestia was in conference yet again, with Twilight’s parents. They’d heard what happened to their daughter, and prayed that they never do something so dangerous again. When they left, Shining Armor presented himself.

“Princess Celestia.”

“Yes, Shining Armor?”

“He’s been caught.”

Her once happy/curious stare became a cold one. “Where at?”

“The temple you asked me to set patrols at.”

“Bring him here, I’ll need to have a chat with him.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Not too much longer after Shining Armor left, he returned to the throne room Celestia had moved to. He pulled in a cage with a covering over it. When the cover was pulled off, it revealed Roderick, sitting Indian style.

“So.. Roderick...”

“Correct.”

“Your voice... isn’t different, yet I can feel... something inside of you.”

“Indeed. Ni- Ceres resides within my body now.”

’Glad you remembered my new name.’

‘Of course. I have no reason not to.’

“Ceres...?”

“Yes.”

“Who is... she?”

“The former Nightmare.”

“Former...?”

“The ‘Elements of... Harmony?’... Purified her.”

She was beginning to become annoyed. Nightmare wasn’t something to be purified... was she?

“Let her speak.”

”You wish to speak, Celestia?” The guards jumped at the sound of a feminine voice coming from him. It was so alluring as well...

She was stunned, that wasn’t her usual tone. But it sounded so much liker her.

“So, you’re Nightmare?”

”I prefer Ceres...”

“Why is that?”

”Some name I particularly enjoyed, which Roderick here, had read somewhere.”

“By the way, Princess...” Roderick spoke, hinted with Ceres’ voice.

“Hmm?”

“That temple... why is it guarded?”

...

“Guards, would you give us some privacy?” They nodded, and filed out of the throne room. She proceeded to cast some spell. Most likely to blot out any noises from inside and out. “Now that they’re not able to hear us...”

Roderick’s point of view

“Halt, creature!”

‘Oh boy...’

He slowly raised his hands, and put them behind his head, while kneeling down.

’Something powerful is behind those doors...’

‘Like what?’

’I am... unsure. But it is dark. Darker than even I was.’

‘The only thing I can think of like that... would be him’

’Who?’

‘Encablossa. Better known as Tobied of Earth. He was the immortal god of darkness.’

The guards had him surrounded during the whole chat he was having, tying him up, and without even getting his attention. They attempted to pick him up, miserably failing at it, while trying to put him in a cage. His conversation stopped when he realized what they were doing. He ever so quickly stood up, and turned to the cage. His quick movements spooked the guards, and one of them tried to run him through with a spear of theirs.

It broke in half.

He stopped in his tracks, turned to the guard that tried to kill him, and laughed heartily.

“You thought that stick would pierce my armor?” His voice boomed across the courtyard they were in, scaring the guards quite a bit. Without waiting for a response, he continued to the cage they had so conveniently setup on a cart.

He hopped up, and managed to sink through the wood.

“Oops...”

The guards were, still, staring in horror and shock.

‘Think I can run past them and boulder through the doors?’

’I don’t see why not.’

So that’s what he did, knocking the one guard that was slow enough to stand in his way. He was rushing so fast, he could rival Rainbow Dash. Until he collided with an unseen force, that happened to be the stone doors. He was sent flying backwards.

‘That’s not supposed to happen...’

’Enchantments. You can’t open them, no matter how much force you use.’

‘Could’ve told me about that beforehand...’

’But you wouldn’t have done it if I did’ She mentioned, while simulating a chuckling sound.

‘Be glad I can’t hurt you...’

’I can’t say the same for you...’

Roderick got up, only to be forced back down by some colossus of flesh called a pony. It looked like any other solar guard. White, clad in golden armor... but with red eyes. And LARGE. It only took one good kick to put Roderick to sleep.

When he came to, he was in the cage from before. It was dark, and he could see a fabric covering the cage on all sides. He decided to sit up, crossing his legs, and his arms. The fabric was withdrawn after a minute, revealing the Canterlot palace’s throne room.

“So.. Roderick...”

“Correct.”

“That temple... why is it guarded?”

...

“Guards, would you give us some privacy?” They nodded, and filed out of the throne room. She proceeded to cast some spell. Most likely to blot out any noises from inside and out. “Now that they’re not able to hear us, I can tell you about that damnable crystal.”

“Crystal?”

“Yes, blood red, and large.”

“The Ancient Heart...”

“You know what it is?!” She shouted in rage, causing Roderick to visibly withdraw in shock.

“Yes, but I’m curious, why did it come here?”

“I don’t know, my guards found it within the mass of... bodies”

“Oh? The heart fell in with us... odd.”

“Very.”

“Well, make sure none attempt to destroy it.”

“Why? It’s pure evil.”

“Wrong, It is the heart of Nibel, the goddess of light. So long as that heart remains intact, darkness is held at bay.”

Confusion flooded Celestia’s body. How could something with such a dark, evil aura, be so good?

“So, what am I to do with you?”

“Erm... Set me free?”

“I see no reason why not... Nigh- Ceres... Isn’t a threat anymore. And Applejack has forgiven you for... hurting, her.”

”So glad you think so.”

“I ask that you guard that... ‘heart’ as best you can.”

“You had to ask? Of course I will.”

Roderick had been transported back to the temple, much to the despair of the other guards. He’d gotten bored with watching them quiver in fear every time he looked at them. The only other time something he thought was interesting happened, was when a manticore came strolling by, but decided to have a pony shishkebab instead. But it’s head was placed on a pike, disgusting the other guards. A lot.

“I hope something comes by soon... I’m so bored.”

’You say that every ten minutes... Were you not bored back when I first entered your body?’

“Wasn’t thinking about it...”

back in the distance, he heard some chatter from the other guards. Things like “Is he talking to himself?” and “What’s wrong with him?”.

“Let’s play a game...”