When the Silent Fall

Chapter 6 – A battle of the gods.

           Shuur continued moving towards the castle, if Discord was there then he had to kill him as well to regain his honor. He soon arrived at the gates, only to find a surprise waiting for him. Standing in the front of the door was the demon, though something was different. He seemed to have black wavy tendrils coming from his back, and he could see his eyes were burning red like old charcoal, even through his helmet visor. What was even more surprising was the fact that Twilight and her friends were standing in front of him, only wearing fine jewelry.

Six spoke in an unmistakable voice, “Oh hello Twilight, here to stop me again are we?” Discord Six laughed before waving a hand, in which all of the jewelry disappeared, “Well not this time you won’t! I learn from my mistakes and you shall all burn!” Then all of a sudden, flames shot from Discord Six’s hand. Twilight barely deflected it, she was visibly weakened.

“What… huff… did you do… huff… with the Elements of Harmony? Huff.”

Discord Six laughed again, “I spread them all across the world, they are everywhere and now nothing can stop me! MUHAHAHA!” He stopped suddenly, “You know the evil laugh just doesn’t do justice anymore, I’ll need a new one.” With that, he turned around and headed back inside, forgetting the six now confused mares alone. Shuur crept up to them and un-cloaked.

He got their attention simply, “Boo.” They all turned and yelped, then sighed in relief.

“Shuur, please never do that again.”

Shuur chuckled, “Sorry, now what has transpired?” Twilight nodded, still a little spooked, did he really scare them that much?

“Discord has somehow escaped, possessed the human, and scattered the Elements.”

Shuur tipped his head, “Elements?”

Twilight nodded, “The Six Elements of Harmony, the most powerful magic in the world. We are the Element bearers, I’m Magic, Rarity is Generosity, Fluttershy is Kindness, Rainbow Dash is Loyalty, Applejack is Honesty, and Pinkie Pie is laughter.”

Shuur was still confused, “And these jewelry pieces have helped how?” Twilight looked a little upset.

“They have defeated, Night Mare Moon, Discord twice, plus Queen Chrysalis and her changeling army.”

Shuur was now officially surprised. How could mere pieces of jewelry defeat so many, let alone an army, without scarring the land? He physically smacked his helmet like a face palm, of course, magic, why couldn’t it be some sort of nuclear weapon, at least that made sense. Twilight looked a little concerned for him before a rather large explosion erupted from the castle. They all looked back to see Celestia and Luna hurtling out the front doors.

“And don’t come back!” yelled Discord Six.

“Princesses!” soon the entire group, Shuur included, ran over to the princesses.

Celestia looked up at her student, “Twilight… the Elements… how?”

Twilight shook her head, “I’m sorry, Discord transported them all over the planet.”

Celestia nodded weakly, “Then we are all doomed, he has grown stronger, and now he even has a blood lust.”

Twilight gaped, “But he never really physically hurt anypony, why now?”

Luna’s head rose slightly off the ground. “We believe it is the body he has possessed, most likely because it was a warrior, it poisoned his mind.”

Shuur nodded, “Demons have been known to be excessively violent, even mad at times, a result of their mind scarring training no doubt.”

Before long Shuur heard a voice in his mind, but it was not like before, it was pure, and kind. “I understand if you are confused, but you must listen. This abomination is planning something horrible; it plans to free Tarturus and release all the evil there to ruin this land for him. Please I beg of you, let us combine and I shall give you the strength to regain your honor.”

Shuur was more angry than confused, “First, who are you. Second, why are you all coming to me! Third, go away!”

Once Shuur finished his mental rant, it continued much more sympathetically, “Please, you are the only one with the experience of combat. If I chose another I would scar the poor thing, quickly, decide! The fate of this planet is drawing closer to a definant wasteland!”

Shuur mulled it over, “Fine you seem good. But any funny business, and I’m flushing you out.”

The voice replied soon, “Good, I shall give you the power needed to defeat this… thing, And the knowledge on how to use it properly. Good luck, and I can only hope that this battle of the gods does not rip this reality in half.”

Shuur was a little unnerved by the ending statement, but nonetheless, he accepted. Soon enough Shuur felt like what could only be described as power fill him. He heard his armor groan and morph, as to more fit his potential. He grew in height, gaining two feet and then sprouting golden tendrils of light similar to that of Discord Six’s only they flowed more evenly, like water. He soon looked over himself; his armor looked like a medieval piece in a museum on Sanghelios had collided with his Spec ops armor. He tested the tendrils experimentally, to his surprise, they obeyed without hesitation. He somehow knew that they could be used as extra appendages as well as for flight. What surprised him most was his knowledge of the new energy weapons in his usual wrist dagger compartments. He tested them as well. Finding a shield on his left wrist, and what looked like a medieval long sword on his right.

He flapped his wing and took to the air; he had a means to complete his objective now, and planned to do so. He flew into the castle, leaving a group of very confused ponies in his wake.

“Wha…but how could he just…” Twilight was nearly flabbergasted, only the princesses looked like they knew what was going on.

“I do hope that she told him how to use his power.” said Luna plainly.

“The gods work in odd ways, but I do believe that him flying into the castle is a good piece of evidence that she told him.” Once Celestia finished, Luna nodded as they looked into the broken castle. All of them could only hope that Shuur was victorious.

(ஜ۩۞۩ஜ)

Shuur Flew as fast as his new wings allowed him to. He planned to kill both Discord and the Demon, it was a convenience that they were in one place at the same time.

Shuur heard the voice again, “You may kill the Spartan, but not Discord. While his crimes are large, this world needs chaos in order to stay in harmony. If he died then Order would take over, and with its rule, everything would become bland and the same.”

Shuur growled, “Then what do you propose I do?”

It responded sooner than he expected, “Stab him in the heart, this will render all of his power in a black gem. I will take this gem and seal it, so that its power may still influence this world and total order does not ensue.”

Shuur nodded, “Sounds like a plan. I get my kill, you get your rock.” They continued into the depths of the castle, soon coming up to a door decorated by a broken moon and sun insignia. “This is it, here goes… everything.” He pushed open the doors, finding himself in some sort of mutilated throne room. The windows shattered, drapes shredded, and two thrones lay torn apart, and in a new throne made out of dark energy, sat Discord Six. He spotted Shuur and eyed him curiously, and then smiled.

Shuur wasn’t sure how he knew he smiled, but he knew. “And what is so humorous?”

Discord continued to smile, “Because all that has happened is a growth spurt and some fancy weaponry and armor. I feel no energy coming off of you, and your mind is alone.”

Once he finished, Shuur was surprised to hear its voice, “Worry not young one, I have simply masked myself to get the upper hand. We must strike like a tidal wave, look innocent in the beginning, then hit him hard!” Shuur was not fond of being called little one, but he liked its enthusiasm.

Shuur stood up to the creature, “Then I suppose you would not mind if we duel?”

Discord fully laughed, “HA! No I suppose not, look at you! Even in the face of pure defeat, you try. Oh well, I accept your challenge, Shuur ’Makhanee, En garde!” With those words, Discord rose from his throne. His armor morphed as well, though to a much more savage design, the shoulder pads rose up into small black spikes. His armor darkened in color, and nearly every edge gained the same dark spikes. A sword erupted out of the ground, it required two hands and the rear was also covered in spikes. Soon his visor seemed to explode, leaving behind a burning human skull.

The voice sounded disgusted, “You see, abomination. Now if you don’t mind…” Not long afterwards, text appeared on his HUD. It read: Dark Six, Chaos Abomination.

Shuur sighed, “Really?”

The voice chuckled, “Hehe, sorry. Felt like the right moment for that.” Shuur face palmed a second time that day before Dark Six shouted out and charged them. Shuur raised his shield, easily blocking the blow.

Dark Six was surprised, “But, how did you do that?”

Shuur smiled, “A friend, now my turn.” Shuur soon threw the blade away with his shield, staggering Dark Six. He released a volley of precise cuts and slices, only to find out the speed of his adversary was remarkable to say the least. Dark Six blocked every attack he produced, every one that he didn’t was deflected by Six’s shields, glowing a bizarre purple with every blow. They continued to hit and miss each other for ten minutes, neither getting an advantage over the other.

“ENOUGH!” Dark Six yelled. He backed away swiftly, Shuur followed suit. “Enough, I have the power of a GOD!” Dark Six’s weapon disintegrated, “And I shall use it!” Soon Darks Six began charging a ball of dark energy between his hands.

The voice sounded worried, “Oh dear, that’s not good.”

Shuur was now worried as well, “What’s not good?”

The voice was still a little afraid, “The energy he’s charging is the equivalent to a ‘holy flame’ as your people call them.”

Shuur was panicking now, “WHAT! That attack he is charging has enough energy to burn this entire place to glass?!?”

The Voice made his body nod, “Yes, I know not how he is charging it, but we need to do the same. I will provide strength for it, but it will be up to you to power it and control it. I trust you Shuur ‘Makhanee, let us do this!”

Shuur looked back to Dark Six, who was still charging energy for the blast. Shuur took a combat stance, reaching his hands behind is back, he began charging as well. The energy he amassed was a brilliant golden white. “Good, now be ready to use the energy the exact moment he does or you’ll burn him away, or vice versa.” Shuur nodded, the energy was intense, not in a heat wise sense, but Shuur could feel the sheer magnitude of the power he wield. Then a split moment happened when Dark Six moved his hands forward, Shuur doing the same.

“DIE!!!” screamed Dark Six.

“I SHALL DIE WHEN YOU BOTH PERISH!!!” Super Shuur yelled back. (You like?)

Soon the beams of light collided, making a deafening crackling sound. Shuur instantly felt pressure against all of his body. He observed the beams, he was losing. He felt the pressure increase against him. His mind flashed back to his first times in training, his first mission, his first kill. He was looking back at his life, a sign of death. He knelt in defeat, too tired to continue.

“Giving up already? I will burn this entire mountain to the ground! Then this planet!”

Shuur felt his rage simmer again; this creature was going too far. He had friends on this world, his first friends. He felt a kinship towards them, there were also many a family on this world with similar traits, he would not let them be harmed by this monster, no matter the power it wield. He stood, feeling his strength return; he let out a speech that would last the ages.

“I shall not fall, nor falter in the face of a tyranny so evil that it sees fit to burn planets of innocents, I Shuur ‘Makhanee shall defeat all those who dare attack the innocent by such cruel terms. I will destroy a threat to this world on sight, I will not falter, and I will not tremble, but instead make my enemies fear my name!” With those words, Shuur let loose all the energy he had left, and fed it to the hungry beam.

Dark six glared at Shuur as he said these words.  The more he continued, the more the human/god felt his hatred rising.  Shuur was soon startled to see Dark six collapse on his knees, howling in pain, the massive amounts of power still remaining in the air, only growing stronger from both sides.  Shur was slightly confused to see the dark god of death regain his footing and speak once again, only this time, his voice seemed to have lost the cruelty it had previously.  It sounded much more normal.  Much more Human.

“How dare you,” the spartan said in a low voice.  “HOW DARE YOU speak to me of tyranny and the slaughtering of innocents?!  Last I checked I wasn’t the one who Glassed entire planets of civilians.  Last I checked I wasn’t the one who killed 20 billion innocent men, women, and children.  Last I checked I wasn’t the one trying to exterminate an entire race for simply existing!”

Shuur stood in shock.  The revelation hit him like a pair of mgalekgolo hunters. He had no response.  The humans words were correct.  How could he speak of such things yet be so ignorant to the crimes and atrocities of his people?  The golden clad sangheili now stood conflicted.   The human is right.  My people have killed in such dishonerable ways.  Am I really too different from him?   He asked himself.  Another part of his mind rose forward.   It was in the name of the Great Journey, the humans were an obstacle, and are not worthy of it.

The Great Journey would never order such honorless kills. There is nothing great about the slaughtering of the innocent, or the helpless.   Shuurs thoughts were interrupted as his energy faltered.  In a last ditch effort to save himself, he transformed the power of the attack into a hastily made shield.  Upon doing this, his attack failed, and he was hit with the strength of the blast of dark energy coming at him, barely surviving thanks to his now destroyed shield.

Shuur collapsed from exhaustion.  As he rose from the ground he looked up at his opponent only to see the human rapidly approaching him.  Shuur braced for impact as the spartan slammed into him with enough force to break a few ribs through his armor.  The enraged super soldier/God lifted him into the air, holding him by his neck with one of his black tentacles.  Dark six began to rapidly send blow upon blow against the elite, breaking and fracturing several bones in the process, even through his armour.

“You speak of protecting the innocent, well what about the people that inhabited Harvest, Jericho VI, Eridanus II, Arcadia, Reach, and all the other planets you bastards glassed from orbit? Well?”  He punctuated the name of each planet with a crippling blow to the head or gut.

“What about them?”  Dark six said, staring at Shuur.

“WHAT.”

*Slam*

“ABOUT.”

*Slam*

“THEM?!”  Dark six finished with a devastating uppercut to Shuur that would have killed him had it not been for his improved armor.  He was sent sprawling across the throne room as he landed in a heap on the floor, groaning in pain.

Struggling to get up, Shuur rose to his feet, bracing himself for the soon to come barrage of new attacks to come his way.  Nothing came.  On the other side of the throne room stood Dark six, giving him a look that would kill a lesser being.  The two warriors stood there, on opposite sides of the room for what seemed to be an eternity.  The sangheili warrior was lost in thought, contemplating what the spartan had said once again.  The voice in his head once again interrupted.

“Shuur, you cannot let his words poison your minds.  We must defeat him together.”

“But that is just it.  I helped in the slaughtering of so many innocent lives.  Do I have the right to stop him?”

“Do the ponies have the right to die?  This is not the time to be lost in such emotions.  There is much chaos in your mind right now, and you must focus on the task at hand.  You must save the lives of these ponies, you must save the lives of your friends, Shuur!”

The voices words struck a chord in Shuurs soul.  A new wave of energy coursed through his body as he stood straighter.  With renewed vigor, He stared at Dark six, who was simply staring at the Elite.  An inexplicable drive took hold of Shuur, as he felt something worth truly dying for.  Not for honor, Not for The Covenant, not for the Prophets, not even for the Great Journey.  Shuurs emotions swirled his mind, as the visions of his new friends passed through his eyes.  The golden clad warrior/god stood straight and addressed the dark god.

“Your words are true, human.  I have no right to lecture you on the slaughtering of innocents.  I see now that my hands are stained with  the blood of those that had no need nor reason to die.  I was played by false Prophets, and have lived a lie my entire life.  I will never be able to atone for the many lives that I have helped destroy, I will never be able to wash my hands of my past sins.  This much is true.”  Dark six took a look of triumph, only to be interrupted by Shuurs words once again.  “But I will not let that stop me from protecting the only beings in the universe I have truly cared for.  I will not allow you to harm these little ponies.  They have committed no crimes as well.  While I will never be able to atone and repent of my former bloodshed, I can, and will stop you from destroying this world.  With my every breath, my every step, every fiber of by body, I will protect this planet.  No matter what becomes of me.”

Dark six took a look of surprise.  He didn’t expect this from the Covenant pawn.  Shuur saw the spartans gaze lift and soften as he gave a chuckle.  “Whaddya know, the pawn has reached the other side of the board.”  In a sudden burst of pain, Dark six suddenly fell to the floor, screaming in pain.  His voice lost its humanity, and had returned to the former dark taint it had previously.

“Well, that was certainly interesting.  Anyway, where were we?”  Said the god of death and chaos, as he approached him.

Shuur’s golden tendrils flared out, summoning what strength he had left, he fired a final blast of golden energy. Dark Six summoned a shield, but due to the no longer lingering hate given from noble six, his defensed shattered.

“What! No, I am a GOD! You cannot win! You are an insect to me! GRAH!!!”

Shuur watched as his energy overlapped Dark Six’s, then the blast went harmlessly through the throne of dark energy, and out to the horizon beyond. Shuur fell to the floor, weakened and weary, he felt like he just sprinted the diameter of a planet.

The voice sounded again, it sounded weary as well. “Hehe, was it good for you?” Shuur only groaned in protest.  If he ever found he source of the voice…

“Erm sorry, anyway, you have to finish the job.” Shuur looked up, sure enough, there lay the body of Dark Six, it twitched and spasmed occasionally. Again Shuur moaned heavily as he stood, slowly making his way over to the almost corpse. He looked down at Dark Six, the abominations armor was shattered, the skull had almost gone out, and his heart was visible. To his surprise, the former god said, in a once again human voice.

“Do it.”

Shuur nodded and extended his energy longsword, raising the blade above his head; he thrust it into the body. Its mouth opened, like a ghost’s scream and the flame died, soon after a black mist formed, then condensed into an odd black gem. It almost looked like a heart drawn by a child, only with an odd light absorbing glow and a crack down the center.

“I’ll take that. Now prepare yourself.”

Shuur looked up, almost expecting to see the voices owner, “What for?”

The voice chuckled, oddly as they were both tired, “I have given what I can; now when I exit you will suffer a very large amount of stress. So lay down and prepare yourself. Also I am rather proud of you Shuur.”

Shuur smiled as he began to lay, “For what, defeating a being claiming to be a god, saving so many lives, becoming a hero?”

It chuckled again, sweeter this time, “No Shuur, for making yourself realize that a gods way isn’t the only way. Maybe you’ll think of that the next time you see a human.” Shuur lay on the floor flabbergasted.  Was it right? “Also, my name is Harmony. You may be familiar with my chosen ones, The Elements of Harmony?” Shuur was at the least surprised, he had never suspected the being in him, was in fact the most revered god of the ponies. He felt as if Harmony had smiled, “Judging by your reaction, the answer is yes, now sleep Shuur, you have earned it.” Shuur felt all of his energy leave him. Everything got very dark very fast, and he didn’t mind, for once, he felt this unconsciousness was going to be a true sleep. Shuur shut his eyes, and slept.

Authors notes: This has gone under some major editing by IMR1fley. Big thanks to him, and his mistake catching skills. Anyway, this WAS going to be the last chapter, but now I must write more because of said editors changes. Oh well, less spare time (Boring time) for me. Another thing is that I will not be writing too much as of recent times, because of school, homework(School), and studying(SCHOOL!!!). One last reason is the early family Christmas that we are hosting in my house this year. We have it early so everyone can come, I have a large extended family on my dad and moms side. There will be no writing this weekend (Early Christmas date). One other last reason is laziness. Good morning/day/night to you all.

Editors Note:  IMR1fley here.  It’s great to be editing, I’ve had a lot of fun, and I love the feedback.  I can’t wait to see what the_doctor_who has planned for the future (insert time travelling Doctor joke here.)  Anyway, I hope to see you all soon with a new chapter.  Till next time, IMR1fley.