//------------------------------// // She Will Pay... // Story: The Tale of Hellfire // by Ceehoff //------------------------------// The Tale of Hellfire Chapter 3 Written and Drawn by Ceehoff We're certainly glad you came, Princess Celestia. Things would have been plenty difficult with him if he were still awake." "Think nothing of it, Captain. I had to jump in before he was going to start a debacle. He's reckless, letting his emotions get the best of him. I warned him specifically of this, but it appears that my words have reached deaf ears." "With all due respect, Princess, he had just lost his wife... His only child, too... He loved them and cared for them with all of his heart." "Yes... I know... As tragic as it is, it's just... With somepony as easily instigated as Hellfire, such overdose of emotion would lead to calamitous results. Corruption is not an option. It is my sworn duty as a princess to prevent corruption polluting this land, whatever the cost. He has given so much to us. Losing him would only take that away." "He's been my best friend since as long as I could remember. This would affect me more than anypony." "Hmm... You should get going, Shining Armor. The dragon is still out there." "Actually, Princess, we had just gotten the latest report from our recon that the dragon is no longer causing threat. It flew away, far from Ponyville. It looked like it did not wish to wreak havoc any further. Must've had its fill of bloodshed for the night." "Then, the mission is off. No need to go after it. It is done... Many lives were lost tonight. We will need to set up funerals and memorials, commemorating the ones who lost their lives, fighting for the safety of Equestria. Let's go, Shining Armor." "What about Hellfire?" "The spell I had just cast on him is effective for three hours. There's enough time for me to go back and accompany him." "You alone, Princess? I'm not sure if I agree with that. Hellfire's rea--." "It'll be fine, Captain. I assure you. Don't worry. He'll be just fine with me." "Huhh... As you wish, Princess..." ---------- "Hellfire! Help us!" screamed Golden Dune. "Daddyyyyy!" cried Obsidia, secure in her mother's forelegs. A gargantuan shadow loomed around them, stretching its neck high up into the sky. Its eyes were a blinding orange light. "No!" the orange stallion cried out, running after them as fast as his legs could carry him. However, he never neared them. Every stride he made stretched him farther and farther from them. He whimpered in despair, reaching a hoof toward them, praying that he would at least touch them. "PLEASE!" his weeping wife screamed at the top of her lungs. "I don't wanna die... I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I don't wanna..." the little filly sobbed, pressing her tear-stained face against her mother's chest. Suddenly, the huge, black, ethereal behemoth opened its oily maw and flames, filling the entire space with seething flames. It was a pain that Hellfire had never experienced before in his entire life. Every section of his body was filled with broiling heat. He thrashed and twisted, screaming in agony like he had never screamed before. His joints cramped from the overwhelming pain as he pitifully kicked and thrashed in empty space. He opened his eyes to see his daughter and wife far in front of him in the distance, swirling helplessly like feathers in the wind. Bit by bit, he could see their husks burn, revealing their coal-black skeletons. The black shadow whirled around, perching itself above the two burning ponies. Its eyes squinted in humor as it saw the burning pony in the distance. "pUNY sTALLION," it grumbled. Hellfire cried out in despair, reaching hopelessly for them before they were devoured by the shadow. "NO!!" the stallion shouted. His eyes were met with the periwinkle glow of Princess Luna's moon shining through the window. His nose was filled with the musky scent of his sweat-stained bedsheets. Everywhere he looked, he saw stoned walls, darkened by the night. A short stool was sitting next to his bed, looking as lonesome as he was. What was he doing here? He shouldn't be here... He should be at his home, lying in bed with his beautiful wife and his little filly resting between him and her. Yet... He couldn't... They were gone. His only family. The family he had started. Gone forever... He was alone. Hellfire's breathing quivered, shoulders shaking in grief. His eyes squeezed shut and his jaw clenched as he crouched miserably over his hind legs underneath the sheets. He shakily gasped for air from his silent weeping. The ghastly images in his head keep coming back to torture him. Their frightened faces... How closely they were hugging each other... The tears streaming from Obsidia's eyes... Their dissipating bodies in the rushing pillar of fire... The dragon's snide, spiteful expression... Hellfire's shaking had come to an end. His eyebrows furrowed deeply. A snarl formed on his mouth, annexing to the small growling that sounded in his sinuses. That damned dragon... Suddenly, a bright light flickered over his head, rudely interrupting his train of vengeful thought. He heard the sound of the door handle being handled by magic. It creaked open to reveal a two guards, wearing full armor. They walked slowly in. The moment they walked in, they stepped to the side, creating an opening between them. Then, from between the two guards walked in Princess Celestia, looking as beautiful and regal as always. Her expression was blank, only slightly saddened. She stopped in her place and took her time to look at Hellfire in his sweat-soaked sheets. The orange stallion could only silently look back at her. The alicorn avoided the gaze when she shut her eyes. "You two may leave us alone," she said. "Ma'am," one of them muttered as he nodded. The two guards whipped around and exited the room, shutting the door quietly behind them. The two ponies in the room could hear the two guards stomp their hooves onto the ground, meaning that they were standing just right outside of the door. The princess slowly stepped up closer. She shifted the seat with her magic behind her and took a seat right next to Hellfire. Her concerned eyes were fixed on him. "How do you feel?" she asked with much concern. The stallion never looked up to meet her gaze. HIs head hung over his shoulders, gazing at the white sheets that laid over his hind legs. "Not well..." he replied. Silence loomed between the two solitary figures. The princess' eyebrows bunched together, hearing how bluntly he answered her. She heaved a depressed sigh through her small nostrils, knowing that this was an unfortunate time for him. Before she was about to speak, Hellfire cut in. "What news of the dragon?" "It... It flew away," she replied, internally bracing herself for any outburst. "It had ceased threat upon us. It's no longer attacking anypony. The mission is off." A snarling sigh flew out of Hellfire's nostrils, shaking his head. "No... Not yet... It is far from off." Oh, no... Just as she feared... She spoke softly. "Hellfire, you can't..." "'CAN'T'??" he barked. "That infernal beast has murdered my family, and you say I can't?" "The dragon has disappeared. It's over." "No! It has not disappeared! It's still out there! We can kill it! Make it suffer for the unforgivable crime it committed in my presence!" "No, Hellfire, you can't! It's too dangerous! The dragon was too powerful. We were only lucky that it had decided to quit its rampage. It's foolish to go chasing after it. Even if you did approach it, you will die!" "That will not stop me! Nothing will! My family's honor must be withheld! I will not lie here while that damned beast is mocking them! Mocking me!" he snapped back, kicking his sheets off. "Calm yourself right now!" Celestia's voice grew more irritated. "I will not!" he said, grabbing his sheathed sword. "There must be retribution! I will end that bastard's life! Send the hellish fiend back to Tartarus from whence it came! By then, justice will prevail!" "You're not talking about justice, Hellfire, you're talking about revenge. Seeking revenge is dangerous! If you even allow one smidgen of it into your mind, you will lose yourself! You will lose everything! You are important to us! To your brothers and sisters in arms! You can't take that risk! If you lose somepony who matters to you, you have to move on. You can't linger in the darkness." "Then so be it!!" he snapped back, as he was strapping on his armor. "As long as that beast is lying in it own river of blood, then my goal will be accomplished! It takes my family's lives, I take its life! Nopony will stop me! Not even you, Princess!" "You will not go anywhere! You must remain at your post, Lieutenant!" Hellfire's head whirled around to face the alicorn. "What good will that do?! What good will sitting around, doing nothing but worrying about it do?! Nothing! Only with revenge will things be settled! Revenge! Something you know so little of! You know nothing of how I feel! You nothing about losing a family! You know nothing about losing somepony who meant the world to you! You know nothing of--!" "ENOUGH!" her rarely-used Canterlot voice bellowed, nearly deafening him. Hellfire flinched, startled by the sudden outburst. He saw the alicorn princess standing up with the stool tipped over behind her. Her lips were cracked open, showing a small portion of her baring teeth, and her eyebrows were deeply furrowed. "This is exactly what I was warning you about yesterday," she said grimly. "Your lust for revenge and violence has corrupted your mind, causing you to act so brutishly. You've even struck one of your own comrades with your own blade! Not only is that a sign of disorderly conduct, it's also a sign of treason! Families die all the time, Hellfire! You are not the first who lost somepony who mattered the most to you!" She paused as her mind traced back to that fateful day one thousand years ago. She saw Luna's defeated and betrayed expression the moment she had dissipated in a smokey aura that flew into the night sky. She could see the tears from her own eyes that puddled on top of the chamber floor which she collapsed upon. Her ears echoed the sound of her own bitter weeping. She did not wish to mention it, because the sad memories would only grow worse, feeling that she had been insulted enough. Hopefully, Hellfire would remember that story. "You will not go out and seek revenge! Otherwise, you can forget about being promoted! In fact, you could forget about being part of the Royal Guard!" Hellfire's angry expression suddenly faltered to shock. "If you believe being a Royal Guard allows you to have full authority to swing your sword at anything that moves, then you are gravely mistaken! You would not deserve to be a Royal Guard anymore if keep believing that," she said before turning to the door and snatching Hellfire's sword from his grasp with her magic. "Now, you are to remain here until further notice. Your family is dead. You'll have to move on, or move out." She shut the door, not saying another word. Outside, she heaved a great sigh, fighting back her tears and rubbing her forehead with her hoof. "Princess," one of the guards standing by the door asked her. "Are you all right?" "I'm... I'm fine," he fibbed, trying to regain composure. Once she had regained it, she turned to them. "I need you two to stay here. He must not go anywhere. Keep this with you." She levitated the sword to him, strapping it around his torso. They exchanged nods and Celestia turned to walk down the hall, leaving them in charge of guarding the door. The hall was silent, except for the sound of a pair of hooves clopping against the stone floor. The further she had walked, the calmer she became. She looked back toward the door, which was growing smaller in the distance. Her eyebrows bunched together. How that meeting turned out, she wished it could have turned out better. Sure, Hellfire was acting brash, rude, and reckless, but... Did she really have to yell at him? Especially while he was still feeling traumatized by the murder of his family? He must have felt devastated. Defeated... Just like how she felt when she had banished Luna... "Next time..." she muttered to herself. "I'll have to be more patient with him. More sensitive... I'll come back for you, Hellfire." She disappeared in the dim hallways. Back in the room, the stallion stood in front of the closed door. Ever since Celestia left the room, he had hardly moved a muscle. He blankly stared the door as numerous thoughts came rushing into his mind, each one of them making him feel more bitter than the last. Relieved of duty as a Royal Guard? She had threatened him with an dishonorable discharge if he sets out to restore his family's honor? Making him decide between his dream and his family? Did she really think that his family was so easy to forget and abandon to pursue his dream? Did she really think that his family was nothing of value? Did she think that he was going to choose to be a coward? Did she think of him as nothing more than a brute, an animal, or a unruly foal? She knows nothing... he thought, clenching his jaw tightly. She... knows... NOTHING. Golden Dune and Obsidia have much more worth to me than she will EVER imagine. She thinks that lowly of them? His breathing grew louder, until they hissed through his nostrils. He heard wind brush past the panes of the window behind him. The sound of the creaking reminded him much of the vicious growling the dragon emitted when it sealed his family's doom. The dragon's invisible smile was stilling mocking him. Oh, how he was embracing the sweet, sweet notion of feeling his blade sink into the beast's forehead, wiping that grin off of its face and substituting it for a look of defeat and humiliation. However, he knew he was not going to experience that feeling if he was going to continue to be Celestia's captive. "Very well, Princess..." he softly growled. "I will be the brute..." ---------- The two guards stood, erect and silent as statues as their vigilant eyes scanned all nooks and crannies of the hallway. It took only an hour for their eyes to feel dry and sandy and their limbs clench in discomfort. At least, that was how long it felt. They had no clue exactly how long they were standing watch. There was no clock present in the empty hallway. As much as they were trained to be patient, they could not help but wonder when the sun princess will return, just so they could finally find the time to stretch out their limbs and quench their drying eyes. One of them gave in too early. He was levitating Hellfire's weapon in the air in front of him. His horn magic enveloped the handle of the sword and it slowly pulled the chromatic blade out of its sheath. The blade hummed as it flew in the air. "Hoo!" he hooted in admiration. "Lt. Hellfire sure has a sick sword." The other guard's focus turned to his side to look at the soldier admiring the regal weapon. At first, he was going to reprimand him of tampering with somepony's property, but after seeing the blade, he could not help but grin, impressed. "Hmm, yeah," he nodded, gazing at the sleek, glimmering blade. "I heard that he crafted it himself." "This??" his voice rose in surprise. "By himself?? Damn! I want one of these." "Good luck with that," the other huffed in sarcasm. "You've gotta be pretty elite to wield one of these at such quality." "I can be." "Then don't be such a wuss at push-ups then." CRASH! The sharp, writhing, loud sound of a broken window resounded behind the closed door sealing Hellfire in, which startled the two guards. "What the hell?" the sword-wielding guard gasped. "Put that thing back in its sheath now!" the other hissed. "That sound came from Lt. Hellfire's room. Breaching!!" The stallion bucked the door open and his face was immediately cloaked with the cool wind that rushed out from the room. They automatically pointed their spears in front of them, readying themselves for any sort of combat or action. However, they were only met with an empty, dark, moonlit room. Twinkling shards and shrapnels of glass lay before the large window, which opened up nature behind its broken panes. They lowered their weapons once they realized that the stallion they were guarding was no longer in sight. "Lt. Hellfire!" the sword wielding guard called. "Lt. Hellfire, please respond!" The other guard's face softened in shock. "Oh, no... Don't tell me he's--." He trotted past the bed and up to the shattered window, poking his head past the panes to see the tall trees of the forest spear up toward him. He leaned further forward to see the steep slope of the mountain underneath, the bottom disappearing into the thick foliage of the dark forest. The wind was filling his ears. "Luna's mane, he bucking topped himself! Oh, jeez, this is not good! Not good at--!" He felt a hoof grab his back and yank him around with great force. With his mind foggy from the sudden turn-around, he failed to see a large shard of glass spear directly at him. His mind awakened too late. The gnarly, jagged shard of glass lanced into his neck, tangling itself between the muscles and tendons underneath. He saw a dark face glare fiercely into his shocked eyes. His mouth was instantly filled with his own blood, preventing him from saying anything other than a gurgle. "WHOA! HOLY SH--!" the other guard screamed, aghast and greatly unprepared of what just happened. After shoving the downed guard out of the window, the dark figure lunged at the other with great speed. However, spurred by shock, the guard lifted his spear to meet it. He swung at it repeatedly until it was gripped by clasped hooves. It yanked at the spear, causing the guard to lurch forward uncontrollably. The dark figure veered past him, unsheathing the sword from the guard's side. Then, the guard recovered from his lurch and whirled around, lifting his spear for a thrust kill. The dark figure crouched low over the floor, lifting its sword in front of its dark face. "The hell you're taking that thing!" the guard shouted. He charged forward and lanced at the dark figure with all of his might. However, the dark figure read him like a book and struck the spear shaft, causing the guard to tip to the side. Then, metal had met flesh and organs. The sword had escaped the other end of the guard's chest with blood freshly gushing down the tip. Blood instantly squirted up the guard's throat, slowly trailing out of his mouth like a chocolate fountain. The dark figure lifted the handle of the sword to its eye level, making the skewered stallion fall to his forelegs. It leaned into the periwinkle moonlight, revealing the blood-dribbled, orange, glaring face of... "Lieu--..." the guard gurgled, praying that his eyes were deceiving him. " He--... Hellfire?" The orange unicorn's nose wrinkled in spite and he thrusted his sword deeper into the guard's body, silencing him. The guard's eyes widened, trying to fight the blackness that was clouding them. However, the piercing glare of the rebel towering over him overwhelmed him, losing his grip with life. His breathing gurgled into silence. His dead eyes were still wide open, holding the expression of shock and despair. Hellfire yanked the sword out of his prey and stood over it like a prize pig. Using his horn magic, he unbuckled the sheath from the husk and strapped it on himself. He surrounded the corpse with his horn magic. After much strain, the corpse was engulfed with orange smoke. It cleared to reveal an exact replicate of himself, still ornate with the sword wound. He grabbed a large shard of glass, similar to the length and girth of his blade and stuck it inside the wound. "This will distract her from hunting me down long enough..." he said grimly to himself. He lifted the limp, bloody body up with his magic and levitated it outside, dropping it like a trash bag. His ear twitched, hearing the sound of flesh and bones bound off of the mountain slope followed by the snapping of tree branches, which was a more distant sound than the last. He looked up from his work, gazing into the forest, hissing in the night breeze. "I'm coming for you, beast..." ---------- Among the blowing blades of grass and the wide, dark tree trunks, a lone, armored stallion sauntered. However, he was not completely engulfed in its darkness, because his horn was glowing a fiery-orange light. The forest's humidity projected a vast ball of light enveloping him, reaching twenty-five feet high into the air. Normally, it would be advised for a Royal Guard to keep the light down to a flicker because it would give away his or her position, but Hellfire ignored it. He wanted to be found, unless the dragon was found first by him. Either way, blood would be spilt. Hellfire squinted through the bright light emitting from his horn. The thick moisture in the air turned the area where the light glowed the brightest into an light-orange cloud. What he saw in front of him was a mess of black and orange with faint silhouettes of grass blades and tree trunks. However, he kept walking forward with a burning passion for vengeance. His hooves trudged carefully over the ground, careful not to trip over anything. Suddenly, he stopped. His head whirled to his left, seeing a bright color flicker from behind the trees. He heard something coming from the right like a sound of bushes being quickly brushed by. The color on his left flickered past the trees again. The sound reappeared to his front. Either it was in his head or not, he could hear the soft growling of the doom-sealer reverberate around him. Hellfire pulled his sword out of his sheath halfway, giving his stalker a glimpse of what kind of pony it was messing with. His eyes shifted gingerly to his left and right, not missing a single inch of what was around him. "Come out, you scaly bastard," he growled, lowering his body into a combatting stance. "I have a score to settle with you..." The growling rose louder, snaking around him. "Come out..." He was only met with noise. "COME OUT! FACE ME, YOU COWARD!" he roared in outburst. "I AM NOT FINISHED WITH YOU! COME OUT, AND WE'LL SETTLE THIS LIKE CREATURES WE ARE!" The growling increased, filling his ears. "FACE MEEE!" Then, the growling stopped. The leaves in the trees were stilling hissing in the gentle wind. The orange stallion sneered. Oh, yes. He figured out the dragon's plan: intimidating his prey with its fierce growl while it hides in the shadows, and then it silences itself, deceiving its prey into thinking it had left before it gives its prey the element of surprise. It was all too predictable. He pulled his sword further out. The hissing of the trees disappeared, completely silencing all of what surrounded him. He waited, never releasing the grip of his sword. The moment he heard a noise, he whirled around, fully unsheathing his sword. However, he was not met with force. Nothing leapt out at him. The tip of the sword, shining in the moonlight, met thin air, pointing at a wide tree. Something appeared from behind it. A sand-colored foreleg stepped gracefully into the soft grass. Behind the hoof, followed a slender, smooth body, ornate with golden-blonde hair falling down to one side of its head. Its large, shimmering, crystal eyes gazed lovingly at the armored stallion. Hellfire lowered his sword as he felt his jaw slack in surprise. "G..." he stammered. "Golden Dune." The blonde mare responded with a warm smile and a slow blink of confirmation. Then, from behind her, a small, raven-haired filly leapt out like a happy lamb. "Obsidia," he said with a growing smile. She responded with a happy giggle before she launched herself at him. Hellfire automatically shut off his magic, instantly dropping his sword to the ground, threw his helmet off his head, and opened his forelegs to the little filly. As soon as their bodies touched, his arms wrapped around her tightly like a venus fly-trap. A joyful whimper escaped his mouth as he rocked her in his forelegs. Obsidia rubbed her face into his collar, happy to be with her father. She pushed away gently to find the perfect time to happily and playfully bound around him, still giggling like the happy filly she was. He twirled around, engaging in his daughter's playful bounding. However, as soon as a large, tan blur reached his eye, he stopped, seeing his wife walking slowly toward him, still smiling warmly at him. Her half-open eyes gazed lovingly into his, never breaking away. She stopped directly in front of him. Her foreleg lifted from the ground to push away a loose strand of her husband's long, black hair from his face. Her hoof trailed down to his cheek. The stallion was speechless from the joy that was overfilling his heart. Her soft touch and her crystal gaze warmed his soul like it hadn't been warmed for a thousand years. He felt her hoof push his cheek down, exposing his forehead to her. He felt Golden Dune's moist lips press onto it, which made everything below his head tingle in content. Her soft, hot breath poured onto his forehead, making it dampen with sweet moisture. His eyes shut his eyes as they rolled back into his head, blissfully embracing his wife's tender touch. After releasing the kiss, he pressed her forehead against his, staring half-liddedly at him. Hellfire's fur was being combed by the fur of both of her forelegs, wrapping around his neck. He stared back, never daring to look away. However, he gaze broke when he saw a jagged tip of a flame flicker underneath his chin. Looking at his hooves, he saw flames grow, consuming the grass that he was standing on. He flinched, automatically lifting his hoof. However, he felt no pain. No burning. The fire brushed past his hooves, causing no chance or harm on him. However, Golden Dune was being effected by it. He saw her forelegs slowly dissolve and float away like burning paper. He looked up at his wife, confused over what was going on, but he found that some of her heavenly features were burning away. Obsidia stopped bounding, looking sad as she began fade away like her mother. The flames grew taller, up to Hellfire's chin level. No! He was not going to let this happen to them! He reached out to grab his wife's hoof, but it disintegrated, crumbling away like scorched paper. His breath grew more uneasy as realized there was nothing he could do to prevent them from fading away. He saw Golden Dune shut her eyes and tilt her head up, allowing the flames to fully consume her. Hellfire saw that not only was his wife dissolving away, but the area around him. A breeze licked past him from behind, and everything was gone. Scorched, smoking trees towered over him. Dead, burnt grass crinkled and snapped underneath his hooves. His lungs were breathing a mixture of air and the smoke that lingered. He saw piles of ash and trails of blood belonging to bodies that had been dragged off of the scene. He knew where he wandered off to. It was the grounds of the dragon attack... The deaths of many of his soldiers belonging his platoon... The grave of... Something shimmered at the corner of his eye. His sight turned to a pile of ash that had a peculiar object resting in it. He walked up to it and immediately fell to his haunches. His hoof clawed at the gold chain that was sticking out of the pile and dragged it out. A golden eye was dragged out behind the golden chain. Its luster had faded, but not enough to destroy its shimmer completely. Brown, tarnished patches tainted its previously smooth surface. The eye stared into his soul, screaming images of his deceased family and the neck of his wife that he kissed the night before, plus the other nights he kissed it before. His lips quivered violently and his breath shuddered when he realized that that pile of ash was the ghastly remains of his family. HIs tears moistened the slope of the pile, running down to the burnt grass below. He fell onto his stomach, hiding his weeping face. Mournful hiccups were muffled behind his strong forelegs. "I'm sorry..." he weeped. "I'm so sorry... I wasn't quick enough to save you... If only I had reached you in time, I... I could have saved you... I have failed to protect both of you... I have failed as a husband and a father... Forgive me..." Then, his jaw clenched, gasping for air. "It's that dragon's fault... It's its fault... It has impeded your honor... And Princess Celestia expects me to sit and do nothing to restore it?? She knows nothing! Nothing! I couldn't just remain and allow both of them to defile you!" His weeping reduced to a bitter snarl. "Damn you... Damn you, you vile beast... Damn you, Princess Celestia! Damn you both to the deepest pits of hell!" Suddenly, something heavy landed directly behind him. His eyes widened from behind his forelegs. He slowly looked up to the pile of ash in front of him, which was being blown away by the massive wall of wind emerging from behind his reclined body. A deep growl vibrated through the earth he lied upon. That jeering growl... That, vile, vile growl... Hellfire slowly rose to his hooves. He turned around, and crouching behind him was the damned beast whose claws were coated with the blood of his family. A seething rage boiled inside of Hellfire's muscles, summoning a rage that he had never encountered in his life... ...But, at the same time, felt really soothing. "You..." he snarled. He was responded by the jeering squint of the dragon's eyes. "I've been waiting for you... So you have finally come out of your grimy hole to face me..." He placed his helmet back on his head. He lifted his sword with his magic, pointing the blade at his target. His eyes were screaming with the wild lust for battle. "You have caused great pain and despair onto me and my family. For that, I will punish you by sending you back into your hole in HELL!" The dragon growled fiercely, emitting menacing sparks from inside its maw, eagerly accepting the challenge. "COME!" Hellfire roared. The dragon slammed one of his massive claws into the earth, taking a menacing step forward. It shot its head forward at the unicorn, opening its maw, filled with razor sharp teeth. However, Hellfire veered to one side, dodging it. He swung around, instantly hacking at its neck with his sword. Instead of blood, sparks flew from the scaly mass, bouncing the sword off. This stunned Hellfire, because of the massive energy he put into his swing. The dragon blinked in confusion after it bit down into air. The stallion was quicker than it thought. It whirled around to see its opponent, trying to gain his center of gravity again. Angry and irritated that he had made a fool out of it, the beast snarled as it lifted its claw from the ground, ripping out chunks of earth along with it. Hellfire read the dragon's next move and dove out of the way, avoiding the claw, crashing into where he was standing before. It shook the area, nearly knocking the stallion off of his hooves. However, the dragon was not finished. It lifted its claw and flung it toward the downed Hellfire again. He seeing the massive claw drop on top of him again, he saw he had no time to stand up and dive. He rolled to the side, and the claw had missed him again, only this time by three inches. It repeatedly attempted to crush him again and again, but the orange stallion kept finding maneuvers to dodge its attacks. Snarling in aggravation, the dragon flung its claw down at him once more. Hellfire could feel his brain swirl from all the rolling and dodging he did for the past attempts. He saw the beast's claw closing in fast on him. Knowing that he had less of a chance to dodge it, he used a last-minute surge of magic from his horn, holding the scaly hammer four feet above him. The dragon growled. It knew this kind of strategy. However, it was more difficult to break out of if more than one unicorn was casting this magic. The dragon pushed down against it. Hellfire brow furrowed furiously, trying to push his magic to push back. However, his dizzy mind betrayed him, making him currently feeble with his magic. The heavy claw was inching closer and closer, nearing itself to seal Hellfire's fate. However, the unicorn had a backup. He saw his sword on the ground beside him. If he was going to do this, then he would have to shut off the magic holding the dragon's claw. It would mean instant death. Then again, death was not an option for the stallion. He had to be quick. He took a strained breath and shut off the magic holding the dragon, and quickly focused it on his sword. The claw was closing in on him. Grabbing the entire sword, he yanked toward himself and lifted its point up to the palm of the claw. The claw fell on top of the blade, and the top half of the blade disappeared into the palm with fresh blood leaking out from it. Plus, it had stopped just two inches from Hellfire's nose. Apparently, he had hit the bone to make it stop like that. The dragon roared before it wailed in pain. It lifted its claw, seeing the sword stuck in it like a skewer. The dragon did not know that Hellfire was still attached to it, because this telekinetic magic was strong in a limited range, and it would reel him in with it. The unicorn scrambled onto the dragon's wrist and twisted the blade in its fleshy sheath. The dragon roared in pain again. It shook its claw furiously, flinging Hellfire off, along with the sword. The unicorn landed near some large boulders protruding from the ground. His sword landed twenty feet away from him. Hellfire sprang to his hooves, smiling with pride, seeing that he was able to hurt the beast. Its pain pleased him. The behemoth looked at the open, bleeding wound in its palm. It belched a blood-curdling growl, getting angry at the orange stallion. Hellfire dashed toward his sword. Though, already, the dragon learned that if he was to get a grasp of that sword again, defeating him would be more difficult. It inhaled deeply and sparks erupted from its maw. It breathed a massive pillar of fire in front of the stallion, stopping him in his tracks. Hellfire sprung back, avoiding the wall of the rushing inferno. However, the dragon's head turned to face Hellfire, shifting the pillar of fire toward him. The unicorn scrambled to avoid. Just before it touched him, he crouched behind one of the boulders protruding from the ground. Licks of fire curled around it, making Hellfire's sides hot. His eyes shifted left and right, trying to find an opening, but the flames curling around the boulder sealed the way. His sides grew hotter, and the flames protruding from the boulder's sides began to near him. Droplets of seething, melted rock dripped down from the top, drooling down on him. Hellfire cussed in his breath, believing that this was going to the end of the line, until something shimmered four feet in front of him. Squinting through the brightness and heat of the flames, he saw that the shimmering object was a spearhead, which had fallen off one of the Royal Guards' lances. He enveloped it with his horn magic and reeled it toward him. His turned his head, pressing his cheek against the boulder. He levitated the spearhead up to his face. If he even so much as inched his head around the boulder, his face would melt to the bone. He looked at the flames flying past the boulder. Determining the direction they were blowing, the dragon had to be right... ...THERE! He shot the spearhead up past the flames and hurled it with all of the power his horn could carry. The dragon noticed the flying dart, but dodged too late. The spearhead shot by, slashing deep into its the side of its nose, tearing the cartilage. The pain startled the beast, shutting off its fire. It brushed at its nose crazily with its forearm, driven wild by the stinging pain, the nose being a sensitive and lightly armored body part of a dragon. It wailed, smearing its face with its own blood. Hellfire peeked around the boulder to see the damage he had done and he huffed in victory. A great and lucky shot! His sword was lying on the ground, waiting for him to wield it. He pushed off of the boulder, sprinting to it at full speed. The dragon saw him and snarled loudly, maddened by Hellfire's missile. It slammed its blood-smeared claw into the earth and shot another pillar of fire at him. The stallion saw the wall of the inferno zoom in on him, and he dug his hooves into the ground, skidding behind another boulder. He pushed against the ground to prevent him from sliding out the other side. He nearly lost his balance the moment he stopped and lurched forward. The wall of the inferno kissed his nose, nearly burning off the fur that resided there. He responded quickly by shooting a bullet of magic from his horn, using the blowback to his advantage. He fell onto his back, safe behind the boulder. He scrambled back onto his hooves, pressing his back against the stone shield. He could see the handle of his sword peek out from the wall of fire that blew past his shelter. He cussed in his breath. He was so close to getting it, and now the blade would have already melted in the fire. However, after a lurch of the dragon's head to one direction, he found out that he was wrong. His blade was still intact and sturdy. Because it was able to withstand the temperature of the fire, the blade had also absorbed the scalding heat, making it glow a bright orange-yellow. Hellfire's eyebrow rose as a gruesome battle tactic crossed his mind. The fire consumed it again, because the beast had rocked its head back into pinpoint position to seal away the unicorn's escape. Through the flames, Hellfire enveloped the handle of the sword with his magic, reeling it in toward him. He lifted his sword, meeting the blade with his eye level. The blade sizzled and sung a high-pitched, continuous ring. Now, to find another opening. Still holding the sword with his magic, he lifted his helmet off of his head. He calculated the direction the fire was blowing and locked on his target. This time, he aimed higher. He shot his helmet up past the fire and launched it at the dragon. However, the dragon had grown wise of Hellfire's strategy, and ducked its head to avoid the missile. Back at Hellfire, he looked up to see the fire wall parting above him. He leapt up, darting out the opening. As he was in the air, he saw the dragon's head, still ducking low. It wasn't long until the dragon noticed him in the air. It hurled another pillar of fire, directing all of it at him. However, the stallion's horn glowed brightly, and he immediately disappeared in an orange flash, avoiding the dragon's fire at the dot. Another orange flash flashed just to the side of the burning column and closer to the dragon's face. Shooting out of the magic smog was the orange stallion with his sword hovering at his side. He closed in on the dragon's head, twisting his body in the air, preparing to hurl a huge, heavy hack. "HHRRYYYYAAAAAAAAAH!" He swung with all of his might, and the blade sank into the monster's eyeball, running out of the other side like a knife slicing into an orange. The dragon's wailing roar of pain pierced the night sky. Blood squirted out of its wound like a fountain, raining onto the ground. Hellfire still flew, running into the dragon's wing. He punctured the blade into the paper-like tissue and glided down, tearing it apart in his wake. He landed on the ground, avoiding the dragon's wild, staggering movements. Hot blood speckled onto his face. He snarled in bliss, seeing the glorious damage he had caused onto such a large creature. "And Princess Celestia believes that I couldn't hold this beast out on my own? Think again, Princess!" he sneered to himself. The dragon's staggering had stilled. Smoke leaked out from its nostrils along with the cut that he had made. It whirled its head around, shooting a hellish glare at the orange unicorn stallion, who was gloating at it. Hellfire smirked as he lifted his blood-stained sword in front of his face, looking past it. This battle was far from over. It had begun. ---------- A white, graceful, regal, yet weary alicorn sauntered slowly in the long hallway. She could feel her horn throb and pulsate throughout her skull. Her eyes were wrinkled below, displaying bags. All of this was as a result of her finishing sinking the sun over the horizon. However, the gleaming beauty that looms all over the rest of her body overshadowed her weary expression, making it look less noticeable. She was still as beautiful as a white rose. She sighed sadly through her nose. She knew the reason why she returned to the hall. She still had to apologize and show more sympathy to Hellfire. The last visit was less than what she wished. She lost her sister one thousand years ago. He lost his family a few hours ago. She had been through such an event before. Only she had the power to console and sympathize with him. The darkness that loomed near the torches of the halls were merciful on her weary eyes. However, something struck her, making her more awake than she was. She noticed that the guards were no longer standing by the doors. This struck some frustration in her. She had given them specific orders to remain where they were until she had returned. However, she did not bother. She was too tired to show frustration. One the other hoof, who knows if the two guards were needed for an important call of duty? Whatever the reason, she remained with her goal. The door was closed, unknownst to her that it was shut by the wind blowing through the broken window. She walked up to it, and knocked it gently. She did not enter, though. Hellfire was an emotional wreck. Learning from his attitude from earlier, she believed it would be best to stay clear of him. "Hellfire," she spoke softly, but loud enough to be heard from behind the door. "It's me. Princess Celestia." She waited for a sound. Nothing came. "I have come to apologize for the attitude I had displayed from earlier. You... You just lost your family. You must feel so traumatized, and... and defeated... grief-stricken... It was pretty foolish of me to grow impatient of you, using my old-fashioned 'Canterlot Voice'." She giggled lightly at her small joke, trying to lighten the mood. She faltered back into sympathy. "Trust me, Hellfire... I have been through this pain before. I had to banish my dear sister, Luna, for a long, long time. It felt as if she really was dead inside my heart. I wanted more than anything to bring her back, but there was no way to make it possible. I just wished I had done something more to calm her, to prevent that sad event from happening. I'm sure we all have done something in the past that we could have done better at." She could feel her dry eyes moisten with tears. "I understand your pain, Hellfire. You have to listen to me. You mustn't let this corrupt you, no matter how much it hurts. I know I had almost slipped into that one thousand years ago. I had nearly lost my subjects' loyalty because of my moodiness. Instead, I had moved on. I want you move on, too, Hellfire, because I love you, just as I love every single one of my subjects. It would hurt me so much lose even one of them. Even you..." She stood in the dim hallways silently. She inhaled sharply, fighting back the urge to burst into tears. She swallowed the thick saliva in her mouth, which pained her straining throat. "Please, Hellfire," her voice began to croak. "Let go of your lust for revenge. Let me help you. We could get through this together, you and I." ... "Please," she whispered beckoningly. Whooooooossssshh... She could hear the wind hiss from the opening between the floor and the door. She also heard the slight tinkle of what sounded like broken glass. Her face softened, growing in confusion, which then transformed into disbelief. "H-Hellfire?" she spoke near the wood of the door. She turned the doorknob of the door and pushed it open. However, it was pushing against her and the cool wind wrapped around her, spilling onto her white coat of fur. She pushed harder against it until it was fully open and angled away from the doorway. The scattered broken glass... The blood on the floor... The gaping window... Celestia gasped, praying to the stars that her eyes were playing tricks on her. However, her prayers were for naught. This was what she was seeing in reality. The empty window panes creaked, calling for her to take a look outside. Her gold-decorated hooves carefully walked over the broken glass and blood until she was standing right in front of the large opening. She leaned forward, poking her head out from past the empty window panes. She looked down to see the treetops lancing up towards her like a pit of spikes. She could not see through the foliage because of the darkness. She spread her wings and leapt graciously out of the window, careful to avoid the jagged edges of the window. She swooped down, hovering over the slope of the mountain. Once she reached the bottom at the edge of the forest, she spread her wings to brake, giving her a soft landing. She saw bits of glass sparkle among the blades of the grass. She neared them, only to find some blood diffuse in the grass as well. She gasped loudly, automatically covering her gaping mouth with her gold-capped hoof. Her eyes began to strain, pushing out tears. "Oh, no..." she whispered. There, in front of her was the orange stallion, on his back with his legs splaying up into the air as he lied in his own puddle of blood. He was covered in scratches and other punctured bit of glass. His dead eyes gazed into the night sky. She slowly walked up to his corpse, kneeling on all fours next to it. A tear dripped onto its blood speckled coat. "I'm sorry, Hellfire," she whispered in tears. "I'm so, so sorry... I wasn't fast enough to help you..." She bit her lip, realizing the cruel coincidence of this event. What she said earlier... Her chin wrinkled as her wet cheek nuzzled the dead orange stallion's belly. Her shoulders trembled from each silent sob she made. "Forgive me..." she shakily whispered. "This is all my fault..." She remained with his silent body for five minutes until she taken her cheek off of him. Her long horn glowed, spurting yellow sparks and an aura. Another yellow aura reappeared, concealing the body, lifting him up gently. She spread her wings and beat them slowly, summoning a slow take-off, carrying the body with her as well with her magic. She landed back into the shattered room and walked past the broken glass up to the door. She walked out, still carrying the corpse and into the room next to it. She placed the body gently on top of the bed. The remaining blood on the body stained the white sheets. She grabbed the covers and slowly drawn it over the body. She lifted the flap of the sheet to cover his face, but she stopped to look at the orange stallion's silent face. His eyes were still gaping open. She pushed his eyelids down with her white hoof. Now, his face looked peaceful. Celestia swallowed the pushing urge to weep. She shut her eyes and leaned forward to plant a kiss on his forehead. "Forgive me, Hellfire..." she whispered before unfolding the sheet over his face. ---------- It felt as if hours had past. Hellfire crouched low to the ground, panting heavily, squinting through the sweat that rolled excessively from his brow. Every inch of his fur coat was dampened with excess sweat, nearly dripping onto the earth he stood upon. Huge chunks of his armor were torn off by the dragon's vicious claws. He was lucky enough to avoid instant death when those claws struck him, but he hardly managed to escape their wrath. Deep, damp, dripping cuts were bare on his body where the armor used to cover. The entire left-front of his chest piece was ripped off, leaving a large, gnarly, deep cut starting up the top-right of his neck, crossing over down to his right collar bone. One of his left leg piece was torn off, leaving a deep, bleeding cut in its wake. Blood flowed plentifully from his wounds, but Hellfire took no effect from the blood-loss. He expressed no weaziness, no weakness, no simple sign of giving in. His rage was what was keeping him alive. Pure, seething, bloody, hellish rage... His heavy panting reduced to growling, eyeing his roaring opponent in front if him. The dragon dug its bloodied and scratched claws into the earth, tearing viciously into it. Air hissed repetitively out of its nostrils in the growing fatigue it was experiencing. Deep wounds were visible past the broken and knocked-off scales that used to reside on its body. They were covering its arms, parts of its belly, its legs, the neck, and even its head. Hot, scarlet blood leaked from them like rivers, wedging and passing between scales and dripping off its elbows, chin, and underbelly. It snarled in irritation. How could one, small, measly pony weaken a massive and dangerous beast like itself? Alone? It did not make any sense! However, the dragon believed it was no excuse to be slain by the likes of him. Sparks erupted from its maw. "You still persist, heathen?" growled the orange stallion. "THEN, FINE BY ME!!" "FINE BY ME!!" the little colt shouted, launching himself at the fat, navy-blue colt. Hellfire launched himself at the dragon. The dragon swung its bloody claw at him, only met by a leaping dodge by the orange stallion. He leapt onto its torn wing, bounding off of it toward the dragon's head. The little colt shot landed a hard hoof to the bully's eye. He slashed the other eye like a hot knife through butter. The dragon screeched in pain as blood squirted out from behind its eyelid. The stallion twisted around in the air to see the success of his damage. However, he was far from over. After a bright glow shining from his horn, he vanished in into thin air and reappeared, perched on top of the dragon's head. He landed on top of him, pinning him down. Seeing his opponent open and defenseless, he let out a barrage of hard punches onto his face, strike after strike... With all of his might, Hellfire began to hammer the top of the dragon's scaled head. The dragon roared in defiance, trying to brush him off. However, the stallion kept slamming his blade down onto its head with sparks dancing from the blade. Each strike stroke a heavy, harmonic bang. The scales being beaten down by Hellfire's strikes began to dent and chip, which was not fast enough for the unicorn. He hammered down on them harder, expelling angry growls from behind his baring teeth. Now, the scales were being flung off and broken by Hellfire's chipping blade. Bits of metal and broken scale flung into his face. The dragon underneath his hooves snarled, reaching the slippery end of its rope. It raised its mighty claw into the air, aiming for the top of its skull. Hellfire saw bare flesh past the dented and broken scales. The beast extended its claws, exposing the sharp edges. The unicorn lifted his blade high above his head, pointing the tip straight down. The claw began its heavy descent. "RRYYYYAAAAAAHH!!!" Hellfire roared, spearing the blade down with all of his might. The tip of the blade cut through the flesh, broke past the shell of the skull, and punctured down deep into its brain. The dragon wailed over the excruciating pain, knocking its claw off-course. However, the claw did not miss much of him. Two of the tips of the dragon's natural weapon struck the armor covering his rear. The sharp tips punctured the armor and dug into his right flank, tearing viciously down to his first joint. Hellfire bared his teeth against the pain and tightened his grip of the handle of the sword sticking out of the dragon's head. Underneath him, the creature's head whipped around uncontrollably. Its legs fumbled with the grip on the ground, making it swerve and sway. Its large, torn wings flapped wildly, creating a tsunami of wind. Balls of fire spasmodically shot out from its mouth. Then, all of the dragon's movements were at rest to make way for the tip-over. After its final wailing roar, it swayed backwards and crashed onto the ground, creating a huge earthquake in the area. Dirt and debris shot up into the air. Then, all was silent, except for the hissing smoke from the dragon's open mouth. Hellfire opened his eyes after shutting them from the floating debris. Seeing that everything was silent, he yanked his sword out from the dragon's head. Blood dripped from its chipped surface as well as chunks of metal that still hung on. He panted heavily as he climbed up the dragon's long neck and up to its belly. A soothing wave of bliss coated his innards as he saw the dead beast, under his hooves, ornate with numerous wounds and splotches of blood. His breathing grew louder, relishing the his victory. He rose his sword into the air and with the remaining energy that remained in him, he summoned a battle cry, echoing loudly past the towering trees of the forest. ---------- Celestia's ear twitched, whipping around to catch the sound from behind the window beside the stairway that was leading up into her royal bedroom. "What in the heavens was...?" she mumbled. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she squinted through her own reflection, seeing a gargantuan, warped tower of smoke rise from the forest. Not looking away from the tower, she turned to descend the stairs, but was stopped by a hoof pressing onto her chest. "No, sister," a navy-blue alicorn said in a serious tone. "You must get your rest. I'll see to this." Celestia was surprised at her sister's sudden appearance, but she was also surprised at her determination. She had never seen her little sister go off into a conflict on her own. "Luna..." she said softly. "It's all right, sister. Don't worry about me," the smaller alicorn nodded. Celestia automatically reeled her into a hug, holding her tightly against her chest. "Please be careful," she whispered. "Nnf! 'Tiaaa! I'm going to be fiiiine!" her sister groaned. "I'm not a little filly!" The white alicorn hugged tighter. She already lost Hellfire; she could not bear to lose Luna either. She was suffering enough from sadness. After ten seconds of being held in her older sister's embrace, Luna gently wriggled out of Celestia's arms. "I must go, but I will return, my sister." The night princess shot a beam of magic at an area of a window, and its surface became wavy like water. She flapped her dark wings, hovering in the air. Then, she passed through the window, splashing through it. Dark chariots and bat-winged troops dove from the night sky and followed behind their leader. ---------- "Be damned, beast..." Hellfire sneered in spite. "Your blood has been shed." He pawed his hooves into the dragon's dead hide, climbing down. However, his weak legs gave in, causing him to tumble and fall roughly onto the ground, landing on his shoulder. He groaned in pain, also feeling his energy diminish. His muscles felt weak and feeble when he tried to stand back up. He lurched forward, falling onto his front. His head felt like it was dropped into the wall of a whirlpool and had been shot out of it again. His vision began to blur, seeing two of everything in his path. Blood dripped noisily onto the ground, making small sounds. His breathing sounded rattly, wheezing deeply. He took a slow step forward, lethargically walking forward. He lifted his sword handle, but the tip toppled over, touching the ground. The tip of the sword drew a line in the earth, leaving a bloody line in its wake. He did it. He killed the beast. All by himself. He avenged his family. But, why was he still feeling unsatisfied? He killed the killer. It should have ended right at the moment the dragon drew its last breath, but it didn't. No, the dragon was not the only one who tainted his family's honor. Suddenly, the energy that resided in his body from earlier had resurrected inside his soul. He raised the tip of his blade from the ground. It shined in the moonlight. This was the time of night when the Princess of the Sun slumbers. "Now, Princess Celestia," he said menacingly. "I'm coming for you..." ---------- "Guard the princess," Shining Armor said to two Royal Guards standing in front of him. "Apparently, some strange things are happening tonight. Plus, with that dragon still on the loose, we'll never know if it ever picks up where it left off. We will not take any chances after a debacle like that." The two guards nodded in understanding. "All right. Your orders have been given. Guard her with your life." "Sir!" they said in unison. The white unicorn turned away, walking with heavy hooves and a hanging head. Princess Celestia's voice kept echoing in his head from the last conversation they shared. "Shining Armor..." "Yes, Princess?" "I... I'm so sorry..." "About what?" There was silence. "What's the matter, Princess?" "I... I was walking back to visit Hellfire again. I wanted to make amends for the last visit, but when I got there..." Shining Armor's breathing tensed up. "He was gone..." "What?! Gone?? That selfish son of a--! Well, we can't just stand around and do nothing! We've got to find him! I'll send in some recon scouts to--!" "But, he's already been found." "Then, what--?" "He was found... Dead..." He could hear his own breath being cut short. "Threw himself out of the window... Stories high... He... He was impaled by the glass that met him below... It was too late to save him..." Silence crawled in again. Shining Armor was silent as the corpse. "I'm so sorry, Shining Armor..." she said tearily. "I wish it wasn't true, but..." She could not finish, feeling guilty as she was. "He was your best friend since foalhood," she said, swallowing the saliva that built up in her mouth. "You have my deepest condolences..." The sound of departing hooves followed by the sound of a shutting door echoed throughout the chamber. His eyes were dark from the shade of the helmet as he hung his head. A pink hoof slithered underneath his chin and lifted his face to see a pink alicorn wearing a gold tiara and a long, lemon-yellow, maroon, and purple mane. Her large, violet eyes looked into his, expressing sadness. "I heard the news..." she said to him. Shining Armor's eyes shifted downwards, avoiding his fiancé's gaze. He tightened his lips, stifling the will to tear up. However, it was too stubborn. His eyes began to moisten. "He..." his words slowly came out. "I was going to ask him to be my best stallion..." Bitter tears trailed from his eyes, dripping slowly onto the marble floor. "That selfish idiot..." The pink alicorn's eyes fluttered, feeling teary herself. She slid her hooves around her lover's neck, pulling him in for a sympathetic hug. "I'm going to miss him, too..." "One more than others, Cadence," he whimpered, tightly hugging her back. ---------- Celestia could not sleep. Screaming images of Hellfire and his stunned expression polluted her mind. Why did she have to grow impatient with him? Why didn't she act more sympathetic with him earlier? He would still be alive. She pulled the covers farther up to her neck. Periwinkle squares of light crept up from windows of balcony door and towered themselves up to the middle of the princess' mattress., warping along with the curves of her body. All of her room was dark, being overshadowed by the violet night sky. She saw the silhouettes of the two guards vigilantly standing outside on her balcony. On the other side of her room was a red cloth banner, which was hung in memoriam of the soldiers who died tonight, defending his or her nation. The color resembled the blood that had been spilt on the field of battle. She shut her eyes, trying to calm her mind from the tragedy of earlier. She imagined her mother singing a lullaby to her when she was a little filly. Her sweet, soothing voice... Her gentle hooves stroking her mane... Her breaths elongated relaxingly. Her mind had settled down, finally grabbing ahold of much desired sleep... ...Not noticing the single, towering shadow creeping over her curved form. The balcony door slowly creaked open, leaking a weak breeze from the crack. As it opened, a figure silently walked in. Two pairs of white and gray hooves fell to the ground limply behind it, lying in puddles of blood. A pair of eyes glistened in anger as they spotted the sleeping entity, open to attack. As it walked into the squared of light, the figure's coat glistened an orange color, revealing symmetrical patches of dirt like it used to wear armor. Its black hair blew past its head. A sword slowly slid out of its sheath, and its blade lifted up, reflecting moonlight onto the figure's face, full of spite and grim intention. "May your eyes awaken the moment this blade strikes, Princess..." Hellfire sneered. He used his magic to slowly push the covers down past the sleeping alicorn's shoulders. He lifted his sword up into the air, pointing the tip at the base of her neck. "...I want to see the look of irony and despair in your eyes as they gaze upon the one who has slain you tonight." He lifted it up higher, readying the kill. "Hm... The irony..." "SISTER!!" screamed a voice behind him. After a flash of blue magic shooting at his back, Hellfire was launched over Celestia's bed, flying into the red banner and crashing the furniture behind it. Celestia had woken up with a start, gasping in surprise. She saw her sister, Luna, perched onto the railing of the balcony with her glowing horn pointing forward in combat. To the other side of her room was something shifting underneath the banner. "Luna! What's going on??" the awakened alicorn asked. From under the red cloth, the orange stallion could see the navy-blue alicorn. He cussed foully in his breath. He could not believe he had forgotten about her meddling sister. He stood up, pulling the banner over his face to prevent them from seeing his identity. "That scum had just attempted to slay you in your sleep!" the moon princess said. "Have at thee, whelp!" Hellfire tugged out two tongues of the cloth at his neck and quickly fastened a pin onto them, making a spur-of-the-moment cloak. He reeled his sword back to him and lunged at the sun princess. Luna acted fast and shot at him again. As it hit his body, the little arrows of magic dispersed, circling around him. The small beams wove themselves into a floating sphere, barricading him inside. He hammered his blade against the barrier, only to be bounced off with every strike he made. Through it, he could see Celestia stare stupidly at him. He growled viciously, trying to near himself toward her, still adamant of doing her harm. "Have you forgotten that I am here, pony?" Luna smiled tauntingly at him. "You NEVER slay my sister when I am around! Your foolishness is what had given you away." Because of the pesky sister's jeering, the stallion's rage only quadrupled. His horn began to glow brightly, summoning magic of brute force. He crouched low to the bottom of the barrier, obtaining all the energy within him. An orange barrier expanded around him, pushing against Luna's blue barrier. "Ha, ha! You think you could break out of this, whelp? Well, you are wrong!" the princess of the night laughed in jest. "You are combatting against alicorn magic, which is far too strong for the likes of--!" After a loud growl of strain, Hellfire pumped all of the strength into his expanding barrier, cracking the surface of the blue barrier. Luna's face faltered. She had underestimated the power of rage that resided in one determined pony. "What? Impossib--!" Luna's barrier cracked open, showering a bright maelstrom of light, blinding both of the sisters. When the light cleared, the two alicorns were alone. "But... That's impossible!" the navy-blue alicorn exclaimed. "Nopony had ever escaped my bubble barrier! Or is it that I did not add enough strength? Oh, curses!" She noticed her sister, staring comatosely out the balcony door. Luna dashed over to her, craning her neck to inspect her sister of any wounds. "'Tia! Are you all right? Are you hurt?" she asked. "I... I'm fine," she stammered. "Oh, thank the stars!" Luna sighed. "I was so worried about you! I was on my way back from investigating the premises when I saw your slain guards. I was deathly frightened for your safety." "My guards?" she asked cluelessly. She looked down to see her two guards lying in their own blood. She gasped in fright. If her sister hadn't come, then she would have suffered the same fate as they did. "He was going to stab you through the neck! That fiend! How dare he tried to take your life!" her little sister ranted, pacing angrily. "This will not stand!" However, in the midst of the moon princess' active ranting, Celestia continued to gawk at the two dead guards. They were slain with such gruesomeness, vulgarity, and brutality. Yet, above all of that, it was all executed so stealthily that not even she had been woken up by it. Her eyes traced up to the sky. The killer had to be somewhere out there. "But..." she whispered. "Who is it? Who would do such a thing?" "Oh, I almost forgot, sister!" Luna stopped her pacing, floating back over to her sibling. "I have seen something that you would not believe." "What is it?" "During my investigation, I saw the dragon that had attacked from earlier. It's dead." Celestia's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates when she had heard this. "Wh--? What?? Dead?" "Yes, my sister," Luna nodded. "It was killed." "Killed? But, I didn't send anypony to chase after it! I concluded that it was over!" she shook her head in disbelief. "I know. Apparently, somepony had different opinions." Celestia stared at her sister, raising a questioning eyebrow. "'Somepony,' you say? Come now, Luna, that's ridiculous! One pony could not have done this all by his or herself! It had to be a group." "I hate to disagree with you, sis," the moon princess took a deep breath. "But it was one pony." The sun princess was stunned. She gawked at her in shock, hardly believing what she was hearing. The navy-blue princess continued. "I found a single trail of bloody hoof prints and a long line of dribbled blood. Even if it was done by a group of ponies, I would've seen bodies of ponies down there, too. Plus, for logic's sake, there is no way an entire group of ponies would easily mimic the tracks of their leader, making it look like there was only one." She paused to think. Then, with a look of anger, she stomped her hoof. "I had just thought of something! Those tracks were heading directly back to the castle. I think the dragon's killer is connected to the one who had tried to kill you, sister." The white alicorn was silent. She should feel relieved that a threat had been removed for the sake of her subjects, but at the same time, it was bewildering. She had not expected it to be ridden of so soon. What also bewildered her was why this somewhat abnormal pony would kill off a massive threat to Equestria, and then turn right around and attempt to take her life as well. The thought of the dead dragon made her think of Hellfire. He was the one who had desired to rid the world of it. Would he be mortified to find out that somepony else had done it for him? Unless... No! That was impossible! Hellfire was dead. She had seen his corpse right in front of her eyes. There was no way that... She gave up. The whole situation explained by her sister was too wild for her to comprehend. She did not know anymore. "But... Who? Who would do all of this?" she asked herself. Outside of Canterlot, a red speck was climbing up on a flat surface on the slope of the mountain. Hellfire lifted his body over the edge, rolling himself onto the stable landing. His entire body felt as if all of his energy was suckled out by a monstrous leech. His limbs felt foamy and feeble, nearly trembling as he stood himself up. His head was as heavy as a large rock that had been washed up on the shore. He panted heavily, on the verge of wheezing. He coughed twice from his clenching chest. Looking under his newly-found cloak, he saw that his wounds were dried up, but damp in little parts. They glittered, maroon-red with oily patches of blood. He saw his cutie mark, nearly defaced off of his flank by the two gnarly scratches. After twenty seconds, his breathing returned to normal. From where he was standing, he could see Celestia's bedroom below, just about a one-third of a mile in front of him. He saw her white coat, still reclining in bed, looking out of the balcony. He squinted, sneering at her presence. He pushed one side of his cloak away, revealing a pouch strapped onto his hip. He unfastened the button, opening the top of it. Something inside of it glowed orange from his horn magic. It levitated out of the pouch, hovering in front of his face and lowering itself into the hollow of his forehoof. Golden Dune's necklace shimmered in the moonlight. The Fate's Eye medallion stared back into his soul, once again putting images of his wife and child into his corrupt mind. Tears filled in his eyes. "It is said that whoever wears this is wearing a piece of Fate's eye, watching everything around you, guiding you toward a good life," he heard his wife say. "But, it didn't..." he muttered, choking back sobs. "You're dead... Obsidia, too... I couldn't save you quickly enough..." "I love you, Hellfire..." He could not fight it anymore. His chin quivered and his brows bunched together. He gasped and choked, being cruelly beaten by tantalizing memories of his family. Why him? Why must he be the one to be alone? If only he could get them back... ... "Mommy, why is Daddy crying?" ... "Oh, my poor Hellfire..." He entire mind shook awake. "Obsidia?? Golden Dune??" the words crept out of his mouth. However, they were not there. His mind was continuing to beat him senselessly. Unless, their spirits had just accompanied him for the last time before departing into the heavens. Either way, he was on his own. He glanced at the Eye again. His breathing loudened in rising anger. "No... My fate will be proliferate... All of Equestria's fate will be proliferate... However..." He yanked the medallion off of the chain. He unfastened the safety pin that held the cloak slung on his body, hooking the loop of the medallion onto the needle. He fastened the pin again, showcasing his new mark. "...It will not be under her rule. A leader who disrespects the family of one should not be allowed to be known as 'Our Kindly Leader of Equestria'. They will get a leader who cares for them like his or her family was his own. Plus, they will get a leader who will always protect them from death, so they will never experience the pain of loss ever again. More than their last leader." He stared down at the sun princess through the window once again. "And I will not stop until that fate has been met. However, I won't do it alone. I will have followers." The light in her bedroom had shut off. "You have made a grave mistake, Princess Celestia..." His cloak flapped in the wind. "You will PAY..." Celestia opened her eyes, seeing a certain, tall, cloaked shadow creeping over her. "You will die... by Dragonfire." She whipped her head around to see nothing but the side of the mountain. When she returned to recline on the bed once more, the shadow was gone... END...