A Warrior is Born, not Made.
Long ago, there was a great king. He was an evil ruler of his land, ruling over his people with the power of fear and dark magic and cruelty. He slaughtered any who refused to bow to him. He forced his people into poverty. He was not a good king, he was an evil king. But even so, his reign was long, and his reign was powerful. He was a great king.
Bloody Legacies:
The Son of Blood
I am Doctor Whooves. In my most recent experiment, I have made a grave error, one which I barely survived. But, let us save that for another day. Instead, let me tell you about what I saw.
I stumbled upon a small hut in the woods. Running all around it was a small, blood-red pony, a unicorn colt who could be no more than 4 years old. He was chasing a small rabbit around the hut, when suddenly, his grandmother, a gold-furred unicorn mare with wrinkles-aplenty, came out and called him inside, saying, "Sovu! Sovu, child, it is getting dark. It is nearly your bedtime."
"Aww!" He said, reluctantly coming over to the home. He stepped inside with his grandmother. She noticed me watching from the trees, and she called out to me, saying, "Well, hey there, stranger." I looked around, not sure if she was talking to me, then pointed to myself. "Yes, you. Why don't you come in with us? We're going to eat dinner, and you seem hungry."
I was in a rush, but I didn't want to insult her by denying her hospitality, so I shrugged and followed her in. I went with her into the kitchen. "Oh, by the way, eh, what is your name, stranger?" She asked me.
"My name?" I replied. "Er... Whooves. Call me Whooves."
"Whooves, eh? Nice to meet you, Whooves. I hope you like carrots and hay fries." She led me to the kitchen and motioned for me to sit down across from the colt, Sovu. I obeyed. "Sovu, this is Whooves. He'll be joining us for dinner." She said. He nodded. "Nice to meet you, sir." I nodded and replied in turn, complimenting him on his good manners. "Thank you, sir." He replied.
When the old mare brought three plates of food to the table, saying, "Dig in!" I nodded my thanks to her once more and ate a few pieces of carrot. We ate mostly in silence. Until, that is, the golden mare hit up a conversation with me. "So, Whooves... What kind of name is that?" She asked me.
I wasn't sure how to answer, so, I simply said, "Ah... It's not from anywhere nearby. It's a family name, from an old culture." She nodded and ate a few hay fries. "But, eh, Sovu... I have to say, I've never heard a name like that before. Tell me, son, where does your name come from?"
He looked at me with shy eyes after that, as he wasn't sure how to answer. "Well, mister, I... I don't know. See, I'm... Adopted. My parents both died when I was just a little foal, no more than 5 weeks old. I stayed at an orphanage in Canterlot until I was two. Then, Gramma came there one day, looking for a child, and, out of thousands of orphans, she chose me." He smiled sadly, looking down, then looked towards his grandmother. "She's the one that named me Sovu."
Then I looked at her. "Well then, Ma'am, if you don't mind my asking, where does his name come from?" She chuckled slightly, a sweet little noise. She looked over at her grandson, then looked at me. "Well, because... He looks just like a stallion from an old filly-tale. It was just a legend, but he was a real man." She looked down a moment, collecting her thoughts, then at me again.
"Let me tell you the story. You see, Sovu is a word from the Language of Old Equestria. It means Blood. I named Sovu after the stallion Sovu, Son of Blood, the first Good King of Equestria..."
.....
It was long ago, before the Dynasty that holds our current king, Lord Moon Shadow. You see, long ago, Equestria was ruled by one stallion, an evil Alicorn with a mane and coat that were as black as pitch, and, where his heart should have been, was a dark vortex, a rift in the universe made of pure evil energies. This evil king was known as Chaos. All he wanted was pain, and misery, and torture, and slaughter, and murder, and death. And death. And death. And death.
He ruled with an iron hoof, forcing mares to lay with him while their husbands watched. He forced everypony to give every bit they earned to him. It didn't matter who it was. He just wanted them to suffer. Well, one day, there was an Alicorn stallion who challenged the throne. His name was Coruv. "If I defeat you in battle," He exclaimed before Chaos. "You must surrender the throne to me and my family. If I lose, I will leave the continent in exile, holding nothing but the clothes on my back."
This made the king laugh; He knew that no one could defeat him. And, he knew, the worst thing ever to a person wasn't when they were executed, it wasn't when they were imprisoned, it wasn't even when they were tortured. It was when they were not able to be in their own home. It was when they were in exile. So, he agreed, saying, "Very well then, you poor fool." He stepped down from his throne, removing his cloak and crown. He glared down the scarlet fool with vicious anticipation.
He stepped down and proclaimed, "I will not use my magic against you." This was a good thing for Coruv, for many reasons; One was that, if used on one, Chaos' magic could tear them apart. Another was that it could cause you to become a mindless slave to him. But, there were worse fates. A single tap from his hoof could break all of your legs. Hearing him whinny would cause your ears to pop and bleed. And God help you if he touched you with the tip of his horn.
But, still Coruv faced him, unafraid. He had trained for this for years. Everyday he ran 40 miles from his home, then 40 miles back in four hours. He would pull tens of thousands of pounds of stone for thousands of yards every morning. He destroyed enormous, nearly invincible crystals with his magic for days on end. And he was able to do that while using only a single drop of dew to break his fast.
He feared nothing. He pushed himself to the very limit and beyond. Sometimes, he hurt himself; He would break leg, ribs, and once, he even cracked his skull. But he didn't care. All that mattered was that he dethroned Chaos. But, little did he know, he would fail.
The king had powers beyond this universe. His very soul was fueled by the demons of Hell. He could rip a five megaton rock to shreds with a single glance. All the king had to do to defeat Coruv was run up, and tap him on the neck.
And so he did. As the bastard ran his fastest towards the poor man, destruction in his eyes, Coruv just stood there, unafraid, waiting to begin. Miraculously, he managed to dodge the king's attack at the last second. The king tried again, and Coruv dodged again. Coruv shot a beam of energy at the king's side, aiming for his heart.
Well, he didn't hit Chaos' heart, but he did burn the demon, causing him to cry out in pain. Now the king turned and looked at Coruv in fury. "You shall pay for that, you insolent whelp!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. Coruv merely shrugged and smirked, taunting the king. He knew a secret; The king couldn't control his anger. If he could get Chaos' anger up, Coruv just might when.
And for a while, it seemed he might. As he dodged the king's reckless, angry attacks and yelled taunts, Coruv shot a beam of energy at the king's side, searing deeper into the black flesh every time. But, it was for naught. Finally, the king had it; He fired a beam of energy into the floor, forming a portal to another world. After that, he used his dark magic to slow down time itself, allowing him to run up behind Coruv, and he kicked the poor Alicorn into the portal, exiling him forever.
The king was done, and he laughed in success as he closed the portal. He walked back to his throne and put his crown and cloak back where they belonged.
.....
"So, how is the story so far?" The old mare asked me.
"Well," I began, confused. "It's good, but... I don't really see how it explains where your grandson gets his name from. I mean, you said the Alicorn's name was Coruv, not Sovu, and that he failed to dethrone the king, so-"
"Ehehe," She laughed. "That's because Coruv isn't the Alicorn who became king, he's the fatherof the Alicorn who became king." I was still confused, but shrugged, figuring she'd tell the rest. "Well, let me tell you the rest of the story, Whooves."
.....
Well, upon falling through the portal, Coruv also fell unconscious. He wasn't sure what was happening, but he saw visions. Visions of his battle. And visions of the future, though he didn't know it then. He saw himself, as some kind of hairless ape, standing beside a smaller one of them. He was watching the small one, whom he assumed was a child, running as fast as he could. He watched as the child outran large horses and as he lifted enormous boulders. He saw the child growing bigger and bigger. Then, he saw the child, as a pony, standing in Equestria, facing Chaos. He was a blood-red Alicorn with a set of antlers, strangely enough, growing on the sides of his horn. He stared down the king, and shot energy into the king's face. Chaos jumped upon the child and kicked him in the side. The child went back several feet, but did not surrender. The child jumped...
Then Coruv awoke. He awoke to see a beautiful face, one that belonged to a female of that species he saw in his visioned. "Oh, you are awake." She said, giggling. Coruv wasn't sure what was going on, so he tried to stand. Then, he realized: He only had two legs. He looked at his hooves, and saw that they weren't hooves; Rather, they were hands.
"What's going on..." He asked, confused. The woman simply took him by the arm and smiled at him.
"You must have had some fall," She said, smiling at him. "Here, come into my home. Later we will see if we can figure out what happened to you." He simply blushed, and nodded. He came with her to his home. The entire time he was thinking, 'She is quite beautiful... How kind of her to let me stay here.'
She led him to a small hut by a river. She sat him down on a wooden stool within while she went outside and fetched a pail of water. When she returned, she began examining the cuts he had suffered. A few bleeding scratches were all, but still, she washed them off. It burned a bit to touch the dark wounds, but he didn't complain. He had broken all of the bones in his body at least once before. He could handle a little stinging.
She wanted to make sure she covered all cuts on his body, which would mean he would need to expose himself for her to make sure she got them all. When the woman told him this, he blushed and replied, "Oh, ah... I... I suppose..." He stripped down from the torn tunic and pants he had been wearing to allow the woman to clean his wounds. Thankfully, there weren't many cuts, so he was able to redress soon after.
As he nodded his thanks to her, he couldn't help but pause a moment and stare at her beautiful face. Her scarlet lips. Her black hair. Her deep blue eyes. Her tender cheekbones. Her elegant form. Every bit of her being was beautiful. He couldn't help but stare. As he realized he was blushing, the woman giggled and asked him, "Why are you gawking?"
He turned away, ashamed in himself, then turned back and said, "Ah... Please, forgive me, but... Um... You are very beautiful, and I couldn't help but stare." He continued blushing, then looked away again. After he said that, she looked down and began to blush herself. "Oh, my, well..." She said. "Um... Well... Thank you... That's very flattering..." After, that, they just stayed in awkward silence for a while. But, eventually, the woman broke the silence. "Oh, um... My name is Aeia, by the way."
He nodded and shook her hand whilst saying, "Coruv. Nice to meet you." In response. After a while, Aeia spoke again, saying, "Um... If you don't have anywhere to stay, you can stay with me until you figure out what has happened to you." He noticed that she was blushing, and that she had a slight look of desperation in her eyes. He really liked her, so, he nodded and thanked her.
.....
"Ah," I said, beginning to realize what was going on. "I see where this is going now. I was confused, but, the pieces are falling into place."
The old mare chuckled, glad I had finally realized what was going on. "Well, good. Let us continue. Oh, but, Sovu, do you have anything to say?"
The child simply shook his head. "No, Gramma. I just want to hear more of the story. I want to know where my name comes from." He exclaimed, calm but obviously excited. The old mare just laughed and complimented the boy on his enthusiasm, saying, "Oh, good to see you're excited about this. All right, let me continue."
.....
So, you can probably guess what happened. They ended up becoming friends, going many places with each other. But, they didn't stay like that for long. At first all was calm and normal. But, slowly, they grew closer and closer together, causing their relationship to change. No longer was it truly platonic. One day, more than a year after Coruv and Aeia met, it happened.
Coruv had gone out hunting to get dinner for them. When he returned, he came upon Aeia, standing outside waiting for him. "Oh, hello Aeia," He said, setting down a single deer. "What are you doing out here? Don't you usually stay inside about this time?"
"Yes, uh..." She started, cheeks a bit flushed. "The thing is, Coruv... This past year, I've been feeling... A bit odd around you. I feel a bit faint, I get a slight pain in the pit of my stomach, and..." She was full on blushing now, as was Coruv. Coruv knew what she was about to say, and... He felt the same way.
"Coruv..." She continued looking down with a slight frown. "I... Um... I think I am falling in love with you." Coruv was in disbelief that she had actually said such a thing. "Wh... What?" He said, confused.
"I mean..." She continued, still looking down, a single tear rolling down her face.
"When I first saw you, There was something about you I instinctively liked, and... I had always thought you were handsome, but... Recently, it has been more than that. I can't help but feel warm when I'm around you. I long to hold you, and... There's an odd heat in my loins when you are nearby. I just..."
Coruv pressed a finger to her mouth. "Shh," He whispered. "Don't say a word more. Aeia... I've been feeling the same way. I... I think I'm in love with you, too. I want to hold you in my arms for the rest of my life. I don't want you to ever leave my side. I... I love you." He brought his arm around Aeia in a tender embrace, drawing her close, then kissed her upon her sweet lips.
Well, you can probably guess what happened next. They fell in love, got married, and had a child. But, this child wasn't any ordinary kid. He was born in an odd way.
One day, 9 months after the first time they laid together, Coruv came home to his beautiful, pregnant wife. But, he heard her moaning in pain. "Aeia?" He said, frightened. "Aeia, what is wrong, love? What is wrong?" The poor woman gritted her teeth and moaned out through her pain, "I'm in the bedroom! Coruv, love, I... I think I am having our child!"
Coruv ran into the bedroom to find her lying on the bed, clawing at her dress and the covers of the bed in pain. He took her small, tender hand in his and held it tightly. "Aeia! Just... Push! Don't worry, just calm yourself and push!" She nodded as he took his hand away and went down towards the foot of the bed. As she strained as hard as she could, he reached up near her body to help ease the child out. "Oh!" He exclaimed. "I see the head! You are doing great, love! Just keep pushing!" As she pushed the child out from her body, he continued easing the body out.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Aeia gave one last push, forcing the child out the rest of the way. Coruv took the child and looked at it. "Oh, love," He said. "It is a boy!" He quickly ran and got a shining knife. He took it and cut the umbilical cord, after which he washed the child quickly and swaddled it in a small blanket. As the child cried, he brought the boy over to Aeia. She took the boy and held him close to her head.
"Oh, Coruv," She said, tears of joy and of pain streaming down her face. "How wonderful. What do you think we should name him?" As Coruv looked upon the child and noticed the reddish tint that his skin seemed to have, an almost blood-red tint. "Sovu," He said. "Let us name him Sovu."
As I stared at her in shock, amazement, and confusion, I wasn't sure how to respond. "Well?" I declared, wanting to the rest of the story. " 'Well' What?" She asked, staring at me.
"Well, what about the rest of the story? What happened next?" I pondered aloud as I stared at her incredulously. She simply chuckled. "Oh, yes, hehe. I'm sorry, I had all but forgotten." I just stared at her in disbelief.
"Oh, now then, where was I? Oh yes, now I remember..." She tapped her hoof to her chin and chuckled once more. "Well then, let me find my place again. Oh yes, there we are..."
.....
So, you're wondering what happened to Sovu, right? Well, let me tell you. The child grew quickly. As the boy aged, year by year, Coruv noticed how quick the boy became, how strong he became, and how flat-out talented he became. By age one, the child was able to speak, read, and write at an advanced level. By age two, Sovu could run 20 miles in half an hour. By age three, he could lift 400 hundred pounds. Every single day, the child grew faster, stronger, and smarter.
By age ten, Coruv and Sovu would go hunting every day, and would come back with 3,000 pounds of deer every night - Most of which was gathered by Sovu. As the boy grew, Coruv noticed his growing spirituality. Before every hunt, Sovu would make a prayer to God for a good catch. After every kill, he would pray to God to thank both him, for sending the deer, and to thank the deer, for giving their lives. Every night before he went to bed, the boy would pray for another day. Every morning, he would pray for thanks for the new day.
One day, after the boy turned 13, Coruv noticed something while he and his increasingly handsome and powerful son were hunting. As he raised up his sword to strike an oblivious deer, he glanced his son head, and noticed something. He saw two golden nubs sprouting up from Sovu's head. "Sovu," He whispered, shocked, as he lowered his blade. "What is that?"
"What is what?" Sovu replied, confused.
"Those... Knots, on your head."
Sovu reached up and touched the nubs, unsurprised. "Oh, those? Those showed up a few days ago. I was bathing in the river, and as I reached up to lather the lye through my hair, I felt those. I figured it wasn't major, so I just didn't tell you." He looked up at his father, eyes widening. "Why, is that bad?" He asked, suddenly frightened.
"Well," Coruv started. "It's necessarily bad, but... It's not normal. I've never seen such a thing." As Sovu came to this realization, he smiled. "Papa... Do you think that, maybe... This could be God sending us a sign? A sign that... I'm meant for something special?" The boy looked at his father with hopeful eyes, wanting his father to say something.
"Well..." He continued. "Maybe, son. But, one things for sure: Whether or not those... Horns, or whatever, that are growing are a sign of it, I know you're going to do great things. I want you to know that. You've got a great future." The man replaced his sword and knelt down before the boy. "Sovu, I think it's time you learned about... How I met your mother."
The boy nodded, and they both walked out from the woods and headed back home. "You boys are back early." Aeia said from the kitchen, cheerful. "Did you have a good hunt?" Coruv walked alongside Sovu into the kitchen, then came up to his wife and whispered something to her. She looked shocked at first, then nodded. "Sovu," She began. "We should tell you about how me and your father met." Sovu nodded reluctantly, and they went on to tell him the story.
As they told him the story, not leaving out a single detail, he stayed expressionless and emotionless. Finally, when they finished, he spoke. "Then," Sovu began, realizing the truth. "Papa... You're not from here? You were... Banished, by some kind of magical talking half-pegasus half-unicorn monster?" Coruv nodded, giving his son a sincere look. "I believe you. This shit is weird - Hell, it's downright crazy - but I believe you. But, dad, if he did this to you... Then I'm going to take him down."
"What?!" Coruv exclaimed. "Sovu, that's crazy! There's no way I know of for you to get there, and even if there were, there's no way you could defeat him! You're not strong enough, not fast enough, not wise enough. You can't fight him."
"But father-"
"I said, NO! There's no way for you to get there, and no way to fight the demon! His magic would tear you apart!"
Sovu glared at his father, determined. "Father, I love and respect you, but I won't back down. I'm going to take him down. This isn't just for you, and it isn't for me. It is for our people, those poor people being tortured by him. I don't care what you say, I'll find a way." Sovu continued glaring at his father for a moment more, then turned a way and walked outside.
He walked about 50 yards, then stopped. He took out the knife that he kept with him at all times, then pushed the blade into the dirt. He drug the dagger around, then stopped. He was now standing by a circle about five yards in diameter. He stepped inside and made made four lines, each about five feet long, crossing in such a way that it divided the circle into four equal sections. He then made four symbols within each section, magical and holy symbols, each about 5 inches long. Finally, he knelt down in the center, and prayed.
"Lord, I pray to you now, humbly kneeling before you. I hope you will help me. I pray that you allow me to leave the world and go to my father's birth land, so that I can destroy my father's oppressor, O Lord. Please, God, please. Let me do that. For my father. For me. For my people. Amen." He then took out the knife, and made a sacrifice of his blood. He made a small cut upon his right wrist, then allowed the blood to stain the blade. He pressed the bloody blade into the very center of the circle, and continued praying. His father came before him.
"I'm not changing my mind, Father." Sovu said, sensing his father coming from behind.
"Good," He replied. "I don't want you to. But, if you're going to leave, then I want you to take this." The man removed his sword and scabbard from his back, and handed it to his son. "You... You're giving me Ehrung?" He said, shocked. Coruv nodded. "Yes. I want you to take it and use it well. I want you... To conquer that sick bastard."
His son just stared blankly for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you." He said. Suddenly, he turned around to an odd sound. The circle he had made was glowing. It opened up, and inside, Sovu saw a colorful forest. Sovu nodded to his father, then ran to him and embraced him in a deep hug. "I love you, papa. Please, tell Mother that I love her, too." Coruv simply nodded, tears streaming down his face. "I will." Was all he said.
"Good." Sovu stepped away. He walked into the circle and looked back.
"Son!" Coruv cried out at the last moment. "I love you too! Please, come back to me one day!" One second more, and his son was gone.
