//------------------------------// // Chapter 20 - Never Wanted This // Story: Fallen Stars // by Zachurra //------------------------------// At speeds fast enough to make even Rainbow Dash do a double-take, Fluttershy shot forward down the road and didn’t bother to slow down at all. What would have likely knocked a normal pony off their hooves and sent into a tumbling roll merely nudged the admittedly surprised War back a few inches. The sobbing yellow Pegasus cared not for the limp man that he carried in his arms or for his non-pony form. All that mattered to her was that he was alive and that the dreadful, empty feeling she had felt when she saw the light fade from his eyes was not going to last until the end of her own days. War said nothing and simply turned his head to lean it against hers. While one may have seen this as hardly the proper reaction, his familiar slow and gentle touch only helped further convince her that he truly was alive and standing before her once again. She buried further into his neck, her wings flapping quickly to keep herself afloat. “For one who has supposedly passed on, you are certainly looking quite… lively.” War’s attention turned towards the group now approaching him, specifically Princess Luna as she had been the one to make the comment. The other mares looked at the two Demons in their true forms with mouths open and eyes wide in amazement and curiosity. Celestia couldn’t help but chuckle at the way Twilight quickly began examining the foreign race from every angle she could and mumbling to herself about the similarities they shared with Minotaurs and questioned their fine balance without the use of tails. The gentle giant seemed content to let the small group stare as much as they want, but the second Demon seemed far less keen on the idea for the moment. Dante strode past the six mares without so much as a passing glance and made straight for Vice, “Where is Madora?” Vice seemed taken by his blunt question. “Erm, back there, somewhere…” He lazily pointed his thumb over his shoulder before gesturing towards War and an either dead or unconscious Horrus, “But would you kindly explain a few things first?” “Later,” Dante turned to Celestia, “I assume your kingdom has prisons?” Celestia furrowed her brow, “Yes, but if you won’t explain why your one friend is still alive then would you at least inform us of who this fourth member is?” “Public enemy number one,” He replied simply before spinning on his heel and heading off in the direction that Vice had pointed him in, dragging the still confused Demon along for the trip. --- Dante glared at the once so powerful “Grand Queen” of the Changelings that now hung against the wall of somepony’s home. She stood just barely taller than he while pinned by a single blade from Vice’s arsenal as if some kind of example to be made. Behind him stood the owner of the blade, arms crossed and growing more annoyed with his partner’s attitude and neglecting to explain important matters. “Twinkiling,” Vice cocked an eyebrow at the word. “Twinkling!” Dante shouted the word this time, fists tightly clenched but keeping his eyes locked onto the corpse. Behind the two of them was a small crowd of ponies mostly consisting of the militia he had whipped into shape not so long ago that gawked at the appearance of such strange looking creatures. One of them, a tall mare that Vice had almost mistaken for a stallion under all the armor, jumped in surprise at the sound of her name being shouted by one of them. She hopped forward and stood as straight as she could. While the appearance of the two before her was odd and admittedly a little intimidating, she could recognize that wide brimmed hat anywhere. “S-Sir!” “What is the status of the town?” She quickly swallowed the lump in her throat before speaking, “A p-proper head count has nearly been finished, sir! By our reports, what was once three confirmed dead has become five confirmed. Two mares that lived with together with one other that we were only just able to save in time, as well as a stallion and his eldest son who reportedly fought back those that broke into their home to defend their family.” Her tone saddened and slowed with every word and her head dropped in shame as she continued, “We couldn’t save Lightning either… His wounds were too great…” Vice could feel the raw emotion flowing from Dante and took a step back. If what he felt wasn’t enough of an indicator then the sight of his friend beginning to shake in fury was enough to tip him off. “Is it so difficult to live in a world where people aren’t slaughtering each other over power!?” Dante pulled his fist back and threw it forward, filling the air with the sickening sound of the dead Changeling’s skull being crushed to pieces from his punch. “None of this had to happen!” All was silent for a few moments save for the sound of Dante’s heavy breathing. He pulled his fist from what was once Madora’s face but was given little time to admire his work as Vice stepped forward and pried his weapon out, causing the body to fall to the ground in a slump. As Vice began wiping the blood off his blade before slipping it back into its proper sheath, Dante began storming off in the opposite direction. “And where do you think you’re going?” “Away from here,” Dante growled in response. “Oh no you aren’t!” A blank tendril burst from Vice’s back and shot forward, wrapping around Dante’s arm and yanking him back violently. The Demon was in no mood however, and threw his bloodied fist forward towards his comrade. While it may have taken a lesser soul by surprise, Vice was quick to grab the punch and head-butted Dante. “I don’t give a damn how moody you are right now and I refuse to just let you walk away from this!” Dante bared his teeth in anger and tried to pull his fist out of Vice’s clutch but his comrade had a surprisingly strong grip. His breathing began to steady and his body slowly relaxed. The tentacle coming from Vice’s back released Dante’s arm and slithered back into his skin, disappearing as if it was never even there. “I’m your friend, Dante. But more than that,” Vice released Dante’s fist before grabbing it again with his other hand and holding it perfectly between the two of them, all the while looking each other in the eye, “I’m your equal. And I have a right to know not only why our friend is still alive, but why the man that I watched kill him is still alive.” Dante sighed. He wanted to be angry, and it would be quite a while before he felt bad for trying to hit him, but deep down he knew Vice was right. Curse those tranquil emerald eyes of his and the effect they had on a person. Dante unrolled his fist and held Vice’s hand in his, squeezing it firmly. “More than friends… Brothers.” Vice smiled and nodded, “Being brothers is the only way we could be closer.” Dante couldn’t help but chuckle quietly, “Perhaps…” “S-Sir!” Both Demons turned to the source of the noise and found another member of the militia. A brown coated Pegasus that, much as Twinkling had been, seemed a little uncomfortable seeing his leader in such an odd form. “What is it-“ Dante began as he started making his way towards the armored pony but stopped for a moment when the reason for the interruption became apparent: lying on the ground just behind him and guarded on both sides by more soldiers was a large Changeling with features distinctive from the rest. Tall and slim with greasy looking cerulean hair, this one, like Madora, seemed to actually have an obvious gender rather than all of the neutral “male-ish” ones from before. “Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings wishes to surrender to you.” “To us?” Vice wondered aloud, confused as to what the soldier’s words insinuated. “We’re the only ones she sees as a true threat.” Dante pulled his sword, sheath and all, from his back. Holding the hilt, he grabbed the sheath and slid it straight off and let it fall to the ground. With his long strides he was soon within striking distance and firmly planted the sword into the dirt just inches to the right of Chrysalis’s head. The Changeling flinched and shied away from the steel. In it she could see her own reflection and what she saw displeased her greatly. Beaten, broken, and an absolute mess. The only difference between herself now and how she had been after being tossed into the frozen north was that she could still feel her legs. “Rude,” she muttered, turning her eyes away from the blade and to its owner. Dante crouched down on the balls of his feet and casually looked to both his left and right. He looked at the destruction and bodies and nodded, “’Rude’ is a good start.” “I have no desire to challenge your kind any further. I know when I’ve been beaten… I wish to parlay with Celestia and discuss the terms of my surrender.” “We may be new to your world but we are not new to your tactics.” Dante replied dryly. “You’ll try to get free the first chance you get.” “Do I look like I’m in any condition to pull some kind of escape?” Chrysalis hissed, inching closer to the Demon and glaring daggers, “My Changelings have abandoned the battlefield, I’m exhausted from the constant advance that my mother demanded, and I’m fairly certain your friend there broke a few of my ribs!” Dante rested his head in one of his hands, “I’ve watched lesser men do more.” Chrysalis growled and bared her teeth before whining softly from the pain she was only inflicting on herself. She sighed and her gaze dropped towards the ground, “I never meant for things to go so far… I didn’t want a slaughter.” “You didn’t mean to kill, or you didn’t mean to lose and have to pay for it?” “Her words may hold some weight,” Vice stated as he stepped closer, crossing his arms and looking down at the Changeling. “During my battle with Madora, she joined the fight against her. Granted she attacked me as well, but it would take far more than a single magical blast to create any lasting harm.” “Is that so?” Dante said, turning his eyes back to the Changeling. Chrysalis had no reply and simply looked him in the eyes. He could kill her right here and now and they both knew it. She could be passed on as just another casualty of war and no one would bother to ask questions. This was war and she was the loser. For a moment she truly believed she was to be executed when she noticed the way the Demon’s grip on his sword tightened out of the corner of her eye. However, he instead simply rose to his feet, spun on his heel and retrieved the sheath he had tossed aside before sliding his sword back into its proper place and slinging it over his shoulder. “Tie her up,” He said, barely turning towards his soldiers. “And put something on her horn. I don’t want there to be any chances.” Once his weapon was properly secured he turned to Vice, “Go with them and keep an eye on her, please. I promise I’ll explain everything that happened as soon as everything has been taken care of here.” Vice sighed quietly before nodding. Dante let a small smile spread across his lips and put his hand on his comrade’s shoulder briefly before making his way back to where he had left War and the others.