• Published 26th Feb 2012
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Upheaval: Reckoning - Visiden Visidane



Sequel to Breaking Point. The barrier is no more and the Legion is on the move. What happens next?

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Beloved

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 31: Beloved

Heavenly Basin. This was supposed to be a forgotten corner of Equestia for Terrato. A grave for some lifetime he wanted to leave behind. Yet, here he was coming back to it like a lovesick foal. The still air and the permanent twilight were suffocating. Memories of times when he happily came to this place, often unannounced, dug at old wounds. That must be why Black Rose insisted on meeting him here. She knew this place unbalanced him. She was banking on him being disturbed enough to be vulnerable.

The ruins hadn't changed. He doubted even a speck of dust had been moved since he last came here. The water around them was mirror-smooth and the night sky above was bereft of clouds and stars alike.

And there she was, standing at the center of where her tower used to be. Silhouetted by moonlight, her coat gleaming in the silvery illumination, Black Rose looked every inch an alicorn princess. She wore a black, long-tailed coat with a gold trim, and the Legion’s emblem proudly emblazoned across the left-side of her chest: the formal uniform Legion High Commander, a rank he had created just for her. Her crimson mane spilled across her neck and past her shoulders, the locks curling at the tips. As she walked closer, he caught the faint scent of mountain wildflowers.

‘I come here for answers, she comes dressed for a party.' Terrato had never been one to appreciate dressing up. When a celebration came up, he looked forward to the food, the booze, the music, and the lively conversation. He didn't give a crap about the dresses the mares were wearing. He especially didn't appreciate dressing up when there wasn't an occasion.

'She looks so lovely.'

Terrato frowned at the unbidden thought.

“I am so glad you decided to come, beloved,” Black Rose said.

“You offered some interesting things to get me here, Black Rose,” Terrato replied. “If you deliver even half of those, I’ll be glad I came as well.”

Black Rose's steps were tentative, but deliberate. As the distance between them shortened, Terrato focused as he would with an enemy’s approach. He raised himself high without lifting his legs, hooves ready to strike, and spells at the fore. Black Rose stopped just several feet away, a hint of disappointment crossing her face. “Where do you want me to start?” she asked.

Terrato would have insisted on learning Rainbow Dash’s fate, but that was two days ago, and information had been retrieved about her situation. That left one pony looming across his horizon. “Gravitas,” he said. “What do you know about his movements?”

“You overestimate me. My network does not extend to the Eternal Herd.”

“Neither does mine,” Terrato said. It was true. He knew a lot of alicorns in the Eternal Herd, but few would readily socialize with a rebellious prince. Gladio was willing enough, and Magnus had always been ready to share information with those who asked, but that was the extent of it. “But you mentioned him. What is he up to?”

“He will be coming here soon,” Black Rose replied.

Terrato’s eyes widened. General Gravitas, hero of the battle for Elys, hero of the First Strike, the alicorn who vanquished four of Oceanus’s six handmaidens, and easily one of the Eternal Herd’s greatest warriors. Gravitas was coming here. A long, long time ago, that alicorn was his hero. Celestia gushed over Lexarius’s oratorical prowess, especially when the issue of Oceanus's spawn came up, but he read, and re-read, each account of Gravitas’ exploits. He shook his head. The time of hero-worship had long since gone. This was also Gravitas, the alicorn who wanted nothing short of the complete destruction of Equestria, the alicorn Celestia detested, and spoke against over and over when Lexarius was no longer around. “How can you be so sure?” he asked. “He hasn't been appointed to do anything in this world.”

“A thousand years ago, that may have held him back,” Black Rose replied. Her characteristic serene smile slipped. “He is growing impatient. My plans have left him a great opportunity to seize control of Equestria’s fate, but his window is quickly closing. I cannot imagine him waiting until Celestia recovers her strength, and Equestria stabilizes.”

“How did you come across this information?” Terrato asked.

“Simple. From Gravitas himself. I must start with the beginning or this explanation will be a very slow move from one dramatic revelation to the next. Please indulge me, beloved, I know how you hate theatrics.”

Terrato snorted. “I’ll listen."

“Thank you,” Black Rose said. “Did you ever wonder how I was able to perform the Ascendancy Ritual you created for me despite its destruction?”

“No,” Terrato replied. “You had done the impossible yet again. At that point, the only thing that I wondered about was my incessant underestimation of you.”

“I’m flattered, but I didn't accomplish the task on my own. Gravitas has been doing more than speaking out us. He found out about your research in the Eternal Herd’s library, and he contacted me while I was piecing together the Ascendancy Ritual.”

Black Rose brushed a stray lock of her mane from her face. Terrato recognized the slight hint of embarrassment. His “faithful student” prided herself for being subtle. Being caught by Gravitas would have been a humbling experience.

“I had expected him to disrupt my work, and alert you so I can be punished,” Black Rose went on. “Imagine my surprise when he offered to fill in the missing pieces for a price.”

Terrato didn't have to. The surprise that struck him at the moment more than gave him an accurate estimation of what Black Rose must have felt. It didn't make sense. Finding out that one of Oceanus' children was trying to become an alicorn would have offended Gravitas greatly. Why would he choose to help Black Rose? Unless…

“Gravitas offered a completed Ascendancy Ritual.” Black Rose smirked as she went on. “At least, his very convenient version of it; slay an alicorn, and absorb her power. Yes, he said “her”, and he certainly offered no ideas on how to reach the moon.”

“Obviously to further his own agenda,” Terrato said. He fought to quell his anger at the mere thought of Gravitas wanting to harm his sister. “If Celestia was censured by an Equestrian, it would only prove his point that all of Oceanus’s children are too dangerous to spare.”

“And I told him just that,” Black Rose replied. “To his credit, Gravitas did not take me for a foal by trying to pretend otherwise. He told me that this was a necessity especially with the Ninth Rebellion closing. He even promised to cover up my part in the deed, and personally welcome me to the Eternal Herd as an alicorn.” Black Rose's smile widened. “He was very solemn about it too. Almost believable.”

Terrato could only agree. Gravitas would never accept that an Equestrian could ever become an alicorn. Once the deed was done, he would have denounced Black Rose to the Eternal Herd, and finished her off to hide his involvement. “Yet, you went along with his plans,” he said.

“Do you honestly believe that I would work with an alicorn who wants to destroy what I've tried to protect for so long?” Black Rose asked. ”Isn’t it enough proof that I haven’t killed Celestia?”

The tremble in her voice brought on old aches in Terrato’s chest. He shoved them aside. “Where do all your recent actions fit in?”

“Gravitas will come here under the pretense of dealing with the theft of Celestia’s power. I have no doubt that he will use the opportunity to execute Princess Luna’s previous sentence. With Celestia almost powerless, he will send you back to the Eternal Herd for causing the Sixth rebellion, and taking part in the Seventh. That leaves him in full control of Equestria’s fate.”

All of what Black Rose said was true, but that wasn't what concerned him the most at the moment. Terrato was beginning to understand what his former student was planning. Black Rose had fallen silent again. Terrato waited patiently this time. This wasn't theatrics, he could tell that she was reluctant to say so much. “Beloved…let me have the Foul Weapon.”

“No.”

Black Rose’s smile returned. “That was quick,” she said. “Not even a pause for your faithful student?”

“What were you expecting?” Terrato asked. “Did you think I would even consider allowing anypony to use the weapon that hurt my father?”

“Despite its name, the Foul Weapon is ultimately a mere tool,” Black Rose said. “With it, I can destroy Gravitas without retaliation. He would be censured from this world, sparing Equestria from the destruction that a battle with him would cause.”

“Your brother says otherwise.”

A genuine look of regret crossed Black Rose’s eyes when she spoke again. “Blue Moon’s intentions are misguided,” she said softly.

“There’s nothing misguided about wanting to protect you.”

For the first time since her return, Black Rose’s eyes widened with surprise. She let out a short gasp as he crossed the remaining distance between them. “Do you think I’m blind?” Terrato asked. “You think I swallowed that nonsense he was spouting about you taking over the Eternal Herd? He thinks he can spur me to urgency by making your plans seem that dire. I see right through him.” His horn glowed, and the first few buttons on her coat became undone. “And I see right through you.”

Terrato’s magic worked not merely as telekinesis. He “brushed” against the layer of illusions surrounding her tentatively, waiting for her to react. Black Rose visibly tensed, but she offered no resistance as he began to dispel the magic. His lips pressed into a grim line when the image of a lustrous black coat wavered around her chest, and revealed the truth.

A web of hairline cracks, centered where her heart would be, had begun to spread across Black Rose’s chest. They seeped golden light, as if she was a being of radiance barely contained by an outer layer of flesh. She looked away at his scrutiny.

“You must have known this would happen,” Terrato said. “You are not meant to wield the power of sunlight. No matter how great the need, and no matter how high your mastery over magic is, it will burn through you from the inside out. Return it to my sister, and leave Gravitas to us.”

“I will not.”

“Don’t be stubborn!” Terrato said. Black Rose didn't so much as flinch. He bit back the rage, and lowered his voice. “You've been talking for quite a while. Why don’t I finish for you?”

“Oh? This will be interesting. How much of my intentions have you read already?”

“You have two immediate goals: forcibly have Celestia’s barrier down to begin reunification by stealing her power, and doing it for her and to fully realize the strength of the Elements of Harmony by throwing them into danger using your Thorns.”

“Those are easy enough to guess,” Black Rose replied.

“Yet here comes Blue Moon, your most loyal Thorn, talking about you wanting to acquire the Foul Weapon, then taking over the Eternal Herd. That didn't make sense until Gravitas became involved. You went with his scheme so that he would come here. If you can remove him from the picture, Equestria will be safe from the Eternal Herd.” Terrato paused for a moment. “Am I right so far?”

“Very close,” Black Rose said. “You do understand me well after all.”

“Equestria would be united and, with Gravitas gone, the Eternal Herd will be united in protecting Equestria as well.”

Black Rose nodded, her smile widening.

“There are two snags however,” Terrato went on.”Slaying Gravitas in this world will merely censure him. He’ll remain a problem in the Eternal Herd. So you need for the Foul Weapon. You will also be the prime example of Equestria should be destroyed: a false alicorn who dared to steal the princess’s power, and use Oceanus’s weapon. However, the fully realized Elements will rise to defeat you. They will be ultimate proof of the true potential of mortals, and should serve as enough of a reason to spare Equestria.”

“I could not have explained it any better,” Black Rose said. “You do understand, beloved. All you need to do is to have your agents stand down. Make things easier for me, and keep the Elements of Harmony in the dark.”

“No.”

Black Rose's smile quickly faded. “Why not?”

“Blue Moon rejected your plan, didn't he? That’s why he came to me with wild tales of you wanting to take over the Eternal Herd. He feared that I might agree with your plan so he thought to manipulate me into stopping you.”

“As I said, his intentions are misguided.”

“What if the Elements fail? What if all your tests break them?”

“They will die.” Black Rose’s voice took on a harsh note. “They will die slowly, and painfully, for their incompetence. I will have to wait, and be the tyrant if I have to until necessity causes the true Elements of Harmony emerge.”

“I will not let you do this, Black Rose.”

Black Rose's eyebrows furrowed; an extremely rare sign of frustration. “This is for Equestria’s sake, beloved. The Ninth Rebellion is coming, and everything must be ready.”

Terrato shook his head. “Then Equestria will have to be ready through some other means.”

“Don’t be selfish! Why would you hesitate now? You see how Equestria can be saved, and how little the cost compared to it!”

“I am done fighting for an Equestria that can only be saved by grand lies, and letting others die.”

Black Rose raised an eyebrow. “You say that even though you threw a baby dragon into the violent heart of his kind’s politics?”

It was Terrato’s turn to crack a smile. “Clever Black Rose makes a mistake at last,” he said. “I suppose a teacher can only be so proud for so long.” His face hardened. His answer puzzled Black Rose, but she let the matter go. “Why did you even bother coming here?” Did you think you could bring me to your side by telling me parts of your plan? I am not backing away, and neither are you.”

The next words left Black Rose like a sigh. “I still had to try,” she said. “I knew the chances were next to nothing. I still wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't make the attempt. However, that is not the main reason why I asked you to come here.”

“What is?”

Black Rose’s eyes softened. Terrato steeled himself. It was centuries ago when he would fairly melt if she turned that sort of gaze on him. For some damnable reason, it felt as if it was only last night. She raised a hoof, and touched the base of his neck, which was really as high as she could reach without rearing up.

“With all that is happening, this will likely be the last chance I can meet you alone like this. “

Terrato answered by leaning until his snout was but an inch from Black Rose's. The smell of her breath, mixed with the faint hint of wildflowers, was intoxicating. She closed her eyes, and crossed the remaining distance, pressing her soft lips against his. He kissed her back, resisting the urge to press forward, and gently place her on her back.

He unleashed his magic. In the split second it took to complete the spell, Black Rose opened her eyes, and jumped back. Her horn flashed as she intoned her own spell. Terrato had expected the swift reaction, he also knew what the next spell would be. Black Rose was going to teleport away, and he would never see her again like this. A dimensional anchor was too risky. As soon as he missed, it would be over. He used the area-centered dimensional lock instead. A dome of gray light exploded from his horn, and quickly engulfed the entire island. Black Rose flapped her wings, and made a dash towards the edges of the spell.

Terrato worked on a second spell even as he expanded the dimensional lock as far as he could. An enormous chunk of earth, shaped like an eagle’s claw, burst from the ground, and made a grab at Black Rose. She dodged it easily enough, but three more attacked her from different directions.

In an instant, the entire island, and the surrounding lake, had turned into a forest of claw-shaped stone pillars. Black Rose weaved through them, all the while trying to get past the limits of Terrato’s dimensional lock. At one point, she unleashed the power of sunlight, shattering several pillars with a blaze of golden magic. Terrato easily replaced them.

Terrato blocked every means to leave the Heavenly Basin save for a straight ascent, then raised his stone claws to snatch Black Rose if she attempted to fly up. He held his ground as a great shaft of concentrated sunlight flew at him. The spear struck the ground nearby in a dazzling explosion.

‘Her sunlight spears are unstable,’ Terrato thought. He strained to keep both his dimensional lock, and his stone claws, going. The entire world was a blur of blinding whiteness, and the shadows of his stone claws moving. He extended his tremor sense through the claws, and several feet beyond them. He couldn't see Black Rose, but the vibrations from her wings gave him a good approximation.

Another sunlight spear struck the ground. This one was near enough to be uncomfortably hot. Either Black Rose was getting serious about attacking him, or she was finding it more difficult to use her newly-acquired power. ‘Yet, she’s relying on it exclusively,’ he thought. Black Rose’s pride was talking. Don’t underestimate me, I can control this power.

The stone claws had cornered Black Rose when she cast one more spell. A massive explosion of sunlight centered on herself forced Terrato to shield up. His stone claws shattered all around him. He reformed them a second later, but it was already too late. He had felt the great draft she caused as she blasted upward and out of his dimensional lock. By the time his vision cleared, she had escaped.

Terrato merely shook his head. He had expected to feel a little angrier, but it was hard to make out the jumble of emotions going through him at the moment. It had always been difficult to treat Black Rose as an enemy even when he had believed that she wanted to take on Celestia’s power for its own sake. Now that he understood her intentions, it only got worse.

What hurt the most was confirming what he had been thinking about. Black Rose called him “beloved”, but it was obvious that she did not trust him with Equestria’s future. Indeed, she trusted nopony but herself with protecting the realm. It was her grand scheme from beginning to the end. Was that the supreme expression of the confidence that he had always admired? Or was it because she was too afraid of being disappointed by anypony anymore? His thoughts briefly turned towards a particularly annoying subject. Twilight Sparkle had seen her teacher vulnerable and fallible, yet she never wavered. He felt…envious. It was such an odd sensation. He had never envied Celestia for any reason: not her power, not her grace, not her authority. Of all the things to envy, it was Twilight Sparkle’s faith.

Terrato touched his lips briefly with a hoof. Eager to forget that envy, he tried to remember the sensation of that last kiss. He would never be able to reconstruct that moment, even with all his magic. Black Rose promised that this was their last face-to-face meeting. He let out a sigh, and looked around him. His attack had devastated the landscape. They broke the island into several fragments, and blasted the ruins of the tower to the bottom of the lake. ‘So much lost so carelessly…’ he told himself. He had told his eldest sister about her half-assed plans driving the ones she loved away. Truth be told, he was worse.

There was the future to tend to. Black Rose wasn't going to stop. Her Thorns remained on the move, and out to get the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. She was still poised to seize the Foul Weapon, and she wasn't going to return Celestia’s power until it was too late. The threat of Gravitas hung over him darkly. He needed to talk to his sisters about this. Even the prospect of sifting through what he learned today, and sharing what needed to be shared would be problematic. He doubted his ability to defeat Gravitas in open combat, even with Luna at his side. He needed allies, or a really effective plan.

Or perhaps just a powerful enough weapon.

The sun would be rising soon. Perhaps he would see flaws in this one. Black Rose had expended a great deal of power. That final blast of sunlight alone drained her severely. As he prepared a teleport spell, he glanced back at the Heavenly Basin one more time.

“This isn't farewell, Black Rose. I promise.”

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