Amidst the Howling Dark

Final Days

It had been just days since the fight outside the safehouse, and Celestia felt there was nothing more she and her sister could do. Already Griffon cities were beginning to burn, and while the Griffons were able to fell a few dragons in each, they too could not stand before the onslaught. Celestia and Luna had again retreated to another safehouse, courtesy of the Griffon Emperor, this one buried deep in a tropical jungle and far from any hint of civilization. It was here, Celestia was convinced, that they'd spend their last days.

How few of those we may have, I do not know. Will we see another week? Another month? Will we see even twilight this day?

There was a sound of wood scuffing against wood as the ratty front door opened, and Luna trotted in with purpose, looking terse. She'd gone out to meet with a Griffon ambassador at some location undisclosed to Celestia, though it hardly mattered. The conversation was all that concerned her. "I'm told, at best, some 20,000 of our little ponies remain, scattered across the land. At this rate they'll all be forced to take to the seas and seek refuge in the lands of the Minotaurs, or worse, those Spiderlings that live in the northern isles" Luna said, and Celestia sighed.

"Both are hardly appealing prospects, but at least the Minotaurs don't live strictly in caves and trees like those little creeps, so at least they'll have a chance with them. Assuming De'mah doesn't target them next. Or worse, ally with them" Celestia remarked, putting her chin to the floor and shutting her eyes. "It's over, Lulu."

Luna snorted derisively. "Hardly. Is this what you have become, Tia? A quitter? You will content yourself to lie on this dirty floor and await a pitiful end?"

"WHAT MORE could we have done?!" Celestia barked, her whole form bursting with heat and anger. "This... BUCKING MONSTER is killing us by the thousands!! If those estimates you told me are true, we'll be extinct within MONTHS, even if De'mah stopped with 10,000 of us remaining. Age, disease, and famine will do the rest!"

"I'll not give up, and the sister I once knew would not do the same! Regrettably, she has been replaced by this coward lying on the ground before me. Your inaction only proves what that beast has claimed, and had you not stopped me, he'd be lying dead and decaying already" Luna said.

Celestia stood and approached her sister. "Had I not stopped you, you'd have tainted yourself through the use of those profaned spells you once swore to me you'd forgotten and no longer studied. I meant what I said to that FREAK, that our unification would ensure our species would never return to the days of savagery and witchcraft that plagued our ancestors."

"And look where it has gotten us. At the end of the demon's blade" Luna replied, paraphrasing De'mah. Celestia was torn. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to hit Luna, something she'd never once considered in all her years. This is what De'mah has done to us. We now claw at each other's throats for want of clawing at his Celestia thought, and she hung her head. "What do we do, Lulu...?" she asked, her voice thick and tears welling up. "What else can we do... We've tried it ALL! What if dark magic doesn't even work?! What if it's not enough to kill him?"

"Then we make him work for his victory. We never relent, we never give up, we strike back and attack him at every chance we get, even if it only manages to distract him. I'd prefer to die on my hooves, with wings spread and horn alight, than cowering at his feet" Luna said.

"And I'd prefer that you not die at all. I promised mother that I'd protect you, that I'd look out for you, and assured her that you would do the same for me. That's all we have left, Lulu. Each other..." she trailed off, sat down on her haunches, and began to weep. "I l-love you, Lulu..."

She felt Luna wrap her wings around her and nuzzle against her, and she eagerly returned the gesture. "And I love you, Tia. Now, more than ever, I am committed to you as my sister. We will do all that we can, all that we can manage, and if it proves to not be enough, then we shall pass into the embrace of Harmony with pride in all that we accomplished, and knowing that we did all that we could to not go quietly into darkness."

Celestia nodded, and it was there that she resolved to do what needed to be done. She began to think about what they could do to stop De'mah, but after a time she realized that the answer was simple. He would need to be killed, but there was only one way Celestia knew to do that. She had hoped to avoid it, hoped to not do it, but in these dark hours she began to think that there was no other way.

She would confront De'mah one on one.

De'mah 'Tokam was in a foul mood, even surrounded as he was by the walls of his magnificent palace in 'Tokamelot. Those cowards had yet again escaped him, eluded him, and he had ordered all of the Griffon Empire be scorched in order to root them out, a process that would take time. He was tired of waiting. He was tired of chasing these weaklings down, only for them to run away. He wanted nothing more than to bleed them dry, but at this point he'd be satisfied with hearing one of his drakes had crushed or eaten them. At least then he could focus on the rest of their miserable planet.

In the days since the last battle De'mah had stewed in fury every waking moment, stalking the halls of his palace with clenched fists, shouting orders at every passing dragon, both whelp and elder. Tolmirak had accompanied him every day, but De'mah was rapidly growing tired of the juvenile's complacency. He truly was a stooge, a moron. De'mah was convinced of it, and wished that he had made a much stronger dragon his aide.

Of course, it was at this moment that Tolmirak chose to appear, entering De'mah's throne room with hands folded behind his back. He smiled and bowed to his High Lord and approached, and De'mah eyed him with contempt. The Sangheili was certain that the juvenile was useless now, utterly incompetent. He could only imagine what inane questions the drake would ask today, or what vapid remarks he'd make.

"High Lord, you'll be pleased to know that I have some news of the coward Princesses" Tolmirak said, and De'mah hardly paid attention.

"Unless the news is of their deaths, or better still, their heads, then it will not please me at all" he said, and Tolmirak's smile widened. He's a moron. Is he mocking me? What could possibly have him smiling this much?

"Well, I'm afraid that the news is not of their deaths, but it might please you all the same. A Griffon ambassador has passed along a request from none other than Princess Celestia herself. She wishes to face you in single combat, alone, at a location of your choosing" Tolmirak said.

De'mah scoffed. "I'm meant to believe this? It's more likely I will arrive at this location and be ambushed by the coward and her sister."

"And what of it? Since you get to pick the location, you can make it one that's advantageous to you. Or, you could wait for the coward to arrive and ambush her yourself. This is a chance to prove your strength, High Lord."

"I've aleady proven my strength, you whelp! I'll not fight as a coward would, and strike from the shadows, and if she thinks I'll fall for this apparent trap then she is sorely mistaken" De'mah declared.

"But, High Lord... If you accept this challenge and defeat the coward, then you will have won your ultimate triumph. You will have proven to the universe the might of the Sangheili, and the strength of your name before the Forerunners as witness" Tolmirak said.

What would this ignorant know of the Forerunners! He ought not to dare speak their name, let alone try to appease me with it. "I'll not accept this challenge, you moron. She's a coward and a weakling, and I'm certain she'll meet her end soon. By my hand or by another's does not matter now."

"I think that you should accept, High Lord. If you don't, then... Perhaps it is you who is without strength. After all, what warrior would decline a challenge from a weakling?"

At once De'mah rose, and his hand plucked the handle of his sword from his hip. He approached Tolmirak, but the juvenile dragon only stepped back slightly. "I'll not have my honor and strength questioned by a whelp. If you value your life, you'd do well to watch your tongue" he threatened.

"I value the honor of the Div more than myself. If you'll not crush this coward yourself, then perhaps I shall do it. In the name of the Div, the flames of our ancestors, and in the sight of our sun as witness, I challenge De'mah 'Tokam to single combat for the position of High Lord of the Dragons!" Tolmirak yelled, and stepped back. A few juveniles passing by the throne paused and stepped in, curious.

SURELY he cannot be serious De'mah mused. Tolmirak was not a warrior. He was a moron. A lackey. De'mah had never seen him so much as lift a sword, much less swing one. He was about to decline this challenge too when it occurred to him that it would make him look exceptionally weak to do so, as if he'd become afraid of challenge and was content to sit idle, same as the last High Lord had done for so long. "Hrmph, fine. De'mah 'Tokam, High Lord of the Dragons, and uplifting hand to all of their kind, accepts this challenge. May the skill of the best warrior see them emerge victorious from this fight."

De'mah waited as one of the juveniles that had arrived to spectate produced a steel sword and handed it to Tolmirak, and De'mah ignited his energy blade, rolled his shoulders, and raised the weapon. He lowered himself into a combat stance as Tolmirak gripped his sword with both hands and gave it a few test swings. The juvenile stepped forth and swung the blade at De'mah, who sidestepped and lashed out with his blade. Tolmirak ducked and swung again, the blade scraping against De'mah's armor.

The Sangheili thrust his blade forward and Tolmirak stumbled aside to dodge, hobbling in place to keep his balance. De'mah was about to strike again when Tolmirak beat him to it, his blade's tip swiping across De'mah's chestplate, gouging the steel and flinging sparks to the floor. De'mah swung and his blade lashed off Tolmirak's left ear as he ducked down. Tolmirak grimaced, but was otherwise unharmed.

The young drake stood and swung again, this time aiming high for De'mah's head. The Sangheili leaned back and swung his blade up in response, lopping Tolmirak's arms off at the elbows. The steel sword clattered loudly to the stone floor as Tolmirak howled in pain and shock, and De'mah quickly silenced his wails by running his blade through the dragon's belly. His body fell to the floor as De'mah withdrew, and he shut down his blade.

"What an idiot. Toss his body off the balcony, and find a scribe. I have a message I must deliver to the Equestrian coward" De'mah said, and stomped out of the throne room. Whatever Celestia had in mind, De'mah was sure it would end with his blade in her back, and so it would be and at last he would emerge victorious.