Desire's Truth

by The Joeker

Desire Is An Emotion...

Before we continue there is something I wish to clear up Horseman.
Go ahead Crowfather, I'm all ears.
Why 'The Headless Horseman'? I've never seen or heard of you taking your head off.
Well, that name is not completely unfounded, it's more my cover up than anything but the blasted name stuck, I can take off my head as you'll see in a few chapters.
Last thing: so you were blasted with the magic of the Princess of Love?
Yes... I guess her love for her auntie made her magic go into overcharge, why?
Wait, so you got defeated by a pink pony, Horseman?
No! I got straight back up, it caught me off guard is all, then I got payback! plus a building fell on me and that's cheating!
I thought they were your friends?
That comes later! fucking spoiler... damn it Crowfather you're lucky I can cover that up! as minor as it may be...
Anyway, let's get on with it, I had just been blasted into a building and then said building proceeded to collapse on my head, got it? no? yes? good.

---

After about a minute of being buried beneath rubble, I thrust my hand upward and burst forth from it, seeing the surprise on those ponies faces was the best feeling ever, the fear, the confusion, the realisation they couldn't stop me, it was exhilarating, like when the Nephilim realised we had betrayed them and they were doomed.

"How... how did you..." started Cadence, I never answered as I walked towards her with a 'not amused' expression on my face.

She started to back away with a scared look on her face as I slowly walked toward her, the white princess had a blank expression on her face as she curled her fore hooves underneath her and nuzzled her sister's corpse, not caring about getting blood on her, her eyes red from crying, with 6 other mares trying to comfort her, not noticing me closing in on the pink one.

"B-b-back away or I'll..." the pink pony trailed off, truth is she drained her magic when she punched me through those buildings, she couldn't do anything except fly away, to which I'd shoot her or engage me in melee combat, to which she wouldn't last 5 seconds.

But seeing the white pony just tuning everything out and staying with her sister for as long as she could, either not believing she's dead or mourning for her.

Either way I'll admit... it brought me to some tears, if I lost my brothers or my sister I'd be in tears, before tearing apart the one who did it, I felt her pain and just couldn't bring not myself to do anything about it... I had to help her.

I sighed and dropped my sword and knelt down with my hands up, the pink pony cautiously approached me.

"look, I can heal the blue one, but I need your cooperation!" i said as I knelt there.

"why would you want to?" she asked.

I looked at the white one grieving over her sister "I have siblings, if I lost one..." I blinked back tears that threatened to flood my eyes, for those who think 'A Horseman shouldn't cry!' remember Desire is an emotion in itself, so don't judge me especially if you have siblings of your own as well.

I wasn't waiting for her go ahead, I picked up Damnation and walked over to them, the 6 mares were crying and got ready to attack, although it was suicidal as they were in no fit state to fight, the white one looked at me with an unreadable expression before looking back to her sister, a look of contentedness if I had to guess.

"Go ahead, do it..." she said, crying over her sister, honestly it broke my heart.

I knelt down beside them and put a hand on her 'shoulder'.

"I'm sorry for what I did look, I can help, but I also need your help, can you do that?" I asked her.

"Princess, it might be a trap!" said a rainbow maned pony, I used the 'close mouth' sign with my hand and her jaw was magically glued together.

"What more could he do to me?" she asked almost absentmindedly and stood up, not paying attention to anything or one other than me and her sister.

"You'd be surprised..." I muttered as I cut my hand "ahh".

"What are you doing?" she asked tearfully, when I looked at her, I was awestruck, I never thought I was incapable of much emotion, if any, although that was disproven 5 minutes ago, but back to the point, she was beautif- no! I'm a Horseman, the Skeletal Rider! The Headless Horror! The World Ender! The Council's Confident!(although considering I didn't know about War for 100 years or that Death rode, that title may have to be revoked) I have no time for the petty emotion of... love... but seeing her in pain also brought me pain... I couldn't explain it.

"My blood is self regenerating, it's also the reason I've died for less time than Bennie Wint(look it up)" I said and smeared my blood on her throat, making it heal, the others expected something to happen right away.

"Why isn't anything happening?" asked the purple pony.

"You really are all ignorant, did you not see me take her soul? which brings me on to my next point, bad news of all this is... I must hold court I'm afraid," I said.

"What? hold court?" asked the white 'Princess'.

"The Abyssal Court, I need to judge her soul, but I cannot be biased during the court so I cannot just allow her back into her body, there is the jury to consider but I have the final say, I need you to be on the witness stand for your sister, I also need the pink pony, and the purple pony, if all goes according to plan I won't need the other 5 mares" I said.

"The purple pony is Twilight my student and fellow Princess and the pink is my niece Princess Cadence, my name is Celestia, introduce yourself girls," said Celestia to the 5 mares, a little better now she knows I can will help.

"I'm Pinkie Pie," cried another pink pony, literally they were all crying, I unbuttoned the rainbow maned one's mouth.

"Rainbow Dash,"

"Rarity,"

"..."

"That's F-F-Fluttershy," said Rainbow in between tears.

"Applejack,"

"Good, now then I must summon the Abyssal Throne, you cannot let anyone know that I plan to let her off, not even her, I will get you my best causidicus, or lawyer as it were," I said.

"very well , I will do whatever it takes to get my sister back," said Celestia.

"Abyssum, Dolores inferni circumdederunt me judicii facultatem dare permitte mihi benevolum redde retributionem inferre indignum et si casus ferat, det vitam, da mihi thronus" I chanted, suddenly the world seemed to darken and a hill was made and my throne arose similar to the one below (from https://carrion-crown-kyle-s.obsidianportal.com/adventure-log/besieged at the very bottom of the page with the images.)

I took my seat on my throne and prepared to render judgement for the first time in a few thousand years, it felt good, but if I get carried away I may forget just why and what I'm sitting judgment for, to free a soul and get it back.

Time to sit in judgement again.

Author's Note:

I just updated his appearance in Chapter 1 as well.

Cuddle Bunny: thanks to you good sir! a favorite means a lot!

This chapter points out his weakness for family and friends etc. and the fact he can be beaten and he's not just a heartless machine built to kill, and the thing with Celestia, maybe there's something there as long as she can get past her sister and Desire can get her back, this will be a test of my 'buildup of romance skillz' with a z!