Chapter 54
Talon hated to admit it, but the Frozen North could be breathtakingly beautiful sometimes. The sun was just touching the horizon behind Synapse, casting the snow and ice beneath them in varying shades of red, orange, and pink. She closed her eyes for a moment and let out a contented sigh as the chill wind washed over her. After twelve hours of flying patrol, they were heading back to the Shattered Mountain Caves for the night. She opened her eyes and called to the rest of the Squad, “I know you’re tired, everydragon, but we’re almost home.”
Tornado let out an enthusiastic growling sound. At least, Talon thought it was enthusiastic. He was tough to read in his battle form.
Her own wings ached, but Talon knew that she didn’t have room to complain. Synapse was one of the few squads that hadn’t taken any casualties from Samhane’s murderous rampage yesterday. They were down a wyrm, though, thanks to Genesis’s ‘betrayal.’
Talon was still fighting with herself about whether she should accept Clodhopper’s request to join Synapse. She didn’t want to repay Genesis’s trust in her by putting one of his best friends on the battlefield.
They came around the last peak, revealing their usual landing zone at the top of the canyon’s walls.
Silver Tail was waiting there for them.
Talon’s gut clenched. Silver Tail wouldn’t be here unless it was for something important. Are they on to me? Have I done anything suspicious lately? … Other than nearly everything I did yesterday? She winced.
The Squad touched down a few minutes later, and by then, Talon was fairly certain that she’d given herself an ulcer. She joined the others in bowing low to the white drake.
Silver Tail waved them back up. “I just need to talk with Talon Wind. The rest of you can go enjoy your evening.”
“May I remain?” Tornado asked, glancing at Talon. He must have sensed her nervousness.
“I think you can afford to let your special somedragon out of your sight for a bit,” Silver Tail replied with a light air of humor, but his expression was serious.
Oh, that can’t mean anything good! Talon took a deep breath and forced herself to breath it out slowly. “Just go, Tornado. I’ll meet up with you later.” I hope.
Heart approached Talon and leaned in close. “So you aren’t going to deny that he’s your special somedragon?”
“Not the time for teasing,” Talon whispered back.
Heart patted her on the shoulder. “Silver Tail isn’t mad at you, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Then she climbed onto Ember’s back before she could fly away.
The rest of the Squad disappeared over the canyon edge as well. Tornado was the last to go, giving Talon a reassuring look before he took off.
“I want you to go talk to Providence,” Silver Tail said as soon as they were alone. “He’s been acting strange all day.”
“Of course, sir,” Talon said respectfully, “but Providence has been different since the Elements hit him.”
“This is different.” Silver Tail stepped a bit closer. “Providence came by the cave where we were holding Samhane. He spent more than an hour staring at her before leaving without a word. He’s been sitting at the eastern edge of the canyon ever since.”
“Is Samhane awake?” Talon asked.
Silver Tail nodded solemnly. “She keeps speaking in gibberish, yelling randomly, and pulling against all the chains we’ve got holding her down. Sometimes she reverts back to being normal, but the rest of the time …” He shrugged. “Even the Hurricanes realized that she can't be turned lose ever again. For all intents and purposes, Providence is the only Requiem Guard left, and you’re the closest thing he has to an ally anymore.”
Talon could see what he was getting at. If they lost Providence too, there would be nothing standing between them and the Immortal Sisters. “I’ll do my best to cheer him up.”
“Thanks, Talon.” Silver Tail spread his wings and took off. “I’ll be hiding nearby in case something happens and you need to get out of there in a hurry.”
That, at least, was a bit of comfort. Talon took off as well and headed for the eastern edge of the canyon. The flight wasn’t terribly long or hard, and her tired wings were grateful for it. The first stars were appearing overhead when she found her objective, a golden suit of armor sitting among the rocky slopes.
Talon came down about ten feet away from him and slightly higher on the slope, so that her head would be level with his.
Providence gave no sign that he had noticed her. His whole attention seemed to be caught up in the cleaver-like blade held gingerly in his massive gauntlet. The weapon had hung at Providence’s side for as long as she had known him, but she had never seen it out of its sheath before. The blade almost sparkled in the dimness, illuminated by a gently glowing blue stone in the handle. It would have been a sword in the claws of a wyrm, but it was little more than a dagger to the silent Guard.
“Providence?” Talon said, folding her wings around her to ward off the nightly winds that were picking up.
No response.
“Why are you out here alone?” She pressed a bit closer, carefully stepping over the icy ground.
Again, no response. Providence remained completely motionless, his eyes fixed on the mysterious blade. Now that Talon was closer, she could see bits of snow coating the windward side of his armor.
Talon was nearly touching Providence before he responded. It wasn’t sudden, but Talon still jumped back when the suit’s gauntlet slowly closed around the dagger’s hilt. The frozen metal of his form creaked and groaned weakly as bits of ice were crushed in the joints of his fingers.
A low sigh echoed from Providence, barely audible over the wind. “There once was a time when the world was wild and free … when heroes battled monsters … when I was a hero.” He turned to face her, dislodging bits of snow from his helmet. The glowing blue eyes within his helmet reflected nothing but soul-crushing weariness. “That time is long gone.”
“You can still be a hero,” Talon said. “Help us make peace with Equestria. End the killing once and for all.”
Providence turned away and looked up at the darkening sky. “My kind had a legend once, of a great god who descended from the heavens to save the minotaurs in their hour of need. It never gave its name, only telling the broken and scattered tribes to be at ease, because they were under its divine protection, its providence. They say that the god left a constellation in the sky, a constellation that would burn brightly to signal its return.”
Talon paused and looked up as well, but she couldn’t see anything unusual in the emerging stars. After a few moments, she brought her gaze back down to Providence. “Are you hoping to see its constellation tonight?”
He slowly lowered his own gaze before standing and sheathing his weapon. “It is just a story, dragonling. There never were any gods, and the heroes of old are long dead.” He stepped past Talon, heading back toward the caves. “Only monsters remain.”
-_-_-_-_-_-
Celestia came awake with a start; someone was moving the sun! Her attempt to rise was brought to a sudden halt, though, when pain bloomed in her chest.
“Princess,” Kibitz rushed to the side of her bed, “please do not exert yourself! I am told that the injury you sustained was quite severe.”
“Kibitz?” Celestia lay back down and took a moment to examine her surroundings. She was in her bedroom in Canterlot Castle. “How did I get here?”
The old stallion forced a thermometer into her mouth and held up one of her forelegs to check her pulse. “Princess Luna brought you here while you slept. By her decree as head of the Equestrian Army, you are to take a full week of bed rest.”
Celestia made a mental note to have words with Luna over that. “What is the situation in the Crystal Empire?”
“It was calm when Princess Luna last sent an update.” Kibitz set her leg down and moved to the balcony, throwing open the double doors so that the last rays of the sunset could flow in. “I expect she will send another as soon as she has finished lowering the sun.”
“I hope you’re right.” Celestia gently rubbed her chest where the Guard spear had struck her. Tender new skin covered the wound, and the whole area ached. The spear’s disruptive magic had been cleared out, at least, but it would still take time before she was back to full strength. Celestia called upon the sun’s power to bolster her weakened body.
Kibitz came back from the balcony and retrieved his thermometer from Celestia’s mouth. After examining it, he looked up at Celestia with arched eyebrows. “Princess, your temperature is over one hundred and twenty. I can’t say how much over, because that is as high as this thermometer goes.”
“Close to two hundred, I would guess,” Celestia said, calmly meeting his gaze. Kibitz of all ponies should know that a healthy temperature for her could range anywhere from one hundred to three million degrees.
The old stallion set aside the thermometer and pulled a quill and a notebook from his vest pocket. “Very well, I have prepared a list of healthy dinner options for a wounded pony. Select your preference and I will have the kitchen send it up momentarily.”
A scroll appeared over Kibitz’s head, bouncing off of it before he grabbed it in his telekinesis.
“That must be word from Princess Luna.” Kibitz passed her the quill and notebook. “Please choose what you’d like for dinner while I read her message.”
Celestia took the objects in her magic and circled the first item without really looking at it. “What does Luna have to say?”
“Just a reminder that I may have to tie you to the bed to ensure that you get your rest, Princess.” Kibitz passed Celestia the scroll and accepted his quill and notebook in return.
Celestia skimmed over Luna’s brief message, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. “Surely she doesn’t think that such a thing is necessary.” She lowered the scroll. “Kibitz, what are you doing with that rope?”
Kibitz looked at the roll of fireproof cord held in his magic and then back down at Celestia. “You do need your rest, Princess.”
This time Celestia did roll her eyes. “Kibitz, do you know what happened the last time a stallion tried to tie me to a bed?”
“I can’t say that I do, Princess.”
“The town of Gelding Grotto was founded.”
Kibitz cleared his throat. “Well, er, tying you down would likely make it hard for you to rest anyway.” He pressed his back legs a bit closer together. “I’ll return shortly with your dinner.”
Celestia watched him go before turning her attention to the nightstand next to her bed. Her magic retrieved a quill, a pot of ink, and a fresh scroll of parchment. Luna would want to know that she was awake, and Celestia wanted a much more detailed report of what was happening in the Crystal Empire.
Kibitz returned a few minutes later with Celestia’s meal, though she did have to talk him out of spoon feeding her. He also had a small stack of bills and resolutions for her to read through and either sign or veto. They passed a few hours working in near silence except for the scrape of quill on parchment. Once the stack was finished, they moved on to the royal budget. It was amazing how much expenses had gone down now that Blueblood was halfway across the country.
Luna’s reply eventually came, giving Celestia an excuse to get up and stretch her legs a bit before turning in for the night.
“Are you sure this is wise?” Kibitz asked nervously. “Pushing yourself could aggravate the injury.”
“I am told that regrown muscles and tissue are usually sore and tender for a few days.” Celestia gingerly rolled over and pushed herself up. Her chest ached, but not terribly. “Exercising them is important to their healthy recovery.”
Kibitz pressed himself gently against Celestia’s side, giving her something to lean on. “Once around the room, Princess?”
“Once to the dungeon.” Celestia picked up Luna’s report. “Yol Toor deserves to know what has happened.”
The old unicorn grumbled something about the distance but dutifully opened the door with his magic.
-_-_-_-_-_-
Yol Toor met his student’s angry look with a calm one. “Be careful, anger is a very dangerous emotion. It leads us to act predictably and without thought. Many powerful drakes have been defeated because they lost their tempers.”
The unicorn guard just glared harder.
Yol Toor had to wonder if anything he said was getting through to this pony. Two weeks had passed since he began instructing his guards in the principles of combat. None of them had yet spoken back to him, but at least the majority seemed to accept that his advice was good. This one unicorn, however, just became more and more angry with each passing day. The unicorn would never grow until he was willing to set aside the destructive emotion and recognize the need for improvement, but so far, Yol Toor had been unable to find its source. “Even a master warrior will become more capable when he learns true control.”
No change.
So pride isn’t the source of the problem. “The Immortal Sisters are prime examples. Princess Luna has as much power as he sister and faster reflexes, but Princess Celestia is the more dangerous combatant because she keeps her emotions in check, allowing her to strategize instead of blindly rushing into the fight.”
The pony’s head lowered at the mention of Celestia, pointing his horn at Yol Toor, and his legs tensed when Yol Toor talked about strategy. Interesting.
“Celestia is a remarkable opponent, and I would like to spar against her as an ally in the future.”
No response until he mentioned being Celestia’s ally, and then the response had been disbelief.
So this pony thinks that I don’t actually want to be Celestia’s ally. Anger over strategies, protective feelings for Celestia, and suspicion over Yol Toor’s motives. The pieces were finally beginning to reveal themselves. Yol Toor locked gazes with the unicorn and said very firmly, “You should know that Celestia is one of my allies now. I will never harm her as long as she holds true to our agreement.”
Shock, fear, suspicion, anger, and disbelief in rapid succession.
This unicorn believes that I am scheming to harm Celestia somehow. The ancient drake took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It was never easy to talk someone out of a firmly held opinion. He had already offered to speak to the Alliance on Celestia’s behalf. He had even sworn an alliance with her, albeit a more conditional one than what he had sworn to the Hurricanes. Yol Toor knew that he still made plenty of mistakes, but he liked to think he learned from them. He wouldn’t lock himself into an unconditional alliance again.
Yol Toor was still pondering what to say next when the door opened, revealing an obviously wounded Celestia. A bare patch of skin on the left side of her chest was flushed red and slightly swollen. Her normal regalia was missing, and messy patches of fur revealed that she hadn’t groomed herself recently. Even her normally serene expression was pinched slightly with pain. From the looks of things, she had been in a battle recently. Yol Toor prepared himself to hear bad news.
“Leave us,” Celestia said gently.
At first the guards were too shocked to respond, but then one of them saluted and began to leave, which snapped the others out of their stupor. That one unicorn was the last to leave, shooting Yol Toor a glare that promised death before he let the door close between them.
And now he believes that my nonexistent plan nearly killed his beloved leader. Yol Toor sighed. Sometimes fate had a malicious sense of humor.
“How are you feeling?” Celestia asked, sitting down with a grunt of effort.
“Well enough.” He was less than halfway back to full strength, but this cage drained so much of his magic that it couldn’t be helped. Yol Toor shifted so that he was sitting opposite Celestia and gave her a questioning look.
“There was another battle yesterday,” Celestia said. “The Alliance attacked as a distraction while the Requiem Guard maneuvered into position to ambush the Element Bearers.”
“An ambush that failed,” Yol Toor said. Celestia looked troubled, not despairing.
“Yes, thanks to Discord and Cliff Runner.” Celestia looked away slightly as she began to elaborate, describing the ambush and its surprising aftermath. More details were provided from a report written by Princess Luna, explaining what happened after Celestia had been forced to retreat. She even had a physical description of every dead drake that had been left behind by the Alliance’s hasty retreat.
Yol Toor was relieved that none of his friends or descendants were among those listed, but that emotion was tempered by the knowledge that Guard called Samhane still lived. The creature needed to be put down, preferably before it could recover.
The Guard called Providence was a more confusing matter. Several ponies reported seeing it protecting a wyvern from Samhane. Celestia seemed to believe that this meant that the Elements had changed Providence, awakening whatever bits of honor and friendship still remained inside its metal form. That seemed a rather optimistic interpretation to Yol Toor, but he didn’t voice his misgivings.
“What will you do now?” Yol Toor asked.
“Wait,” Celestia replied simply. “The Elements are more wise than I could ever hope to be, and they value all life equally. They must have spared Providence because they knew he would help end this war with minimal bloodshed.”
“And if he ends it by giving the Alliance control of the Crystal Empire?”
Celestia looked sad at the thought, but she met Yol Toor’s gaze without flinching. “I would accept it.”
“You are more generous than I ever dared hope,” Yol Toor said.
She smiled weakly. “Our agreement still stands. If the Alliance surrenders, it will receive the land that was offered by the crystal ponies.”
“Thank you.” Yol Toor hesitated for a moment before nodding to himself. Celestia’s show of friendship deserved one in response. “If Providence or Samhane resume killing civilians, I will fight to protect those civilians. Furthermore, if Equestria is forced to surrender, I will ask that the Council grant Equestria control of one half of the Empire.”
Celestia looked stunned for a moment. “A show of respect to a capable foe?”
Yol Toor shook his head. “An offer of friendship to a new ally and a simple desire to save lives. Perhaps seeing a drake fight alongside an alicorn would even do something to break down the walls of fear and mistrust that have built up between dragons and ponies over the centuries.”
She looked away guiltily, though he couldn’t tell if the reaction was natural or feigned. “May I ask a question?”
Talk of fighting alongside her caused her to change the subject, Yol Toor noted. That probably meant she didn’t trust him enough to let him out. Unfortunate, but understandable. “You may.”
“You developed the Void Fire technique over eight hundred years ago, and the Void Bomb more than five hundred years ago.” Celestia looked down at her hooves. “Why, in all that time, did you never use either technique to destroy Canterlot Mountain?”
It was a fair question. More than that, in the framework of this conversation, it was the kind of question that one asked when they were looking for a reason to trust someone. At least, Yol Toor hoped that was what she was doing.
“I considered it in some of my weaker and more vengeful moments,” he admitted, “but then I always remembered that the last time I angered a group of ponies, my daughters lost their mother.”
He held up a paw to forestall anything that Celestia might have said. “It was a long time ago, and we were both young and foolish. We left the Frozen North to raise our family away from the constant crystal drake attacks. After a few years, earth ponies founded a town in our territory. Convinced that the drake way of life was universal, we went to the town to welcome these new members of our clan. We, of course, offered to duel any challengers for the right of leadership. None stepped forward, which we took to mean that they accepted us as their clan lords. Our first act was the usual combining of hoards, which is to say that we ordered them to bring everything of value they owned to our cave as soon as they could.”
Yol Toor shook his head at how naïve they had both been. “That night, the ponies arrived with a cart full of barrels. As soon as they got inside of our small cave, they lit a fuse on the barrels and ran. The barrels exploded. The cave collapsed.” Yol Toor bowed his head. “Snow Storm died. Dun Brii, Qo Peyt, and I were gravely injured.”
Celestia didn’t respond, for which Yol Toor was grateful. The honorable dead deserved a moment of respectful silence.
He brought his gaze back up to Celestia. “I didn’t take my vengeance on the town because I knew that Equestria would retaliate in kind. I couldn’t risk losing Dun Brii and Qo Peyt too.”
“I’m sorry,” Celestia said quietly. Her voice was filled with real sorrow, as far as Yol Toor could tell.
“Thank you.” Yol Toor took a deep breath. “However, I didn’t tell you that to gain your sympathy. I wanted you to understand that my first priority is, and always will be, the wellbeing of my family and my clan. We both know that an alliance will do more to benefit dragons and ponies than one race destroying the other ever could. If you can trust in nothing else about me, trust that.”
“Trust isn’t something that a leader can afford to give lightly,” Celestia said with a sigh. “Especially to someone that could easily destroy Canterlot.” She shifted and slowly pushed herself upright once more, grimacing a little from the effort. She moved to the door and glanced back at him. “But … I will try.”
Yol Toor nodded. “That is all I can ask of you.”
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If, by some miracle, Providence actually does something useful, after everything is said and done, he still needs to be destroyed. He has done too much evil and is beyond any other possible use than wanton destruction. Drop him into an activa volcan or a colossal pool of acid and listen to the music while he slowly falls to pieces.
Personal note: I'm one of the kindest people you will ever meet, until I become angry.
7755580 You realize he's living flesh now and that he now realizes all the wrong he has committed right??
7755580 from the dialog with Talon, Providence probably feels the same way
7755601 He is still armor. And it would not matter anyway.
7755610 No he's not.. he was brought back to life.. he's not armor anymore, he's wearing armor.. Go back and read the chapter where he get's hit by the elements.
7755808
Key word, ethereal... and a typo I never noticed before.
(Copied and pasted from a definition) Something ethereal is airy and insubstantial, such as a ghostly figure at the top of the stairs.
Beaides, I kind of doubt the author would incorporate anything which had the power to raise the dead. It would be way too much of a McGuffin.
7755911 Like a bunch of magical artifacts that turn spirits of chaos into stone, can make a being that has absorbed every last piece of Equestrian magic turn back into his small frail form and lock him up in his prison again, or send a nigh immortal princess to the moon and then 1000 years later, purge her of her darkness?? The Elements are a magical McGuffin, they always have been one..
7755936
7755942 How about have him working in construction and other labor tasks for the next thousand years for free!!! Seriously though, I cannot see them killing this guy, though I do agree he needs a punishments.
Well, we can cross that off the list of possible kinks.
...
I wonder how she feels about leather?
and more aftermath, now how will it end
Love this chapter 54.
Both dragon and pony need trust.
7755911 Thanks for pointing out the typo. Those things are really tough to weed out. Anyway, you're correct, Providence is still a living suit of armor. He also wasn't fully in control of himself during his time as a Requiem Guard. Imagine having your mind permanently locked in ultra-angry battle rush mode for a few centuries, with a limited ability to differentiate between memories and the present. That's not to excuse the things he did, just to explain why he did them and why he pulled such a dramatic turn as soon as the Elements restored his sanity.