Fallen

Chapter Four

House Of The Damned

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Daring Do stared at the stallion before her, she then looked around to make sure nopony was within hearing range before turning back to address the pegasus who was once called Icarus.

"Why are you here? No, what happened to Icarus?" Daring said in a hushed voice, glaring at the stallion.

"Icarus is gone, why are you whispering? Are you hiding from someone?" The stallion said looking around the deserted streets.

"What do you mean gone?!" Yelled Daring.

Immediately after yelling Daring clamped a hoof over her mouth and looked over towards her cousin's house. She could see a few fans starting to rush over to where she and the stallion stood. The fans all had a different copies of the Daring books in their mouths as they charged. Daring cursed quietly to herself as she took to the air to get away from at least the majority of the fans who were land based ponies.

The pegasus fans continued their chase of Daring, but the earth and unicorn ponies skidded to a halt as they closed in on where Daring has previously stood, and saw the massive stallion. Azrael looked blankly at the crowd of ponies, meeting many stunned stares. He then turned and walked off down a side street towards the town hall.

Daring in the meanwhile was trying her best to outmaneuver her fans. She dove through a cloud bursting it, and dropping suddenly. Daring flew low and next to the buildings, breaking away from sight. She opened the first window she could find and slammed the shades shut behind her. Daring panted heavily as she smiled triumphantly, hearing confused shouts asking where she had gone.

"Are they running you out of town?"

Daring spun around and saw Azrael standing next to the town's mayor, Mayor Mare. Daring's mouth hung open as she saw a stack of strange looking golden coins on the mayor's table next to a rolled up scroll. The large stallion tracked where Daring was looking, and then looked back to her.

"I bought a house. Was not sure about property values though..." Azrael rubbed his chin with a hoof.

"Like I just said, this is enough to buy all of Ponyville..." Mayor Mare mumbled with a stunned look at the bits on the table.

"A single residence is sufficient. Keep the extra as a gift of good faith that I will be getting a quality home." The stallion smiled at the mayor.

Daring and the mayor's gazes met each other with a look on their faces that showed both shock and confusion. The mayor was the first to recover.

"Miss Daring, the fans chasing you again? I asked them not to cause so much trouble." Mayor Mare said shaking her head.

Daring smiled sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head, "They are just excited, it's not often that I stay in a town so my autographs are kind of rare."

Azrael cleared his throat to grab the mayor's attention, when she looked at him he nodded towards the scroll on the table. The mayor then sighed and opened her desk drawer and after a second of sifting through it's contents she produced an ornate brass key. She placed it on the table next to the scroll and looked up to the stallion.

"The house you purchased is only vacant mansion. It was left by a wealthy architect who passed away without any family to pass it onto. It may be a little dusty, but all of its facilities should still be functioning." Mayor Mare explained.

"Thank you mayor, that should not be a problem." Azrael picked up the key, putting it into a saddlebag, "Miss Daring I wanted to have a chat with you, but now is not the time. Would you mind showing up at my new house for Dinner? Say before sunset?"

Daring blinked several times, but then snapped back to attention and nodded as the Stallion left. Daring then looked at the Mayor.

"Mayor, where did he get all these gold coins? They look ancient... And he did not have a saddlebag when I saw him not ten minutes ago." Daring said.

"I don't know, He came in with it..." Mayor said, staring at the pile of gold. She was going to need to make a trip to Canterlot to have all of them turned into regular bits, the local bank did not hold enough minted bit coins to trade in for this much gold.

Rainbow Dash trotted next to Twilight, the pair were chatting as they shopped in the marketplace. Rainbow was eagerly telling Twilight of meeting the actual Daring Do, and about how Derpy was her cousin.

"I am actually very impressed that Derpy is such a skilled writer. I am surprised that her cutie mark isn't a quill or book." Twilight mused.

"I know right? Daring really doesn't like her nickname though. She almost bit my head off before Derpy told her she likes the nickname." Rainbow said in return.

The two friends stopped chatting as they noticed a rather large white pegasus stallion walking up to the abandoned mansion. The stallion stopped to reach into his saddlebag for something.

"What do you think he is doing at that old mansion?" Twilight asked.

"Dunno, nobody has lived there for over three years now." Rainbow said in response.

"What, why?" Twilight asked, breaking her gaze away from the old mansion.

"The old geezer who lived there didn't have any family to pass it onto. The town itself owns the mansion now." Rainbow explained.

"You don't suppose he bought it do you?" Twilight asked, giving a quizzical look to her friend.

"No way, that is the biggest mansion in town. It is even bigger than Filthy Rich's house." Rainbow laughed at the notion.

Off in the distance the stallion pulled a key from his saddlebag and opened the front door of the mansion. Rainbow's jaw dropped at this, and Twilight gave an 'oh really' look as she trotted off to finish her grocery shopping.

Rainbow lingered for a moment, eyeing the old mansion suspiciously. Rainbow then grumbled something along the lines of how suspicious a new pony coming into town and buying a mansion was.

Nearby another pony glared toward where her two friends were just staring. The pony in question had been trying to track down the stallion since he came into town, but her target had proven quite crafty. Every time she tried to head him off, he suddenly disappeared only to reappear a way off in another part of town. Not even with her keen sixth sense had she managed to track him down. But she had him now, and she was going to get that stallions name to throw him a party, or her name wasn't Pinkamena Dianne Pie.

Azrael gave a huff as he made it into his new home. He had been forced to cheat on his way to his house a few times, stepping through the shadows to avoid being cornered by a pink mare who seemed hell bent on cornering him. He could not risk doing things out of the ordinary if he wanted some peace, lest the ponies find out he is not one of them, and if that happened it would only be a matter of time before he is sought out by the new generation of immortals. Azrael did not want to have to kill any more gods, every one he slew caused himself to move closer to godhood himself, and if that happened he would become history's biggest hypocrite.

Azrael stiffened up as he sensed someone at the door, a second later he heard the knock from behind him. He looked around him at the messy state the house was in and frowned. The mayor did mention the house was vacant for some time, but this was ridiculous. He could not have company over with this mess.

Azrael's eyes began to glow red and his entire body began to emanate a red aura.

Pinkie Pie meanwhile knocked on the door a second time, a frown on her face. Suddenly Pinkie had an ear flop, eye flutter, and knee-twitch. She stepped back as the door flew open missing her by an inch. The stallion that opened it gave her an apologetic look.

"Ahh, sorry. The door sticks and I had to give it a bit of a shove to open it that time... Going to need to get that fixed..." The stallion said offhandedly.

"You have been very troublesome to corner mister! How am I supposed to throw you a welcome to Ponyville party if you don't let me get your name?" Scolded Pinkie.

The Stallion blinked several times, betraying no emotion on his face.

"Well? What is your name?" Smiled the pink mare.

"I would kindly ask you to vacate my property. I do not have the time for a party, and I am preparing to have an important guest over for dinner tonight." He said to the pink mare.

"How can you have a guest over? This house is full of dirt and dust bunnies!" Pinkie exclaimed, thinking the stallion was not telling her the truth.

Pinkie then looked behind the large stallion and saw a sparkling clean front room, with no sign of the ill repair it was once in not even a week ago when Pinkie had looked in out of curiosity. Pinkie looked up and met his eyes and squinted at him as she inched closer to his face.

Azrael held his head high as he looked down at Pinkie, keeping his face out of her reach, when she attempted to get up on her hind legs to meet eye to eye with him he pushed her back down with a hoof.

"I ask you again, please leave. I do not wish for more attention than what is needed." The stallion's eye twitched slightly.

Pinkie noticed the twitch and backed off slowly, keeping her eyes locked with his, "Don't think I have given up mister.... What was your name again?"

Pinkie smiled slyly, but the stallion merely shook his head and closed the door.

"And then the meany pants just shut the door on me, didn't even tell me his name! How am I supposed to throw him a surprise party without his name?!" Exclaimed Pinkie to her friends as they sat down for dinner together.

"Hate ta' burst yer bubble partner, but I think that was the intent." Applejack laughed.

"I don't trust him! He seemed to get really angry at me, he tried to hide it, but I could tell!" Pinkie said as she jumped up and put her hooves on applejack.

"I hear you pinkie, I may not have gotten close to him but he seemed suspicious to me too." Rainbow Dash said as she munched on a daffodil sandwich.

"What was he like though darling? He must be prestigious to have bought that huge mansion." Rarity said as she sipped a glass of iced tea.

"He was really really big, bigger than big mac!" Pinkie exclaimed getting off of Applejack.

"What? But he looked like a pegasus, they aren't supposed to get as big as earth ponies, no offense girls." Twilight said, looking to Rainbow and Fluttershy as she said the last part of her statement.

"No, you're right Twilight. I've never seen a pegasus as big as Big Mac, least of all bigger. I thought he looked strange, but I couldn't tell from the distance we were at." Rainbow said thoughtfully.

"What do you make of him Fluttershy?" Twilight asked her timid friend.

"Umm, I don't know. I haven't seen him yet..." Fluttershy said as she looked out the Diner window to where the mansion loomed.

"Kinda an odd place fer a mansion, don't ya reckon? It's always been there but Ah've never paid attention to it..." Applejack mumbled.

"Yeah, but I read the old architect that used to live there used it as an office as well. Guess that kinda makes sense to have it in the middle of town if it was used like that." Twilight said.

The girls grew quiet as they noticed a light tan pegasus pony wearing a green shirt and an explorer's hat walk toward the mansion they were just talking about. The pony then knocked on the door, and after a second was let inside.

"Was that Daring Do?" Asked Twilight.

"Oh man that was- wait... Why is she in that house?" Rainbow asked incredulously.

"He did mention something about company for dinner..." Pinkie mumbled as she rubbed her chin with a hoof, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Daring knows that new guy? I bet he is some kind of famous explorer or something himself!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"Maybe, seems likely..." Twilight mumbled.

Daring knocked on the door, looking over her shoulder for fans. The door opened and she rushed inside, Azrael closing the door behind her. Daring then turned around to address her host.

"You said you wanted to have a talk?" Daring said to the large stallion.

"Over dinner." Azrael said as he lead Daring over to the Dining room.

On the long table was arrayed a feast of fruit, vegetable, and to Daring's disgust meat dishes. Azrael took a seat next to the meats and looked expectantly at Daring. Daring took a seat next to the fruits on the opposite side of the table. Azrael smiled at her as he opened his mouth and leaned down to take a bite out of a roasted turkey leg. Daring grew green as he neared it, until she felt as if she were going to throw up.

"Sorry, I could not resist." Azrael smiled as he sat up, having played his prank on Daring.

"Ugh, for an ancient godlike being you sure are childish." Daring stated, an annoyed look on her face.

A hoof slammed on the table, breaking it in half and sending the food crashing to the floor, "Do not dare compare me to one of those bastards!"

Daring had jumped back and tumbled over her chair in fear. She stared wide eyed at the enraged stallion whose eyes had begun to glow an eerie red, "Sorry, sorry!"

Azrael calmed down and breathed deeply. After another moment his eyes stopped glowing and he looked apologetically towards Daring, "Forgive me, but do not mention gods if you will please. My anger can get a little out of hand at times, though I suppose that is why they branded me the fallen angel of wrath."

"About that, why are you here? And why are you in Icarus's body?" Daring said as she stood up.

"I am here because when you had the seal lifted off of my sword I was freed form the Garden of Eden. I am in this body because I evicted Icarus. He had over lived his stay anyways, if anything I did that poor bastard a favor by putting him out of his misery." Azrael said, looking down at the ruined food.

"But... He feared what death would bring him..." Daring said, a solemn tone to her voice.

"Do not worry, I gave him the most merciful end any soul can achieve. The same mercy I granted the gods of old." The stallion said, as he began to stare off into the distance as if remembering something.

"And what is that?" Daring asked hesitantly.

"True death." Azrael said simply.

"What, he wouldn't just go to the underworld when he died like everyone else after you killed him?" Daring scoffed.

"You misunderstand, I killed even his soul. No purgatory, no hell, and no eternity. Icarus has forever ceased to exist, Forever gone." The stallion shook his head as he continued to stare off sadly.

"You... Can do that?" Daring asked in a quiet voice.

"I think it is time for you to leave miss Daring, I was hoping of toying with you and playing some games with your mind, but the moment is ruined. I find I can no longer enjoy in the fun that my kin once had with you mortals. Please, leave me." Azrael stated firmly.

"But-"

"Now." The stallion;s tone left no room for negotiation.

Daring walked out of the Dining room back into the main entryway and looked back. But what she saw was not the large stallion and a ruined feast on the floor, but a pristine dining room with its table still intact. Daring thought on this for a moment before she excused herself from the mansion.

Rainbow Dash watched from a cloud as Daring left the mansion, she was about to fly down to greet her idol, but Daring looked shaken. Rainbow Dash paused to think of this for a second, what had happened to her inside of the mansion? Rainbow decided finding out what was wrong with her by investigating.

Rainbow flew down and knocked on the door after Daring had gone out of sight. After no reply for about half of a minute Rainbow knocked on the door a second time. This time, after a few seconds the door slowly creaked open.

Rainbow poked her head inside and saw a dimly lit empty room. Rainbow slowly walked inside, looking from side to side as she went, waiting for somepony to try and jump her. Rainbow crept along the floor, keeping low and moving as silently as she could. As she crept past the stairway she could hear some shuffling from upstairs. Rainbow crept up the stairs, taking in the odd decorations as she went.

The paintings hanging on the wall depicted odd two legged creatures fighting, winged greater versions of themselves flying over the fighting ones. Rainbow did not understand the artwork, but she guessed it was supposed to be showing some old historical event.

A noise from further up the stairwell got Rainbow's attention. She crept further up the stair until she came to a hallway leading both left and right. Rainbow followed the sounds that were coming from the left until she reached the door the sound was coming from. The doorway was open slightly, and light was leaking out of it.

Rainbow Dash pushed the door open slowly and she beheld a large room being dimly lit by a fiery sword, casting its dim orange light on a throne. Sitting in the throne Rainbow could see a shadowy figure, but she was unable to make out any details of it. Rainbow was about to step into the room to get a better look but a massive white stallion stepped in her way and pushed her back into the hallway, closing the door behind him with his tail. The stallion flared his wings out wide, as he addressed Rainbow.

"Tell me, why have you been spying on my house for the last half hour?" The stallion stated.

Rainbow Dash paled at the size of the stallion and his wings, she felt as if she were a mere filly who had been caught by an angry adult. Before Rainbow could muster the courage to speak up however the two pegasi heard a crash from downstairs.

"You wait right here, I have something to take care of..." The stallion muttered darkly under his breath as he headed towards the stairwell.