“Okay, so we seal them in…” Stygian waved a hoof.
“Limbo,” Artemis provided.
“Limbo, right. Then they’re trapped there forever?”
“Hopefully.”
“Hopefully?”
“There is no guarantee of sealing them permanently using this method, only that it is the best possible option available to us,” Artemis explained. “There is a high chance for their release, but that time won’t come for a long while.”
“How long is a long while?”
“Centuries.”
“Then, presuming there are no other options, it really is our best possibility.” Stygian tapped his chin in thought, his brow furrowed in worry. “How will we achieve this just with the two of us? It sounds like we’ll need to be able to take on the Corrupt Pillars directly, and be able to steal their symbols from them.”
“There are also the consequences of their corruptive influence.” Stygian looked at Artemis in confusion. “Their combined magic is enough to thin the fabric of our world, thus allowing… problems to slip through. They will need to be dealt with alongside the Pillars.”
“Which means significant damage control, while we research.” Stygian sighed. “This is a lot for just us to handle.”
“You presume we shall do this alone.”
“You mean to gather an army?”
“More… an Order,” Artemis amended. “A group dedicated to stopping Apollo and the Pillars, and any of the abominations that may breach into our world.”
“An Order requires a leader,” Stygian said. “I guess you would take the mantle?”
“No. You will.”
“I cannot lead, Artemis. I am merely the ex-apprentice of a monster and only survived until now by your grace.”
“You are selling yourself short.”
“I am being realistic.”
“No, you are being pessimistic. Stygian—”
“This is not within my capabilities!” Stygian interrupted. “I was a scholar, not—”
“Let me finish.”
Stygian went silent.
After a moment, Artemis continued. “You managed to survive and outsmart Apollo’s strongest Pillar. I saved you, yes, but you held onto life through sheer grit and determination for hours. You are not just merely some scholar to a has-been, you are a survivor.
“Furthermore, people do not need an immortal goddess, they need someone like them. Someone who faces the same dangers and doesn’t have the benefit of being born into power. A pony that is wise for intelligence will get us farther than brute strength against creatures on par with that of Gods.”
She leaned forward, entrapping Stygian with her eyes; Hope and faith in equal measure. “I will help you in this task, I swear by it, but you will be who they will respond to best. I chose you because I have the utmost confidence in your ability to blot out the horrid sun.”
He felt overwhelmed by Artemis’s expectations. He should have been more hesitant and fearful of this proposition to lead an entire group of ponies against a literal God, but… faith from a Goddess was one Tartarus of an ego boost.
“... Alright, I’ll do it, but what do we call ourselves?”
“I will leave that for you to decide.”
Stygian mulled over his thoughts for a moment. He smiled as he recalled Artemis’s last line to him.
“How about the Order of the Black Sun?”