Chapters "Embrace me, and I shall embrace you, but strike me down, and there shall be a reckoning."
I told myself I would never revisit land, that I was done with this world, that I had finally defeated the demons that once ruled them, but here I was, treading across the frigid tundra of Northern Equestria. My feet seemed to grow slightly heavier with every foot step I took, not enough for me to notice it, but just another factor that was slowly breaking my body. The heels of my feet dragged across the carpet of snow as my shins plowed right through it's dense fortified bulkhead. It seemed the wind was taking every opportunity it could to pry my clothing from my body, though my cape flickered violently behind me, whipping back at the wind and tugging at my throat, I knew it was secure to me, along with my hood, robe, and my other winter apparel.
Northern Equestria was a starved wasteland which would explain why virtually nopony lived up here, but it would take much more than whatever storms mother nature could conjure to break my resolve at this stage. The land threw it's ice shards into my face, but with my eyes closed the whole time, it had no effect on my vision. For this purpose, I had no need of my actual vision, but with eyes closed and mind open, I could see a land burning with energy. Only those trained to see past reality could see the world I did, the way it truly was. The energy I sought after just up ahead in the distance, burning a different color and style than all other energies. This was simply the way I saw things, not for what they were, but the aura locked away within them.
Normally, I would never have gone to such lengths for just one pony, but I made him a promise, and since I was a being of honor, I sought to keep that promise. He did his part flawlessly, and he deserved to be rewarded accordingly, still, I felt a sort of disappointment deep inside, given his history I thought I would see a much more violent approach, regardless, it showed me that Twilight remembered me, she remembered everything. I suddenly stopped and began to recall that event, 25 years ago, how it impacted me, how I changed, and the monster that I slayed. The guilt seemed to return, clumping in my lungs, I tried to repress those memories as much as I could, I still felt convicted about that time. Swallowing my guilt, I let out one long and very much overdue sigh, my breath came out as a plume of smoke in the howling winds.
Once done, I began once again along my path, I just had to venture over one more snow covered hill before I reached my target. I was nervous in a way, afraid of what I might find, I wasn't sure if I would trigger some sort of event to make him whole again just by touching it, and if that was the case, what if he was upset? It didn't matter ultimately, he agreed to it, I'm just doing my part. After reaching the peak of the hill, I looked down the slope and saw a bright energy radiating off the horn from about 1 foot below the snow, it's energy flickered like a white fire, Sombra's essence was still alive. Making my way down the slope, I began planning what I would say to him, I could just be professional and just give him his end of the deal then leave, but I felt more had to be said, plus, I'm sure he would have much to say after such an event.
I was now no more than three feet away from the horn. Breaking my meditation, I opened my eyes for a moment to peek at the actual area I was viewing, just as I suspected, the horn was already buried in the snow, not very far down though. The snow was still blinding, so I quickly closed my eyes to view once more a dark landscape with the only source of energy around for miles being the horn I now stood in front of. I reached down, and pierced the snow blanket with my hand, reaching down until I finally came in contact with the horn. Once I reached it, I quickly grasped it in my hand and brought it back up above the rapidly packing ice. I held it up close to my face, it was still very warm, most likely because of the energy still locked away within it. Turning it over and to it's side I inspected every angle of it, it didn't yet react with my energy, which meant I was safe for now. However, now I had to find a safe place to bring him back, I couldn't rightfully do it in a blizzard. I reached down to unlatch a pocket sewn into my robe, and I stored the horn within for safe keeping, resealed the pocket, and directed my attention to another task, finding shelter.
The only energy I was able to sense on the entire trip here was the cold of the snow and of course the energy from Sombra's horn, seldom did I ever detect any other sort of energy, which meant we were smack in the middle of a wasteland. I grumbled to myself beneath the blistering wind, the first time I had spoken in hours, and complained,
"Of all the places it had to go..." It was times like this I wished I hadn't relinquished my power, if I still had it, teleporting anywhere on the entire planet would have been as simple as snapping my fingers. However, deep inside I am proud of myself for that choice, it was evident that I wasn't responsible enough to handle god like powers like those, Equestria was my personal reminder of that. I focused my mind sharply, remembering the task at hand was to find shelter, my circle of vision seemed to pass through that of the snow, and stretch out for just a few more miles than before. Searching all around me, I tried to pick up on the faintest trace of energy that could be coming from any kind of shelter, heat from a fire, wood from a house, any sort of living creature. Finally, something jumped out at me, it was very faint, but I recognized it. It was a stretch, but it was the energy of attachment, it looked like a spark to me, green. Energy given off by emotions is not an uncommon thing to detect, but at least I knew I was going somewhere that wasn't in a field of snow.
I faced the direction of the green spark, let out another sigh, and grumbled once again to myself,
"I'm getting too old for this..."
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"How can you possibly condemn the madman when you can't even forgive the lion for having to eating meat to survive. Do you think the lion chooses to eat the flesh of another to survive, or is that just the nature of the beast?"
It had been roughly half an hour since the spell was performed and by now I found myself nestled on top of the couch behind me, the spirit upstairs allowed it, I figured we were becoming friends by now. I was quickly falling asleep as my eyes grew heavier by the minute, the sounds of the howling winds combined with the cracking of the fireplace was surprisingly sleep inducing. My joints were healing as I slouched to find a position that was comfortable for me, I was no longer cross legged but rather I was sprawled out along the sofa, the lower half off my body as well as my tail hung off of the opposite end of the couch. Like I confessed before, my species was 5x larger than the ponies that lived in Equestria, and I was paying the price for it.
Almost when I just ready to drift off to sleep, I heard a voice mutter, my eyes shot back open and I glanced back down at Sombra. His mouth began moving and his eyes strained to open themselves as he slowly lifted his head. He was starting to wake up, his mind began to reactivate itself. I watched as he finally got his eyes open, though I could tell he was blinded at first even in this dark room. Sombra repositioned his hind legs as well as his front legs and began standing up on his shaking legs, all the while he uttered,
"Am I... alive...? Where... where am I?" His eyes were still trying to function properly, they were fresh, like a newborns, consequently he was blinded by light for the time being, his eyes drifted all around the room, waiting for something to jump out at him. I didn't see any reason to move from my comfortable position, so from the couch I spoke back to him,
"You are in fact alive, just as we agreed, Sombra..." I chuckled a bit and added, "You had me scared for a moment there, I thought for sure you were going to get the Crystal Heart..." He was finally up on his back hind legs but still struggling to stand on his front pair of legs. Until I spoke to him he was utterly dazed, starring into random spots all along the room, after I spoke though, his focus went almost directly towards me, though I knew he couldn't see me yet, he could tell where I was with respect to himself. His armor was gone, his mane still flowed in the way it used too, like a black flame, his eyes were still like a cat's, but something about him seemed different, softer. He wobbled back and forth on his legs, trying to gain his balance while shaking his head in an attempt to clear his vision.
Sombra let out a low grumble as his vision finally came through, his head popped back up and his stance had finally straightened out. His attention was thrown back towards me as he faced towards me. I braced myself for the worst, I suspected he would be angry because I made him do something he didn't want to do in the slightest, but for some reason, I sensed not even the faintest trace of anger in his aura, no, he was actually sad. Sombra shot me a look of professionalism and indifference, he boomed in his low menacing tone,
"So... I guess you are good for your word after all, I can't believe you made me do that...," he looked around the room again, "Where are we anyway?" Sombra's vision was cast out the thin glass in the windows to see the powerful snow storm outside, he continued to inspect the room as I closed my eyes and rested my hands on my chest, trying to recount everything that had happened that brought us to our current situation.
"Well, you got blown to bits by the Crystal Heart right? You probably remember that." His solemn expression promptly changed to an irritated one, I quickly realized that probably wasn't my best choice of words. I continued, "Anyway..., after the initial explosion, your horn, which was basically the only thing left of you, flew all the way up to Northern Equestria. As to where we are specifically, that I really can't answer. After I found your horn in basically the middle of nowhere I looked for the closest shelter I could find, and this was it. Last I checked though, I believe the closest town was Hoofswell if that helps give you a sense of where we are." I paused for a moment, and then added one last bit of important information, "By the way, don't touch anything."
He starred at me with a blank expression for a moment, trying to digest all the information I had just given him and then jerked his head asking,
"Wait, why can't I touch anything?" I didn't care if I sounded stupid to him, I merely told him the truth, expalining,
"The house is haunted, touch anything and you'll probably upset the ghost that's watching you intently right now. I'd appreciate it if you didn't because I think I just got it to accept me." I was referring to my ghostly friend that hovered directly behind him and beamed persistantly at him, observing his body language with definite purpose.
Sombra looked at me like I was insane, and then as if trying to placate my condition, he played along, snapping back,
"But look at you! You're sprawled all over it's couch like you own this place!" I chuckled a little and replied,
"Well, it likes me better, besides, aren't you just glad to know that your lungs formed properly?" I couldn't help but tease him, adding on, "I can't even begin to tell you how many things could have gone wrong with this spell, you should just be thankful I'm good at what I do. At least I know you're alright if nothing else, getting lippy with me and thinking as fast as you are is a decent recovery rate." He shrunk back down, I could sense a feeling of regret setting inside him. Being a pony of royalty and honor, he tried to regain his assertive position, gathered back his composure, and in a very professional manner replied,
"Thank you for restoring me to my body." I smiled back at him, a warm sort of fuzzy feeling set inside me when he said that, I laughed,
"I'm the one who should be thanking you, thanks to you, I can finally put my mind to rest..." I gave a moments pause to try to grasp the true magnitude of his actions, glancing over to the empty chair placed at the corner of the chair I sat in and remarked, "Why don't you take a seat over there." I gestured towards the vacant pile of dusty blankets just large enough for him to curl up on. He slowly trotted over to it, but before jumping on top into it's warm embrace he turned back to me and questioned,
"But what about the..." I stopped him short, I knew exactly what he was going to say,
"Oh so now you believe me?" I was having fun with him really, but I knew that I shouldn't be giving him such a hard time after what he did, resisting the urge to play with his head even further I explained, "The ghost won't mind, it's seems very interested in you rather than threatened by you." He nodded, and jumped up on the blanket bundles on the chair, and curled up like a loyal dog, facing me. In his head, I could sense a storm of questions brewing, and rightfully so, he had little knowledge of who I actually was and why I told him to do something as silly as to lose on purpose. I was prepared to answer any request he had, after all, his actions had finally set me free from my own prison.
Sombra hung his head, staring blankly at the floor, trying desperately to compile his thoughts, but to no end. To help speed things up, I put the suggestion forward to him,
"All you have to do is say the magic word you know, why. I'm almost certain that you want to know why I put you through this and why I even cared. If you don't have any questions to ask me after all this, then you're even more messed up than I am..." His attention rose from the floor and back to me whilst I rested comfortably on my couch, sporting a sort of relief that I finally got the conversation started. Sombra hesitantly questioned,
"Well... yes, of course I want to know why. First, you free me from my prison even though everypony knew I was evil, then you somehow raised the Crystal Empire and made sure Celestia knew about it. Then you ask me against my will to take on my old ways and attack that poor helpless kingdom, do you have any idea how painful it was for me to do that! Finally, for the grande finale, you tell me to lose on purpose because it would help you, 'Put your mind to rest.' Who are you really anyway?!"
I sighed, I knew this was coming sooner or later, Sombra seemed to be furious with me now, traces of anger started to be released from deep within his body. It's true that I had a history with Equestria, but not one I liked to talk openly about. Anypony who was there at the time would surely remember my name, but for ponies like Sombra who had for a long time been removed from the world, it was nearly impossible to put him in the mindset of the time. With my thoughts half collected, I wanted to try something unorthodox,
"Sombra, instead of just flat out telling you who I am, I'm going to tell you a little story, and I'll leave it to you to figure it out who I am, sounds fair?" He nodded his head in agreement, I took in a deep breath and added on, "Alright then, but pay attention, I'm only going through this once."
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"The last thing a loyal dog will do is break its master's heart."
Long ago, in a land very very far away, there existed a Kingdom in a world of infinite bounds. This was no ordinary Kingdom however, this was the very first Kingdom to ever come into existence. It was inhabited by a race of creatures that called themselves Shahnarks, fearsome reptilian creatures. The Shahnarks were creatures of supreme physical as well as spiritual abilities and they soon grew in size, dominating the landscape. Soon enough, the Shahnarks realized that they were in fact alone, the only other Kingdoms that had been established were too far away for them to discover. This saddened the Shahnark's hearts, they wished to find a world filled with life and diversity, what they found was merely an empty husk.
The King of the Shahnarks made a crucial choice at last, he gathered the most powerful priests in the Kingdom, and together, they created life, creatures different from themselves, creatures destined to inhabit the land. At the same time, Shahnarks from all around joined hand in hand to forge massive empires, Kingdom's of iron and steel, Kingdom's for their creations to inhabit. At the same time, a powerful Shahnark who would eventually change the course of history was born, they called him, the Guardian. The Guardian saw what was happening, the creatures they gave life to, and he knew there would be consequences, but he held his tongue for the time being.
At long last, the Shahnark's children were placed into their Kingdoms, the creatures themselves knew not where they came from, or anything about the Shahnarks, but the Shahnarks wanted it that way, they wanted to watch, to protect them and guide them from a distance. As time progressed, the creatures multiplied and expanded their empires, until they eventually collided with one another. The Shahanrks had long hoped that when this occurred, that they would find peace, but alas, the Guardian's fears were realized. Once the creations finally found one another, war broke out, trivial disputes over land ownership and ideals being the usual topics.
Upset by these events, the King sent in small armies led by the most powerful warrior of the time, the Guardian, to settle such disputes. Though grossly outnumbered, the Shahnarks were supreme fighters, never losing a fight. In clashes, they defended the weaker and destroyed the aggressor, now that all evils across the land knew such a force existed, they seemed ever more excited to test the Shahnark's will to fight. More and more the Guardian led glorious battles against evil, his will had been tempered to be made of steel. The King of the Shahnarks realized however, that this could not go on forever, a more permanent solution was needed.
The King gathered his priests once more, and together, they created one last breed, a breed destined to wipe out all life, regardless of whether it was just or unjust. They called this race the Zetharians, similar to the Shahnarks, but much more vicious. When the Zetharians were first created, they were trained to believe that the Shahnarks were their Gods, and that in order to have salvation, they must do whatever it was the Shahanrks commanded, and the Zetharians obeyed, believing they were pleasing the ones that created them. The Zetharians spent a very long time, training, growing in size, and preparing to become the most powerful weapon that the world had ever known. Shahnarks such as the Guardian were the ones that trained the Zetharians to become the warriors they eventually grew into, everyday, the Guardian feared what they were creating all the more, a weapon, their replacements.
Eventually, the Zetharians had reached their maximum potential, and they were unleashed upon the world, the goal that had been given to them by their God's being to destroy all life. Quickly, the King had realized his mistake, he saw how quickly the Zetharians were wiping out one Kingdom after another with no end in sight. The Zetharians were merciless, it seemed nothing could stand up to them, and all the while, the Zetharians believed they were pleasing the Shahnarks by doing so. After years of devastation, the Shahnarks finally ordered them to stop, they told the Zetharians that they were no longer welcome in their Kingdom, and that they would be banished as defiled creatures. This was the order that changed everything.
When the Zetharians realized that they had been banished by their masters, they were confused, they had only done what was asked of them, and now they were being tossed aside. A leader rose up among the Zetharians, the Templar, the Templar lashed back at the Shahnarks, his war cry being that the Zetharians were an honorable race that had been betrayed, they did everything and anything the Shahnarks wanted, even killed the innocent, and now with hands stained so red, they were cast aside. The Zetharians no longer wished to be a living weapon, but the new rulers of the world, since they believed themselves to be more pure than the Shahnarks. At last, a war broke out between these two immortal races, thought relatively contained, those lands caught in the middle of the battles were demolished.
The Guardian took charge again as he led massive armies against the Zetharians in what seemed to be the last war they would ever fight. In the middle of the war, a child was born unlike any other, a child that had a Zetharian father, and a Shahnark mother, the first hybrid of either race to ever exist. Even as an infant, it was obvious the child would become stronger than either the mother or the father, for it inherited the strength and power of two species combined. The father tried to take the child back to his Kingdom while the mother stayed in the Kingdom of the Shahnarks. However, when Templar had realized such a creature was living among his people, he brought the father to his knees, and had him executed. The child was declared an abomination, a mistake, thought he didn't kill the child, he made an example of it, the child represented the idea of unity, and idea that Templar could not have at this point.
Eventually, the child was returned to his Shahnark mother, and grew into a healthy young boy. When the King of the Shahnarks learned of this child, instead of casting him out, he welcomed the child into his land, and became his father of sorts, seeing as how the child did not have a father. The child grew up peaceful, pure, and loving, the King poured all his ideals into the child, ideals of compassion and caring, showing another being that they matter, most importantly, ideas of peace. Still a young boy, the mother set the child on a path to priesthood, to study and to become a beacon of hope among the Shahnarks, and the child happily chose this path of enlightenment.
During this time however, the Guardian learned of the child, though the child's heart was the purest he had ever seen, he had a power locked inside him that was beyond any he had ever seen. Voicing his concern to the King, the King brought the child to the most powerful mages in the land, and they determined the child's future. Though his future still remained shrouded in fog, the mages assured the King of one thing, that the child would eventually change the fate of the world, how, they did not know for sure. The King believed in his heart that the child would finally bring peace between the Zetharians and Shahnarks, but only time would tell.
The child couldn't have wished for a better life, until one fateful day, his village came under attack by the Zetharians. His mother was killed in front of him and his life was sparred to wallow in sorrow, it was then that a new part of the child came into existence, the Warrior. The Warrior and the Child shared the same body, but conflicted over ideals, the Warrior represented justice, the ability to fight, courage, the Child represented purity, wisdom, unconditional love. Now, the Warrior sought nothing but revenge upon the Zetharians, he immediately joined the army of the Shahnarks, and went off to war.
This action frightened the King, but the warrior could not be stopped, his lust for blood was unquenchable. He fell under the leadership of the Guardian, who wielded him as his most powerful weapon. Battle after battle, the warrior fought against the Zetharians and their allies, growing stronger with every encounter. The Guardian quickly realized that the Warrior was becoming very powerful very quickly, but the Guardian knew that so long as the Child remained united with the Warrior, that he would never lash out of control, the Child moderated the Warrior's blood lust, that was simply the way it was.
After an eternity of war, the Warrior became the most powerful fighter to ever exist, more powerful than Templar, the King, or the Guardian. Consequently, the Warrior became hardened, his heart had been stained black, he had had enough of war, he wanted to run away, to leave, he was afraid of the idea of fighting until death. Everytime the Warrior remembered the Child he once was, he was hurt, because he realized what he had become, a monster. So entered the third part of the same being, the Predator, the Predator was unlike the first two, the Predator didn't care about good or evil, the Predator only cared about self satisfaction, it enjoyed watching others suffer as much as it did relieving suffering.
It was during one final battle, the Battle of Gautoomb that the Predator, with spirits and mind broken by years of war, left the Shahnarks. The Guardian knew that the Predator had left, but did not yet seek to pursue him, he first had to finish the war. During the first few years of the Preadator's freedom, he looked to find resolution, traveling to far away Kingdoms to try to find out what his destiny in life was, his purpose, a journey that would turn out to take a very long time. Meanwhile, the Guardian lost the Battle of Gautoomb, and it seemed the Zetharians were doing just as bad as the Shahnarks. With both race nearly at the point of extinction, a ceasefire was called, both races put down their arms, and retreated into the shadows of the world to rebuild themselves. During this, the King fell ill, before his final moments, the King told the Guardian he knew what had happened to the Child, he asked that the Guardian follow and protect the Child, seeing as how the King actually felt the Child was his own, this was very important to him.
The Guardian agreed, and as the Shahanrk Kingdom began to repair itself, the Guardian followed the Predator across the world. At first, the Guardian remained hidden, waiting to see what the Predator, and at first, it was nothing, the Predator worked for a living, lived in a small home, and thought nothing of it, in reality, the Predator wanted to try something he had never experienced before, living a normal life. The first Kingdom the Predator lived in was inhabited by many different races, he did not stand out, all he wanted was to start over, but the more he thought about the war, the more hatred built up inside of him. Eventually, the Predator traveled back to the Kingdom of the Zetharians to destroy them once and for all, the Kingdom was already weak and the Predator had grown much more powerful, he knew he could eliminate them all. Before he reached their Kingdom however, the Guardian confronted him, and told him that this would not bring him satisfaction, only grief.
Enraged by his words, the Predator clashed with the Guardian, but was quickly defeated, though the Guardian detested the Zetharians, he would not let the Predator spill blood senselessly. The Predator fled, the Guardian however would follow him for the rest of his life, no matter where he went. Now, the Predator became feral, it no longer sought resolution, but pain and suffering, it wanted to make other feel what it had felt all its life.
This was the majority of the Predator's life, visiting one Kingdom after another, destroying it, and moving on to the next one. Many a warrior tried to resist the Predator, but the Predator only grew stronger and stronger with every army he leveled and every hero he brought down, he became seemingly immortal. The Predator became only worse, not only did he crave suffering, but humiliation as well. On many occasion, the Predator would rape a Kingdom's Queen before ruling the land for himself, since he could not be stopped, they obeyed him, doing whatever pleased him, and then, he would destroy the Kingdom before he left for another. Sometimes he corrupted beings, other times he drove them insane, spreading as much pain as he possibly could.
At the same time, the Guardian followed the Predator, he too grew stronger as he fought evil forces and repaired the Kingdoms that the Predator had just demolished. The Guardian wanted to kill the Predator and be done with it all, but he made a promise, the protect the Child, the Child and the Warrior were still inside the Predator, somehow, he had to kill the Predator without killing the Warrior or the Child, if there was even anything left of the two.
Finally, the Predator came across a land so remote and so isolated that it had never before been touched by outsiders, Predator called the land Paradise. Paradise was a land unlike any he had ever seen, it was the physical manifestation of the Child that remained locked away inside him, valleys so green and rivers crystal blue, the skies not filled with the smoke that came from the industries of other Kingdoms. The most unusual part of the land were it's inhabitants, small four legged creatures of various breeds, some proficient with magic, other's with physical ability, some of them could even fly with the wings adorned on their backs.
The energy flowing from the land was enough to give the Child control of his body once again, Child knew that Paradise could be the thing to finally kill the Predator, Child disguised himself as one of their kind, and lived among them in secrecy for a year. When Guardian found Paradise and saw what had happened to the Predator, he was relieved, he believed that his solution had finally been found, that Child would finally retake full control of his body. At first, everything was going perfectly, Child was taking more and more control of his body as he integrated into their society, but the Predator would prove to be more resilient than expected.
Enraged by the world he was living in, the Predator overpowered the Child once more to take control of the vessel, and the Predator knew that if he did not act quickly, both the Child and Paradise would suffocate him of all his hatred and regret. The Predator was clever, as he quickly devised a plan to destroy not only the Child, but all of Paradise. Guardian knew that Predator had retaken control, and he devised his own plan to work with the Predator's, he would not interfere directly, but he would surely defeat the Predator. Guardian traveled to the coldest part of Paradise, and revealed himself to one family, from that family, he recruited a small child, a boy, explained to them his plan and what would come if he wasn't able to have the boy, and the family let the boy go.
At the same time, Predator began his own plan, first by studying the lore and magic of the land, and discovered only one magic powerful enough to defeat him if he were to attack the Kingdom, they called it, The Elements of Harmony. The Elements of Harmony was a powerful magic forged long ago in times of crisis, and Predator sought to use it to his advantage, he knew the magic required 6 beings, 6 energy nodes for the magic to work, this was what he was to use to his advantage. He set out on the land, looking and locating 6 infants, using his own energy, he embedded the energy required to be a node into each of them, along with the specific kind of energy, kindness, laughter, magic, generosity, loyalty, and honesty. His energy resided in each of the 6, and as they grew up, he occasionally interfered in their lives to push them along the path he chose for them, but he remained hidden for the most part.
Eventually, the 6 met each other, and faced their first challenge, the Vengeful Moon Goddess. Working together for the first time, Predator was able to see his energy activate the Elements of Harmony for the first time, and he was pleased with it's success. From then on, each Element became friends with one another, just as the Predator had hoped. They grew and bonded together over the days that passed, the Predator frequently intervened in their lives, but remained a shadow the entire time.
Meanwhile, this Boy lived with the Guardian, they bonded over many months and years, Guardian explained to the Boy what was happening, about Predator and his entire history. Guardian instructed the Boy that when the time came, he would face the Predator, not with weapons, but words and wisdom, and bring this colossal to his knees by bringing out the one thing Predator hated more than anything, the Child inside. Until that day, until the right moment, the two meditated in their remote land, waiting for Predator to make his final strike.
Time passed, and the Elements faced another titan of evil, the one they called Discord. Discord was strong in magic, but Predator watched again with such satisfaction as his magic defeated Discord handily. Predator had bred the ultimate weapon, and he had full control over it. There would be one last titan before Predator enacted his plan, the Queen of the Changelings, however, it would not be his magic to defeat the titan this time, though the Elements did assist, it was the energy of love that ultimately cast out the evil enchantress.
It was then, in the time of peace that Predator finally chose to cast down his wrath upon Paradise. Predator was stealthy though, he learned of the Boy and Guardian, and he wished to destroy the land in a manner undetectable, but long and painful. He knew just how to do it, the same way he had been corrupted in the first place, to introduce the concept of evil to an otherwise pure entity. One by one, he spread an idea, a thought, a simple concept to villagers all across the Kingdom, he taught them how to lie, steal, that it was ok to pollute the land, that they could abuse their bodies all they want and it wouldn't matter. Predator even taught them that they could kill, not only each other, but themselves.
At first, nothing occurred, but slowly as the days dragged on, the villagers began acting differently, treating one another disrespectfully, abusing their bodies, becoming greedy and evil, however, it was slow enough that none of the villagers ever noticed the change, they forgot what they had originally, and accepted what they had become. The Queen's of the land began to see this change, the Sun Goddess and the Moon Goddess alike agreed that something was happening, something they had never before encountered, and they weren't sure how to stop it. This is what Predator wanted, unlike every time before where the evil was abolished with magic, this time, it was the fundamental hearts of the villagers that was changing, and magic couldn't reverse that. This was Predator's curse, why he became what he became, once pure then corrupt, and on the inside, he could feel Warrior and Child slipping away.
Guardian and the Boy could see Paradise being consumed by a dark cloud of hatred, this was something they had not predicted, a much more fundamental evil, something they weren't sure they could reverse. Predator's ideas became infectious, one villager after another turned towards darkness, these ideas even spread to neighboring Kingdoms. The Elements remained uneffected, keeping strong their wills, they resisted the corruption. However, at the point of anarchy, Predator finally revealed himself to the two Goddesses, making a mockery of their attempts to halt what could not be halted, he challenged them, and they brought too him the Elements.
This was the moment Predator had been waiting for, all the villagers gathered to see, the Elements confronted their creator for the first time, and used the Elements of Harmony against him. However, because the magic originated from him, when it struck him, it was merely absorbed. The entire Kingdom was shocked, it was the first time the Elements of Harmony had failed to work, and this was when Predator finally told them everything, that he created the Elements, that for a long time he had been building up their demise, that the Kingdom belonged to him, and that magic couldn't solve the problem this time. This demoralized the Kingdom and its villagers beyond comprehension, he left them with that, now targeting the Elements one by one.
Predator visited each Element in the days that followed, breaking their will and sanity one by one, leaving Magic for the last. When Predator reached Magic, she stood her ground against him, and Predator allowed her to keep her willpower for the time being, but warned her that her friends had been broken, that she was the only one left.
It was now that Guardian went to Paradise, and introduced himself to the Elements, the Boy had not yet arrived. Guardian knew it would be hard to gain their trust, but he convinced them that he was their only hope. He instructed Magic to take her friends and family and to escape the Capital as quickly as possible, the Moon Goddess accompanied them as well. Meanwhile, Predator met the Sun Goddess in her chambers, and tortured her in a particularly brutal fashion. It was slow and dragged out, just the way Predator liked it, he left her alive, but threw her broken body in the streets for all to see, with the phrase carved into her stomach, "Long Live the Sun Goddess."
Guardian went to retrieve the Sun Goddess, and healed her wounds, and took her to a safe haven in Northern Paradise, where Predator's influence had not yet reached. Predator seized control of Paradise, and enjoyed his reign, gorging himself on the evils of the corrupted villagers and his sadistic nature. He even created his own personal army of vicious wolves that traveled the landscape, killing and pillaging whatever they found, the only ones they spared being those of darkened hearts.
Now that Guardian, the Moon Goddess, the Sun Goddess, and all the Elements had reached a safe haven, Guardian finally introduced them to his solution, Boy. Everyone though Guardian was insane, that Boy would be slaughtered by Predator, but Guardian taught Boy everything of Child, Warrior, and Predator, and he assured them that Boy would bring the tyrant to his knees. It would be a few days before Boy departed, in this time, Magic fell in love with Boy in a way she had never felt before, this concerned Guardian but he allowed it.
Boy finally left to face Predator, and when they met, Predator laughed at Boy, mocking him as being the solution, mocking also the judgement of Guardian. Predator didn't feel threatened by Boy at all, and never once laid a finger on him. This is what Guardian wanted, Boy began, softening Predator's sanity before inflicting real damage. He used only words, reminding him of his childhood, what he was, what he had become, he became the very monster that killed his parents long ago, and this truth pierced deeper than any blade could. Predator began to buckle under the weight of such a history, he threatened Boy with death, but Guardian trained Boy to be immune to fear, and when Predator saw the lack of fear in the face of his own death, Predator began to fear Boy. His sanity and will broken, he departed from the Capital, and Boy returned back to the safe haven, he had accomplished his task.
However, Guardian knew better, he knew Predator would lash out in revenge, and so it was. After fleeing the Capital, Predator went to a neighboring Kingdom, and with his ideals of hatred and racism spread so deep, he convinced them to go to war with Paradise, telling them the exact location of the Sun Goddess and Moon Goddess. Before the invasion landed, Boy and Magic became closer and closer, their love burning ever brighter, their bond became intimate, and more and more Guardian feared what would happen if one were to lose the other, and soon enough, he would find out.
In the final days of Predator, his army landed and bombarded the walls of the safe haven they had for so long taken refuge within. The Sun Goddess and Moon Goddess led what army they had left in defense, even with the prior knowledge that they would lose, they fought valiantly. Guardian fought in the battle, slaughtering the enemy army by the 100s. Predator finally took action, drawing his own sword, and clashing with Guardian on the field of war. Boy was so filled with sadness by the bloodshed, he ran desperately towards the clashing titans in an attempt to bring some kind of peace, Magic followed behind him.
Guardian no longer cared for the protection of Child or Warrior, he vowed to end this once and for all. The two fought their hardest, the whole planet shook whenever their swords collided, it seemed as if though the entire Kingdom was crumbling under their feet. At the height of the battle, Boy rushed between them, crying out for them to stop the senseless violence. Boy was caught in their duel however, and was killed, and at long last, the two titans stopped, only to realize what they had done.
Guardian nor Predator spoke, they only watched as Magic, who had seen what had occurred, cried helplessly over the body of the one she loved. It was then that Predator was finally defeated, he killed the one being that believed he could change, and in that moment, Predator vanished, along with his sanity. Child at long last regained control of his body, his mind only half there. Child turned to Guardian, and told him, in the most sincere voice Guardian had ever heard,
"I'm sorry..."
He then drove his own blade through his skull, and fell dead on the field, letting out one final cry that stopped all the fighting across the land and quieted every voice. The heavens above parted as a gentle light was cast down among the gruesome scene and gentle rain. Guardian was beyond words, what had seemed like an Eon of death and destruction, ended in a second and two simple words. Just then, Boy's body began to glow, and Guardian quickly realized what was happening, Child was using what was left of him to bring Boy back to life. Before her very eye's, Magic watched Boy reappear to her, as a whole being once more, and it was then that Magic uttered,
"I forgive you..."
It wasn't just Boy who was healed, the Sun Goddess, the Elements, the Moon Goddess, all the innocent warriors, all were healed and brought back to life in that moment. All gathered around to see the body of Child, and just like Predator spread his ideals with a small number of villagers, those who saw the body began to return to pure hearts, the sacrifice and strife of Predator served as an icon to those with darkened hearts across the Kingdom.
Ultimately, all forgave Predator, they knew he was not truly evil, but the product of a world that formed him that way, something they had now experienced first hand. Guardian did what he could to repair the land of its scars and to purify the hearts of the villagers, but ultimately, he left the task to them. Guardian said his good byes, many asked if he would ever return, and he promised them he would. Before he left, Boy requested to go with him, though is saddened Magic, she knew Boy could do so much good for the world, so she did the hardest thing possible for lovers, she let him go.
Guardian took Boy with him, and they departed the land, and for once, Paradise returned back to its original state. However, the tale does not end there. After he left Paradise, Guardian made an extremely risky move, one that is questioned to this day. Before Predator found Paradise, there was one that he found love with, a Shahnark named Terra. Guardian had met Terra once before, he knew she was perfect for Child, someone child could hold on to, someone to remind him about the power of love. Guardian met with Terra, explaining what had happened, telling her that he would bring Child back to life if she would be with him, and she agreed.
Terra, Guardian, and Boy all traveled back to Paradise, to the spot that Predator ended his own life, now overgrown with weeds and grass. There, Guardian opened a portal to the spirit realm through which Terra ventured. She traveled across what seemed like a desolate and dark world filled with monsters of nightmarish level, all to find the lost soul of Child. Once she found Child, she brought his soul back through the portal, and it was then that Child's body was restored. Child, now facing Boy, Guardian, and Terra, confessed his sins to them, vowing to lead a new life with his newly given opportunity.
While in the spirit realm, Child released nearly all of his energy, seeing it more of a curse than a blessing, consequently, he was very weak when he returned. He went on to wed Terra, and their love became a beacon of hope for Guardian, who only wished to see Child happy. It would seem as if though Guardian had kept his promise after all.
Time passed, and the war between the Zetharians and Shahnarks from long ago was slowly beginning to build momentum, because of this, Guardian went back to their homeland. Child wanted to come as well, to make up for abandoning them long ago, but before he left, he visited Paradise one last time. Predator wasn't completely destroyed, but he was very much under Child's control, and Child let Predator have one last run, only to be sure he could leave, Child had refused to leave until he knew that Paradise was fully restored, and that his actions had benefited them rather than hurt them. Predator took control, but with a much more harmless plot in mind this time around.
Predator looked for some way to cause a bit of chaos without completely destroying Paradise, he snooped through pages of lore and magic from long ago, and discovered a rumor about a being named Sombra. He looked further into, finding the exact location of Sombra, and using what magic he had left, freed Sombra from his prison. Predator could still detect whether or not a being was good based off of their energy, and when he met Sombra, he saw that Sombra was not the evil tyrant that had been depicted in the books of lore. Sombra knew nothing of Predator, but Predator could see Sombra was very similar to him, a once evil being that had changed, and only wanted a second chance.
Predator revealed very little about himself, but promised Sombra his second chance if he obeyed his every will, and Sombra agreed. A deal was struck, Sombra would rise again as the evil tyrant he once was, only for the sake of testing the Elements and the two Goddesses. He was instructed to lose his fight, but to make it appear as if though he came with the full intent of ruling Paradise. Sombra agreed to his terms, putting his full faith in a being he had only just encountered. Predator sprung the ancient land of The Crystal Empire from it's grave and gave the rest to Sombra.
Child took back his body, and watched as Sombra dueled with the Elements. He watched very carefully, noticing every behavior, anything negative that was a result of his actions. However, what Child saw gave him his liberty at long last, they acted no differently than they had before, if nothing else, it seemed their bond was stronger than ever. Satisfied by this, Child began his journey to uphold his end of the deal as Sombra finished his part, eventually being scattered across the land.
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Author note: This is really messy right now and I plan to come back and clean it up in terms of quality control, just really wanted to get the base of the chapter out and done.
"It's not your fault... what a concept."
My story had been finished, and the need to go on any further extinguished, I had made it obvious to him who I was, thought I tried to remain anonymous, the desire to profess my sufferings to another was overwhelming. In my upright position on the old matted furniture piece, we starred at each other with blank expressions, the roaring fire that once existed now I smoldering pile of ash, the red glow from its underbelly was the only true source of light in the darkened home. I cried often while I told the story, I took this moment to wipe the tears streaming down my cheeks. This was something I was not at all proud of, it was apparent why that was. Sombra sat in his initial position still, unable to find the words for a proper response, nothing seemed proper at this point.
I could only imagine what he was thinking, that he sat only a few feet away from the biggest monster to ever exist, that all that really happened while he was gone, that I had changed so drastically. Predator is still inside me, and he always will be, he is apart of who I am, and though I may try, I know I will never be able to extinguish him, but at the very least I can control him. Sombra was still in a pit of silence, minutes ticked by, I knew this would drag on for longer than was comfortable, so I said the only thing I could think to say, the thing that seemed the most appropriate,
"I'm sorry Sombra, I knew that you weren't evil, but I made you do it anyway, but you see now why. I know it was hard for you, if I was told to become Predator once again I would probably refuse because I don't wish to relive that life. Pausing for a quick second, I hoped my apology would sink in, and followed it quickly with, "Was that too much?" I jokingly referred to the story as a whole, if I was in Sombra's position, I wouldn't know what to say either. However, Sombra broke my expectations and spoke softly under his breath,
"No... I'm just... how do you go back after something like that?" I wasn't quite sure what he meant, was he talking about me actually leaving Paradise, er, Equestria? I questioned,
"What do you mean, go back?" Sombra must have been wanting to ask this question all along, he wasted no time in his reply,
"How can you just forget all about it and ask for forgiveness?!" He didn't yell, but he was very assertive about this, and this was the dilemma I felt many beings face, but because I've been asked this question many times before, I knew exactly what would calm his mind.
"Do you think that I thought I was worthy of forgiveness, that I deserved any of their sympathy. I felt like a monster when I killed him, the boy who killed me... His name was Rufus Halesworth by the way, the Boy. No, I felt like I deserved nothing but death when I ended his life, and by my own hands. How is it that Rufus destroyed me without even threatening me, I struck him down, and he became more powerful than I could have possibly imagined."
Something occurred to me at long last, it stopped me right in my trail of speech, a horrible realization that struck like an eternity of war. I finally realized why this house was still here, and who lived in it and chills went down my spine, but I didn't wish to show Sombra my weakness or make him realize the same fact that I had just come to terms with. I pressed on, the behemoth truth now weighing me down,
"No Sombra, it is not easy, and the fact is, we all have a little bit of Predator inside of us, he comes in many forms because he is elusive like that, a friend, a stranger, an idol you look up to, all can be infected by Predator. You know why Equestria forgave me, because it saw past Predator, it knew what I really was, I wasn't a monster, I was just raised like one. That doesn't mean whenever we meet Predator in our lives, and it will happen, it happens almost everyday to the common pony, we can't just try to look past the Predator and find something else, we have to stand up and face him without fear, Rufus did just that, he sacrificed himself in the name of peace, that's what killed me in the end."
I wanted to get to my point, I felt as if though I could talk all night, but the house was quickly weighing down on me, I could feel it, the ghost was right on top of me, I had to do my part and escape. Keeping my composure, I finished my point,
"In the end, we can't let what we have done in the past determine our future. Others can give up on you, say you're too far in for any hope of redemption, but the worst thing that could happen is when you give up on yourself, you see no point in trying, you become you're own worst enemy. Our pasts are our burdens to bear, but we have to move on, always try to build a better tomorrow, even if it's by doing something simple like smiling at a customer as they leave a store, to me, the kind little things we do everyday, that is where true greatness lies, and I've been alive a long time..."
I could see a tear drift from Sombra's left cheek, he smiled warmly at me, and half crying half laughing, spoke,
"H-h-how many years have you been alive?" I smiled back at him, and rose up off the couch I had taken refuge upon, and sat down on the floor closer to him, answering,
"Millions..." Sombra burst out crying and laughing even louder, I beckoned him towards me so that I may fulfill my part, but he was too busy wiping his eyes to notice me, tears poured down his eyes, I knew they were not tears of sadness, but joy, to know that for the first time ever, he could live tomorrow free of his guilt, the same pleasure I know enjoy.
"You are no evil creature, I know this is true, many are blinded to the possibility of seeing past the flesh, but I see the true you, your energy is like a flaring light, a sign of good if I've ever seen one. I think Equestria will forgive you either way, but so long as you can forgive what you've done, then I am willing to give you your new life..." This time Sombra paid attention to my hand gestures, removing himself from the mold he made into the blankets, rose up on all four hooves, and still crying, came towards me, muttering aloud,
"Thank you, you're the first person to ever tell me that... I stretched out my hand to his forehead, and placed my hand atop his head, my hand was so large compared to him I could barely see his expression behind my hand, but he spoke, "I'm ready, let me pass into a new life..." This was it, the transformation spell, to completely change the physical appearance and energy of a creature which would make them completely undetectable as whatever they were before, a whole new identity, something we all crave.
I began to focus my energy towards my hand as I spoke my last words to Sombra,
"Are you sure you want to do this, you won't have your powers anymore, and you won't be immortal, you'll be a regular Earth Pony, you will be able to die... are you absolutely sure?" I could feel his tears against my palms, he spoke calmly and with resolve,
"There's nothing more I'd want now than to live a regular life, and all the struggles that go with it, go ahead..." There was no stopping him, I centered my mind for one last act. I quickly pulled my hand off his forehead, pressed all my fingers together, and plunged my hand into his chest, Sombra let out a gasp of air as my hand reached inside him. I wasn't actually touching Sombra, I was reaching inside him to pull out every last drop of evil energy that existed in him, this would change him and his energy flow permanently. He gasped and sputtered as his whole body started to change color, going from black to brown, his horn, sharp teeth, and armor all started to melt away.
I got a complete grasp on his dark energy, and pulled my hand back out. The closer my hand got to leaving his body, the more he changed, his eyes changed to a sparkling blue, his tail and mane changed to a velvety red. I finally pulled my hand out, and what I held was a small, ruby red crystal, it was all the evil energy that existed inside Sombra put into a solid and tangible form. Sombra wobbled backwards and took deep breaths as he rapidly adjusted to his new body.
When he got control of himself, his lifted his hooves up in front of his eyes, turning them over to examine them on every side, as if the other side held some sort of secret. His mouth gaped open, he turned his head around to flick his red tail and watch it fall against his flank, something he had not felt in a very long time. He rubbed his hoof against his head to find his horn was gone. Then he looked at me, and I smiled back at him and gave him a humorous remark, pointing to the gem I held in my right hand,
"Old you." Then pointing directly towards him, "New you." It was at that point that Sombra did something I hadn’t really expected, he galloped towards me and jumped into me, wrapping his top arms around my chest as best he could, and exclaiming over and over in a completely new voice, one that was much softer and more inviting, and truly represented his heart,
“Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!! I can’t thank you enough for all of this!” It was sweet that he felt that way, but to me it seemed a little extreme, I held my hands up in the air, allowing him to hug me rather than me to hug him. Then again, to him, this must have been the equivalent of being brought back to life, so I smiled down at him and replied,
“It’s the very least I could do... I want you to take this.” Sombra stepped off of me and onto the floor, and I gave to him the red crystal that I had pulled out from his chest. Before grabbing it, he looked at it carefully, not fully understanding what it actually was, asked me,
“What is this exactly?” I held it up in front of me and cleared my throat before giving the technical definition of what it was.
“Well, this is your evil energy. I know I’ve used the word energy a lot but never really explained it, it’s basically an underlying force that when properly channeled can be used to do a number of things, this is how unicorns on this world do magic, because they have energy. Every energy is different, and depends heavily on what it originates from. This red gem I hold is all the evil energy of your previous form, your Predator if you will, though it didn’t appear to be very large to begin with, this red energy is highly concentrated and was extremely powerful, I had to use my own energy to put a case on it. Take it do what you will with it, it’s harmless so long as energy is casing it.”
He looked at it with a sort of frown, it was the reminder of what he used to be, he took it from my hand and held it up to his face, then cautiously asked me,
“What if I want to sell it? If I’m going to be starting a new life I’m going to need some bits…” I laughed a bit, and then smiled at him replying,
“That’s fine, sell it to an artifact collector, jeweler, make it a holiday ornament for all I care, it’s yours.” I had completed my end of the deal, and it was time for me to depart, the realization I had from earlier still loomed. I spoke to him,
“Shall we go then?” Sombra looked up at me and nodded, but quickly added on,
“But wait, will I ever see you again? Isn’t there a war starting?” This question had plagued me for some time now, I knew that I could try to fight it, but I would always have an attachment to Equestria, I would always want to come back, no matter how much I tried, I knew I wasn’t done with this world, and that there were adventures to be had still. I replied as I rose to my feet, careful not to hit the ceiling, and turned back to the doorway I came through,
“…It’s true there is a war starting, one you thankfully won’t have to be a part of, but one I must fight. Will I come back? Of course I will, I guess I'm still forgiving myself, as far as Celestia and all of Equestria is concerned, I'm dead, I just need more time before I drop this bombshell on them... I'll tell you when I come, but nopony else will know, to them, I'll be the random pony in the background they've never seen before." My shape shifting abilities had helped me out quite a number of times now.
Sombra followed me to the doorway, and from behind, he commented,
"Hey, why is my cutie mark bubbles?" As I was grabbing the doorknob, I froze, and slowly turned back to face him with a sort of nervous laughter, I was embarrassed about why I chose bubbles, but I gave him the truth,
"Well, you see, the thing is, when I was Predator, all those years ago, there was one pony that I loved above all others, she was quirky, unpredictable, and chaotic, and back then, that was a combination I loved. Her name was Derpy Hooves, and her cutie mark was a trail of bubbles." Sombra gave me a sort of blank expression, and I returned it with another nervous laughter. Facing back to the doorway, I turned the dusty old knob and forced the guardian of the home open.
When I opened the door, instead of the persistent blast of frigid winter air that had pounded the home all the night, there was absolute peace, no winds, no clouds, not a single snowflake dropped from the sky. I pressed out further, finally being able to stand my full height, which put me eye level with the second story window and gazed out onto the plains. It was like a dune of snow, the hills had formed so perfectly it was almost unreal. In the distance, I saw ghostly glaciers break off from the shore, and drift into the arctic sea. In the sky above, streams of light danced across the sky, displaying every color mother nature had to offer. I took this all as a sign, a sign of a new beginning, not just for me, but for Sombra.
Sombra came out next to me, and gazed around, taking in all the beauty of the landscape. Sombra looked up at me and noted,
"It may sound silly, but I think this was meant for us." Without even looking down at him, I nodded, and spoke back,
"I think, I'll get you to the nearest town... According to my map we need to head this way." I pointed outward in a direction that contained a plethora of hills with no end in sight, now looking to see where I was actually pointing to, I groaned aloud and mumbled, "I'm getting too old for this..." Sombra laughed and with a skip in his hoof, started towards where I had pointed, and cried back towards me,
"Come on then! We have a whole new life ahead of us!" His enthusiasm was infectious, giving me the energy needed to press onward once again into the barren yet majestic land. One step after another, I pulled myself away from the home, from my past. What I had realized earlier was this, the home I found refuge in, was the home that Rufus lived in as a child, and that it was my wolves I created long ago that killed his parents and his sister, the ghost that had been watching me intently the whole time.
I turned back towards the home, and thought it didn't surprise me, the home was gone, completely flattened where it had just stood, maybe it had a new start too, and had finally been set free. Standing in place, I gave the house my departing regards before continuing along my path,
"Tell Shimi Ishira said thank you."
Turning back, I saw how far ahead Sombra already was, I kept a steady pace, and proceeded into the abyss, whistling a song I had learned long ago that I had always enjoyed,
When I was young it seemed that life was so wonderful, a miracle...
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"You call down the thunder, now reap the whirlwind."
It seemed as if though greater forces were trying to prevent me from my goal, as the night peaked and the land was consumed by darkness, it only became colder and colder, the energy inside me was the only thing keeping my internal organs from freezing. Despite everything, I managed to drag myself all the way to the energy beacon, another two hours of travel through the soul freezing tundra. As my luck would have it, it turned out my hunch was right, as I came upon my preset target, I began to detect a myriad of faint energy trails, a couple's love, the wood from a home, even scraps of food, though if my guess was right, any food I found in this place would be rotten. Still, the strongest energy coming from this spot was the attachment I picked up miles away, and as I grew closer I grew more curious. However, finding out the exact source of the energy was not to be the focus of the evening, that still remained the resurrection of Sombra. It must have been only a hundred yards away by now, and I could tell it was definitely a house, the energy of wood seemed to take that specific shape. By now though, my body felt almost completely broken and worn, the thought of rest nearly stayed my feet, but I couldn't stop then, not when I was this close.
I felt I was close enough now to see the home through the thick winds, I slowly opened my eyes. When I had my eyes fully pried open, what I saw left me humbled, I knew in advance what I was going to see, but to actually see it was something else. It was nothing more than a home, simple in design really, two stories, kitchen, a master bedroom, 2 other bedrooms, 1 bathroom and a living room. Nothing special right, however, it was the fact that it still remained is what humbled me. It had a heaping pile of snow covering the v slanted rooftop, but still it bore it's weight, the dead brown wood not willing to crumble. The land had tried to hide the structure, cover the doorway and windows with snow, but the house seemingly prepared for my arrival, cleared its doorways and windows of what would otherwise be heaping piles of snow. It was the house's will to survive in such a terrible land that humbled me, not willing to back down, to live and to serve weary travelers. Despite my heavy use of magic, I still believe powerfully in logic and science, this house being here and not 30 ft under had no logical basis whatsoever.
"How are you still here..." I figured there were other forces at work here, that was the only other explanation, I had felt it during my entire journey, an invisible hand guiding me through the wasteland, and at last, to this shelter, but why here?
Regardless of the whys and the hows, I didn't question the fact that it was shelter, and I wasn't going to turn it down simply on the basis that it seemed out of place, I cautiously proceeded to it's doorway. Upon reaching the bulky wooden frame I was confronted with the overwhelmingly obnoxious fact that for a long time I had been given the freedom of ignoring, my species was roughly 5x bigger than that of the local population, and the doorway was my first reminder of that. As I reached for the antique doorknob, I noticed something about the door itself. There were lots of small claw marks that had torn away at the doorway, something wanted to get inside, badly. They bore no similarity to a pony's hoof mark, and this was the disconcerting part, underneath the layer of claw marks, I swore I could see pony hoof prints that had been pounded into the doorway, the wood was stained in those areas.
I didn't know of any creature that lived in Northern Equestria that could be so aggressive, the Griffon Kingdom was relatively nearby, but I couldn't honestly see them acting in such a violent manner. That could have only meant that this was a creature that was never here before, something that was sent here with a very specific task. This was the other unusual part, usually, at scenes of battles or deaths, an energy marker would be placed there that represents that individuals last moments in life. If the building was as old as I had thought, the energy may have burned off by now, but for curiosity's sake, I closed my eyes, and placed my hand on the doorway. I waited patiently, but to no end, I couldn't feel any trace of emotion from this scene. For the time being I simply ignored the clawmarks, although I was weakened, I still had more than enough energy to kill anything on this world that looked at me funny, whatever this creature was would learn to fear me a lot more than I feared it.
Grabbing onto the doorknob, I turned the handle and forced the splinter door open, it creaked loudly all the while it slid open, almost as if the building was crying out in pain. Once opened, I bent over and pushed my head through the doorway, a quick glance inside revealed to me a dark living room preserved by a thin coat of dust that covered the interior. I forced my way through the doorway, making sure my long reptilian tail made it all the way in before I quickly turned around to reseal the barrier. Forcing it shut, I turned back and faced the living room, the ceiling was so low it was almost like a toy house to me and I had to crouch just to keep my head from hitting the ceiling. At long last I had a moment of peace, it felt better than I had expected. I collapsed on the floor, sitting down with my back against the doorway and panting heavily, inhaling the stale air of the otherwise preserved home.
Now that I was inside, I was formally introduced to my makeshift shelter, very antique furniture, wooden chairs and couches all centered around a fireplace all greeted me with the usual indifference inanimate objects tend to. Above the fireplace, there was a ledge filled with photos, many of which were impossible to decipher due to the fact that they were either burned, smashed, or torn. The building not only looked old but sounded old, the building seemed to have it's own drone that competed with the howling winds outside for my attention, though ultimately the groan was what won my attention over. There were stairs hiding on the other side of the room from where I sat that most likely led to the bedrooms. To my right, there was a cozy little wooden kitchen with splintered cabinets, draws, what looked like a food storage of some sort, and many multicolored washed out pieces of paper that were tapped all along the top of the kitchen. What perplexed me most was the fast that at the oval dinner table just beyond the kitchen bar, plates, forks, knives, glasses, and even folded napkins were set up, 4 sets to be precise. Here and there a plate seemed off-center or a fork was pointing to the side, but otherwise it had seemed like the table was just recently set.
I looked back over to the fireplace, there was wood and kindle already neatly placed in the shaft of the chimney, it was very old just like the rest of the building, this would make it easy for me to ignite it. Out of desperation for heat, I crawled on my hands and knees past the neatly oriented furniture, squatted on the ancient carpet in front of the fireplace, and took my gloves off my claws. Throwing the gloves on the floor behind me, I exercised the stiff joints of my fingers by contracting and releasing them in my hands in rapid succession. I had to hurry, as it turned out, the building offered little to no protection against the cold which penetrated not only the building but my very mind as I felt my thoughts slowing.
Concentrating under such conditions was not always easy, even for someone like me, but I had to focus and clear my mind of distractions if I was to do this right. I tried to control my breathing as I began to direct a portion of my energy into my finger tips. Placing my thumb and pointer finger against each other and with a substantial amount of energy now being directed, I simply gazed into the fireplace, snapped my fingers, and watched as the woodpile instantaneously ignited. I smiled, I tried to use a very small amount of energy, the kindle caught fire instantly, but the larger logs were not amused by my attempts to steal their heat. Regardless, I knew that the kindle would set fire to the larger logs quickly and I would have my fire. The warmth that emanated from the flame of the kindle was enough to make me want to sing, though it was a small flame, it was good enough for me at the time being.
Scooting in closer, I rubbed my hands together and held them up to the small flame, absorbing every droplet of heat it gave. Even though I could see there was no ice forming on my hands, it felt as if though ice was melting off my palms, I sighed with content as the imaginary water dripped off and hit the carpet. I took this time to relax, a moment of peace and quiet before I was to revive Sombra from death, his horn still buried deep within my pocket. My eyes wandered about the room, in particular, the row of framed photos that nested uneasily on the shelf directly above the fireplace, to which I was at eye level with. I tried to make out the faces of ponies, I wanted a clue as to who lived here long ago, however as I noticed when I first entered the wooden stronghold, many of the photos were smashed in, the glass shards scattered all along the shelf and some directly below the shelf on the carpet. Many of the photos were torn, leaving only a corner or a shred of a photo for me to work with, sadly, that wasn't enough.
I began forming my own hypothesis of what had happened here, besides the photos and the doorways, there was no sign of a struggle, no bodies, none that I had found yet anyway. The energy of attachment that I picked up on so long ago seemed to grow and then suddenly disappear as I got closer to the home, almost as if the building was hiding something from me, and I could no longer detect it. Now there was nothing, just the weak traces of energy given off by the strain of the building, the heat from the fire, and the nearly extinguished life from the wooden husk. There was however, an omnipresent energy that seemed to fill the structure in it's entirety, love. Love was one of the most powerful forms of emotional energy, for those trained to channel energy such as myself, love could be used as an incredibly devastating weapon. This is why I wasn't surprised traces of the aura all along the house, because love was so strong, it took the longest to fade away.
I made the prediction that I was dealing with a family home, the smeared pieces of paper in the kitchen being doodles drawn by children. There was a mother, a father, and based off the setting at the table, two children. Which made sense, for as I sensed the energy around me, a three dimensional image of the home formed in my head, I could see two bedrooms and one master bedroom upstairs, just as I had predicted. I glanced back over to the photos on the shelf, hoping to find at least one image that was roughly in tact. My curiosity at this point was beyond piqued, it was starving, I figured there had to be some reason this building survived the torrent weather for all these years.
Finally, my eyes fell upon what they had been seeking, still relatively in tact with only a tear in one corner at the very right end of all the photos, reaching over I grabbed the bronze frame it was in, I held it up to my face, and looking closely I saw a little filly and a colt. The colt had a grey coat and a scruffy black mane with deep blue eyes, the filly had a red coat and a swirly pink mane, this one had glistening yellow eyes. They appeared to be brother and sister, the sister looked slightly older than the brother. Just looking at them brought a tender sort of warmth to my heart, they seemed so happy to simply be with one another, it made me wish I could see my family again.
Just as I felt a tear welling up in my eye, I felt a sudden shock of energy instantly appear within the home. I turned around, but saw no changes in my environment, though I could not see it, I could feel it, whatever just happened set off a massive energy surge. Quickly, I closed my eyes and tried to sense the energy around me the way I did when I searched for Sombra. The instant the energy began to appear in my mind I nearly screamed aloud, for hovering no more than an inch away from my face, giving me one of the most soul robbing stares I had ever seen was the ghostly essence of what appeared to be a pony. Floating in the air in front of me, it's eyes gazed directly into mine with such emptiness that it made my lips quiver. It was no large than a regular pony and emitted a beacon of flaming grey energy from the center of it's body. It said nothing, only pressed it's head closer and closer to mine.
Before it's face touched mine, I opened my eyes, and thankfully, I could not see it anymore, but I could still feel it, I knew where it was. I made the guess that this was the spirit of a pony that lived here before, the energy of a spirit can linger for nearly an eternity, and depending on how strong the energy is, it can impact what happens in the tangible world. This made me wonder again why I hadn't come across a body or bones or blood stains of any sort, it would have taken a very gruesome and evil event to bind a spirit to a location so strongly. Thankfully, I had experience with the dead before, only about half of the spirits I've ever met could talk, it appeared though as if this one was silent. I tried to appeal to what was left of its mortal mind, and began,
"I know you're there, I can sense you. I'm sorry if I've invaded your home, but this is the only shelter I could find for miles. If you wish it, I shall leave, but if I may, please allow me to stay, I will be very careful with your home..." I waited quietly with the photo still in my hands, I slowly put it back where I had picked it up, hoping the spirit would be pleased. There I sat for a minute, waiting for a sign when at last I felt a cold presence pass through my body, without closing my eyes, I followed the spirit's movements, it felt as if it had drifted up stairs through the ceiling where it finally decided to stay. Many times before I had dealt with the spirits of the dead, they are more reasonable than you would believe, but this one, this one was unusual, it didn't seem to want anything, didn't say anything, it was just sort of, there. I made a guess in my head that the spirit was one of the two children whose photo I had just moved, but I didn't pursue the matter any further, I simply accepted the fact that there was a spirit in the midst and I would simply have to coexist with it for the time being, that is unless I stepped into the spirit world to destroy it forever, but I had nowhere near the energy left for a trick like that.
Trying to refocus, I put the spirit out of my thoughts and starred back into the fire. Despite my best efforts to resist, in the back of my mind I wanted to know who that pony was and why it was here. I wasn't so much afraid of the ghost as I was curious, in my experiences, most ghosts can only do about as much as move small objects and make noises, 97% of them didn't have enough energy to cause harm, especially to someone like me. It started to make sense though, it seemed to me that the ghost was what was keeping the building alive using, it did this by using its own life energy. Though believed powerfully in science and logic, most of the time, I simply had to concede to the fact that magic works in strange ways, this being a perfect example. As I finished my train of thought, I felt a second tidal wave of energy, it was the energy of attachment that I had felt from long ago, and it emanated from upstairs. I was too anxious to find out what it was.
Again, I tried to ignore it, I had rested enough now and regained enough energy to perform my spell. I opened up my pocket and reached deep down inside, latching onto the horn and pulled it out. It still glowed a hot orange like a burning ember.
Mumbling to myself once again as I held the horn in front of my face and spoke,
"Energy never dies, it only changes form... Are you ready to give life another try?" I paused, almost as if I was expecting a reply, but the glowing horn remained there in my hand with a merciless silence. Looking behind me, I scooted back as far as possible without hitting the furniture, it seemed the ghost was triggered as soon as I touched something . I could sense it had calmed down and it was still upstairs and I didn't want to anger it again. I looked glanced back at the living room, I had cleared more than enough space for Sombra to be built from again. Still sitting on the floor, I reached over and placed the horn in the center of the room. I then closed my eyes and crossed my feet in the way the monks showed us back on my home world and meditated, building up what energy I had left into an energy chamber inside me.
I must have been recovering quickly, my energy compiled much faster than it usually did. That both surprised me and scared me at the same time, I thought it would take me much longer to return to my old capabilities, I thought I could recover in that time, but I guess these things couldn't be helped. With superb accuracy, I recited the words for the spell from my own language,
"Ker du' serva'tov,
G're lud betaron kal ne ts'i,
O'pvaluke du' selcas'ty,
Heran teron un Verukai'."
I inhaled deeply and with highly controlled movements, I forced the energy I had been piling up through my body and exhaled it out into the room with my breath. To those without the ability to detect aura, it would have appeared as if though I had just breathed heavily onto the horn, but to me, a thick layer of gaseous purple energy, my energy, rapidly filled up the room. It dispersed for a moment, trying to locate it's target, but a few more seconds of waiting and the purple cloud seemed to get converge towards the horn, attaching itself to the shaft. I did a quick check of my surroundings to find the spirit was still upstairs, just making sure I hadn't done anything to set it off. I felt we had finally reached an understanding, but it was watching me carefully, guarding what was left of it's tomb, and the events that took place with it.
Eyes wide open now, I could see the effects of my spell taking place, the horn hoisted itself into the air and was no longer the ember orange, but a deep purple. The horn began radiating a white light, humming lowly as it spun itself in the air. It suddenly stopped spinning, from the base of the horn, particles of light began to pour out, quickly taking the shape of Sombra. I watched with a slight bit of pride as my spell worked to create the outer frame of Sombra in the form of walls of light, without his armor padding that was. Then, the light that had formed his body began losing it's color at the head and tips of all his feet, returning to the color black, and worked it's way towards the center of his body. The instant his internal organs were formed, a blood curdling scream filled the room as Sombra's brain had finally begun to form. This is what I was afraid would happen, during this sort of spell, the bodies organ's don't all form simultaneously, it usually starts at the head and ends in the center of the body. The screaming meant at least his brain and lungs had formed and he was sensing a pain equivalent to having half you're body missing. However, the magic worked quickly as his lower body began to form from the particles of light until he was whole again.
Still floating in the air, Sombra ceased his screams of pain once the rest of him was formed, his eyes rapidly shut themselves and his entire body went limp, and he came crashing onto the floor. It appeared as if though everything had gone correctly, but just to be sure I did another quick check of his energy. Closing my eyes, I saw the same energy pulsing from his horn as I did before, but the rest of his body was also dispensing energy now, his heart was pumping blood, his brain was functioning properly, and best of all, he was breathing, all I had to do was wait until he woke up.
Turning to my right, the ghostly pony I saw before floated right next to me, not starring at me though, but starring intently at the pony that just crashed on the floor. It didn't show any emotion, but if I had to guess, it was surprised, surprised that I somehow overcame death. I made a joke to it now that I felt we had an understanding,
"If I had any trace of you I could resurrect you too." It didn't even turn to me, it just kept facing my creation, and quite frankly I couldn't blame it, resurrecting the dead was an incredibly powerful spell, I would know, I was brought back from the dead in Equestria two years ago.
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