Chapter 19: It's All Coming Back to Me
Earlier that same day
Back in Ponyville, Princess Celestia, Zecora, and Trixie stood side by side as they greeted an old 'friend' of the mane six from before. Gilda the Griffon. While she was not the idealist candidate to pick due to her previous history with the group before, Celestia knew that they were going to have to gather allies in this new battle. Zecora and Trixie look worried as the princess nodded her head at the bowing Gilda.
"Now, Gilda, I know your last visit to this down did not exactly end on the best of terms, but we need someone to keep an eye on the skies around Ponyville for any activity, and with Rainbow Dash assisting in the defense of the mansion, you're the best shot we have. What say you?"
Gilda brought her head back up. The same coy smirk still on her face as she nodded her head once at Celestia.
"Of course, Princess. It's about time you called someone who knows how to fly well. Ponyville will be safe under my protection."
"Good." Celestia said, turning back to Trixie. "Any progress on the Elements?"
"None so far, Princess." Trixie said with a frown, "But you have my word that I shall not rest until my mission is complete." Celestia smirked at this.
"That's what I like to hear."
Zecora nodded as she turned her attention back to Celestia.
"There has been no new incursions into the Evergreen so far. Of course, it is possible the enemy is simply watching from afar."
"Time will tell..." Celestia mused, "Time will tell...forgive me, everypony, I must head back to my study for now."
Celestia turned to enter her tent quietly. While she was glad that they had managed to convince Gilda to join their forces in her heart she ached. Again another day was going by where she would have to prepare for the battle with her old love, Storm Rider.
A piece of Celestia wanted nothing more than to scream out. She had kept so much pain bottled up inside her for years. But she had to remain strong. She was the leader of Equestria and her subjects expected her to remain strong for them.
She chuckled a bit as she thought back to the old days. Whenever she stressed herself out too much or bottled up her emotions, Storm Rider would be there for her to open up to. He was more than just her emotional crutch. He was her best friend, her lover, and if things had gone right, he would have been her husband.
But now? Now he was viewed as the enemy. It took all her strength to not cry out in anguish at the very thought of facing him in combat. Why? Why to the Creators above did it have to be Storm Rider?
It wasn't fair. Just how much had she suffered already? At times she just wanted to curl up and cry. First her beloved sister, and now her lover? What cruel fate decided this for her?
"Princess!" One of her guards called out from behind the tent, "Princess come quick! Something is out here!"
Celestia blinked a couple of times. Where they under attack already? That couldn't possibly be it. She dried her eyes briefly, not wanting her guards and the others to see her tears. She had to become their strong leader once again.
Still, in the back of her mind the dark grey alicorn remained. For now though, she had to see what it was that her guard was upset about.
"All right everypony, what is...it?"
Celestia stopped herself half way as she saw what it was they were staring at. A small spark of light hovered in place, moving up and down in place as if it was examining each of them carefully. The guard pegasai had their wings up just in case they had to attack it. Gilda quirked an eyebrow before taking a step back from it.
"What...is that?" She asked.
"Hmmm..." Celestia peered at the spec of light carefully. She took was curious about this tiny thing.
"I've not seen something like this before." Trixie said, looking worried as Zecora nodded her head in agreement.
"There is definitely some odd mojo about it. I can sense it."
What happened next caught them all off guard. A tiny voice spoke out from the speck.
"Es...ti...a." It said, barely audible to the ears of everyone. The guards pony snarled as they steadied themselves for battle.
"Stay back, Princess!" One of the said, "It must be some sort of trap!"
Celestia remained quiet as she looked at the spec of light. If it was a kind of trap, why would it make itself known like this? And if it was truly a trap, wouldn't it feel more...evil?
"Wait.." Celestia ordered, taking a step closer to the spec, "I...I don't know how, but...but I know this is not a malicious force."
"Estia..." The voice said again, this time clearer to her and the rest of the group. The voice also started to become more familiar, at least to her. "Cel...estia..." It said again.
"Just...what is it?" Gilda asked, swallowing a lump in her throat.
Celestia remained quiet as she kept her eyes on the spec of light. There was something about it that just...soothed her. The more it spoke her name, the more familiar the voice became. She knew this voice before. She heard it from somewhere.
Then it hit her. Celestia's eyes grew wide as she carefully brought her right wing to the spec.
"N-No way..." She whispered, touching the spec with her wing softly. "St...Storm Rider? But...how?"
The speck of light began to glow more radiantly at the touch of her wing. In a moment's instant, it exploded and engulfed the princess. Though it wasn't harmful, in fact, it was soothing, and it showed her things.
XxXxX
Celestia was now in a completely different world. Her mind saw it all. Storm Rider's guilt for leaving, his aching heart for each day he was away, but what she saw that horrified her the most was when his body was taken against his will. To see such him, one of the mightiest warriors alive, possessed so easily, it nearly broke her heart.
"Storm Rider...the person we're fighting...it's not you?" She asked, praying that some sort of response would be given.
She squinted her eyes a bit as she noticed the same spec of light join her in the different reality. With a small flash, the spec formed into a tall powerful body. When it finished forming, it revealed to her the one pony she remembered from the original Great War.
The true Storm Rider.
"...Tia..." He said solemnly.
Celestia's eyes grew wide with both joy and shock. Standing before her was the very soul of Storm Rider himself. He was still alive! A giant smile grew on her face as she took one step gently.
"By the C-Creators...Storm..." She couldn't take it anymore, flinging her head to the side for a moment tears of joy fell down her cheeks. "Storm Rider!"
She began galloping towards her lover. She couldn't believe it. Storm Rider was still alive! Not since the day Luna returned was she so happy. If she could just get to his soul, she and him could reunite for the briefest of moments.
But sadly, fate had other plans. Shadow tendrils struck out from behind, grabbing her hind legs tightly. The sun princess stopped as she tried to break free from the tendrils, but they kept pulling her back into the shadows.
Celestia refused to give up however. She was determined to reach him before being pulled away completely.
"Let me go!" She demanded, blasting one tendril with her sunfire, "Let me go! STORM RIDER!"
Celestia threw out her left front hoof out to him in an attempt to grab him. But it was too far to reach. She watched with tears as her lover gave her a kind smile.
"Soon, Tia, soon." Is all he said.
XxXxX
"Ugh..." Celestia moaned as she woke up slowly, her head slightly pounding in pain at what she experienced.
"Princess!" Trixie said from her side, "You're awake! We were so worried when you blanked out!"
Celestia glanced around her surroundings again quickly. She was back in her tent in Ponyville again. The spec of light that was Storm Rider hovering in a spot where only she could see it. A small smile came to her face.
"I saw...I saw him." She said, barely containing her happiness.
"Okay...what just happened there?" Gilda asked, looking very confused at the sudden smile on Celestia's face.
"Storm Rider...this being we're fighting...it's not him! Not really...there's.." Celestia closed her eyes, her smile still there, "There's still a piece of him left in the world."
Trixie, Zecora, and Gilda looked confused at her statement. The enemy wasn't really their real enemy? Gilda looked the most confused as she turned to Trixie.
"Uh...any idea what she's talking about?" She asked. Trixie shrugged. It was something she didn't understand either.
Celestia however looked at the group with renewed determination. Her lover was still alive, and she was going to fight to get him back.
"All right my friends, we all need to work hard, together, to protect Ponyville and learn what we can about the enemy and the Elements of Virtue while Luna and the others do their own work towards our goals. And I think I know just the place for them to look." She said, reaching for her magic mirror, "Let's get back to work, I'll inform Luna about their first assignment."
The trio nodded heartily at Celestia's renewed hope. Whatever was troubling her before, was no longer a hindrance. She was back to the Celestia they knew. Strong , wise, and kind. In the back of her mind, she had one new goal. Save Storm Rider, no matter what.
XxXxX
Back in the dark castle, known to those who know of its location as the Citadel, a brown cloaked shadow approached and kneeled before Storm Rider. Who was looking over what they could possibly do to gain the upper hand in their new battle with the Equestrians.
"I bring news. The Sixth Queen as fallen." The cloaked figure said, her voice giving away who she was to Storm Rider.
Storm Rider remained silent as he placed a scroll down. It had nearly been over two weeks since Amducias set her loose. He figured that either she had been destroyed early on, or that this news was just recent. Still, this news did anger him greatly. If he was to win, he had to have full forces.
"Did she, now?" He asked, turning back to the figure. Sparks of lighting dancing on his horn in a dangerous fashion.
"I spoke with His Majesty of it, my lord." The cloaked figure said, "He seems...unconcerned. He believes that her failure is of minimal consequence, and I am inclined to agree." The figured scoffed a bit, "She always fought back against our control, and thus she was the weakest of the Six. With her out of the picture, His Majesty can focus on creating a new, far stronger Queen for our use."
"Oh is that a fact?" Storm Rider asked, his eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Tell Amducias to report to me, at once."
"Already done, my lord." The cloaked being said, saluting some as the vampire king himself entered the room.
Amducias carried with him the tome, which contained the information on all his subjects. Most recently the fall of the Sixth.
"It as I thought." He said grimly, "Her combat prowess was pathetic. Her will was simply too strong." Amducias closed the book with a smirk on his face. "Ah well, at least it proved to be an adequate 'test run' of the Homuncolus Project."
A loud crack of thunder went off as both Amducias and the hooded figure are struck by Storm Rider's lighting. The alicorn of storms obviously is seething with anger as he struck them. While the cloaked figure fell onto one knee, Amducias does not flinch, despite the pain.
"SILENT!" Storm Rider shouts, "You assured me that this would keep the Element of Leadership from arising, yet what happened was the exact opposite, Amducias! Not only have you strengthen it, but you've also lost a being that could have turned the tides in future battles!" A vein rose up on his forehead. "Do I need to make myself clear that I do NOT except failures?"
Amducias opened the book back up and flipped to a page. He was use to his master's outbursts of anger at this point.
"I will admit that things did not go as planned, my lord...but I believe you will find that the loss of the Sixth will actually be...in our best interests in the long run."
Storm Rider snorted a bit as he glanced away from the two. The dark force that corrupted the warrior forms around his body as he did so.
"Are there any sightings of the Black Gate's appearance yet?" He asked.
"Our scouts are still searching the surrounding areas, but there is no mistake. It is indeed here in Equestria. Which brings me back to my earlier statement." He smirked with glee., "Now that the Sixth Queen is gone, I can focus more on both finding the Gate and destroying the barrier between Equestria and the Monster Kingdoms in order to bolster our forces."
The cloaked figure nodded quickly, adding more information to their findings.
"The Feral Goblin Chieftain has agreed to our proposal of alliance. He will be joining us alongside several other Monster leaders. Also, our spies in the Human Lands have uncovered information related to the Hybrid Project."
Storm Rider glances to the cloaked being, his interest was now caught once again.
"The...Hybrid Project you say?" He narrows his eyes, "Typical of humans, always messing with the balance of nature to wreak havoc on a world that I am fit to rule." He closed his wings before turning back to their battle plans. "Focus on finding the Black Gate, when we find it, I shall finally be free from the prison and come to control the world..."
"Of course, my lord." Amducias said with a bow before turning to the cloaked figure. "Leave us for a moment, Hannah."
The shadows surrounding the face of the being, Hannah, finally died down. Revealing her to be a vampire just like him.
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
Hannah vanished just as quickly as she had appeared. When she left, Amducias turned to Storm Rider. Adopting a more serious look on his face.
"One last thing, my lord...has your host given you any new trouble since this operation began?"
Storm Rider scoffed a bit at the question. His host might have seen Equestria again, but he was remaining in control.
"He has fought back, but he can never truly break free. All that he once was is gone, there's not of speak of light remaining in his soul." He glanced back over to his right hand man, "Why do you ask, Amducias?"
"I believe something has happened to his former love." Amducias said, his face near expressionless, "Her melancholy and sadness recently vanished, and was replaced with determination. I suspect that the Storm Rider has done something without us noticing."
A loud crack of thunder erupted from outside the castle. Storm Rider turned on a dime towards the vampire king. His eyes narrowed dangerously with anger. His large grey wings rose up in disgust and anger at the very mention of the idea.
"Do not speak of such foolishness!" He spat, "I made sure that there was nothing left when I took control of this form, do not tell me otherwise!" With a sigh, his wings returned back to their position. "Be quick with finding the Black Gate, Amducias, or I shall take away the immortality you asked of me before you fell in battle..."
For the first time since the newest war began, Amducias showed a fait sign of worry. His master was capable of many things. If he had his immortality taken away from him...
"At once, my lord." He said, vanishing from sight.
To be continued...