The Legend of Dante
Original story by Spreadjoeman123
Chapter 1
Today was no normal day, usually it started the same way, get up, put armour on, scare soldiers out of their bunks, but today, it was different. They were worried, all worried, they had spent the last week preparing for this battle, stuck in the castle, training, keeping fit, but nothing could dispel the sense of fear.
I in fact, was the only one who could get any sleep, a few hours yes, but sleep none the less, it was after 2 hours of trying to get back to sleep that I decided I would try cheering up my men. It took me another 5 minutes to get up though, we were tired, all tired, I stumbled over to the mirror in my small room, looking at myself in, wondering if I would survive the day, wondering if any of us would survive the day.
I looked at myself thoroughly, taking in every detail of myself, in case this was the last time I looked at myself, my short, jet black spiky hair, the scar running diagonally across my face, starting somewhere next to me left eye, going across the bridge of my nose and ending up at my right cheek. My stubble, it had always won over the women, still does, and of course, that smile, my mother had always told me my smile was a winner, she use to say to me, "Dante, I just can't help but being happy around you, you know, damn that smile of yours."
But his mother wasn't around anymore, in fact, none of his family was, the had been brutally murdered by the evil plague that swept across this land, intent on destroying all, he could remember their deaths, he had been hiding under the sofa when it happened. They had burst through the door, knocking everything over, I can still remember the feeling of absolute terror I felt, I was only a small child after all, they grasped my mother, father, and sister and started hacking at them, with those swords, twisted pieces of black metal, built with the purpose to kill, and make it painful. I had watched as they stabbed, hacked, and ripped at my family, tearing of flesh and meat, cracking open their bones, splattering the room in a bloody mess, when they had finally left I was crawled out of my hiding place, I did not cry, I was past the point of crying, I felt no remorse either, because from that point on, I knew what I must do. So other the many torn body parts of my family, standing in a pool of their blood, I made a vow, a vow that I would kill every one of these fucking monsters. Oh how my family would be proud of me.
Enough of the past though, it only made me sad. I stepped back from the mirror and began to suit up. Ever since I had become a captain in the royal army, I had been issued with a special suit of iron armour, it consisted of thick metal plates covering my back and chest, thick leg armour and knee caps, large, pointed iron boots, slightly less heavy armour along the arm to allow movement, and a pair of large, scaled shoulder plates. I had refused the helmet though, I wanted to look those bastards in the eyes as I drained their life from them, I wanted me to be the last thing I saw as they died.
I walked out of my room into the main barracks and looked around me, all I saw were tired, scared men, sitting quitly in their own sorrow, I couldn't stand this, if we were going to die, we should at least die with a smile on our lips.
"Come my brothers, we have a battle upon us and you sit he in silence, why not make the most of our time?"
"Ha, like you and that Italian women yesterday night Cap'n?"
"Aye Sergeant, not that I've seen you with a women in a while, in fact, I don't think I've seen you with one at all."
That set the mood, for the next hour we laughed, we made jokes, drank, and gambled, for this could very well be our last hour, and we were determined to make the most of it.
And then it came, the call for war, we all fell silent, all knowing what this ment, we could hear the screams as the women and children were evacuated through the underground caverns. None of us could move though, were too shocked, did we really want to do?
And so I said, "Come my brethren, let us show these pitiless monsters what war is!"
"Aye sir!" They all shouted in unison.
We grabbed our weapons, me with my blade, heartshade, a 1 and a half handled blade, long, light, and sharp, very sharp.
After my men had got all their equipment together, we moved out. We made our way slowly through the streets, full of frightened citizens running in the opposite direction, all across the city we could hear them, and they should run, for these monsters were merciless.
We arrived at the front gate in less than 15 minutes, we were expected to be at the front, for our unit was the best. The king himself had asked us to be there, but of course it was only to buy time for him to run through the caverns with all the others who weren't fighting, not taking part in this battler like he should. I spat on the cobblestone at the thought of him.
It was not long till we were ready, lined up behind the gate, and then, after a final fanfare from the trumpets, they opened, revealing a scene of utter despair, a burned and ruined landscape lay in front of us, and right there, a mile from the city, was a massive horde, a horde come to kill.
And we ran.
We ran right towards them, an army of a thousand, verses a horde of hundreds of thousands, we all knew the odds, but we were stubborn bastards, we cared not, we had nothing much to live for, and so we ran.
And they ran.
Screaming, whooping, howling, they ran, I bit my lip as I charged, thinking if I might survive, I doubt it.
And then we clashed, my first swing decapitated 3 of them at once, spraying blood everywhere, another 10 took their place, so I decapitated, disembowelled, and simply scythed my way through the mass of bodies, it was an orgy of blood, it made me happy, to be in my element, slicing, stabbing, cutting. I was happy, so happy I laughed, we all laughed, laughed at the simpleness of war, at the fact half of us were dead already, the fact that we, were losing.
And that's when it happened, a great big beast, obviously a general, lumbered up to me, I tried repeatedly to hit it, but the monster effortlessly deflected my sword each time, and then, as it was stabbing, something happened, the world quietened, slowed down, and then a rushing noise. It had distracted me and I was stabbed, in the right side of the stomach, and then a flash of white and nothingness.
'Is this what it's like to be dead?' I wondered, 'no, if I was dead there would be nothing.'
And then the blinding white melted away.
I was in a strange place, near a forest, and then I heard a scream, and saw, in front of me a grey pony, no pegasus?
And then blackness once more.
To be continued...
Chapter 2
It was like any other day for Twilight, get out of bed, read, maybe eat, but definitely more reading. That was until Spike spurted out another letter from Princess Celestia. But it was different, something strange about it, something dark. She decided to open it straight away, it read:
To the Princesses favourite student.
I am sorry to tell you that the Princess has fallen severely ill, so ill she may not survive. Please do not worry, as we have all the best physicians in Equestia working on a cure.
Yours sincerely, the Princesses personal secretary.
Twilight felt tears in her eyes.
"What's the matter Twilight?"
"It's......it's the Princess Spike, she's ill, very ill, she may not live..."
"Oh....."
They sat there in silence for what felt like hours, Twilight began to sob, the Princess meant everything to her, she had taken her on as her own protégé when her life was meaningless, the only people who had loved her was her parents, but the Princess...... well, if she died, then Twilight would lose the most important person in her life.
After another few minutes, there was a knock at the door, 'that's strange,' thought Twilight, ' no-one comes to the library at this time of day, let alone knock that fast.'
"TWILIGHT, OPEN THE DOOR QUICK!"
She rushed to the door quickly and opened it, before it was even fully open though, Rainbow Dash fell through the door and landed on Twilight in a tangle of limbs.
"What the hell is going on Rainbow?"
"They got Rarity, Pinkie and Applejack, oh Celestia, they got them" Cried Rainbow, as she slammed the door shut and wedged it closed with her body.
"Wait, what?"
"Those... those beasts, strange, disfigured, almost rotten ponies, they snook up on us while we were at Fluttershy's cottage to help her with counting her animals, me and Fluttershy got away, but they got the others, they.... they were ripped to pieces...."
"Where's Fluttershy?"
"I don't know, she flew of fast, I didn't see where though."
"We need to tell the royal guards about this."
"Hurry Twilight, we need the Princesses help with this."
"Oh, well, you don't know?"
"Don't know what?
"It's the Princess, she's dying."
I awoke with a start. I was panicking, were was I? What was I doing here?
It looked like some kind of hospital? But so much cleaner.
I remembered, the battle, what had happened to the battle, what about all my men?
Oh dear God, what's happened to them, were are they all, did they survive? No, they're probably dead, slaughtered by the horde of bloodthirsty creatures that plagued the land.
"Rest in Peace, my brothers, I shall remember you." I whispered to myself.
'Fuck this,' I thought,' I'm getting out of here.'
But as I tried to get up, I realised I was restrained to the bed, no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't get out.
'Damn it.'
Then i felt a sharp pain in my stomach, as if someone had poked me with a red hot iron. 'Dammit, how could I forget being stabbed through the stomach?'
"Looks like our strange friend here is awake." Queried a strange voice. I began to panic, there was something about the clip-clopping of the feet........ no, hoofs?
How could I forget, when I first came here there had been a pegasus, this place must be filled with strange creatures.
And just then, a earth brown stallion wearing a white lab coat entered my cubicle, I shall never forget this moment, it was shocking, yet it felt kind of.... acceptable?
"Well well, so you are, now tell me, if of course you can speak, what is your purpose here?"
"I thought you would know, this is your world, is it not?"
"Ah, so you do speak, well, seeing as you arrived in a flash of light, covered in blood and wielding a sword, we thought maybe you could shed some light on recent happenings."
"Alas, I know not, I am afraid I am here not of my own will; tell me though, what sort of strange things?"
"Hmmm, well, many things have happened, first of all our Princess is all, then there have been strange sightings, sightings of disfigured, corrupted ponies, and then there are disappearances, animals, farms, even entire villages have n=been left in ruin, but we do not know the cause of all this?
"Strange indeed, tell me, do you know of the pegasus that found me when I first become known to this world?"
"You mean Derpy, well, you gave her quite a fright, do you wish to see her, she's right here in the hospital, although we will have to keep you restrained for, well, safety reasons."
"Of course, of course, I understand."
And with that, the doctor left. I let out a deep sigh, and thought, 'I've left one hell, only to enter another, just my luck."
To be continued...
