Chapters My Little Pony x God of War: Ascension
By the fire, they all sat. The decision was made - that Atreus would depart. He had to pave his own way. Make his own destiny. The path was his to forge, but he could no longer exist as a mere boy, who stuck to his father's side. It was time for him to grow.
But before he would, he needed closure.
After all, he knew next to nothing.
"I wanted to ask you guys something." Whispered the lad.
The first to turn her head to him was Twilight Sparkle - the woman that always took keen interest in his well-being, adopting a motherly role whenever she could...Especially when she at times had to stand up for him in his youth, when Kratos was particularly upset with him. She wore the armor of Fate Breaker - a mix of furs dyed red, leather, and armor. Her red eyeshadow contrasted with the red streak of her hair, which was once pink.
"Of course, Atreus. What's on your mind?" She whispered.
"..." The question was once first asked by Sunny Starscout, who anxiously sat in the corner, not too far away. Though the armor she wore was akin to Twilight's, she still looked young, and not as jaded as the others. It didn't fit her. Yet. She and Atreus made eye contact, and finally, he spoke.
"...Tell me when it all started...When...Father..."
"...Oh boy." Sighed the blonde woman as she rubbed her head. Applejack was not ready for this talk. She took her red petasus - a hat made of straw, with a wide brim - and held it to her chest. Her armor was similar to Twilight's, but without sleeves, displaying her massive biceps. "...This can a' worms really waited till the last day to open up, didn't it...?"
"He has the right to know, dear." Said Rarity, as she knitted and stitched some clothing for Atreus for his travel. She had finely drawn red eyeshadow, and her once purple hair had a warmer, more crimson tint. Her own version of the armor was covered with more fine furs, and decorated leather, but still held within it an animalistic anger. "I'm shocked that none of you extended your hand to tell him yourselves, by the way..."
"...Well, there's a lot of details that we'd rather skip out..." Squeaked Fluttershy, as she tended to a rabbit they had encountered on the road, healing its broken leg. Her red hair looked like a still waterfall of blood, and her red eyeshadow made her appear less kinder than she used to look. Her armor seemed a little, like a normal dress, making her appear almost innocent at first glance.
Atreus nodded surely. "...If i don't know it, then I do not know what legacy I aim to carry on. Please?" He begged.
"...Well." Rainbow Dash smirked. Her hair no longer had the spectrum - merely red all over. Her armor hugged her body tightly, allowing her to be more aerodynamic. "Believe it or not, but everything started when there was a time your dad wasn't a wild warrior, who knew how to kill monsters and Gods in the blink of an eye. Matter of fact, believe it or not...he started out as a little...more controlled, you could say."
"Yep." Pinkie giggled as she constructed a doll, using hay and dye. At some point in time, her hair appeared red under the right lighting. But now, it always looked as such. Her armor resembled that of a barbarian - asymmetrical. "Kratos didn't start out flailing his weapons left and right, you know. There was a time when he was a little bit calmer. Well, he's calm now, but, you know what I mean!"
At the fact that the story was about to unfold, Atreus and the students of the Mane Six immediately huddled together, eager to hear and listen to the story of Kratos. While Kratos was outside, they knew they had the time and the chance to discuss it., to give the boy the truth.
And so, Twilight softly nodded.
"It all began when Kratos refused to ever serve Ares again..."
My Little Pony x God of War: Ascension
Many years ago...In Ancient Greece...
In his chains, Kratos could only look at the floor. What he had done...No - what he was tricked into doing...
His blood boiled, in what he could only describe as sheer fury.
The fact that he had killed his own wife, and his own daughter...
All because some God deemed that he could be his pawn. His slave.
And the only way this vile God could try and persuade him, was with torture. The disgusting being would whip and strike him, beating at his crestfallen, and defeated body. Pain overtook him, but this didn't stop him. Pain did not matter, not when he lost everything, anyhow.
The vile voice spoke, the words reaching into his ears, like poison.
One of the creatures that tormented him so harshly, for taking one of her limbs.
The Fury, Megaera.
"Hello, Kratos..." She skittered around him, as well as did the insects. "What's wrong? You seem confused, Kratos. Having trouble remembering our special time together?" Asked the Fury. She was a sickly creature, surrounded by green insects that flew around her...and inside her. Her skin was akin to a mosquito hive, a fleshy mass of holes, that allowed her children to fester within.
She raised one of her massive hands, and struck it against his face, with enough ferocity and power to cause blood to spill from his nose and mouth, causing him to cough and grunt in pain.
"...But then again, we were rudely interrupted by my sister. Alecto was never one for manners!" Scowled the Fury, before striking him once more.
"Not to worry. I am quite skilled at teaching respect! For what you have taken, I owe you that." Grinned the wicked creature. Kratos could only look up for a mere moment, as the large claws of the Fury attempted to pierce into his body. He had only barely been able to swerve his body in an attempt to avoid the large insect limbs. Though, Kratos wouldn't allow the abuse to go unanswered. Not when his weapon was right here.
The moment he had a chance, he swayed his body to the side, so that her claw was lunged forward. Swiftly, he wrapped the chain around the claw, and with his muscular arms, began to pull. He let out a scream of pain, and kept pulling...Pulling at the chain that had his arms suspended into the air.
It was then that the construction surrendered. The chain was pulled into his hand, and there, he held it. A terrifying weapon.
One of the Blades of Chaos. Immediately, Kratos swung the blade against her flesh. She screamed, barely able to fight back, as with his fury, the strikes and smashes had pushed her back. Desperate, she attempted to lunge at him, but by then, Kratos had freed his other arm...And dashing at her, they were sent into the freefall, barrelling down the many bridges below.
Crashing down onto the brick road, Kratos had barely any time to recoup himself as the beast attempted to strike him, attempting to use her insectoid limbs to pierce his body apart.
As she screamed and prepared to attack however...
A large arrow had struck her in the chest, sending her flying back. The arrow smashed into her ribs, causing blood and insects to spill all over. She released an awful shriek, and could not afford to fight any longer as she began to run.
Kratos turned around...Who could it have been?
"Kratos!" Exclaimed Twilight, as she held her spear and shield. "You're okay...! Thank--..." She would have thanked a God...But would she? At this time, when a God was the reason he was in this situation?
"You? Why are you here?" Asked the booming voice of the Spartan.
"Well..." The speaker was Rarity, who stood behind Twilight with her bow. "A "thank-you" would be nice. We're here because we heard our friend was in need...and worse, that something terrible had happened."
"..." Kratos looked at the ground, releasing a sigh of anger.
"What happened, Kratos?" Frowned Twilight. "We are your friends. So if you had done something to offend Ares, it doesn't matter. But I need to know why this is happening..."
"He wants me to serve him, but I will not." He said. "I do not need help, Sparkle. I will do this myself. I have a score to settle."
"Then we'll help you!" Twilight cried out, stepping forward. "We know you, Kratos. You would never raise your blade against someone that didn't deserve it!"
Twilight felt her heart skip beats when Kratos' gaze appeared more...intense at her words.
"...I was tricked." The Spartan said. "And now, I will show them all that I shall not allow myself to be fooled any longer." He turned to the way, where Megaera had fled. "Starting with them."
"...Let's go, darling." Rarity prepared another arrow. "The other girls are around, and are planning on regrouping."
"You called for all of them?" Frowned Kratos, as he began running with the two other women. They would begin to run after the Fury, who taunted and insulted Kratos as she ran.
"Can't fight without your wenches, mortal!?" She screamed. "You will die together!" She cried out, as she continued slipping away, leaving behind hordes of insects, that attempted to cut their way.
"We work as a team..." Twilight told Kratos, as she used her shield to protect her body, and held her spear pointed towards their enemies. "You should know that! And that's why we won't leave you behind."
"You'll be going on a suicide mission, Sparkle..." Sighed Kratos. Raising his blades, he would swing and throw them at the bugs, reducing them into mush. Rarity used her bow to fire off at those that attempted to flank them from the sides, while Twilight had kept her safe - her enchanted spear making quick work for them.
"We'll be going on one together." She said. They would run deeper into the prison to follow Megaera, stabbing and shooting through the many insects that dared to step onto their path. Though they believed they had cornered the Fury in the narrow tunnel, Megaera smashed the floor beneath, and opened a large hole, through which Kratos and the other two fell.
"How uncouth!" Yelled Rarity. "How many bugs does this thing have!?" She asked, for they were now surrounded by insects...Which began to run into the ajacent cells. Twilight watched in horror as the bug-like creatures would enter the cells, alerting the prisoners within, who screamed. They attempted to fight the insects back, but it was too late...They would latch onto their spines, and insert their stingers into them, before they would overwhelm them...And like a parasite, they take control. With newfound strength, the infected prisoner would break out of the gate...and so many others with him.
"Just our luck!" Twilight cried out. "What's taking the others so--"
With intense speed, a flash of Rainbow had caught all off-guard. A rainbow-haired woman slid past the infected prisoners, and used a Kopis sword to slash, and cut through the wave of foes, slicing at their tendons, and their wrists to make them harmless. She moved at such speeds that few could follow her, her agility unmatchable.
As a bug-ridden prisoner attempted to attack Twilight from behind, he was instantly crushed to death. Standing, was a blonde woman, muscular and with a frame that indicated power and utter strength. Her hands were adored with a pair of cestus - gloves designed to allow for harder and safer punches.
"Sorry to make you wait!" Cried out Applejack. "Dash decided to take the scenic route!"
"We'd look stupid if we decided to use the front door!" Said Rainbow Dash, following close with her short sword. "Pinkie and Fluttershy aren't far away!"
"I still suggest you four back out while you can." Exclaimed Kratos. "I didn't ask for help!"
"'Ah' can smell foul play here, Kratos!" Applejack exclaimed. "I know these things! Someone must've played you! You wouldn't be the type to anger the Furies if you don't have a good reason, and "ah just know that!"
"Besides, I never liked them!" Cried out Rainbow Dash. "These Furies get on my nerves! I always thought someone should've shut Megaera up!"
"What if you all die!?" Kratos barked, swinging his blades to cut, and slice through the infected prisoners.
"One thing at a time! We need to get to Pinkie and Fluttershy!" Exclaimed Twilight, as she sweeped several prisoners with her spear, allowing Rarity to take controlled shots to kill them. However, Rarity was unable to detect the threat, as one of the bug-like creatures attempted to jump onto her from behind...
It exploded into a flurry of blood, jumpscaring Rarity, as she turned around.
"You rang!?" Exclaimed the excited voice of Pinkie Pie, who pummeled through a line of infected prisoners, viscera flying all over them. Her hands held a large mallet, swinging side to side through the horde of enemies, as she cleared the way for them all.
Rarity gasped, as she saw the rather chubby woman with pink curly hair, standing with a wide smile, as she held a large mallet in her hands. "Hi Rarity! You should really keep an eye on your back! I'd say you should grow an eye on your back, but these Furies would probably take that idea literally!"
"Thank you for the save, darling...Where is--"
"Right here..." Said a soft voice. All turned their heads to see Fluttershy, who was already surrounded by corpses of the infected prisoners, and the infecting-insects. In her hands were a pair of daggers, and several animals that all circled her, attacking the foes that would attempt to hurt her.
"The gang's all here, then!" Rainbow Dash happily exclaimed. "Kratos, we're either proving that you're innocent, or we're kicking that Fury's teeth in! I think either way is good, don'tcha think?"
"...Hmph." The ashen-skinned man sighed. "Don't put yourselves into harm's way. I am going to get my vengeance, and me alone..."
"Don't be silly - silly!" Pinkie Pie grinned, eagerly holding her mallet. "You know how fun it is to hang around with you? I'm not gonna pass up on another journey! And, besides, you're gonna need someone to watch your back! It's pretty treacherous out there!"
"Let's get you 'mah honest opinion, Kratos..." Sighed Applejack. "If you wanna get your vengeance, let's just get you to Megaera in one piece. Ain't much point thirstin' for revenge when you're on the brink of death, ain't that true?"
"...Fine, but we're not sticking like this all the way." He said. "You know exactly what I intend to do after I'm done with Megaera and her sisters - don't you?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, darling." Rarity prepared another arrow. "Let's make way before that uncouth bird gets away from us - shall we?"
"...Hm." Kratos nodded.
They would make their way deeper out of the prison, into fresh air. The pursuit wasn't difficult to follow, they were able to easily observe Megaera's path, as the bugs skittered anxiously along the way. As they made their way forward, an eagle would land on Fluttershy's shoulder, and she intently to it, before turning to the others. "Megaera is close. She's by Aegaeon..."
"That's not good!" Twilight exclaimed. "If she influences him...We must get there, and fast!"
"..." Kratos grit his teeth, and ran forward to their goal. Up a flight of stairs, they would reach the very giant shape of the imprisoned Hekatonkheires, dormant...
Before them was the wicked, sickly shape of Megaera. She skittered around the shape of one of Aegaeon's hands, studying and observing Kratos, and the women beside him. "Come to die, mortals? How unfortunate that you couldn't just let yourself die like a dog, Kratos. It would have been quiet and peaceful. Now, you're going to suffer, worm! You and the whores beside you!" She shouted fiercely. "Now, you will face the power of Hekatonkheires!"
"Megaera, don't!" Twilight shrieked at her. "You don't have the right!"
"Silence!" Laughed the Fury. Her insects began to erupt from her skin, before swarming around the arm of the giant figure. It began to rot, acquiring the same sickly and porous skin. Rarity felt herself take a step back, almost gagging for a moment at the sheer sight. The arm would move on its own, twisting and misshaping, the hand cracking, and the fingers beginning to twist and snap into broken positions.
"Stop, Megaera!" Applejack yelled, raising one of her fists at the Fury. "Your duty was to punish Kratos! You're killing other prisoners, and you're corrupting Aegaeon! This is not within your jurisdiction! The Gods WILL have your head for this!"
"Well, blondie - you should simmer down! You'll find that I have all the authority in the world to stop our little traitor here!" She barked. As the hand began to maliform and become infested with the insectoid corruption, she flew above them with a boastful grin. "Do you six not understand that the bastard has killed his own wife and child!?"
The women around him gasped. They could not accuse him - he said it himself that he was tricked...But was it by his hand? Did he do it? While the hand continued shaping itself into a monster, they were unable to ask...
"...You...what?" Twilight slowly turned to him. "...I...No!" She turned back to Megaera. "You...You're lying! Kratos would never do it! He...He would never raise his blades upon someone he loved!"
"Is that so!?" Megaera screeched with mad laughter. "Have you not noticed? His skin...It's all grey. Ashen. Why do you think that is!? Kratos slaughtered an entire village of Athena's followers. You know how they punish those who murdered their loved ones, don't you!? Indeed, as punishment for his acts, his skin has been caked with the ashes of his wife and daughter! You can see clearly, you're standing shoulder to shoulder with a filthy monster!" She exclaimed loudly. "So, are you still going to fight by his side, or let him suffer for--"
Megaera let out a scared scream, as an arrow whizzed by her ear, barely hitting her.
"She sure moves a lot..." Rarity muttered.
"...Kratos, you'll have to tell us everything that happened, after this is done!" Twilight exclaimed, turning to the large hand that continued misshaping itself, and turning into the monster it appeared to become - a humanoid figure emerging from within the hand itself.
Megaera attempted to fly off, but a Rainbow-light began to give chase.
"I got her!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Focus on the big guy! Fluttershy, you're with me!"
"R-Right!" The yellow pegasus flew after the blue one. It left Kratos and the four women to face the mutated hand, as it developed into an insectoid shape. It screeched, and descended down upon them with its claws.
Rarity gasped, and pulled an arrow back. She aimed carefully at one of its claws, before shooting right at it. The arrow was filled with magic, and an explosive force pushed the large monster away.
Kratos took the opportunity, launching one of his chain-connected blades, and lodging it into the beast. He would throw the other blade at it, but not into it, making the chain wrap itself around his neck. He began pulling it, bringing the monster close, and in range.
Pinkie Pie grinned, and leapt forward at the large beast, before swinging her hammer right into it. The strike was strong enough to tear chunks off of the creature, hurting it immensely, and making it recoil from pain as chunks began to fly off of it.
Twilight saw her opportunity, running right towards the beast, and driving her spear right into its chitinous stomach. It screeched in pain once more, and it began to pour corrupted liquids out of the wound. While it was distracted with this heavy pain, Kratos pulled it in as close as he could, bringing its wicked face close. Applejack ran over close, and pulled her arm back, before smashing her knuckles right into its face. The creature let out a roar, the mutated hand would recoil, injured from several parts. It swung its claws wildly, hoping to destroy its foes. It ended up instead ruining their environment, the platform upon which they were starting to break apart, and crumble. The five would all have to re-adjust to their changing position, as the section of the building upon which they stood, had tilted. Now, they stood on the wall of the building, forced to continue fighting the giant hand , as it began to circle them, and climb over the section of the wall.
"What a stubborn thing!" Rarity cried out as she continued to fire her arrows at it, attempting to back away from the upcoming enemy - the mutated limb, making its way towards them.
Applejack attempted to block it off, punching away at it - but doing little damage as the hulking beast continued to advance towards her. Rarity continued firing her arrows, but she had to immediately run - for one of the beast's insectoid claws swiped right at her position, forcing her and Applejack both to jump away from harm's way.
Twilight immediately tried to run in to salvage the situation, chucking the spear right into the face of the beast. Although it wasn't able to pierce its face, the spear had caused a lot of blunt trauma. Holding her hand out, Twilight had pulled the weapon back into her hand with magic. As the beast screeched from the pain, and attempted to attack her, it felt its hip in terrible pain, as Pinkie jumped like a springboard, swinging her mallet, and smashing it right in the side. The corrupted creature screamed as it continued its onslaught, but was now forced to bend to the sight, completely engulfed in pain as it tried to fight - but barely stood on its legs.
With that, Kratos let out a cry of rage, as he threw his blades at the creature. The blades and the chains wrapped around its neck as he started to pull and suffocate it, making it roar and screech in fury. Kratos started to cut it by the neck, the chains starting to dig deep in and squeeze hard. He began to pull the head right off, but the others were not going to let him do all the work.
Applejack ran up to the beast, and round up a punch, before releasing it in one powerful strike. Her knuckle-borne weapon struck it with intense energy, ripping the head clean off the creature's shoulders. The body would contort, and begin to twist and violently jerk, the insect-like features meaning it was dying, just like one.
"Good work!" Twilight exclaimed. "Now we need to catch Meg--"
"Way ahead of ya!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed in the distance, swooping in, and striking the Fury with her sword. The swipe of the sword was shallow - only slightly injuring her. She screamed and flapped her wings at Rainbow Dash, forcing the blue pegasus to flap her wings in an attempt to stabalize herself in the air.
"Raaagh!" Screamed the Fury. "You think you and your friends hav the slightest chance of making it out of here, let alone felling me!? Surrender, and I'll get this over with quickly!" She would have shouted - until a shot from Rarity's arrow forced her to scream and keep flying.
"Get back here!" Applejack shouted, shaking her fists at her.
"We can still catch her!" Said Rainbow Dash, yelling at her. However, as they kept running after her, the floor beneath them started to tilt, and send them rolling downwards, with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flying close behind. Kratos let out a grunt as he started to slide along the floor that was tilted, keeping them spiraling down into the depths beneath. They would find themselves falling deep into a dark hole, forced to avoid various debris that kept falling. A large boulder was about to fall right atop of Twilight as they fell, much heavier and faster, threatening to crash into her.
With a mighty punch and swing, both Applejack and Pinkie Pie struck the boulder with their respective weapons, shattering it and protecting her from the harm. As they continued sliding down along the wall, water began to run down along the walls, connecting several pipes that were surrounding the walls.
"Oh no!" Rarity gasped as they continued to descend. "Anything but the sewers! The last thing I'd ever want to do is spend time in the sewers! I'd much rather be in the prison with all those nasty insect things! Anything but not the--"
But by then, it was too late. They had landed in the water and filth of the sewers - with Kratos being the first to land, and the others falling down by his side. They looked around to see where they were - in the darkest depths of the sewers.
"...Great." Rainbow Dash sighed. "So, what did you get yourself into, Kratos...?"
"..." The man sighed at her, shaking his head. "It's not important."
"Kratos..." Twilight frowned, approaching him. "...Is it true what happened? Did you...Actually..."
The Spartan grit his teeth, balling his fists with intense roughness - too full of anger to think about what had happened. However, as he attempted to move forward, Twilight stopped - standing in-front of him.
Kratos swore to remove all in his way...
But never a friend like her. Not like them.
He sighed softly, looking at his own reflection in the filthy water. "...I was tricked." He said. "...I couldn't see anything. I had no idea they were there. No idea it would lead to all that...Ares thought that if he had me remove all from my life who I treaured, then..."
Applejack immediately rose a brow, putting a hand on her hip as she approached him. "Sayin' he was hopin' to get us next? Or you think he doesn't consider you as someone who treasures us..."
Kratos shook his head at her. "No. At least I assume if he is aware - he wouldn't dare involve you. He cannot hope for me to kill you - and he cannot hope to withstand the wrath of you six combined."
"Which means..." Rainbow Dash grinned. "It's gonna be great when all seven of us combined are gonna come together. Ares ain't gonna know what hit him!"
"Well..." Fluttershy squeaked softly, her animals surrounding and flying around her, coming close to her. "The first thing we should do is find Megaera...Even if she isn't responsible for what happened back then, we need to stop her! Those poor prisoners are going to get infected by her corruption!"
"Poor prisoners...?" Rainbow Dash rose a brow. "What do you mean poor prisoners, Fluttershy? Thers's killers, thieves, and worse here..."
Fluttershy frowned at her friend's comment, looking to the side. "Well, they come to this prison to get punished - so it's justice. But if they're getting punished on top of the punishment they're already doing, that's not very fair..."
"Let's just catch Megaera, please?" Twilight frowned, walking forward. "Kratos, we got your back!"
"You bet!" Pinkie excitedly said. "Come on! We got a Fury to mess up! And her sisters! Oh, and if we're lucky, we might even reach the brothel! Why not have a good time while we're at the whole prison-breaking business, right?" She excitedly said as she ran along, prompting the women to look at one another unsurely.
"Her sisters are sure to join, like she said..." Muttered Rarity. "Are you certain we have what it takes?"
"With Kratos on our side?" Twilight smirked. "I'm a bit more confident." She said, walking through the water. Kratos hesitantly looked at Twilight, not wanting them to be involved. He didn't want anyone to get in the way of his bloodshed, and the last thing he wanted was to have an ally get in the crossfire...But he knew that their help would guide him to the Furies, to Ares, and maybe even Olympus itself.
"...Got your back, Kratos." Smiled Applejack, giving him a pat on the back. Would anyone else do that, he would've struck. But no - he felt at ease with these six. With a soft sigh, he walked on forward with the others.
***
On their way forward, they would be faced with various obstacles - more foes as Megaera's litter-like corruption continued planting the seeds of evil throughout the prison complex. Many corrupted prisoners ran into them, and many were removed promptly by the team. It was a bloody trail, but the team took care of one another, able to protect the other from threats. After a while of fighting however, they approached an ornate door.
"...Oh." Twilight blushed as she stood in-front of the door with the others beside her. "I...Think I have an idea as to what this place is." She muttered. The others looked at her, and nodded - while Kratos' eyes were fixed to it. He sighed, and walked forward.
"Oh! So we're going in?" Pinkie Pie gasped. "But I haven't even brought my fun gown! You know, doing steamy stuff isn't so good in my combat outfit!'
"...Oh boy." Applejack tipped her hat to hide her face, and shamefully walked in, even though it wasn't exactly something she was proud of doing.
Entering inside, it was clear why Twilight was blushing as hard as she was. All around them were pllows, the smell of wine, and smoke. Several barely-clothed women laid around the room, eyeing the newcomers. They had stepped into a brothel.
"O-Oh, my..." Fluttershy squeaked, her blush more red than the rest. "W...What is a place like this doing here?"
Kratos humphed. He wasn't one to speak his thoughts, but around the six, he felt himself doing it more often. "For the prison guard. So it seems, at-least." He said. "Keep going. This brothel is a shortcut to the direction where Megaera fled."
They were slowed down - as Rainbow Dash stepped forward, she felt arms wrapping around hers. With surprise, Rainbow Dash looked to her sides, and saw the courtesans as they started to surround her, cooing and inviting her to spend the time. The rainbow-haired girl smirked, no longer intent on going so fast. "Hey, I dunno about you, but I think this isn't too bad. We could afford to slow down ya' know, get some rest."
"Now's not the time!" Twilight barked.
"I think the same, Rainbow Dash. This is not the time to fool around." Kratos growled.
"Y'sure?" Pinkie Pie gasped as a woman stepped behind her, and wrapped her arms around her stomach and chest. "'Cause I think this place could use a party!"
"I'm scared!" Fluttershy exclaimed, hiding her eyes behind her hands as she saw the naked form of a courtesan.
Applejack snatched her hat out of the hands of a courtesan that tried to grab her hat. "Rainbow Dash! Pinkie! Quit making fools of yourselves and move it!"
"..." Rarity looked with wonder at the courtesans. "...I suppose that - albeit I may not swing the other way, I...am curious to discuss where these girls get their dresses from. Their style is quite dashing!"
"But..." Twilight murmured. "Guys, we need to go now, something's--"
"Is that Kratos?" Gasped a courtesan that approached the man. "The Gods have rewarded us!"
"And is that Twilight Sparkle?" Gasped another courtesan as she approached her, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I may not have been educated much, but I always wanted to spend time with a philosopher such as you, miss~."
"W-Wait..." Twilight blushed wildly. "Y-You heard of my teachings?" She giggled nervously. She wasn't enthralled by the attention or lust, but rather the fact that someone took an interest in her work and science.
"Glory to Eros..." Said the whore as she approached Kratos, caressing his abdomen. "He has blessed us with a champion! He's mine!"
"No, mine!" Another courtesan cried out.
"Oh, Applejack..." A courtesan kneeled by her side, stroking her muscular thighs. "So blessed are we today to be blessed by the strongest woman in all of Greece!"
"And the cutest..." Said a courtesan that fondled Fluttershy's breasts, nipping her neck with her lips and forcing her to squeak, rubbing her legs together as she blushed, covering her mouth.
Another courtesan approached Kratos. "They are nothing! Come with me, and experience the greatest of pleasures!" She said, taking his hands into hers.
...
Then, Twilight's gaze caught Kratos'.
Both of them noticed it.
The omega-shaped ring on one of the courtesans.
They nodded.
Immediately, Kratos swung his blade at the courtesan. All the other prostitutes cried out in fear and shock...except for three of them. Immediately, the courtesans who did not respond with fear would transform, their forms changing into the wicked and ugly forms of the Furies.
"I knew it!" Said Rainbow Dash, who in-fact did not know it. She pulled out her sword, and immediately deflected one of the three sisters.
Kratos and Applejack worked together to tackle the ring-wearing Fury, both of them punching her in the face at the same time and sending her reeling forward. They straddled her, Applejack putting one knee on one of her arms and pinning her, while Kratos himself sat on top of her and raised his fists. However, she slipped away - immediately fading away and appearing beside them.
As Applejack and Kratos prepared to fight however, they heard Megaera's voice behind them. Kratos wasn't able to turn around in time as the arachnid-like Fury rushed him right through the wall of the brothel.
"Kratos!" Cried out Twilight. She turned to the other Furies, who stood there with smiles. They wanted them to fight her. They wanted them to focus on them, so that Kratos was without backup...But they wouldn't leave their friends. Immediately, the six jumped through the wall that was broken through, and chased after Megaera, where Kratos was already facing her, blades at the ready.
The six ran over to him to stand by his side, holding their weapons as they faced Megaera. The Fury looked at them and let out a shriek of anger.
"Coward! Face me yourself!" She yelled at Kratos. Kratos looked to his side at the women. He supposed there was some truth to it. Maybe that it was his own path, and no other had the right to intervene in his road to vengeance. But even then, despite that, he saw their eyes. They wanted to fight as much as he did.
Pinkie Pie humphed as she held the mallet. "Hey, you mean ugly fly-thing, we're not going to let Kratos be alone! We also want you to pay for what you and Ares did. So why don't we get this party started!?" She exclaimed. She launched herself forward, swinging her hammer right at the Fury. Megaera yelped, and was immediately struck - Pinkie was too fast, and the damage done was immense.
Megaera screamed as she rolled across the ground - immediately starting to fly the moment she regained her footing. The others tried to run after her, but they were stopped immediately by the underlings of the Fury. They would have to fight through, and the Fury kept trying to escape...Flying right to the massive statue-like shape that loomed above the platform.
Twilight fought back the corrupted prisoners that tried to rush her. She sweeped with her spear, clearing the way, she could see the Fury as she stood right on the eye of Aegaeon. Twilight's eyes opened wide with horror as she reached a hand out, yelling. "Megaera! Stop! You have no right to do this!"
"Silence, you wench!" Megaera exclaimed as her flies began to sit on Aegaeon's eyelid. "You have caused me pain for the last time, Spartans!" She barked. The flies began to settle into the eye, inserting their corruption.
"No!" Fluttershy cried out, attempting to send one of her falcons to stop the flies. However, once the bird tried to swoop in to claw at the flies, it screeched in fear as one of the eyes - which was supposed to be static in the form of a statue...Began moving. In fear, the avian flew back...As the face of Aegaeon began to twist and contort, changing its shape and appearing, becoming wicked, twisted, and corrupt. The face began to grow insect-like limbs, shaping all around the sides of its face as it appeared more spider-like. The massive legs began to envelope the platform upon which they all stood, and Aegaeon was coming to life with evil, malicious intent.
"We got this!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "I'll try to get Megae--" She yelped the moment she had to dodge, for Aegaeon's large mandibles swiped at her, forcing her to fly away as they destroyed the ground underneath - each fang as large as a tower that crushed and reduced the platform to rubble, whenever it hit.
The girls yelped as the footing became unstable. Aegaeon loomed right above them now, and threatened with his mutated visage. Fluttershy frowned, preparing her daggers. 'I can't believe that we must kill Aegaeon...This isn't right!"
"Focus not on what's right!" Kratos Barked. "That is no longer Aegaeon! This is just another one of Megaera's wicked creations, and we'll dispose of it all the same!" He shouted. He launched his blades at the face, causing it to let out a terrifying scream of pain. Its legs embedded themselves into the platform, presenting an opportunity.
"Let's get to work then!" Exclaimed Rarity. She fired her arrows at Aegaeon, causing it to try and move its face away from the upcoming arrows. Rarity loved to blind her opponents, and this played in her favor. Distracted, it gave Applejack and Pinkie the right opportunity to team up, mixing punches and hammer swings at the legs that were stuck to the ground. The corrupted Aegaeon screamed, bringing his mandibles to crush the two - But Rainbow Dash swooped in with her sword, clashing with another stone-hard mandible. Despite the relatively smaller size of the sword, it was able to cleave straight through, cutting off a piece. The creature screamed and recoiled, immediately thrashing. The ground beneath them began to crack and crumble, the platform was falling. Kratos wrapped the chains of his blade around one of the mandibles, and used it to swing himself over to another platform - the others following him as they jumped or flew over. Now, they were on a smaller and tighter platform, faced with the mutated face.
"Good!" Applejack smirked, cracking her knuckles. "He's closer now! Means I ain't gotta run too far to land my knuckles on 'im!"
"...I'm not sure this is as good as you think it is." Squeaked Fluttershy...All turned around to see behind them that yet, another mutated hand was crawling up to the platform on which they stood. Now, the seven were sandwiched between Aegaeon's face and hand, which came closer in an attempt to shut them down and crush them.
"Oh bother! What's the plan!?" Cried out Rarity, rapid-firing her bow at the mutated face, hoping to get something into the eye - but the mandibles prevented any arrows from making their way in, completely blocked off.
"I'm thinking!" Exclaimed Twilight, using her long spear to try and force back the hand as it screeched at them and tried to swipe at them with its insectoid legs. "If we can take out Megaera, then...Then surely whoever is infested will fall?"
"Great plan!" Giggled Pinkie, swinging her mallet with all her power as she fought back several infected prisoners who attempted to crawl after them. Due to there being seven of them, Megaera was throwing everything she had at them, not just Aegaeon himself. "But uh...How are we gonna do that?"
"...Leave it to me." Growled Kratos, seeing the annoying buzzing thing that was Megaera. Immediately, he threw his blade around a mandible, before jumping off the platform as it started to swing him over to its face.
"We gotta take care of this hand thing!" Twilight exclaimed. Her spear was about to poke it right in the throat, making it screech. Rarity swooped in with her bow promptly, firing two arrows at the same time that splintered and hit the beast into both eyes at the same time. Followed by Pinkie, she struck her hammer hard enough to destroy every bone inside of Aegaeon's hand, making it writhe and scream from pain as it began to fall downwards.
Meanwhile, Megaera recoiled as she saw Kratos land on the face's cheek, starting to make his way towards her. She swiped at him with her claws, but her hand was immediately struck. Fluttershy's falcon flew past and pecked at her, forcing her index and middle finger to fly off as the eagle snatched them out. She let out a bloody scream, turning to Fluttershy - only to be met with a sword. Rainbow Dash flew in to stab her right in the stomach, and Kratos had the opportunity.
He ran up to Megaera and wrapped one of his blades around her neck, starting to choke her with the chain. She screamed with all her might, resisted as strongly as she could...But it was too late - as Kratos raised his blade high in an icepick grip, and ran it right through the Fury's chest, resulting in an explosion of bone and blood. As Aegaeon shook however, both Kratos and Rainbow Dash lost balance, forced to step away from Megaera, who started to fall downwards. Kratos would not leave the job unfinished.
He plunged right at her, and when they both hit the ground, the blade was already torn right through her heart. The Fury was split in the middle, and her insectoid limbs began to wilt and curl up, as the beast sighed her final breath. Behind them, Aegaeon started to collapse, and slowly died as he writhed in pain, the death of Megaera ending his life as well.
As Kratos sat on top of Megaera with his blade plunged in her, he sighed. Finally, he stood up. The others approached him.
"Oh Kratos..." Whispered Rarity. "Whatever have you gotten yourself into...?"
Rainbow Dash looked down at the dead Fury and scoffed. "I didn't like her anyway. Let's go guys. We're gonna have to pay Ares a visit."
With a soft grunt, Kratos stood up...and walked forward.
My Little Pony x God of War: Ascension
Present Day...
The fire had died down for a mere moment - but the embers would not be cold for long. With her magic, Twilight Sparkle re-ignited the fire that the group sat around, and warmth to the conversation.
"I still can't believe it..." Zipp shook her head, blankly staring at the night sky. "So, the whole prison was just built on some kind of giant, huh...? Talk about a really weird architectural plan, huh?"
"Well..." Applejack laughed, scratching her face, and trying to avoid the old gash that ran right across her face - a painful reminder of one of her attempts to kill a God. "It ain't all that simple, the Gods have... had their own way of doin' things. Prison like that would be hard to run away from, y'know."
"And you could do worse!" Rainbow said. "Sparta has some really bad prisons, y'know. You're lucky to get a piece of bread like, per week - and your only source of water is rain, so have fun with that."
"So..." Atreus turned to Twilight. "You mentioned my father made some kind of mistake, right? Or that at-least you thought he did. You mentioned that something had gone wrong, and he had to make his way to the prison. Was that the first time you saw one another since he...changed?"
"Since his skin had become ashen?" Asked Twilight. "No, actually, no. Actually, when it came to meeting him in the prison, it wasn't something he had planned on. He sent us away before he made his way there, he thought that it'd be too dangerous for us, and the plan was suicide. However, if you're asking about what happened before that..."
"The, um...Village of Kirra." Fluttershy spoke up. "We found Kratos there - we weren't sure what had happened, but we were looking for him for a long time. All we heard is that a God - most likely Ares, had sent him somewhere on a mission, and that something had gone wrong. Then all we heard were rumors that Kratos should have been killed if he's seen ever again..."
"That's terrible..." Sunny Starscout said, pausing her own work as she had been repairing her sword, which was terribly chipped and rusted from blood. "...So, then, what had he done? I don't quite get it..."
"I do not wish to talk about it unless he approves of us doing so." Twilight said. "All I can tell you so far, however, is that he was tricked into doing a bad deed that no one should ever do - neither while in a sober and conscious mind, nor while incapable thought. We hadn't learned the details - and we hadn't asked until later."
Sunny frowned at her friends. When the older women retraced their steps, it was a fact that they had left out a certain conversation that happened right between their encounter with Megaera, and what happened in the sewers they had descended down. An uncomfortable mood permeated between everyone, all deep thought over what could have been done.
Yet, Twilight and her friends shared a somber look - none wanted to think about such a thing. Too depressing and unfair - and something that the thought of had slightly poked at their Spartan Rage, and their desire to invoke it.
"How did you all meet Kratos?" Pipp smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
"Ah, darling..." Rarity smiled as she knitted the warm clothing for the boy, her hands moving with grace and dexterity, despite the fact that she had been missing the tip of her pinkie finger - an injury from years ago. "You know nearly everyone, were you to be born in Sparta."
"We also did alotta fightin' and sparrin'!" Pinkie Pie beamed with a large grin. "In Sparta, everyone's gotta tussle - either with the enemy, or with each other! When we met Kratos, pheeeew boy, that was something else! I used all the best wrestlin' techniques I'd learned, and he still refused to budge! I tried everything, and mind you - I was able to out-wrestle really any guy in town!"
"Also never beat 'im at arm wrestlin'." Applejack tipped her hat and hid her face in shame. "Guy holds a record on that too. We all stuck 'round 'cause, if you wanna learn how to fight better, then you better learn from someone who always beats ya and never lets you get the upper hand!"
"Yeeaaah..." Rainbow Dash softly chuckled, reminiscing. "Those were the days..."
"Then, uhm..." Twilight sighed. "He left on a campaign against some Barbarians, and we heard that he almost died. He returned to us, but...He was so different. He didn't tell us what he did back then, but he said that he had to leave for a long time..."
Applejack grit her teeth and balled her fists, standing up. "It was Ares. That good for-nothing, conniving--"
"Applejack!" Twilight cried out to calm the muscular woman. They exchanged a look, and both sighed. Applejack sat, but now a little further away from the fire, hoping that the cold would calm her down.
"Ares..." Applejack continued. "He made a deal with Kratos. He was allowed to survive the onslaught of the Barbarians, but he was forced to become somethin' of champion for 'im...He made 'im do bad things and...ah...let's not talk about it, aight' sugarcube?"
Through the silence, Izzy was the first to speak up. "Sooooooo, before you guys went to a spooky prison, where the whole thing was built on a crazy giant dude thingamabob, what did you seven do before you went there?"
"As I said..." Twilight continued. "It all started in the Village of Kirra. We found Kratos there - he was lost and fighting with some kinds of illusions - the Furies seem to have tried to trick him, making him believe that he was still there - with his -...well, with the better times of his life. Thankfully, we found him, but it wasn't just us there."
"Oh?" Sunny's eyes sparkled with deep curiosity. "There was someone else there? But...who?"
Twilight smiled, and chuckled. "A certain Demi-God by the name of Orkos had come to greet us."
Author's Note
This is just the sneak peek of Chapter 2, or the prologue for Chapter 2. I will bring out Chapter 2 soon. Just hang tight.
My Little Pony x God of War: Ascension
Many years ago...In Ancient Greece...
Three Weeks Earlier...Before the Prison Break
He sat by the window, looking and gazing. Kratos felt that the room was familiar, but something wasn't right. Nothing he touched or sensed struck him with that sense of firmness - for almost each item he touched felt off, incorrect. He attempted to pick up that blue lace and ring, but both simply vanished the moment he cupped them into his hand. Sadly, he looked at it...Unsure where he was, and when.
Then spoke the voice behind him.
"Your mind is troubled..."
With a yell, he turned around to swing the Blades, and yet, there was no one there.
Only for the voice to reappear at his side.
"Your skills are still without equal..." The voice said.
"Do you have business with me!?" Barked Kratos, taking steps forward with the Blades.
"I do..." said the dark figure before him, with strange and sickly - insectoid like holes on his chest and right arm, coupled with a pair of glowing eyes. "But this is not the matter to discuss it."
"I see no other way." Barked Kratos...Then, he saw her.
Lysandra...Right behind this stranger as she walked past him...
Beyond the door, there she was - her, his daughter Calliope, and his seven friends, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Spike...He wanted to walk towards them...
But the voice behind him stopped him. And the figures...turned to ash.
"You have no reason to trust me, Spartan. I only ask that you try. Your thoughts are not your own, but I can help you. I believe these belong to you..."
Extending his hand, the mysterious figure presented him with those two objects that Kratos held so near.
The necklace, and the ring...
"Use these items to still your mind, Kratos. Do not let illusion deceive you. Have the visions ceased?"
Upon taking them...The room that he'd consider something of a home vanished - leaving behind decrepit waste and nothingness.
"I see only you..." Said Kratos.
The dark stranger nodded. "Good, you will need this skill for the path ahead."
"...And what path is that?"
"The path of freedom...Kratos."
Kratos leaned in. He wondered - what was he saying? Was this madness? Why was he in need of freedom? Was he not free already?
"Freedom?"
"Yes!" Responded the stranger. "Freedom! Freedom from the Furies who relentlessly hunt you in the name of Ares...And ultimately freedom from your bond to the God of War himself."
Immediately, Kratos scoffed and smirked. "Break an oath with a God? Hah! Of all the minds in question, mine is not the one to worry about." He said, turning to leave through the front door - but stopped immediately as he was met by the dark stranger, who had teleported before him instead.
"You waver from sound mind to illusion in the beat of a heart!" Barked the ghost-like man. "Is that any life for a great warrior?"
Then came...The howling sound of terror and destruction. The stranger gasped, looking to the sky.
"The Furies are near...They cannot know I speak with you. I will draw them away. The truth waits for you in Delphi, Kratos. Seek the Oracle! And before that...Seek those who protect harmony!" He exclaimed...And promptly disappeared.
With a grunt of frustration and anger, Kratos set out to make his way to that place...Delphi. He ran - sandals kicking up the dust and sand beneath him. However, he had only needed to take the most modest number of corners before he bumped into something soft, and roughly a head shorter than him. He heard a female cry of pain, and the sound of unsheathing weapons.
Then, collective gasps.
"Kratos!?" Cried out the woman who had bumped into him and was sitting on the ground, holding her head as she tried to get her thoughts together and collected. Upon seeing him, her grit teeth turned into a surprised smile. "Kratos! We knew we'd find you here!"
"Twilight? And...all of you!?" Kratos gripped the Blades - but felt the lace and ring that was on his person...He remembered that the illusions must have abated by now, and that the forces that taunted him and tricked him were limited by the artifact. He relaxed a little, feeling at more ease knowing that they were real. "...Why are you here?"
"We got 'proached by a certain Demi-God." Applejack spoke up, wiping the sweat off her brow. "Had us haulin' our butts over half of Greece just to get to ya! Care to explain what's goin' on? What happened? And...What's up with your skin? How long have you been without the Sun?"
"I cannot explain that yet." Sighed Kratos. "I need to get to Delphi, now."
"Why? What happened?" Twilight put a hand on his bicep. "Kratos, something is happening. I saw the Furies - they're tearing this whole place apart, trying to find you, or someone...What happened since you disappeared? And...Where are Lys--"
"I said I need to get to Delphi." Kratos firmly stated once more. "Do not get in my way, Sparkle. I--"
"You crazy!?" Kratos was approached by Rainbow Dash, who painfully nudged him in the chest. He was used to this - and while a human would have kneeled over in pain, it was to him but a mere bump that he hadn't flinched to in the slightest. "Kratos, we're your comrades! We're with you on this all the way! I'd rather go down to Tartarus than leave you to do this by yourself!"
"Darling..." Rarity stood beside Rainbow Dash, putting a hand on her shoulder in order to get her to calm down. "If we cannot stop you before you do something mad and brash, please let us join you. We would at-least want to keep our friend safe."
"Just like the good ol' days!" Pinkie giggled. "C'mon! We've dealt with lotsa Barbarians, right? I'm down for a trip down memory lane! What about you, girls?"
"Always." Said Fluttershy, who was usually very quiet and reserved - until now, her voice was set and serious. "Kratos, I cannot leave you behind. Please let us help you - even if we ultimately leave the main burden of your task to you."
"...Fine." Kratos sighed. "I at-least don't want you to get stuck in this. Once we can find a way out of this village and away from this place, I want you six to take Spike, get on a boat, and leave. The farther from Olympus, the better."
As they spoke...The sound of an elephant's trunk distracted them. In a bout of instinct, the seven immediately jumped to the sides. A large anthropomorphic elephant-man beast charged through them, tusks and fists ready to gore and maim them.
Twilight grit her teeth, standing and supporting herself with her spear. "Look alive!"
They all turned around to see another massive elephant run up, swinging its fists and attempting to trample Kratos and the others.
"Brought a friend, huh!?" Rainbow Dash grit her teeth, unsheathing her sword. "At-least he understands the Magic of Friendship, huh!?"
"Split up!" Twilight said. She, Kratos, and Fluttershy focused on the first one, while the rest focused on the newcoming elephant biped.
It seemed strange to have Fluttershy join the two best fighters on the team - but there was a secret to it all. Twilight and Kratos, in the time they fought together, understood how the other worked. Fluttershy let out a shrill whistle - enough to startle both elephants. Then, the first elephant looked up as a shape moved at the top of his vision.
Shortly, a pained and excruciating scream came from the bipedal elephant as he held onto his eye, one of which was gouged out with the talon of an eagle that swooped in with the speed of an arrow. The distraction was just enough for Twilight to get a clean shot at the elephant's stomach. Taking her spear like a javelin, she threw it right into the stomach of the beast, causing it to back up.
Kratos used it as an opportunity. He sprinted up and hopped up, before planting his feet into the spear and jumping into the air, having used it as a springboard. He was able to raise himself right up to the face of the beast, before jabbing both of his Blades into the sides of its head, causing it to scream as it started to pour blood from its skull. It stumbled, and promptly fell, allowing Twilight to retrieve the spear.
In the meantime, the second elephant was not faring much better. It raised both fists, attempting to smash down right at the group. However, that went nowhere when Rarity pulled back two arrows at the same time and released them, sending them right into the wrists of the elephant, causing it to back up. It attempted to use its legs to kick Applejack away, but she easily blocked it with her arms - and with Pinkie Pie, they struck at the same time, shattering the bone.
Rainbow Dash allowed herself the glory, flying in and swiping her blade against the elephant's neck, dropping it right beside the corpse of the other monster.
"Phew!" Rainbow wiped the sweat off her brow as she stood above the two dead monsters. "Let's get a move on. I don't wanna imagine what other freaks this village has hiding around!"
***
They went deeper into the village. They were set upon by Satyrs - the goat-legged and goat-faced- - yet humanoid fiends who kept attempting to ambush them. Rarity and Pinkie became vital to holding back their hordes - able to beat back several foes at the same time. Pinkie's mallet would sweep and swoop in wide and bloody arcs, while Rarity's arrows were true, rapid, and multiple - causing the Satyrs to fall one after another.
The deeper they went in however, the stranger it all appeared.
Kratos frowned immediately as he saw the face of Ares - engraved into the wall and formed into a furious face, with flames surrounding it. Before it was a large fire - contained in a bowl from which the hot embers produced a hot, white searing flame.
"...For those who seek the truth, the heat of Ares' fire has no burn." Twilight said - repeating something which she once heard and read. "...H-Hey, Kratos, where are you going?" She extended a hand towards Kratos, who came close to the flaming basin.
"...It may be the power of Ares..." Kratos thought "But I am going to use his rage against him. Do not stop me."
"Hey, boss, uh..." Applejack rubbed the back of her neck. "T-that's a proper big fire, a-are ya sure you wanna go sticking your hands in it? 'Ah don't feel like that'd be the most pleasant experience and--"
She was interrupted as Pinkie giggled and placed a hand on Applejack's shoulder, shaking her head and smirking wide. "What do you mean? It's a classic party trick! It's not even gonna hurt a bit! Go for it, Kratos!"
They all jumped in surprise as Kratos let out a furious rage. Grabbing both Blades, he stuck them into the flames. He roared - the fire did nothing to hurt him. The only thing that burned was the sheer anger that he had. He felt the anger of Ares seep into his blood - but the blood refused to serve the God of War. When he pulled away, a flurry of flames washed over the area, making the girls wince and cover their faces, only to realize the fire did not burn them at all.
"...Kratos, darling, are you done?" Rarity asked as she prepared an arrow and set it into her bow. "I don't mean to alarm you with your fun little date with fire, but it seems that you've alerted the locals." She said - for they were once again surrounded by enemies. The Satyrs and Minotaurs grinned and huffed with anticipation, weapons prepared to maim their targets.
They had no time to react before Kratos engaged them with a flurry of fire the likes of which they hadn't seen before. With a triumphant yet vengeful, uncontrolled scream of anger, Kratos swung his Blades with such intensity that the sheer speed at which he threw the weapons caused fire to stick to the Blades, burning through like butter. Fluttershy yelped in surprise when a Satyr's head flew-by close to her, lopped right off his shoulders by the angered Kratos.
However, there was something about this fire that invigorated the others. Applejack prepared her fists, but she felt her biceps bulge in rage as she saw the jeering and taunting Satyrs, many of them laughing at her or even pointing at their own genitals to tease them. She wanted nothing more than to...to...
Kill them all.
With a scream, Applejack dashed forward. Her knuckles were alight with fire as she struck a Centaur, and the fist went through his torso like a hot knife through butter, practically dismembering him and causing him to shower into a myriad of gory bits. As the blood landed on Applejack's body, it evaporated, for she was consumed with hot and red fury - the same that Ares bestowed upon his angriest warriors.
Although the girls were more clean warriors, those who never liked the appearance of viscera and suffering...There was something about all this that motivated them to fight harder. More brutally. Rarity's arrows moved with intensity and speed - her arrows followed by a trail of fire. Rainbow Dash's sword moved in circular motions that sliced through arms and legs, spinning it in her hand as she screamed and dashed from Satyr to Satyr. Pinkie Pie was smiling - but in a malicious way that betrayed joy for a fight - a single swing of her mallet causing a Minotaur to explode in a mist of blood.
Even the more civilized fighters were losing it. Twilight was hyperventilating from fury and rage, spinning her lance and thrusting it with precision. When the tip of the spear struck them, the enemy would be engulfed into fire. Even as they screamed, she continued - swinging the weapon to disorient and concuss the foes, before piercing them right into their throats.
Fluttershy had no idea when she was stabbing the face of a Satyr who had tried to flank Rainbow Dash, piercing his face and eyes repeatedly as she screamed with sheer rage and anger. She herself was engulfed in flames that did not hurt her, and so were her pets. Her falcon was spreading fire and flames, pecking and clawing the throats and faces of the Satyrs.
The seven were lost in the haze of the fight. They swung and struck, sliced and stabbed - their screams of fiery fury turning into a mad choir. They attacked the swarm of foes that believed they had an advantage due to sheer numbers and the flanking ability. But no matter how many poured into the area to face them, they couldn't even make a handful of steps before the seven Spartans swiftly ended their lives.
However, then it all abruptly ended...
Moments before both Kratos and Twilight nearly stabbed one another.
Twilight gasped, taking a step back.
"Kratos!" She exclaimed, immediately dropping the spear. She saw the flames that erupted on the weapon, but the moment she started to breathe and realize what she had done, the spear's flames were snuffed out, and the fire abated. She looked down at the weapon and sighed - before looking over at the others to see that all her friends were safe and unharmed.
Kratos looked at his Blades and sighed. "The power of Ares thrives on anger and fury. If all you can see is red and can't differentiate friend from foe, then you shouldn't try to tap into it."
"It happened almost naturally..." Muttered Applejack as she looked at her fists which stopped burning once she started to take deeper, more relaxed breaths. "...'Ah never thought 'ah'd wanna fight and kill as much as this ever in 'mah life..."
"...We should keep moving." Rarity muttered under her breath, setting her quiver comfortably on her shoulders and trying to forget her rather primal and primitive outburst that made her look no better than one of the typical Barbarians. "Let us not be sitting ducks for another wave of those uncouth Satyrs."
Silently, they went forward. Delphi awaited them - though not, even Pinkie had lost her bubbliness.
***
They waded through the decrepit and nearly collapsed passages of the village. If Kratos had gone alone, Satyrs would have jumped and ambushed him from the corners of the street. But now, seven brutal warriors were walking through with their weapons drawn and some of them sparking with fire. Only after the Satyrs and other monsters regrouped, did they find the bravery to start attacking them in much larger groups.
The walk from the village and through the cisterns was mixed with battles and periods of rest, when they could walk through the water and mull over - what happened, and why it had happened. They felt as if the fire of Ares had been within them for a moment yet, lingering somewhere deep in their hearts.
"...Do we really want to pretend it didn't happen?" Asked Fluttershy meekly as she glanced at her fiery dagger. "It's...not good to ignore something like that . Maybe we should really consider things, try to understand if...if maybe it's all really gone?"
Kratos humphed, blowing air from his nostrils. "Such thoughts are not going to help. In-fact, I believe you'll end up eating yourself out from the inside so much that nothing will be left of you. Leave it for when you realize that you've fought enough. I'm not going to bother - because I'm going to be fighting for a lifetime. I can promise you that much."
"Everyone takes a break from fightin' now and again, sugarcube." Applejack frowned at Kratos, before noticing how distraught Twilight felt. She placed a hand on her shoulder, and softly spoke to her, holding her hat to her heart. "Twi, talk to me. How're you holdin' up, after all that happened?"
"I feel shaken over what happened..." Twilight sighed to Applejack. "I never thought I'd get so...wild with the spear. It wasn't meant to be used as a tool of suffering or torture. But the power that was infused into it..."
"The Gods always had this approach..." Rarity sighed softly. "They cannot do a single thing without involving a great deal of...how to put it into more proper and less uncouth terms...Emotional manipulation."
"They're freaks." Rainbow Dash muttered. "You saw how we acted, right? That's not normal! We're not supposed to be freaks who just wanna butcher our enemies! Sure, they're just some filthy Satyrs and Minotaurs who've probably hurt a lot of people themselves, but..."
"I don't feel too terrible..." Pinkie nervously giggled in an attempt to brighten up the mood. "If you just imagine that your enemies are just huge walkin' jugs of wine, then it kinda lightens things up a little! Try it next time!"
"Ah yes." Kratos scoffed. "Jugs of wine wielding swords and spears who want to gut you. Take care you don't spill your wine yourself, Pinkie. This is war. If you're going to kill, register the fact you're killing someone. I wasn't taught the art of war just because I think I'm here to break pottery."
"Kratos, you..." Twilight took a break. "Stop."
Immediately, they took a break from the trek. Kratos grit his teeth softly, but wouldn't dare display hostility towards her.
"Kratos..." Twilight said. "You weren't...Always like this. I know something bad happened, I know there's a reason your skin looks like that, I know there's a reason you're here and that the Furies are chasing after you, but if you're not going to tell us why this is happening, all I can ask is that you snap out of it." She said. "You are Kratos of Sparta. You're not Kratos the Butcher, you're not Kratos the Murder, You're not Kratos the God of War. You're the man we fought alongside and trained alongside, and that's it. Please remember that you are more than just a soldier."
After a while of looking at her from above, squinting and narrowing her eyes at the spear-wielding girl, he finally spoke. "...I'll consider that." Kratos dryly said. "Now, we need to move--"
The loud hiss erupted as a green shape began to slither around the columns. They raised their weapons, specks of fire beginning to burst from the Blades and blunt weapons that the seven held up.
The Gorgon was fast, immediately rushing in and twirling, contorting and coiling around its target, Rarity. The woman let out a cry of pain, immediately dropping the three arrows she had prepared to fire.
"Rarity!" Rainbow Dash cried out, holding her blade high above her head as it lit with fire. She was about to slice right in, but Twilight swiftly placed a hand on Rainbow's wrist, gripping and stopping her from strike the Gorgon.
"Rainbow!" Twilight shouted. "You need to control yourself! If you strike, you might hurt Rarity! We can't let this fury get the best of us!"
"Nggh..." Rainbow Dash's biceps pounded with frustration as she could not strike the monster constricting her friend. Twilight instead took the initiative and aimed the spear - however, the Gorgon noticed this, and repositioned Rarity so that she used her as a human shield.
Applejack understood the gravity of the situation, so she pounced forward to perform a light jab into the scales of the beast. She held back, not putting the same amount of force she usually would. It may not have injured the beast much, but it produced ripples and cracks in her bones. The Gorgon turned to her and hissed, spilling blood out of her mouth.
The beast launched a beam at Applejack. She blocked with her arms but cursed at her mistakes. She could not undo her block, nor move. She cursed as her head looked down. She could not budge. Stone was starting to envelop her ankles and wrists.
However, it was not allowed to petrify Applejack further. Kratos let out a roar as he threw his Blades, but in a large arc. He could not slice the blade of the beast, he'd certainly hurt Rarity. Instead, however, he used the chain of the Blade to wrap around the neck of the Gorgon, before pulling the chain and forcing the choked beast to lower its head, screaming and hissing.
The attack gave an opportunity for Fluttershy, who swiftly slid underneath the Gorgon's throat with her dagger held up. The cut was clean, the neck was so weak and cut into, that it simply rolled off her shoulders. It uncoiled off of Rarity, and Applejack felt the rocks around her limbs crumble, allowing her body to return to normal.
"Gorgons..." Rainbow Dash grit her teeth and punted the beast with her foot. "I always hated Gorgons..."
"Hmph." Kratos swung his chain into the air to throw the yet-dry blood off of it, before wrapping it around his arm. "Afraid of snakes, or afraid of staying in one place forever?"
Rainbow rolled her eyes. Fluttershy sighed at the corpse - ashamed to have been the one to kill what she considered to be a majestic creature. Anything for self-defense - she supposed.
***
A bloody path carved through the cistern, they anxiously approached yet another strange basin. Before it stood the metallic image of the face of a bearded with glowing, icey eyes.
Twilight muttered under her breath. She knew this, too...
"Take the ice of Poseidon...And you will find your path." She spoke. "We have to use it if we want to move forward..."
"This again!? Poseidon!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "We had just to go through having the same rage as Ares would bestow upon his craziest followers, and now it wants us to don Poseidon's aspect too!? What...What is this!? Some kind of joke!?"
"..." Kratos spoke no words as he approached the basin, and just as before, stuck his Blades in. He glanced at the others, waiting for them to be ready.
"Rainbow Dash..." Twilight frowned as she put a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Look, I know this is very tricky...We're fighting against the Gods, but we're using their power, and we may even start, well...having a few changes in how we do things...But if we really wanna challenge the Gods - or at-least Ares, then we can't do it as we are right now. We're gonna have to become stronger, and that's a fact. Please?"
"...Go." Rainbow Dash responded.
As Kratos pulled the Blades out, sharp layers of spiked ice covered them. The others felt a strong, yet harmless chill run down their spines - and they too felt their weapons as they were coated in a layer of ice.
"Maybe I can dip it into wine..." Pinkie giggled at the ice that was forming on her mallet. "That'd be a really fun shape for a popsicle! Maybe we should...uhm..." She felt, however, the comedy drains from her words as it became colder. Whatever joke she had in mind was gone. "...Nevermind."
It was right on cue as another horde of Satyrs and Minotaurs leapt out at them, believing that in this place they were cornered, and thus easy prey.
If under the influence of Ares they fought with ferocity, they now fought with heartless and cold efficiency, using their weapons like surgical tools rather than instruments of death and destruction. Even Pinkie's mallet found itself swinging in a near mathematical way - using the newly found ice magic to carve swirls of ice that cuts the enemy at just the right angle to chain kills - able to not only kill the Satyr within the reach of the giant hammer, but several behind as the disc of sharp ice bisected them.
To Kratos, whether under the influence of Ares or Poseidon, he found it being very much the same. Neither magic had an effect on his psyche. It was the girls who were more in touch with humanity and normality that they were unable to comprehend the true God-like strength they were given.
However, it was not to say they were unable to fight with it effectively. Now more self-aware, they checked to make sure that in the fray, they hadn't targeted one another. Twilight used her now frozen spear to swing it to force a group of Satyrs into becoming frozen, before using quick and surgical pokes right into the brain to kill them one by one, moving as fast as a hurricane.
Kratos did not lose ferocity a bit however - but it appeared that this worked well in tandem with the other six. His wide swings shattered the many frozen beasts that were incapacitated by the others. Fluttershy had called upon her falcon, who spread his wings, and shot out a rain of icicles that jammed themselves into some of the Satyrs. They were frozen, and Kratos was able to swing his Blades from above to shatter them in one easy motion.
Soon, they were no longer surrounded by enemies, nor their corpses. Instead, they were left with a flurry of shattered, bloody ice.
They sighed in relief over the finished encounter.
"At-least..." Rarity let out a sigh of relief as she hung her bow over her shoulder. "Things do not seem to be so...undignified with this ice magic. I felt almost lady-like brutalizing those brutes."
They made their way further along the paths lined with stones and streams of water.
Moving further on, they saw what appeared to be a large snakeskin. It was a cylindrical platform, which was completely motionless, big enough that they could get on top of it...and they did.
"Is that a giant serpent!?" Fluttershy gasped with excitement as she stood on what appeared to be a gigantic snake. However, when her sandaled feet felt the texture, when she crouched to run her hand along the scales, and when she noticed the lack of movement or breathing, she immediately frowned. "Ah, that's...Python..."
"Or what's left of it." Twilight noted. "Seems after Apollo had slain it, they reproduced it...It looks so mechanical, but...What did they try to do with it?"
"Looks like a lock is holding it in!" Pinkie giggled. "Think they were trying to stop it from doin' something? Maybe it was grounded for being a party-pooper?"
"..." Kratos said no word as he approached the gigantic lock, and began to pull it...Before then, with a thunder snap, the massive heap of metal flung off...
And the giant serpent was free. With mechanical creaking, it began to move. It nearly threw the group off as it started to slither right through the air. It felt like a near unnatural movement, but the slithering was nearly realistic to nature.
"Whoa, this is fun!" Pinkie giggled, holding onto the serpent as she raised her arms, almost as if she's on a rollercoaster. "Do you think this is Zeus's personal rollercoaster or something!? We aren't gonna get in trouble for usin' it, are we?"
"You've found a strange time to get worried about quarreling with the Gods, seeing how far we've come..." Kratos sighed. They held onto the mechanical scales of the serpent as it floated up through the mountains...To Delphi.
***
The mechanical, giant Python carried them all across the mountains and valleys, brushing past the trees. It was not long until they saw a massive tower, standing tall and nearly piercing the heavens. The Python would fly towards it, before stopping to coil halfway at the base, and finally stop.
It was then, when they got off the giant mechanical snake, that they saw just how high up the tower was.
"...Well." Rarity narrowed her eyes at Rainbow Dash. "I guess you and Fluttershy can enjoy a break while the rest of us get out calf and glute exercises..."
"I-I can walk with you!" Fluttershy patiently smiled. "I uhm, can join in for the sake of team spirit!"
"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash pounded her chest with a fist, humphing and scoffing at the archer. "I'm great at jogging and climbing, you can bet this tower's gonna be a piece of cake!"
"If y'say so..." Applejack muttered. "Just so you know though, sprinting and going up on incline's got different demands. Your uh...legs got the muscle to--"
"I got this." Rainbow Dash laughed, placing an arm in-front of Applejack. "The Olympic Games would've gone bust if I participated. All the first-place spots on the podium would've been-"
"You'd be second place." Twilight muttered. Rainbow Dash was confused - until she saw that Twilight was pointing a finger at Kratos. He had no time for their chatter, as he was already a quarter of the way up the tower.
"H-Hey!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, jogging up to catch up to him. "You can't start the race before it's announced! Hey!"
***
Rainbow Dash was panting for air as they climbed up the ladder. It was a long and perilous ascent, one where they had to challenge several beasts that waited to ambush them. The rainbow-haired woman was elated that at-least now, there was no way but down. On the horizon, they saw a door with two snakes, and now she walked with an easier step. "Okay, finally. Let's get it done with this stupid tower, because this is enough cardio for--"
She yelped when a snake's head emerged from behind the edge. She used her wings to propel herself back, landing on her rear. She moved back as the rest of the creature emerged - revealing that the snake was merely the tail. The beast was a horrid amalgamation of two more beasts - with a goat's head. and a lion's underneath - horned with claws, and razor-sharp teeth.
"Not a Chimera too!" Fluttershy cried out. She was not so concerned over the appearance of the dangerous as the fact that she was certain it would be killed within the next few minutes. She was proven wrong - as to defend Rainbow Dash, Applejack quickly dashed in. The blonde had learned to better control the new powers over the last several encounters, so much so that she was able to combine her strengths. She entered with an uppercut while one of her fists was coated in ice. The punch had blasted the Chimera with a layer of ice, coating its lion face. As itwas launched into the air, Applejack followed with a haymaker - this time, her fist covered in fire that melted the ice off, making the beast scream as it was covered in boiling water.
The punch caused it to fly at Pinkie Pie, who let out a yell as she held her mallet as a baseball bat, she sent the beast flying back at Kratos, who used the opportunity to throw his Blades at the snake-like tail. The chains wrapped around it, and with his chains and Blades coated in fire, Kratos swung the beast once more with such force that the snake was ripped right off of the Chimera. He threw it onto the floor, where the beast began to screech and writhe in tremendous pain. It however did not back down, and instead attempted to charge at Twilight.
The spearwoman was ready however, and aimed her spear almost like a pool cue. When the beast came too close, she imbued her spear with the power of ice to make a precise attack, where the spear thrust itself right into the chin of the goat face, making a straight line from the underneath side of its head, and out of the top of its skull. The beast retreated, writhing and spewing ice-breath everywhere. Rainbow Dash had to dodge a layer of ice, before she and Kratos immediately pounced on the beast. With Applejack running in to help Rainbow Dash, the three had gripped the horns of the beast and pulled them off - a bloody explosion, leaving it thrashing until, with one final strike of Kratos' Blades, it perished.
"..." Fluttershy sighed. Suddenly, as Kratos pulled the mechanism that was mounted on the floor, the Earth shook.
The Python moved once more, adjusting his position. This time however, they saw as the side of its belly was exposed, showing off the frozen interior.
"...Into the belly of the Python, I suppose." Said Rarity, who picked out some of the arrows that were stuck in the corpse of the beast.
***
They walked through the interior of the massive snake. It was curious to see that the hollowed-out snake was very much like a transport used for cargo - not unlike the tower deck of a ship. They waded through the ice and the Satyrs that were cut apart trying to stop them, and all seemed like it was a smooth trek, until once again they saw the face of a God.
...
And a basin of lightning.
"For those who have eyes to see, I offer the lightning of Zeus." Twilight repeated. "...Good things come in threes, don't they?"
"But..." Applejack bit her lip. "Twi, Zeus...He ain't exactly right in the head. A-Ares is more rational than he is! Poseidon's a schemer, but he's not so...so..."
"You can insult the Gods all you like." Kratos said. "I figured that worshiping them and speaking well of them won't get you anything. They'll treat you like an ant if you let them. But I won't." Kratos grits his teeth, sinking his Blades into the lightning. The others were not asked if they were ready - but they did not have to.
As the electricity coursed through their weapons, as sparks began to light their arms...
Kratos did not feel any different. To him, he was dull to emotions such as these.
But the others grinned. They felt...alive. Too alive. They felt greater than mortals. For with the power of Zeus, how could one be content with something as mundane as...mortality?
Kratos scoffed - particularly at Fluttershy, who for once in her life grinned maliciously. "In time, you'll figure out how dangerous blind emotion is."
"Maybe..." Twilight flicked the tip of her spear with a smirk. "But I think I'm gonna enjoy this for now...Come here, lil' goats..." She laughed at the approaching Satyrs. "Let me show you why you're underneath the dirt on my sandals."
"...Heh." Applejack cracked her knuckles. "Let's let loose! Up and at 'em, cowgirls!"
"...I actually don't feel too different." Muttered Rainbow Dash, though then smiling all the same as she raised her electricity-imbued blade. With that, the seven rushed the Satyrs - wildly swinging their blades as they electrified all flesh and fur that stood before them. They would make their bloody way - using the power of ice, electricity, and fire, as they moved out of the Python's belly, and to the caverns.
My Little Pony x God of War: Ascension
Present Day
"...F-Fluttershy did WHAT with her daggers?" Hitch squeaked.
With wide eyes did the younger warriors listen to the words of Twilight Sparkle as she retold that moment. The lust of battle that seeped into their minds - that motivated them to become killing machines that shaved off their entire feeling of self. To hear that they had become so arrogant and murderous all because the aspect of Zeus had been bestowed upon them.
Fluttershy sat there, hiding her face in shame. Applejack nervously chuckled, patting her on the shoulder. Twilight continued to speak with the younger warriors, resolving to chuckle in mild embarrassment.
"Yes, well..." Twilight coughed. "That's the price to pay when dealing with the powers of a God. Gods themselves are a little bit...delusional. I have taken great note while studying all the Gods we have encountered, and the results do not fail to fascinate. There are certain mental patterns that follow the acquisition of power, and it gets worse over time; as Gods are immortal and all. Like with the power of Zeus, we've experienced a high that made us believe we were above everyone else..."
"Or how Poseidon's cold thing made us all...cold." Pinkie shuddered. "I always hated using that one!"
"Ares's one is objectively the best one." Rainbow Dash shrugged. "C'mon, yeah we became kinda crazy, but we were really good at fighting now."
"...What about now?" Sunny prodded. "I mean, you had those powers back then, but do you have them now? Like, can you call upon them?"
"Wouldn't say so..." Applejack rubbed her blonde-and-red hair. "We can get mighty angry now and then, kinda get that surge from our ol' days in ol' Sparta, y'know. We dubbed it "Spartan Rage". That's just a lil' phenomenon we all good, y'know. 'Ah think that's all leftover after how many powers we probably tried to harness 'fer ourselves...Stuff became a kinda' soup, just boilin' in our blood..."
"I hate to say it, but AJ's right." Twilight said. "We've gone through so many things that we can't even have a proper understanding of what exactly goes on within us. We have no idea how many powers remained with us, and how many stayed. What I can tell you though is that after all these years, we've definitely...uhm...changed. That's all I'll say..."
"In a good way or a bad way?" Izzy tilted her head. Yet, Twilight did not seem intent on answering the question. They had to turn to Rarity, who had finished fixing up their clothing, and was able to speak.
"I shall put it this way, darlings." Rarity started. "I still used a bow and arrow then - and my philosophy was to aim for a target in such a manner it'd die on the spot. There was much ire in my bow, and at those times, I certainly used to stress the string to fire my arrows. Over time, you learn however - ire does not earn you the bullseye. Hate is a useful teacher - as much as it is the ugliest accent upon your clothing."
"...That's a bit philosophical." Zipp observed out loud. "I'm not sure if I'd be ready to use a power that completely changes how I feel though - ego death in exchange for power? Sounds like a pretty bad deal, if you ask me."
"Yet, a deal people make all the time." Rainbow Dash scoffed.
"...Say." Pipp leaned into Twilight. "I wanted to ask you - you said that in this Delphi place, there was an Oracle? You mean, the kind of person who can tell the future?"
Twilight's eyes cast down for a moment. She broke out a gentle sigh. "Mm. Her name was Aletheia. She had no eyes when we encountered her, but nonetheless, she was able to see such things that absolutely no one else could - neither Gods nor the smartest of Mortals."
"But you said you had to ride a giant snake, and get to the place, right?" Sunny asked. "Were there any more obstacles?"
"Apart from facing a Demi-God that was growing out of a Mortal, and running into our first "God?" Twilight laughed. "Well, I suppose there were a few. Let me continue, then..."
Author's Note
This has been the Chapter 3 Sneak peek of My Little Pony x God of War: Ascension story arc! I will add Chapter 3 real soon! Just hang tight!
My Little Pony x God of War: Ascension
Many years ago... In Ancient Greece... Before the Prison Break
They breathed with heavy panting and gasping. The environment around them had been destroyed, electrified to a near crisp. The enemies that tried to assault them were destroyed like flies - annihilated and turned into ash.
Twilight Sparkle gasped as she looked at her own spear, the electricity fizzed out now that she was calming down. She looked at the others, who looked equally shocked to have done the amount of destruction they have.
"Well..." Twilight muttered. "I guess this boon has made us a little bit cockier..." She spoke, looking at the others as the situation had calmed down somewhat. "Everyone feeling okay...?"
"I feel wonderful." Rarity cooed softly. "...Though, goodness, we really should make some progress... I think we've spent a better half of the hour beating these brutes..."
"...A-Ahm..." Fluttershy blushed at her blood-soaked dagger, splashing the blood away onto the floor to clean it. "D... Did I really do all that? I... I didn't say anything rude, did... Did I?"
Shooting her a scoff, Rainbow Dash turned to Kratos as she approached him. "Hey, Kratos - Python's stuck, so we gotta unjam it."
"Then we should head up." Kratos grunted. Rainbow Dash nodded and helped the others up - using her wings to fly and help lift up the non-winged companions up the several floors that Python made up. The neck of the snake-turned-machine was vertical, forcing them to climb upwards through wooden debris and scaffolding.
"...I feel like these spots would be great for enemy ambushes..." Twilight said, noticing how many positions there were from the enemy could shoot, flank, or rush them. And yet, nothing came. Kratos huffed in-between lunges upwards. "We've killed many. The seven of us made quick work of this area. Maybe they've run dry, or they've run off."
"Ahaha~!" Rarity cooed, rubbing her arms and shoulders as she fluttered her eyes at Kratos, having climbed ahead of him and waiting for him at the top of another climb of scaffolding. "So, shall you keep taunting and scolding us that we are extra baggage? You remember that you didn't want us to tag along, do you?"
"...I still don't regret the choice." Kratos grunted softly, yet Pinkie Pie giggled.
"Hey, you hesitated!" Pinkie said. " You answered three seconds later than before! You used to answer quickly before, hehehehe~!"
Kratos only sighed softly. "Take a step back." He spoke. He would approach a gigantic iron collar, which had kept the head of the Python in place, not allowing the transport to move. However, he would not be alone. As he launched his Blades, Pinkie Pie and Applejack joined in, starting to pull off other weak points that allowed the huge yoke of metal to snap in half. The girls gasped in unison, as the Python started moving rapidly. It began to move, now coming closer to the temple...
Yet not all was smooth, as an obnoxious roar disturbed them.
"Watch out!" Twilight cried out to Rainbow Dash, who was barely able to respond as the Manticore started to fly right at them. Without much of a choice or way to go, all she could do was duck - falling down into a ball.
It was lucky that Pinkie Pie had even faster reflexes. She had brought her mallet into the pose of a baseball bat, before swinging it - smashing it right into the Manticore, watching it descend.
Fluttershy squeaked softly. "...U-Uhm, that was... A little bit cruel."
"...You're the one who still has a dagger soaked in blood."
Fluttershy squeaked once more, realizing that the blood she had tried earlier was still there - for it was soaked in and dried.
Soon, the Python had arrived at its intended position, and the massive tower was now before them - standing there for them to climb.
"...Not again." Twilight sighed.
***
They had climbed the summit of the temple. The sheer power of the wind had nearly knocked Fluttershy off her feet, though Applejack had held her ready. Fluttershy, despite being a pegasus, made a small mistake - having looked over the edge. She nearly fainted, her legs buckling and her knees weak, but she was able to sigh and carry on.
As they walked towards Delphi, they were startled by a stranger they hadn't previously noticed. A rather famished, tired, and weak old man tried to make his way across the temple's roof, his back supporting an enormous basket, which they could only guess what it contained.
Kratos walked without batting him as much as an eye. The others however felt almost sorry for the man and tried to approach him - but slowed down when they heard how panicked and desperate he sounded, mumbling and gasping with each breath as he started to fall onto his knees.
The pilgrim kept mumbling, his large beard swaying side to side from the howling wind and ice that forced him to rely even harder on a stick he used to hold onto. "The offerings will please the Oracle this time. I know it..." He whispered to himself.
"Uhm, excuse me..." Fluttershy whispered softly. "Can I help--"
Suddenly, the man slipped on the ice, his ankle sliding as he fell onto his side. The basket tipped over, as apples started to roll out. The first to take notice, unsurprisingly, was Applejack. The man started to scramble to try and pick up the apples, gasping.
"No, no, no! My gifts!" He whimpered, trying desperately to pick up the scattering fruit. "She must have them all. It will have to be eno--"
"Hey, pardner, take it easy." Whispered Applejack, who knelt beside him. She started to pick up the apples. "Well, hey, look at that! Mila Zagoras Piliou apples!" She cooed happily. "These are some of the best apples in Greece! Where'd ya cultivate 'em? I'd be happy to have some at 'mah fa--"
"My gifts!" He barked at her, immediately trying to snatch the apples from her to take them back. However, he gasped as she immediately handed them back, showing that she wasn't here to steal from him.
"Simmer down, hoss, a'hm just curious." She whispered. "Y'here to see th' Oracle...?"
Anxiously, he nodded at her. "...I... I need to see the Oracle - I was already sent away because the previous gifts weren't good enough... I've tried so much, but nothing was good enough, the Master kept sending me away time and time again... So, this time..."
"These apples are good, pardner." Applejack smiled. "...Though ah'm not sure if there'll be much of an Oracle left by the time Kratos here--"
Fluttershy immediately rushed them both - using her wings to shield both Applejack and the old man as she spun with them over the ground. They had no idea what had happened - until the large scorpion tail flew over them both. The Manticore that attempted to swoop up and eat the man was left without a meal - save for an arrow, which Rarity immediately launched into its side as it missed the target.
"T-Tarnation!" Applejack barked as they had come to a stop. "Pal, just go home, 'cause this place ain't anything good!"
Kratos grits his teeth, noticing Fluttershy as she rolled over to land on her feet. "Fluttershy - stop putting your life in danger because of passerby! You'll get yourself killed before the enemy gets a hit on you." He said, producing his Blades and locking his sight with the Manticore. "Let's get this beast done with fast. I'm not going to spend time on more of these obstacles!"
Fluttershy's lip quivered, but she had to toughen up quickly. She whistled over to her falcon, who started to peck at the Manticore with its evasive maneuvers.
The pilgrim looked in terror - and had figured no better action than to run away instead, the apples rolling out of his basket while he constantly fell and slipped. Even as more monsters swarmed the tower, he was safe - for Rarity's careful and angry arrows made quick work of any monster that tried to kill him.
The efforts of the team were simple and did not require more effort than any other encounter they've had - with the Manticore killed as Kratos ripped yet more and more pieces of it, all while the straggling monsters were not allowed to come close by Rarity and Fluttershy, who defended the group from smaller foes while they fought the Manticore itself.
Within time, the platform was littered with enemy corpses... and the Temple of Delphi stood right before them, with the entrance being within their reach.
"Let's go." Kratos sternly said.
***
They had to fight many more monsters down this way - the blood on their bodies cleaned off thanks to their movements, so fast that blood merely slipped off of them. Having defeated a Cerberus and other beasts, the carnage had led them to an open chamber, which was accessible by a moving platform. They descended upon it - each anxious at the sheer idea of meeting an Oracle, so much so they could not comment on it or make guesses. Pinkie could not crack jokes either.
The platform descended down. They had reached their destination.
"This is it..." Twilight softly whispered as they approached the bridge. It was a long way, far along the cavern that seemed to be large enough that running across the bridge would take several minutes.
"...Who's that?" Rainbow Dash curiously peeked at the entrance of the bridge. Upon there, a man sat, surrounded by masked figures. There were male figures - those clad with spears and armor that stood guard, though without any real zeal or desire to be here. Their masks were made of greenish bronze, making them appear faceless.
One of the masked individuals - a woman - sat on the lap of the sitting man. His chest was covered by a cloth. Despite the fact that Kratos and the others were quite visible, the man kept ignoring them, instead focusing on holding his slave and enjoying her company. It earned a look of disgust from the others.
"Slave-owners..." Applejack grits her teeth. "Now that's just about the most darn' disgustin' thing I've seen all day."
"Right on with you on that..." Rainbow Dash grunted. "This guy looks weird - slaves or not. I propose we just keep going, no reason to let him stop us."
Kratos, on cue with her words, started to move forward once again. He made his way to the bridge, walking right to the man who now took notice of Kratos and the others. The sitting man scanned them up and down, valuing and gauging each one to see what they were going to offer, and what they could offer.
The smug man sat on the throne-like seat, judgmentally looking at the seven, and not paying them much respect nor attention. He waved his hand, looking aside without much interest. "My, there's many of you this time of year. Fine. Place your offerings for Aletheia, and we will decide if they are worthy at our will. Hope you all brought one each for otherwise--"
"We offer nothing." Kratos sternly said. The statement made the Master curiously gaze upon Kratos with a judgmental look - yet at the same time, his curiosity peaked. He laughed, rubbing the shoulder of the masked slave sitting on his lap.
"You ALL presume to see an audience with the Oracle, and yet, you bring no offerings? Bold. Stupid, but bold." He spoke. Kratos started to walk past him, ignoring him almost entirely. On his cue, the others followed him - none were going to leave him behind or be left behind. The man on the throne smirked further. He immediately grabbed Kratos' bicep, stopping him in his tracks. "...Although, you must have good reason to seek the Oracle, carrying such a mark. "Return when you have brought appropriate sacrifice."
"..." Kratos pulled his bicep away from the man that tried to hold it. "I have come to see the Oracle, and that is what I intend to do."
With that, the Master sighed, looking one by one as the women followed Kratos to walk past him. "I would have liked to hear your stories, warriors. It is a shame you fail to see reason. Remove them"
Immediately on cue, masked men ran up to cut off Kratos and the other women. However, during so, they realized how futile the task was. There was only a handful of the masked slaves that could truly do anything, running up and noticing not only the menacing Spartan, but the other warriors who did not even give them as much as a glance. It was a lost cause for the slaves, who only began to shake with their spears in hands, and without any resolve or courage, they immediately turned tail and sprinted away in terror, letting out fearful yelps and squeaks and ignoring their responsibility as they ran off.
The master sighed. With annoyance, he threw off the woman on his lap without any consideration. He placed his hand on his cloak, prepared to take it off. "We have to find a better slave trader..." He mumbled.
He revealed the cloth to reveal the ugly abomination connected to his hip - but it was with a surge of power in his amulet that not only did his youth return to his face, but so did the youth of the twin that was embedded inside of him. Although he looked like an old man some seconds ago, he now looked much younger, and much more limber. Even the deformed child-like being that grew out of his stomach had regained not only youth, but a fervor that made it more alive. And for all its liveliness, it was also very angry.
It was then when the younger man and his twin suddenly appeared before them on the bridge, cutting off their way forward, blocking their path as the blue necklace kept on glowing.
The deformed twin growing out of the man's stomach. "We will not tolerate your impudence! You will not see her!" The thing screamed, enough to make Rainbow Dash shudder from the deformity alone.
"We can and we will, ya creep!" Rainbow Dash prepared her sword, trying to run at the twins, and swiping her sword at them - yet they merely phased out of existence and began to teleport, moving further and further along the bridge that was now being lifted up and splintered by a green hue - magic that was causing bits of the bridge to not only break but float, making their approach all the more difficult.
"We will see to it you do not live!" Shouted the now-young man. "Your desire to see the Oracle will get you killed, arrogant fools!" He exclaimed. The bridge was collapsing, forcing the warriors to leap, fly, and jump over the debris. Due to the speed at which the bridge collapsed, it forced them to be on their own each, for helping one another would not give them the time needed to get it all the way through. Kratos used the chains of the Blades, while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew overhead, trying both to catch up to the twins.
As the twins kept teleporting, the deformed one growing out of the Mortal yelped as the edge of Rainbow Dash's blade nearly lopped his head off - though by then, he had already teleported further along the bridge and to safety. "They're gaining, you idiot!" The deformed twin shouted.
The Mortal twin growled in frustration. "I know they're gaining, leave me be! I will take care of them! Arrogant fools, we will not be defeated!" He shouted. By now, they had arrived at the end of the bridge - a platform that stood... And yonder beyond the abyss, sat an eyeless woman - her breathing slow and ragged.
"It's the Oracle!" Gasped Twilight. However, her attempt to approach was stopped as she saw the twins - they now stood before her, the Mortal moving side to side in a challenging, territorial matter. "You may be a great warrior, but you have no place in our temple. You will never see the Oracle!"
The smaller twin jeered and taunted. "My... Quite persistent, are they?"
The Mortal twin grits his teeth, and angrily huffed. "Their persistence only means their death."
"I beg to differ!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. With her wings, she swooped in, she swung her sword at the twins. In the Mortal's however, a green scepter and sword had materialized, and Rainbow Dash was instantly parried, before the scepter was swung right into her abdomen, forcing her to roll back with yelps and oomphs.
"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy exclaimed. The foe tried to swing his green sword at her, but she took quick and wide steps back - allowing her to get to safety as Applejack bashed him with her shoulder. Angrily, the Mortal twin held his medallion, which forced the ground underneath AJ to crack - before quickly rebuilding and whipping her with the force of stone, making her fly back. She let out a cry - not pain, but anger for allowing herself to be this open.
Kratos swung his Blades, which the twin started to deflect - crossing the two weapons he had while slashing the ground with the weapons, causing stones and rocks to fly at Kratos and strike him in the legs and stomach. Kratos jumped to the side, rolling to get away from danger. This was to his adventure - as rolling away gave Rarity the clear line of sight to fire right at the deformed twin - though the Mortal caught the arrow. Noticing this, the deformed bald twin barked angrily.
"So, Castor's too strong for ya!? Decided to take on little old Pollux!?" The deformed twin shouted. "Why were they allowed entry to MY temple!?"
Castor did not let this distract them. Castor rushed Rarity, using his scepter to bash her. Due to her lack of complete knowledge in hand-to-hand, she was tossed to the side, rolling over the floor, and trying to get her composure.
Pinkie Pie decided that something had to change - and deciding to experiment, she sought a new solution. She called upon the cold power of Poseidon - one that stripped all happiness from her but gave her immense precision and tactical prowess. She rushed Castor and began to swing her mallet - yet moved it in carefully crafted motions that made blocking too difficult. Castor made the mistake of crossing his weapons to block, for Pinkie was skillfully able to flip the mallet so that she held it by its blunt end, and instead drove the long handle into the foe's chest like a stake, barely missing Pollux.
It was just in time for Twilight to knee Castor in the back from behind, sending him flying right into one of Kratos's chains. This sent the twins flying onto the floor - but this would be a mistake. With the scepter making contact with the platform, there was an intense earthquake that began to shake the chamber to its very core. The deformed twin saw what this was leading to and opted to be very mocking.
"You have sealed the Oracle's fate! You will never know the truth!" Pollux laughed out. The others watched in horror as the platform underneath the Oracle's seat had cracked - and the woman had been woken suddenly, forced into a terrifying black abyss beneath, falling for dozens of meters.
"We need to deal with him fast!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"Gotta agree!" Applejack said. She had activated the aspect of Zeus, while Dash stuck to the aspect of Ares. With Applejack in a cocky state of superiority, and Rainbow Dash in a state of absolute violence, they rushed Castor - forcing him to fight off both. While Rainbow Dash moved too quickly for him to exploit weakness, Applejack was punching without any fear, making both targets equally bothersome. He was able to just barely shove them off, but now had to lock swords with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, who had replaced their two friends in all this. With one united strike, Castor was sent flying back, leaving Pollux... Suddenly, their body glowed green, and Castor started levitating.
The younger twin spoke with annoyance as it rose like a marionette, powered by the magic of the twin. "I grow tired of my brother's incompetence..." said Pollux, forcing the body of his brother to levitate like some doll - even while he was alive.
Like a marionette, Pollux attempted to rush their body at Kratos - but Kratos was able to work together with Applejack as they punched him in unison, shattering his ribcage. The floor underneath them began to crack and shatter, forcing an abyss to open up beneath them. Together, Kratos and Rainbow Dash rushed the twins, seeing an opportunity now that they no longer had the platform to manipulate and use how they wished.
They exchanged blows - with Kratos and Rainbow Dash repeatedly punching both twins, causing broken bones and bruises on the foe. However, in a fit of rage and fury, Kratos held onto the torso of Pollux and began pulling - with the Rainbow-haired girl joining him immediately.
"RAAAAGH!" Both Rainbow Dash and Kratos pulled hard, and soon Pollux could on no longer. As they fell, blood began to shower them - for Castor's body was now flying in a different trajectory, before painfully splattering over some rocks.
"Everyone okay...?" Twilight asked, shaking her head past the debris they had fallen with. The other girls nodded and agreed, giving the unicorn peace of mind that everything was okay. With that news, it was time to stand up to see what had happened. Kratos had stood up before either of them, making his way towards the dying twin.
"I-I'm innocent!" Pollux nervously giggled. "I--"
It took one triumphant stomp to destroy the deformed twin, putting Pollux to rest, and leaving behind only Castor, who lay dead before them.
Taking the artifact off of the dead Castor, Kratos had taken a closer look at it. The first to have their interest piqued was Twilight, who came in close to see what they had fairly looted.
"The Amulet of Uroboros." Twilight whispered. "This is... very useful. Wait - b-but enough about the amulet - the Oracle! Aletheia!"
"W-We need to get up there fast!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, pointing at a spot that was most likely the one where the Oracle had fallen, where there was a pile of stones. "If that lady fell all this height, then I have no idea if she's okay at this point!"
"Let's go!" Twilight exclaimed. They ran up the pit, hastily and tiredly making their way up stones and rocks just to get closer to the Oracle. Using the artifact, they had restored pieces of the ruins that would let them make their way faster. Within time, both Kratos and Twilight Sparkle ran up to the Oracle, who was now buried between large stones - motionless.
"Aletheia..." Kratos said, watching the Oracle as she laid in the stones. He crouched by her side and immediately began to remove them. He was helped by Applejack, who gasped at the sight. She ran up to help remove the stones that littered and pinned the Oracle, and so did the old woman sigh in relief as the great weight was taken off of her. Kratos attempted to bring up the blue medallion - but no matter how much he had used it, it did not connect to the battered woman.
She coughed, waving the medallion away. "The relic you carry has no effect on me."
"No, there has to be something we can do..." Twilight stood with her hair in her hands, anxious and panicking. The fact that an Oracle was gravely wounded and dying was Earth shattering enough - the consequences could have been too great, and yet, no matter what, it seemed that the woman calmly took the situation, instead reaching for Twilight's arm, and holding her gently.
"You worry too much about what cannot be changed, girl." Aletheia coughed gently. "But do not worry. The situation before me is clear. I have waited for this day..."
Kratos frowned at her words. For a moment, he cast his gaze down - however, in the moment he did, he let out a gasp of unpleasant surprise and shock, for before him was the corpse of the one woman to whom he'd dedicated so much. His wife lay beneath his feet, in the same position he had found her then.
However, to the others, it seemed as if he saw something that only he could see. The others stepped back, eyes wide at the sudden reaction.
"Kratos!" Fluttershy cried out. "W-What's wrong? What do you see?" She asked. The others attempted to come close to comfort him, worried about his intense reaction. However, he waved his hand and distanced them away, taking steps back with utter confusion and anger.
"I..." Kratos grits his teeth. "I saw--"
The dying Oracle attempted to rise herself to her elbows, trying to rise, and get closer to the Spartan. "Your thoughts are clouded, and your mind conflicted, warrior. I can feel it. You seek the truth?"
The women looked at Kratos in concern. There was a growing worry that whatever the truth was, it was much too intense. They had no idea what could have perturbed Kratos so much - they knew that he was formidable, steel-nerved and strong, but the fact something could have such an effect on him was more than concerning. All they could do was wait for Kratos to make his choice.
The Spartan gazed upon the Oracle and nodded his head with a sigh. "...Yes."
The Oracle gently nodded her head. "Mm. So be it. But remember, the truth always comes with a price."
"Kratos..." Twilight quietly spoke up. "Please be careful."
The Spartan looked at her and nodded. He crouched beside the Oracle and extended his hand. She took it - with the ring and necklace in his hand.
Kratos closed his eyes.
There were only flames. Only an endless battlefield and torment that surrounded all - only silhouettes in amber. The ring fell to the sand - Kratos could only look at his hands in chains...
The three Furies walked towards him - and behind him was Orkos. He extended his hand, speaking.
"Enemies, innocent... Kin... Your bond is complete. What's done is done. It cannot be undone." The Shade spoke.
Kratos could only collapse to the sand, downcast and forever cast in the amber prison of delusion and insanity - for the mental chains held him down and gave him no reprieve.
"No..." He softly said, lost and bound under the contract of the Furies - the bond that would not shake free.
It was then when Kratos opened his eyes - and anxiously, the girls stepped forward.
"Kratos, are you okay?" Twilight softly asked. The Spartan gazed at her and nodded once. He turned back to the wounded woman, who returned the possessions of his wife and daughter back to him.
Aletheia spoke past her ragged breath and exhaustion - the death that seeped into her. "The Furies infect your mind because you run from your oath to Ares. They will stop at nothing, should you resist...."
The words caused tension - for the oath made the other women uneasy. An oath to Ares? Running from it? They only looked at one another, but more intently, they looked at Kratos, hoping to find some kind of answer in all of this.
"...So, the Shade speaks the truth." Kratos quietly murmured.
Aletheia took a pained gasp for air. "The intentions of Orkos are pure..."
The name immediately caught his attention, as well as Twilight's, wo knew the name well. "Orkos...? But he is a Fury!"
The dying woman on the stone spoke fast to calm him. "And he will play his part in time. My time grows short. To be free of the madness that infects you, you must defeat those who hold your bond with the God of War..."
Applejack felt her heart skip beats from fear. "...Defeatin' the Furies? How in Greece would one go 'bout doin' that...?"
"Not only that..." Kratos sighed. "How can I defeat the Furies, when all I see is illusion...?"
Aletheia spoke past the lack of oxygen as her lungs could not hope to keep breathing at a steady pace. "Across the sea, the Lantern of Delos keeps the eyes of truth..."
"Delos...?" Twilight and Kratos said in unison, exchanging an uncertain and uneasy look.
With her dying breath, the Oracle spoke her final words. "Find the eyes, and they will show you the path to freedom..."
...
Kratos let go of her hand as her body became limp. He rose to his feet and exchanged a look with the other women, who all hung their heads to see the death of someone who saw the truth and reality with more clarity than in the land.
"...I feel like it's our fault." Fluttershy vented, letting out a shrill sigh. "Maybe if we were less destructive and..."
"...We gotta go." Rainbow Dash insisted. "Kratos, I got no idea what's up with your head - but I'm not gonna let her death be in vain."
"Yeah." Pinkie Pie felt just as crestfallen. "We gotta do this for Kratos - it's not fair that the Furies can do something like this!"
"...I have no need for pity." Kratos muttered. "But you're right. I'll get to the eyes and dispel these illusions."
"You mean we will get to the eyes and help you?" Twilight softly smiled at Kratos. Yet, her smile faded once he looked at her with a silent gaze, and turned his head to the way before them, further down the caverns and cisterns.
***
They looked at the giant sitting in the water - the Harbor Master, who patiently watched them. Anxiously, they approached the ship. Its crew was preparing to leave and was taking on-boarders. It was peculiar - for none of them even cared for Kratos nor Twilight. But as they boarded the ship, they saw a familiar figure.
Or at-least, Kratos did. Immediately, the Spartan approached the Shade, his weapons ready...
Until he suddenly disappeared.
"Huh!?" Rainbow Dash started to look around herself anxiously. "Hey, who was tha--"
"Only a coward hides himself, Orkos." Kratos bellowed... Then watched as the bearded man reappeared from behind, catching the others off-guard.
"You're..." Twilight wanted to speak but could not find anything useful to say. Orkos nodded to her, then turned to Kratos.
"You know I am one of the Furies who forged your bond. You would have killed me before I could even speak..."
The Spartan looked distrustfully, though for a moment, he looked at Applejack. She tipped her hat to him - a sign that perhaps the person they were talking to was being honest. Her talent of identifying lies had been helpful over the years. With this in mind, Kratos continued talking. "Then tell me. What have brought you to this betrayal of your own kind?"
All took a step back once Orkos took a step forward, looking Kratos right in the eyes. "It was you... The injustice of your oath that made me doubt them... is it possible that through all your suffering, you still do not understand why you were chosen? Why Ares needed you? Why he still needs you?" He spoke.
Kratos was about to demand that Orkos spoke more clearly - yet Applejack was the first to step forward, upset at the lack of clarity in his words. "Hey hoss - why don'tcha speak more clearly!?"
Orkos spoke louder through his frustration, walking closer to the Spartan. "Oh Kratos... The God of War has been plotting for years. I was brought forth by the joining of the War God and the Fury Queen. In rage and insanity, Ares hoped to conceive the perfect warrior... but I was only a disappointment to him... it was my mothers who spared me. They gave me the task of keeping the oaths. Although my burden was great, I was determined to be of service to those who said they loved me. But it was you, Kratos.... It was the final task of your bond that made me question the actions of my family. I sought council with Aletheia. It was she who revealed to me the plot of Ares to overthrow Zeus. But he needed the perfect warrior. Ares molded you to take down the very walls of Olympus..."
Kratos felt his own words ringing in his ears. That very statement he made under the rain and the thunder, soaked in blood with death all around him...
Ares! Destroy my enemies, and my life is yours!
Those words - those cursed words...
Orkos spoke - but quietly. Kratos knew this. The words that were spoken by the Fury were only for Kratos - and the others could only guess why there was a moment of seeming silence. "To make you beholden only to him, Ares and my mothers devised three blood tasks. Spill the blood of your enemies...the blood of the innocent...the blood of your very own--"
The girls were startled however once Kratos suddenly raised his voice at Orkos, speaking loudly at him. "The past is the PAST Orkos!"
Disapprovingly, the Shade sighed at the words of the Spartan. "A past you now seek to rectify..."
"And I will do so without the aid of a Fury..." Kratos hissed. Orkos looked at Kratos for a mere moment - before disappearing, leaving behind the Spartan with the girls and the rest of the crew.
Silently, the others had looked at one another, and merely watched as the giant Harbor Master helped take the ship out, and into open waters...
***
It was only after some hours of swimming that the ship had stopped - The crew ordered to do so by Kratos.
"...We are going to part ways here." Kratos suddenly spoke. The phrase immediately caught the others off-guard, who were peacefully sitting mere seconds ago, and were now rising to their feet, immensely perturbed at his words and tense.
"Wait, what!?" Rainbow Dash cried out. "No, we're not! Don't talk crazy. We didn't just kill Pollux and then the Oracle just to call it quits. We're basically blasphemers at this point, why back out now!?"
"You don't understand." Kratos sighed.
"RD's right!" Pinkie Pie humphed, putting her hands on her hips with a highly displeased look. "That's not fair! You can't just leave without us! You know how many parties I planned!? I basically planned a party for each big victory we woulda gotten! Why do you wanna break off now?"
"Darling, please, listen to them!" Rarity insisted. "There is no rational rhyme for us to separate, if together, we stand a chance! Why, we're more effective than any armed force in Greece - if anyone can stand up to the wrath of the Furies - then it is us, together."
"Kratos..." Fluttershy whispered. "Let's--"
"NO." Kratos bellowed with anger as he pounded the wood of the ship. "I am separating now, because this is MY war. This has ALWAYS been My war. My and MINE alone. I am going to get justice for what was TAKEN from ME. I do NOT need you in my way!"
"In your way!?" Twilight suddenly lost her cool, storming towards him and squaring up. It was extremely rare to see such a case - to the point that all eyes were on them, as Twilight was standing chest-to-chest with Kratos. Despite her being shorter, she had no difficulty staring right back at him, not intimidated in the slightest. "You do not DARE claim that we got into your way - if anything, you would have still been stuck in the Gods-Forsaken VILLAGE, STUMBLING and WALLOWING in those illusions!"
Kratos scowled. "I would have made it by myself. Or do you wish to imply I am an imbecile!? Weak-minded?"
"I might as well be if you're trying to leave when there's really no point to it!" Twilight barked with tears in her eyes. "Don't do this! What's the point!?"
"The point is that something terrible will happen." Kratos grits his teeth and balls his fists. "You best go home to your friends and family, and shelter them, and possibly clean yourselves of any involvement with me. Now, get off my ship. I am going to face the Furies myself - and this is final."
"..." Twilight had no words, looking down at the boards in utter disbelief.
"Besides." Kratos sighed. "Spike still needs you. You were wise not to bring him to the bloodshed, considering he's still a young warrior, but he cannot be left without someone who can train him. Do not let your absence make him weak."
"..." Twilight hung her head and sighed, turning around. "Let's go, girls."
"W-Wait, huh!?" Applejack looked confused - torn between Twilight who was leaving, and Kratos who was staying. "Wait wait, Twi, 'yer just gonna leave like that? 'Ah can't... We can't leave 'im!"
"It's what he wants." Twilight barked at them. "Let's go. He's right. We need to tell the others about what happened..."
The other girls looked at Kratos for a moment and sighed, hanging their heads and saying their goodbyes.
"...See ya, pardner." Applejack put her hat to her chest and left.
"...Adios." Pinkie sniffled.
"See ya 'round, Kratos..." Rainbow Dash sighed.
"Please be safe..." Fluttershy softly whispered to him.
"Until next time, Kratos." Rarity softly said. With that, hey jumped into the shallow waters, and began to walk along the beach.
With that, Kratos was alone. With his massive arms, he arranged the ship to continue sailing - kicking off from the rocky coast and moving on forward. He could not think of what happened - nor did he want to.
As Kratos looked upon the gem, he realized all he needs to do was fight the forces that gnawed at his mind. His thoughts now clear, the warrior turned his rage to the remaining Furies and their ultimate defeat.
PRESENT DAY... After The Prison Break...
As Kratos cleaned his Blades from the blood of Megaera, Rainbow Dash approached him from the side, and smirked.
"And to think you really wanted to do it solo, huh?"
"...Hmph." Kratos smirked softly. "It would've been more silent..."
Author's Note
As promised, here is Chapter 3 of the My little Pony x God of War: Ascension crossover. I will bring out Chapter 4 soon, where the story will pick up from where it left off, which is after the death of Megaera.
My Little Pony x God of War: Ascension
Many years ago... In Ancient Greece...
They fought further through the prison. Rainbow Dash ran one of the foes through with her sword, right into Twilight's spear. Kratos swung his Blades, and before another opponent could flank him, Pinkie Pie had flattered him immediately with her huge mallet, folding it into nothingness.
"We need to move further!" Applejack shouted.
"Which way though!?" Rarity cried out, using her bow and arrow desperately to fend off the enemies that tried to swarm them.
"..." Kratos looked at the green amulet. He raised it high, and there was an immediate rumble and shake. The team were surprised to see how there was a sudden movement of stone and debris. It was in a short moment that the prison would begin to reconstruct itself. Parts that were scattered and destroyed were now reforming and would build up into another section of this sprawling prison, giving them a way forward. By then, the enemies had relented, and they had a quiet passage forward.
"That amulet is amazing..." Twilight Sparkle quietly whispered with eyes of amazement. The team would run further down the complex, running across the stone floor. They ran forward, until they reached a wooden door.
Kratos stepped through.
Yet, the others did not.
He stepped into a room. A ceremonial room. Spartans stood with their weapons at attention, all lined up as the path led to an armored man at the end of the room. Kratos could not help but calmly stepped closer to him. He knew of this ceremony. He understood that he was going to be awarded for his hard work.
The armored man spoke, welcoming Kratos to him. "...I have watched you over the years. When you were just a boy, I saw the signs. Even the loss of your brother did not sway your focus. The tragedy only improved you, honed your skills, and now, Kratos, you have fulfilled your promise of greatness. You served with honor."
Kratos heard some voices behind him. They were shouting for him. Almost attempting to break through a barrier. Yet, he was left uninterrupted as he kept walking forward to the man. He saw the ceremonial sword being held by him, being extended out to Kratos.
And yet, Kratos saw the ring...
"You brought glory to us all and today. You have earned your place among us as the greatest general Sparta has ever known!"
Kratos looked at the sword being prepared for him. Yet, he was not going to pull this trick. He grabbed the Spartan by the wrist, and kicked him forward.
The room crumbled into nothingness - there was no more gorgeous decoration, and the soldiers around them were gone. It was now a mere ridge on the edge of the cliff. The decorated Spartan was now replaced with a horrendous Fury.
This second Fury hissed angrily, unfurling her wings and starting to fly. It was around this time that a door behind Kratos had burst open. The girls that followed Kratos were able to run right through, with Applejack running it through with her shoulder. "Kratos!"
The Fury saw the backup and laughed. "So, there is something you value more than ambition!?" She laughed, then looked at the rest of them. "Well, you may have killed my sister - but I have planned a horrid fate for each and every one of you."
The Fury flew off - dodging and flying past the arrows that Rarity tried to shoot. As she escaped, the team ran up to Kratos.
"Kratos, what happened!?" Twilight cried out. "We tried to follow you, but there was a magical seal on the door. Applejack had to use her strength just to get through it."
"Wasn't easy either, a'll tell ya that much!" Applejack nervously laughed.
"...The illusions are not relenting..." Fluttershy softly said. "That's the only way that the Furies could get close to you, Kratos. We need to stick together."
"..." Kratos sighed and nodded. He knew that being separate from his team had these risks. There was nothing to be done against these illusions, but the presence of the others meant that he had some form of reality check that could help him.
***
They went further down the prison. There were more foes that attempted to stop them, and they were becoming bolder. Stronger. The Furies were siccing bigger challenges against them, but the team stood strong together, especially now that they had gathered the aspects of the Gods - although they refused to use the Soul of Hades no matter what.
Having calmed down after using the power of Ares, the team had gone further into the prison. Then, they heard the sounds of scribbling. Something was being written, with something chalk-like. It came from one of the walls. Curiously, Twilight and Kratos were the first to approach the cell, poking around to see what was happening.
They heard the sounds of whispering and muttering.
"This will definitely have to go into the record. Record. Must record. Must record."
Twilight saw an old famished man, wearing an eyepatch and completely covered in strange writing. Twilight frowned, worried about the state of this prisoner, for the cell had kept him in.
"H-Hello? Sir, are you alright?" Twilight softly whispered. It caught the man's attention. He turned around and looked at the two, then he saw the rest of the team behind them.
The prisoner turned to them, studying with great interest. He nodded to himself, then started to write more things. His cell was covered on various writings, different things that covered every inch of the cramped cell. "You're the Spartans that Orkos talked about, aren't you? Definitely need to get this down..."
Kratos and Twilight crouched by the cell. Kratos murmured. "What do you know of the Oath Keeper?"
The prisoner immediately sprung up and began to rapidly pace around the room, shaking his head. "...I know he paid for what he's done. They say he was the first Marked One, but his father didn't like the way he turned out. I know. I was the first man to be put here by the Furies. See, I've been keeping a record. Orkos was born here. Then his mothers, they... They became... They used to be fair. Harsh, but fair had something to do with Ares, I imagine. The way they treated him... Their own son."
"That's... That's terrible." Twilight softly frowned.
"Ah' couldn't imagine that abuse towards one's own family..." Applejack softly said under her breath.
Kratos humphed. "That is no reason to betray your own..."
"I'm not sure about that." Fluttershy whispered. "I wouldn't be able to trust someone if they abused me, kin or not..."
"Mm." Rarity nodded. "What is "your own" when they treat you like dirt?"
"But it's kin..." Applejack said."
"...Loyalty's a weird thing." Rainbow Dash said. "It's a two-way street though, I'll tell you that much."
Yet, at the words, the mad scribe walked closer to the cell, grinning madly at them. "Betrayed his own... Sounds familiar, but he did it because of you..." He said, looking right at Kratos.
The words did not strike Kratos, it got no reaction from him. "I did not ask for his help..."
The old man, yet, grinned wider - the insane man smiled ever knowingly. "But you received it, nonetheless, didn't you, Spartan?"
Kratos closed his eyes, exhaling through his nostrils. The others looked at him with curious worry. Yet, the old man did not linger. He instead walked over to the worn-out and scribbled wall, chuckling. "This would make a wonderful addition to the record..."
The Spartan sat by the cell with Twilight, until he stood up and turned. Twilight stood up as well, but gazed at the man in the cell. "...Kratos, hang on..." Twilight said, but by then, Kratos kept walking.
Applejack thought fast on her feet. "Y'all girls catch up!" She said. They followed her order, quickly jogging up to catch up with Kratos and followed him. Meanwhile, Applejack gripped the cell and with her raw, sheer strength ripped the cage door off of its hinges, carefully setting it aside. She then saw the shackle that kept the man pinned to the wall and stomped on the chain, shattering it. The man did not pay her any mind as he kept writing. "Hey, fella - you're free!"
"..." The old man turned to her for a moment, and laughed. "Can't be free when there's so much to write. There's so, so much more to record. But... maybe now, I can use the rest of these walls If I rub out. Heheh..."
Perturbed, Applejack backed out of the cell. She heard the sounds of shouting and combat further down the prison and immediately ran to catch up with the team as they started to combat yet another myriad of monsters within the prison.
***
Covered in blood and scars, they only continued to run through the many cells that the hallway contained. As Kratos lifted up another gate, they finally poured out to the outside, light shining upon their faces.
"This way!" Twilight said, leading the team. They kept running - until they saw a gate, and beyond that, another closed, golden gate that led into another section of the cavernous interiors. As the group prepared to open the gate however, they were interrupted. The sound of something swooping in from the skies made itself clear.
"It's one of the Furies!" Rarity cried out, readying her bow as she aimed - yet, the fluid and fast motions of the flying Monstress did not give her a clear shot - the gate also acted as an obstacle, leaving the team only to listen to her vile words.
"If neither pleasure of the flesh or glory will return you to us, then there is only one thing left!" She shouted with her toxic tone.
From behind her, a skeletal, Phoenix-like beast flew to rush Kratos, its skin blue with a raging fire across it. It rolled through the sky, and made a beeline right for Kratos.
"Watch out!" Twilight said, pushing Fluttershy out of the way. Yet, it had no interest in the women, only in Kratos as it attempted to peck him. The huge bird-like creature began to wrestle with him, he held himself planted in the ground. With his strength, he wrestled the beast over - where Pinkie Pie prepared her massive mallet, swinging it and smashing the bird right in its face, causing it to scream in pain.
The team quickly worked together, Rarity firing an arrow into one of its skeletal wings, grounding it. Stomping one of the other wings, Applejack held the beast to the ground while Kratos straddled it from the top, plunging his fist right into its chest. A golden, brilliant glow came from it. In pain, the massive beast began to thrash, and once Kratos had pulled something out from it, it flailed one of its wings, throwing Applejack against the wall. Hurt, it immediately flew back to the Fury who stood in-front of the golden gate. She hissed in pain as the bird flew behind her.
"It matters not that you have my son's toy. It is your heart that will betray you!" She barked at them.
"What in Tartarus does that mean!?" Rainbow Dash screamed. Yet, the Fury took flight, and the beast followed her as they flew through the golden gate, and into the darkness.
There, Kratos stood with a red, heart-like object that he plucked from the flying beast, gazing at it. Twilight stood by his side, and gazed at it.
She whispered. "Is that...?"
Kratos' gaze lingered on it, and he closed his eyes.
Kratos knew he was close. Close to a time when illusion would have no power over him. Close to the defeat of the Furies and finally, close to the freedom he so desperately sought.
TWO WEEKS EARLIER...
The sailors murmured in fear. They anxiously sailed to the island, knowing well of the curses and dangers. Yet, they had a job to do. They arrived at the port, and once Kratos stepped off, they rushed to get the sails ready to leave. Yet, what distracted them were corpses. Corpses of beasts, slain with various weapons.
Kratos knew exactly who caused this - and his blood began to boil. He walked a little forward, where past the mountains of debris and corpses, he saw six figures waiting for him.
"Well, well...What took ya so long? Guess you got a slow ship. We found a much better crew, it seems." Rainbow Dash grinned, pushing herself forward after leaning against a wooden beam.
"What are you doing here!?" Kratos barked, furious. "I told you that this is--"
"Your war, huh?" Twilight asked, shaking her head. "Kratos, listen to yourself. You're stubborn and you're enraged. You're blind with anger, and you're--"
Kratos immediately drew one of his Blades, yet - the others had drawn their weapons. They were pointed at him - but not with lethal intent. They simply reminded him that they were serious, and that they did not appreciate him drawing a blade at a friend.
"Kratos!" Applejack barked. "A Spartan does not raise their arms against one of their own!"
"This isn't about Sparta anymore." He roared, tightening his grip on the blade. "What the Furies are responsible for, and what Ares is responsible for, it's--"
Twilight puts a hand on Applejack's shoulder, and walked forward. "We've made an oath to fight alongside each other, Kratos." She said. "Against men, Gods - that doesn't matter. You cannot discard your comrades. You may not owe us the truth about anything that has happened, but what you owe us is the chance to fight shoulder to shoulder with you. And do you know why?"
He was quiet, blowing air through his nose. Twilight's gaze softened.
"We're your friends, Kratos - and leaving you to fate, to whatever prophecies or oaths that have been kept, would be torture to us. You know this well. We've learned how to fight, not to lay down our weapons and let the tide of fate takes us. You're looking for answers, and revenge - and we'll look for it together. And your alternative?"
Twilight held her spear to her side, and opened her arms. "Well, you can kill us here. That's the only other way this can go right now."
...
Kratos felt his fists tight on his Blades, and yet... Seeing Twilight open herself to the possibility of being killed right here, the idea that he'd strike down one of the few soldiers that were loyal to him, and those that were still here and still willing to fight alongside him...
He remembered the faces of all the Spartans who've fallen by his side.
He closed his eyes, and sheathed the Blades. He grunted. "You have some nerve. All of you."
"Steel nerves are why we're Spartans, too." Pinkie Pie giggled, approaching him to pat him on his shoulder. "Now, let's see what this place has in store for us. I've always wanted to see what Apollo cooked up on thi little island."
Kratos nodded. He took the lead, approaching the scaffolding that would grant them access up the hill. Yet, there was a pause - the waves beyond seemed to roar uncontrollably, and a shape began to emerge from beneath. Much to Fluttershy's horror, a tentacle burst out from underneath the surface, surrounding the ship that brought Kratos to the island. The sailors screamed in terror, crying out and shouting. The ship did not stand a chance against the imposing monster that lurked beneath, wrapping itself around sections of the ship before starting to crush and snap it in half.
"No!" Fluttershy cried out. She tried run towards the ship that was in the middle of destruction, but was immediately stopped by Applejack, who held her back.
"Hey, what are you plannin' on doing!?" Applejack barked. "There ain't no way you're gonna just up and get those sailors saved! What, you're gonna talk to that Sea Monster!? Ain't happening, gi--"
"Watch out!" Pinkie Pie shouted, immediately pouncing on Applejack and Fluttershy to get them out of the way. As the ship was crushed and destroyed in sheer seconds, a section of the front was flung out, flying over the waters and heading right for the group. Kratos had to simply walk back, the piece of debris striking the wooden structure of the harbor, ripping apart the scaffolding that would allow them to climb up the mountain. There was nothing left, except a pile of scattered wood, sinking in the water.
Twilight walked up to stand to Kratos, sighing. "What are the odds? You still have that amulet?"
Kratos acquiesced, extending his fist with the jade-like amulet. It began to glow green, the wood started to piece itself into place. The wood would attach to the cliff once again, allowing the team to ascend up the cliff. They would need to climb and jump - with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash able to fly up and avoid the climb, doing so to scout for them. The team made their way up the mountain, and then they stepped before a path that would let them continue their trek upwards.
Yet, by the time the group made it, they heard the sounds of screaming. Approaching from the path, three dock workers run in terror, trying to flee from a trio of Satyrs. They yelled for the running men, each taking a javelin and aiming to throw right at them. Rarity gasped - pulling back an arrow to fire it at one of the mid-air javelins, which threw the weapon off-course and sent it flying back into one of the monsters.
Another human was rescued by Pinkie Pie, who jumped over the human to then swipe her mallet across and shatter the javelin, landing on her feet with ease. The final human was rescued by Kratos, who merely shoved him to the side to let the human stumble and go off-course, and the javelin missing him.
"Hey, a "Thanks" woulda been enough!" Rainbow Dash barked at the running men, joining the ranks alongside the others to face their threats once again. Kratos picked up the javelin and spun it around, throwing at one of the Satyrs. It impaled the stomach, allowing Fluttershy to quickly jump off the cliff to enter flight - using the momentum to then swoop in and slash the monster's neck. One was left screaming in anger. It did not have a chance - Rainbow Dash quickly sprinted and slid across, slicing her sword across its ankles and grounding it, while Applejack ran over to kick its head off, sending the head flying across the entire island.
More Satyrs jumped out to face them - they now circled the group with lethal intent, feeling the urge to kill.
Knowing they were cornered, the girls sighed. They looked at one another and nodded. They would need to evoke the powers they had acquired - all except the power of Hades. With the power of Zeus, Rainbow Dash and Rarity allowed arrogant and power-hungry power to guide their weapons, using the power of lightning to strike and kill off the Satyrs - though they neglected helping their friends. Even as a monster sliced Rarity across her stomach, Rainbow Dash did nothing to help, instead focusing on increasing her kill count. Not that Rarity had an issue with it, using the anger to fire an arrow that swooped through to behead the beast.
Pinkie Pie and Applejack evoked the aspect of Ares - their eyes only seeing red as they rushed and struck the enemy with sheer fury, their blunt weapons added with such a level of anger that they now became the most dangerous - each strike exploding the Satyrs into bits and pieces. Applejack's fists would take entire chunks off of their heads, able to push her fists through their bodies like a hot knife through butter. Pinkie Pie's laughs of joy were turned into laughs of sadism, her mallet flattening and dismembering each monster that tried to as much as look at her funny.
Fluttershy and Twilight evoked Poseidon's power - removing all emotions from themselves to target weak points. Fluttershy would swiftly move through the myriad of foes, her dagger quickly connecting with the most vulnerable points - slashing arteries and joints, forcing them to collapse on the spot. Twilight thrusted her spear with cold and efficient calculation, skewering enemies several at a time, bursting their hearts and brains. She did not care that her spear came dangerously close to hitting her friends - only results and efficient killing mattered to her.
Only Kratos had the perfect harmony of all the powers - able to even evoke the dark power of Hades to slash and break the enemies, felling the beasts one by one with ease. By the time they were surrounded with corpses, the powers left them. They looked at one another apologetically, but could not say anything. They sighed, knowing that these powers were the only way they'd fight off this amount of enemies, and their humanity not enough to let them do anything else.
They kept climbing the mountain, with Kratos moving ahead of them. Yet, not all was clear. On their way, the Sea Monster that destroyed the ship from earlier was aware of their presence. On the edge of the mountain, Fluttershy felt the presence of a creature. She immediately grabbed Twilight's arm and pulled her away - the tentacles erupted from the water and began to batter at the mountain, trying to grab a desperate victim.
"Stop!" Fluttershy yelled at the sea beast, but her voice did not matter, even if it somehow heard her. Twilight pulled Fluttershy down to let them both kneel as a tentacle nearly lopped their heads off.
"It's not going to bend to your will!" Twilight said. As they tried to avoid the tentacles, one of them locked right onto Kratos. It raised one of its tentacles high up into the air, raising it high and smashing right upon the male Spartan. With a yell, he reached his arms up, stopping the beast's limb before it crushed him. He grunted, pushing it away with all his might - immediately assisted by Applejack and Rainbow Dash, the latter stabbing it with her sword. Kratos too had plunged his Blades of Chaos into it - and it was enough to force the monster to pull the tentacle away. Yet, as it did, it took Applejack, Kratos and Rainbow Dash with it, swinging them wildly in the air.
"No!" Rarity cried out - she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the tentacle not recede into the water, but instead throwing the three onto the other side of the mountain. Twilight panicked, but immediately began to look around for another way to regroup.
"Fluttershy, go help them!" Twilight exclaimed. "We'll get back to you!"
"Okay!" The winged woman called out, jumping off the mountain to fly once more. She would do so to make her way around the mountain, regrouping with the team as they were already fighting more monsters - the statues that came to life and detached themselves from the cliff's side.
With their combined might, the intense fight was in their favor. Kratos swung his Blades to smash the torsos and heads, while the others distracted the rest and weakened them. Kratos' Blades were the best weapon, for Rainbow Dash's sword or Fluttershy's dagger was not enough to strike. Applejack could wrestle with these hammer-wielding giants. She caught one of the electrified mallets as it was about to squash her. She swung her arms left, causing the hammer to miss and embed itself into the ground. With her mighty fist, she briefly evoked the power of Ares once more, and with a flash of red, her Cestus tore it apart between the torso and legs.
Fighting off the beasts, they ran further up Delos Landing. They stopped when some rocks above them began to tumble down - though no monsters came this time. The rest of them regrouped, having taken another way up by climbing.
"Oh thank--" Twilight stopped herself before naming a God. "...You're in one piece. Good..." She sighed in relief. "We need to keep going before that beast reappears!"
***
Climbing further up the mountain, they eventually made their way onto a balcony - the wooden platform giving them a wonderful view of the island and the surroundings. Applejack took a deep breath, letting her lungs fill with the salty air of the sea. "...Aw yeah - this is the kinda view 'ah--"
Her short moment of rest and admiration was stopped by shaking and screaming. They looked up to see a massive beast vaulting over a wooden platform, more defenseless men running from it. It merely smashed all of them, while gutting another with its tusk. It jumped down onto the ground, a dying man impaled on the ivory. It simply threw the poor man aside into the chasm, then blaring its trunk like a loud trumpet at Kratos and the others. The beast was like a bipedal Elephant, enormous and full of rage as it rushed them, raising a massive spiked mace.
"That looks like one of those enormous things we fought in the East!" Twilight exclaimed, preparing her spear.
"Except they had four legs back then!" Rainbow Dash shouted. She jumped back as the mace nearly crushed her, forcing her to jump side to side and backwards, barely able to get away from the swinging weapon. Its eyes were full of rage, barely any grace to its way of fighting. Pinkie Pie was the next target, attempting to block - but her mallet did not shield her, causing her to be flung away and slide across the wooden floor.
Kratos battled the beast - but even his Blades did not hinder the Elephant monster as much as they should. It was able to pick him up and throw him up into the air, and although he was able to stab it in the face on the way down, it did not relent.
The situation was desperate, the Elephant was impossible to subdue on an easy whim, not when it seemed invincible with its thick skin, and a weapon that none could defend against. It had nearly infinite stamina, and no end to the amount of blood it could shed.
Desperate, Twilight sighed. She let the power of Death course through her - her eyes and spear glowing black and purple.
Rarity gasped. "Twilight, no!" She cried out - but it was too late. Twilight only saw Death - and at the very least, she had a massive target to take care of first, before she'd take care of the other six.
The Elephant took the advantage of her staying still - but it was too late. Twilight simply weaved her head underneath the massive club - then stood upright to throw her spear into its face. The spear jammed straight into its eye, stabbing the brain. She jumped forward, landing onto its head as she took the spear out. The Elephant attempted to grab her, but Kratos would not let his friend do it on her own. He stabbed its legs, forcing it on one knee. Twilight used her sheer strength to pull the spear out, then attempted to stab the other eye. It jerked its head - which forced her to miss, but the spear was still able to strike one of its bloodied tusks, snapping it off of its face. It screamed, thrashing and throwing Twilight onto the ground as it kept recoiling and trumpetting in rage. It dropped the mace, scrambling to pick it up.
Yet, Twilight had only Death on her mind - and it was Death she sought to deal. She grabbed the detached tusk with unprecedented strength. With sprint, she ran at the Elephant - the sharp ivory pointed into its heart. With a jump, she rammed the tusk straight through, embedding the sharp improvised weapon into its heart. The beast let out a bloody trumpet of pain and desperation - cut short by Kratos, who swung both Blades at once from both sides - lopping off its massive head. The skull would fall off with its remaining tusk embedding into the wood, and the body fell limp.
Twilight was not done. She turned around to face the others, breathing heavily. The team balled their fists, prepared to fight her in a non-lethal point to make her feel sense. However, Fluttershy had a better idea. With a fast sprint, she quickly rushed Twilight - ducking underneath her spear as it grazed one of her wings. She was able to go in for the attack - and hugged Twilight tightly. "Twilight! Stop! It's us! It's us! Please calm down!"
Twilight felt the Death compel her to put her hands on her friend's neck - to snap it... But she felt her warmth. She felt the affection and love, the friendship and respect. She raised her hands for a mere moment, Rarity aiming at the palm to fire...
But instead, Twilight's arms wrapped around Fluttershy, and she sighed into her shoulder. "...I-I'm okay, Fluttershy. I'm sorry..."
Author's Note
Well everyone, by popular demand, here is Chapter 4 of this crossover story between MLP and God of War: Ascension!
Four more Chapters and Sneak Peeks left before this story is finished, and we would move on to the next Prequel.
Now, I had to do this chapter on my phone, because my laptop is fucked up. If you see any mistakes, that is on me, and you can post your complaints.
Thank you so much for waiting for this chapter to come out, and I will bring out Chapter 5, as well as its Sneak Peek very soon.
My Little Pony x God of War: Ascension
Present Day...
"...I still don't get it." Sunny shook her head. "Twilight, I know that you guys made it this way, and I know you've done some crazy, crazy things... I mean, even at this point in the story, you all did something that not even a single human could ever hope to do in a lifetime. But... Why did you even think it was possible? What made you understand that vengeance against Gods was somehow...well...possible?"
"A good question." Twilight chuckled. "I mean, I can give you the easy answer and explain that we were all Spartan-trained, and that means we fight better than others."
"Mhm. That's the excuse 'ah give." Applejack giggled.
"Yeah." Twilight smiled. "In reality? It's a number of things. I mean, our motivation for one. I feared that maybe there could have been retaliation for even helping Kratos escape the illusion cast by the Furies. What would happen to Spike?"
"No need to worry about Spikey-Wikey." Rarity laughed softly, looking over to see the Dragon as he sat with Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo near the other campfire - they had been there the whole time, but they had their own conversations and their own topics. Twilight didn't want to speak of those times around them anyway, not when she could barely do it in-front of the team of warriors she was trusting the future of their legacy with.
"Anyways..." Twilight said. "I think the fact we saw no other way gave us the strength we needed. I'll tell you that much. It's hard to back out when you know that the only way is forward, and that the only thing you can do is act. If you don't, then, what have you got left?"
"But..." Izzy chuckled softly with a snort. "Come on, you don't mean to tell me that the power of determination alone was what you needed to take down a huge castle-sized prison giant dude and then a Fury, also a dude with a Demi-God grown into his side and, uh, you know, all those other monsters you had on the way."
"Well, we did gather four powers to help us - aspects of the Gods and all."
"..."
"..."
"...Four?" Sunny asked.
Twilight broke into a cold sweat. She and her big mouth...
Applejack shot Twilight a look. "Sugarcube, might as well tell 'em. 'Ah mean..."
"Tell us what?" Pipp tilted her head.
"...Damn, I really didn't want to." Twilight muttered.
Sunny leaned in. Something wasn't right. "Hey, hang on, what do you mean? What's going on?" The question made tension heavy in the air. All eyes were on Twilight, who had no idea what to say. Not when she tried so hard to forget.
"...There was another God whose power we...borrowed." Fluttershy whispered, wincing at the memory.
"Which God?" Sunny swallowed.
"..."
"Twilight, which God..." Sunny spoke, her tone hushed yet tense.
"...It was the Soul of Hades." Twilight whispered.
Sunny understood why she was so hesitant to speak. But she was, unfortunately, too curious. She thought about it... If Poseidon had made them feel ice cold and emotionless, if Ares made them feel bloodthirsty and aggressive, and if Zeus made them feel Godlike and invincible - then what did Hades' powers do to them?
"...I didn't want to talk about it." Twilight softly whispered. "I think of all the four powers, that one made me feel the worst... But I really just can't... I can't think about it."
"...It was a little before we ran into Castor and Pollux." Applejack said. "Let's... backtrack a lil' bit."
***
Flashback
"What... What is this!?" Twilight felt the darkness consume her. Whether it was a mistake or not, she was now swimming in violet. Death - the color of the end.
She had no idea what happened. She had no idea where she was. She had no idea why she was here. All she understood was death. It was the only certainty.
They stood among the bodies, quiet. Monsters tried to ambush them, and the monsters were all butchered swiftly. The death that coursed through their weapons made them move like a sheer force of nature. They were not killing machines. They were not warriors. They simply moved - and whatever they touched, died.
So, where was Twilight right now?
Twilight was looking at a living being.
A living being that had to die - because that was the will of Hades. River Styx was calling. The end was calling.
"Twilight..."
Twilight kept trying to drive her spear into the victim, trying to push it in.
"Twilight!"
She grits her teeth, trying to push it in harder.
"TWILIGHT!"
Kratos had to intervene, and with one of his massive arms, pushed her off.
Twilight let out a gasp. The death left her eyes, and she realized her mistake.
Twilight looked at her hands with terror, and the spear was dropped before her. The spear was covered in blood, and before her was Applejack, who was gasping. There was now a scar on her collarbone, and the hat-wearing blonde was gasping for air, backed up against the wall.
"W... What did I... What did I do?" Twilight whimpered, her eyes pacing from the spear and then looking at Applejack. "A... Applejack? No... I... I didn't... I--"
"T-Twi, you're you again!" Applejack gasped happily. "You... You were sayin' creepy things! Your eyes were all black, and you were muttering somethin' about River Styx!"
"...She's not alone." Rainbow Dash sighed softly. All turned their eyes to see the blue Pegasus, who stood close to Fluttershy. There was an immediate shock - when blood had pooled on the ground below.
"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity cried out, running up to her. "What... What happened?"
The yellow Pegasus could not believe what she just did, shutting her eyes closed and began whimpering. She had stuck her dagger right into her friend, the blade dug right into her abdomen. "...I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry..." She whispered, over and over again.
"...Take it easy." Suddenly said Pinkie Pie, who was now serious. She approached the two, and gently placed her hands on the blade, taking it away from Fluttershy. In a swift and smooth motion, she pulled the dagger out, without any other injury. Considering they were strong; this was far from a deadly injury. Even then, Fluttershy hated herself - as she had just attacked her friend.
"There, all better?" Pinkie Pie softly asked. There was something in her eyes - something sad and something depressed. She went through it too. Seconds ago, she was swinging her mallet at Rarity. She snapped out of it - but only when she was a hair away from killing her friend.
"...What did it do to us?" Rainbow Dash quietly whispered.
"...Death." Kratos murmured. "Made you all obsessed with death. Not victory, not triumph, not fighting. Just death itself. What a vile trick..."
"...How do you feel, though?" Rainbow Dash asked. While talking, Applejack helped her get a sewing kit. While Rainbow Dash spoke to Kratos, she began to sew her own injury shut as well.
"No difference." Kratos said. "This doesn't affect me."
"...I wonder why." Twilight sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Why do we end up losing our minds to these "gifts"? Some presents these are..."
"...I have my suspicions." Kratos said - thinking about the fateful events that happened before, all that led him on this seemingly impossible, mad quest.
"...I don't want to use this power ever again." Twilight said. "...And I don't want to ever point a weapon at a friend, ever again. I don't care if the Soul of Hades put us in some trance. I don't. I just... I never want to let myself be in this position. Ever again. Never, ever again."
***
Back to the present...
They sat, frowning and solemnly thinking of their words. Sunny couldn't process it. The fact that there was a power capable of that - making you try to kill someone you cared and loved for.
"...I'm so sorry you had to go through that. All of you..." Izzy said, her eyes starting to water. She rubbed her face. "B-But that thing is long gone, right?"
"Well, you could say that..." Rainbow Dash smirked. "We forgot how to channel those powers specifically. That's the funny thing about being a warrior. Skills come and go and mutate. Nopony nor human does the same trick twice, right? Or at-least, not two thousand times."
"...Let's get back on track." Twilight said, trying to bring the mood back up. "So, after we took down Megaera..."
Author's Note
Here it is! The Chapter 4 Sneak Peek of the MLP x God of War: Ascension Crossover story!
Now, I know that the Soul of Hades wasn't mentioned or seen in Chapter 3, but I hope that the Chapter 4 Sneak Peek of this story covers it, as it does mention and shows the Soul of Hades.
I will bring out Chapter 4 of this crossover soon. I might edit this Sneak Peek, since it is pretty rough. IDK!
