//------------------------------// // Clash (28) // Story: Ascended // by BlackWing //------------------------------// Clash DISCORD. I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU! Nightshade boomed, the force of his voice causing several trees to topple over. The sky darkened without cloud, even though it was midday. A chill wind blew, even though it was the middle of summer. The sun and moon were at 10 and 2, sharing the sky, drawing closer to each other with each passing second. "Is that so? There's no need to yell. Looks like little Davy wavy is having a tempuh tantwum." Grasping the fallen Gilda's sword, he effortlessly lifted the titanic blade and pointed it at the ascended human. "You hurt my friends. NOBODY hurts my friends. If someone does, I turn them INTO a no one." Red lightning arced between the two, Discord's malice taking physical form, lashing out at the human, only to be negated by Black Law. Dark clouds filled the sky, with the only clear spot being a ring above the two, the sun and moon resting on it's edges, drawing ever closer. Their blades hummed, Discord's borrowed blade changing from a sleek and smooth blade into a warped, jagged, and pitted one. It looked as though black water had been kicked into a wave, then frozen solid while still in the air, while Nightshade's own shimmered, gaining a black aura that spread to his whole body. The two of them lost all emotion, becoming cold, almost machine like, while all across Equestria, ponies, dogs, griffins, and even a certain red dragon shivered, feeling the absolute hatred emanating from the two. "Casualty and damage reports coming in, Trottingham Ursa subdued, Nohvak knocked it out, minor damage to the city due to quakes, no further casualties." Lyra reported monotonously, taking another pain killer for her headache. "Hoofton Ursa subdued, chained by combined diamond dog and griffin effort. 6 death, 14 injured. 1 ship lost." The control room was solemn for those who had fallen. "Canterlot ursa slain, Shade moving to intercept Discord at Ponyville. City damages, oh Celestia it's horrible! The city slid right down the mountain and cracked in two! Injury reports are flooding in from all over the city I, I AAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH" "Shh, Lyra, calm down. It's okay." Blueblood cooed, moving from his chair to comfort the distraught unicorn. "So many voices! They're all screaming!" Lyra yelled. "It's alright, shut them out, just focus on my voice. My voice. Tell them help is on the way, tell the support crews to ignore evacuation and focus on helping the injured. Listen, my voice okay, my voice." He said, looking straight into her crying eyes. When she opened her own, which had been shut from the pain, she saw only care and concern in his. "Thank's BB, I'm okay. Ponyville report, city fully evacuated, save for the bearers. Princesses almost finished preparations. Harmony has been used, ineffective. Shade is engaging." "Enough chatter, your speeches bore me!" Discord taunted as he brought the blade in a wide slash. Shade blocked it, only to find the blade become a liquid and go right past his sword, avoiding touching it. He leaned back hard to avoid the slice aimed at his neck, using the momentum to plant a reverse ax kick in Discord's groin. Following through, he brought his own blade in an upwards arc. Discord did a back flip to avoid, suffering only from a very small gash. Shade dove forwards in a stab, which Discord avoided by jumping up and kicking his opponent in the face. Staggered for a moment, Shade brought his blade up just in time to knock away one of Discord's slashes. Since he couldn't block them outright, he had to parry them. Swinging his sword forwards, Discord blocked it, causing them to enter a blade lock. Each pushed against the other, neither gaining any momentum. "Quit playing with me Discord!" Shade demanded. "It is rude to ask something of somepony when you yourself are not willing to provide the same service." Discord replied. The look of shock on the faces of the six ponies below, the fact that their clash was rocking the very foundations of the town from 60 feet in the air, and they were only toying with each other. "Just how strong is he?" Twilight asked her friends shocked. "When it comes to helping his friends, he's unmatchable." Pinkie replied with a smile. "He'll win." Fluttershy was comforting Dash, who was weeping over the corpse of her former friend. "Gilda, even after everything, you came back. I left you all alone in the world. I betrayed you when you needed me most, and you died to save one of the friends I betrayed you for. I'm, I'm so sorry." She just sat there crying. Discord became wrapped in blinding aura of twisting orange, yellow, and red, while Nightshade caught alight in a black flame, with only the green glow from his eyes visible through the darkness. Every once in a while, a gust of wind would blow some of the darkness from him, revealing his face, which bore no expression. What he was feeling could not be described by word, song, or image. The two of them flashed in their respective colours, disappearing then reappearing next to each other, shock waves that could be felt by all of Equestria spreading out from their clash. "You tried to hurt Fluttershy, you made Rainbow dash cry. You exist only to cause ruin. You shall be removed. A happy, peaceful Equestria, or Discord the draconnequuis. There can be only one, and I am making the choice." His voice was not loud, but it echoed, making Discord hear the one phrase over and over. As Shade looked to the sky, he saw the sun and moon were now just barely touching, the moon beginning to pass in front. "A choice? What a good idea!" Discord laughed evilly, grabbing Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy from the ground, and bringing them up the the site of the battle. "How about this, one of them lives, and the other dies? You pick. Won't this be fun? If one of them is dead, they can't use the elements, and I'll win." The pegasus pair looked in horror as they were grabbed by the sinister serpent. Shade looked into their eyes, seeing his reflection. What he saw horrified him. The shadows wrapping him dissipated, the black aura gone, and his eyes stopped glowing. "Yes, that's it. You know the situation. You can't attack me because you'll hurt your precious ponies. Now, one will live, and the other will die? Take your pick. I think it's obvious." Discord laughed. "Shady, pick me. Choose me to die." Rainbow said. "What?" Shade asked. "Fluttershy is pregnant, I'm not. I can never give you a foal. She had you first, and I would gladly give my life to save her." She replied, crying. "I, I can't do that!" He yelled in reply. "Oh, so you want the yellow one to die? Alrighty then!" Discord said as he began to squeeze Fluttershy's neck. "NO!" "Oh will you make up your mind? That's it. The blue one said she wants to die, so I guess she dies." Throwing Fluttershy down, who was caught by Twilight's magic before she hit the ground, Discord brought his sword to Dash's neck. What do I do? It's happening again! I can't let it happen again! What do I do? WHAT DO I DO! He screamed inside his head as he began to cry. Break the sword He heard another voice, not Lyra, the princesses, Nightmare, or anyone he knew. Break Black Law The voice said. It wasn't a scary voice, it was a voice expressing almost motherly love. He felt he could trust it. Laying the blade flat across his knee, he placed his palm on the flat of the blade, and snapped it. Discord looked at what the human had just done and in shock, dropped Rainbow Dash. Falling 60 feet to the ground, he landed, then got up without a scratch. Discord flew after him, the pair standing in the center of the circle of friends, with the eye of the storm directly above them, and above that, a full solar eclipse. The elements of harmony worn by each of the mane six shattered and turned to dust, as did Black Law. "Heh, heh, heh, ha, haha, HAHAHAHAHA! I can't believe this!" Discord fell over laughing. He watched as Nightshade fell to his knees, a black mist escaping from his body, which then fizzled out of existence. His wings disappeared, he shank slightly, his teeth turned to normal, and his black clothes turned white. Green mist swirled around him, building in intensity, until they flew outwards. The great gust caused by it sent all of the bearers of harmony flying, straight out of the city. They landed softly on the outskirts of the town, outside the black circle on Ponyville cast by the eclipse. The storm covering Equestria disappeared as fast as it had arrived, leaving clear skies. "The Elements of Harmony are gone, Black Law is gone! The princesses lacked the power to stop me last time I was here, and you just gave up your power! I WIN! You have my thanks human. Whatever possessed you to do that, your foolishness just won me the game!" Discord laughed insanely. "Before I go kill Celestia and Luna, I think I need to put an end to you however." He spoke over the wind coming from him. Nightshade just sat there, kneeling on the ground, looking up at the sky, screaming in pain. Discord brought the sword in line with his head, wound up, and swung. "It hurts. It hurts so much. The pain. Why? Why did you tell me to break the sword? Why? I don't understand." It is so good to see you after so long. Please, do not give up. Bear with the pain. Nightmare's influence is gone for good, so the artificial enhancement's it gave you are gone. You have an immortal spark, housed within a mortal body. As we speak in your mind, your body is being broken down and rebuilt to house that flame. The Elements of Harmony, as well as Black Law, were created by the creator of all life. She made Equestria, and in doing so, used her entire infinite life. This was a dead world, and she gave it her own spark so that it might house life of it's own. She served to balance all things, life and death, creation and destruction. You may know her as Gaia. The voice replied. "Gaia, mother nature?" Nightshade asked. Yes, before she gave herself to make this world, she divided her power. As she served to balance, she made one good, and the other evil. The elements, and the blade. With their destruction, the power sealed within was released, and is being given to you. "But why me? I don't understand. Who are you?" As he spoke, an alicorn, seemingly made of the stars themselves, appeared. I am Aurora, you may know me as the mother of Celestia and Luna, the current rulers of this world. I guard the afterlife, bringing those I deem worthy to the sky. When a star falls, the spirit it belonged to is reincarnated. Gaia's star fell, heralding her return, but when I foolishly sent the humans to the other world, the star went with them. It wandered for years, lost, until it found it's way. As Aurora spoke, Scootaloo and Claire appeared behind her. "Scoots!" He cried, holding her in his arms again. Hey dad. You miss me? She said with a smirk. "Only every day." Don't worry, I've been looking out for her. Claire said happily. She gets to go back soon. Yep, just you wait and see! Actually, I should be going right about now. Scootaloo faded away, becoming a single bright star, which fell to the world below. "You said Gaia fell to the human world. You mean...." Shade trailed off, talking to Aurora. Yes, you. You're powers never resided in your mind or body, but in your soul. You were not gifted with immortal life, but Nightmare fixed that didn't it? Aurora giggled. Now all you must do is bear the pain. Harmony and Law together create a much greater power, YOUR power. With it, you will be able to weaken Discord enough for my daughters to finish him. Your entire life, all the struggles you've face, all the trials. It was to make sure you would be ready, to make sure that, even though you were twisted by Discord's magic, that you exemplified the spirit mother spirit of friendship and love. "And that is?" Sacrifice. It is not always easy to be honest with your friends, or yourself. Though it may bring great embarrassment, or you think your friends will think differently of you, you must be honest with them, else you are not truly their friend. Often times, we have to make hard choices. Choices between those we care for, and what we want. Sometimes, we're given an impossible choice, like you were. You were not able to betray either of them, it was that final unwillingness to give up, begging for help to save them both, that let me contact you, knowing that you were ready. It is not always easy to be kind, as you must often put the needs of others before your own. It is not easy to be generous, as you must give something you cherish to another. In an unfair world, it can be hard to laugh, sometimes, you have to swallow your own pride and make a fool of yourself in order to cheer another. Your pranking pulled that off marvelously. "And magic?" He asked. We all have magic, even humans, who don't know how to use it. True magic is hard work, striving to accomplish. Twilight is a powerful unicorn only because she immersed herself, striving with her all. While you may not represent the elements as well as the six, you represent ALL of them, and so you became strong. "If I had failed these tests?" Then you would not have trusted me and broken the blade. You would have fallen prey to Nightmare, and joined Discord. Needless to say, I am pleased you passed. Your mind is here, in the afterlife, but you are not actually dead. It is time for you to go back, finish the fight, and save the world, Gaias. OMG. Final battle. Scoots! No, I will not cry. Damnit eyes, you traitors!