//------------------------------// // Misplaced Rage // Story: The Crystal Vizier // by Lich-Lord Krosis //------------------------------// All at once, it was like a magical haze was lifted from the archlich’s mind. The arcane recoil of the spell stripping itself from his mind made his teeth chatter audibly, his form locking up involuntarily. ’Illusion magics...’ ’Correct, my friend.’ “H-how did you find out?” Kel’Thuzad stammered, his mind still racing as his body regained it’s normal functions. “When I put on the Helm...” Shining began, only to be cut off by an exclamation of anger. “YOU PUT IT ON?!” Twilight interjected, a look of shocked fury adorning her muzzle. “YOU TOLD ME YOU WOULD WAIT FOR US TO BRING-“ “The Elements of Harmony, yes Twilight, I know.” Shining nodded apologetically, placing his front hooves on Twilight’s shoulders, only to have them shrugged off by the lavender unicorn. She sighed angrily, looking up at the much larger stallion. “What if something bad happened, Shining?” Twilight asked, a questioning glare accompanying her. “Twilight, I...” “What if you couldn’t control it?” Twilight continued, tears of fear flowing from her eyes, now. “I’ve seen what the Lich King can do, Shiny...” “Twily...” “Don’t ‘Twily’ me! You could have hurt somepony! You could STILL hurt somepony!” “Twilight...” “This is an insanely powerful magical artifact from another world, and you just ‘put it on?!’” ”Twilight Sparkle!” The room shook from the thundering growl of the Lich King’s voice, the very uttering of the words seemingly lowering the temperature considerably. Twilight helped, shaking like a leaf. Shining’s eyes pulsed with cold, echoing streams of azure magic flowing freely from his eyes. “S-S-Shining...” Twilight whimpered, sinking further into the seat she occupied, the archlich realizing too late that he had never showed her any instance of the Lich King actually speaking. Shining snorted, shaking his head a little. The Lich King got up from his seat on the couch, turning to his sister. ”Do you have ANY idea what it’s like to have your brain hammered on like a drum, sister?” Shining droned, a serious glare boring into his sibling’s eyes. “S-Shining...” Cadence started, trying to pull on the alicorn prince’s foreleg. She was ignored. ”Do you have ANY idea how frustrating it is to wake up from a full night’s sleep, and feel no different than when you laid down?” Shining continued, Twilight shaking from the cold pervading the room. “C-Celestia was right...” Twilight softly spoke, tears flowing from her eyes. Shining stopped his advance towards the unicorn at the mention of the Solar Alicorn, his angry gaze turning furious. ”About what, sister?” Shining asked, a growl in the depths of his throat. “That the Lich King is a monster!” Twilight shrieked, sobs exiting her muzzle after her burst of courage. “She told me about the nightmare she had!” ”She told you of that little dream, did she?” the Lich King mocked. ”Did she tell you what she did, Twilight? What she admitted?” Twilight looked up at her brother, her sniffling stoping for a moment for a steadfast shake of the head. “She told me... that the Lich King tortured her... that she had never felt pain like that before.” Twilight spat, her own magic starting to flow forth involuntarily, the wind in the room starting to pick up from the emotion induced arcane force. ”She tortured herself, sister.” Shining spat back, the pulsing necromantic waves of energy flowing from his eyes intensifying. ”She tortured herself when she chose to torture her own flesh and blood.” “What are you talking about Shining?” Twilight asked. “Princess Celestia has always looked out for us! Looked out for you!” The Lich King chuckled at that, the room shaking violently from the arcane force of the alicorn’s mirth. ”She knew I would ascend, Twilight. She knew that I was to ascend the moment she met me.” Shining growled, ice cold arcane magic forcing itself upon his sister, sniffing out her own powerful magics like a dying flame when she attempted to push him back. ”She knew I was to ascend, and all she had to do was say something. ANYTHING.” Shining growled, the room further diving in temperature as the alicorn of death vented his frustrations. “S-Shining...” Twilight gasped, the very air surrounding her starting to become difficult to breathe. The sheer, dominating force that her brother’s telekinetic hold exerted on her was immense, unfathomable. In all her dealings with magic users, whether it be duels or friendly sparring matches, never had she felt such power woven into another’s magic... And Twilight had sparred some of the most powerful ponies in existence! ”But she had to play her little games...” Shining spat, tightening his grip even more, but stopped when he saw the fear in his sister’s eyes. His baby sister... His... his LSBFF... ’It isn’t her fault, master.’ Shining’s gaze flicked to the archlich, whose face was neutral at the moment. ’Don’t punish her for her teacher’s mistakes.’ “Shining, please! You’re hurting her!” Cadence shrieked, tears of her own starting to trickle down her face as she hung onto his side, her desperation breaking through the blind fury that clouded his mind. The alicorn prince looked down at his princess, and his gaze softened. The Lich King’s unyielding grip faltered, and then fizzled out. Twilight gasped for a breath she didn’t know she was holding, and looked up at her brother with fear reignited. Shining let out a loud sigh, his own breath catching up to him as he got ahold of himself. All the while, Kel’Thuzad was unsure how to proceed with the situation. His master was clearly not fully merged with the Lich King yet, but definitely seemed to be the overwhelmingly dominant personality, as he had seen no signs of either Ner’Zhul or Arthas in his mannerisms. Then again, for all the archlich knew he had wiped the Helm clean of his predecessors. ‘Reset’ the Helm, in a way. His thoughts were broken by the soft whimpering of Twilight as she got up from her chair, her mind clearly not working as it should in her fear of her brother. Normally, he would assume she would go to his queen for support, seeing as much of her foalhood was spent with Lady Cadence. But seeing as the alicorn was currently openly sobbing into the fur of his master, Twilight moved onto the next possible comfort. Him. The mare buried herself into the lich’s arms and up against his robes, the centuries old wizard simply cradling her as one would a cat or small dog. He heated his bones to a toasty room temperature, and reached for a nearby blanket to wrap the mare in. He knew not where this internal instinct to protect came from, but he was thankful for the strange impulse. When his master attempted to get closer to the mare in his arms, the archlich held out a single spindly arm. “Master... please give her a moment.” Kel’Thuzad pleaded with his friend, the alicorn stopping in surprise, but nodded after a few seconds, hanging his head as he retreated to the next room over. Kel’Thuzad made a subtle head movement to Titus and Eola to follow, and without a word, they trailed their monarch. Kel’Thuzad flinched as he felt the pressure of another nudging his arm, but relaxed when he looked down into his queen’s distraught face. “Kel... was that Shiny?” Cadence sobbed, clearly shaken by the incident. Kel’Thuzad nodded softly, something telling him to reach out and brush his unused claw along her mane, down her back. “I believe so, Cadence.” Kel’Thuzad murmured, his queen’s visage falling further at the news that what her husband had just done could not be blamed entirely on the Lich King. Although a large portion probably could be. “He... he has been under much stress, Cadence.” Kel’Thuzad spoke softly, continuing to slowly pet the pink alicorn. “I’m not even sure he has slept.” “K-K-Kel?” whimpered the lavender mare in his grasp, peaking up at him through the blankets and robes surrounding her. “Yes, little one. What is it?” Kel’Thuzad asked the unicorn. “Pl-please help him...” Twilight begged. “Don’t let him... don’t let him hurt Celestia.” “Please.” “Little one... I... I will do everything in my power to help your brother.” “I promise.”