The Chronicles of Dark Star: A Blade of Redemption

by D4ftP0ny

Epilogue

The smell of tallow candles filled the air of the room, their wispy smoke gathering in the uppermost corners and causing them to appear slightly foggy in the low light. The walls were lined with shelf upon shelf of strange items- daggers, crystals, vials and beakers of every shape, size and function filled the shelves and threatened to pour out into the rest of the room. The walls were stone, smooth and unblemished, as if the room had been sliced from the center of a mountain by a red-hot blade and simply left there. In the center of the large room was a collection of tables, each filled with its own assortment of oddments; yet more vials and beakers sat filled with various colored liquids, some bubbling away above small flames as their contents were heated. Books were strewn about, all open to one page or another, and along one table three crystals sat, three that were different from the rest. These were almost the size of a pony’s head and cut with so many facets that it was almost difficult for the eye to focus on them as the flames of the candles around them flickered and danced.

And off to the side of the tables, a pony was suspended by his hooves from the ceiling.

“Oh, my simple, simple Downdraft,” a voice said; the voice was deep and melodious, and would have been called soothing… if not for the subtle, ever-present edge that pervaded it. “You had one very simple task to complete, didn’t you…?”

The stallion suspended from the ceiling struggled against the ropes that bound his hooves together; he tried to flap his wings, but they were restrained as well, tied with ropes and pulled taut towards the ground, extending them uselessly.

“I-I did exactly as you instructed Master!” shrieked Downdraft, his formerly strong voice cracking with fear. “I-I-I kept everypony in that town from going into the forest, just as you instructed!”

A unicorn stepped around the tables, his orange eyes locked on Downdraft.

“Did you?” he asked, tossing his white mane over his shoulder. “Well, perhaps you did for a while… but then you went and let one stallion through…” He smiled, but there was nothing warm in it; instead, it was everything cold and evil. “…didn’t you, Downdraft.” It was not a question.

Downdraft’s eyes went wide, and he resumed struggling against his bonds.

“H-he was just one pony, Master! I had no idea that he would be able to defeat Razorbeak! Please, have mercy!!” he pleaded, but the dark purple unicorn stepped ever closer to him.

“Ah yes, poor Razorbeak.” The unicorn pouted slightly. “It’s a shame that he had to die so soon… I had such grand plans for him…” He turned his gaze to the three unique crystals on the table, and the crystal farthest to the left shimmered; the facets gleamed, and something shifted inside it- something wispy and ethereal that slowly coalesced into the half-transparent shape of a dark colored griffon with sad golden eyes. The unicorn shrugged. “But no matter- he shall serve his purpose, never the less.” He turned his eyes back to Downdraft as his horn ignited with magic, filling the room with flame-orange brightness. “YOU, however, have failed at your purpose, Downdraft; and pieces of a machine that no longer work must be removed and replaced.” There was a gentle scraping sound from the table next to the unicorn. “And since I can’t have you simply running around loose…” Downdraft squirmed harder against the ropes.

“Please, Master Blight Heart, I beg you! Mercy! G-give me another chance! Please!!”

The unicorn lifted a long, straight knife from the table and looked at it thoughtfully.

“It’s a shame, really. Unicorn blood is very useful to me in casting my spells, but your pitiful Pegasus blood isn’t strong enough to be of any use to me at all.”

Downdraft blinked. “Does… does that mean you’ll spare me?”

Blight Heart the unicorn met Downdraft’s eyes, and his smile curved hungrily.

“Oh no… it just means that I’ll be killing you for fun.”

The knife flicked from where it was hovering before Blight Heart and settled against Downdraft’s left side, between his wing and his shoulder. Blight Heart’s eyes widened eagerly as his magic pressed the knife against the Pegasus’ coat.

“…let’s see what you’ve got inside you… shall we?”

Downdraft opened his mouth to beg once more, but before he could speak the knife plunged in. The room was filled with a horrible gurgling sound, accompanied by the frantic scraping of metal against bone and the sound of blood spattering on stone.

Blight Heart’s eyes were bright with malice as he lifted a hoof and touched a stone that hung around his throat; a stone that was as black as the night, set into a silver backing. He stroked it slowly as his knife worked methodically in his telekinetic grip.

“Don’t worry, Downdraft,” he whispered almost lovingly. “I’m sure that you wouldn’t have done anything good with your life, anyway… you’re better off dead.”

On the table, the crystal to the left shifted again; the griffon inside it seemed to cringe and look away from the horrible scene before him, and slowly the crystal went dark once more.

I fear him more in death than I do in life…

Comments

[Applejack-fan]

We can expect a sequel with more action and shit happening

[D4ftP0ny]

2550731
He really, really is... I've been waiting a long time to introduce Blight Heart, and he's just as evil and crazy as I'd always imagined him..!

And now, the REAL story can begin...

[D4ftP0ny]

2465905
Honestly, I haven't read many other fics with griffons in them, but it's sad to think that they're writing ALL griffons as bad guys. I've always pictured them as much more hostile and possibly war-like than ponies are in modern time, but that doesn't make them BAD. Oh well- not all griffons are bad in my stories! And I'm glad you're enjoying the little bits of expansion to the universe that I'm throwing in- I absolutely love how it's growing and evolving as I write!

2550710
WELL, I couldn't make it EASY for Dark, now could I? Besides, he did just fine...

2550728
Now, are you saying that YOU liked my story and don't like ponies? Or what? XD I know that my wife started out as only moderately liking ponies until she read "Stars", and then suddenly she was in love with the franchise. I don't mind converting people to brony-ism!