That’s Not Pride, That’s Honor
(Present)
“But I don’t want to go!” Rainbow Dash cried as she shot up from bed. She heard a groan beside her and felt the bed move. Wait, a bed? She didn’t remember going to sleep in a bed. The last thing Dash remembered was flying to Amser. She became gravely wounded on the flight there. Did she make it? Was this the room in the Great Tower? Was Da’lak’ar there? Did he get the message?
Dash look around the room. Black marble with red and silver zig-zagging lines made up the floor in a seemingly endless room. A white light blinded her, casting away most of the darkness room. A silhouette of a unicorn sat on a couch that blocking most of the light. Dash felt the black and red woven blanket move as she heard a small grumble. Dash turned towards the sound to find a familiar purple alicorn lying beside her.
“Twilight?” Dash whispered. “Oh sweet Celestia, Twilight! Twilight, wake up! It’s time to go home!” Dash felt panic bloom in her chest as stared at the sleeping Twilight. Dash’s old memories came flooding in as she shook the purple alicorn. The twelve missing ponies. Twilight going missing. Sombra.
“I would not try to wake her if I were you,” the deep velvety voice of her once enemy pierced through the room, “It would harm her more if you do. She must wake up on her own, or else she will be lost to the past and will go insane. I do not want that for my fy nghariad bac.”
Dash tried to crawl out of the bed but misjudged the size. With a loud smack, she landed on her face. “Ow, that hurt,” Dash groaned, rubbing her head as she got to her hooves. She walked towards Sombra. As she neared where Sombra sat, Dash noticed a strange looking rug. Why was the damn thing strange? For one thing the rug had head on it. It looked like head of a bear, but with long, black canines that reached the lower jaw. Gray fur with red polka-dots made up the rest of rug. Paws with red claws stretched out towards the peculiar white flames.
“What is that?” Dash asked as she staired in the lifeless red eyes.
“That is a Kumaro,” Sombra said. “A nasty beast that preyed on helpless being. It would lure its prey with a sweet song or a wail of a cult. Then it when has it prey it would proceed to devour them in the worst of ways. Starting with the feet then with ending with head. Leaving not a trace behind. All the while, the prey feels the worst pain possible.”
“Why would Harmony create these things?” Dash asked in horror.
“Harmony did not create them,” He said as he shifted towards the fire, his eyes narrowing in the flames. “My sister Anteras did. She created these abominations to eradicate the ‘lower lifeforms’.” He tilted his head towards Dash, “Her words not mine. I never notice what was happening until it was too late. I lost my mate because of my oversight. I was to busy wishing to be alone, that I did not see the pain of my people. I got my juvenile wish, now I want to take it back. If was not for Midnight and her death, Anteras’ rein would bleed into your life now. Or I might be exaggerating a bit.” With a resounding whiplash of mood, Sombra asked with a smile, “So how was your time with Lester? I do believe that you slept tad bit too long. How are you feeling?”
“A little bit disoriented, but overall fine,” Dash said as she climbed on the blinding white couch, “But I do have important question to ask you.” Her rose colored eyes locked onto Sombra’s red ones.
“Alright, what is your important question, Miss Rainbow Dash,” He said with a smile.
“Did The Regent of Time get the message?”
Ω
ΩMidnightΩ
His… His… His… His head is gone! Where is his head! Is there bite mark on his neck? Oh, sweet Harmony, there is! I’m going to be sick. His blood pooled at my hooves, staining them red. Ba-bump. It was coming from Sombra’s body. Ba-bump. I walked closer to it. Ba-bump. I reach towards Sombra’s body.
“S-Sombra?”
Crash!
I screamed at the crashing sound to my right. I turned to see what made that sound. Celestia groaned as she tried to stand. Blood dripped down her mouth, pooling on the blacken ground. Claw mark, oozing red and yellow, littered all over her body. Not an inch of her pearly white coat remained. I stepped closer to help her when she fell down again. Her wild eyes locked on to mine.
“Run you fool. Run.”
Crunch!
Celestia screamed as she was lifted in air with what look like a scorpion’s tail. I stood there, rooted to the ground as I watched Celestia being carried over to the mouth of the three headed beast. White, blue, and yellow flames licked her battered body as she hung over the gaping maw of the middle head’s mouth. Yellow magic, in her last-ditched effort to save herself, shot in the eye of the blue head. The other two heads chuckled as injured one growled. I felt the vibrations of the growl were I stood.
“Well, that was a prideful mistake,” Blue chuckled, “It stung a bit, but you are to prideful to defeat me. Now go quietly, as I devour you like I did the small alicorn.”
Then Celestia dropped and was swallowed whole.
“Noooo!!!!!” I screamed, not knowing the grave mistake I have made.
“Oh,” The white head said, “I have found were I dropped my diner. Let us go and retrieve it.” The scorpion’s tail came straight towards me. The tip banged against my hastily casted shield of defense. The ground started to vibrate, then slowly started shake. I fell to the ground as the vibrations grew intense. Fear seeped into my bones as I heard laughter when the vibrations stopped.
“A little pathetic unicorn has enough pride to go up against me! What can a mere mortal do to the embodiment of Pride?” All three heads asked. I’m so confused right now. I’m not being prideful in defending myself. Is it prideful to want to live? The heck does it mean by the embodiment of pride?
“S-self d-defense is n-not pride, my lord, i-it is instinct.” I stammered as I lowered myself further into the ground.
“Oh, you thought that I was aiming for you?” The beast chuckled, “No, no, no, I was aiming for the First One’s body. His pride will fuel me until the end of time. You would barely make a pitiful appetizer. Now move out of the way so I may have my diner.”
“N-no.”
“What was that?”
“I-I s-said no,” I said, “T-the world n-needs him. I need him. S-so that w-would b-be a problem i-if you ate him. S-so, n-no I w-will not m-move! I-if y-you w-want to e-eat him, you have to go through me!” What was I saying?! This beast would eat me in a heartbeat! The beast laughed as it laid down on the ground. Two giant black paws with red claws towered on either side of my domed shield. I screamed as ground again began to move. At the corner of my eye, I saw ruby red claws that glittered in the fire light. Blinding yellow light seared in the back of my eyes as the ground rose. I quickly cast a light dimming spell, thank you Sombra, to keep me from going blind. Blinking back the dots in my eyes, I found myself in line of sight of solid red eyes in a black feline face.
I wriggled back to get a better look. A lion with a fiery yellow mane shot a bloody grin, breaking through inky black fur. I saw bits of meat and blue fur stuck in its teeth. My fur curled at its rancid breath. Yech. I could taste it in my mouth. It laughed, blasting my eardrums in the process. Was I going to have to cast another spell in order to hear? Yes, yes, I am.
With a booming voice, Yellow declared, “Do you think that you are powerful enough to stop me from devouring The First One?” I started to shake with fear. There was no way I could stop him, but I have to try.
“I-I l-lay h-here powerless b-before you.” I said as the fear crept into my voice. My body was shaking so hard that my teeth began to chatter. I think I bit my lip. Yeah, I taste blood, I did bite my lip. Dang it! I wonder if Yellow over there can smell blood?
Yellow growled at my answer. My body shook with the force of the growl, but it could just be fear. I covered my head with my hooves in hopes of appearing too small to eat. I heard a cracking sound, like bones breaking above my head. I peaked between my hooves to find that beast’s head was spinning clockwise. The crackling sound stopped when the head with that possessed blue fire was facing me. A deep scowl was infused upon its lips, making a grotesque image more horrifying. Its red eyes flashed white, causing me to go blind for a moment. I heard the beast chuckle as I blinked the black dots away.
“Oh, brave one,” It said with a sneer in their voice. “Do you sincerely believe that if you called on Zepha or Harmony, that they would come to save your hide?” It roared in laughter at what it thought was a joke. But the beast was right. Who am I that they would come and save?
“What?” It growled. “What did you say?”
Oops, did I say that aloud?
“I-I s-said, Great Beast, w-who a-am I t-that they w-would s-save m-me?” I stammered. The beast roared its indignation at my answer. What? I was telling the truth. I barely know them. To Zepha and Harmony, I’m a complete stranger. If I were them, I wouldn’t risk my neck for a stranger. No way, no how. The cracking sound started up again. I cringed at the sound. It brought back memories of my attack of hearing my bones brake in half. I looked to find the head with the white fire staring at me. It had smug look on its face. Like it was about to announce my death warrant.
It started to chuckle, “You! You?!” it declared, “You, decedent of Farthingharth Star. the first unicorn to walk the earth, stand here before me, knowing you cannot defeat me, with no other reason than familial pride!” How dare they! Anger swelled in me at this blatant insult. How dare they offend my family’s honor!
“How dare you say that!” I screamed as I jumped to my hooves. “THAT IS NOT PRIDE! THAT IS HONOR!” When the last word fell out of my mouth a poem formed in my head. It kept pushing at my lips, wanting to escape. The words bult up so much pressure that my head felt like it was about to explode if I didn’t let the Words out. So, I did. At the top of my lunges, I yelled:
“By Harmony’s light
I stand before thee, Creature of the Night.
Humble and not afraid
These words now form my blade.
I cast thee out, O being of Pride,
With no more refuge in which to hide.
For the humble has defeated thee,
Oh, Victims of Pride, be ye set free!”
A bright light shot from my neck. I looked down to find that my locket was glowing. What the…? A loud screeching sound of anguish startled me. I watched in amazement as the Beast of Pride shook its head. The flames from its three head began to funnel into the light. Yellow, blue, and white flames came hurtling towards me. I tried to back away from the flames, but I backed into a claw. Pain reared its ugly head as I felt the tip of the claw pierce my skin. I jumped as fast I could away from it. I glanced at my back to if I had a wound. I saw nothing, just felt lingering pain. I was very confused. Where was the wound? I felted go into my skin, so where is it?
A piercing wail startled me out of my musing. With horror I watched as bits and pieces of the beast moved through a funnel of light. I looked down at my locket to find that the light was coming from it! I snapped my head back up to find the white mane head was gone and the blue one’s fur and flesh being torn from its body. When the flesh disappeared, the bone of the skull went next. Chunks came flying at me but never touch me. The bone would shrink as it entered my locket. I decided that it was no longer safe in this thing’s paw and teleported Sombra and me away from the beast. No matter how far, I teleported the funnel of light followed me and with it, the screaming three headed beast.
I watched as it tried to use two of its three front paws to keep its last head on while the third paw smashing was pounding into the ground with fury and pain. I felt the ground roll with every pounding of its fist. With its four hind legs, it tried to run but no matter how hard it struggled, the beast couldn’t escape the light. It stopped screaming when the last head disappeared. The body dropped with a resounding boom! I braced myself as land began to roll like waves. I fell and heard a resounding crack.
I screamed as I felt blistering pain emanating from my front right leg. I looked down to see white poking out of my fur. Well, I broke it again. Dang it!! How am I supposed to get Sombra and me out of here with a broken leg? How is this fair? He’s dead and I’m too broken to burry him. I have no where to go. Celestia was eaten and I have no idea where Luna was. My ears are ringing from the loud that beast-- Pride? -- Pride screaming! I’m all alone. And on top of that, the light coming from my locket was blinding me! Fat tears began to fall as I lay my head on Sombra’s still body. I started to weep as the sound of the rushing wind replaced the ringing in my ears. The light finally disappeared, and the wind quieted, so that the only sound that was in this blacken hellscape was the sound of my wails. I thought I heard a faint bah-dump inside of Sombra’s body, but I could be mistaken. He’s dead. Dead! There couldn’t be a heartbeat there. I heard a faint groan in the distance. My head shot up and I zeroed in on to two faint figures in the distance. Through my watery eyes a tall white figure and small blue one slowly coming towards me. Bah-dump. Bah-dump. Bah-dump. I looked down to find the source. It was coming from Sombra!! I put my ear to his chest.
Bah-dump. Bah-dump. Bah-dump it went. But how can this be? How can a beheaded body have a heart? Then I remembered that I had heard his heartbeat before. As I pondered this conundrum, trying my best not to bawl again, I heard flapping of wings beside me. I turned towards it and found Pierre running towards me.
“My Lord’s Lady, I am completely and utterly apologetic that I could not defend you in your time of need.” He said as he fell face first in the blacken ground. His front paws stretched out in front of him as if he were bowing to me. “You see, My Lord’s Lady, my race of Kinkus are scholars, not warriors, and are unable to defend ourselves. We usually have one of the warrior race, the Laochra don Lag, our sister race, guarding us, but I decided to follow Sombra and leave my guard behind. She will be mad and hunt me down. But I would do it all over again to be with Sombra and you. But in this moment, I have in my one hundred and fifty years of living, that I wish that I were a Laochra don Lag so I could have defended you in your time of need. I beg of you, let me receive your forgiveness.”
“Stand up, Pierre,” I croaked, my voice raw from crying, “there is no need to grovel. It I who needs to apologize. I left you stranded all alone in a field with no way for you to get back and no way for you to defend yourself.” I tried to stand but cried out when I put pressure on my hurt leg. I forgot that I was bleeding on the ground. Oops…
“My Lord’s Lady, you are hurt!” He cried. He jumped from where he laid and ran towards me. “Here, let me help. I at least know how to set a bone. I believe I have some linens to help with this sort of thing.” He started to rummage through his bag that he was carrying. He was mumbling under his breath, but I couldn’t make it out. I did notice right beside him was Sombra’s bag and that he had carried it carried it all the way here. I remember dropping it right before I ran back. Honestly, I don’t remember when Sombra put that on my back. All I remember was me briefly taking it off my back.
“Here, allow me to set this.” He said. His paws gently rapped around my leg. I had a fleeting thought of wondering how this tiny guy is going to set my leg but was distracted before I could ask when he said, “It is going to hurt but I will try to do this quick. Scream if makes you feel any better. Ok? Ok. On the count of three. One… Two… Three…” With strength greater then I thought he would possess, wrenched my leg back into place. I cried out in agony. Pierre gently and swiftly wrapped my leg in herbs and linen. When he finished, he walked up to me and wrapped his arms around me. Well, somewhat. He was tiny after all. For awhile we just stayed there. It was nice to be held. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, because… Bah-dump. Bah-dump. Bah-dump.
“Pierre?”
“Hmm? What is it, my Lord’s Lady?” He said as he lifted his head, “Is something the matter?”
“Yes, yes there is,” I answered, “I keep hearing Sombra’s heartbeat, but I know his is dead. Am I going crazy with grief that I’m hearing his heartbeat?” I look Pierre straight in the eye. Worry bleed into my eyes as I listen to the bah-dump. Bah-dump. Bah-dump. Pierre just smiled.
“No, he is not dead.” Pierre said gently. He started to pet my snout.
“Stop that.” I swatted his paw away. His ears drooped as he wrapped his arms around his back. I felt bad about snapping at him, but it started to feel weird. I open my mouth to apologiz.
“Sorry,” he said, “I overstepped my bounds, but back to my previous statement. Sombra is not dead. He is—”
“But he’s decapitated!” I yelled. “He has no head! How can he be alive?!”
“Easy. He is immortal.” Pierre stated simple, “As are all alicorns. The only way to kill an alicorn, is through their hearts. Alicorns have two hearts. One that beats and the other that stores their magic. Now, you may be wondering, ‘what does this have to do with Sombra and him being alive without a head?’ Well, you see, to understand how Sombra is alive, one must first understand alicorns and their biology. Are you following me?” I nodded numbly. Though I was still very confused. But I will strive to be a dutiful student and sit still and listen.
“Good.” He said as started to pace. Dang, his voice is sexy, “Now, alicorns have two hearts. If the hearts are destroyed, then the alicorn dies. As long as the hearts are intact, the alicorn can regenerate. I have seen an alicorn be torn to pieces with only the hearts untouched. That same alicorn came back to life in a week.” He said as he brought his paws in front of him and steepled them under his chin. “Now it is unclear on how the hearts can be destroyed, but I witness our glorious creator devouring the hearts. I have also witness Sombra doing the same. Sombra is like the alicorns in this respect. Since his hearts are intact, he will be able to regenerate his head back.”
“So, he is alive!” Joy spang into my heart at this news. Sombra was alive and I wouldn’t be alone! Sombra was alive!
“Yes, he is,” Pierre said. “Where you not listening to me?”
“Oh, I was,” I smiled, “and if I could dance I would. Sombra is alive!”
“I do have a question for you.” Pierre said, “If you do not mind me asking.”
“Sure, ask away.”
“I notice on our short journey, that you had a blank flank,” he said as he tilted his head.
“Yes. What about it? Everypony has a blank flank.” I was becoming very confused. Where was he going with this? Does other ponies have tattoo thing on their flank?
“The reason I mentioned this is because you have something on your flank. Did you know about this?”
“N-no, no I d-didn’t.” I started to freak out. What was he talking about?
“Here, have a look,” Pierre said gently as he directed me to look. I looked to where he was pointing at. Wait what? What is that?!