//------------------------------// // Chapter Eight // Story: A Dying Light // by Nobrains //------------------------------// Chapter Eight Air. Air dammit. You're going to die if you don't get some air. Get your frail and weak body out of there. Titus crawled out from under the dirt and rock, pain erupting from just about everywhere on his body. He could hear the shadows laugh, and the Death Knight taunting and insulting the creatures as they continued to fight. He rolled onto his back and looked back at the destruction that had been caused. There was no sign of Starswirl... of Lyra. A numb feeling filled his stomach at the realization of what may have happened after that... that cave in. He tried to sit up and make his way back to the rubble, to try to dig desperately for any sign that Lyra was okay. Any sign at all. Unfortunately, his body wouldn't allow it and he groaned in pain. He rolled back onto his stomach and looked ahead. The Death Knight and the shell that was once Polaris were still engaged in brutal combat. Both seemed heavily invested in their fight and the shadowy shell was turned away from him. This.. this could be his chance. If that bastard... tears began to well up in his eyes. If that bastard had really.. killed anyone beneath that rubble, it was time to make him pay. He checked his hands, trying to summon the Light, but it didn't come. He sighed in frustration, wondering what exactly he could do to assist in this being's undoing. It didn't matter though, he still had to try. Each foot that he covered felt like a mile to him as he slid down the bumpy tunnel, trying desperately to reach the two in combat. He didn't care about anything other than ending this anymore. He caused all of this, he ruined everything and may have gotten all that he cared for taken away in an instant. He gritted his teeth and fought back the tears, attempting to repress thoughts of Lyra and all that he had put her through. He was a horrible friend and even a more horrible 'coltfriend' in her own words. He knew what it meant, and he almost wanted to laugh from even remembering the term she had used at this very moment. He was right there now, and still the shadowy shell did not notice him. He tried to think frantically of what he could do, but settled on attempting to trip the entity to assist the Death Knight in his battle. As soon as he grabbed the leg, however, he pulled his hand back and cried out in pain, causing the shell of Polaris to turn towards him and laugh. “A resilient one I see. Well let me ease you into the afterlife... maybe..” Time slowed down and Titus could see the shadows extend out over him in a threatening manner, ready to tear him apart. “Light guide me...” He waited for the end as they shot towards him in an instant, holding his breath the whole time. “Your fight is with me, not the human.” The Death Knight hopped onto the consumed body and brought the blade around its neck, attempting to behead it. “Amusing...” The thing thrashed about, trying to throw the gnome off of its back. The gnome wasn't about to budge, that was until he was ran through by a shadow that decided now to sprout from the back of figure. With the damage done, the gnome grew weaker and lost his grip. He was thrown to the side of cave, a huge hole right in his chest. “Coward..” “Oh, how the mighty have fallen..” The creature turned back to Titus who was trying to get on his knees and find some way to fight back. “I commend your durability, but time seems to have run out for you and everyone else.” “Do it then.” Titus spat out. “Do it, you sick bastard.” “Who are we to deny such a request?” Time slowed down once again as Titus stared up at the being with bitter and resentful eyes. He had failed. He hailed failed everyone. Starswirl, everyone in this world, and.. and Lyra.. He would die disappointing her, forcing her into her own death as well.. He deserved this. “Human....!” Titus broke his gaze from his imminent death and looked to see the gnome throwing his runeblade towards him. He could do this. He caught the sword on the handle, the unholiness of the weapon caused him to feel a bit uncomfortable wielding it, but it was his only chance. He stabbed with the sword right into the head of the figure, where one of the starstones had been ingrained. He let go of his grip as the entity staggered back and cried out with remorse and hatred. “What... what have you done?!?!?! NOO!!” It fell to the floor, sword still in its head, convulsing violently and screaming in violent fits. The shadows shot out from the figure and swung about in a similar matter to the body that they stemmed from. Titus couldn't believe it was working. He wanted to pinch himself, but couldn't find the strength. He just fell over onto his back, exhausted and resentful to all he had done. It couldn't be taken back, none of it. Now he could only just whither away here... alone. So he laid there, the last screams could be heard from the entity dying within the body that was once Polaris'. As time went on, Titus' eyes began to feel weary and he thought that maybe a short nap after this wouldn't be so bad.. maybe not so bad at all. The world went dark. *************** “Careful! You don't know what's on the other side!” Starswirl called out to the green mare that was trying desperately to move the rubble out of the way. “You're going to hurt yourself if you keep that up!” “I won't leave him! I won't!” Lyra screamed. “Dammit! Why won't you listen?!” Starswirl shouted. “He's all I have!!” She screamed back even louder. “Why don't you understand?!” Starswirl frowned and felt quite horrible for the way he had reacted to her desperate act. The Beacon obviously meant the world to her and he was only cutting her hopes down. “I... I... very well.. stand aside please.” Starswirl took an aggressive stance towards the pile of debris as Lyra quickly scurried out of the way. He pulled the rubble back towards him, spreading it out and flattening it enough to create an open for them to go over into the area they had been separated from. Lyra ran right over through the opening, causing Starswirl to quickly follow after her. “Please be more cautious!!” Starswirl's eyes were soon set upon quite the gruesome scene. Three figures laid within the tunnel, unmoving. One against the side and two upon the floor. He focused on the small figure against the side of the tunnel, a hole in his chest that had torn right through the plate. A wound afflicted by the darkness that had controlled Polaris. This curious creature in the end sacrificed himself to help them reach their goal. To be honored in death... it seemed like something the strange creature would have wanted. He then turned to see what was left of Polaris. He was recognizable again, except for the runeblade that protruded from his head, directly below his horn where a starstone had been embedded. In fact, all the starstones were gone from his body. Black marks were all that was left of where they had been implanted within his flesh. It seemed that the starstones were no more. Well, that made his job a lot easier, and a lot less meaningful. Then, there was the Beacon. He laid on his back and looked quite peaceful. The unicorn trying desperately to wake him up was the exact opposite, however. “No.. no.. wake up.. please.. for me.. you're fine.. you're fine.. stop it.. stop teasing me!” That struck a chord within the old sorcerer. He did not deserve this fate when he had simply went with Starswirl by request. For what he had done, he deserved so much more than just a cold and bitter death under the badlands. No, and he wasn't about to. Starswirl approach the figure who's head was now being held up in the mare's hooves. She was trying everything she could to get him to awake from his eternal slumber. Any words that she could muster to convince herself and the world around her that he wasn't gone. “You can't be sleeping now.. you're so lazy... please just wake up.. please.. I need you..” She was crying violently and trying hard to even sound intelligible between the sobs. “I need you.. don't leave me.. don't leave me...” “Ma'am... please step aside... I wish to do something...” Starswirl's own voice was failing from the sure emotion felt around them all. She looked at him with a skeptical and hurt look. “What... what are you going to do?” “Something I know I was going to do someday. Please just give me some space to attempt this on the Beacon.” Lyra put the human's head softly back onto the ground and reluctantly stepped back, holding her breath the whole time Starswirl examined it assiduously. “Okay, you can do this Starswirl. It's time this happened anyways.” He sighed nervously and tried to recall the spell he was about to perform. His horn began to glow softly, focusing on the Paladin who laid upon the ground. Soon he began to form an aura similar to the one surrounding the sorcerer's horn. Lyra watched with an enthralled look. What was he trying? She would just have to wait and watch. Starswirl felt the years leave his body one by one. He had created this spell not too far back, pondering just how he would be able to give back to the world when he felt he had grown weary of living at all. It was being applied quite a bit more earlier than he had originally thought, but he couldn't think of a better reason than to do it right now. He was saving more than one life here, after all. As each moment passed, Starswirl began to feel frailer and frailer. He was catching back up to where he had been before being bestowed his immortality, which was at a very ripe old age in its own for a unicorn of his time. The spell ceased and Starswirl knew that he no longer had the gift of athanasia. It was well enough, but he first needed to see if the spell had even worked, or he had simply given up his life for nothing. Nothing so far. The human's bearded face was still motionless and peaceful, no sign of life just yet. Starswirl was beginning to fear that he had crafted a spell that did not work properly and he was going to pay the price for it. Suddenly, Titus' eyes shot open and gasps of air filled his lungs. Everything came back into focus for him, and the recollection of the most recent events filled his thoughts. He sat up, fighting against the pain that had waned enough to allow him to at least move his body around. “You're okay! You're okay!” Titus turned and found himself embracing the green unicorn that had hopped right into his arms. “I knew.. I knew you weren't gone.” “I didn't know I left.” Titus laughed awkwardly. What had happened after he had stabbed Polaris within the head? “Is everything over then?” “Why yes it is, Beacon.” An old raspy voice said. The Paladin looked to see an extremely old and more feeble version of Starswirl the Bearded. What had happened to him?! “Are you okay, sorcerer?” “Never been better, actually.” The stallion had a fit of coughing and laughter from his clever remark. “Ah, yes.. well, lets say I made a sacrifice for you in exchange for what you were willing to give up to see this through.” “What do you mean?” The Paladin asked, confused. “You kicked the bucket, Beacon. Corruption from the shadows within the starstones wasted your body from the inside out. Luckily, I was able to restore your body too a point that it could heal itself in time. You'll be sore for awhile is what I'm saying really.” “But, did that cause you to lose your-” “Indeed so. I've never felt more confident in making such a choice, though.” Starswirl looked past them to the two bodies behind them. “I was tasked with safeguarding the starstones so many years ago... but now that they're gone.. well... there's little reason for me to linger on this world for much longer.” Titus stood up with Lyra in his arms turning to see what Starswirl's gaze had focused upon. When he saw the corpses, he shook his head in sadness. Such life wasted. The gnome, he had thrown the blade to him in the last seconds of their lives, his willingness to see the dark creature's demise was beyond commendable, but to also assist a figure he had been fighting with only a short while ago? Why, that was heroic. No one's sacrifice would be forgotten to him. The last being he would see from Azeroth ever again. His last look at home, gone. At this point, though, he wasn't sure he belonged there. He had found so much here, so much to hold onto. He looked at the unicorn in his arms who was gently laying her head against his chest. He was where needed to be in this world, with this.. this stubborn, obsessive and compulsive unicorn. She needed him, and he think it was likewise from his perspective at this point. “Hey..” She spoke up. “I love you..” He coughed awkwardly and lowered his voice a bit. “I... I love you too.” “Knew it.” She smiled victoriously and closed her eyes, forgetting everything but her and her human. Titus was stuck in reality for the time being and turned to to Starswirl. “ Shall we bury the dead?” “Oh well if that was the case, they're practically buried already. I'll soon be joining them anyways.” A sad but accepting look crossed the sorcerer's face. He wasn't too fond of dying after all these years, but he knew that it was time. “Is there not nothing we can do?” The Paladin asked, concerned. “No, I don't believe so. I've lived a long time, Beacon.” Starswirl sat down and brought a hoof up to his bearded chin. “I don't think the world needs an ancient sorcerer guarding an artifact that apparently doesn't exist anymore.” “Still, you surely don't want to die on such circumstances do you?” “Ha, these are pretty good circumstances if you ask me. No burden of guilt in shirking my duty or anything of the like. If I was going to die, it would be about now with everything now contained once more.” The old unicorn coughed violently. “Now, lets see about getting you two home, shall we?” Titus really didn't want him in the state he was to be performing such a spell, but he had no idea how to get out of here and just how far away from home they were, so he just nodded and hoped that casting such a spell wouldn't kill the poor stallion right then and there. Starswirl stood up again and smiled warmly. “Thank you... thank you both for everything you've done. I hope nopony else calls upon you to perform such a task again.” “Me too...” Lyra groaned in Titus' arms. Titus nodded and waved as Starswirl began the spell. His frail body wasn't used to handling such huge amounts of magic and he was beginning to shake from the energy overwhelming him. He fought against it, however, and sent them off the way they came. After that, the stallion fell over onto his side and laughed lightly, looking at his companions that he would soon be joining. “Comrades in misunderstanding and death it seems. Quite the company to ease over with...”