//------------------------------// // Chapter 13: Teampaill Na BhFlaitheas // Story: Twilily Saga: Past, Present, Or Damnation // by Lighttone GryphonStar //------------------------------// Twilight slowly awoke and found herself on Celestia’s chariot as it flew through the sky. She tried to get up, but her body still ached; in the end, she couldn’t get up fully or remember anything that she had seen before. “What happened?” “You were attacked by one of the hand spells.” Celestia turned to Twilight. “It is a type of spell that can be used by ponies with large excesses of magic to pull from. The more pulled in, the greater the blast.” Celestia grabbed out a healing potion. “Drink, you were hit by corrupted magic. Your body is still trying to repel its effects. Plus, you're legs were badly damaged. I healed what I could. You should be able to walk in a few hours, but you need to rest first.” Twilight grabbed the potion but then jumped up slightly, only to quickly fall back. “Wait where is Starlight?” Celestia pulled back and spoke slowly, “There... was too much blood.” Twilight’s eyes fell at this news. “Her body wasn’t even found.” “What?” Twilight looked in confusion. “Does that mean she might be still--” Celestia leaned down and placed her hand on Twilight shoulder. “I’m sorry, there is no way she could have survived that much blood loss.” Twilight’s eyes widened at her words as she trembled for a few moments before she finally fell into Celestia's arms and let tears loose. Celestia held her tightly as she cried. “It’s okay Twilight, it’s okay.” ****** Miles away in the sky, Freak Show flew to the coordinates as he heard a voice speak from his left sleeve, “Is the deed done?” “Indeed, my God, Redsting.” “Good, it was getting hard keeping quiet when the omni-pony was so close.” “Yes, but if we had killed her sooner then we would still be trapped in that temple.” Freak Show increased his speed. “Still we should have killed the other one as well.” “If I am right about that Twilight and her connections to Starlight, killing her would create a time paradox. Besides she is only of Grogar’s line. She will prove to be no problems to us.” “What about this character named ‘F’?” “I’m can’t assume what your future self wants. But clearly Cult Race was right and he has fallen astray.” Freak Show frowned at this. “I will not fall astray. I will not become this ‘F’.” “Don’t worry, my loyal messenger. We will change our fates… and theirs.” ****** <1,000 years earlier> Celestia looked to Sunfire and Sombra as they fought across the burning city. She wanted to give chase after them, but she didn’t know what to do? Sunfire had betrayed her and Sombra was her enemy. Which side would she help? She hated Sombra for what he did, but did she still love Sunfire after what he did? Suddenly Celestia jumped upon hearing Sunfire roaring in pain. She flew over to the direction as the battle was drawing to it’s close. The left side of Sunfire’s chest had been torn off by Sombra’s scythe and he was slowly bleeding out. Yet he still stood and charged at Sombra again. His sword clashed with Sombra’s scythe. Both were sending large amounts of magic off as their battle pushed them closer to a cliff hanging over the flames. “I will avenge my Lord's imprisonment.” Sunfire pushed with all his might. “Your ‘god’ is evil itself. What I gave him was minor to the punishment he would have suffered on the other side.” “Liar! I will destroy you for your words. After which, Celestia and I shall rule as his arch hands in this world until his return.” “And what makes you think that Celestia wants to rule under him? He destroyed everything that made the alicorns what they are.” “He was trying to save them.” “Save them?” Sombra laughed at his words. “From what? Grogar? Realta? Neither wants the alicorns dead. Only Redsting wanted them gone. From what does he want to save them from?” “The hollows of their failure.” “What?” Sombra looked at him in confusion as the magic from Sunfire was somehow getting stronger and more corrupt as his bleeding slowed. “And the hollows of their fate.” Sunfire pushed back with so much force that he knocked Sombra to the edge of the cliff. Sombra’s head was now off the ground, hanging off the edge. “Their fate is sealed. A great evil will destroy them all.” Sunfire walked over Sombra and aimed his sword for his throat as he lifted it up for a chopping slash. “The Moon will shatter, the Sun will melt and the equine godly royals shall burn. Luna will be killed by the lost royal and Celestia will be killed by the faker king. This is what my God has seen.” “Faker king. I assume you think that will be me.” You are a fake king!” Sunfire roared. “And now I will dethrone you.” On that, he dropped his sword downward toward Sombra’s throat. However just seconds before the sword could cut flesh, a bright light pushed forward hitting Sunfire head on. The cliff covered in light as the final attack was launched. ****** <1,000 years later> Celestia and Twilight landed back in Canterlot. Celestia left the chariot to go get a map while Twilight finished drinking the healing potion and tried to stand. Soon Celestia returned with an old map in hand. She got aboard the chariot as it took to the sky once more. Twilight was a little concerned to see that Celestia didn’t bring any guards with her. But in the end, this Freak Show was clearly too strong for simple ponies to fight and since she and Celestia were the only alicorns around in this timeline, it would fall to them and them alone. She looked at Celestia as Celestia studied the map. “Twilight, are you sure the mural showed the four Charms of Power?” “Yes,” she confirmed as she stepped closer to the map. “In all my years as a ruler, I never thought somepony would be willing to go after them.” Celestia tried to calm herself as she looked over the map. “You said he already had the two eyes and the brain, right?” “Yes, the only one he doesn’t have is the Heart of Odin.” Celestia grabbed her head in slight frustration. “Of course he wouldn’t say the truth around you.” “What do you mean?” “My grandfather got a helbert from Odin. There was never a need for his heart. The fourth charm is…” Celestia stopped herself and took a long breath. “The fourth charm is the Heart of the King.” “The Heart of the King?” “Yes.” Celestia placed her hands over the entire map, spreading it completely outward. “Long ago, when all this land was ruled under one kingdom, a great evil arrived from the East Endless Sea. That evil was Grogar. He had come to conquer the land, but the alicorns that ruled were warned of his evils by two dragon brothers.” She stopped for a moment and looked downward. “They helped us in defeating Grogar. The alicorns and the dragons were able to seal Grogar away for a very long time and peace reigned. However, soon new wars broke forth. Many evils rose up and with the help of the dragons, the alicorns were able to keep even the strongest evils at bay. One of the dragons, named Dracos, became close to King Heavonos.” Celestia stopped and turned away from the map. “Dracos was so close to my family. He was like an uncle to me and Luna. And even though he was Grogar’s first son, he never sided with him or his ways, or so we all thought.” She went silent for the longest time. Twilight could see that this part was truly hard on her. Reliving old memories from childhood would be hard especially for an alicorn of such age. “So he wasn’t always good.” “We don’t know what exactly happened. Only what happened afterward. Dracos killed my grandfather.” Celestia turned back to the map and looked it over once more. “My father found King Heavonos with his heart ripped from his body with the claw marks of a dragon. Yet the magic within the heart of the oldest alicorn in creation was too strong for even an immortal being like the alicorns to be near, so to ensure the power could not be used for evil, it was considered a charm and like the rest all four charms were separated and placed at the furthest points on this map.” “Furthest points. But that will take forever to find.” “No, it actually won’t. You see they are said to be at the furthest points as a trick of words. Not the furthest point on any map, but this exact map.” Celestia traced her fingers around it. “The coordinates Realta left were here.” She moved her fingers over the map to somewhere else, “So the next and final coordinates are here.” Twilight looked on the map and looked with confusion on what it showed. Soon her face turned to horror. “Celestia, you should know that in my time, that forest…. Is a desert.” “Then we need to hurry.” Celestia held her hand toward the front of the chariot. Her eyes glowed and the chariot moved even faster. The speed was so strong that it nearly knocked Twilight off her feet. Twilight tried her best to stand as the force of the movement pushed against her. “What I don’t get is why is Freak Show after these charms?” “To understand that you must know of the origins of his god, Redsting.” She loosened her grip over the magic that was moving the chariot as it went to auto pilot. “Billions of years ago, before the universe ever began, there was absolute nothingness.” She closed her eyes as a magic image spread over the entire chariot. The image was pitch white. Suddenly five orbs appeared around them. For many years there was nothing, and then from that nothing sprang forth five omnipotent ideas. Harmony, Chaos, Sanity, Madness, and Corruption. Harmony and Chaos were always at war with each other, as was Sanity and Madness. Corruption, however, was able to stop these wars before they went too far. But his stopping would always be momentary.” Soon a new orb formed. “That is until a new omnipotent ideas form from that nothingness, that new idea was Balance.” She took a deep breath and opened her eyes finally. “It managed to stop the war and even fix the problems from ever happening.” Twilight looked with curiousness as one of the orbs flew over and clashed with the newly formed one. “And Corruption didn’t like that.” “No, not at all. It fought with Balance in a greater war than any other. The resulting war however somehow created the universe we now know.” A new image showed a great explosion and the ever expanding universe. “With the new place created the omnipotent ideas decided to stop fighting themselves and live in this new universe. But as they entered the universe they took new forms. Harmony became Elements Of Harmony, Chaos became the Wandering Spirit, which eventually found Starswirl, and Sanity and Madness became Grogar and Realta.” “What about Corruption and Balance?” Celestia’s eyes fell. “It was believed at first that they both were destroyed upon the universe's’ creation. That is until my father found a strange orange stallion in the ruins of Grogar’s floating city of Tambleon.” “Redsting?” Twilight stood straight. “Yes, but we didn’t know it was him until it was too late. We sealed him away in stone eventually, but even that proved unable to hold him completely.” “So Freak Show wants to help his god return to his true power.” “No, Redsting wants more than that now it seems.” Her fist clenched at those words. “He wants it all now. He wanted to become the God of gods.” ******* Hours later they arrived at the coordinates. Twilight leaned over the side and tried to hold in the bile that was trying to push forth. Sure, she had traveled much faster than this before. But when comparing the travel styles. She found that Alternate Flash carrying her at near lightspeed was a lot less rocky than Celestia pushing the chariot at full speed. As she leaned her head over the side, she looked to see where the coordinate led. Just as the map said there was a forest here, what the map didn’t show was the giant pyramid that stood before them. It was covered in the images of green lions and yellow eagles. Its colorations was very much the opposite to the colorations of the Mind Temple. It was also surrounded by a giant empty pasture covered in strange circles. Twilight looked to Celestia as they got ready to land. “So this is the place.” “Yes, this is Teampaill Na BhFlaitheas.” As the chariot landed they stepped out made their way to the pyramid. Twilight squeezed onto her weapons tightly as they walked. “Celestia, what happened the omnipotent idea known as Balance?” “It was never seen after the battle. However, it’s believed that a descendant of its power would one day appear from both the lines of Sanity and Madness. It would fight Corruption just as Balance did billions of years ago.” “From the lines of both Sanity and Madness? So from Grogar and Realta lines and so the legend of the omni-pony was born.” Twilight looked forward now with more determination. “Indeed.” As they walked Celestia had this strangest feeling that she was being watched by something. “We should separate from here.” She ran ahead of Twilight before she could argue. Twilight tried to say something but she could see the looked in Celestia's face. The look of fear, sorrow, and rage. Once Celestia was out of sight, Twilight took the sky and trusted Celestia's words. ****** As they separated a being watch them outside of time. Realta was watching them, but why? Once he saw one of them enter the pyramid he held his hand up to the sky and channeled light magic forth in large amounts as it covered the skies all around. “Every piece is in place. Now I leave the rest to you old friend. Make your move now, fate is not kind to those who twist it. This moment is destined, do not change everything just because you want to change her.” ****** Celestia walked through the halls of the pyramid. Soon she came upon a giant room. There were more strange circles lining the floor. In fact, the amount was so large that it was nearly uncountable. She couldn't figure out what was the point of these circles. She leaned down to one as she felt a strange magic emanating from it. She was about to scan when she was interrupted by a voice. “Shh, don’t disrupt the lesson. The students are almost ready.” Freak Show stood on an altar at the center of the room. “Though these are only a few of the test subjects.” Celestia looked at him with anger, “Test subjects? What do you mean Freak Show?” “I do believe you are familiar with the lesson plan. It worked so well on Sunfire.” Freak Show held his left centipede claw to the bottom of his helmet as he spoke. He seemingly hadn’t notice Twilight as she entered through the back entrance. “What happened with Sunfire was a mistake,” Celestia looked down in shame. “True, but you could join us. Make sure that a mistake like him--” Instantly he was interrupted as Twilight rushed at him and stabbed her kopises through his spine. Silence for only a very short moment as he laughed aloud. “Well, ‘F’ clearly didn’t tell that our God blessed our body with near perfect immortality.” On that, he walked forward as her weapons slowly slipped out of him. “To put it in simple terms, death is nothing to me.” He turned around and grabbed Twilight by the throat with his claw. “Though the drawback is I can’t regenerate like Cult Race.” He held his other hand outward and pushed Twilight away with a great force of unknown magic. “Hmm, Celestia, your future self was able to succeed with this alicorn, right? Maybe you can with the others. Though we will have to tear her open to see how your future self did it.” He held his claw upward and channeled magic through it. “Here let me show you what0 me and my god have planned.” On that liquid tanks rose from every circle in the room. Celestia’s eyes widened in horror as there were ponies of all kinds in them. Hundreds, no thousands, no more than that. All of them hooked to strange machines that were feeding some sort of magic into them. “You see Celestia, I’ve known of this pyramid for years. We have been using it as a storage place since we couldn’t access the heart without the other three charms. We even had talks with Grogar to have him provide his blood to all these ponies as an extra advantage.” This angered Celestia greatly. “So you planned to make them all ascend.” “Indeed. All one-hundred-thousand of them.” This shock both Celestia and Twilight. Did he really have that many ponies in tanks? “Oh don’t look too surprised. Redsting and I have had nearly one thousand years to get this done. But look at it this way Celestia. Once my God is finished, your species will be almost fully resurrected.” “What does he mean princess? Wouldn’t that be a good thing?” Twilight almost questioned. “No it would not, Twilight. When I chose you and Sunfire, it was a choice that had to be taken with caution.” “What do you mean?” Twilight looked with confusion. Freak Show decided that he would finish what Celestia could not. “As you know Twilight, King Heavonos was the King of the alicorn race. But he was also the first. Using the three charms, he selfishly transformed many other ponies into alicorns, even against Lighttone’s own wish. But that’s not where the true line was broken.” He smiled evilly as he pointed toward Twilight’s wings. “He didn’t just create the alicorn race. He bent it to his command using these very charms.” “Stop!” Celestia yelled. “My grandfather was a good and kind king. Yes, he made mistakes when he was younger, but he was still a wise and just ruler.” “Wise and just.” Freak Show laughed aloud. “Tell that to the Titans he slaughtered. He didn’t just kill Ra, Jupiter, and Coeus. He hunted down every single titan and killed them all he could find. He committed hundreds of atrocities long before Grogar even stepped foot on this land. And the alicorns followed him like the sheep to the shepherd.” “That was long ago. My father told me how King Heavonos would shed tears for those that fell to his hands. I will not let you use his heart for such selfish reasons.” “Selfish.” A new voice spoke that sent chills over all. Freak Show’s eyes widened as his left sleeve shivered and twisted. Soon a serpent-like centipede rose out of the left sleeve. “You call me selfish. All I want is to change fate. The very same fate that led your grandfather to his demise by the hand of a greedy dragon. With the power of the charms, I can change time, space, and yes, even fate.” The creature was indeed lord Redsting. This sickened Celestia. Freak Show was just as vile as she had heard of. “When I heard the stories of you, I thought I knew who was under that mask. But I was wrong. Sunfire could never be as evil as you.” “Sunfire was weak and frail. I murdered him just as I murdered Starlight,” Freak Show pulled out his gladius and his arm blade. Twilight jumped at him again from behind. He had no time to dodge Twilight as Celestia shot fire towards his front. “You will pay for what you did to Starlight,” Twilight stabbed her kopises into his back as he jumped to dodge the flames. Once he was clear of the flames he knocked Twilight off his back. Twilight wouldn’t give as she charged at him again. Celestia chased after them but was stopped as Freak Show’s doppelgangers surrounded her. Freak Show ran towards a specially lined door where Twilight finally cornered him. She channeled her magic into her weapons. She was being fueled by pure rage. “You want to kill me then use his blood. I know he would be greatly honored.” Twilight’s eyes widened. She crossed her weapons and spoke, “Dual Crescent Moons,” shooting out her new move right at him. He stopped it with his own move as he crossed his own weapons. “Broken Holy Cross.” He charged at her once the moves canceled each other out. Freak Show jumped forward and swung his arm blade and Twilight jumped into the air above him. But she found her throat being grabbed by the jaws of Redsting as he swung her around. She stabbed him several times before he finally let go. As she fell to the ground she used her horn to shoot a blast of magic right at Freak Show. He cut the blast in half with his gladius and sent his own blast right at her as he landed. She barely managed to stop it with another blast. Both their blast were clashing with each other and for a moment seemed evenly matched. However, that moment was too short as Freak Show pushed back with even greater force and broke Twilight's blast. Using her wings she barely dodged it as it hit the ground and tore through it like it was pudding. But she had no time to dodge the next attack as Freak Show flew into the air above her and tackled her to the ground. With Twilight on the ground under him, he held his gladius to her throat as he prepared to take off her head. “Now you will join that mare in--” He was stopped as Celestia jumped out of nowhere and tore her trident across his helmet, knocking him off of Twilight. Twilight got up and saw that he had dropped the three charms. She tried reaching for them but then Redsting slithered out of Freak Show’s left sleeve and over to them grabbing them before Twilight could. Twilight wanted to chase after him but he was moving too fast. He was heading straight for the specially lined door as it glowed. Twilight looked to Celestia as she slowly got up. “Come on Princess, he's getting away,” Twilight yelled. Celestia heard Twilight's words, but she was stopped with wide eyes as her heart nearly stopped upon hearing another voice. “Celestia,” The voice was so familiar. A voice she had not heard in so many centuries. She looked toward the direction of the voice and saw Freak Show, his helmet had been torn open and her trident had left a scar on the left side of his face. Her heart dropped as she finally saw his face. “Sunfire, it is you.” He rose up and looked at her with his torn face. Removing his mask, he showed her the truth. It was him, the very stallion she once loved. She looked at him directly as she fully stood. Her heart sank every second she saw that face. “I won’t lose you, not this time.” As her vow was made a great wind tore through the pyramid as the door was opened. Twilight looked toward the door. Redsting was escaping. Twilight chased after Redsting, while Celestia just stood there in Freak Show’s way. Silence fell between both of them upon her words. Finally after what felt like eons of silence Freak Show gave his answer, “Then you will die.” They charged at each other for their final battle. As they did, a memory played through Celestia’s head. The final memory she had of Sunfire before this moment. ****** <1,000 years ago> As the flames below slowly rose, Celestia held tightly to Sunfire’s left arm as they both hanged off the edge by a branch. She was now too weak to pull him and herself to safety. She didn’t even have magic left to fly. “I could have done it Celestia. Banished all evils from this world.” Sunfire pleaded. “Changed your fate and stopped this.” “What they have is not evil.” Celestia conceded. “It is just as strong as what we have. Please don’t give up on that. I love you.” “But I was doing this for you and my God, Redsting.” Tears fell from Celestia's eyes on those words. “You love me don’t you.” He nodded a yes. “Then please stay with me. Please help me protect our kingdom.” She closed her eyes once and reopened them, “Help me raise our child.” All their eyes widened at her reveal. She was with child. His child. Sunfire looked at her with shock, however, he heard differently as strange looking strings could be seen becoming visible around his body. All too familiar strings. His eyes grew with anger, “Child, CHILD!! I am a child of Redsting.” At that, he held up his sword and chopping off his left arm causing him to fall into the flames below. Celestia reached toward Sunfire as he fell, screaming his name, but he was falling too fast. “Sun--Sun--SUNFIRE!!” ****** <1,000 years later> An old stallion walked to the pyramid. Despite his bones aching he kept moving. “Don’t worry Celestia. I don’t know if you hate me or if you still love me. All of that will soon be over.” He looked up to the pyramid as it opened up. “Because soon time will be rewritten and I…. will…. finally…..die.” ******