//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 Perchance to Dream // Story: Concord of Destiny // by Zeta Dragon //------------------------------// A/N (The music is completely optional it’s just to add a little atmosphere.) Concord of Destiny Chapter 2 Perchance to Dream Your vision gently fades in. Before you, you see a long path of broken stone. The sky overhead hangs with a cool night as a brisk wind bellows through the trees. “Sister are you alright.” A golden voice chimes out. You feel strange as if you’re not in control of your body. You head looks to your left without your brain telling it. There you see a large pure white creature. She looks like one of the Watchers only different. She is radiating calmness and just being in her presence puts your mind at ease. A question popped into your brain though. Why did she call you sister? “Yes I’m fine” You hear another voice say, extremely close like the voice is coming from your own mind. That wasn’t your voice it was soft and feminine like a cradle of night. You still don’t understand what’s going on, if only you could get a look around. Using all your willpower you manage to just shift your gaze down a couple inches and see that you are no longer in your body. You strain even harder trying as hard as you can to wake yourself from whatever this is. You’re overcome by sudden and deafening whoosh as you feel lighter than air. You now feel in control of yourself again as you look at yourself and see that you look just like your normal self except your transparent. “Am I dead?” you question out loud. You look over and see another smaller creature that looks like the white one. The only difference is that this one is dark blue almost the same color as the night sky. Her mane flowed dotted with stars as a wavering cosmos. The white one had a mane too of a Celestial glow. “Hello!” you shout to them. No good they just keep chatting with each other completely oblivious to your presence. Off in the distance you see a large stone structure the looks like a temple of some sort. “We need to Move Luna!” The white one said. Luna; that must be the name of the smaller dark blue one. You note. “Celestia are you sure” Ok Celestia’s the name of the white one. “Yes my sister Tireks rein must end.” “But sister what if the rel--” “Relax dear sister, it will show itself to us.” “And what of Demo-” “You leave him to me he is far too powerful for you little sister. I will not have you putting yourself in that kind of danger.” Celestia said. The two beings began slowly trotting towards the temple at the end of the path. You watch as they grow smaller the farther they get from you. “Follow.” You hear a whisper, it sounded like Luna. Quickly you sprint after the two horse like creatures eventually catching up with them as the near the entrance to the temple. The temple was even larger up close. It had a circular base and dome top there were only two windows that you could see, one on either side of the massive black door that stood diligent against any intruders. “I sense darkness in this place Sister” Luna said looking up to her big sister “As do I Luna. As do I” Celestia replied. The two sisters traded glances before both lighting up their horns like the watchers did. Simultaneously the both fired a beam at the door which made it glow. The light from the door pulsed faster and faster until the giant door simply disintegrated, and faded to nothingness. “It’s time to end this sister.” Celestia said “For Equestria.” Luna softly replied. Cautiously you follow them into the temple. Inside the large temple you find that it is just a single room. A large circular room that looks a lot bigger on the inside. In the back there are three large stain glass windows where a single figure stands motionless in front of the center one. The room was dimly lit but you could still make out the creature on the other side. It was enormous with crimson skin and a mane black as night. However there was something different about it. It had hands and hooves. You recognized it as a creature from legend. A Centaur. You along with the two sisters slowly approached. The centaur heard their hoofsteps and slowly turned his head around. Its eyes looked like that of the watchers, two spheres of purple fire and an evil smirk occupied his face. You looked to Celestia who had a complete look of determination on her face. Then Luna who had the same look but you could see more fear in her eyes. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. I welcome such nobility” The Centaur said in a dark raspy voice. 'Princesses?' You question still with nobody hearing. You then notice that they do indeed dawn what appear to be crowns on top of their heads. You then went back to focusing on the Centaur. Just being in his presence made you spine shiver in fear. You felt your body tense up for battle your instincts sensed a threat and preparing you for the worst. “Tirek You know why we’re here. I will ask you only once. Surrender and return Equestria to its rightful owners.” “Hahaha Equestria is in the hands of its rightful owners, the Centaurs.” “I know not what evil has possessed you Tirek but I beg you see the light and embrace the virtues of Friendship.” “The Virtues of Friendship do not exist in this world there is only hate and corruption. I can sense it within you.” “I hold no such feelings!” Celestia bellowed. “I wasn’t talking to you.” Tirek said turning his gaze towards Luna. Celestia’s eyes widened as she dived for her sister “LUNA LOOK OUT!” too late Tirek raised his hand and instantly a bolt of electricity sparked hitting Luna square in the horn as she fell over in agony. The lightning knocked Celestia back from her dive as she recoiled getting back up. The energy lit up the room which was made completely out of stone. After a few seconds the lightning stopped and Luna simply lied there. Her eyes gently fluttered open as Celestia ran right towards you but instead of trampling you went straight through you. You turn and see her weeping for her sister. This makes you feel sad inside. You’re not sure why as you didn’t know anything about these two. “Tirek what have you done.” Celestia said gritting her teeth and flaring her eyes at the centaur. “I have simply enlightened your sister.” “I WILL END YOU TIREK!!!” Celestia shouted. “No I think that will be saved for another time. How about you take your anger out on my faithful apprentice.” Celestia growled. “Demontious!” Tirek shouted. Just then a large sphere of dark energy almost as big as the centaur himself began expanding right near him. A few seconds later it receded and left a large shadowy figure standing in its place. The large creature looked like Tirek though his body was completely covered in black robes, a long cape flowing down his back. His face was completely covered by a black mask with gold and red pin stripes. A crimson cross adorned his forehead rising up a few inches above the top of his head. The creature spoke. “Yes Master.” You recognized that voice. There was no doubt in your mind that the voice you just heard was the same one that whispered to you and Finn back at the portal. “Demontious please deal with this pitiful horse that calls herself a princess” “With pleasure Master.” With that Tirek disappears in a similar void that brought Demontious here. You look over to you side and see that Celestia has now gotten up, Luna is still lying there injured. The look on Celestia’s face is that of sheer desperate anger. However she surprised you when she spoke in such a calm manner. “Demontious, please, please forsake Tirek's grasp. Come to us, we will welcome you with open arms, it doesn’t matter what you have done but for the sake of Equestria don’t let Tirek do this.” “You Lie Celestia, just as you lie to your subjects every day.” “Demontious I wouldn’t lie to you. Tirek is using you! Can’t you see that?” “All I see is a pathetic excuse for a Princess in front of me with her mule of a sister.” Celestia’s face turned from anger to sadness. “So you are truly lost then…..I’m so sorry.” “When I destroy you Celestia, there will be nopony to stand in the way of my Master.” “I will NEVER LET MY KINGDOM FALL TO THE LIKES OF YOU OR TIREK.” “We shall see Celestia, We shall see” Demontious reached out his hand to his side and another smaller vortex appeared. This time though instead of a Centaur coming through it was a giant crystal sword. The hilt was black metal carved in an ornate style while the blade was a colossus of jagged crimson crystals each sharp enough to rip through almost anything. Celestia’s horn glowed gold and a golden scythe appeared hovering near her. It was being levitated by what you could only assume to be magic. Celestia twirled her scythe that had an emblem of a blazing sun on it. You realized she also had this same emblem on her flank. Demontious raised his sword so that the tip of the blade was pointed right at Celestia. As if on cue the two charged right at each other. The massive sword swung down clashing with the scythe sending sparks flying out in all directions. Celestia and Demontious strained as Demontious clearly had the size and strength advantage. Celestia began sliding back on her hooves trying desperately to hold her footing. Fast as lightning she broke the hold and galloped around the back of Demontious who quickly blocked putting his sword over his shoulder while spinning around to face his opponent. Strike after strike rained down on the blades sparks showering the ground like raindrops as each clash lit up the room. Both of them separated each retreating to one end of the room. Celestia jammed her scythe in the ground and charged up her horn. She fired three bolts of golden fire at Demontious who twirled his sword before swinging at the three bolts deflecting them to all corners of the room. You run to a corner not wanting to get in the middle of this battle. You weren’t sure if you could be harmed seeing as you were pretty much a ghost but still. Celestia fired more bolts like the last ones and Demontious kept swinging and deflecting them as he slowly trotted closer and closer to Celestia. When he was just out of striking range he lunged forward to strike as Celestia spread her wings skyrocketing into the air. Demontious raises his sword and the two unleash another flurry of strikes and slashes against each other, again lighting up the room with flash after flash. Demontious eventually caught Celestia off guard but luckily she countered buying her time to fly away from him to the other side of the room. “You’re afraid Celestia!” “I refuse to end a noble soul like you. I know there is still some good left in you” “YOU ARE WRONG! ABOUT EVERYTHING GOOD NO LONGER EXISTS IN THIS WORLD!!!” Demontious raised his hand and much like Celestia’s horn and shot a bolt of lightning out from it at the ceiling directly above Celestia causing a large slab of rock to break off and smash onto the ground as Celestia dove out of the way just in time. Demontious continued to unleash his magic bringing the temple crumbling down around them. Demontious hit the slab right above Luna who was still injured as the slab came crashing down Celestia quickly flew in scooping up her sister just before the massive rock hit the ground and broke apart. Eventually Demontious stopped his magic assault again readying his sword. Celestia dropped off Luna right next to you in the small safe spot as she summoned her scythe and went back to battle. The duel raged on and on neither party showing any signs of fatigue. The two figures dancing and twirling to the sound of blades clashing on the field of battle. Again they got into a major flurry each unloading everything they had. Celestia begins to grow exhausted as she simply holds up her scythe to face the onslaught of Demontious’s attacks. As he continues his barrage of sword strikes he failed to see Celestia charging her horn until it was too late. She unleashed a bolt of magic that pierces him square in the chest causing him to grunt in pain and fly back on the floor. Celestia regains herself and slowly approaches him. Demontious is lying on his side clearly injured. His chest slowly rises and falls with his final breaths. “I-I Failed….” He barely whispered. You look at Luna who seems to be slowly recovering before running over to Celestia. “Demontious” “Y-Y-You fought well Celestia….Perhaps you have a chance against Tirek after all.” Your thoughts are shattered as you hear a loud ping and look up and see a bright shining white light. Celestia and Demontious see it too and tilt their heads skyward. From the light emerges a shape, an object. It looked like a diamond but it was more rhombus shaped and pure white just like the light it came from. A gentle smile crept onto Celestia’s face. As you looked back at Demontious it looked as though all hope and life had been drained from his eyes. The crystal descended coming to a hover near Celestia who wrapped it in a golden glow. She slowly looked back at Demontious. “T-The Relic….The Concord.” “Yes Demontious.” “You….You have won then.” “No Demontious. As long as Tirek still exists in this world….we will never be safe.” “F-Forgive me.” Demontious coughed clearly nearing the end. “I will take you back to the light Demontious.” “NO!” he shouted “It is too late for me. Just please do me a favor.” “Anything” “Finish me.” He coughed. Celestia tilted her head down you could swear you saw tears forming in her eyes. How a creature could be this forgiving baffled you. “As you wish” She simply said levitating her scythe over. Demontious gave a small grateful smile. Celestia then touched her scythe to the relic, to the Concord. The crystal pulsed as her scythe began to glow in the same bright light. “N-no” Demontious stuttered out. Celestia raised her scythe and closed her eyes. There were definitely tears now streaming down her cheeks. Using her magic she drove the scythe straight into his chest. You looked away so as not to see the gruesome moment. You hear the silent strike that ended it. After Celestia gracefully trots back towards her fallen Sister. A sad look filled her face as a reminder of the grim things that just transpired. Celestia knelt down near Luna. “Luna….Luna?” “Mm….Sister?” “Yes, I’m here….You’re okay now.” “Neigh sister I feel the darkness inside of me.” “NO Luna Please NO…” Celestia was now crying. “There is no Luna now…..only ……Nightmare Moon!” “NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!” Celestia screamed blowing you out of the temple as you felt you subconscious drift. You found yourself in an empty void simply floating through and endless plane. “What was that?” you ask to yourself. “What’s happening to me?” Suddenly from out of nowhere you hear voices. Gentle voices that caress your ears gently leading you back into the realm of consciousness. “Is he breathing?” “Ah don’t know” “OH I-I hope he’s okay.” “Should we get a doctor dearie?” “I don’t know I just found him like this.” “…I’ll have to throw him a party after he wakes up.” “Pinkie! SSSHH you may just want to start planning that.” You feel your vision returning.