The Tale of the Broken Soldier

Silence hanged in the room as Garen's words floated in the air; the seriousness in his tone making them sound like an ultimatum. One greater than what Equestria had been issued.

'Surrender or die.'

Many had killed themselves rather than fall before the humans, and others followed when Twilight Sparkle surrendered.

Halberd hated her for that, her and the half of Canterlot that decided to support her decision.

"Which, in the end, simply added more fuel to the fires already burning in you," Garen said, the pegasus glaring at him for reading his thoughts. "And that fire is the problem."

The chairs and the table disappeared, leaving Halberd on a couch while Garen pulled out a big chalkboard out of his vest and hanged it on a wall that wasn't so close a second ago.

A red H appeared on it, drawn out of thin air by nothing at all. What alarmed Halberd most of all, though, was the blackness the letter radiated; an aura of malice so intense that threatened to choke everyone and bathe in their blood.

How it could make him feel such an specific threat was very alarming.

"This is hatred. One of the most powerful and dangerous emotions of all, always fighting with love for the first place. In life, it can make anyone become the most vile person you can imagine; but in death? That is where it is more dangerous."

A simple doodle of a pegasus appeared beside it, only for the H to jump and consume it, morphing into what Halberd could only describe as the nightmarish mix of a dragon, a pony and a hydra.

And the murderous aura was even stronger.

"That is was happened to the last pony we couldn't help. It's not a pretty fate for a soul."

The doodle snarled at them before Garen slammed his paw over it, erasing the abomination.

"My job is to help you avoid that. Demons... are too far gone for us to save. But you, Halberd Wings, are not."

Grabbing the chalkboard and giving it a shake, Garen turned it into a chair and sat on it. "Whether you like it or not, you are staying here until you stop being so full of hatred."

Halberd frowned. "I don't believe you."

"Oh?"

"Why should I trust you? Why should I believe what you say? How do I know you are not trying to turn me into a demon?"

"Besides the fact I'm trying to save you from your hatred?" The spirit deadpanned.

"Humanity earned my hatred," Halberd snarled.

"And ponykind earned humanity's hatred," Garen countered.

"That's a lie!"

The diamond dog just shook his head, angering the pegasus.

"It is!" Halberd jumped off the couch and stepped right in front of him, glaring with utter fury. "We tried to save them, and they destroyed us!"

Garen, rather than being angry or even annoyed at being screamed right on his face, just looked genuinely confused. "You truly think you can save someone by declaring war on them?"

"Converting humanity into ponies was the only way to save them from themselves-"

Garen snorted, earning himself a hoof to the face. Halberd went from angry to confused as he couldn't make the spirit move an inch.

But now Garen was annoyed, so the pegasus found himself back on the couch, hindquarters glued to it.

"That won't work, so don't bother attacking me," he said as Halberd struggled to get off the couch for a few seconds before giving up and settling for glaring at the spirit.

"And what do you mean it was the only way? It was the fastest, if very morally questionable way, and seemed to assume humanity wouldn't resist."

"Morally questionable? You can't argue about morality when we fought beings that have none!"

The spirit frowned. "You know that's not tr-"

"And what would you have us do, then? Teach them to be better?"

"Uh, yes?" Garen said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Ponies are always talking about how harmonious and virtuous they are-"

"We are-"

"-then why did you choose war?"

"You haven't been listening! It was the only way! A race like that can't be taught to be better!" Halberd screamed.

Garen just stared at him for a minute.

"Halberd, ponykind was just like humanity before the founding of Equestria. And you learned to be better."

Halberd had never been more offended in his entire existence.

"You dare speak such vile lies-"

"What's the reason ponies don't learn about their history prior to the founding of Equestria?" Garen cut him in.

Halberd grit his teeth as he kept glaring, but took a few seconds to recall the answer nonetheless. "Because it's not worth remembering such dark times, when we..."

He trailed off, shaking his head to get rid of the conclusion his mind had arrived at. " No. No, even back then, we wouldn't have been so monstruous. You won't trick me!"

"Then I'll show you."