//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: The Chronicles of Dark Star: A Blade of Redemption // by D4ftP0ny //------------------------------// Never get into a fight you can’t win. It was something that Dark Star’s very first sword instructor had told him time and time again, and a phrase that had irked a much younger Dark to his very core. His instructor, a unicorn named Keen Edge, had been very demanding of and completely dispassionate towards his students, as well as totally indifferent towards their hardships in training. He’d also had a knack for finding a student’s emotional weakness and exploiting it, pushing them harder than any other instructor of the era. Most of his students had washed out within weeks of apprenticing themselves to him, but Dark had stuck through, determined to be one of the few who passed Master Edge’s grueling regime. But Keen Edge had been able to find his weak spots, and as the training continued he was able to press Dark’s buttons, causing him to lose his temper and attack his hard-nosed instructor on multiple occasions- all of which had ended with Dark Star hurting in ways he could never have imagined before as Keen Edge had simply sheathed his sword and said, Never get into a fight you can’t win. At first, Dark had thought his master was simply mocking him by telling him he wasn’t good enough. He had thought that Master Edge was showing him how little he’d learned and was pushing Dark back down as he desperately tried to rise above the jarring routine of his training. However, as his training progressed, Dark had slowly learned to filter out the doubts that the simple statement had instilled in him. He had learned to trust himself, trust his sword, and to stop thinking and fight. Finally, he and Master Edge had faced off one last time, a fight that had ended in a victory for Dark Star. His master had nodded, sheathed his sword, and said, Now you’ll never get into a fight you can’t win. The truth of the simple statement had long eluded Dark, and it was not until years later that he truly understood them; that by allowing his emotions to override his training, he was losing the fight before he even started. However, by using his training to focus his emotions into correct action, victory was already assured. And so, as Dark Star gazed up at the porch before him, three Pegasi and a rather large griffon arrayed against him, he couldn’t help but smile ever so slightly even as his muscles tensed beneath his cloak. And now, there’s no fight I can’t win. Razorbeak casually raised his talon into the air and held it aloft for a moment, his eyes full of amusement as the ponies of the village dispersed around them, giving a wide berth to Dark and the group of prisoners; they knew without doubt that this fight wasn’t going to be quick or clean. There was no way that any of them could have realized how wrong they were. Razorbeak held his claw aloft for a moment before his eyes flashed red and he dropped his claw. As he did so, the three Shadows moved synchronously, as if they were all the reflections of just one pony; their wings flared and pumped firmly, launching them into the air above the porch in half a heartbeat. Dark’s horn blazed with light as the three changed direction seamlessly in mid-air, their upward trajectory suddenly turning into an arc that sent them straight at the unicorn, their eyes impassive, their front hooves poised to pummel him into submission. Dark’s horn flashed brilliant white and with a grunt he threw his head to his left as hard as he could, lifting his front hooves off the ground and pivoting on his rear legs as he drew a blazing ribbon of magic across the air between himself and the three Pegasi; it flared bright blue as he drew it in an arc above him, the magic forming what appeared to be translucent blue glass about two feet wide above the black unicorn. He drew it between himself and the last Pegasus just before they got to him, and so perfect was their timing, so exact were their trajectories and so fast was their speed that they all three impacted the ribbon at the same time… and stopped dead. Their legs bent as they hit the magical glass-ribbon, and for a single heartbeat they all three hung perfectly still in the air. But Dark Star didn’t stop moving. As soon as they hit the ribbon he released his magic; his horn went dark and the band of magic suddenly became completely transparent and ceased to glow as he dropped to all four hooves before lashing out with his back hooves at the Pegasus who had attacked his right side and now sat squarely behind him. There was a smash like shattering glass as both of Dark’s hooves impacted first the transparent magical ribbon then the black Pegasus stallion behind it; the strike took him squarely in the face and bucked him backwards into a bush at the edge of the square where he landed in a heap, unmoving. As soon as the ribbon had shattered it shimmered in place and a half-second later it vanished completely, leaving the remaining stallion and the mare hovering in place, their momentum stolen from them; Dark whirled back to the right, his horn blazing with magic once more as he grabbed the mare in his telekinetic grip and used his own momentum to amplify the force of his magic as he slammed her into the stallion next to her with a resounding crunch that echoed around the silent square. His blue magic faded from her as she hit and the two Pegasi went flying off to land atop the other stallion by the bush; they landed in a heap, half rolling into the shrubbery before they lay still. The corner of Dark’s mouth quirked slightly, and he turned back to face Razorbeak with triumph in his eyes. “Your Shadows have a thing or two to learn about attacking a unicorn,” he said quietly. “Brute force and speed might overwhelm the unprepared, but that’s a gamble at the best of times.” He glanced over at the ponies lying in a heap. “I guess if any of them survive those hits, they’ll know better for next time.” Dark’s eyes went back to the griffon, his muscles still tensed to the edge of action. “If they survive,” he repeated quietly. He didn’t expect that Razorbeak would take the defeat of his servants particularly well, and he was certain that the griffon would be swooping down at him in a matter of moments to exact his revenge. To his surprise, however, the griffon simply glanced over to the pile of Pegasi for a moment before calmly turning his eyes back to Dark. “Not bad, unicorn,” he said, his voice even. “I have to say I didn’t expect you to be able to fend them all off. I thought at least one would get to you.” “I’d say I’m sorry I disappointed you, but I’m not much for telling lies.” “Well, that’s something we have in common, then.” Razorbeak turned and slowly made his way to the edge of the porch, his golden eyes watching Dark closely. “Whether you believe me or not, unicorn, everything I have told you about my reasons for being here has been true. I have been nothing but open and honest with you, so believe me when I say…” Razorbeak stepped down off the porch and spread his wings wide. “…you may have defeated my servants, but if you choose to stand and fight against me, you will die here.” “If I stand and fight?” asked Dark, his brow rising incredulously. “I thought I had made my intentions perfectly clear.” “Nevertheless,” said Razorbeak flatly, his eyes boring into Dark’s. “I feel it only proper to warn you that you can’t beat me, and that to engage in combat with me would be folly.” He smirked. “I am a warrior- something that has been bred out of your lineage for almost three hundred years.” A brilliant bubble of excitement suddenly floated up into the maelstrom of anger and horror that filled Dark and he couldn’t keep from grinning eagerly at the griffon’s admission. A griffon warrior... it’s been a very long time since I’ve had the opportunity to fight a griffon. No matter what he had been throughout his life, Dark Star was a warrior to his core, and the prospect of fighting another warrior again filled him with eager anticipation; however, as quickly as that bubble had risen in his chest it burst, and his expression returned to a frown. But I don’t have the time. I have to get these ponies out of here, and I have to do it quickly. He barely managed to stifle a sigh of disappointment as he raised his head and stood up straight once more. “And what if I simply blast you with magic?” Dark asked casually. “That could end this situation very quickly, and with very few problems for me.” He shifted on his hooves so that he once more stood in a basic combat stance. “What do you have to say to that, Razorbeak?” If Dark was honest with himself, he had to admit that he’d expected that bringing up his magical abilities would take the wind out of Razorbeak’s sails and deflate his ego a bit, forcing him to see that tangling with Dark wasn’t in his best interest. The best fight is one that you can avoid, he thought. He had not, however, expected the griffon to throw his head back and laugh loudly, his wings bouncing mirthfully as his rolling laughter filled the square once more. The unicorn felt his ire flare to life once more as his teeth ground together audibly. I may only be here to rescue these ponies… but it’s starting to look like this griffon has a death wish. “Your magic, unicorn?” the griffon finally managed to wheeze between laughs. “Do you… do you really truly think that I would have stuck around to fight you if I was worried about your magic?” He laughed once more before grinning at Dark, and again he saw the red light flash through Razorbeak’s eyes. “Go ahead, unicorn. Use your magic. I dare you. Use your magic, and see if it can free you!” Dark arched an eyebrow at the griffon for a moment, but it was clear that Razorbeak was not bluffing. And I guess I’d be a poor guest if I disappointed my host… “Suit yourself,” muttered Dark; he grasped his magic, but this time instead of the clear cerulean light that had expanded from his horn before there was a burst of brilliant red flame that surged from it, the tongues of fire swirling around the tip of his horn to gather in the air above him. Once there the fire swelled, growing brighter and brighter as he fed more and more magic into it until he had a blazing fireball roughly the size of the griffon’s head hovering above his horn. Dark’s face was impassive as he held the ball steady for a moment, his eyes searching Razorbeak’s expression for any signs of panic, regret or remorse; even if roasting this griffon alive would get them out of here faster, Dark knew that if he could avoid bloodshed, he would. If he gives me a reason not to do this, I’ll let him live… But all that Dark received from Razorbeak was a flat glare that repeated those three words: I dare you. The unicorn sighed regretfully and reared up slightly on his back hooves, raising his front legs off the ground; then he threw his head forward, and with a sharp downward slash of his horn he sent the fireball hurtling towards the griffon, the heat of it so intense that is scorched the small amount of grass that had managed to grow in the clearing, causing it to go up in spurts of flame along the fireball’s path. The griffon’s challenging smile grew broader as he folded his wings in front of his face, shielding him from view. In the space of a heartbeat the ball of fire crossed the distance between Dark and Razorbeak, the trailing flames blocking the griffon from Dark’s vision for what he was certain would be Razorbeak’s final moments. Dark winced slightly. A fireball is a gruesome way to go… but he DID dare me… The fireball impacted the griffon, its outer shape warping as it did so, the flames wrapping around Razorbeak like a welcoming blanket of burning death… but they didn’t wash over Dark’s opponent in the way he expected; they simply sat there burning in mid-air for another long, almost eternal heartbeat… and then, as quickly as they had appeared from the air the flames were snuffed out as what appeared to be Razorbeak’s wings sliced through the fireball, causing it to lose its shape then collapse in on itself, vanishing in a huge puff of smoke that quickly filled the area. The almost blinding light that had overwhelmed the square vanished, casting the ponies into darkness for several moments until their light-dazzled eyes slowly adjusted to the softer illumination of the torches once more. Dark rubbed his eyes slowly before raising his head once more. Maybe it was a trick of the fire, he thought with a frown. There is no possible way he survived that… However, if there was one thing that Dark Star had learned in the past year, it was that he had an incredible propensity to be wrong. He squinted into the clearing smoke, the pungent, earthy scent of it filling his nostrils and gathering at the back of his mouth as he tried to find the spot where he was certain Razorbeak would be laying in a heap... but as he watched, a shadow walked forward and emerged from the clearing smog- a shadow that gave one mighty flap of his huge wings and banished the smoke from whence he’d come, leaving no guesses as to his identity. Dark’s eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline as Razorbeak flapped his wings once more before folding them against his back, his eyes bright and smug. “...well, that’s something you don’t see every day,” Dark said to nopony in particular. “Is that the best you’ve got, unicorn?” the griffon sneered. “I told you: your vaunted magic will not avail you here.” “So… that’s what you were after,” muttered Dark. “Drinking the blood of unicorns… it made you impervious to magic.” That makes things very interesting indeed. “That certainly wasn’t something that the proponents of blood magic had envisioned was possible. But I still don’t understand… what good does this do you? What good does it do this village to make you impervious to magic??” Razorbeak grinned and stepped towards Dark, his talons digging into the soft earth of the square and leaving long furrows behind him as he stalked forward. “This village is small, and the ponies here were being pushed around by a gang of unicorns. Needless to say they could do nothing in their own defense, and they could not manage to escape to seek help from Clyde’s Dale. That is, until I came along.” His grin grew, and the edge that it held made Dark’s skin crawl. “I killed and ate those unicorns, and promised this village that they would never again need to fear magical power.” “And what happens now?” Dark pressed as he stood his ground firmly. “Surely you have bigger plans than just protecting this village, right? Now that you’re untouchable by magic, won’t you-,” The griffon’s beak snapped viciously, cutting him off mid-sentence. “What I plan to do now is none of your business, unicorn,” he growled. “For now, there is only gather more power.” Razorbeak raised a claw to his chest, brushing away an imagined piece of dust as he glanced away from Dark. “But I am not without mercy, as any of these lovely villagers will tell you,” he said. “Now that you’ve seen that your magic is useless, perhaps you will be a bit more reasonable.” Razorbeak lifted his claw away from his chainmail and pointed at Dark Star, his eyes keen. “I shall let you go, stallion… under one condition.” His claw shifted infinitesimally, pointing past Dark and towards the other prisoners. “You may go, and take the others with you… except for the blue unicorn.” Dark arched an eyebrow and turned slightly, following Razorbeak’s outstretched claw to Trixie, who was staring at the griffon with wide violet eyes. “Trixie?” “Yes,” Razorbeak cooed. “Trixie… if you leave her with me, you may take the others and go. And I swear to you you’ll never hear paw or pinion of me again.” The griffon settled his claw back to his side, his expression smug and confident. “One pony, stallion- that is all I require. The sacrifice of that mare will bring safety not only to this group, but to Clyde’s Dale as a whole. A noble sacrifice, wouldn’t you say?” The black stallion watched Trixie for a moment longer then turned back to Razorbeak, a detailed explanation of exactly what the griffon could do with his notion of “noble sacrifice” on his lips, but as he opened his mouth to speak, a voice cut through the silence and forced his words back down his throat. “I’ll do it!” Dark’s mouth snapped shut and he whirled back to Trixie, his cloak pooling around him as he locked his green gaze with her violet one. “Trixie, stay out of this,” he growled, his tone making it very clear that he was not in a mood to discuss what was going to happen here, but the powder-blue mare would not be dissuaded. She took several steps forward, her eyes determined. “NO, Trixie will NOT stay out of this!” she said, her voice a strange mixture of the despair he’d heard earlier and a staunchness that surprised him. “I… Trixie will accept those terms… Trixie will sacrifice her life to save the rest of you.” “Trixie,” Dark began again, a smile quirking the edge of his mouth, but Trixie cut him off again with a wave of her hoof. “Please… let Trixie do this.” The mare took another step towards him, and as she did he could plainly see the tears in her eyes, the desperation and desire deep inside them whirling and mixing in a whirlwind on her features. “Trixie… Trixie’s life has meant NOTHING… she has BEEN nothing for her whole, useless life…” She stepped towards him again, close enough that Dark could have reached out and touched her if he’d wanted to. “Let Trixie’s death be worth something, at least! Let Trixie save you, save these ponies…” Her head drooped slightly, and under her breath she whispered, “I don’t deserve to live… so please let me die for a purpose…” She let her voice trail off, her eyes filling with tears once more. “Please…” Dark Star watched the mare closely, his expression flat and calm even as a cold chill ran down his spine. She sounds like me, he realized. She sounds like me these past few months, hidden away in that forest. His eyes searched hers, her purple irises so chaotic, yet so determined. If I’d been given the choice, I would have died to stop the amulet of Hate- I would have given my life for that purpose, so that my past mistakes in life would be forgiven… After several long moments, his expression softened, and a smile curved his lips as he reached out and put a hoof onto Trixie’s shoulder. “…no, Trixie,” he said, his voice soft yet firm. “I won’t let you do that.” The blue mare’s eyes went wide and she opened her mouth to retort, but his hoof moved from her shoulder to hover before her muzzle. “I won’t let you do that, Trixie, because I know what it is to seek redemption from past mistakes, and death is not a way to earn it. Only actions can earn redemption for you, and you can’t do that if you’re dead.” His smile quirked sadly. Oh Luna… if only you could hear me now… “But… but I deserve to die,” she began, but a quick press from Dark Star’s hoof against her mouth silenced her. “No, Trixie. If anypony deserved to die, it was me.” His smile quirked slightly. “And if I was given a second chance… you deserve one, too.” Without another word he turned back toward Razorbeak, his eyes hard. “No deal, griffon. We all leave together.” Razorbeak blinked incredulously. “You… you can’t be serious… you would rather you all died?” “As I told you before, we’re not going to die.” He took a step forward, his eyes locked with the griffon. “And it strikes me that you making a deal when you supposedly have the upper claw here says a great deal about your motives… and about your true nature.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “It means that you’re scared,” said Dark with another smile. “And you should be.” He rolled his shoulders slightly, loosening the muscles that had begun to tense up with all this standing around. “As I recall, there are still rules of protocol before a duel is begun, correct? Introductions to be made before two warriors dance.” He gestured with a hoof towards the griffon. “I’ll even let you go first.” The silver and black griffon stared at him, for the first time seeming genuinely surprised by Dark’s actions. He was silent for several moments before he finally bowed his head ever so slightly. “Not many ponies recall the ancient rites of combat,” he said softly. “It is something that we griffons held tightly to, but we had thought that ponies had long since forgotten them.” Dark’s smile became sad. “I have not had the luxury to forget the warrior’s way,” he said simply. “Peace is for those who do not know war.” Razorbeak watched him closely, his eyes unreadable. “…you surprise me,” he said finally. He raised his right claw, clenched it tightly into a fist and placed it firmly over his heart before bowing his head low, his eyes leaving Dark Star for the first time that evening. “My name is Aeric Razorbeak of Asgard, late of His Majesty King Windrider’s air force; former commander of the Storm Crows Aggressor Squadron along the border with Equestria.” He extended his claw towards Dark, palm up. “A warrior’s rest comes by another’s blade,” he intoned solemnly. The dark stallion felt his heart beat firmly in his chest as Razorbeak put his talon back to the ground. So he wasn’t kidding about being a warrior, Dark thought. But that doesn’t make any sense… “I see you, Aeric Razorbeak,” he replied ceremonially; he raised his hoof to the clasp of his cloak and released it with a click. “And I greet you, fellow warrior.” He gave his cloak a yank, sliding it from his body and tossing it behind him where it draped perfectly across Trixie’s back. Dark shifted, his silver sword shining in the torchlight as he lifted his right hoof to his chest as Razorbeak had done. “My name is Dark Star of Everfree, late of Her Majesty Nightmare Moon’s army; former General in the Army of the Night.” He extended his hoof towards the griffon, the bottom of his hoof up. “A warrior’s blade gives rest to his brothers,” he said, finishing the ancient phrase that had been the standard in griffon duels for generations before he had ever even fought one. To his surprise, Razorbeak’s eyes widened. “…You cannot be him,” the griffon muttered. “You can’t be. That pony is long since dead, a thousand years in the past.” He gestured firmly with a talon. “You cannot be the one called Dark Star the Aerie Slayer, the dark stallion who served the Queen of the Moon. You may wear his name, but you are not him.” There was a subtle wave of murmurs as Razorbeak placed his talon back to the ground, and Dark’s ears twitched towards them; they were soft enough that he could not catch any one conversation entirely, but he heard Nightmare Moon whispered several times. The ponies don’t seem to have any trouble remembering that name, and it would seem that the griffons have held on to a few themselves. “…Aerie Slayer…” Dark winced as he said it. “That’s definitely not one of the better names I received.” He sighed and his horn ignited, slowly drawing his sword from his sheath and bringing it to hover before him, the silver of the blade shimmering orange and red in the firelight. His eyes met Razorbeak’s once more over the sword. “You’ve killed countless unicorns in a drive for power… but something tells me that there’s more behind this than you’re letting on. You’re a fighter, Razorbeak, not a murderer; your words say you are a ruthless killer, but your service to the King and your adherence to the ancient rites of the warrior make it hard for me to believe that.” His eyes narrowed. “I want you to tell me who is behind this. Tell me who sent you here, and what their plans are for you now that you have attained this immunity to magic.” The griffon watched him closely for a moment, his eyes filling with something that Dark had not seen there before: uncertainty, as if Dark Star had given him an option that he’d never considered. The stallion’s hope surged as he watched Razorbeak’s brow rise ever so slightly and his mouth open almost imperceptibly… but just as quickly as the uncertainty had risen it was dashed away again, and Razorbeak’s eyes became cold and calculating as he crouched down ever so slightly, his body tensed to pounce. “If you can defeat me, warrior, I will tell you what you want to know,” he said. He paused before shaking his head slightly and murmuring, “…If you triumph here, I swear on my honor you will have your answers.” Dark’s sword snapped to him, the hilt held down by his right leg, the blade diagonal across his chest defensively. “I accept,” he said. “Let this ritual of combat…” “…prove the truth of our hearts.” As soon as the words to begin the duel had been spoken Razorbeak pounced, his talons held before him as his wings propelled him forward towards Dark Star like an arrow. The unicorn’s hooves dug into the soft ground as he danced out of the griffon’s path, leaning to his left as he leaped to the side; there was no time to calculate it, but he was certain that the griffon outweighed him by at least half again, and that wasn’t something he fancied catching with his sword. He dodged deftly to his left as Razorbeak’s front talons swept out towards him, missing the stallion by mere inches as he sailed past, his wings tucked in to streamline his form. There was a loud clang as Dark’s hovering sword met Razorbeak’s chainmail vest in mid-air and was rebounded, sending it spiraling back to hover before Dark as he spun quickly and lunged after the griffon, his sword dancing to his left side with the blade horizontal to the ground. Razorbeak landed nimbly and whirled to face Dark, his wings flaring behind him as he rose to his rear paws, his talons at the ready; and Dark was there, his blade striking from his left at the griffon’s neck in a quick horizontal slash before Razorbeak had even fully turned around. But the griffon hadn’t been lying about his warrior prowess, at least- his right claw darted into the path of Dark’s sword and batted it away with its thick-skinned back. Razorbeak grinned, and as he turned he used his momentum to lash out with his left claw at Dark’s unprotected right side; but Dark jerked his horn and his sword was there as quick as thought, its silver length sliding beneath the griffon’s defending claw and swatting his black talons away from Dark’s unarmored coat. Razorbeak’s black and silver wings pumped once firmly, propelling him forward as he struck at Dark with his right claw again, and again Dark’s sword flashed across his chest to deflect it; but before he could bring his blade back to bear against his opponent, Dark was forced to all but throw himself to the right to avoid the griffon’s black beak as Razorbeak lunged forward and bit at the unicorn with all his might, his beak clamping shut so close to Dark’s ear that he hear the scissor-like schnick of the top and bottom slicing together. His sword managed to draw yet another line across the griffon’s chest, but again the chainmail vest stopped the blade from doing any damage whatsoever. Dark took several quick steps back, his eyes locked on his opponent as he withdrew. He held his sword low, hilt slightly raised by his right shoulder, blade pointing downwards at the ground as he began to circle Razorbeak, his heart pounding against his ribs. Razorbeak settled back to all four feet and likewise circled, his wings raised, his beak parted slightly as if he longed for nothing more than to sink its hooked tip into Dark’s flesh and rend him to pieces. Which may actually be high on his ‘to-do’ list, Dark admitted, his eyes narrowing critically at his opponent. Fighting a griffon was no picnic; their claws and talons gave them dangerous weapons on all four limbs, as well as the beak that they could use to end battles quickly and gruesomely. And this griffon is fighting wearing a chainmail vest, covering his most vulnerable spots: his belly and his back. Dark’s steps were firm and steady as he circled Razorbeak, his blade idly flicking from his left side to his right. There aren’t many ways to get the best of a griffon, but those are the fastest and most reliable. Dark brought his blade back to his guard stance- hilt low by his right shoulder, his blade angled high across his chest- and slowly advanced on Razorbeak, who stopped his own circling as he came to stand before the manor in the square once more. The griffon’s wings twitched behind him and his long, feline tail swished eagerly back and forth as the stallion closed the distance between them steadily. Dark’s eyes watched every part of his opponent carefully: his legs, his neck, his wings, every part of Razorbeak could tell Dark Star something about where and how the griffon would attack, and Dark knew that missing something could easily mean some rather unsightly wounds. He’s coiled up like a spring, ready to be released at any moment. The black stallion forced himself to pause when he was still two pony-lengths away from Razorbeak, just barely outside the range the griffon could attack without moving. Maybe if I give that spring a reason to uncoil, I can draw him out, he thought. As he stopped Razorbeak twitched visibly, his muscles bunching and relaxing beneath his black fur and feathers as his eyes stared unblinkingly at Dark, watching the stallion’s every movement just as Dark was watching his… but he made no move to advance. Stubborn griffon… Dark snorted slightly as his hooves dug into the ground and propelled him forward once more; he shifted the sword in his telekinetic grip, bringing it alongside his right side so that the tip of his sword pointed straight at Razorbeak’s heart. In his time as a warrior, Dark Star had run into certain ponies- scholars and mages, mostly- who had seen fit to tell him that a battle was nothing more than brute strength applied against one another from both sides, and that it was a simple equation of might vs. might as to who would come out on top. If that was so, then in this battle Dark Star was certain to come up short. Razorbeak had home field advantage, as well as the edge in physical strength, weapons at his disposal and options for angle of attack; an equation that heavily favored the griffon and all but doomed the unicorn. However, Dark always took great pride in correcting those very same scholars and mages, telling them that a battle was more strategy than strength, more mental than physical; that a smart warrior would win against a physically more powerful one every single time. His teeth ground together as he closed in on the griffon, his eyes hot and his heart pounding in his ears. I really, really hope I was right all those years ago. The distance between the two fighters shrank rapidly, Dark Star’s hooves hammering the earth with thunderous force as he charged the griffon before him, his black and blue mane flowing behind him like dark swirling water. The griffon’s eyes stared golden hunger at him, his beak parted as he waited for his chance to pounce on Dark once more; but instead of getting close to Razorbeak as he’d done last time the stallion dug his hooves into the ground a full pony-length sooner than he had before, jerking his horn violently to the left as he sent his sword whistling through the air, its shining silver point driving unerringly towards Razorbeak’s heart as he slid to a halt, his right side facing his opponent. It should have been a solid hit- Dark Star knew his timing and spacing well enough that even wearing his chainmail the blade should have given Razorbeak a good bruise to think about for the rest of the fight. Even if he parried, which Dark had expected, the unicorn had left himself enough room to move and counterattack… but Razorbeak had other plans. He moved faster than Dark Star would have thought possible; his left wing jerked upwards, his left shoulder dropped and his whole body shifted to his right all in the same motion as the sword closed in on him. His golden eyes never left Dark as the blade ripped through his feathers and flesh as the strike that should have taken him in the heart glanced off his shoulder and down his side, passing beneath his wing like a whispering silver wind and imbedding itself deeply into the wooden porch of the manor house… leaving Dark Star completely undefended. Dark’s eyes widened. Oh son of a-! Razorbeak’s sideways movement abruptly became forward motion, his crouched back legs propelling him forward; the unicorn’s muscles tensed and began to move, but even as his hooves dug into the ground and pushed him backwards he knew he was too late. The griffon was already too close, and in spite of himself Dark winced as Razorbeak’s talons lashed out at him. That is really going to hurt… He wasn’t disappointed; Razorbeak’s black claws raked his right shoulder firmly from mid-chest to shoulder, slicing neatly through his flesh, leaving three deep gashes through his coat and sending a white sheet of pain through his whole body. The force of the impact sent Dark Star reeling, his heart pounding in his ears as his shoulder suddenly began to throb in time with it; he swore as blood gushed from the wounds, the thick red substance slicking his coat as it poured down his leg. But there was no time to try and stem the escape of his life’s blood as Razorbeak pressed his advantage, striking out with his left claw as Dark tried to put distance between them. The dark stallion danced back, his shoulder stinging as he tried to put his full weight on his right front leg; it buckled slightly and sent a brand-new lance of fiery pain through him that made his teeth grind. All right, new plan- DON’T use that leg. He lifted his right leg slightly and shifted his weight to his remaining three as he limped away in retreat, his horn still glowing brilliant blue as he held on to his magic. “What’s the matter, unicorn?” Razorbeak hissed as he stalked forward, his wings shivering with anticipation of a kill. “Suddenly not so mighty without your trinket, is that it?” Dark Star felt a trickle of sweat slide down the side of his face as he stared the griffon down unblinking as his retreat slowed then stopped; he planted his three uninjured hooves firmly into the ground, refusing to take another step as Razorbeak advanced. “I guess you could say I’m feeling a bit left out of the fight now,” he said. “Oh, but this can’t go on without you!” cooed Razorbeak, his tongue flashing out to trace the edge of his beak. “This is what you wanted, and I gave it to you…” Again, something beneath his chainmail glowed red for the briefest of moments, and his eyes widened eagerly. “…and now it’s time to get what I want.” Dark Star sighed, and allowed his ears to droop in defeat. “As you will, Razorbeak… you’ve beaten me.” He raised his head proudly, but his eyes were sad. “Give me the honor of a warrior’s death, at least; strike me down as your ancestors would have.” The griffon laughed lightly, but he nodded none the less. “As you wish, unicorn; as I said before, I suppose even food deserves a last request.” He took the last step that separated them and raised his right claw high above his head- the traditional griffon strike of execution. “Any last words?” he whispered. “Perhaps you would like to tell me your real name..?” “I… I do have some last words, actually…” muttered Dark, his whole body slouched in defeat. “I… I just wanted to say…” He sighed and shook his head, struggling with his words… and then suddenly he couldn’t keep the smirk from his lips any longer as he brought his eyes up and locked them on Razorbeak, who blinked in surprise. “…You really shouldn’t play with your food, griffon.” His horn flared brilliantly, washing the firelight away with blinding cerulean light as the sound of splintering wood echoed through the square. Razorbeak’s eyes filled with rage and he snarled aloud as he brought his talons slashing down at Dark Star, but all they met was cold silver steel as Dark’s blade answered his call, flashing between the two combatants to intercept the griffon’s claws before they got even halfway to their mark. Razorbeak roared and lashed out wildly with his left claw, his reason washed away in a tide of anger so hot that Dark could feel it from where he stood; and this time instead of retreating, Dark Star lurched forward, rearing up onto his back hooves and catching the griffon’s foreleg across his shoulder and neck while it was still high in the air. He snarled in pain as the griffon’s full weight settled onto his injured shoulder, but he wrapped his front legs over it nonetheless, holding on tightly as the griffon shrieked with unfathomable rage. Razorbeak glared at him hatefully and opened his beak wide, intent on slicing into Dark’s throat with its wicked hook, but Dark wasn’t going to give him that chance. The stallion shifted his weight and ducked his head beneath Razorbeak’s leg just as the griffon snapped at him again, his beak snipping some of Dark’s mane away as the dark unicorn put his own leg between them. Dark’s forelegs tightened around Razorbeak’s left leg, holding it high in the air as the griffon straightened and swiveled his head up and over his shoulder, taking full advantage of his avian flexibility to bring his beak to bear once more on Dark… but that was as far as he got. With the sound of metal across metal, Dark Star’s sword flicked to him and slid up the griffon’s chest to the hollow beneath Razorbeak’s upraised leg, the one place that was vulnerable in the vest itself. The sword jabbed in almost to the hilt in one hard, violent motion, deep enough that the point of the blade actually pushed the light armor out on his right side ever so slightly; Razorbeak’s eyes bulged in his head, his mouth widening in sudden pain and surprise as the blade was removed just as quickly, leaving a clean hole through his chest from the side. Dark Star released him quickly, dropping to his three good hooves and putting a few pony-lengths between them, his blood-stained blade hovering in the air before him. Pain surged through his body from his shoulder, and his muscles all screamed at him from exertion, but his eyes were hard and guarded as he stared fixedly at Razorbeak. A lesser creature would certainly be no threat after such a blow, but he’d fought griffons before, and they were anything but “lesser” when it came to continuing to fight after taking grievous wounds. Razorbeak, however, didn’t seem inclined to come after Dark; he simply stared at him, his eyes still wide. “Y-you…” he managed to mutter finally, but his words were choked off by a fit of violent coughing. He clutched at his chest, and a brilliant streak of crimson appeared on his lower jaw as the cough wracked him for several moments before finally subsiding. He managed a weak chuckle as he brought his claw up and wiped the blood away, peering it almost curiously before turning his eyes back to Dark once more. “You… may not be who you claim to be… but you are skilled enough to wear his name.” He took a deep, wheezing breath, and his legs wobbled beneath him as he fought to stay upright. “Although it seems that you are a bit… rusty… you are an admirable warrior.” “And you fought well- you brought honor to your clan and King,” replied Dark, inclining his head slightly. “You truly were a fighter, Aeric Razorbeak.” Razorbeak laughed again, a horrible, thick wheezing sound, his whole body shaking as his legs got weaker by the moment. “Please… don’t speak of me in the past tense… I’m not dead yet.” He inhaled sharply and his legs gave out completely, depositing him firmly onto his rump. Dark wiped his sword on his flank before sheathing it and moving to where Razorbeak sat. The griffon turned his eyes to him, but the fierce, burning orbs of gold had lost their fire; the life was quickly draining out of Razorbeak, and he knew it. “As you wish,” Dark said as he limped back to stand in front of Razorbeak once more. The big griffon’s sides were covered in blood, and the puddle beneath him was growing rapidly. Wounds like that don’t let anypony linger too long, Dark thought. Even if I did want him dead, I don’t want him to suffer. He sighed inwardly. This means, of course, that I don’t have much time, either. Dark shifted and took the weight off of his front leg once more, trying to ease the growing discomfort in the wounded limb. “But there is one thing to take care of before your pain is eased, Razorbeak…” The griffon nodded numbly, and turned his eyes back to Dark; or at least, he tried to- they were slowly becoming clouded and lost, as if he were walking into a thick fog that had suddenly blanketed his mind. “Yes… I have not forgotten.” He coughed again, but it was softer this time, and more blood than before poured from his beak, staining his armor red. “This was… not my desire. I had a falling out with my King… and my clan… I was exiled, looking for work… and angry… so very angry…” He shook his head slightly and slowly began to lean to his right, his strength clearly fading fast. “One stallion gave me work… gave me a purpose… b-but I see now… I was a pawn…” Dark Star stepped forward and his horn ignited once more, placing a blue cloud of telekinetic magic beneath Razorbeak’s precariously leaning form. “This stallion,” Dark pressed. “What is his name? What is his plan?” “His plan…” Razorbeak’s voice trailed off, and his eyes flickered closed for the briefest of moments as his breathing stalled; then his chest heaved again, the thick, horrible sucking noise resounding in the square as his eyes shot open and locked with Dark’s. “His plan was never told to me… he wouldn’t tell any of us…” Any of us… that doesn’t bode well… Dark Star shook his head slightly. “Then what is his name, Razorbeak? Tell me his name.” The griffon took one last huge breath… and chuckled harshly. “I… fear him more in death… than I do in life… and I shall not speak his name again…” “Razorbeak,” growled Dark, his voice hard. “You swore on your honor!” But if the griffon heard him, he gave no indication as his face faded from pain to peace, and his eyes stared past Dark, past the village, past Equestria to the burning stars above them. “…I go to my rest… farewell, Dark Star…” The griffon’s eyes faded and became glassy, and his chest fell for the last time as his life finally ebbed away, releasing Aeric Razorbeak from his earthly bonds. Dark Star winced and swore softly under his breath, but after a moment he sighed and stood up straight, reaching out to close Razorbeak’s eyes as he solemnly intoned the final ancient line that would close their duel. “May your rest be deep and full, brother- my blade shall remember your valor.” His magic shifted and allowed the griffon to settle down onto the ground, his body shifting as it did so… and as Razorbeak’s head settled flat on the ground, a small, silver chain appeared around the neck of his vest, something that had remained tucked away for the duration of their battle. Dark Star frowned slightly, and shifted his magic to the chain. He gave it a delicate pull… …and felt his entire world come crashing down around him. His eyes widened, and his chest felt as if someone had stabbed him through the back with a knife and twisted it. His heart pounded violently, sending jolts of pain through his shoulder and leg, but Dark Star didn’t feel it; his entire body felt as if somepony were squeezing it, crushing it beneath the weight of a thousand moons. Because on the end of that delicate silver chain was a silver pendant that held a gemstone; a faceted, blood-red stone that had certainly been the cause of the flashes of red light that Dark had seen through the chainmail… and a stone that Dark Star was all too familiar with. It was a stone that he had crafted himself, one that had been used to bring Princess Celestia to the brink of defeat… and one of three others that had almost killed his friends. The Amulet of Anger. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard a voice from the past, a voice that he had thought he would never hear again. You have always served me, Dark Star… and no matter what they tell you… you always, always will… Dark felt his body begin to tremble, and before he could stop himself his hooves had grabbed Razorbeak by the shoulders and lifted him up out of his own blood. “Who gave this to you?!” he snarled, his stomach churning so violently that his throat burned from the bile. “WHO GAVE THIS TO YOU, RAZORBEAK?! TELL ME HIS NAME!!!!” he screamed, shaking the griffon as hard as he could with his injured shoulder. But Razorbeak’s head only flopped back and forth lifelessly. Dark Star’s teeth ground together as emotions crashed together inside him; guilt, grief, horror, confusion, all colliding together in a cacophony of the past that threatened to overwhelm the black stallion, all being swirled by an unbearable, unfathomable anger… Dark Star squeezed his eyes shut tightly, and forced himself to take a breath, then exhale. Then another breath and another exhale. He didn’t know. The thought burst out of the maelstrom of Dark’s inner turmoil like a fireball. He had no idea what this was… Dark looked long and hard at the dead griffon in his hooves, and after a moment he settled Razorbeak back to the ground. He had no idea… he would have announced it proudly at the beginning of the duel if he’d known what it was. The unicorn sat back, his mind reeling as he slowly reached a hoof up and pulled the necklace from Razorbeak’s body. The metal was cool and smooth, and the stone was flawless and brilliant; it was exactly as he remembered it… which should have been impossible, considering the fact that he had destroyed it the last time he’d seen it. Something… is not right, here. He shook his head slightly as his horn lit up, levitating the necklace out of his hoof and into the air. But I can’t dig into it right now… I have some ponies to save. He rose and turned towards the group of former prisoners, who were all staring at him as if he’d stepped out of a horror story. Much slower than he would have preferred to do so he limped over to where Trixie stood holding his neatly folded cloak. The powder blue mare was staring at him unabashedly, and without a word she levitated the cloak off of her outstretched foreleg and over his shoulders, as if she had all the practice in the world putting such items on ponies. Dark Star grunted his thanks and quickly moved the floating amulet to the pouch on the inside of the cloak. Trixie’s eyes darted to the amulet as it vanished. “What… what was-,” she began, but Dark Star cut her off with an upraised hoof, his eyes cold. “Trixie… if you value your life, you will never. EVER. Ask me about that amulet.” He pointed his hoof at her. “Do you understand?” “Yes,” she replied without hesitation. “Trixie understands.” Her eyes darted to the dead griffon behind him, and Dark couldn’t help but smile slightly. I guess a certain kind of reputation does breed a no-questions-asked policy, now doesn’t it… “All right,” he said to the group as he limped towards them, Trixie by his side. “We need to get going if we want to make it back to town by sunrise.” Turnover, Moonflower and Melody all stared at him as if they weren’t seeing the same pony that had a mere hour before appeared like a hero from a storybook to rescue them. I guess I look a bit different than I did then, he thought. Not to mention they just watched me brutally kill three Pegasi and a griffon… He sighed and limped forward, wincing imperceptibly as he did so. “Listen, I’m sorry you all had to see that,” he began, but before he could continue Turnover raised a hoof. “Don’t apologize,” he said softly. “We… you didn’t exactly have a choice… and we all…” he cleared his throat slightly before continuing in a firmer tone of voice. “We’re all grateful for what you did to save us… Dark Star.” “Yes… it was terrible, but… he wouldn’t have let us go otherwise,” Moonflower said, her voice shaking as she looked past Dark to Razorbeak’s cooling body. “It… couldn’t be helped.” Dark nodded to Moonflower, and slowly his eyes fell on Melody, who was staring up at him from below her mother, her blue eyes wide. He opened his mouth to say something to her… but what? To apologize for killing in her presence? To try and excuse his behavior? I guess… I really don’t have anything to say to the filly… But thankfully, he didn’t have to. Melody stepped out from between her mother’s legs and hurried forward, burying her face against his chest and causing Dark to gasp in pain. She hugged his one good leg as hard as she could, then released him and turned her eyes up to his face. “…can we please go home now?” she asked softly. “I wanna go home, please, Mr. Dark Star…” Dark stared down at her for a moment… then smiled softly. “Yes, Melody. Let’s get you home.” Turnover nodded, and Melody hurried back to stand with her mother as they turned and started for the exit of town; the crowd around the edges of the square parted for them like wheat before a windstorm as first Turnover, then Moonflower and Melody, and finally Dark Star and Trixie passed through them to the empty street beyond. As Dark passed through the outermost layer of ponies, he paused and turned back, his eyes hard. He took a deep breath and raised his voice so everypony in the square could hear him as Trixie stopped beside him. “I will be checking up on this village again,” he announced. “And if any of this cannibalism nonsense is still going on… the next time I leave, your town will be nothing but a smoking crater. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!” Silence greeted his words, but he hadn’t really expected a response; he’d just needed them to hear the warning. Because I bloody well mean it. He glared around at a few of the villagers before he turned and allowed Trixie to walk with him past the perfectly similar buildings, down the perfectly straight street in the strange town and out into the forest. They were all finally free.