Chapters I stand in the captains room of the Black Pearl, nervously looking at myself in the mirror. I pull at the bow tie around my neck, and turn to look at Sombra, “Am I good? Nothing off or anything?”
He smiles, and reaches out to strengthen my bow tie, “Relax, Raven. Las chicas probablemente estén preocupadas por sus cabezas allí, pero solo tienes que poner una sonrisa.“ He smirks, and bats my shoulder, “Come on, you’ve faced a literal goddess of fire and didn’t bat an eye. This is a happy occasion, so be happy.”
I shake my head, “Goddess of Fire is combat and revenge, I know how to do those two. But I have no idea what in the tartarus I’m supposed to do for this!”
Louis smiles from the side, “Relax, you’ll know what to do.”
I turn to face him, “Oh yeah, because I have the same knowledge on weddings as a creature who feeds off love! You know, me, the guy who’s gone over three and a half thousand years without even knowing what love is!”
Sombra calmly stands in front of me, and looks in my eyes, “Raven, you’ll do fine. It doesn’t matter if you mess it up, it won’t stop Sweetie from loving you. Take a few deep breaths in and out, close your eyes, and imagine at how happy an occasion this is.”
I do as he says, and find myself calm down quickly. I come out of it smiling, “Alright, I’m ready. I’m getting married, and one mistake isn’t going to mess this up!”
Sombra smiles, “Well, good, because it’s time to go.”
My non existent heart stops in my chest, “I’m not ready, I’m not ready. Oh gods, Sombra, do I look good?”
He nods, and shoves me towards the door, “Come on now, I gotta walk with you as the best man.” He adjusts his own tie, and moves mine a bit, “Don’t worry, it’s all going to be fine.”
The door opens, and I step out with Sombra at my side, Louis going to join the crowd. We walk up to the alter, with him standing at the side, and me standing right at it.
I swallow fluids that shouldn’t exist, and find my body has automatically made a saliva system so I can do so. I turn to face the other cabin that Sweetie should come out of.
My usually ruffled mane is combed neatly, and it flows in the wind. It’s combed back, so every hair can be seen in the front, coming to an edge at the end. My coat also feels exposed wearing the suit instead of my normal cloak, though the suit does a fine job covering the bone’s added to make myself taller.
I look out at the crowd, the varied species and ponies all there. Celestia wears a slightly battered dress, she is smiling for me, even as she looks over the edge of the ship to the wasteland below. Ink rushes around with a big smile on his face, setting up plenty of cameras from all angles. Gallow’s Wit and the rest of the Knights are all excitably talking to each other and being happy in general. The Jacks are still running around the ship, with the exception of the Captain in the crowd. Pearl is sitting in her chair, smiling like a grandparent seeing off their granddaughter. Mass Offense and Officer Loo sit next to each other, putting aside their differences and both saluting me as I glance in their direction. Sombra and Louis both give me calming smiles. Hell, even the Decievers are there, within the shadows.
Portals start to appear all around the ship, six in particular. Slender steps out of one, wearing his finest suit, with another that looks like him following after, with a huge smile and a polka dotted suit. Out of another comes Survivor, a tie clipped on to his trench coat. Avatar steps out of a different one, taking off his sunglasses, and trying his hardest to widen his eyes as he smiles at me. Courier steps out of the glowing portal, taking off his hat, and smiling in an oddly empathetic way towards me. One of the Rooks also pulls himself up, Silver, whom made the rings, his armor polished and shining. Finally is Chem, rushing out of the portal and almost dragging someone behind him, “Come on, we can’t be late!”
He and the other pony step out of the portal, only to see everyone looking at them. Chem smiles, his new, metal device over his eye not conveying it well. He motions to the other pony, an old grey stallion, wearing blue robes. Chem looks around nervously, “I brought the priest!”
He is forcibly sat down by Courier, and the priest walks up to the alter with me. He stands in the middle, and we both look towards the door.
It’s then that she emerges from the room, her two friends rushing out to join the crowd. I might not be the best on pony beauty scaling, but she is beautiful nonetheless. She starts to walk up the aisle, her dress a nice white and green color, as if she was summoning her necromantic magic on her coat. Her hair flows in the wind of the stratosphere, but yet it still manages to stay together. She seems to float instead of walking. Her eyes sparkle in the bright daylight, almost like the sun itself was moving to make sure she could look this way.
I stand there as she walks up, feeling a lot less secure with the encouragement Sombra and Louis gave me. I smile as she moves across from me.
The priest begins, “We are gathered here today to celebrate the holy union of two immortal beings to pledge love the rest of their infinite life. May this wonderful day be looked upon by the Lord Chem for many centuries and millennia as a day of joy.”
I silently turn my head, and glare at Chem in his spot. He sheepishly smiles, and shrugs.
I turn back to look at the priest as he continues, “For the wonderful joining of two ponies to enjoy each other until the end of all days. Now, I ask everypony in the audience to bow their head and prey to whatever god they do or do not believe in.”
Everyone bows their head in respect, and wait for a moment of silence as all do their praying.
The priest looks up, “Now, onto the actual ceremony.” He looks over at Sweetie Belle, “Do you, Lady Sweetie Belle, take Lord Ravens Breath to be your equal partner, regardless of gender, until the sun itself is destroyed from time?”
She smiles, and nods, “For that and longer.”
He then turns to me, “And do you, Lord Ravens Breath, take Lady Sweetie Belle to be your equal partner, regardless of gender, until the moon is gone from the passing of time?”
I nod, “Until time itself is destroyed, I do.”
He smiles, “Would the best mare- oh wait, things are different here.” He clears his throat, “Would the best stallion please present the rings?”
Sombra smiles, bringing over a crystal box with the two rings inside of it. He opens the box, and the priest floats them both out. He smiles, and hands them over to us. I take Vilya, and slide it onto her horn. She takes Narya and slides it right onto my own horn. The priest smiles, “You may now kiss.”
We both lean in, and do so. The golden rings on our horns shining like the sun.
The priest nods, “Within my power as Priest True Voice of the Equalist Church, I hereby pronounce you two married, until time ends do you part!”
I smile as I start to mingle with the crowd. The wedding itself is done, now we start the celebration. Mainly, this right now is the time to hand out gifts.
Chem walks on up to the two of us first. He smiles, and digs something out of his pack. It’s two, small boxes wrapped carefully. He hands them over to us, and nods as we open the boxes inside the wrapping, “Those are ten shards from Ord- the Void. They are sharper than any metal not enchanted, and are durable. If you join them all together, you can get a dagger.” He shudders as he hands them over, “Keep them safe. What ever you do, don’t let anyone you don’t know take them.”
He tries to walk by, but I stop him. I whisper into his ear with worry, “Chem, I can tell your smile is not all sincere. That mixed with your new eye worries me. Chem, what happened?”
His wings flutter around from inside his suit, and he doesn’t even look in my direction, “Raven, if you mention that again, I will not hesitate to hurt you.”
I hold my hoof on his shoulder to stop him from going forward, “Please, don’t try and hide away any pain, it never works. Just tell me what happened. You can trust me.”
He looks over at me, his eyes widening a bit, “Maybe... yes, I will then. Later.”
I nod, pat him on the shoulder, and let him go back into the crowd. I look forward to the line, to see Slendy and his similar looking companion step up. Slender nods, “I got you a very practical gift.” He reaches into his back pocket, and takes out a pistol. He hands it over to me and Sweetie, allowing us to examine it, “It is a magnet propelled rail gun in pistol form. I... confiscated it from a Foundation unit, and I think you should have it. It uses magnitation to launch a spike out the front at speeds rivaling sound and light. Very powerful, but it has a lot of recoil.” He nods towards the both of us, “I think you two can handle it.”
His companion moves up, “And I got you a gift that isn’t made for killing people. In fact, it shan’t harm a single soul.” He bows to us, “But we haven’t met, have we? I am Splendorman, brother to Slendy over here.” He knocks the cane in his hand on the ground three times, causing the top of his cane to open up. He holds it towards us, allowing us to see a flower inside. Every leaf is a different and vibrant color, and it glows a calming light. He smiles, “They call it The Lifegiver. It’s glow is said to heal, and it can even make people and plants have energy without them eating, drinking, or even breathing. It is an immortal plant, and the only one of it’s kind on all of Earth. I was tasked with keeping it many centuries ago, and now I pass it on to you.” He takes the flower, and leaves it at our feet, “They also say that any birthed within it’s presence shall be blessed with good luck and a clear mind for the rest of their life.”
We thank the two of them, and they move on. Avatar walks up, and hands us both a hilt, “Me and Silver worked together on this. The one I gave to Raven is blessed with the fire of the sun, and if you click that button there, it will create a blade of that plasma. It will melt and kill any hit with it. The power of fire inside Narya makes it so the fire will outpace the sun, and you can extend the blade as you wish.” He then motions to the one he hands Sweetie Belle, “This one captures the winds of the Suffering Sea, said to have winds powerful enough to peel off the skin of any sailor within. This will create a blade of air, that will not only pierce even diamond, but can even dint Mithral. It will also steal the breath of the person stabbed, making them choke, and slowing their blood flow. It will work with the power of Vilya to make it more powerful, and extend as far as needed.”
We take the daggers, and set them down next to the boxes with the fragments in them. The Courier walks up, and he hands both of us one golden orb. It has a cross on the top, and he smiles, “Holy Hand Grenades. Pull the pin, wait three seconds, throw, and your enemy is gone.” He tilts his hat, “Use it to protect your family, you two, even if it’s just you two for now.” He pats me on the shoulder as he passes, “You did good today.”
Survivor moves up to us, and he nods, “I remember you talking about the music in this world, so I thought I’d introduce some new stuff.” He pulls out a record box, and hands it to me, “The best hits of the Sixties. Jazz, swing, blues, all’s in there.”
He moves on past us, leaving a shorter line. Officer Loo steps up in his power armor, and hands us a sheet of paper, “My gift to you is the addition of the Enclave to your Confederation. May we grow stronger together.” He snaps a salute to me, then moves off.
Mass Offense is behind him. He solemnly pulls something out from his bag. It’s a giant war axe, “This was given to me by a friend of mine a long time ago, an ally to you.”
I take the axe, “Dovahkin... this is his axe.” He look from it to Mass Offense, “That means they-“
He nods, “Dead. I went to the spot they fought Alduin at, I searched for them. Their bones were nowhere to be seen, but his axe was imbedded into the skull of Alduin there. Attached was a note, saying that Dovahkin had died. It was from Ghorbash, gifting Wuuthrad to me. But, I think it would serve you. He always wanted to protect people, so I hope you will use Wuuthrad to do that.”
He moves on, and the other Crusaders come up. They both push a cart with all their strength, it has a tarp over it. They get it up to us, and take deep breaths. They both rip the tarp off, “We fixed your guy’s old power armor! We even made it matching!”
Two pairs of power armor sit there, familiar from before the war. They changed the pain scheme from my black and green, and her white and purple, to white with green highlights. Scootaloo taps the side of one, “We added some upgrades. Mainly, a jet pack. Now, you can fly in this stuff!”
They both push it next to us, then walk off themselves. The last bunch come up now, Sombra, Louis, and Celestia. Sombra smiles, “This is mainly a gift to Raven, we must admit. But, I remember Tirek, the Beast.”
My eyebrows rise, “And?”
He smiles, “We three worked together to research something. We found out about an artifact. It’s called the Totem of Purification. It is split into three pieces, and we identified where they are. One is in the Griffonstone ruins, one is in a wasteland town called New Life, and the final is in the ruins of Romus Crete. It is said that when all three come together, it can be used to banish anything from the user’s mind they don’t want. It can get rid of the Beast.”
My eyes widen, and I smile, “Then we shall have to search for these pieces. Now, let’s enjoy the celebration. We can find them later.”
I walk up to Chem as he tries to hide away in a dark corner. I look him in the eye, “Alright, Chem. Please, what’s wrong?”
I see his wings fidget underneath his suit, “I... I don’t want to think about it.”
I sit down in front of him, “Well, I’m not moving until you tell me. I can help you with this, whatever it is.”
I hear the sound of tearing fabric, and look to Chem’s back. It seems his wings have just cut through his suit, “Please, Raven, I don’t want to talk about it.”
A voice speaks up from his back. It’s voice tinny, but southern sounding, “If my patient is denying giving away our names, then it is my programming to answer in his stead. E.B.S is reporting the patients brain is responding very positive to your presence, meaning you are a friend who can be trusted with the information. Loading Doctor’s notes.” His wings spread from his back, showing that they are not, in fact, his organic wings. They are sharp blades made of metal, and the voice comes from them, ”Subject name is Prince Chem. His injures were so bad that he should’ve well died, but he pulled through. The injures are as such. Two thousand five hundred internal cuts, with an equal amount in each limb. One eye slashed through, beyond saving. Two wings slashed off, unable to be reattached. Prince Chem gained these injures fighting the God of Order, Ordirus. The same cuts can be seen inside the seven companions he brought with him. Ending result was Ordirus dead, and Chem alive, a miracle itself. The fact he managed to survive is beyond a miracle, it’s just impossible. He lost enough blood to kill two alicorns of his size, not to mention the trauma from having an eye taken out and wings chopped off. He only managed to survive by a thread due to Pony Satan’s cauterizing fire, the speed Princess Luna got him admitted, and the use of these expremintal systems. E.W.S: the Equestrian Wing System; a pair of metal wings sharped and ready for combat and flying. E.O.S: Equestrian Optical Sensors; a single metal eye designed to grant perfect vision. And E.B.S: the Equestrian Brain Splicer; a system installed into the brain to connect it to all the systems introduced for greater comfort and control. This is Doctor Stable: signing off.”
Chem looks back at his wing with fear, and forces it back down. He looks back to me, “Please, I don’t want to think about them. My free wings that could flow through the air in peace replaced with heavy blades. My eyes that I could calmly look at anyone with, and make them feel at ease, now glow brightly and blind them.” He sighs, “I... I need to go, Raven. I wish I could stay longer, but I’m expecting visitors soon.”
I stand up, and hug him as best I can, “I’ll always be here for you to talk to, Chem, always remember that.”
He smiles, but this time it’s genuine, “Hey, don’t go and make Sweetie jealous on her wedding day.” He wraps a hoof around me, “It was nice to see you again, Raven. Words can not express the joy I feel for you finally getting the wedding you were always talking about in the war.” He let’s me go, and starts to walk away. He looks back at me one last time, “That’s why you killed so viciously, isn’t it? You weren’t fighting so that you could live, but so that you could see this day. You summoned your worst rage upon the Combine for daring to threaten to take you away from her.” He laughs once, “You two will have a lovely life together. It’s about time, too. Three centuries old and you didn’t find life and love until now. You found a spark inside of you to give a shit about the lives of others. Now you can hold on to the spark for the rest of your life. Do that for me, would you? Never give in, never give up.”
I smile as he opens a portal back to his world, “Only if you promise the same, Chem. You might not be fully organic, but you are still alive.”
He nods before he steps in, “You have no need to worry about me. I’ll always continue on, no matter what happens. See you later, Raven.”
As he steps through, Slender strides over to me. He nods, “I’m afraid I also have to leave. There’s a lot of suspicious stuff happening in Ponyville, and I need to be there to protect them through the night.” He creates his own portal, and leans down to whisper into my ear, “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Cadence. Make it kinky.” He then moves through the portal.
Avatar walks over to me as well, and smiles, “Take care of Narya and Vilya, and the daggers. They’ll keep you safe if you keep good care of them.” He waves as he enters his own portal, “Sayonara, Raven.”
Then the Courier comes up to his own portal. He tips his hat, “Time for me to go as well I suppose. Take care.” He takes a step through the portal, before leaning back out, “Oh, yeah, I can do babysitting anytime.”
He steps through before I can make a single protest, leaving Survivor to come over. He pats my shoulder, “You might not think it, but they’re probably all right. I’m going to bet right now that it’ll happen tonight. Ten bits.” He places the bag in my hand, and walks towards his own portal, “Now, New Vegas and my people need me, so this is goodbye. Be a good father whilst I’m gone.”
I try to protest against him as well, but his portal is already gone. Sweetie then walks up to me, and smiles, “The celebration is over. What say we have our own private... celebration?”
I smile, and follow after her into the private cabins, “I’d be glad to.”
—(???)—
I hammer a post into the ground with my hooves, Rattle stands nearby to stick the turret onto the stand. As I do this, I hear hooves walk up next to me, “Brass, we’ve got a problem.”
I turn to face her, “What is it, Shot?”
Sure Shot points to the front gate, “There’s a pony approaching, seems to be one of Celestia’s Legion.”
We all move quickly to the gate, and it appears to be true. A single pony trots down the road. Hunter flies up to our battlements with Shot, he draws his revolver and she draws her sniper. Sure Shield comes running up with Hail and Light Beam trailing behind him in their clunky power armor. Fuse already is with us, moving without a sound. The pony walks closer, and we go out to meet him.
His armor is gold and red, and it covers all of him. A mask sits upon his face, it’s two sideways horns showing power. I shout out to him as he stops, “What is your business here?!”
He laughs, “You have been a thorn in our side. Now, with my superior dead, I rise to lead the Legion. I, the new Princeps Saeva, Monstra Saeva herby declare war upon this pitiful town of New Life!”
I smirk, and Hail shouts out at him, “Then send your armies, send your ponies, send your best tricks! They shall collapse upon our walls and our bullets like a wave against a rock!”
He laughs once more, before walking off, “We’ll see about that.”
—(???)—
Someone runs up to my throne, saluting me, “Sir, Raven has been informed. He’ll be coming this way for the Totem any day now.”
I stand up, and walk down the throne to the Orc who said it, “Then we’ll let him come. He shall see that Orcs are not so easy to kill, that it’ll take more than a nuke to kill us. Let him despair upon sight of Orcus Crete and a nation of Orcs that survived better than his pitiful ponies.”
The other Orc smiles, and runs off to inform the warriors. I move through my palace, the old Minotuar palace, to the back room. I move until I reach the room, and move in.
I walk up to the bones of my only friend, laid out in the room as a memorial. I draw Chillrend from beside him, swishing her blade through the air, and feeling the frost radiating off of it. I sheathe it at my side, and pick up my bow and arrows from the other side of the armory. I swing it around my shoulder, ready to absorb the soul of any hit with it.
I gingerly place my hand upon his bones, his Nightingale Armor he gave me cloaking me away from the light. I smile as I think, “Let him look upon me once more and despair before my name. Dovahkin, he might’ve slain you, but he will not do so to me. Our Thu’um shall break through his dark magic, and our rage will break his soul. Let him see an Orc our for revenge. He will look upon me with horror and fear.” I move my hand away from him, and march to my throne room, “For my name is Ghorbash the Iron Hand, and I shall avenge you, my friend, my brother.”
I look over the railing of the ship. It’s been a week since the wedding, and now we’re on the search for the artifact. Mass Offense walks up to me, “We’ve reached the town of New Life, Raven. What’s your plan of attack?”
I look over at him, “I will go down alone to negotiate. If you hear gunfire, then I want you to jump down after. Inform Officer Loo to carry you down if the time comes.”
He hesitates for a second, “Sir, no disrespect, but I do not trust Officer Loo. He is part of the Enclave, and the Enclave have been our foe for many decades. How am I to trust he won’t betray us and drop me?”
I keep a steady gaze, “You two are no longer enemies, and I would advise for you two to stop acting like you are. If you refuse to trust him, then get some other Pegasus to carry you down. But I would recommend you bother forget your past conflicts and learn to work together.”
He nods, “Yes sir, I can only hope he will do the same. Drop now, we should be right at the enterence of the town.”
I smile, step onto the wooden railing, and dive down to the ground. I sprout wings from my side, and spin through the air, enjoying the freedom of free fall. As I reach the ground, I spread my wings out to act like a parachute, and land at only a few miles per hour. I then deconstruct the wings, and wait at the gate.
They respond quickly, with six ponies coming from behind their wall and two of them on the wall, looking down at me. One of them leads them, grey all over, deep green eyes, and wearing a nice black suit, well, as nice as you can get in the wasteland. He has a single hoof with a power hoof on it, and the rest all have knuckles of one type or another. He walks out with a Ranger with a mini gun, a pegasus with laser and plasma rifles, a skeleton with a sledgehammer, a pony with a shotgun, and a nervous pony carrying all sorts of explosives. The leader shouts out, “Who are you, and what do you want?”
I smile, “I am Ravens Breath, and who might you be?”
He narrows his eyes, “Ravens Breath? Like I’d believe that. I am Brass Sentinal.”
I sigh, “I am here to search for an artifact said to be within your town!”
One of the ones on the wall shout down, a mare with a rifle, “Brass, I remember him! Remember how we saw him rise?”
Brass turns around, “We cannot know if that memory is true. You were brought back to life by dark magic that day, it could’ve messed with your memory.”
I take a step forward, “If I-“
A bullet finds itself inside the ground in front of my hoof. I look up to see a stallion on the wall with a strange mechanism on his hoof. Grasped within is a revolver, rotating it’s chamber. He grins a bit, “I’d recommend you don’t take another step forward.”
I smirk, take out Talons, shoot in the the ground in front of me, and say, “Not a step past here?”
He nods, “Yes, glad you understand.”
The skeleton then speaks up, “I think we can trust this pony. He is not a pegasus, so it is clear he isn’t Enclave. And he hasn’t said a single word of Old Equin so that rules out Celestia’s Legion. He definitely doesn’t seem like a raider either.”
I’m about to speak once more, but am interrupted by a loud clang behind. I turn around to see Mass Offense rising out of the dust from his fall. His eyes instantly lock onto his fellow Ranger, “Paladin Hail, you are to command your fellow to put down their weapons!”
He looks right on back, “I don’t follow you anymore, Elder. You know that I left a long time ago.” He takes a second before saying, “But I respect you. Brass, let’s listen to them.”
Brass relents, “Fine. Come on in, and we can talk about a deal.”
We walk into the town’s center building, presumably the town hall. I’m led into a room with a lot of chairs set up, and Brass motions for me to sit. He and his friends do the same, but Mass Offense prefers to stand in the corner of the room. The skeleton starts it off, “I apologize for our hostility and paranoia, we’ve had a rough time. Defending attacks from the Enclave, hunting down the new raiders in the west, and now Celestia’s Legion declaring war on us. It’s caused us to grow worried.”
I nod, “I can understand perfectly. There’ve been many days where I’ve been more paranoid and hostile for less of a reason.”
The skeleton smiles, “We’ve yet to introduce ourselves, aren't we? Let me make that up. I am Rattle, pleasure to meet you.”
The pony with the revolver reaches over to shake my hoof, “My name’s Hunter, sorry for our lack of hospitality. But, you can never be too cautious in this forsaken land.”
The mare smiles, “I’m sure you already know who I and my brother are.”
I nod, “Shield and Shot of the family Sure, right?”
They both nod. Brass turns his frown into a more neutral look, “My name used to be Hard Brass. Call me Brass, please.”
The name rings a bell, “Brass? Like Sturdy Brass?”
The name peaks his interest, “Yes, that is my great grandfather’s name. I know he was an Overstallion of our old Stable. What of him?”
I smile, “How odd that is, to meet the descendent of the judge who ruled in my favor. In a nuclear wasteland no less. Your great grandfather was the judge overlooking our case against Celestia.”
He smirks, “Really? How odd indeed. But, introductions still.”
Hail nods, “I am Paladin Bullet Hail. I may no longer be a Ranger, but if Elder Offense trusts you, I do as well.”
The jittery stallion smiles slightly, “Long Fuse.”
I turn to face the final member, the pegasus stallion. He looks at me dead in the eye, “I question weather you are who you say you are. Tell me, what do you think of Democracy?”
I smile, “I remember that idea. Sombra and Pinkie thought up the government that would cause the most joy for our people. They came up with the idea that ponies could elect a King and their Council to represent the ideals of the common pony instead of the higher nobles. If there was anywhere it could work, it would be the Union. A House of the Hives, a House of the Three, a House of Crystal, and the Supreme Ministry of the Elements all of which would come together to elect a King or Queen of common interest. It is an idea I would wish to test out, but never could due to the war and the need for a strong leader in Luna’s absense. It would be an idea I would wish to test, but it would require a stable country and a sense of unity. The only way to get that nowadays is to unite the land under a strong leader. My current feudal leadership is just a stepping stone to achieve the foundation required for Democracy. It can be seen by the turn of history that monarchies have failed and a new idea must take their place.”
The pegasus nods, “Very well then. Your knowledge of Democracy and your support for it is enough for me to trust you are who you say you are. My name is Light Beam, previous citizen of the Enclave until my support for Democracy got me kicked out and a bounty on my head.” He nods over to Fuse, “Just like him over there. He was a slave for Celestia’s Legion, And was hunted down after he escaped.”
Rattle takes over, “Yes, I suppose we should tell him of the events that have recently transpired. Emundans Victor Terra of Celestia’s Legion hunted us down in pursuit of Fuse. General Autismo of the Enclave also hunted us down for Beam. It all culminated with a fight between all three parties soon after freeing you, where we all died. But, we were brought back by some monstrosity, which Brass promptly dissolved. We arrived back to the town, and it’s been a month since that all happened. But, just yesterday, the new Princeps Saeva of Celestia’s Legion, named Monstra Saeva declared war on us. It’s been a tense day because of that.”
I smile, “Well then, I have a solution for you. A deal.”
Brass speaks up now, “Do not think you can make us trade away our freedom for anything.”
I shake my head, “No, I ask of you to only trade out the flags on your walls. Join the Confederation of Harmony. We seek to reunite the lands of Equestria and bring back the glory of our old Union. Already we have Elder Mass Offense and the Rangers joined in, along with Officer Loo and the Enclave, Captain Jack Sparrow and his clones, Peral and the Boomers, I and the Elements. I would be honored if we could add New Life to that list. So that we may bring about a golden age never before seen, and rise out of the dust of the Wasteland! A step closer to Democracy and Unity from such utter destruction! You would get our protections and have to follow our laws, but your town will still be largely independent. You may call upon us at any time, and we will call upon you.”
Brass leans back in thought, “And what’s the catch?”
I smile and lean back similarly, “The only thing I ask for is your piece of the Totem of Purity.”
He slightly nods, “Alright then, we accept the deal. Only problem is, I have no idea what your Totem looks like.”
Shot speaks up from her side of the table, “Well, there is that statue we found. It might be what he’s looking for.”
Brass scratches his chin on the spikes of his knuckle, “I suppose it’s worth a try. Follow me, it’s in the next room over.”
We both stand, and walk into the next room. Hail comes with Brass, and Mass Offense trails behind me. Brass opens the door, letting us all in. Then, he turns on the light, revealing a large stone statue in the middle of the room.
My eyes instantly recognize his form. He stands as tall as I would be in Reaper form, much taller than even Mass Offense, his bipedal stance natural. His robes flow much more naturally than any statue should be able to capture. His eyes are looking down at his right hand, a smile of smug satisfaction on his face like always. His hair that usually goes down to his shoulders now flows in the wind behind him. His left hand is clasped around a chalice that is no longer there. And the magic inside the statue is natural and organic, still holding the power he once held.
His smile seems to be towards me, like he knew it’d be here when I saw him. It’s the face of someone who’s won a long fought argument, smug and very satisfied. I stare right back into his eyes, “Edis, God of Endings. Of corse you followe me here. You told me what would happen to Tel’la De Rus. You were right in the end.”
—(Discord)—
I smile as I crunch down upon my popcorn. I look over at Sheogorath, “It’s about to begin!”
He laughs, “Oh, what a wonderful bout this shall be! Oh, I think this calls for another Gathering!”
I laugh, “Want to see Malacath’s face when his champion loses?”
Sheo shrugs, “I don’t know. He has the Wabbajack, and that’s enough to change the entire fight!”
I nod, “I guess he did inherit that, true.”
Sheo smiles, and pulls out his phone of cheese once again, “Hey, Malacath, your champion is going up!”
—(Raven)—
We left behind about one hundred Jack’s at New Life, and we decided to keep Edis there for us to reunify later. Now, we float above the old capital of Minotuaria. Romus Crete was a beautiful city after we came through, but now I bet it’s just ruin.
Ink walks up beside me, looking over the edge of the ship with me, “We’re very far from home now. Gone are the days of paper selling and weapon collection. Now we are on a giant ship that flies over a wasteland, maned by a bunch of clones, with such futuristic technology everywhere.”
I look on over at him, not needing to look up to see my fellow foal, “I suppose I haven’t talked to you all since you’ve arrived here. Things are so busy in this world, there’s never a day to pause and think. I wish you could see this world in it’s prime, even if it’s prime was at war. You don’t even know how the world got here. Maybe I could get Sombra to teach all of you.”
He smiles, “Thanks Hopeful- or Raven, is it now? We may be out of our element, but at least we’re here with each other and with you.” He motions down to the clouds, “Anyway, I was here to relay some information. Decievers day that the city beneath us is very active, moving around like an ant hill. They say to be prepared for the creature down there, apparently very human like.”
I smile at him, “Thank you, Ink. Say, if you don’t mind, could you get Sombra to come down with me?”
He shakes his head, “Can’t. Mister Sombra left the ship this morning. He headed east, saying he had something to do.”
I look over at the east, “I hope he doesn’t do anything stupid.” I nod, “Very well then. Make sure to tell the Captain that I am heading down.”
He nods, “Gladly. Just a quick question. How do you get down?”
I step up onto the railing of the ship, looking back at him, and smiling, “Funly.”
With those words, I decide to backflip off the railing. Wings sprout from my side as I descend, surely breaking against the wind if they were flesh. I continue to smile at Ink as I fall, laughing a bit at his worried face.
I turn my head around to see how much longer I have before I hit the ground. It’s now that I remember Romus Crete is at a high altitude, so we weren’t that far from the ground in the ship. I learn this the hard way as I eat shit in the middle of the cobblestone path. My head is twisted backwards, and I have to stand up backwards with my head facing the wrong way.
When I rise, I decide to break my head back into position. I smile as it cracks into place, only to find something at my neck. A long blade, leading to a large creature in metal armor. It looks right at me, “You will follow me to the Iron Throne.”
I smile at him, “I was making my way there anyway. Can’t you put your blade away from my neck?”
He smacks me on the side of the head with the blunt base of his sword, “Come on, cur.”
I lose my smile from his hostility, “Alright, alright, no need to be so rude.”
He starts to walk down the path, “You’d do well to stow your tongue. We don’t take kindly to the words of backstabbers around here.”
I follow up to him a bit faster, “Backstabber? I’m sorry, you must have me confused with someone else.”
The creature snorts, “Do not take me for a fool. I know my history; your honyed words won’t sway my loyalties. We all know what you did.”
I shake my head, “Do you mind informing me of what exactly you mean?”
He growls at me, “Did I not tell you to stow your tongue? You shall be told of your crimes before the Iron Throne. Your trial shall be the entertainment of ages.”
I squint my eyes more, “Trial? Are you taking me to a court or something?”
He arrives at the palace, and opens the doors. He points me in, “Go in now. The Iron Throne awaits.”
I hesitantly move in to the palace, and walk down the hallway to the throne room. The tapestries of the Minotaurs have been ripped down and destroyed. The heavy iron doors now stand before me, with two guards opening them.
I move through, and hear them slam behind me. I turn around to face the throne, and I hear a voice growl at me, “Such arrogance from such a simple creature. To think you could walk into my throne room and demand something from me? Foolish in every way.”
I turn to face the throne. Sitting there is a creature. His armor covers all of him. All that can be seen are his eyes from within his hood. The main piece of armor is dark as night, with a main chest piece and mail of an unknown metal around it, and it seems to almost bleed darkness. I recognize the armors, but never combined like this.
He stands from his throne, “You would dare to step in front of me once again! After what you’ve done to us?! You are a fool, Necromancer, a fool in every way! Don’t you know, the Thu’um was never limited to him? He gave me the power before he died. Died because of you. The rage inside me is unknowable. This is an Orc’s vow of vengeance! This is the rage to achieve our revenge!”
I widen my eyes as I realize who it is, “You’re alive...”
He draws his sword from it’s sheath, and he levels it at me, “I am Ghorbash the Iron Hand, and I shall have vengeance for my brother! Your spells shall break! Your bones shall chill! Your soul is mine to steal! My Voice shall tear you asunder!”
Ghorbash stands before me, shield and sword in his grasp. He then take a look down at his shield, and throws it aside. He then draws his second sword from his side, “One to burn you, and the other to freeze you. Taste the heat of the Sun! Feel the chill of Skyrim in your bones!”
I quickly draw two of my own weapons. In one hoof is grasped Avatar’s fire dagger, and in the other is the Void dagger. I decide not to take out my scythe unless needed, “I don’t want to kill you, Ghorbash. But I will defend myself.”
He simply yells a battle cry, and charges towards me. I send out a burst of mana, but I don’t aim it towards him. I reach out until I feel some familiar bones deeper in the castle. I try my best to bring them back, but it will take a long time to do so whist also fighting Ghorbash.
I raise both daggers to block his swords, and I push back against him. He slides back a bit, and looks at me with slight surprise, “So, you resist the power of the Ebony Mail?” He then stands up straight once more, “You won’t survive my Thu’um!”
I see him take a deep breath in, and I channel my pyromancy from inside. It flows through the ring, growing stronger in it’s presence, and filling up my horn.
“Yol Toor Shul!”
I shout back as I level my horn at him, “Combustion Train!”
The beams of fire meet and hold each other at a stalemate. His dragon fire being very strong, but my fire being it’s equal with Narya. His beam comes out of his mouth, and mine from my horn. The heat generated is enough to evaporate the sweat that drips down our faces.
Ghorbash stops shouting for a second, allowing my flames to creep closer to him. He shouts once more, “Feim!”
The beam of fire goes right through him as he turns to looking like a ghost. The fire goes all the way through him before his form becomes corporeal again.
He raises his arms in the air, forcing the two blades against each other. The room is filled with a terrible hissing noise as steam fills the air. He laughs a bit, “Let us see if you can block this!” He shouts his Thu’um once more, “Su Grah Dun!”
Both of his weapons start to glow white, as if a storm was gathering around them.
He holds the blades by his side, and shouts once more, “Wuld Nah!”
He appears in front of me in an instant, weapons at the ready. Then he swings.
The swing is fast enough that most wouldn’t be able to see it, and within a second he slashed once more. I float my daggers around in my magic, doing the best I can to block the slashes heading to me in a whirlwind. I’m glad I practiced after fighting Celestia, because this requires reaction times I wouldn’t have had before.
The exchange of blows was only forty seconds long, but it felt like forever. The magic runs out, and he flips away from me. In the air, he draws his bow, and has notched an arrow by the time he has landed.
He fires the arrow off at me, which I manage to block with a shard from the Void dagger. I then extended the flame dagger out to reach him, and start to swing with my now ten foot dagger. He jumps over my first swing, drawing yet another arrow and firing it before he lands.
Yet again, it is blocked with a shard, and I swing the dagger once more. He rolls to the side, allowing it to cut into the ground where he was. I don’t give him time to breathe, and swing at his shoulders. He ducks underneath, and easily dodges yet another swing.
He raises to his full height after a flip, and he shouts, “Zun Haal Vikk!”
His shout reaches me, and the daggers go flying out of my magical grasp. He gives me no time to breathe, charging right at me once more.
I rip my scythe out of it’s holding place. I can feel my power increase as I grow to be the same size as Ghorbash.
I swing my scythe around to meet one blade, making sure to hook it and throw it out of his grasp. I use my free hand to grab his other, blue sword and wrench it out from his hand. His grip isn’t as strong as it should be, for he doesn’t know the strength of my transformation. I throw the blade across the room.
He goes skidding across the floor as I punch him in the face. As he slows down at the bottom of his throne, he coughs and gets up. He wipes some blood from his mouth, “Finally taking this seriously, are we? Very well then, allow me to show you my own form!” He shouts into the air, “Mul Qah Diiv!”
His body shifts, and his armor melts away. It’s replaced with what seems to be the form of a dragon, and he grows taller by at least two feet. He now towers above me.
He reaches to his back, and pulls something from it. A giant hammer, glowing green, spikes on either side, and a glowing red dot in the middle. He lifts the hammer like it was a toy, “Now you shall see! I am the chosen of Malacath! Volendrung shall crush you to dust!” He charges at me with a single shout, “Wuld!”
He appears in front of me, bring the huge hammer down. I swing my scythe about with both hands, catching it right under it’s head. The blow is strong enough to send out a shockwave, but it doesn’t move us.
He brings the hammer down again and again, and I barely block it. He assaults relentlessly, and I swear I can see tears of anger in his eyes.
He is pushed away from me, and he starts to cry from his anger. He shouts, “Yol Toor Shul! Fo Krah Diin! Iiz Slen Nus!”
I being up a shield of bone in front of me, blocking all of his shouts.
He doesn’t stop though, his Thu’um stronger than ever thought possible, all due to his rage, “Krii Lun Aus! Strun Bah Qo! Fus Ro Dah! Gaan Lah Haas! Joor Zah Frul! Fass Ru Maar! Ven Gaar Nos! Gol Hah Dov!” He pounds on my bubble of bone with his hammer, “Zii Los Dii Du!”
“Zun Haal Viik!”
I hear Ghorbash’s weapon go flying, and I let down my bubble. He stares towards the doorway, “Your back...”
I turn, and I see Dovahkin in the doorway, “This battle shall stop at once! Ghorbash, Raven, it looks like we need to talk about what peace is.”
Dovahkin pours me a mug of mead, Ghorbash sent further into the castle. He takes his own mug, and downs a bit of it, “Ah, it’s been too long since I’ve wetted my tongue with mead. I may have a preposition towards grog, but mead is always pretty good.”
I smile, “I’ve always been more of a whiskey guy, myself.”
He looks over at me with a raised eyebrow, “Whiskey? Can’t say I’ve heard of it.” He takes another drag, “Now, onto the business at hand.”
I nod, “Yes, I suppose that would be the best course of action.”
Ghorbash comes back in, carrying something under his arm. He places it down on the table, revealing a large, purple book. It’s face is unscratched, and I can immediately feel the power of Edis on it. Dovahkin leans forward, “We have something you want, and you have something we want.”
I nod, and take Wuuthrad from inside my pocket dimension. I smile, “Your axe, I presume?”
He nods, “Give me Wuuthrad, and I will give you the book.”
I hand him his axe, and he slides the book over to me. I put it into a pocket dimension.
He takes his axe with a huge smile, and puts it on his back oncemore, “I suppose this will be goodbye, Raven.”
I tilt my head a bit, “What will you be doing from now on? Where will you go?”
They look to each other, and nod, “This isn’t our world, Raven. We’ve built a portal, and we plan to turn it on and return to Tamriel. We’ll take our Orcs with us, and never return. Nirn calls for our return, and we listen.”
I smile, “Then I bid you good luck on your journey back. However, if I may, can I get a favor?”
He turns back to look at me, “Yes?”
I nod, “Well, I remember you talking about Imperials, thus meaning there’s an Empire. Might I be able to hold talks with the Emperor?”
Dovahkin thinks for a bit, “It’s up to the Emperor, but I can try. We always need allies.”
I smile, “Very well then. I bid thee two the best farewell I can. You’ve served the Union with blood and sweat, and I appreciate your service. Speed of the Gods with you, Dovahkin. Keep on training, Ghorbash, you were very good.”
Ghorbash smiles a bit, “Goodbye, Lord Raven.”
Dovahkin smiles some more, “Perhaps you will stay for some food before we both depart?”
I shake my head, “No, sadly. I must be getting back to my ship.”
He nods in understanding, and breaks open the window for me. I spread my wings, and give the two of them a salute. They both return it, and I fly out of the window.
I speed up to my ship, and come in for a landing on the deck. As I land, the ship speeds off towards the east. I move up to the wheel, where Captain Jack is. I shout over the rushing winds, “Where are we going?!”
He points out into the distance, ”Trouble if I were to take a guess!”
I look in the distance, and see a flare flying through the air. Sombra, he must be in some deep shit. I shout at the Captain, “Full speed!”
He shouts on back, “Already at it, mate!”
As we rush towards the flare, I can hear two shouts from below.
”Nahl Dal Vus!”
—(Dovahkin)—
We both walk down the cobbled path, the familiar stones giving us a rush of nostalgia. I turn to look at Ghorbash as he shivers, “You grow unaccustomed to Skyrim?”
His teeth click a bit more, and he looks on over, “You’ll have to forgive me, I’ve been living in a damned desert for two centuries, cold is now something old. Besides, it’s Evening Star! Even most Nords have the sense to stay inside during this horrid month.”
I smile at the cold, “Oh, come on, it hardens your skin.”
He smiles, “I have armor to do that for me.”
We walk up to the gates of Solitude, where the two guards at the gate open it up for us, “Dragonborn, it’s been a while since anyone’s seen you. Hadvar should certainly be happy.”
I smile at the guard as we enter, “Glad to be back.”
He smiles on back, and nods, “Just remember sir: no lollygagging.”
I nod, “I’ll make sure to not steal any sweetrolls either.”
We make it into Solitude, and walk through the snow filled streets. The only soul other than us on the road is the homeless man outside the tavern. He smiles as we walk past, “Welcome back. May the ground shake as you walk upon it.”
I nod on back to the Nord, and continue on to the Keep. I push open the doors to the tower, and Hadvar waits inside.
He smiles as I approach, “Dovahkin, Ghorbash, it’s been months! What do you need?”
I smile, “We wish to speak to the Emperor.”
Hadvar nods, “Well, your in luck then. He’s just arrived for the wedding.”
I nod, “Thanks, Hadvar.”
I dive off the side of the ship with no hesitation, taking the plunge into the Abyss. The wind throws me around like a rag doll within, my small frame hitting every wall there. After the Abyss is bored playing pinball with my body, it allows me to hit the bottom.
I stand, and dust off my cloak. The bottom of the Abyss is very peaceful compared to the top. The wind is much calmer, and it still allows in plenty of light.
It’s then that I hear a voice echo down the canyon walls, “Finalmente!”
—(Sombra, Three hours earlier)—
The ruin of Griffonstone was a graveyard, the only sound being the shifting of old bones on the road. The Abyss winds certainly haven’t grown any weaker, but it is traversable with shadow.
I come out of the dark mist into my natural form at the bottom of the Abyss. It’s then I realize my flare gun didn’t come down with me. I look up, and see it bouncing down. However, it lands in the perfect way on one branch to fire a flare in the air. I sigh as I float it over and look around, “Right, golden chalice, shouldn’t be that hard to find. I remember we came down somewhere around here.” I move around, until I spot something familiar, “There. That’s the rock I knocked down with the Idol on it. But, where’s the Idol?” I scramble around the rock, not turning up anything, “Mierda. ¡El maldito ídolo se ha ido!”
It is then I see claw scratches on the stone ground of the Abyss. I lean down, and start to inspect them, “Griffon... no, something else. Very Griffon-like, but different.”
I follow the scratches, seemingly a trail left behind be some Griffon-like creature. I follow them until a familiar smell hits me. I turn and follow the smell of death.
I eventually make it to the death smell. It’s the bones of a pony. It wears a light shirt, and a brown, battered, and aged stable fedora. For some reason, it seems to be hiding in the empty husk of a fridge at the time of death. I take a deep sniff, and observe the surroundings. Blood smell is still fresh, and there doesn’t seem to be any dust around the body.
It looks like some unfortunate scavenger was exploring Griffonstone and fell into the Abyss. That wouldn’t explain the fridge though. It looks like it was hiding and cowering, so this pony was obviously scared of something. One hoof reaches for a whip on its hip, but it seems it never reached the whip. Considering the smell and the position of the corpse, I’d say that this was a victim of some creatures hunt.
I look up as I hear a screech echo throughout the Abyss. It sounds like it’s far enough away to not know I’m here, but that is still worrying. I look back down at the pony, and see it’s hoof still on its hat.
I gently take the hat from below it’s hoof. I place the hoof carefully down with the rest of the body. I look at the hat, and hold it at my chest, “I shall hunt down whatever creature hunted you, friend. I hope that with this hat... you’ll be able to see me extract it upon the creature.”
I place the hat upon my head, far back enough to be comfortable and not block my horn. I give one last nod and smile to the corpse, and continue following the tracks left behind. They now seemed to be stained with blood, and more than one set of tracks appear. All move in the same direction, so I continue on, ready for any type of trap.
I eventually arrive to where the tracks led. A hole in the stone, with a single piece of gold in the stone above. I cautiously move into the cave, peeking around corners as I come upon them in the twisted hall.
I turn my hoof to be made partially of mist. I step with that hoof first, letting it down gently, helping me to avoid any pressure plates and tripwires. The hall was littered with them, and I dare not think of what any of them might do.
As I make my way through the tunnel, I hear screeching echoing from behind me. I quickly fade into mist, shoving my hat against the wall with my magic, blending in with the shadows as creatures pass.
They look like Griffons, in basic form. They have overgrown claws, their body is bare of feathers, but they have scales of stone over their skin. They don’t seem to have beaks, but I can’t see their faces past the tribal masks they wear. They fly by quickly, but I can see blow darts and bows on the three of them. I dare not guess what gender they are.
I gather myself back in my physical form, and continue on.
———
The seemingly endless hallway has grown so dark that only by my magical night vision can I see anymore. I have no doubts that even if the creature ran in to me, I wouldn’t be seen. But, a light comes from ahead, showing me all traps in my way.
I emerge into the light at the end of the tunnel, and find myself in a new problem. There are holes on the wall, and pressure plates from here to the other side of the room. The arrow trap, a timeless classic.
Torches light the walls, and I decide to take one down. I carry it with my magic, and put all the other torches out. I use the new shadow to float over all of the pressure plates, and bring the torch over as I reform.
I go through the doorway, one that seems quite old. The torch lights my way as I enter into a giant cavern, hat pulled tightly down on my head.
I quickly snuff the light out, and hide behind some rocks on the outcropping I stand upon. I peek out, and see a horde of those creatures in the middle of the room. They all bow to a creature that sits on a throne in the center of the room.
The creature is horribly mutated like the rest of them. He only has one large arm, his other being quite useless, a gigantic right wing with his left one completely gone, only his legs seem normal. He is obviously a biped by nature, a bipedal Griffon. His body is covered in runes from some long forgotten language. The thing I’m worried about, though, is the golden chalice on his head.
I smile as I create an exact replica of it out of crystal. I slowly levitate my replica over to his head. I inch the chalice from his head, and make sure that the replica replaces the inch taken quickly. I get it off his head entirely, and now the replica is on there.
I teleport it over to me. Looking it over, I smile, and shout without thinking, “Finalmente!”
My celebration is stopped when I realize hear the new silence coming from the center of the room. I slowly look over, and see the creature all looking at me. The leader stands, and points at me with rage, “Shadow thief! Kill! Boulder!”
I look up, and see two creatures cutting some ropes on a ramp. The ropes give way, and a giant boulder comes rolling down.
I turn, seeing the creatures start to fire projectiles at me, and the giant bolder coming towards me. I pull the hat on my head tightly, and I decide to run. I can hear the boulder roll after me, increasing speed. So, I run as fast as I possibly can.
I run over the pressure plates of the arrow trap, but I’m gone by the time the arrows fire, and the boulder destroys them soon after.
I trigger pressure plates and tripwires as I run through the winding hall. Fire, ice, arrows, poison darts, spike balls, logs, all come flying behind me as I run quicker.
The end of the hallway approaches after some time, and I trip on one last wire. I trip out of the door, and quickly roll the the side, knocking my hat off. I reach over and put it back on at the last second, allowing the boulder to crash beside me, hat unharmed.
Just as quickly, I create a crystal spear, and block a gigantic magic sword swinging towards me. I rise to my hooves by turning to shadow, and stare down the creature’s leader.
He glares at the Idol that I wear now decorates my horn, and at my hat, “Hat pony! Ate! Should dead! Show adventurer! No mess with Griffon!”
He swings his magical sword at me once more, his runes glowing brightly. I bring the crystal spear around once more, and touch the hat once more, “¿Así que eres el que mató al anterior propietario de este sombrero? Muy bien entonces, parece que tendré que matarte.”
I hear a grunt from beside me, and I look at the boulder. I see Raven peel himself off the wall behind it, forcing the boulder forward once more. He looks at me, “Sombra, you were in trouble?”
I shake my head, “No, mi pistola de bengala acaba de golpear la rama equivocada.”
He nods, and looks at my opponent, “So, you want some help? Boreas is not a mage to underestimate.”
I smile, “No te preocupes, lo tengo esta vez.”
Creatures start to poor out of cracks in the walls, all moving to surround us. Raven looks over at me, “Mind if I take them?”
I nod, “Go on ahead. Boreas is mine.”
Raven summons his scythe, and charges at the creatures, leaving me with Boreas.
Boreas lets loose a magical sphere towards me, the runes on his body lighting up. I move into mist, and charge towards him, allowing the orb to go through me. I coalesce back, and stab my spear forward. He blocks it with his blade, sending my blade off to the side where it hits one of the runes.
He screams in pain as I cut the rune off his skin. His magical sword also flickers a bit, and seems to become weaker. I smile, his weakness now apparent.
I thrust with my spear once more, counting upon his parry. He does it, causing my blade to slice down his arm. Rune after rune comes off, causing him to shout in more pain, and his sword to flicker.
He screams, and starts to fire off more magical orbs at me. I enter into mist once more, allowing the magic to pass by me. But, as I exit, he swings his blade at me. I have to block, and am send sliding back by the force of his blow.
I slide up next to Raven as he slaughters a few of the creatures, “Why were you out here anyway?”
I run back at Boreas, rolling under a magical orb and stabbing with my spear, “I knocked the Idol into the Abyss through my own foolishness. So, I should be the one to retrieve it!”
Raven shouts back, “Your voice sounds like there’s something more to it! Come on, what is it?”
I backstep away from a slash from the blade, “Well, in all honesty, I missed my old independence! Back when I could walk into a camp of bandits alone and teach them the true meaning of fear! I was always the powerful one that was in charge, that fought the powerful enemy at the end! I just wanted to feel like that once again!”
Raven shrugs off an arrow as it hits in between his bones, “Sombra, if you thought that, you could’ve told me! You’re not weaker than you were, we are equals!”
I parry another swing, and go in for a stab, “I know that, Raven, but it just doesn’t feel that way! You faced Celestia alone, faced the Master alone, punished Blueblood alone, and even now you try and find the Totem alone! You are the one everyone looks up to as leader! You’re the Element of Unity, the one who brought us all together! All I am is Laughter! The comedian, funny man, the comic relief!”
Raven stops his fighting to look towards me, swinging his scythe with his arm turned backwards, “Sombra, I never meant to exclude you. You are my friend, my equal; and I’ve never thought of you as anything less.”
I continue on my fight, “It just feels like I have become less than what I was before! I always sit back and fight the peons whist you take on the leader! I know what you feel and think, but it doesn’t come through!”
He shakes his head, “Sombra...”
I unleash a flurry a blows against Boreas as I create multiple Spears of crystal, “I am King Sombra!” I cut away at the runes on him, “King of Darkness!” I create even more, and stab with more force, “King of Shadow!” I take a spear and plunge it into his chest, “Spirit of Fear!” I rip the spear out, and plunge it into his head, “¡No soy un personaje secundario de dos bits, segunda clase y sin valor! ¡No un príncipe, no un señor, no un maldito campesino, sino un rey!”
Boreas collapses with a unearthly screech, the runes on his body all gone. The creatures all look at their dead leader, and flee.
I pick up the Idol, and throw it over to Raven, “Let’s get out of here.”
—(Raven)—
I catch the Idol in my hands, and look at Sombra with worry, “Sombra... I’m so sorry. I never realized what I’d been doing.”
He turns, and smiles at me, “Don’t apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong. I wasn’t thinking straight. I just needed to get it off my chest, and the need for adventure as well. Come on now, it’s time my gift pays off.”
I rest a hand on his shoulder, “Sombra, please, if you want to talk about something, talk about it with me. I can help, I am your friend.”
He smiles, and laughs a bit, “I know you are, Raven. You are the best friend I’ve had.”
I smile, “And you are a friend closer than the rest of them. We are still very good friends, but you have an understanding they don’t. Sweetie is my love, but even she lacks the understanding. Immortality, darkness, corruption, being a social pariah. We understand each other, and we always will keep that understanding. I have never once seriously regretted saving you from death, and I never will. I may not seem like it sometimes, but I care about you Sombra. A problem for you is a problem for me. And there will never be a day that might come as to where I would not lay my life on the line to help you.”
He laughs once more, and reaches up a hoof to wipe a tear from his eye, “Look what you’ve done, making me emotional.” He turns back to me, “I would gladly give my life for you, Raven. I don’t like it when you go places alone. Not because I want to be out there, but because I want to be there to protect you. I want us to be warriors who always have each other’s back, who will be able to take on the worst odds that come their way. It’s just hard to do so when you go everywhere and do everything alone.”
I pat his shoulder, “That will change, Sombra. We might not have any real enemies yet, but I can swear to you. When the time comes for me to put my life at risk for the world, I want you there by my side. Sombra, my brother in the shadows, and my friend above all others. No opponent could stand up to us together, for our bond is to strong for them to break.”
He nods, “And I would gladly die beside you, Raven.” He smiles, “Come on now, we gotta find a way out.”
Author's Note
Translations in order of appearance:
I smile over at Sombra as the ship sets off for New Life, “So, Sombra, you’re the one who did all the work and research on this. What exactly am I supposed to do with this?”
Sombra nods, “The book lays out specific instructions. First, the items must be returned in their completed form. The chalice has to be filled with ash and dirt. The book must be flipped to the final page. When placed in the hands of the third piece, move the subject in front of the gaze of the statue. Only when the statue can stare them down will it work and purify.”
I nod along, and the ship comes to a stop. I motion for Sombra to come with me, “Come on, I need you there just in case.”
He smiles, “Yes, of corse. Nothing should go wrong, hopefully. Although this is the first time the Totem will be brought together and tested.”
I step up onto the railing, and take a dive off the side.
I reach the ground just the same, and look up to see Sombra come back into physical form right above the ground. He reaches out a hoof as he lands, catching his new hat on his hoof, and slipping it over his head. We move through the gates, and into the town hall.
Brass nods at us as we pass into the room with Edis within. I summon the book from a pocket dimension, and flip it all the way to the final page.
I take a glance at it, but the knowledge upon it is incomprehensible to any but the God of Endings. I shake my head, and place it on his left hand. It’s held up so he could look down at it.
Sombra carefully slides the chalce full of dirt into his right hand, where it fits into place.
I look over at Sombra, and we share a nod. I move into the vision of Edis, and look him dead in the eye.
...
...
...
Nothing seems to happen. I try to turn my head to look at Sombra, but find that I can’t.
Within this single second of paralysis, I felt pain beyond the wildest imaginations of the worst masochist or sadist. I’ve been stabbed, shot, burned, even killed many times. Yet this pain was thousands of times greater than any of those combined. It’s almost impossible to describe. Hot, cold, warm, cool, ripping, stapling, cutting, mending, exploding, imploding, expanding, collapsing.
It ends as quick as it started, allowing me to fall on my knees. No scream comes, the pain is completely gone, yet the memory of that single second shall stay with me the rest of my life.
It’s then that I hear the familiar voice. Smug, yet still so bored at everything. The monotone voice of Edis speaks up, “My apologies, Raven, my timing on that spell was a bit off. The numbing and time stopping was supposed to occur as soon as your soul started separating, but I suppose it was a second late. Oh well, not like it matters in the long run.”
I look up to see him there, “Edis... how are you here?”
He smiles, no emotion behind it, “Well, my dear Raven, your decision turned me to stone. Exactly as I planned, if you decided to die. Either way, I told you this would happen, and I needed to be here for the end.”
I struggle back to my hooves, “What end?”
He motions all around him, “The end you have just inadvertently caused. You had to make everything complicated when you decided to die the first time. It’s all for the better anyway, the ending of Tel’la De Rus should you have lived would’ve been the most boring option. Now, no matter which of the two endings come, it will be fun to watch.”
I walk up closer to him, “What the hell do you mean by two endings? What the hell is going to happen?”
He waves a finger, “That is not for me to say, but for you to find out. For the ending you wish to get, it requires quite a lot of things to work together. The loyalty of Imperals and Orcs must uphold itself. Old enemies must come together to create death on land and in air. The intellect and courage of ponies and changelings. The strength of the normal citizen. The bravery of foals and the craftiness of liars. Every note must be sung. Every piece of the sky defend. Every gear must turn for optimal production. Every emotion felt and all the medicine used correctly. Bones must pierce the surface. All shadows must rise and follow the King of Fear.”
I look him right in the eye, “What are you talking about?”
He looks right back at me, his eyes glinting with hidden emotion, “You must hope that all shall go your way. If you fail and the other end comes, then the cycle continues. This wonderful cycle of beginnings and ends.” He looks into the sky, a tear falling from his eye, “I shall take my brother’s place in the Void to gain the power to repeat it all again, my own brother replacing me afterwards. My name shall be Edis no more, not the God of Endings! But Zalgo, the Great Destroyer! They shall scream my names as they are all destroyed once more! New Creators, new Elements, new universes brought into the never ending cycle!” He seems to be knocked down by some invisible force, and he starts to fade away quickly. He looks over at me, “Get the ending you need Raven. You do not know how much of an impact you will have over the next month. If you fail, the cycle continues. This is the first time there’s ever been a chance of Creators winning. I’ve set it all up for you to succeed, I gave you the tools, now you have to use them.”
I quickly rush to him as he fades away even more, “Edis, what cycle?!”
He laughs, the first joy he’s ever expressed, “Creation, Reality, Soul, Emotion, Humanity...” He looks at me as he fades away completely, “Bring an Ending...”
He is completely gone, passed onto his afterlife. Time starts once more, and I feel myself float into the air.
The rattling sound of bones comes from all over, drowning out the worried calls from Sombra.
Every pore on my body starts to bleed red mana. The Beast is leaving.
I manage to sense the skeletal body that stands next to me, the Beast flowing within.
I fall down as he exits me completely, giving me an excellent view of the tall skeleton standing there.
He may be a pony, but he is easily bigger that Celestia, almost the size of Ordirus within all of his art adaptations. He looks over himself, burning with a red glow.
Sombra sits there with his mouth wide open, “Vogrim.”
He overlooks himself and laughs, “Fool, I am not Vogrim. I am Beast, and I have found a much better vessel!”
Sombra stabs through Beast with his spear, causing very minor damage.
Beast knocks Sombra back, “This world shall soon be dead! All shall die and be brought back as my thrall!”
He dissapears in a flash.
———
Legions stand at the ready, red and gold armor shining in the light. Monstra Saeva stands in front of all of them. They all face a huge pony that glows the same crimson as his armor, “Death of the world, you say?”
“Everything shall be purged.”
Monstra takes a second to process what he hears. He suddenly shouts out, “Ave Beast!”
The legions behind him all shout as one, “Ave!”
—(Three days later)—
I step off the ramp of the ship landed in Romus Crete. Scootaloo follows beside me in her full power armor, and Louis on the other side, his diplomat robes on. There are no Orcs in the streets anymore, leaving a straight path to the palace.
We move through the doors, and move to the throne room. I nod at my two friends, “Alright, if I forget anything, remind me. Two days of studying isn’t a lot with so much to go though.” They both nod back, and we move through the large doors.
In the room a table is set up. Sitting in one chair is a man in purple robes with fur accents. Behind him is Dovahkin and a man in armor with red highlights.
I nod my head as I enter, and throw my hood off my head, “Emperor Mede, a pleasure. I am Lord Ravens Breath, although by your standards it would be Emperor Raven. I am so glad you could take the time to meet with me.”
He smiles, “It is a pleasure to meet you as well. It’s not everyday, or any day for that matter, that we hear of an empire in a different dimension. Please, call me Titus, and I shall call you Raven.”
I walk up to the table, and take a seat, “I’d be glad to call you that, Titus.”
He nods, “I must admit, your approach is quite unorthodox. Not usually does one bring their own guard when they visit with me.”
I smile, “Well, I heard you were a people that respected strength in arms. I figured bringing along our best doctor and our best flyer would make a good impression. Not to mention it means I have friends to back me up in case anyone decides to interrupt us.”
He motions to me, “I’d been informed by Dovahkin that you were a Necromancer, but I didn’t expect you to dress the part.”
I shrug, “It was a gift. I trust Dovahkin has filled you in about me?”
He nods, “Oh yes, he did. I might not wholly trust a Necromancer, but I trust Dovahkin. My life might’ve been made shorter by the Brotherhood if not for him and Maro. Our entire world would have been devoured if not for him.”
I lean forward a bit, “Speaking of world destruction, that brings up why I asked you here today. Before, I only wanted to express goodwill and possibly have a powerful ally. However, things have changed rapidly, and now the threat has become much greater than before. Even now our enemy slaughters entire towns singlehandedly and brings them back to follow him. His army grows with every day, adding creatures of all types to his army. Griffons, Minotaurs, Dragons, Changelings, Ponies. We predict that within a month, the last will fall, and all will be killed and brought back to serve him.”
He nods, and strokes his beard, “It sounds like a precarious situation. But how does this effect my Empire?”
I smile, “Dovahkin’s portal to your world. He will funnel his troops in and do the same to Tamriel. Just like the, what was it, Oblivion Crisis that almost ended your world?”
He silently nods, “We need proof that you will be able to pull your weight if we ally with you.”
I turn to Louis as he hands me a briefcase. I open it, and take out the schematics inside. I hand it to him, “This should prove it.”
He looks at it, and his jaw drops, “You can make something like this? It’s taller than ten giants!”
I nod and smile, “He is Unity Prime, the masterpiece of our best inventors.”
His eyes seem to dart to outside the window, and his demeanor changes quickly. He stuffs the schematics back, and slams the briefcase, “We will need time to think.”
I rise out of my chair as he gets up, “Wait, Titus! We have an army big and advanced enough to defeat the Aldmeri Dominion with you!”
He turns around, “We need time to think. Farewell, Emperor Raven.”
I can only stare defeated as he walks away.
—(Dovahkin)—
I turn around to face the Emperor as soon as we step through the portal. I immediately begin to yell at him, “What the Oblivion was that!? ‘We need time to think’ my ass!”
He holds up a hand to stop me, “Did you not feel it, Dovahkin? Must not be practiced in the art of Restoration. There was a dark presence, surely the enemy we talked about. I had to hide the schematics for their machine and act like I wasn’t interested to fool him.”
My eyes widen, “What are you saying?”
He smiles, “We will help Emperor Raven against his enemy. Dovahkin, prepare for war. Call all the Guilds you can. Mages, Companions, Thieves, Boethiah, Strongholds, Jarls, Bards, Dawnguard, Solstheim, every warrior and every friend you have made. Force the Blades and Paarthurnax to work together. Call the Dragons and the Greybeards, the Soul Carrin, Rieklings. Prepare them to march as soon as the Imperial Army gets here.”
My sleep did not come easily with so much on my mind. Even with Sweetie laying next to me, and exhaustion pulling at my eyes, I had to continue thinking. Every second wasted sleeping is another second for the Beast to plan and for me to not.
Getting the material needed for Unity Prime is nearly impossible. Metal and crystal is easy enough to get, but it’s the bone needed that is really hard. The ground has become nearly empty as the Beast raises his army, and those bones are needed to get Unity Prime to move. If we use things like gears and pistons for his movement, he will not be nearly as fluid as the giant amalgamations of bone the Beast had. In order to fight against his army of bone, we need to mix bone with metal and crystal. Brass for the guns, steel for the casing, crystal for the laser weapon systems, and bones for fluid movement. It is a project unlike any other, to unite the science of metal with the shining beams of crystal and the magic of bone. Everyday I have to find enough bone in order to stay on the building schedule. Everyday I have to exhaust my magic and then think of new ideas and train my people for war.
My eyes win in the end, and I fade into the veil of sleep.
———
I sit in the middle of a library, flipping through a large purple book. The words are written in some ancient and dead language, nay, many of them. Languages older than the Creators themselves. Yet I somehow understand every word. I’m in the middle of the book, and start to read out loud.
“It was then, from the dust, that three Creators arose, their memory pulling the dust together. They were called Sombra, Discord, and Ordirus. They made universes who prospered, until a memory arose in the Void. One of the brothers of Zalgo, a Great Destroyer, Vogrim fed off the corruption within the Void until he gained a fraction of the power his brother did. He then took on his name, and entered the universe. He destroyed all despite the best efforts of the Creators and their Champions, turning all to dust. It was then, from the dust, that three Creators arose. Celestia, Luna, and McBad arose, and made universes. Within each of them were the three that came before. Sombra, Ordirus, and Discord were a universal constant. That is, until Kyros arose and destroyed all under the guise of Zalgo. Then three rose from the dust. Pony Satan, Doctor, and Karma.”
I flip through all the pages, trying to find the end. The pages seem almost endless though. Until, eventually, I come across a page that glows brightly. I look at the words, and start to read once more.
“Until we reach this cycle. The dust left from Monstra Saeva formed itself once more. From the dust arose Larson, Chem, and Faust. This cycle has great hope. Raven has followed the best path, and if his will and wit keep up, he will easily win. Slenderman was not expected to befriend his body’s previous holder, nor Jeffry Woods. It is good he did though, now he has two Post-Creators on his side. Survivor’s victory against Keeser alone was unexpected as well; I expected him to need his fellows help. Courier has yet to encounter Kurye Karşıtı, but with his two friends, he should be fine. Avatar is unaware of the plans made by Nerazîbûnê. Patton wasn’t even a candidate to begin with, Wavok was much more deserving of a position. But, with his consciouses taking over after the dimensional slingshot, he took the position. Chem isn’t even a completed man, let alone a consistent one. Yet, he took over. Everything about him is unexpected, and I have no idea what to feel about him. With these six there is a chance. Maybe we can end the cycle my brother has made and I am doomed to repeat... maybe.”
I try to turn the page to the last page, but a voice echoes down the library.
”Raven...”
”Raven.”
I look down the shelves, “Who goes there?”
The voices respond, but they don’t answer my question.
”The ending approaches soon.”
”You must free us, or you will fall...”
I shout again, “Who are you!?”
”Under the most Harmony... there is unknowable entropy...”
”You will find yourself under a blood red Moon.”
“What are you talking about? Where are you!?”
”Call the wraith of the night against your enemy.”
”Sow bedlam upon their ranks... and let Harmony overtake your own...”
“How are you talking to me?!”
”Release us... let me free... or even my dimension shall be destroyed...”
”We need you to call upon us once more. We failed you in the past, but we cannot this time.”
I look back as the book slams to the final page. The only thing upon the page is a drawing of me, with green glowing eyes.
”Release us!”
———
I’m shaken awake as I am already shooting straight up. I can remember my dream perfectly, which is very odd.
Sweetie steps back as I rocket up, “Raven, the Kings and Queen is here.”
I look over at her, “Oh shit, they are!? Could you get my cloak for me?”
She smiles, and hands it over to me, “One day you need to wear something different. Rarity would pitch a fit if she saw you wear nothing but that.”
I smile on back, “Can any deny I look rather dapper in it?”
She pecks me on the lips with a kiss, “You would in anything.”
I return it, “As would you. Now, Kings and Queen.”
I quickly move into the meeting room, a simple room with a table in the middle. At the chairs sit the three royals. I smile, “King Henry, Clanmaster Thogar, Queen Istil. I am so glad you decided to show up.”
Henry nods, “And we are glad you made the Mad God make us real. Now, down to business.”
I nod back as I take a seat, “Guess I’ll skip the niceties and go right into the deal.” I lay a treaty before them, “An enemy rises in the North. Already he has conquered near half the continent, killing entire towns and raising them under his command. The ground becomes more empty as the days go on, bones rising into his army. The most despicable ponies have decided to follow his command with the many legions they have. No one has been able to stand up to him.”
Thogar speaks up, “Who has tried to stand up then? How do we know this isn’t just someone that could be brushed off like a fly?”
I place reports on the table in front of him, “The New Crystal Republic; population of one million, a military three thousand strong at the least, all of which carried guns. New Crystal itself fell, even with five hundred highly advanced Securitrons guarding it’s almost impenetrable walls of crystal. Deceivers report that it was only a squad of five needed to take over the city. The Beast himself and four giant skeletons. Now the city has become his Keep, and his forces grow stronger each day.”
Henry holds up a hand, “So, you say he is strong enough to take over a seemingly impenetrable city, and you think we can do anything about it?”
I take out my briefcase from my pocket dimension, and side the schematics over to him, “Perhaps you would benefit from seeing our weapon then? However many giants Beast will make matters not. Unity Prime has the strength to take on nearly anything. A seemless blending of magic, energy, and metal. My own magic as well is strong. I ask for your forces because I have the weapons but lack the manpower.”
Henry slides the case back to me, “And how are we to know you aren’t as evil as he apparently is? You are a Necromancer, after all. You’ve done the same that he has many times.”
I recoil a bit, “Excuse me?! Since when have I slaughtered entire nations!?”
He tilts his head to the side in thought, “Well, there was the Kingdom of Hazog.”
I immediately remember what he’s talking about, “Hazog was a thief and a warlord! The only reason I killed his people was because he kept sending them to kill me!”
A voice interrupts us, “I can, King. I can support him.”
We all turn to see Celestia enter the room, “And who are you?”
She smiles, “Prin- no, just Celestia now. I am nowhere close to being a friend of Raven, we were enemies what feels like so short ago, but I can support him. Raven might be a Necromancer, but that does not subtract from his value as a pony. To compare him to the Beast is heresy. Right now, the Beast threatens this world and all other realms like it with domination, all Raven ever wanted was a peaceful life. I might not know Raven that much, but I can make a surefire claim about him. Even if he was evil, he is the lesser of the two.”
Henry is about to speak up, but Istil interrupts him, “Henry, shut up and think for a second. This situation seems to be a reflection of our own history.”
Thogar nods along, “A great Necromancer rises in the North, tainting the land with his darkness. The races come together at first and brush him off as not being a concern. That is what is happening. New Crystal is Scarwood Keep and the Beast is-“
Henry fills it in, “Noter Kah.”
Istil nods, “When the four races turned away from each other, we almost allowed humanity to be wiped out. We allowed Noter Kah to rise until he had almost taken over Draydon Castle. So many innocent lives were lost. And we only pushed him back when we united!”
Thogar pulls the treaty over to him, and signs it, “I will not allow this to happen once more! My grandfather would roll over in his grave if he saw me forsake the lessons he taught me! You have me Raven. Balder shall take joy in leading our Forge Masters and the Grey Beards shall fire their cannons once more!”
Istil takes the treaty and signs right after, “I will not make the same mistake as my ancestors. I will unite before it is to late. Frey and his fellow Lion Guard shall fight once more, and nature itself shall rip the Beast asunder with the Dryads and Treemen.”
Henry hesitates for a second, before taking the paper, “Then I shall join as well. The Mage Guilds of Fire and Ice shall come together once more. The Black Guard and Red Guard fighting side by side! Our Giants shall smash our enemies as the Knights run them down! The Holy House shall raise it’s Paladins and Priests back to the battlefield! Burion shall charge alongside his fellow Captains into the glorious clashing of skeletons and Footmen!”
They hand the treaty back to me. Istil smiles, “Our Heroes shall rise.”
Henry laughs, “Our Castles shall rally.”
Thogar growls, “The time for unity arises for the third time. This time, we shall not be late! This time, we take the fight to our enemy!”
I smile, “Then prepare your troops. Have them ready for war. As soon as Unity Prime has been completed, we march.”
—(One week later)—
“Stab!”
“Block!”
“Advance and stab!”
The group of Jack clones do as they are told in perfect harmony. Their shield and spear loadout very efficient, with their sword and gun for backup. I nod as they continue on in the same order.
Meanwhile, my magic scans the ground around where we landed. Any bone I can find is brought up so that the engineers can have a surplus of them when they finish Unity Prime. It is very exhausting work, but it needs to be done so we can march in time. Henry, Istil, and Thogar are prepared to march at a moments notice, New Life’s forces are not many, but they are well trained. All we wait for is Unity Prime, and I can train the Jack’s as it is built.
Someone walks up behind me, “Raven.”
I turn to face Louis, “Yes, what is it Louis?”
He nods back to the ship, “You need to come with me.”
I sigh, “Can you not just tell me what you want to say, Louis?”
He simply motions back to the ship, “I think this is something you might want to hear in private.”
I look up at the Jacks, “Can it not just wait until tonight?”
He shakes his head, “It’s about Sweetie’s health. You two need to speak about this together, and you need time to think.”
I look over at him, “It’s about Sweetie’s health? Why didn’t you just say so to begin with?”
He smiles as he walks towards the ship, “I didn’t want to worry you.”
I shout back at the Jacks as I follow Louis, “All of you clone yourself as much as possible, your training is over!”
They all cheer as I walk off, probably all resting their feet.
Louis moves through the bowels of the ship to Sweetie and I’s room. He pushes open the door, and motions to the bed. Sweetie already sits there, and I take a seat next to her. I look at Louis as he stands in front of it, “So, what’s the bad news?”
He shakes his head, “No, there’s no bad news. In fact, it’s quite good news. Worrying, but good.” He smiles, “Now, as today was Sweetie’s checkup for her health, late by two hundred years might I add, and I found a unique emotional signature inside of her.”
I tilt my head, “A foreign mana?”
He smiles, “Not exactly, in fact, not at all. It was unique, yes, but not foreign. It has a familiar feel about it, yet one unique. Very naturally grown.”
Sweetie smiles, “Does that mean..?”
Louis laughs, “Oh yes it does! Congratulations to the both of you!”
I look between their giddy smiles, “Okay, it’s clear I didn’t get what you were saying. Please state it in more regular Equish. Hell, even Sponish works. Just in something I can understand!”
He turns to face me, “Well, I will put it simply then. Sweetie Belle is with child. I think that fits your old understanding of speaking.”
My mouth drops, “Really?”
He smiles, and pulls out some papers, “I have the Magisounds right here.”
I take the papers, and look at the undeniable proof. I turn to Sweetie, and gather her in a huge hug, “It’s a dream come true!”
She laughs, “I’m going to be a mom!”
I laugh as well, “And I will be a dad!” The impact of my words only impact me after I say it, “Oh gods, I’m going to be a dad.”
She pulls back, and tilts her head, “What’s wrong with that?”
I shake my head, “Oh I am so not a good role model. If he, or she, looks up to me then I fear for all on this boat.”
She smiles, “Oh, come off it, that’s not true. You are a great role model!”
I laugh, “Oh yes, the guy who jumps off the side of the ship is a good role model.”
She hugs me again, “Sombra can be a good uncle if you ever think you aren’t a good role model.”
I smile, and hug her back, “That is nowhere near as comforting as you think it is. At least Sombra isn’t a Necromancer. But our kid will be by bloodline mana. Imagine it, a Necromancer prankster. I fear for the Sparrows in the future.”
Louis coughs politely, “Well, there was some other news.”
We break the hug, and face him, “Yes?”
He takes out a secondary picture which shows a bunch of colors, “Here is a Managram of it’s mana. As you can see, the main is a mix Sweetie’s white mana and your green mana. Very beautiful color might I add, just like nature. But, there is a different color. A bright, burning red.”
I blanch as I see it, “A Beast. I suppose they are not only spread magically, but genetically.”
He nods, “And something a bit worrying, but not exactly bad.”
I look up, “Yes?”
He looks at a graph, “Well, the baby is developing a lot quicker than it should. At this rate, it will be born in a month.”
We are given no time to breathe as someone knocks on my door, “Raven!” Apple Bloom calls out, “He’s done!”
I look back at Sweetie, “It comes in a month? Then I will rid this world of danger before then.” I turn to the door, “Apple Bloom! Tell everyone to be ready to march in two days!”
“Yes!” I can hear her hooves rushing off.
I look back at Sweetie Belle, “I will not fail now. There will be no threat against us when our child is born, I can assure that.”
—(Dovahkin)—
“Attention students of the College of Winterhold! Within my power as Archmage, I call upon you to fight a great threat once more!”
———
“My Companions of Jorrvaskr I call upon you to great battle! As Harbinger I call upon you, Shield Brothers and Sisters, to join my march against a great threat!”
———
“Thieves of Riften, the time has come to slit throats once more! As Nightingale, I ask for you to join me in the shadows and earn your money with your knives and daggers!”
———
“Delphine, you said you would follow the Dragonborn no matter what! Paarthurnax is our ally, and it is only because of him that I was able to defeat Alduin. The crimes he committed were over four thousand years ago, and I would say him helping to save the world is enough of a payment. So, I ask of you to follow me willingly. Or I will slaughter the Blades to extinction for the Banditry they are obsessed with committing!”
———
“Paarthurnax, friend, I call upon you to save the world once more. I just came from the Blades, and found something out about you. Your crimes are many, and only half have been repayed. I ask of you to follow me now and be pardoned of your crimes.”
———
“Orcs of the Strongholds, I am the chosen of Malacath! With this power, I ask for you to rally your Orcs into battle once more! Fight today and the Ashpit is sure to be open when you pass!”
———
“Jarls of the Holds, I ask of you for something simple. You might not all trust Mede, but I ask for you to trust me as Thane. Your forces are needed.”
———
“Everyone has been gathered, I take it?”
“Yes. And the Legions?”
The Emperor smiles, “Ready to march to war once more.”
“Then we march!”
”Onto the field of red, Where the live fall and the dead rise. Your mortality you shall shed, And rage shall fill your eyes.”
We land on a field approaching the Crystal city. I continue to sing.
”So come along all who would. Join the fight that you should. The endless hordes of the Sparrow, Shall turn this field into a barrow, Shall drink from their marrow, Shall strike like an arrow!”
The thousands of Jack’s shout out in joy.
”Now we reach the time To unveil Unity Prime! Manning the guns is Mass Offense! And lasers by Loo, for air defense!”
The giant robot drops to the ground with it’s two gun pilots in their seats.
”Oh and the races of Drayden come together once more! With Men, Elves, and Dwarves galore! Come to help us in our greatest war! And to bathe deeply in their enemies gore!”
The huge army belonging to the three races all cheer out as one. A rousing cry upon sight of the hundred foot robot.
”Oh and the clouds shall part from the sky! Hail to the Empire of the glorious Pegasi! Here to bathe us within the night, So we may fight until we see the sun’s light!”
The ponies of the Wasteland all cheer as the sky opens itself for the first time in two hundred years. Pegasi pour out of the new wound in the cloud covering, their bodies encased within powerful armor, and their sides outfitted with all sorts of shiny crystal laser weapons.
”Smile upon your faces for all the blood A pool of your enemy and of you shall flood! Under a blood red moon Painted by the guts we’ve strewn!”
I look up to the moon in the sky, and see it actually turn blood red. A beam of red light shines down onto the ground, where a tall pony appears. Wearing dark armor, with a blue glowing glaive at her side and a bow in her magical grasp. Her mane flows as she looks at me, “You call upon the Moon, and she shall answer! A time for blood to be shed is a time for the night to reign!”
I laugh madly as I continue my next verse.
”Oh the cracking of bones set such a beautiful tone! The slicing of stomachs to be the bloodiest thing ever known! For both our armies are quite large! I order you all now, charge!”
—(Beast)—
I take a deep drink from a glass of wine, allowing it to fall through my bones and hit the ground below. Monstra walks into my room, “Beast, they’ve arrived.”
I let the glass fall to the ground from my magical grasp, “Then you are to kill them.”
He salutes me, “Gladly!”
He rushes out the door, and my army of bone rises to march out of the city. The Legion as well march to their death against Raven. Not like it matters, they will be brought back as my thralls.
I slowly float on over to the window, and look out of it. I see the outside casted in red, and a giant robot in the distance. I smile.
”The black wave raised against my fire, His death shall be to slow, no matter how rushed. Brought blind by his strong ire, Doesn’t he know the destiny of all is to be crushed?”
I turn around.
”How blind is the bird to crash? Yet he still thinks me the one to blame? So his life shall be stolen in a flash, Within the ignition of Ending’s Flame.”
I pick the glass up from the floor.
”A world destroyed by ignorant life. A world of blood painted red. The living cause so much strife, The world will only find peace when it all is dead!”
I throw the glass on the floor, and stomp on it.
”No matter how hard you might try, No matter how many it counts with it’s feather, A crashed bird can never fly! And a crashed bird he shall be as I force this world together!”
I spin around as the torches in my room light up, lighting my bones in a new red light.
”So they will burn in my deathly flame! They dared to make me a pariah! So I shall rip and maim! And when they are back, I shall be their messiah!”
I spin all around, the fires all around me uniting into a sword of bone. I slam it into the ground, causing the palace of Crystal to erupt with the same blood red.
”Kill and slaughter, my children of bone! The Raven who flies is doomed to fall! Tear them down from their throne! All are destined to become my thrall!”
I look out the window once more, and scream upon the sight of the races.
”It doesn’t matter who goes against me! Man, Elf, Dwarf, or Pony! Glorious death and flame, an empty world I see! All shall turn and bend their knee!”
I collapse on the balcony, and stare out. I manage to see Raven among the crowd.
”It just doesn’t make sense. Why does he care when we were attacked without ever having sinned? I don’t care, it’s time for my revenge to be commenced! It’s time for Edis’s words to be true, it’s time for the End!”
—(Raven)—
The Crystal Palace lights itself on fire as the legions of the enemy charge towards us.
I draw my scythe, growing into my death form.
I look around me to see all my friends and leaders watching their own troops with worry. But Unity Prime seems to be a force to inspire them.
I look at my neck as I see a green glow come from it. My Element pulls itself off my neck, and into the air. It’s glow become brighter and brighter until it seems to explode.
Energy fills me. Physical, mana, every type of energy. My empty eyes now seem to glow as well.
I raise my scythe into the air, green fire burning around it, “It is time for Unity!” I fly towards the enemy forces, “For Tel’la De Rus, for Tamriel, for Equestria!”
The ponies, men, dwarves, and elves beneath me charge faster, “For Equestria!”
Unity Primes head opens, and the horn within it sounds. Two voices shout into it, “For Equestria!”
The armies crash together below me. Immediately the sound of gunfire, metal clanging, and screaming ring out.
I land in the middle of their army like a green meteor. I slam my scythe down on the ground, causing a shockwave of fire to erupt from me. Then, I start my swinging. All around me fall as my blade sings, the green blaze erupting the light of death.
I move through the enemy, slaughtering all that get in my way. My swings are so fast that it seems like there is a sphere of metal and fire around me.
—(Luna)—
I slash through a pony, and fire a sphere of magic into a group of skeletons. It expands and explodes rapidly, killing all in the area. My bow moves like a machine gun, firing speciality arrows that are enchanted to explode into many more exploding arrows. All fall before the Night as they should, pony and skeleton alike.
A sword comes from my side, a lot quicker than every other. I don’t have time to block it, but a familiar blade blocks it. Well, half of a familiar blade. Sun Singer, wielded by my sister blocks the hit.
I turn to face the skeleton, only to see that he is bigger than any of the others. His eyes glow a very bright red. My face falls, “Father.” I then growl, and hold up my glaive, “He would dare to use you!”
Sister holds up half of Sun Singer by her side, “You’re weaker in this form, Father. Allow us to free you to your afterlife once again.”
I yell, “The one who killed you shall be slain for this insult!”
I stab forward with sister, both of our weapons going towards the skeleton.
This Beast would dare to bring back Ordirus? He shall pay for his insolence.
—(Unity Prime)—
“Group at nine o’clock!”
The right arm of Prime moves, and fires a barrage of crystal lasers.
“Watch your fire! Friendlies at one o’clock!”
“I see them! Engaging flyers!”
Miniguns spin up and fire into the air. The enemy skeletons fall out of the air like flies, only fragments of bone surviving.
“Damnit, they won’t stop coming!”
“Set the guns to auto and get out onto the face then! They cannot reach Prime or they’ll destroy it!”
Offense slams the auto button, and unclips himself from his seat. He hops out of the eye of Prime, and stands strong on its face. He allows to miniguns to come out from his armor on each side, and starts to fire wildly towards the skeletons approaching like a fly would do to a dead carcass.
Officer Loo also sets his to auto, and joins Offense outside, on the head. His many laser weapons flash through the night.
—(Brass)—
I parry a blow heading my way from one of the Legion. I grab his leg, and toss him to the side. Hard enough to kill both him and the one’s he hit.
A fist comes in for my head, which I catch. I look at the golden colored hoof, and then at it’s source.
I sweep my leg’s under Saeva’s own. He falls to the ground hard, where I hit him in the face. I go for another, but he rolls out of the way.
He stands on his hooves once more, and takes a second to look at me. He bows slightly, “I did not know I fought one with such knowledge. Tell me, wastrel, what art is it you practice? I myself am a master of Callidus Mortem.”
I glare at him, “Only art I’m interestied in is the art of kicking your ass.”
Monstra laughs, “Fiesty one, aren’t you?” He rushes towards me, and punches forward. I dodge to the side, “I love breaking them the most.”
—(Beast)—
I frown as I see the battle rage. It takes too long for my patience. I then smile, and command my most powerful forces out.
A giant the size of their own rises. A giant made of one bone taken from every king to ever exist. Three thousand years worth of kingdom’s leaders combined into one beautiful construct. It charges forward.
With another swish of my hand, I command my final and greatest trick forward.
“Rise Alduin and the dragons! Consume them and enact your revenge!”
The hundreds of dragons take to the air, their bones filled with all the rage of Alduin to be put upon their enemy.
—(Unity Prime)—
The ground shakes as the new giant enters the fight. Unity Prime immediately sees his new foe.
”Entering brawling mode. Fists-“
His normal fists are covered by the studded metal plates that emerge from his arm. Not to mention that his knuckes are covered up by long, jagged, and sharp crystal spikes.
”Upgraded. Chance of enemy victory is zero percent. The only way forward is together. The only way forward is unity!”
Unity Prime draws his right fist back as the giant approaches. He hits the giant with it at full speed, sending the giant’s head spinning around. The giant responds quickly with a punch of it’s own, which barely even moves Unity Prime.
However, it does knock somebody loose. Mass Offense starts to fall off Unity Prime’s head.
He scrambles and grasps, but his armor is not enough to catch on.
He falls to the ground, so far below.
—(Luna)—
Father has put us on the backfoot. Even with less power than usual, he is still much more than both of us. He blocks every attack and is so aggressive that we can’t do anything but block. His sword split in two is a terror, being able to attack us both.
Then, a body falls from the sky. Then another, then another. Enclave ponies, cooked by dragon fire within their armor. The shower of power armored bodies manages to hit Celestia, and pins her down.
Father smiles, and goes to execute her.
“Sister, no!”
—(Brass)—
Monstra and I are sent flying as the foot of the giant skeleton smacks us. We fly against Unity Prime’s leg, and Monstra quickly recovers. He gets on top of me, and starts to choke me out.
Unity Prime stomps all around us, shaking the ground beneath me. I try to brace myself to throw a punch, but the ground just shakes some more.
Monstra looks down upon me as he kills me, his golden mask the same as ever, outlined by the fire coursing through the sky.
—(Raven)—
I pant as I stop my swinging. Even with the boost from my Element, my hour of relentlessly swinging takes it’s toll. All around me is clear, so I take the breather.
I look up into the sky, and see dragons slaughtering the Enclave. One leads the charge towards Unity Prime.
All of a sudden, I see a flash of light off of steel. An arrow imbeds itself inside the dragon’s head, causing it to die instantly.
—(Beast)—
I look with disbelief to the nearby hills. And at the dragon who now crashes within my forces.
—(Third person)—
The battle stopped as the dragon crashed. Even the skeletons stopped their fighting, and stared in disbelief to the bones that litter the ground from the dragon.
Monstra climbs off of Brass, the giant and Unity Prime stop their brawl, Offense is barely caught by Officer Loo, and all the fighting stops.
It is at this moment of silence that a horn sounds over the armies. A single deep, long note. Loud enough to cover the entire field and drown out any sound that may have presented itself.
They all look towards the hills. A glorious sight they were met with.
Ghorbash draws another arrow from on top his horse next to Dovahkin and Emperor Mede. Mede holds up his hand, “Warriors or every race, the time has come! The most glorious battle to ever be fought! Blood shall be spilt, swords shall break, shields shall split! Songs and poems shall be told about this day! For Tamriel! For the Empire! Charge!”
Thousands upon thousands of warriors ride down the hills. The combined might of not only the Empire, but of Skyrim itself. Dragons fly above them, their scales reflecting the moonlight as they charge towards their undead brothers. Every race of Tamriel charges as one, uniting behind the Dragonborn and their Emperor.
The sky rains fire as the Mage’s Guild wreaks havok, and the shouts of the dragons can already be heard as the horses the men ride charge.
With a single, motivated, and unified shout, Raven’s forces turn back into fighting.
With this Unity of not only Equestria, but of Tamriel, something strange happens.
Chocolate milk starts to rain right next to the fire.
“Finally someone set me freee from my cage!”
Discord appears in the middle of the air, wearing what appears to be a rapper’s clothes from the nineties.
He laughs, “Hey, giant robot!”
Unity Prime looks over at him alongside the enemy giant. Discord snaps his fingers, and seems to stretch like Gak into the sky. Every piece grows at least ten times it’s size. It continues to grow until Discord stands at the same height as the two giants. They easily tower over two times as tall as the nearby Crystal Palace.
He snaps with his tail, and grabs a giant chair in his hands, “Let’s tag team this skelly!”
Unity Prime nods, and punches the giant hard enough to knock him to the side. Discord stands there with his chair poised to swing. He cracks the chair on the head of the giant, bending the flimsy metal in half.
Discord snaps the chair away, and snaps once more. Pillars sprout from the ground, and rope connects them together. Discord has made a boxing ring without blocking he fighting.
Discord waits for the giant to get up and turns his tail into a boxing glove. He hits the giant with the tail fist, which sends him flying against the ropes. The ropes bend and send the giant flinging towards Unity Prime. Unity meets the giant’s head with an uppercut, sending him crashing against the floor.
—(Luna)—
My glaive just barely manages to stop the one headed towards Celestia. But, the blade flying at me still comes.
“Fus Ro Dah!”
The shout causes both Ordirus and his blades to flop over. He does quickly grab them again, and stab both towards me.
The newcomer rolls in, taking out a shield at the zenith of his roll. He rolls onto his knees, and holds his shield up, causing both blades to go off in wild directions.
Another charges in, kicking the corpses off of Celestia, “Come on, you’ve got fight left!”
The two Orcs smile as they face towards their new foe.
—(Offense)—
I feel my stomach lurch as Loo pulls up, “Oh Malacath!”
He shouts back down, “Just continue firing! What, you afraid of heights?!”
I nod as I shoot my minigun at the skeletons surrounding us, “Yes, I am! I do not have wings, I do not have a horn, I am an earth pony! I am not supposed to be in the air!”
Loo banks to the side, allowing me to riddle a dragon with lead. He fires his own weapons, “Who the hell even are you anyway?!”
I feel my heart fall as we take a dive and pull back up, “Mass Offense! A pony who was in the right places at the right times! Served Raven, then became Elder! You?!”
He probably smiles as he repeats back, “Daring Loo! Clone in a long line of clones of Scootaloo!”
I let loose another volley, “How the hell are you male then!?”
He shrugs even as he carries me, “Cloning machine was fucked! Scootaloo was only partly in! Each clone is their own unique being! Different destiny, gender, basically a new pegasus! We just share the skills of Scootaloo!”
I yelp as fire hits us from the side, “Dragon on the right!”
Daring dives to the ground, “Damnit, I can’t carry you and fly that well at the same time! I’m going to drop you somewhere!”
I look around, until I spot a shockwave in the middle of the battle, “Over there!”
Daring flies over to there.
I smile, “Thanks for the save! Ad victorium, brother! There’s a lot of them left!”
He laughs, “Let them come! Wave upon wave shall crash upon the Enclave’s glory!”
He lets me go above my destination, and flies off.
I land without bending so much as a single knee. I look at Dovahkin and Ghorbash, “Hey guys, how’re you doing?”
Ghorbash smiles as he draws Dawnbreaker, “Pretty good I have to say. Merida is going to love this fight. You?”
I shrug, “Stomach flipped so much it feels like a carnival inside. Basically, never been better. So, we’re fighting this skeleton?”
I face the big skeleton as it gathers it’s sword, “Don’t worry, we’ve got him. I saw one of your soldiers over there. Perhaps you could go help him. You are, after all, more of a crowd controller than the two of us.”
I nod, and charge through the masses of bodies to where they pointed.
I duck underneath the hammers swung by paladins, duck underneath the magic bolts shot by Frey, and make sure Balder’s turrets don’t see me as an enemy.
I eventually make it side by side with a fellow in power armor. I smile upon sight that he has one minigun, and decide to attach my spare to his battle harness. He looks over at me, “What’re you doing?”
I smile, “Well, Hail, I’m giving you a second minigun. One minigun is nowhere near enough. It’s simple math. Twice the gun, twice the death.”
I see him nod, “Then let’s make it into four guns, Elder!”
—(Daring Loo)—
I spin around bullets shot by my enemy. I fire on back, causing the skeleton to fall out of the air as ash. I see a second beam along with my own heading towards the enemy.
I turn to see my fellow pegasus, “Ah, Private Beam, you enjoying combat?”
He spins around, and fires his own lasers, “Combat isn’t supposed to be enjoyed, Officer!”
I smile, and take out something from my pack. I toss it over to him, “Put this on, please, you need armor!”
He presses the button on the thing, and an Enclave suit of power armor encases him in the middle of combat. He laughs, “Didn’t know you cared about my safety, Officer!”
I spin around him, “I didn’t spend time training you for you to just die! Come on now, the enemy is many, and out ammo more!”
—(Brass)—
I duck underneath a punch, and roll to the side in order to get in a better position. Monstra stomps where I just was, allowing me to punch his leg. My power hoof doesn’t seem to break his leg, but it definitely damages it.
He collapses to the ground, but quickly raises up. He sweeps his leg under mine as he gets up, sending me to the ground. But I use the tremors in the ground to raise just as quick.
The feet of the giants stomp around us, the feeling similar to an earthquake.
Monstra charges towards me, and I meet him head on. We grapple for a little bit, neither of us getting the advantage. It is now that I notice Unity Prime raising his foot behind Monstra. I light up my horn, summoning a fist.
It punches him right on, allowing me to roll back. He is stunned long enough to where he can do nothing.
He looks up, and sees the foot coming down onto him. He nods, “Well done.”
It stomps down on top of him, a satisfying crunch ringing out.
I turn around to find another opponent, but hear something that shocks me, “But you’ll have to do better.”
I turn around to see Monstra climbing out of a hole, his body intact. He stands tall, and sheds his armor piece by piece.
He unclapsed his mask, allowing it to fall. His face is a modest one. Golden with blood red hair, and a horn protruding from his head. The most striking thing are his bright hazel eyes. Then his gauntlets, showing more of his golden fur, clean of the dust and blood on his gauntlets. Then his chest piece comes off, revealing a long tail, and two wings on his back.
He spreads his wings, holds up his hooves, and lights up his horn, “I am Monstra Saeva. It will take more than that to beat me! Come on now, you’ve held back! Bring out your full power!”
I sigh, and take a deep breath.
If the Creators are listening to me now, grant me the power to achieve my victory.
I open my eyes to look upon him once more. My eyes now glow a bright white. I hold off my power hoof, which has turned gold with the white glow running through it like veins. I look him dead in the eye, “My name is Hard Brass. I am a Sentinal for these people! And you shall not pass me!”
—(Raven)—
I look at the Palace in the distance, and back at my army. I determine that in order to stop the snake, one must cut off the head.
I float into the air, and fly until I find something. A black fog, with crystals piercing all that come near it. I land inside it, causing Sombra to come back to material form. He smiles, “Yes, Raven?”
I nod, “Come, we go to fight Beast.”
He shakes his head, “You fight him alone, I got out here.”
I put my hand on his shoulder, “Sombra, please. I know how you feel, and I don’t want to face him alone either. So come on, we will take him town. Together.”
He looks at me, and smiles, “Let’s go.”
I burst into the throne room of the Crystal Palace. I pant as I face towards Beast. He smiles as he turns toward me, “Just as planned. You are tired, are you not?”
I growl, “I have enough left to fight you.”
I charge at him with an overhead swing. He simply raises his hand, and bats my scythe out of the way. He summons a sword coated in fire in his other arm. He stabs forward as I charge into him. His sword goes right through me, “Fool! Do not underestimate me! I have the power of both you and Vogrim combined!”
He drags the sword out of my body, and backhands me. I fly to the ground far away.
He laughs, “Good work, brother. You’ve got yourself in the perfect position to die. Allow me to-“
He’s cut off as a spear comes out of the shadows. The crystal weapon stabs right through him, and is dragged out just as quick. Sombra laughs from behind him, “You’re in the perfect position to die.”
Beast slowly turns around to face Sombra, “You stabbed me. Impressive, if nothing else.” He swings with his sword, a lazy swing with minuscule power. Sombra easily blocks it, his spear reflecting the fire back. Beast looks impressed, “You blocked me. You are a worthy warrior. One who burns with dark power. Your death will be quick, and your afterlife sweet.”
Sombra blends back into the shadow to back away, “I will never bow before another ever again! I am no demon for you to control!”
Beast smiles, and ignites the torches all around the arena, “Your shadow is naught against the flames. Your body shall soon be mine.”
Beast moves at a speed comparable to light as he stabs forward at Sombra. Sombra manages to side step the swing barely, the sword cutting right through his armor.
Sombra stabs forward, and stabs deep into Beast. But Beast just drags him further in with his spear. Sombra stands in front of him, barely able to see the sword coming towards him. Sombra’s neck bursts with blood as it is slashed by Beast’s sword. Beast grabs his head, and tosses him over to me.
I summon up enough strength to crawl over to Sombra. I crawl over him as his neck continues to spill more blood, “No, come on Sombra, stay with me. I can fix this!”
Sombra’s eyes widen for a second, and I figure out why really quick. His spear stabs through the both of us, impaling us two to each other and the floor.
I feel my life start to slip, and I take a final look into Sombra’s eyes.
That look seems to create some sort of connection between us as our minds fade away.
—(Inside)—
Perhaps I should be more honest with you. Raven, you and I both know we’ve kept secrets from each other. Now, I apologize, and plan to rectify that.
What secrets?
Our true pasts.
You never asked.
And you wouldn’t have told me if I did. Just like I didn’t tell you mine.
Well, what about what you told me?
What I told you had pieces of truth within it, that much is true. Discord infected the Crystal Heart, and there was a king who led his people away from Discord. The king never was me, though. King Ligero Noche. My father.
So it was your father who led the people away from Discord?
Yes, though Discord did not take us squandering his ‘gift’ very good. Our group left from Maredrid, but we picked up a large following from every city we passed by. This mass exodus was easily seen by Discord, who decided to have fun. He saw the Queen was with child, and snapped. The effects were only seen when I was born.
What happened?
He made me grow bigger than any mare should deliver. But to seal the deal, he gave me a long, sharp horn. It ripped into my mother as I was born, killing her. So I was born in a pool of my own mothers blood, with bright glowing green eyes. My father didn’t take it well. He called me a demon and blamed me for the Queen’s death. He took it out on me.
How so?
I endured abuse none should ever go under. Everypony despised me. Guards would poke me with their spears, children would beat me up, and the adults would always glare at me. The worst was my father though. I strived to please him anytime I could, learning the arcane arts from a young age to impress him. Each week brought on a new form of torture. It only became worse the more I tried to impress him. The worst, however, was when his friend decided to work on me. Vogrim fled to the Empire after killing Ordirus.
Wait, Vogrim tortured you?
And many more. With so little actions, he managed to do so much. The only reason Discord was driven mad was because of Ordirus’s death. They shared a strong bond as brothers, which Vogrim broke. The King allowed Vogrim asylum, and allowed him to use me for his experiments. The pain caused on me was unbearable, yet I somehow did bare it. Until Vogrim had to leave one day, on the eve of my tenth birthday. When the actual day came around, my father gave me a mission. He said that in order to be able to lead people, one must lead himself first. To train warriors, one must be a warrior within themself. He sent me to the Everfree Forest, in the middle of Discord’s reign.
Whenever you were ten?
Yes. It was his way of trying to kill me once and for all. But I didn’t die. I thrived. My already impressive arcane knowledge grew immensely as I went from simple tricks to full on offense. I learned how to attune myself to the shadow within the dark forest, and travel using it. I could travel nearly anywhere nearly instantaneously if there was shadow on the way. From one side of the forest to the other in a few seconds, long as the canopy shaded enough. I learned to summon crystal from naught, and how to hunt with it. It started with rabbits and other small game. My genetics messed up enough by Discord as to where I could eat meat with no consequences. Then I started to learn more. I could outrun the wolves within physical form, I could easily hunt down and kill hydra, I was smart enough to hunt basilisks. I lived in there for twenty years, honing myself in every way. I only started to think about leaving when I saw the chaos outside dissapear, and the forest start to change. I found the Spirit of the Everfree in a glade I meditated in many times before. She was different than she was before. Infected with Necromancer mana, left by Vogrim. The wolves started to die out and be replaced with monsters made of wood. The basilisk and chicken combined into a cockatrice. I decided it was time to leave and head back.
What did you see when you got back?
Everyone was shocked, or confused. My body was no longer scrawny or weak as it was before, my horn no longer as protruding. I was a stallion who exuded authority, and strength. I marched into the Palace, and met my father. He was next to a mare much younger than he was now, with a teenager stallion next to them. He made a new family. He yelled at me, called me a demon and a bastard back from the dead. He shot me with a bow, and locked me inside the library I spend so much of my childhood within. I came to with most of my blood gone, and close to death. I saw a book lying on the floor though. A dark book, one I hadn’t seen before. The stench of unfamiliar magic surrounded the library, one I now attribute to the Totem of Purification. I don’t know why, but it’s mana surrounded that book. I crawled over and looked in. A spell to make one grow stronger, that was all within. I wasted no time casting it, and thus accepting the darkness within myself.
What did it do?
It corrupted my mind, stole it from me, left me as a passenger in my own body. It made my eyes bleed a purple flame, and covered my body in metal armor. The same armor I have always worn. It gave me many new dark magics, which I used to blast out of the library and into the throne room. Father stood up as he saw me, reaching for his crossbow to shoot me once more, the demon I now was. He never made it out of his seat, a crystal imbedding him to his throne through his chest. It was with a single moment of clarity I let the mare and child escape. They were the Cadenza family. That is when I started my dark reign. I was only able to break free when I met you, as you shared a similar condition. Now, I believe it is your turn.
I lived on Tel’la De Rus, born in a small village. I was never one for physical conflicts, so I was bullied by my classmates. It got pretty bad, I almost died here and there. School wasn’t going to do shit, that’s just how the world works. One day, a man came to our village. A wizard of many tricks. He was one of the first Necromancers, and he took pity on me when he saw me being bullied. He taught me Necromancy, and I was a natural at it. So much so that I already had the Beast that comes with Necromancy before I even learned it. From then on I lived as a pariah, my few interactions with people being them wanting to slay me, and me going to save the world.
So, all is revealed?
Yes. Sombra, you know we cannot survive if we fight separately.
That is why I shared my past. I feel a connection here. We must work together.
Yes we must. In...
Unity.
—(3rd person)—
Raven and Sombra are no more. Their bodies gone, merged into each other. In their place is a single body.
As big as Sombra with Raven’s coat color. Eyes that glow green, and have green flame coming out of the back. A long, red, yet otherwise normal horn coming from between black hair tossed around messily. A cutie mark that seems to represent the ‘King’ with skulls impaled by crystals replacing the suit, and the image in the middle replaced with a dark figure that has green glowing eyes. The figure holds out a weapon that is a halberd, made out of a spear and scythe.
This very same weapon lays next to the body, who slowly starts to rise.
The body laughs as it looks over it’s new form, “Oh yeah, that’s more like it!”
Beast takes a step back in shock, “What are you?”
The body grabs it’s weapon, and uses the crystal spear’s reflection to look upon itself, “I, or we, are a combination of Sombra Noche and Ravens Breath. Call us, Noven.”
Beast tries to take advantage of Noven’s distraction. He stabs forward with his blade, expecting to meet the warm flesh of the body. His attack is instead caught by the scythe head of the halberd.
Noven tosses the blade away from Beast, and throws it’s weapon as soon as it is level. The entire sword splits in half as the spear goes right through it like butter. Noven rushes into Beast’s face within a nanosecond, “Tonto incompetente! Did you really think you could strike us like that?!”
Beast quickly backs away, “You cannot do a thing! The fire shall come to me!”
Noven laughs uproariously, “Do you not know who we are? Your fire is ours!” Noven simply snaps, and the fires in the room change color. They go from their regular red to green, “You hold nothing over us. We are Noven, King of Shadows, Death given form, Lord of Laughter, Lord of Unity, Specter of Darkness, the Conflagration among Flame!”
Beast staggers forward, “And I am the Beast!”
Noven stops his advance, “Is that so? But a beast means naught if there is no prey. There is nothing to hunt, for we are the ápice depredador. You are our prey!”
He doesn’t back down, “I do not fear you! I am eternal, I am the beginning and the end, I am potential! This world dared to hate us, Raven! I am strong enough to stand up against them and hit back! I-“
“Fool!” Noven growls, “You think you know anything about the end?”
He takes a step back, “I am the only one who can know!”
Noven starts to march forward, “You know nothing! You were unworthy, and you will never be any different!” Noven stops in his tracks, “We can see that now. We tried to make an outcome where the two of us can live in harmony and unity. It has become clear that the two options offered are the only two. Prepare, Beast, for you will not have the satisfaction of an afterlife.”
Beast tries to be confident once more, “You will not kill me! You shall die!” He summons another blade, and charges.
Noven holds out his hand, and a large purple book appears in it. In their magical grasp they hold a quill. They begin to write.
Beast misses his hit, instead tripping on the spot. He looks at the odd magical aura surrounding him, “What are you doing!?”
Noven continues writing as he speaks, “Writing the ending. Edis could only read from this book, being a lowly God. We, however, control it. The ending is set, but we can change what happens up to then.”
Beast scrambles away, trying to climb out of himself, “What do you mean!?”
Noven smiles, “Everything that is currently happening only is happening because we are writing it. Everything happening at this very moment is controlled by our quill. For example. ‘Everything being revealed to Beast caused his mind to nearly break.’ Now, observe.”
Everything being revealed to Beast caused his mind to nearly break. His fate being controlled by a simple book seemed like an impossibility. He refused to accept it, yet he had to.
It would even break the mind of Noven. But, when they exit from this state of ascension, they will not remember the specifics of their victory. They will instead believe that Noven killed the Beast with their halberd.
“The giant skeleton was suddenly defeated as Discord summoned the Infinity Gauntlet and snapped it out of existence. Brass managed to stun Saeva for a second, and punched through his neck with the power hoof at one hundred. It killed Saeva instantly. The dragons of the Beast’s army all fell as the Dovahkin let loose a single shout, forcing them to obey him and pass. The skeletons all collapsed as Beast drew the power back into him. But, it was too much. With a simple flick of the halberd, Beast was slain. The world left in peace, left to morn for the tragic losses of the battle. The world will struggle to overcome this near extinction once more, but they will manage. For they are not just Rangers, Enclave, or Sparrows. They are not just Orcs, Men, Elves, and Dwarves. They are not separate anymore, for they realize a simple fact. Unity is the way to advance, and those who gave their lives will not have them be given in vain. They will unite into one, if not in name, then in everything else. The Confederation of Harmony, the Empire, Drayden. They will stay together in the future days. They shall rebuild. And they shall repel any threat that comes against them.”
The giant skeleton was suddenly defeated as Discord summoned the Infinity Gauntlet and snapped it out of existence. Brass managed to stun Saeva for a second, and punched through his neck with the power hoof at one hundred. It killed Saeva instantly. The dragons of the Beast’s army all fell as the Dovahkin let loose a single shout, forcing them to obey him and pass. The skeletons all collapsed as Beast drew the power back into him. But, it was too much. With a simple flick of the halberd, Beast was slain. The world left in peace, left to morn for the tragic losses of the battle.
The world will struggle to overcome this near extinction once more, but they will manage. For they are not just Rangers, Enclave, or Sparrows. They are not just Orcs, Men, Elves, and Dwarves. They are not separate anymore, for they realize a simple fact. Unity is the way to advance, and those who gave their lives will not have them be given in vain. They will unite into one, if not in name, then in everything else.
The Confederation of Harmony, the Empire, Drayden. They will stay together in the future days. They shall rebuild. And they shall repel any threat that comes against them.
Noven finally separate into their regular forms. Raven and Sombra lay on the ground, alive, but exhausted. Outside, all cheer as the battle ends. Louis and Sweetie Belle find the two within the tower, and take them to be healed.
The sun rises and the moon sets, the world back to normal. At least, what normal could be these days.
This is not the end of this world, no, this is only the prequel. The most important fight has yet to come. Raven May have reached the end of his power arc, but he still has many emotional scars to be healed.
One once said that there is nothing to be done when destiny calls. But, such is wrong. Endings are not singular, nay, they are many. Never bow when you can rise.
Death never changes. A payment is always due to the reaper, a payment none can escape except the reaper himself. Death may never change, so it is up to the life within to change for it.
Change comes on the back of many. A bird can only carry so much alone.
Unity is what will carry the world forward. And this world stands united behind a single leader. From now until Infinity rises again.
