Corruption is Magic

I wake up to the shaking of a carriage, my stomach shooting pain through me as it rumbles loudly. I attempt to get saliva to form in my mouth but hardly any forms. I get up from the laid out position I am in and listen to try and figure out if anyone is here. I don’t even know how long I was in Vo’s home or when I was taken out of it. It had to be at least a day… Maybe two? I think to myself but then I remember his words about making a show of killing me. Maybe that’s what I deserve. Poetic, I killed someone in the exact same way. I sit there in quiet unthinking silence as the carriage continues on its way. I feel the cart slow and I feel my skin crawl as one thought enters my mind. That’s it, end of the line. Hearing someone get off what I assume is the front of the carriage and come to the wall behind me I turn to it as I hear hinges squeak.

“It seems the pony is ready for her execution party.” The burly voice of what sounds like a man says. I feel my hair get grabbed and I am yanked by my hair out of the cart, trying to get my hair free I yank backwards but only result in hurting myself further. “She’s still a bit lively.” He chuckles as he leads me onward, as we walk I hear the sound of many voices and cheering. I feel the person leading me around force my back against a wooden pillar like object and I stand there feeling my arms and legs get restrained. Once they are done my blindfold gets removed and I wince at the lights blinding me. Blinking I wait for my eyes to adjust to the brightness but as they do I find myself in a black stone colosseum with sand as the floor and across from me is Vo standing near another pillar. Upon the other pillar is the bloody, bruised, and unkempt form of Beryl. Seeing her I scream as loud as I can as I try to get free but I barely even move a centimeter.

“Ah, it seems our second participant is here.” Vo says as he turns away from Beryl to look at me, a sadistic smile on his face. No, she can’t be here. She wasn’t meant to be hurt, you bitch! I mentally scream as I glare at Vo trying my best to get free. “Ah ah, don’t try to rush things, pony slut. We have quite the show to have.” He chuckles as he walks slowly up to me. Once close to me I try to swing my head at him but he laughs as I miss him, he gives me head a firm punch sending me reeling in my restraints. Before I can recover I am struck again with another blow then another and my thoughts become nothing but static. With a swift punch he hits my stomach and I cough and sputter as I choke on my gag and any air I can get through my nose. “I’ve waited for so long to do this.”

I feel my hair get grabbed by him and rip it upwards so I am looking at him. A wicked smile on his lips.

“So that’s it then?” I hear my corrupt self say in a groaning fashion, their displeasure of the situation apparent.

“You seem to be half dead already, pony. Why don’t I make it more painful?” He says as he grabs my right arm with both of his strong and muscled hands. Then with a swift movement bone snaps and my arm cries out in pain as I howl into my gag in agony.

“We are going to die to this piece of shit?” Shut up. “Oh come on, we both know you want to kill him.” Killing isn’t always the answer.

I look to Vo and I feel tears falling from my eyes as I defeatedly watch him, feeling my corruption slowly receding, first from my fingertips and toes. “I’m fading away it seems. Every time he beats us he is draining your Corruption… our Corruption.” My Corrupt self says, I remain silent as I watch Vo walk a few paces away from me. I await what he is preparing but I hear something that perks up my ears but I tell myself I had misheard. Vo looks at me and I watch as his fist is enveloped in magic. That’s going to hurt. I mentally think as I look up to the crimson sky to see small white flakes of snow falling slowly. It’s a nice day today.

I close my eyes ready to be hit by the magic but I hear something that makes my heart sink. “Twilight!” I hear from my left close by, opening my eyes I look down to see Gelfree get to me just as Vo sends a wave of magic at us. Upon impact Gelfree is launched at me and I realize just how much power Vo put in the attack. The sound of bones snapping and visceral ripping of flesh hits my ears. Gelfree grabs on to me after we collide and she slowly slides down, dragging what she has grabbed with her. One such thing being my gag that comes out with the help of my tongue pushing it and it being damaged by her claws holding on to it for dear life. “Gelfree!” I shout looking down to her shredded back. Feeling my anger fire off in me I look up to Vo who seems surprised still by Gelfree. “Don’t, you, fucking, move.” I growl at him and I watch as violet and black chains wrap around him keeping him from moving. I try to break free from my bonds but to no avail followed by trying to cast magic but am met with nothing.

“Do you need a hand?” I hear the voice of Alexander say almost as if he is whispering in my left ear. Looking around I do not see him and I realize it’s a long distance whisper spell. Giving a nod I mentally hope he can see me, my answer comes in the form of a feeling like something is being offered to me. “I give you some of my corruption. However I also offer you something more. I give you a unique ability, something I’ve been cultivating for some time. It is the power to drain magic, to absorb it by devouring spells.” Absorb magic? That’s… impossible. That shouldn’t be possible. Yet he is offering it to me.

Firmly nodding I accept the things being offered to me but as soon as I do I feel my body erupt with a sensation of being submerged in a flowing river, the word around me fades to black. I watch as cracks form in the darkness as dark reds, purples, greens, and yellows form from the cracks and mix with the black around me. “I knew I wasn’t wrong about you.” Alexander’s voice says as he appears in the swirling colors with me.

“What… what is this?” I ask looking around as the colors around me seem to morph into other colors to depict snippets of my memories.

“This is your potential. Your destiny in a sense.” Alexander says as he smiles at me. “What you accepted is an ability that was cultivated but in doing so it took you beyond what a normal person could achieve. Normally only the god of this world can give these but… I might have figured out how to make my own. You now are on par with a Prime Evil in potential. You still need to get used to your powers and to become seen as one.”

“Then… where are we?”

“Oh we are still in the Arena, time has stopped for us because you were receptive to the gift.”

“Receptive?”

“Well, you accepted the ability I gave you but your body and soul could have rejected it… it usually results in a person dying or being seriously injured.” Hearing that I feel my heart skip a beat in panic.

“You’re saying I could have died!”

“Come on, you think I would have done the offer if I thought you would have died?” I grumble and cross my arms. “Once we return to reality you will be a bit… different.” Alexander says with a chuckle but before I can ask what he means I feel the colors around me envelop my entire body.

Coming to I look around and realize I’m free of my bonds and hunched over Gelfree who lies on her stomach, choking and wheezing. Panic shoots through me as I turn her over and look at her face. She gives me a pained smile. “Hold on Gelfree… I can fix this.” I say as I look her up and down.

“T-Twilight. It’s… fine.” She says shakily as she places a hand on mine. “I… I wish I d-didn’t leave… those months… ago.” She says as she looks up at me.

“I’m sorry Gelfree. I’ll save you… you and the baby.”

“Twilight… gob- Goblins give birth… in two… and a half months.” She says as she gives a light exhausted chuckle. Wait so… she already gave birth?

“You gave birth? I… I had no idea.” I say but when she coughs harshly I am pulled from my regret back to her. “I will take you to Alexander.” I say but when I pick her up she screams out in pain so I put her back down.

“Don’t… I don’t think he can… help.” Gelfree says as she brings a hand to her chest. “I… I think a rib punctured my heart…” she quietly says as she lays there, snow falling on her face. Slowly she starts to grow more dazed looking and I fight back my tears as I wait, hoping Alexander will get here. “This… is my first time… seeing snow.” She quietly says as she watches the sky. “It’s so beautiful.”