//------------------------------// // Ghosts of Man // Story: War of the Fallen Race // by PegasusKlondike //------------------------------// All around him were dimmed sounds, some kind of party or something. It was not the steady beat of an absolute party, but the gentle vibrations in the stone of his cell told Aaron that it was something far more dignified. The hushed voices of gently laughing ponies even crept under the door of his cell whenever a guard came and went. "Hey guard, whats the deal, someone get married?" he said through the door. "It's the Grand Galloping Gala you idiot, now shut up so I can get through this shift quietly!" He walked to the back of his cell and crashed down on his rough pallet. The presence once again took over the room. "What do you want now Mother? Can't you let me suffer in peace?" They wish to speak to you. "Who? Who would want to talk to me?" All of them. A mist began to fill the front of his cell, stopping before him and rising into what looked like the shapes of people. Aaron recoiled to the wall, wondering if his end had truly come. One of the shapes came forward, taking on detail and looking more familiar with every second. "How's life, lab coat?" the man's shape said in a hollow, echoing voice. Aaron squinted at the shape of the man, recognition dawning as he took in the features of this apparition. "Juan? Juan Salazar?" "None other, it's good to see you too." "How is this possible Juan? You died two thousand years ago! I saw your corpse in the chopper, I held a funeral in your honor." Sergeant Salazar shook his head. "Nothing really ever lives or dies man, everything we are is just borrowed, and we just return to where we came from." Understanding crept into Aaron's mind. "You're a spirit, aren't you?" "Yes, Mother gave us permission to come and give you our support for the upcoming trial." "What do you mean?" "Man, I thought you were supposed to be smart! She wants you to reawaken our brothers!" "Why me? Why not you? You were always a hero, this should be your story unfolding here." The ghost flashed a grin. "No, this was always your tale to be told. I played my part in it, and now I'll play another. If She can forgive me for trying to kill Her with Lucifer, we can all be redeemed." The ghost reached down to Aaron's chest, his spectral essence began to blend with his living essence. Juan Salazar joined his spirit, Aaron felt new purpose in life and new strength. But the Sergeant was not the only one. A pony spirit walked forward from the crowd. "Open skies to you, Doctor." "Cloud!" He reached out to touch the pegasus, but his hands passed through. The pegasus tried as hard as he could to wrap his forelegs around Aaron's shoulders. "After all of these years, you still never learned to forgive yourself." Aaron tried to feel his friend, tried so hard to just hug the pony. "Cloud, I missed you so much, how are you going to help me?" "With everything that I can my friend, all of us will. But I also bring a message, in order to save your kind, you must be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and join the darkness." Aaron shook his head. "I don't understand." The pegasus smiled, breaking away from their embrace. "You will, brother." Cloud Hoof touched Aaron's chest, blending their spirits. Two human spirits approached now, shades that recalled his youth. "Hello son." "Mom, Dad?" he said in utter disbelief. The shade of Harold Patterson tried to place an ethereal hand on his boy's shoulder. "Son, I'm sorry if I made you feel unloved when you were little. I was trying to do my best for you, but my best wasn't good enough." Aaron tried to squeeze his father's ghostly hand. "No Dad, don't feel like that, you did great. You raised me the only way you knew how. I'm sorry I wasn't a better son. And I'm sorry I wasn't there for you in the end." "We are so proud of you Aaron, we were always proud of you, even when you doubted us," Esther Patterson said as she tried to lay a comforting touch on her son's cheek. "We love you, and wish you the best in life. We saw that you met a nice group of friends out there, I can't commend you on the choice of species though," Pastor Patterson said, bringing a small smile to his face and his son's. "Harold!" The feminine ghost stood aghast at her husband, acting as though she would slap him. "Sorry Esther, they're horses for crying out loud! But they do make our son happy." Aaron stood back from the shades of his parents. "You saw that? You were with me?" "We were always with you son, and we always will be." Harold Patterson once again laid his ghostly hand on Aaron's shoulder. "We're gonna have to ask you to do something for us, champ. It will hurt, and we would never ask you to do something like this if there was another way. But you're the only person who She trusts to do it. Make us pure, redeem us, and make me proud." The Pastor's immortal essence flowed into his son, leaving his mother standing by with the sea of human faces in that infinite crowd of souls. "My boy, my son. Such a handsome young man. I always knew you were destined to do great things, but I apparently underestimated you. I'll try to make this as painless as possible, but She says we must hurry." "I love you, Mom," Aaron said to the ethereal woman, a tear falling down his cheek. This might be the last opportunity to say the words that had been holding him down and plaguing him with guilt for years. "I know you do, and I never stopped loving you, and you'll always be my baby boy." Her spirit touched his, fusing their souls and conjoining their power. Next came a man he had hoped never to see. "Aaron my boy, I can't say how sorry I am." "General Winters? Sir? She sent you too?" Winters waved a hand, shaking his head. "Cut the 'General' crap, I didn't deserve it. But you were right, she is alive. And now she wants us to help you." "Mother is doing this? She was my guardian?" The spectral man nodded. "I never would have guessed myself. But you need to give humanity a second chance at life, Mother is allowing us to help you. Our kind is scared and alone, you have to bring them harmony. You have a duty to them, just like I did, but you aren't allowed to fail like I did. And Aaron, no hard feelings, right?" Aaron nodded slowly. "Yes, sir." "And remember, to err is human, to forgive is divine. Oh yeah, and tell McGoff he shoots like a chicken shit." The General touched his chest, his form becoming mist as he flowed into Aaron. A man dressed in combat fatigues came forward, his hollow eyes showing the glint of metal coins. "Thank you for remembering me, for remembering us." The young soldier gave a crisp salute, nodding to Aaron before reaching out to join his spirit. His entire company, all soldiers that had sacrificed themselves on the field of battle, followed him on this final mission. With each one he gained their knowledge, their power and their strength. People he knew and people he could never have known all joined with his spirit, Aaron became stronger with each one. Men wearing soldier's uniforms stood next to businessmen, farmers stood with convicts, all patiently waiting for their turn for redemption. Men in rags touched his soul as well as men in the finest clothing. Cave men stood with astronauts, the shades of those who committed the most heinous acts joining him behind those who dedicated their lives to peace and love. Death was the great equalizer, and people from all across time joined with him. They bombarded him like rain drops in a hurricane, entering through whatever openings in his spirit that were available. Aaron clenched his teeth, the twisting and warping of his soul a burning type of pain in his body. His fingers clenched into fists, green sparks of strange energy snapping and crackling in the air around his hands. His fingers shot open, the sparks igniting into a flame of forest green power. After what seemed like an eternity of receiving the souls of humankind, the swell of spirits ended. Aaron opened his eyes, a green glow of magic burning from them. "I know what I have to do now," he said with a billion voices. Go, take their gift and bring your kind back. Give them redemption, seek Lucifer. With the souls of Mankind residing in his body, the voice of Mother was as clear as a whisper into his own ear. He turned to the door, raising a hand the door to his cell shattered into millions of pieces. *************************************************************************** At first they wanted to turn down their invitations, but the presence of Equestria's heroines was almost a requirement at the Gala. So begrudgingly they donned some scratch up dresses and went to Canterlot Castle. Though they normally would have enjoyed a night of fun and talks with some of Canterlot's finest, they all stayed together in the garden. The six friend's mood was solemn, nopony actually wanting to go and dance or anything. Spike joined them after grabbing some food, noisily eating around the melancholy mares. "I still can't believe he lied to us, he really is a monster." said Rainbow Dash. "Ah trusted him with mah family, we even let him be a part of it, but he lied to us." "Damn creature got what he deserved." Rarity sipped from a glass of punch, her appearance not its usual splendor. Fluttershy was still on the verge of a saddened breakdown nearly a week after Luna had taken him prisoner. "How did I not see it? He really was evil." Spike threw down his plate of food, "How can you all sit here and say this about our friend? He was a good person! An evil creature would not have saved us from those bandits, he saved our lives from those monsters out there!" They all looked to him, unsure about themselves. Spike leapt to the table top, jabbing a claw at Applejack, "Applejack, didn't you say he was like a member of your family? Would you just abandon your family like this?" "No, ah guess ah wouldn't." Spike turned to Rainbow Dash, "And Rainbow Dash, you and him were almost best friends, you wouldn't be friends with somepony you didn't trust completely!" "Yeah, you're right!" "Rarity, Aaron gave me the advice to help get your attention." "He...he did?" "Twilight! He told you his entire life story, he trusted you and wanted you to trust him back." She had a revelation, "He did trust me, he was so concerned when I told him I was sick, nopony has ever been that concerned for me since my parents." "Fluttershy, you helped him in his time of need, you believe that nothing is really bad, just misunderstood and in need of love, why would he be any different?" Fluttershy stood with a surge of assertiveness, "You're right Spike, he is our friend! But I can't believe we just let that happen to him." "And Pinkie, he loved your song and dance, would something evil tolerate your antics like he did? He laughed at your jokes and listened to your crazy stories with intent." Pinkie's previously deflated mane curled back in an instant. "You're right Spike! But who are you calling crazy?" "I'll admit Aaron and I had a bit of a rough start, but he showed me that he was a good person underneath all that pain and repressed memory. In the end it was like we hatched from the same clutch, and I respected him. He didn't say those things because he did them, he was protecting us!" Though they now no longer suffered their depression, they were ridden with guilt that they had not done more to save the man who had become one of them. "But that means, if he did those awful things, and he is still a good person, his race must be good too!" "By the Princesses we had him all wrong! Oh my goodness I'm sorry Aaron!" Twilight wailed to the night. ****************************************************************************** So far, so good. The Gala was going off without a hitch and Princess Luna couldn't be more pleased. Boring discussions of politics consumed the night. "And that my Princess is why we should reduce the public works budget and increase spending on foreign trade." "Uh huh, brilliant plan Senator Quill Scratch. I'll get right on it." "Princess, is there something on your mind? You seem rather consumed as of lately." "Oh, why look it's Prince Blueblood!" she lied "I'll have to catch up with you later Senator." The Princess quickly left the nonstop political talks and maneuverings for the peace of the garden. Sitting around a garden table was none other than Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Luna approached cautiously. "Good evening my little ponies. Are we having fun tonight?" The six friends gave her a death look. "Alright, I admit what I did was wrong. But you were harboring an extremely dangerous man with a very dark past!" "He was our friend, and you hurt him." Pinkie Pie said in a tone completely unfitting of her. "But Pinkie! We reconciled some of our differences! He looked into our memories and saw the truth and gave us his memories to do the same!" "You don't get it Luna! He had changed! Princess?" The Princess' eyes had taken on a glaze. She stared into the dark, her breathing extremely shallow and rapid. "Princess! Are you alright!?" the six friends rushed to her side. "She is here, but not for any of us." She looked towards the dungeons. ***************************************************************************************** He had to find Lucifer, he knew they could not have destroyed it. Drawn deeper and deeper into the mountain, he saw the walls becoming natural and no longer pony made. He stopped when he came to a shear wall of brick. "Like this will stop me!" He held his hand out and disintegrated the wall. As the dust cleared, he saw his creation, laying on an altar-like podium. He was now ultimately sensitive to magic, and when he spied the source of dark magic, it almost seemed to squeal like a child seeing a long lost father. "You serve me now, do you understand!" The spirit of darkness cowered, and Aaron picked up his weapon, shouldering the nuclear power pack. "Alright, that's one of three. Now I need my card." He began to run back towards the surface, to the throne room. Flinging guards harmlessly out of his way with his new found magic, he ran like Cloud Hoof himself carried him. He entered the main halls from the dungeons, seeing many finely dressed ponies milling about pointlessly. "Out of my way!" They noticed the human for the first time, screaming they did as he said. Coming to the massive double doors of the main hall, he reached out with his turbulent magic and parted them. He stalked up the center carpet with ponies watching in horror and disgust as he approached the throne. With a wave of his hand the throne slid away to the wall, behind stood the magically sealed doors that only the horn of an alicorn could open. His eyes burned like firestorms of magic, lifting a hand he concentrated, feeling the powerful magic crumble under his assault. With a shudder the doors lost their magical glow and slid open. "Aaron, STOP!" He looked behind him with his eyes that burned with magic. Celestia stood stunned at what he had become. "You do not have to do this!" Hundreds of ponies looked on at the creature that violated the very sanctuary of the Elements. "We must." His voice spoke with a thousand people's voices all twisted to come out of one mouth. "Then you leave me no choice," Celestia said, her horn glowing with golden magic. Charged with her near godly power, she fired a beam of her magic, bright as sunlight, straight at the human. With an outstretched hand, he caught the beam in his palm. Gathering her power in his hand, he looked at it like it were no more than a child's bauble. Clenching his fist, he crushed the orb of Celestia's gathered magic like an egg. Princess Celestia recoiled, her greatest attack had been no more effective than a flyswatter on a dragon. "A noble attempt, but futile," the untold number of voices said through their host's mouth. He turned back, he grabbed his bag which had been stored inside. And then he levitated the box containing the Elements. Opening the bejeweled case, he beheld six round stones which he lifted with his magic. He turned back to the crowd. "Hear me citizens of Equestria! I am Aaron, the last of the Fallen Race! I come forth from the depths of time to reawaken my people. In two weeks I will complete the process and bring back the Army of Man to once again walk the Earth! The choice is yours as to how this will end! And as collateral, I am taking this with me." One of the Element stones floated forward and into his hand. He placed it in his bag with the card and the map. "Aaron, no!" The human looked down to see Twilight, resplendent in her Gala dress. The fires in his eyes faded. "Twilight, you have to trust me." The unicorn glanced around, then looked into his eyes. "I trust you." Princess Celestia glared down at Twilight, placing herself between her student and the creature whose power made her own look pitiful and sickly. A troop of guards had begun to encroach. One tried to throw a spear, Aaron saw and the fires in his soul lit once again. Catching it in his hand, he tore the spear apart molecule by molecule, leaving a fine dust to settle on the floor. Raw power seethed in his body, and with a tiny flick of a finger the Royal Guardsponies were encircled by a bubble of magic. Aaron began to run down the central aisle past terrified ponies and other dignitaries, faster than any human should have out of the castle. But exiting the main door he slammed into a shield of powerful magic. Princess Luna rushed forward from the shadows to confront him. "Do not do this Aaron! We can talk through this." She glanced into his eyes, eyes that only a few days earlier had shown compassion and regret, now glowed with the magic of untold billions. She was drawn in for a second, her gaze filled with human souls that all spoke as one being. "Stay out of our way, Princess," the twisted being of souls said. The soul fires burned brightly in his eyes, and with a single raised finger he shattered the magical barrier that stood in his way. With a devil's speed he ran into the night, almost as fast as a pegasi flew. ************************************************************************************ Ponies screamed at the thought of an unknown army of his kind being brought back from the dead. Being that most were important politicians, they immediately called an emergency council of the General Assembly. Princesses Luna and Celestia tried to regain control, but failed miserably. Retiring to her study, Celestia called her student and her friends for an audience. The door creaked open as they entered, still in their Gala dresses. "Princess, you called for us?" "Yes, Twilight. Your 'friend' appears to have gotten a little stronger in the past few hours." "What is he? Before he couldn't do magic, but now he leaks raw power!" "He has become a magical creature known as a Legion. Within him resides untold numbers of souls, all working together for the same goal. Souls are just residual magic left over from our creation, so he must have absorbed an incredible amount of his species' souls to become so powerful in such a short amount of time. As he is, he has become so infused with magic that he is a living conduit of magic, a body that hovers on the borders between two worlds, the worlds of the seen and the unseen. But only one thing could provide that kind of power, the Earth herself." "Y'all mean that he has some kind of god on his side?" "Precisely Applejack, but I do not know why she would allow him to take an Element of Harmony, his kind cannot even use them. Most Legions are just magic users who want to expand their own power and thus steal it from others. They never live long, the magic power always tears them apart. But we've never seen one with so many souls behind him." "What was that thing he was carrying?" Fluttershy asked. "That was a device he created millenia ago called Lucifer. It is the pure antithesis of the Elements, corrupting whatever it touches with chaotic magic. He must have some plan for using them in conjunction." "But he can't, only we can use the Elements of Harmony!" cried Rainbow Dash. "Precisely, that is why I must ask you six to hunt him down, retrieve the stolen Element and stop him." A knock sounded at the door to the study, a gold armored guard entering. "Permission to speak your Majesty." Celestia nodded her head. "Granted, as always." "The General Assembly has put it to a vote and has unanimously decided to march the Royal Army to the enemy base, minus of course absent voters." The Princess slammed a hoof in fury, "Return a message to the Assembly, as Princess I am declaring that ballot null!" "Yes m'lady." The guard hurried off to deliver the message to the elected council of Equestria. As he flew out the door, Luna brushed past on her way in. "I do not know why we trusted him in any way." she said sullenly. "We did not place our trust unwisely my sister, you know who gave him his power." "Why would she do that? I tried to commune with Mother, but she is ignoring us!" Twilight interrupted. "She wants him to complete his mission, to raise his kind from the dead!" "Twilight Sparkle, you must know that if he succeeded we would be instantly embroiled in a war the likes of which you could not possibly imagine. Countless lives could be lost in a matter of days." "He would not let that happen!" cried Rarity. Twilight approached the blue-black Princess. "Princess Luna, do you know why he took that thing with him? The weapon?" "Lucifer? I do not know, but as the only living one who has felt its wrath, I can assure you he has a plan for using it, possibly on his own kind." "But why?" "Lucifer shoots out an infectious force of dark magic, though similar to the Elements of Harmony, it is not comparable in power to them. But Lucifer is capable of one thing the Elements are not, infecting inanimate objects. The Elements only work on living creatures." Celestia addressed her sister. "Luna, are you aware that he has taken an Element with him? He stole the Element of Magic as 'collateral'." Luna shook her head, trying to comprehend his reason for such a theft. "It could be that the Element is keeping him alive, Legions always need a fresh source of magic to sustain themselves and keep their souls under control. But I can tell you he most likely does not need it to do what ever he has planned. I looked beyond those burning eyes of his, he is a Legion of greater power than any other." "How powerful my sister?" "He has the soul of every human being that has ever lived behind him, he could have easily destroyed half of Equestia with the wave of a hand. But he is holding back for some reason; like those souls were placed on him, but not to give him power." "Then he is baiting us to Stronghold, he wants us there when he awakens the Fallen Race." Princess Celestia turned to the six friends. "Twilight Sparkle, I am afraid you must follow him and recover your Element. Once you have it, you can show no mercy. He currently has the three most powerful forces on earth at his side: Lucifer, the Element and a legion of souls at his command. You leave tonight for Stronghold, no doubt his destination."