Rainbow Dash had taken to the skies, just as Kratos had been walking along the tracks. She flew around, and around, and around, until she flew near Mt. Canterlot. Whilst hovering in the air, flapping her wings as though she was a humming bird in slow-motion, she saw a pale figure. There he was miles down, walking along the tracks. "Kratos..." She spat at his name. But then, Dash saw the train coming up from behind him. She was surprised when she saw Kratos jump through one of the doors, but didn't see him come out the other side. Was he in there, terrorizing the ponies? Stealing supplies? Something worse?
Only somepony with the brashest of attitudes, the cockiest of hearts and most ignorant of minds could even think of rushing down there to 'teach him a lesson'. But he was a Slayer of Gods.
Ignorance would be her downfall.
Rainbow Dash plummeted down, and with speeds that rival a jet, swooped into the storage car.
Kratos was sent flying through the door he laid slumped-down. He woke up almost at the second he was pummeled through the door, onto the ground. Many meters above him, hovered the cerulean blue annoyance. He got to his feet, but was quickly knocked down in the process of this- He was still dazed from being knocked out so recently, and Rainbow Dash gave him no mercy.
Rainbow Dash then began to send blow after traumatizing blow to Kratos's upper body. She was clever in her fighting, mixing up her hooves and head in the blows. Her left hoof moved out to the left side of his head, only to smack him with the other front hoof with a fake-out. Looks like practicing Pony-Fu with Applebloom was a good way to keep her skills from going stale. She smirked as Kratos brought up his arms to defend himself, thinking, 'Twilight was warning me about fighting a wimp like him?! He's so weak!' She stepped off of him when she thought he had enough. "Maybe that'll teach you not to mess with my friends!" She said.
But just as she said this, a hand gripped her right hind leg tightly. She looked back to see Kratos- he was the one behind the grabbing.
Only, he had the most pissed off expression she'd ever seen on anypony's face in her entire life. Gray eyes narrowed, focused on her life. Lips dry, cracked from lack of water and twisted in a snarl. The heat in his hand felt hotter than the hottest day. The sheer amount of anger on his face screamed at her like a lion's roar, before she was violently taken to the ground by a rough twist. But Kratos didn't stop there, he continued to twist as Rainbow struggled fruitlessly to break free, just up to the point that was agonizing, but not enough to break it. Rainbow was now screaming, begging him to stop with teary eyes.
Crack.
Kratos left the screaming pegasus there as he walked away. That pegasus laid with her wings limp and stretched out, obviously dealing with the pain. Her hooves grasped her broken leg, eyes shut to keep from crying. It would teach her a lesson- not to interfere with Kratos's plans. Just as he stepped off about five steps, he stopped, and waited for the pegasus's screams to die down. "Maybe that will teach you not to interfere, weakling." He spat harshly, before moving on.
Twilight was right.
Kratos was a monster.
Rainbow began to tear-up at the searing pain that her hind leg brought upon her, before she bit her lip, and got up.
No!
She wouldn't let this 'monster', or this, this pathetic excuse of a broken leg stop her! She was Rainbow Dash!
Not a coward! A coward backs down from a fight, and Rainbow Dash sure as hell wasn't a coward!
"Rrgh... get back here! I ain't done with you!" She yelled angrily as she took to the air, soaring after her opponent.
"What?!" Kratos turned around. As he watched Rainbow come towards him, he thought to himself, 'So much determination... reminds me of... me.' Before he put his hands on his blades' handles, he got another thought. ‘She's unarmed... I may as well make this a fair battle.' He let go of his blades, and waited for her to come near, thinking she'd be absolutely no challenge, armed or unarmed.
She landed about ten yards away from him, and growled. "You think you're so tough, huh!?" She taunted. "Well no matter how many armies you've laid waste to, no matter how many minotaurs and manticores you've dealt with, I'm not going down without a fight!" Rainbow barked.
"We'll see about that," Kratos took a defensive stance as he said this. The two warriors were at a standstill- both had a broken leg, but even though they were nearly equal in their physical pain. They ignored it, as though it never happened.
The two of them rushed at each other viciously as the sun rose, with a bestial battle cry.
- - - -
"Twi, calm down! You're scarin' me!" Applejack expressed as Twilight went on and on and on about Rainbow Dash going after Kratos. She kept going, so Applejack groaned and forcefully stuffed a hoof into Twilight's mouth. "Now y'all gotta calm down, and go slow, for pony sake! It's almost six in the mornin'!" She looked Twilight in the eyes. "D'ya promise 'ta go slow?"
Twilight nodded, and Applejack took her hoof from her friend's mouth. "Okay..." She let out a long sigh. "Sorry. It’s just that Kratos scared me... because I thought he'd k-kill me... then Rainbow Dash came to me while I was crying, Kratos was gone... s-she took me to Sugarcube Corner... and then, she went after Kratos... she's going to get herself killed if she finds him, Applejack! Kratos will kill her!" Twilight insisted.
"Now y'all hold on! He ain't gonna lay ah single hand on Rainbow Dash. Go round-up the others, Ah'm gettin' Big Macintosh!" Applejack ordered, before galloping off.
“Hold on!” Twilight yelled.
“What is it now?” AJ looked back.
“How in the hay can we go looking for them if you don’t know where they went?” Twilight reasoned.
“Uh...” Applejack didn’t reply.
“Exactly. I think I may have an idea as to where they went. Since Kratos probably wants to return to his own world, he’ll probably try and find Celestia... that means he’s likely headed for Canterlot.” Twilight said.
“Well we’ve no time ‘ta waste! Get your hooves movin’!” Applejack ordered as she ran into the farmhouse.
Twilight gulped nervously, and nodded, rushing out of the farm, and down the pathway to Ponyville to gather up the girls. She was glad that the night was finally ending, so hopefully her friends wouldn’t be too mad at waking them up at this awful moment. Especially Rarity.
Godspeed, our pony heroines.
Godspeed!
- - - -
"GRAAAGH!" Kratos yelled as he missed yet another swing. He figured out very quickly that looks could be deceiving- Rainbow Dash was much more agile than he had expected her to be, especially with her condition. He growled as Rainbow landed a few meters away.
"What's the matter, Kratos? Lost your fight? Pony got your tongue?" Rainbow taunted.
Kratos stepped forward with a smirk. "Never!" He yelled, before charging at her. Kratos swung hard with his right fist, hoping that by using his healthy leg he could get better aim. But Rainbow deftly dodged his attack, and countered with a quick strike to his weaker left side.
Unfaltering, Kratos managed to land a kick with his shin to Rainbow Dash's hind legs, sweeping her off her hooves from the left as she collapsed. But, she took advantage of this, and used it to propel herself upward with her still working hind leg.
She continued to return the favor by slamming both hooves into Kratos's chest, making him stumble back a few steps. She hovered in the air- flight was an advantage she had over Kratos over all else.
Kratos had had enough of this annoyance.
He leaped into the air, and aimed to grab Rainbow Dash's injured hind leg again to take advantage of her broken limb. But Rainbow moved out of the way, and Kratos grabbed Dash's other leg. Either way would work, he strategized. He yanked down hard, and slammed Rainbow Dash to the ground, but in doing so, was also smacked upside the head by her other hoof. He was dazed from a hit that he himself had caused. He shook his head, and watched in amusement as Rainbow struggled to get up. Kratos didn't hesitate- he kicked her in the side, making her yell in pain.
Rainbow fell, collapsing from the pain that she could no longer take. "You think you can defeat me, horse?" Kratos taunted. "I've slain gods. I've massacred countless minions of Hades, and monstrous beasts that dwarf your pathetic minotaurs by a thousandfold! The Hands of Death could not take me. The Sisters of Fate could not hold me. And you, a mortal... think you can defeat me?" He asked rhetorically. He thought back quickly, the memory of him killing Ares flooding his mind. Rainbow was trying to get revenge, and tried to do the impossible. The coincidence was very unbelievable, but Kratos shrugged it off. Then, the Spartan grabbed Rainbow and pulled her head to his, so she could see into his stern face. "You're lucky I've a reputation to uphold... otherwise, you wouldn't be so fortunate." Kratos said to her. "Now... go back to your friends, and tell them not to interfere, not to chase me, and all will go better for them and for me. Tell them they're better off forgetting about me entirely. Do you understand? Is that not clear to you?"
Rainbow Dash just nodded in response, and Kratos helped her to her hooves. "Now leave me. Go." Kratos ordered, before he walked off. "Or I'll reconsider my thoughts on sparing you." He warned.
She groaned, and took to the air lazily. Rainbow was lucky, alright. Lucky to have wings! Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to get back to her friends.
But thankfully, she didn't have to go long.
"Rainbow Dash!" A familiar voice called in the distance.
Kratos stopped in his tracks, and turned around. A small group of ponies were coming his way, lead by Twilight Sparkle and Applejack. He then broke into a full-on sprint towards the mountain which held the castle, covering an amazing amount of ground in minutes. He should've been gravely thankful for his stamina. Otherwise, he'd have been tuckered out long ago.
"Kratos! You get the hay back here RIGHT NOW!!!" A furious voice yelled, its stetson-wearing owner approaching Kratos swiftly.
"AJ! DON'T!" Rainbow Dash yelled.
"Rainbow Dash, y'all stay outta this!" Applejack ordered sternly as she galloped after Kratos.
Kratos growled, and picked up the pace, taking longer strides with each quick step he took. He managed to near the mountain much faster than he had expected. He twirled one of his blades around as he continued to rush at it. Leaping upward and with great momentum, pierced the mountain with his blade many, many meters above him. He repeated the process as fast as he could, and began to literally run up the side of the mountain. Each step strained him, but the demigod pressed on. Both of the blades dangled down from his sides after he yanked them from the mountainside. He focused more on running than the yells he heard from down below.
- - - -
Applejack groaned. "Consarnit!" She was very angry- Kratos had gotten away with doing something to her friend, unpunished.
"Applejack..." Twilight trotted up next to her friend.
"Twilight, Ah almost had him. Ah almost did!" She growled. “Just ah couple more steps and Ah would’ve had ah hold’a-”
"It's fine, AJ." Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder as she interrupted her irritated friend. "We can still catch up to him." She gestured to a pathway, leading up the mountain.
"But what about Rainbow Dash?" Applejack asked, looking back to the friend in question, who was hovering in the air.
"I... Kratos kinda... broke my right hind leg." Rainbow admitted regretfully. She never liked telling her friends bad news- hell, nopony did.
This managed to get gasps from everypony but Big Macintosh and Applejack, who sighed. “Big Mac,” Applejack said.
“Eeyup?” Macintosh asked.
AJ lowered her head, before she said, “Alright, now. Kratos’s headin’ up that mountain, everypony. Big Mac, y’all are gonna escort Rainbow Dash back ‘ta the hospital so she can rest. Girls, we’re gonna go stop that monster, from whatever he’s doin’, well, uh, accordin’ ‘ta Twilight he’s gonna pay the Princess ah visit... ‘ya hear?” She asked. The girls nodded. “Alright then! Let’s get ah move on!” Spearheading the group, Applejack charged up the path.
Rarity was generous not to complain about the whole ordeal, more worried about her friend’s welfare. Pinkie Pie refrained from smiling, given the situation. Fluttershy frowned, that mean ol’ human dared to hurt one of her friends?! Oh he was so going to get the Stare! They all turned to rush after Applejack.
- - - -
Running at such an angle was depleting Kratos's stamina, but he knew he had much more work than this ahead of him. He started to lose his grip, and gritted his teeth as he sent his blades out again, piercing the mountain up ahead. He pulled himself up, and with the momentum he had before, charged up the mountain. Both blades now in his hands.
Kratos' muscles suddenly cramped up in the back of his legs, from all of the stress accumulated. He was at a ledge, and in an attempt to correct this pain by instinct, one of his hands was sent down to his legs, the other grabbing onto the ledge. He strained as he pulled himself onto the ledge, his legs burning like the flames of Olympus as he backed up to the wall on the ledge. He'd have to wait-out the pain if he wanted to continue.
How long had he been at it? When was the last time he took a bite to eat or drink? Sweat coated his ashlike skin, keeping his skin from looking like a completely cracked stone. Months trapped in that infernal cast coffin left his skin and muscles aching for fresh air. Now he suffered from too much air this high up. The God of War wanted to rest and heal.
But he ignored the pain yet again. Getting to his feet, he gritted his teeth and stabbed one blade into the wall, then another. He repeated this process many times, as he was now climbing the seemingly ever-growing mountain.
- - - -
Now many miles up, Kratos had been climbing for hours. There was a ledge, connected to a garden which belonged to the castle.
Kratos leaped onto the ledge, and began to walk around to take in the scenery. The palace was elegant, the gardens filled with many variations of flora, and surprisingly- some fauna.
But Kratos had no time to waste. He continued on, towards the castle.
"Halt! By order of the Royal Guard!"
'Oh, great...'
Kratos took out his blades, as he was suddenly surrounded by a group of armored guards. While they had more armor than the previous pegasi he met, they were still pathetic. "Put down your weapons, or we will use deadly force!" One of them ordered. Huh. Some of them weren’t white. Least this Celestia wasn’t a racist. He idly wondered if any of them were homosexuals, like some of his Spartans were. Focus Kratos.
The God of War growled. "I'd sooner die!"
As the stallions charged at him, Kratos readied his blades to send one out. A yell was heard, as a guard had been stabbed viciously through his breastplate. Kratos pulled up and back, the guard being plucked from the ground as he rolled forward, catching the group off guard. Kratos then yanked the blade from the dead guard's body, and spun around with one foot, twirling the blades around in a fan of death above his head. All but one remained, after the massacre had ended. His legs were shaking, he was whimpering. Kratos put one blade on his back, and slowly approached him. Before the guard could run away, Kratos grabbed him cruelly by the throat, picking him up. "Tell me where Celestia is, and I will spare your life!"
The guard spat in Kratos's face. "N-never!"
Hesitantly, Kratos wiped the spit from his face. "You must have a wife... a child... a life. You're willing to give that up, in a heartbeat, because of your pathetic ruler?" Kratos asked, glaring into the guard's soul, choking him with his hand as his grip tightened.
The guard teared-up, coughed, and shook his head. "I'll... t-tell you... wh-what you need to know...! Re-release m-AGH!"
"Be quick with your words!" Kratos said as he punched the stallion in the chest. "Or I will gut you alive!" He threatened.
The guard stayed silent. Kratos groaned as he walked over to the ledge. He grabbed one of his hind legs, and let him dangle over the edge. "AAAHHH! NO! PLEASE! DON'T LET ME FALL! SHE'S IN THE THRONE ROOM! THE THRONE ROOM!!!" The guard begged.
"Where is the throne room!?!" Kratos demanded.
"THERE'S A DOORWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CASTLE JUST OPEN THAAAT!!!" He directed.
"Useless." Kratos said as he released his grip on the stallion's hind leg and set him on the ground. “I will grant you mercy.”
“Thank you sir!” The guard yelled out. Kratos turned his back, only to have the guard lift his spear and hit Kratos on the head. The Spartan turned his head around, eyes narrowed as fire burned in his eyes.
“What have you done? I show you mercy and you bop me in the head? Not even a proper stab?!” Kratos yelled out.
“I’m sorry! *Sob* I’m just *Hick* doing my job!” The stallion cried.
Kratos sighed, closing his eyes. It was a soldier’s duty after all. “There there. We all make mistakes. You know what you must do now, right?”
The guard nodded, tears slipping from his eyes. Kratos handed the guard a .45 pistol. The pegasi took the handgun and cocked it, almost unable to see thanks to the salty tears. Kratos nodded down at him. “There there, it will all be okay,” Kratos said. The guard took one final look up at the human. He nodded and then lifted the gun to end his life.
(Wait wait wait, hold up... how in the hell did Kratos get a gun in Equestria? Magic, my friend! Sexcellent! Carry on! Nothing to see here, NOOOPE!)
Kratos walked away, and kicked the door into the castle.
"CELESTIA!" Kratos yelled as he stormed around the halls, which were unguarded. He kicked in door after door, but he still did not find her. He was enraged by the time he reached the middle of the castle, where there was a large double-door met with the staircases. Strangely enough, it was also unguarded. He kicked in those doors as well.
And what the guard said was right.
There, on a throne at the end of the room, sat Celestia with her eyes fixated on Kratos. He slowly approached, her guards grasping their spears. "No." Celestia ordered. The guards complied hesitantly, lowering their weapons. "There is no need to yell. I thought you were undergoing recovery?"
"Recovery is for the weak." Kratos spat as he neared the throne.
"Why are you here?" She asked calmly.
Kratos sighed. "I am here because there is no place for me in this world. I hear rumor of your magical prowess, and I ask you..." He hesitated. "I ask... you..."
"Is something wrong?"
"No." Kratos snapped. "I..." He got one one knee. "I ask that you help me... return to Olympus." There was no 'if you could'. Kratos never had time for 'if's.
"You think me capable of returning you to your home world?" Celestia asked, as though the question was silly. "Nopony's magical prowess is powerful enough to do that. And teleportation requires memory or knowledge, of where you want to travel. I apologize Kratos, but I cannot help you with such a task."
Kratos stayed silent.
Agonizingly silent.
His eye twitched repeatedly.
His fists clenched.
He began to pant, as though holding back something.
Kratos's muscles tensed up, as he stood to his feet. "You... cannot help me?" His voice was unsteady, filled with barely-contained rage.
The guards stood at their ready, crossing their spears in front of Kratos. "Put down your weapons... or else." Kratos ordered. "This is between me... and Celestia. Leave, or DIE!" He yelled.
The two guards held their ground.
And were slaughtered where they stood. Their heads rolled off to the left and right, their bodies fell limp and fell to the floor mere seconds after.
Celestia raised a brow, an unbeatable poker-face, that was for certain... although her true emotions would’ve stated something along the lines of ‘Your blood. My walls’. She would have to throw a proper mourning to honor her brave, but foolish guards. She did warn them ‘no’. "You dare make an attempt on my life?"
"After what you tried to do to me... you deserve worse than death..." Kratos's eye twitched.
"PRINCESS CELESTIA!" A familiar voice yelled, hooves clip-clopping on stone, far behind the two. Kratos looked back to see Twilight and the others approaching the throne room with haste. He picked up a spear from one of the guard's corpses, and threw it like a javelin. It pierced both doors, slamming them shut before they could get in.
"If violence is how you solve things..." Celestia began, her face filling with anger, that would dwarf even Kratos's fury. "... then violence will be your downfall!"