Knight in Blackened Armor
Apollyon had felt pain before. The Peacekeeper that had stuck a dagger in her back, the various slashes across her body from years upon years of fighting. All those times she felt alive, her blood was pumping through every second every it. Now she felt more alive today than any other. The Orochi, the Emperor's Champion, stood before her. His blade was red with her blood, and her's with his, yet it was he who was standing victorious.
"It's over," The Orochi said, "We will have peace." Sheathing his sword, he stared her down knowing she would comply. He began to turn when she heard her chuckling.
"Peace? Hahaha.... So, what happens... now?" Apollyon asked, getting to her feat, using her sword as a crutch. "You all just... go... home?" She said stumbling towards the Orochi. She looked over the balcony and saw the three army's converging into a fight and chucked her sword off at the battle. "You came into my home, and you brought your armies... What did you think would happen? Peace? That isn't how the world works!" She said as the Viking raiders began to flood into the gates. "Don't speak to me about your virtues... Duties, Kinships, Honor... You've forgotten what you are."
Despite wearing a helmet, she had a huge grin on her face, which fell after that Orochi spoke. "You wanted war? Only war?"
Apollyon turned and looked at the Orochi dead in the eyes as her sight grew dim. "I only want you to admit what. You. Are. All of you." She said holding her hand out towards him. Her voice was weak, barely audible, but the words were loud and clear. "My... Wolves..." Her arm fell, and that was all it took for the rest of armored body to fell into a heap. Yet after all of this, her body did not feel the bitter cold of Death, instead it felt as though her body were warm, as if touched by the fires of War.
Applejack was a simple pony. Black is black, white is white, an apple is an apple. Today was just a simple day of plowing her fields for next Spring's harvest, and hoping that it would be as prosperous as was last year. She hooked herself up the plow and began trot through the dirt, thinking thoughtless thoughts. 'Wonder Granny would make us pie today? If not I can always make one, but I'm not a good a cook as Granny.'
*THUNK* "Consarn it! That hurt like Tartarus! Mac, I thing I found your old yolk!" Applejack said looking at the offending object. Only it was not a yolk like she thought, instead it was helmet. She thought it was her fathers because he was in the Guard for a decade and a half. Before he died, he said he had buried his armor and his chest in the field somewhere. At first she thought that's what it was, but at closer inspection she realized that the helmet was connected to something. Or rather someone. She disconnected from the plow and began to look over this strange creature. Applejack leaned down and gently pulled the helmet off, revealing the creatures true face. Her face, and it was just guess on the gender, was very battle hardened. She looked as though she had been through many wars and battles as Applejack noticed the rest of the armor.
She grabbed onto her arm and threw it over her shoulder and started to regret it over time. As she dragged the armored being with her, she seemed to get heavier with every step. Applejack scoffed at herself and looked back her cargo when she realized that one arm was dragging a rather large sword behind them. The pony gulped at the sight, and tried to knock the sword out her hand before her guest suddenly awoke with a large gasp. She rolled off the farm pony, clutching her chest as if she were having a heart attack. Her features showed a look of shock and betrayal, yet they seemed to show happiness.
"So... this is Hell? Where's the fire? The Brimstone? He said he would be waiting for me at the Gates!" While she never moved out her prone spot, Apollyon knew this was not the afterlife He had promised. He was to be by her side while they conquered Hell together. "You promised me, Horseman... You promised." She whispered, lying there on the dirt wondering where it had all gone wrong. "You promised me, that when I felt the chilling bite of death, you would be there, to retrieve my soul and we would conquer the afterlife!" She sat up, her sword acting as a cane to keep her from falling. "Horseman! Come to me like had before! I want to see you again, and you can make me yours!" Apollyon screamed into the heavens, only no one answered. Save Applejack who stood stock still trying not to be noticed by the creature. However Apollyon looked straight at Applejack, and snorted.
"That's mine, beast." She said yanking the helmet out of Applejacks mouth. The pony put on a scowl and decided what would be in hindsight a bad idea.
"Who you calling a beast?!" She roared, only to shove her hooves in her mouth. Apollyon, who had turned away, now slowly turned around to look at the pony, that now in retrospect looked too small for her own good.
"What did you say?" The armored woman said clutching her sword.
"Uh... Ummm... Neigh?" Applejack offered weakly before Apollyon collapsed again. Now properly due to shock. "Well ponyfeathers, that's just great." Applejack groaned and began dragging again, only not kicking the sword this time.
"Come on Agatha, lets go play!"
"Mnn, Tobias I can't play, we need to work..." Apollyon mumbled in her sleep. Her armor was now completely off of her body, revealing the numerous scars, cuts, bruises and other injuries gained over the years. While she was covered by only her fatigues, the numerous scars and scratches reached to her breasts and her privates as well. Applejack and Big McIntosh looked over the muttering form of Apollyon, discussing their predicament.
"So, I just found her, almost half buried in the dirt, thought it was Pa's but he never wore a full face mask. What I don't understand is what she's saying. Nothing like I've ever heard. You haven't heard anything like that right Mac?" Applejack asked her older brother. Now, besides close family and friends, nopony really knew that when Mac was a little younger, while Applejack was just turning 18, he was briefly in the Royal Guard and was on tour for quite sometime. He came back a couple years later and he could speak Dogish, Griffin, Yaklandic, Dragonese, and Llamtin. While she was speaking what sounded like Llamtin, some words stuck out. Most prominently the word Bellum.
"I don't know Applejack," Mac said leaning forward. "She's speaking Llama language, but some words I don't understand. I got a buddy who can translate some of the words, but I don't know for sure."
Applejack sighed as she looked back at the armor and the large sword that lie next to it. The burned black iron was something that they have never seen, both Mac and Applejack. However the helm was something that was far more frightening. The face was in the shape of a skull, something that Mac has unfortunately seen on his tours. While visiting the Dragon Badlands, the Dragon Lord, Ember, had had a helmet made into the shape of a golden dragon's skull. She had said that she would never wear it unless war were declared. But since war was a forbidden aspect, even for Dragons, Mac saw it concerning that Dragons were looking either so far in the past that they couldn't let go, or possibly in the distant future, where it might become a possibility.
"You... Promised... Me..." Apollyon said in her sleep, this time in plain Equusish. This caught Mac off guard. His ears perked up, and remembered an old trick a Threstial had showed them. He went to her sleeping form, slowly leaned forward and whispered into her ear.
"Who promised?"
"The Horseman... The man who rode upon a horse that trailed nothing but fire and blood... He promised we would--*hrrk!*" Apollyon suddenly snorted and turned to her side. She had spoken in Llamtin, but the words were not lost on Mac. His pupils went to pinpricks, and he stood up and gulped heavily.
Now, he could understand why the Dragons were so cautious.