Chapter 12
Battle Royal
The stars in the heavens and shadows on the Earth began to waver and move as Luna charged her horn. At the same time the sun flared as Celestia charged hers. Gaia quickly took his stance away from the city ready for the battle to come. “No!” Chrysalis said to herself seeing the seriousness on Gaia’s face. She had seen this before long ago, it was the look a true warrior gave when the outcome of a battle was uncertain in his mind. Suddenly a torrent of magic came out of the two sisters stripping the ground beneath its path towards Gaia who at the last second dodged it. The sisters let out cantalot war cries as they charged after Gaia in a blaze of fury and magic and began to beat him back. There was such a movement of Earth and Heaven that it is indescribable to put upon paper but imagine every rock, shadow, and light dancing everyway with the dazzling speed of magic around you and then you may be able to see a fraction of what this battle was like.
Gaia, although he was an expert fighter, was hard pressed to defend himself from the sister’s onslaught. Even one mistake meant certain doom.
“No!” Gaia growled as his magic slammed into Luna only to pass through her.
“That’s right Gaia” Luna said behind him.
Gaia grinned she had tricked him with a shadow clone “Well done” he thought and prepared for the strike that was to come. However it never did, just before Luna could strike the finishing blow she was struck herself by Queen Chrysalis, Gaia did not know it but while he concentrated on the battle another battle had taken place between the girls who wanted to help him and Twilight and her friends who were trying to stop them. Chrysalis was the only one who made it to Gaia and just in time too.
Chrysalis and Gaia pressed backs against each other as they each faced their opponents Gaia to Celestia and Chrysalis to Luna. “Thanks” Gaia said.
“Couldn’t let you have all the fun now could I?” Chrysalis replied.
“Just like old times.”
“Now that you mention it" she replied thoughtfully "this does seem awfully similar to the Siege of Glour.”
“Well, we won that battle and we will win this one now!” Chrysalis gave a quick nod of agreement at Gaia’s comment then stared harshly at Luna as the sisters slowly glided around them sizing up their enemies.
“We had forgotten about thee Chrysalis” Luna stated “we will enjoy this.” Then with a screech she and Celestia charged at them.
In the city Trixie and the girls fought hard against Twilight and her friends, they filled the tower and sky above it with such displays of magic, Elemental powers, and confetti that the ponies found it hard to decide whether to watch them or the battle between the alicorns outside the city.
“Nice try” Trixie screamed at Twilight as a particularly powerful blast zoomed pass her.
“Why Trixie?” Twilight asked as she blocked Trixie’s retaliation. “You know that Gaia is evil, why are you helping him?”
“You wouldn’t understand! He took me in after you destroyed my life, he gave me purpose! How could I turn my back on him now when he needs me the most?”
“But he tried to destroy Equestria!”
“I don’t believe that! He would never do such a thing.”
Twilight sighed to herself “Then I will make you see.” She then charged an ancient spell one that Celestia had just completed teaching her before the games. She in concentration closed her eyes but when they opened again they blazed with blue fire as she sent a magic blast in the form of a long dragon after Trixie. Trixie tried to dodge the blast but the dragon was fast and slippery and any attempt to attack Twilight directly was stopped by a powerful shield made from the dragons tail.
“What is this?” she yelled.
“This is Goria The flames of Truth” Twilight replied. “He will continue to chase whatever it was sent upon even to the ends of the Earth until it has been defeated.
Trixie was about to respond but suddenly the dragon was upon her and with the snapping of its jaws caught her. The spell then diminished as Twilight glided towards her fallen foe. “Hopefully, you now see the truth that Gaia is evil” she said landing where the collapsed Trixie was.
“No, he is good and I will show you that!” A voice reigned behind Twilight who only had enough time to catch a glimpse of Trixie before she slammed her with a blast of paralyzing magic. Twilight laid on the ground unable to move, defeated as Trixie towered above her.
“How?” Trixie gave a grin and created a hologram of herself. Twilight knowing that she tricked her with this only had one other question “When?”
“As soon as you shut your eyes to concentrate on Goria” Trixie replied satisfied that her gamble paid off.
“Trixie…don’t…Gaia is….evil” Twilight said then passed out.
Trixie looked upon her fallen foe “Your wrong” she finally replied then flew off towards where Gaia was still fighting.
“Chrysalis behind you!” Gaia called as Luna melded out of the shadows behind her. Chrysalis looked back in horror as Luna emerged from her own shadow then leapt out and shot a blast but not at Chrysalis this one she shot to the side striking Trixie who had just come into striking distance.
“We art not about to let ourselves be struck from behind again.” She stated as Trixie fell defeated by Luna’s blast.
“Well that didn’t last long” Trixie told herself as she tried to move but couldn’t. She laid on the ground aggravated by the fact that she failed so miserably to help Gaia. She however gave Chrysalis the chance to jump away before Luna could strike her as well.
“Where are you looking Gaia?!” Celestia asked as she dove towards him.
“The local café, this battle is boring, I thought that I would get a coffee to keep me awake” Gaia replied blocking her.
“Well let me spice it up then!” she summoned giant flames from the sun that streamed towards Gaia who blocked them with streams of magma from his volcanoes. Gaia and Celestia blasted tremendous power at each other and were in a very complicated struggle when the worst happened. Luna managed to send a blast into Chrysalis side making just enough room to fly past her and come barreling towards Gaia.
Gaia looked about him, if he moved Celestias magic would overtake him and if he didn’t Luna was going to get him. “Lovely” he sarcastically said to himself and focused all his magic towards Celestia who was steadily losing ground but not quickly enough.
“Now sister!” Celestia yelled.
“We know!” Luna replied then looked at Gaia with a warriors smile. “To the moon with thou!” She summoned her magic and like an arrow flew at Gaia glowing with a dark sparkly purple color of the night.
Gaia looked at Chrysalis who was flying after Luna trying to stop her, seeing that she was not going to make it he closed his eyes and awaited Luna’s strike. “Sorry Trixie, Wildfire, Lyra, Lightningdust I will not be making it back.” He then looked at Chrysalis and as they meet eyes she knew what was coming and screamed at the idea. Gaia then looked at Luna who was very close now “I will not be held by you forever little loon, time is my ally now” he said.
Luna gave a scream as she came upon him striking his powerful aurora made of crystals; no, not his. She was suddenly repelled back and staggered before Chrysalis shot her out of the sky with magic. Gaia finally pushed Celestia away overcoming her in their power struggle. Chrysalis quickly came to Gaia’s side almost knocking him out in an embrace of joy and relief.
“How?” Chrysalis asked.
Gaia looked up into the sky where Celestia was also looking “It was him.”
As Chrysalis looked up her jaw dropped, there in a majestic royal garb floating above them was her father, King Sombra. “H…how?’ she stuttered.
“It was Gaia” Sombra replied floating down to them. “I saw him through the rip in the void beckoning me to come towards it.” He turned to Celestia “As I did filled with hate towards him I was engulfed by those silly Elements of yours Celestia, and they brought harmony back to my chaotic and mad mind.”
“He did that, when?” Celestia asked.
“When you and Luna were trapped in the Earth” a voice replied. They looked over and saw Twilight supported by Rainbow Dash as the rest of the girls made their way to the area.
Celestia looked at Gaia “With the crystal heart?” she asked Gaia who simply nodded “you could have trapped me and Luna in the Earth with that power, why didn’t you?”
“Years ago I would have, but for now I am content to try to fix the wrongs I have done in the past, you know, before Judgment Day and those trumpets sound. Besides that what good would trapping the two of you do? It would only cause more war and strife, besides my goals have already been accomplished and their results will come about soon.” He then looked towards Chrysalis “I made some bad mistakes in my long life most of which I can never correct and some I still need to correct; I just wish that some didn’t take as long to correct as others.”
King Sombra looked at his daughter who was practically in tears “I know what you mean my lad. Even after so many years my madness taints her who is dearest to me.” He went up to Chrysalis “I warped the very fragment of your being to match the darkness that was in my heart, I am so sorry.”
Chrysalis couldn’t hold it in any longer and hugged her father tears now streaming down her face “I am too” she replied.
After a while the king looked at Gaia “You were right my lad, all those years ago, to stop me. I would have just done more harm to the world if you didn’t defeat me.”
“I am sorry that I even had too” Gaia replied. “I knew who you were before the madness and regretted what I had to do.”
“I’m sorry” he then looked at Celestia and Luna “you two ladies have changed since the last we meet, became an alicorn did you Luna? Congratulations are in order.” He then looked around “So much has changed but yet so little, I would very much like to see this world of the future.”
“It is your future too” Chrysalis replied still hugging him.
Gaia looked at Celestia “I think that for now I will leave you and your sister alone” he stated. “I would hate to ruin such an occasion with more bickering and fighting amongst us.”
“Thou thinks that thou can just make such havoc and leave, just like that? Thou art mad!” Luna replied.
“Yep” Gaia smirked.
“We should…”
“Sister” Celestia interrupted “We lost, but the outcome of it is not disagreeable.”
“Yes, but…”
“We will meet again soon I would think” Celestia replied smiling slightly to Gaia who returned the gesture.
“That we will” Gaia replied.
Celestia then turned to her sister “Come, those in the city might need us.”
Luna shifted her eyes nervously between Gaia and her sister “but…”
“Come” Celestia said more sternly and Luna obeyed. Celestia then looked back to make sure Gaia was going to let them leave then gave a small almost nervous smile when she was satisfied that he would, “until next time Gaia.” The royal sisters then flew off towards the crystal empire with the elements of harmony following closely behind.
“Why did they leave?” Trixie asked.
Gaia glanced at his young apprentice “because she lost. She will now wait and watch to see what my plans are if she stays true to her nature. She also knows that without Discord it would be foolish to fight me and Chrysalis with King Sombra around.”
Trixie nodded at this explanation “So to free King Sombra and fix his mind was your plan all along and not to unleash the forces of darkness onto Equestria?”
“What?” Gaia laughed. “Unleash the forces of darkness? Is that what you though I was trying to do? My, how wild a young pony’s imagination can be!”
“But.”
“It was an act Trixie, I would never let any creatures of darkness come into this land on purpose, unless I really had to even then I probably wouldn’t.”
“So what now Gaia?” King Sombra asked severing the conversation. “You had rescued me from myself but I wonder what other plans you have underway?”
“Like I said I will leave the royal sisters alone for now. Don’t worry though I will be back soon to cause some more mischief as for now though I have a promise to keep, Lyra?”
Lyra’s ears perked up “Yes?”
“I once told you that if you came with me you would find the truth about Celestia hiding information about humans.”
“Yes!”
“Celestia when she said that she has no knowledge of them ever existing is telling the truth. There is no evidence of this legend ever being true.”
Lyra looked down at the ground crushed by Gaia’s words “but I was so sure…” she softly said to herself on the brink of tears.
Gaia went over to her and looked her directly in the eyes “This is understandable though, for it is not her realm, but mine.”
“What do you mean?” Lyra asked.
“Humans are creatures of dirt and as surely as I speak to you they exist but not in our world but in another, just beyond reality. Years ago while studying different dimensions I found them, these dirt people living in their magnificent clay houses. There is no magic in their world so I could never visit it but watch them I did. They are a creature with an intelligence that is unmatched by any other I have seen. They need no magic because they have their inventions, wonderful artful creations that have all but outdone most of our magic today. The only reason that I ever found them is because of my connection with the Earth so I am convinced that Celestia knows nothing about them or their world.”
“So they do exist, I knew it!” she then turned to a wide eyed Wildfire with a look of I told you so. “Can I see them?!” she excitedly asked turning back to Gaia.
“Yes, I will show them to you, but be warned that since they are of a higher intelligence they also learned to do horrible things. I had learned much from watching them which is a big reason that Celestia has never defeated me. There is evil at work in that world that I cannot describe, but fear it I do. If you come with me to see these beings you will not come back as the same pony that you were, there is a reason that our two worlds were made to never come together. Do you still want to come even though it means giving up yourself, your innocence, are they worth such a price too you?"
Lyra thought long and hard about the question but she finally replied “yes.” After taking a quick gulp she continued “All my life I have known that humans existed and had been searching for them. If I give up my search now it would mean all those years were wasted, no! I have to see them, I do not care about how horrible you seem to think they are I still want to see them with my own eyes.”
“I never said that I thought they themselves were horrible, they have actually gained my respect” Gaia replied. “I even modeled my golems after their likeness. But learning more about them will change you forever.”
“I have to see them, my mind is made up.”
“So is mine” Wildfire replied walking up to her friend’s side much to Lyra’s surprise.
“If you want to go I will give you the same warning” Gaia then looked up at his apprentice and Lightningdust “all of you.”
“Honestly I didn’t think they were all that bad” Chrysalis replied.
“The humans have changed tremendously since that time” Gaia replied. “Besides think about the time we grew up in with the wars and all. We were used to violence and destruction, these four are not.”
“Sooo these humans, they cannot come into our world right?” Lightningdust asked nervously.
“They cannot.”
She then gave Trixie a look that said I will go if you go. Trixie thought about the offer and figured that if this world gave Gaia such insight that she would learn its secrets too. Trixie nodded her head in agreement and the two girls decided to go.
“Fine” Gaia replied “Trixie teleport the girl’s home” Trixie was about to protest that it was too far for her and that she would get lost but Gaia held up his hoof to stop her “Focus on the Alicorn necklace Trixie and its magic signature to guide you there.”
Trixie nodded, then after finding the necklaces signature she teleported them back to the castle where they were welcomed by the sight of Discord still trapped in the cage of vines wrestling with his own tail which was insulting him between parrot like squawks. The girls could do nothing but just stare at the spectacle.
“I must go, goodbye Chrysalis” Gaia said “King Sombra, always a pleasure to see you and welcome back.”
King Sombra shook his head “you should slow down Gaia, after all, you were just in a fearsome fight.”
“There’s always something to do” Gaia replied. “Always something to accomplish, this keeps the wisdom of rest from my ears.”
“Someday that will change, especially when that special gal comes into your life, yes, it will change.”
“Unlikely” Gaia laughed.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because" he replied "there’s not a girl that can catch me.” He gave a challenging grin to Chrysalis when he said this then teleported away.
Chrysalis stared at where Gaia was then back to her father not knowing what to do but thankfully the King had an answer “Go, follow your heart, I will be fine.”
“But…”
“He is escaping” he replied then gave a fatherly push to his daughter teleporting her away to where Gaia had gone. The King smiled to himself, Gaia’s trail was easy to track which meant that he wanted his daughter to follow him. He stared at the spot where Chrysalis was before he sent her away and sighed “After what I have done, you deserve to be happy” he said before flying off to explore this world of the future.
The End.
Stories Stinger
Deep Deep in the dark bowels of a lost forgotten land a slimy cold serpent like creature with a head of a jackal and arms of a dragon slithered between the shadows of a jagged cave with its serpent body. The dripping noises of a boundless body of water above trying to penetrate the caverns strong structure could be heard in the distance. High above on a mound of wet stone slept a dark figure not unlike a horse with faint glowing symbols from an ancient world on its body. Long and strong were the breaths of this creature masked in the cold shadows of the cave. The serpent stealthily moved towards the mound but was stopped by a most disturbing dark voice from the seemingly sleeping creature.
“What is it havoc? Despised spirit of destruction and ruin. Have you come here to make sport of my suffering in this place?”
“On the contrary my friend” the serpent Havoc replied in a fast wispy voice much like a salesman “I offer you freedom from this prison most foul.”
The creatures blood red eyes turned towards Havoc making the serpent recoil from its powerful gaze “You know better than to play these games with me.”
“There is no game.”
“Liar! Be grateful that this cage separates us or I would rip your forked tongue from your face! Go back to your world and leave me be” a slight shimmer of a barrier showed around the creature’s mound as his power raked against it.
“I am truly sorry to find you in such a sour mood o dark one” Havoc replied then started to slither away.
The creature laid back down his head “good riddance.”
“Oh, there is just one other thing that you might want to know about” Havoc replied turning his head slightly to look back at the mound.
“Unlikely” the creature snorted.
Havoc playfully disappeared and reappeared just outside the cage “Oh, I doubt that, you see I have just come from an extensive vacation in Equestria where a certain alicorn that you may know has been causing quite a delicious disturbance of late.” The creature rose his head now curious “you know who I am talking about” Havoc replied as he cast a spell to dissolve the invisible cage around the creature “Gaia has returned.”
“So” the black creature replied getting up with fangs showing in the dark “My little brother has returned.” He stepped outside of where the prison’s wall stood just a few seconds before and looked towards the caves ceiling where high above he knew was the land of Equestria. He then gave a menacing grin as he stretched out his large bat like wings “I think it’s time for a reunion.”
Story to continue in: The Unknown, Return of Gaia.