//------------------------------// // lvii - Hades' Exit // Story: The Path of Absolution - Punishment // by Morningstar1337 //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Silver Spoon were inside a dark void. The only lights in the void were emitting from their now bioluminescent coats and the gates. The gates themselves had a black sigil of Ophiuchus (⛎) on it. “Woah,” Rainbow Dash said. “This is cool. Hey Twilight, is there a spell for this?” She was in awe of her coat. “I don’t think so,” Twilight said. “Do you think we can get cutie marks for this?” Scootaloo said. “I don’t think that ‘being living glow sticks’ is a talent,” Sweetie Belle said. Silver Spoon was looking for Diamond Tiara. ‘She has to be here somewhere,’ she thought. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle wondered what would happen when they finally left. They wondered if the rest of town would forgive them for what they had done as both Gabby Gums and as heralds of frozen fury. Silver Spoon saw a pink light in the distance. “That has to be her!” She galloped toward the pink light. “Silver Spoon,” Apple Bloom said. “Wait!” She and the other Crusaders followed her. The mares noticed that the fillies were heading towards a pink light and went after them. In Canterlot, the Princesses and Shining Armor were discussing what to do now that six of the seven seals were broken. Shining Armor said, “Okay, so who is this Ithaqua? You two kept discussing him for the last hour.” Princess Cadence said, “Yeah, who is Ithaqua?” Princess Celestia and Princess Luna remembered that they hadn’t explained Ithaqua to them yet. Celestia said, “Ithaqua is the king of the windigos.” Luna said, “You knew how Equestria was founded, but not what happened next. A thousand years ago, my sister and I face the remainder of the windigoes that weren’t destroyed by the Fires of Friendship.” Celestia said, “These windigoes sought to create a frozen wasteland devoid of love and life.” “We and the citizens of Equestria fought off the windigoes for months,” Luna said. “Star Swirl the Bearded was able to seal the windigoes and Ithaqua's body inside Tartarus, but his mind and spirit and became the being who called himself Legion. His Crown of Conquest was destroyed in the process.” “So where did he come from?” Cadence said. “I don’t know,” Celestia said. “All we knew was he came from the cosmos. For all we know, there could be more like him beyond Equestria.” “So what does that do with the seals?” Shining Armor said. “Star Swirl couldn’t risk having the mind and body reunited,” Luna said. Celestia said, “He found the other talismans from where the Fires of Friendship were and placed protective charms on them so that the windigoes wouldn’t use them to free the body.” “We all knew how well that turn out,” Luna said. “But why? What would happen if Ithaqua would return?” Shining Armor said. “If he is allowed to be reunited with his body,” Luna said. She began to fly in the air “Then Equestria would freeze over and life itself shall perish!” “To prevent that Star Swirl placed a seal on the gates of Tartarus and I acquired Cerberus’s services to guard the gates,” Celestia said. “The disasters today were another seal.” Luna descended to the floor. “A failsafe that would try to stop any escapees from Tartarus. Unfortunately Star Swirl couldn’t perfect the seal.” “What about the last seal?” Cadence asked. “The last seal is a ritual that we did not place. Someone else did that,” Celestia said. “The seal looked like a ritual involving trumpets,” Luna said. “We do not know any detals about the ritual except those trumpets, but we have reason to believe if that ritual was completed, than Legion and Ithaqua would become one again.” “We have to do something!” Shining Armor said. “Unfortunately,” Celestia said. “We have no way to track legion. If he found the body, then he would move it somewhere else so that we couldn’t find him.” “I fear that Ithaqua’s ritual may be in the preparation stages now,” Luna said. Shining Armor said, “I’ll go prepare a party to look for him. We have to go to the Frozen North anyway if the Crystal Empire returns.” “Very well,” Celestia said. “But we must make sure we are prepared to face him.” Shining Armor went out to gather his troops to face Ithaqua. Celestia was getting worried. She hoped that Twilight and the others would escape in time. In the void, Diamond Tiara wandered the void endlessly. She didn’t care if she was stuck. She felt that this was her punishment. Her body dimly glowed in the darkness of the void. She didn't want to hurt anypony anymore. She saw a silver light in the distance. She noticed nine other light trailed the silver one. She made out four familiar shapes in the lights as they grew closer. She was surprised to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders here, but she was even more surprised to see Silver Spoon here. Diamond Tiara said, “You’re here. What are you doing here?” Silver Spoon said, “I’m here to get you out, Diamond Tiara.” Diamond Tiara said, “But why? And why did you bring them?” “Why did we come here anyway?” Scootaloo said. “Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle whispered. Diamond Tiara remembered that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were amnesiac and asleep. “Just leave me alone. You have to leave now.” “Not without you,” Silver Spoon said. “I’m not the amnesiac here!” Diamond Tiara said. “I don’t deserve to be freed, not after what I’ve done.” The Cutie Mark Crusaders were surprised to see that Diamond Tiara in this state. Diamond Tiara looked at the Crusaders. “I mocked you, made fun of you, got you ostracized from Ponyville. Just leave me be. I deserve this place!” Apple Bloom said, “No. No matter how badly you misbehaved, nopony deserved to be alone like this.” Diamond Tiara was shocked to hear those words come from Apple Bloom, of all ponies. She said, “What’s wrong with you? You know how to make friends, I almost killed the only one I ever had! Don’t waste your time with somepony like me.” Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle went forward. Apple Bloom said, “Diamond Tiara, I know we had our differences, but I cannot let you wallow in self-pity like this.” Though she hated to admit it, she knew that Diamond Tiara was partly the reason the Cutie Mark Crusaders were formed in the first place. “Like I said before, nopony deserves to be trapped in a place like this.” “But--” Diamond Tiara said. Scootaloo said, “She’s right. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we are getting you out of here.” Sweetie Belle said, “I’m sure your family and friends miss you.” Diamond Tiara looked at Silver Spoon. Silver Spoon said, “Diamond Tiara, please. I miss you.” Diamond Tiara was stunned. She knew that Silver Spoon would miss her, but she never thought that the Cutie Mark Crusaders would actually encourage her like this. Diamond Tiara whispered, “I’m sorry.” “Beg pardon?” Apple Bloom said. Diamond Tiara said, “I’m sorry for everything I did. I'm sorry about the teasing, the paper,” She hugged Silver Spoon. “But I’m especially sorry for worrying you, Silver Spoon.” Diamond Tiara and SIlver Spoon said, “Bump, lump, sugar rump.” and giggled. The Crusaders realized that they just helped their bullies. “Let’s get out of here,” Scootaloo said. The fillies saw the mares catching up to them. “There you are,” Applejack. She noticed that Diamond Tiara was with them. Diamond Tiara introduced herself. “I’m Diamond Tiara. I would tell you more, but this isn’t the place for that.” The ponies knew that they had to get out of the void. They saw a bright light emitting from the gates and the group of eleven ponies went back to the source of the light. The group were back at the gates. There they saw Aries, Taurus, Pollux, Castor, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Pisces there. “So you found her, huh,” Pisces said. Silver Spoon nodded. Diamond Tiara said, “Who are these ponies?” Silver Spoon said, “It’s a long story.” Aries said, “You know that the situation on Equestria is dire now, right?” “I know,” Twilight said. Capricornus said, “I wish you luck. It’s gonna be tough.” “So um, how dire is it?” Fluttershy said. “Legion is almost ready to break the seventh and final seal,” Aquarius said. “You must stop him, or your world will perish.” “No problem,” Rainbow Dash said. “We’ll wipe the floor with that jerk faster than you can say ‘ice age.’” Pinkie Pie said, “Yeah, we’ll make sure that mean Legion won't hurt anypony again.” Applejack said, “Except how are we gonna find him?” “Follow the trumpets,” Taurus said. “But hurry.” “We’ll help you anyway we can,” Cancer said. “Figments of imagination we may be,” Castor said. “But we can’t let the windigoes freeze Equestria over again,” Pollux said. “But how are you gonna enter the real world?” Apple Bloom said. LIbra said, “We have our ways, we spent the last thousand years keeping the talismans sealed. We know our magic.” Twilight said, “Wait, a thousand years?” Sweetie Belle said, “How did you even last that long?” “Um you mean besides the whole ‘dream’ argument?” Scorpio said. “Star Swirl the Bearded made us the guardian of the seals and anything within the talismans.” “We would fail our jobs if Ithaqua would return by any means,” Leo said. “Wait,” Scootaloo said. “Ithaqua?” Twilight said, “He was the leader of the windigoes before...” Twilight realized something. “Before his body was sealed in Tartarus. Did you say the seventh seal” The thirteen guardians nodded. Twilight was worried. She went forward and opened the gates with her magic. She now knew who Legion truly is. “We have to hurry!” The twenty-four ponies entered the gates. There was a blinding light beyond. In Canterlot, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Diamond Dust awakened. “Ugh, my head,” Sweetie Belle said. Memories poured into the Crusaders. Diamond Dust noticed that the magic that she cast on them was fading. Apple Bloom’s legs, Sweetie Belle’s horn and Scootaloo’s wings thawed and returned to flesh and blood. She noticed that her own wings and horn started to melt. She was just normal earth filly Diamond Tiara again. The fillies saw Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, RaInbow Dash, and Silver Spoon were nearby. The doors of the chamber opened and PrIncess Celestia was nearby. She said, “There’s much to discuss, but I fear our time is limited.” Twilight agreed. The ponies left the chamber and went with Celestia to discuss Ithaqua and his final seal.