//------------------------------// // The Tenth Confrontation // Story: The Conversion Bureau: Tortured Soul // by The REAL Mister Pkmn //------------------------------// Celestia'd grown accustomed to these dreams at this point. She gazed upon a new scene unfolding. Upon a plain rolling with golden grass, fighting roared in earnest. It  was a battlefield, similar to the scene that she'd first dreamed of. Banners wielded above the fighting armies, reflecting their allegiance. This scene, though, was different. Three sides fought on this plain- Humanity’s King, and his loyal/cowed soldiers; the King of the Ponies, and his loyal/compelled soldiers; the Prince of Man and the Sister Princesses of Ponies, with their emboldened civilians and soldiers who vied for peace. Dead were strewn across the battlefield, mostly on the side of the Kings. Some had fallen on the front of the Prince & Princesses, but it only emboldened them further. The banner of Human Superiority, which was once a golden fabric emblazoned with the crest of the King, was now dirtied and tattered, a ghost of its former splendor. The banner of Pony Dominance , which was once a brilliant silver fabric gifted with the King’s Cutie Mark, was now scorched and barely hanging on the post. The third banner was basically unscathed, however. It was made of emerald colored fabric and bore three symbols. In the top left was Celestia’s Cutie Mark, and Luna’s was in the top right. The Prince of Man had placed in the bottom middle, a self-invented crest; a human with a Giant shield with ponies and humans alike behind his guard. In the center of the banner were words in a strange script, but she seemed to know what they meant: “Peace will always prevail over Conflict. Understanding will bridge all ravines between our peoples. This is our Hope and Conviction.” On the battlefield, Celestia could see connections being tested. Friends winding up on opposite sides, siblings clashing blades with each other. Some saw their friends or family under the Alliance, and decided to change sides. Others felt they could not afford such a luxury, but they were captured instead. However, some were too blind, with no reasoning getting through. These were sadly cut down. But then there were the Kings fighting their respective offspring… The King of Man took his greatsword and clashed with his son’s blade. Anger and disappointment filled his eyes as he looked straight into his son’s gaze. “R------n! Why hast thou forsaken our kingdom!? How could you let these Ponies infect your mind!? How can you possibly still claim to be my son?” The King of Ponies blasted bronze colored magic from his horn, which Luna & Dreamlestia combined their magic to fight back. Disgust and disdain filled his countenance as he glared at his daughters. “Mine own daughters, daring to challenge mine rule? How far has this rotten Human wormed his way into thine minds? Have you no sense anymore?” The leaders of the resistance found themselves backed up against each other, and they replied as one to the Kings, conviction filling their voices. “Dost thou not see what thine actions have done? What cause could possibly warrant this much death? Both of you've allowed yourselves to be blinded by fear and thirst for conquest! Hast thine souls withered away?” The Kings refused to listen or answer, and Prince R------n shook his head and sighed. “Very well. Your silence speaks volumes.” He knocked his father back with extreme force with the blunt of his sword, and called out in a loud voice. “I, Prince R------n of Mankind, Do judge thee darker than pitch in soul!” He pointed his sword at his father, a grim resignation coming upon him. He consigned himself to what he must do. “Recrisintyr, Blade of Holiness! Cosine this foul irredeemable beast to ash!” With the swiftest dash he could muster, he plunged Recrisintyr right into his father’s heart. He shed a tear as his father burst into ash. “Farewall, father. I did what I had to do.” As Prince R------n sheathed his sword, Dreamlestia & Luna’s magic burst through and pushed their father back. They hesitated, until R-yuzan placed his hands upon their backs gently. He smiled as they glanced back, which they returned. With restored conviction, they fired the Elements of Harmony at their father. Tears fell from their faces as the Elements turned their father into pure aether. Dreamlestia spoke as Luna buried her eyes into Celestia’s coat. “We didn’t want to, father, but you left us no other choice.” Silence came from the other two armies, both unsure what to think. Prince R------n spoke to the enemy amies. “The Dark Kings have fallen! But worry not! We are most reasonable. Any who surrender will get the lightest treatment, and be monitored until we believe you are well adjusted to the new government. Those who changed sides during the battle will be rewarded depending on why. As for those who choose not to surrender peacefully, I will have the others detain you. You will be closely watched until you have mellowed out a bit. All of you who have lost someone dear during the clash, they will be given proper funerals. It is our mission to heal this world with peace, that war no longer will come.” Celestia didn’t see how that unfolded, though. She was bought elsewhere, and saw another scene. Prince R------n was talking with Dreamlestia about something, and they were alone. “Sunsun, there’s something that I’ve been meaning to tell you…” That nickname was probably the one that Tortured had almost said yesterday. Dreamlestia looked up from her desk, a big smile upon her desk. She was reviewing some of the new laws, just to make sure it was fair. “What is it? If it’s important, I can make some time now.” R------n hesitated as he hid a tick of nervousness. What was it that he had to say to her? He took a deep breath, possibly to try and calm himself down. However, just as the Prince finally opened his mouth to speak, Celestia felt the dream start drifting away… Celestia woke very suddenly with a knock on her door. Just when it was getting interesting, too… Tortured spoke though the door. “Get up. Today’s the day. It’s time for your final meal.” With a sigh and a shake of her head, she got up and straightened herself up before going into the hall. She followed Tortured to the Dining room and sat in the seat provided. The cook set the dish upon the table, a sympathetic look in his eyes. It was a dish unlike anything she’d seen before. It was a large salad with slices of: tomatoes, pears, cinnamon, zucchini, and a strange striped meat. The drink was a tall glass of gold-colored milk, and the side was a dark chocolate bar. Then there was a small slice of strawberry cheesecake drizzled with almond butter. With no hesitation, she dug in. She could see Tortured’s eyebrow raise up. As she ate, she couldn’t believe how good it tasted. Who thought that cinnamon worked well with salad? The strange meat was one that her stomach could tolerate, thankfully. It tasted like the feeling of adventure, somehow. Dark chocolate was her favorite kind, and the cheesecake’s texture was like a winter cloud. As for the drink, it seems that she didn't guess right. It was Eggnog, Though she had never tasted one made quite this rich before. After she finished it all, she smiled. “My thanks to the chef! This was amazing!.” She didn’t say it outloud, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but think that she had somehow had this meal before… but that was impossible… right? She was knocked out of her thoughts when Tortured spoke. “Fascinating. Your the first in a very long time to not turn up your nose at it without even tasting it. The last one was…” he shook his head. “Nevermind. Let’s get going.” After getting up from the table, she followed him to the Oval Office. “So, where are we going today?” Tortured shook his head as he pulled out a remote from one of his pockets. He pressed a button, and the back wall of the office pulled apart to reveal a sidewalk that was perfectly obscured by the wall. He pointed at a large circular building in the distance. “That is the Grand Coliseum. There is where you will be judged, and fail. That is where you will die.” Celestia sighed. “What if I pass your test?” Tortured stared at her like she’d just sprouted a second head. “You won’t pass it. After all… you can’t. No Celestia has passed it… Legitimately.” He started walking quickly and Celestia followed behind. Tortured clearly implied that one (or more) of the others had found some way to cheat the test. That means, if she passed this final test… He would presume that she had cheated as well. But she would prove him wrong. She might not be perfect, but she wasn’t rotten either. She would prevail against this test. As they walked in silence, she started to take in the structure before them. She was unsure how she had missed it when she was first flown to the White House. It stood at about twenty times her height, made of a checkered pattern of marble and onyx stone. The entrance was an arched entryway that was tall enough that the biggest dragon she knew of could fit through without crouching. Rows of windows littered the outside of the structure, sitting about the width of all four alicorns sitting in a row. Stretching across the top was a dome of tempered glass to keep out the weather. By the time she had processed all the details, Tortured was already leading her through the entryway. She could feel herself walking through a bubble of magic, and she started to hear the cheers of a large crowd.  As she walked into the center of the granite floor, Celestia gazed around at the crowd that inhabited the Grand Coliseum. The coliseum seated tens of thousands of people. Humans from all around this world had gathered, some to see her fail, others of whom she could recognize from her trials. They ignored the looks they were getting and cheered her on. She was glad to see that her sister had been granted passage, as well as Twilight and her friends. Seeing them here really gave her strength. She turned to face Tortured, and looked upon him. He had a cocky, arrogant air about him today. Celestia knew that Tortured had already presumed his victory; that he would not, could not be proven wrong. But Celestia knew better. She understood now why she was here, and what she needed to do. She then spoke, determination blazing within her being. "Alright, Tortured. I'm ready." Looking around, Tortured stepped into the center of the granite floor. He held up his right hand, and the cheering stopped. He then cast a bit of magic, and his voice carried to all the coliseum as he spoke. “Today is the day of judgment! Of the countless Celestias that I have fought, this one-” He paused and gestured to her with his left hand, then he continued. “ -she has joined the scarce few to make it to the final test.” His hand dropped back to his side before he resumed speaking. “Today, it all ends. No Celestia has ever passed this test.” He looked her in the eye. “Shall we complete this journey, then?” After he saw her nod, he walked away from the center and she took his place. She then spoke so all could hear. “So, what is this final test, Tortured?’ At that, Tortured gathered his magic in his right hand. He explained. This spell that I’m casting is very special. It can determine the purity of the soul. You are one of twenty that I’ve used it on now.” He paused, then chuckled. “I don’t think I should explain further.” He hurled it towards her, calling out with force. “Now, Princess, let the Darkness inside be revealed! Judgment Dome, expand!” The ball of magic stopped about 6 feet in front of her, and it started to stretch. A dome of crystalline magic grew around her, the peak being above the center of her back. As the dome completed, Celestia was about to speak. However, she lost her train of thought as small clouds started to form inside. With a smile, Tortured decided to explain again. “Those clouds represent the aspects of your soul. The spell pierces beyond any surface thoughts to bring out the depths of who somebody is. The darker the clouds get, the bigger they become. If they touch, they start to merge. If the majority of the clouds merge, you fail.” Despite this, Celestia would not worry. She had nothing to hide. The clouds started to slowly orbit around her. At first, she noticed that Tortured was still smug. However, the clouds around her only barely changed. Some remained white and small, others barely turned a very light gray and were only slightly bigger. Tortured’s face shifted into a hard look as nothing changed for a few solid minutes. After a while, the clouds stopped and dissipated. The dome of magic then shattered like glass. The crowd was stunned silent, except for the cheering of those that had put their faith in her chance of passing the dome’s test. The jubilation didn’t last, though. Tortured shouted. “Silence!” All the cheering stopped, and their attention was drawn to him. He then started to laugh. “Heheheheha! Do you really think that you’ve won, cheater? I won’t stand for this!” He pulled Recrisintyr from the sheath that had magically appeared on his back. He pointed the blade at Celestia, a look of confidence striking upon his face. “Now, cheater, you will fall like all the rest! Noone has faced the might of Recrisintyr’s Holy magic and lived!” He smirked. “I will end your charade, once and for all! Recrisintyr, smite down this demon!” As Tortured charged at her, Celestia shut her eyes and calmed herself. She shut out the noise from the crowd, ready to face what was to come. She was not afraid. If he wanted to test her with Recrisintyr, so be it. All the things she had seen in the dreams comforted her. She knew that Tortured had lost his way along the way. If she survived… she would guide him back, no matter how long it would take. She would save him from himself. She was knocked out of her musings as she heard a loud Clang! She opened her eyes, and saw Recrisintyr fling itself from Tortured’s hand. It landed at the edge of the arena, sticking itself into the ground. She saw surprise upon Tortured’s face, and the crowd was hushed. After a while of silence, Tortured straighted himself and looked at Recrisintyr. “Impossible… Recrisintyr has never done this before… Does this mean…” He paused and thought for a moment, and sighed. “I was wrong about you.” He turned back to face her, and he shook his head. “Even I cannot deny the evidence before me. Recrisintyr cannot be fooled. Since it flew from my grasp, I acknowledge that you are different from the others.” He bowed his head slightly. “From the bottom of my heart, accept my sincere apology.” Letting out a breath that Celestia didn’t realize that she was holding, she smiled as she spoke. “All is forgiven, Royuzhan. I won’t hold a grudge.” The cheering that was about to start was nipped in the bud as the audience gazed to Tortured Soul. Shock was etched into his face, and he was silent for a long time. After processing that, he replied. “How do you know that name? It was tossed aside ages ago!” He looked straight into her eyes, questioning at the ready. “Who told you that name!?” With bated breath, all eyes turned towards Celestia. They weren’t sure what the significance of that name meant, but the crowd’s curiosity had peaked. Celestia’s smile didn’t fade as she replied. “Sunsun did, Royuzhan. She told it to me as I stood in that dome. It is a sign of my wish to be your friend that I address you by your real name.” Gobsmacked, Tortured- or that is, Royuzhan- stared at her for a while. He shook his head in disbelief. “So she did have a spell that I didn’t know of after all.” A sigh of relief escaped him. “At least I know this means you can’t be her…” He pushed the thought away. “So, any questions weighing on your mind, Celestia?” Celestia ignored that for a while and thought. She wasn’t so sure that Royuzhan’s assertion was correct.. As she saw more visions, the more they felt like her own memories, as opposed to somebody else’s. Was this some kind of trick by magic? Or, could it be true that she was the same one from long ago in Royuzhan’s past? Unfortunately for her, Royuzhan could not answer her questions. She shook her head. “None that you can answer, I’m afraid. I must seek the answers myself.” The rest had been a blur. In all honesty, she was too distracted by her own thoughts. But now she found herself back in her guest room. She knew that Royuzhan wasn’t preventing her from leaving anymore, but she feared that she wouldn’t have a vision if she went home now. So she told Royuzhan that she wasn’t quite ready to go home, which was the truth. She calmed the torrent of her thoughts. She nibbled at the dinner that she’d been allowed to take into her room, but she wasn’t really all that hungry. With a sigh, she set it aside and called for one of the staff to take it away. She lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Anticipation vied to keep her awake, but she soon calmed down enough to fall to sleep.