When I awoke from the coma that was forced on me something seemed off but I brushed it off, Time seemed to move in a blur from that point on. All the preparations were made for the coming battle, and all too soon it arrived.
I found myself soaring high above the battle that would decide the fate of this world. Watching while the creatures of equis fought the hell spawn that made up the horsemen's army beneath me. And then it all sped up, like someone pushed fast forward on a movie. The black army decimated everything leaving only the princesses and Chrysalis to stand against them. And then even they fell Celestia and Cadence fighting to the death while they were ripped apart. But Luna and Chrysalis were overwhelmed and then carried to the horsemen. Who were all lea-surly resting on thrones made of the bodies of there enemy's.
"Ooh what is this?" Pestilence said with a devious grin when the unconscious Luna and Chrysalis were thrown at their feet.
"They are our would be masters lovers, pathetic." War growled spitting at the two at his feet with contempt.
"Now where is there would be defender?" Pestilence said making a show of looking around. Finally looking up with a fiendish smirk and pointing at me. "Ahh there you are why don't you come down here and join us for the show?"
As soon as the words left his mouth. I found myself plummeting to the ground, impacting right at Famines feet. Rage boiled in my body when I tried to move only to find I couldn't.
"Ooh so you've finally realized have you?" Famine said glancing down at me from his seat with contempt. "You are completely powerless before us. You the only creature who would even stand a chance of beating us. But you are crippled and lame, by your own actions no less."
"Let this be a taste of what is to come, a sneak peak if you will." Pestilence said rising the other two horsemen doing the same. All of them stepping past me to the unconscious forms of Luna and Chrysalis.
"What are you going to do to them?" I growled doing my best to move. "Leave them be, this is between you and me. Leave them out of this, I command you to leave them be."
"Ooh poor choice of words sunny." Pestilence said smiling at me while they all drew their weapons. "Now you be a good boy and sit back and enjoy the show."
As soon as the words left his mouth the three horsemen descended on the defenseless creatures beneath them. Ripping them to shreds, leaving only there heads in one piece. These they threw at me, landing in front of me with a sickening thud. Frozen on their muzzles was a look of pure terror and agony. The sight making me sick to my stomach, much to the delight of my captors.
"Ooh look I think he is going to be sick." Pestilence said with a smirk, while the others chuckled.
"And to think it is fear that has crippled this mighty beast." War said mockingly delivering a savage kick to the side of my head.
"Ooh that looks like fun." Pestilence said while my world spun thanks to that kick. Only to have another blow land in the small of my back. Making me cry out in pain, while more blows landed all across my body. Everything simply fading until only the pain remained, and even that began to fade as I began to become numb all over.
"That is enough brothers." Another voice said, the assault ending as swiftly as it began. "Let us leave this sad creature and prepare for the end."
"As you wish Death." The other three said and they vanished leaving me where I was broken and confused. Staring at the heads on the ground before me, their eyes hallow and lifeless. Tears began to fall as the world around me began to fade into darkness. And then a voice began to echo in the stillness, just barely above a whisper and gradually growing louder.
"Wake up Thomas, wake up."
With a jolt and huge gasping breath I returned to consciousness, darkness being the only thing that greeted me.
"We were beginning to wonder if you would ever wake up." I heard from behind me making me jump in shock and spin around, only to see two teal eyes glowing in the darkness.
"We who exactly Luna?" I said relaxing a little when I realized it was her who spoke.
"Why Luna and I of course Thomas who else." Chrysalis said her eyes appearing in the darkness next to Luna's. I began to relax more when I heard Chrysalis and realized she was near. The only thing on my mind was the fact they were alive, until i remembered what I saw just moments ago. My body stiffening in anger while a deep growl echoed into the darkness, making the two sets of eyes go wide before narrowing slightly.
"Thomas whats wrong?" Chrysalis said, the soft material beneath me shifting while her eyes began to move closer.
"Stay back!" I yelled in rage. "I know what you are. Your a construct the horsemen put into my head to make killing me easier. But I wont fall for it I saw them kill you, I saw the life leave your eyes while your blood stained the ground."
The distance between the eyes and I grew, as if they jumped back in fear. While I did my best to crawl away from them into the darkness. Only to find the edge of what ever I was on and fall off. Hitting something hard knocking the breath out of me, leaving me gasping for breath. And just when I was getting back my breath, I was blinded as lights roared to life all around me. I blinked and did my best to rid myself of the spots that dotted my vision, while crawling blindly backwards.
"Thomas I assure you this is not a dream or figment of your imagination." Luna said somewhere nearby. Prompting me to blindly lash out in rage, still trying to rid myself of the damned spots in my vision. Only for it to clear when I blindly backed into a wall knocking my head and clearing my vision. Allowing me to see I was in Luna's room with both her and Chrysalis approaching me cautiously. Had my head not been clouded by confusion and rage I might have recognized the sensation of Chrysalis's tentative mental caress. But as it was their continued advancement only further clouded my mind with rage.
"I said stay back." I screamed the very walls vibrating with the power of my voice. While tears began to slide down my face thanks to the whirlwind of emotions that flew through my mind. Depression, anger, misery, and a familiar emotion where some of the things that ran ram pent in my mind. While I refused to acknowledge the last one, Wars last words echoing tauntingly in my mind.
"And to think it is fear that has crippled this mighty beast."
"Your wrong!!!" I screamed while I shifted forms to the dragon. "I am the avatar of fear. I rule fear I don't fear anything, and fear does not rule me."
"Thomas calm down please no one said you were afraid of anything." Chrysalis said her eyes wide with concern, while Luna had a look of shocked understanding on her face.
"Be gone from me, I wont fall for your tricks and lies." I yelled, promptly spinning around and breaking through the wall and into the hallway behind me. I could hear shouts of fear all around me while I barreled down the maze like hallway. Bursting through yet another wall when I found a dead end. Quickly finding myself in the castles grand hall with Celestia staring at me wide eyed from her throne. While a single stallion stood at the base of the throne starring at me like a dear caught in the headlights.
"Thomas just what are you doing." Celestia said glaring at me and then the hole behind me.
"Sister be careful Thomas is not himself." Luna yelled coming to a skidding stop between her sister and I, panting for breath. "The horsemen invaded his mind while he slept and showed him horrors untold. Making him believe that was reality and this is just a dream."
As Luna spoke, my mind began to clear of the fog of my uncontrolled emotions. Allowing me a moment of clear thought, that moment dominated entirely by Pestilences words.
"Let this be a taste of what is to come, a sneak peak if you will."
"So this is reality?" I mumbled to myself, everyone in the room still able to hear this. Making them all turn to me with relieved expressions on there faces. Slowly I began to relax as I looked at Chrysalis and Luna, thankful they were alive. I sighed deeply as it all began to make sense.
"Thomas its ok were really here I promise." Chrysalis said her voice shaking slightly as she walked up beside me.
"Thank god I thought I lost you two." I said my head drooping in relief only to snap back to attention, a familiar magic building on the horizon.
"What ever you do, don't fall." I shouted rearing up and burying my claws into the ceiling. As the final magical shock wave sped towards canterlot killing thousands as it passed.
"What?"
"Damn it don't fall down or you will die." I shouted just as the shock wave hit us, many of the guards and others in the room falling dead before they hit the floor. The princesses, Chrysalis and I all fared better, swaying to and fro but staying upright.
"Is everyone alright." I groaned, my grip in the ceiling weakening. Only to clamp down like a vice as another presence began to manifest itself.
"Everyone behind me now!" I yelled as a mass of black smoke began to form in front of me. Everyone getting behind me just as the smoke faded to reveal Death standing there leaning casually on his scythe.
"Bravo Thomas you have survived this long." Death said his voice hallow, while he clapped his skeletal hands. "But for what purpose surely you don't mean to try and save these pitiful creatures."
"That is exactly what I intend to do." I growled spreading my wings defensively, effectively blocking off the entire part of the room behind me. "Now as your master I command you to take your brothers and leave this place in peace."
"You are not my master boy!" Death spat his scythe creaking in his iron grip. "Timor was our master, you cant even wield his power much less command us."
"Be that as it may Death but what is the point." I sighed glaring down into his black sockets with contempt. "If we do battle I cant kill you, only banish you from this world. And you cant even kill me, it would seem that alicorns are the only ones capable of truly harming me."
"True this is all true, or at least it was all true once." Death began he and his scythe disappearing in a blur of motion. While black arks flew up and struck me in the chest where Chrysalis marked me.
"It would seem I have found a weakness in you perfect armor." Death sneered as searing pain erupted throughout my body. My hands falling lifeless to my sides while stones the size of cars began to fall onto me. And with a loud groan, like a tree falling I fell forward crushing the thrones beneath my body and shattering every window in the hall on impact. My vision began to fade and all my senses began to dull while Deaths vile laugh echoed through out the hall.
There was the sound of scurrying feet and muffled unintelligible words as the world began to darken. Only to slowly began to brighten once more as a calm cooling sensation began to spread across my body.
"Rest now my love all is well we shall talk in your dreams." I heard Luna said gently as if right next to my ear. And needing no further prompting I fell into a deep slumber, Luna's gentle voice quietly singing a lullaby.
When sleep finally claimed me I found myself floating calmly among the stars. Luna's lullaby echoing all around me in the stillness. Until finally she appeared before me, walking leisurely towards me.
"Hello Luna long time no see." I said, Luna chuckled as she nuzzled me.
"It hasn't been but a few moments since last we saw each other." She said a smile on her face. "But yes it has been a while since we have had the opportunity to talk. And I am eternally grateful for what you did to save me."
"Think nothing of it Luna that's what friends are for." I said chuckling nervously. "To be honest I had no idea what I was doing, I just knew I had to make things right."
"This you did and much more Thomas. I was afraid I would never be able to repay your kindness, but fate has been kind tonight." Luna said punctuating her statement with a soft kiss to my lips. Making me recoil in shock, earning a hurt look from Luna.
"Luna what was that?" I stammered my cheeks burning with a heavy blush. She kept the wounded look until she got a knowing smirk on her face.
"Chrysalis has told me you harbor feelings for me Thomas, and I saw it to be true the night of the gala. The way your gaze was following me that night." she said a confident smirk on her face. "And while you were ill Chrysalis and I talked about such things."
"You what?" I stammered completely caught off guard by this turn of events.
"While she didn't seem to bothered by the idea of you looking at another. Chrysalis wasn't fond of the idea of sharing you, though now she doesn't have much of a choice."
"Wait what?" I said making Luna's smirk grow. "What do you mean she doesn't have a choice in the matter?"
"Its quite simple really Thomas my dear." Luna said circling me with a devilish smirk. " Since we alicorns live so long it is hard for us to find a mate. But long ago Celestia and I devised a plan should we ever find a suitable stallion or mare. While marking you as my mate wasn't my intention, I see no reason to complain."
"Wait so if that wasn't you intention why bring it up, or even do it for that matter." I snapped my confusion and Luna's smirk working my nerves.
"Patience Thomas my dear all in due time." Luna said her smirk morphing into a full blown smile. "In order to heal you I had to use great amounts of my magic. Which happens to be the first part in the marking, the second part takes place if the two of us share affection for one another. And if we do my magic works its way into my mates soul, strengthening there body and granting them immortality. And you are a the only other pony I would wish to spend eternity with. Especially since when you look at me there is no fear or contempt in your gaze, only compassion and understanding"
"So now not only has Chrysalis marked me but now you as well." I said rubbing my head, it beginning to throb just thinking about the trouble I would wake into. " Who else will mark me your sister? Twilight? will I have a little herd going on if we survive the battle with the horsemen?"
"While I highly doubt my sister will ever see you in such a light, it is still possible." Luna said giggling at the idea. "But as for Twilight, no she would have to become a alicorn and that is highly unlikely. So it is safe to say you need only worry about Chrysalis and I for now."
"That really helps." I grumbled earning a warm nuzzle from Luna in reply.
"Now rest my love I must return and explain to the others what has happened." Luna said stealing another kiss before she disappeared from my dream, leaving me to my thoughts. And while I couldn't deny the fact I did like Luna, I couldn't shake the feeling things would be tense and heated when I woke up. But thankfully I didn't have to worry about that just yet so I relaxed and let myself drift, in this wonderful world of dreams.