Chapter Seven: Stubborn In Victory
~BlackRoseRaven
The forest was burning, and Morpheus shivered at the sight of it. The rain of fire that had fallen from Halfdragon's attempt to kill them all had spread far and wide, and he thought that it had maybe set fire even to the grasslands beyond the mountain...
But rain was starting to fall from the storm clouds above, and Morpheus was glad they were getting a chance to do more than just serve as decorations. He shook his head briefly, then glanced down as he heard a ribbit from beside him before smiling a little at the sight of his pet. “Toad, what are you doing here? You should be back at camp.”
“Actually, boss, you're the one who should be back at camp right now. That's why I'm here, to get you. They just finished destoning the last pony.” Toad replied mildly, jerking his head at him before the amphibian sat back and hesitated. “Hey, uh. Not that it's any of my business or anything, but uh... you okay there? You seem a little... you know, down in the dumps, is all. Shouldn't you be celebrating? You like, freed Equestria of the tyranny of a fake Princess Celestia and all that. I mean, right before you're going to destroy it, sure, but still. Brownie points.”
Morpheus grunted, then he shook his head slowly before muttering: “It doesn't feel like a victory. I feel strange, Toad, that's all... I... I just...” Morpheus scowled, then shook his head again, with much more vigor this time. “No, it doesn't matter. I'm going to end this world as we know it, anyway.”
Toad sighed a little at this, and then he said wryly: “You know, boss. You could just not end the world. Hell, this is your chance to rule Equestria! Wouldn't that be cool?”
“Not really, Toad.” Morpheus reached down and picked the amphibian up, gently placing him on his back before the stallion turned and headed in the direction of their little camp, adding moodily: “Besides, where would I rule from? My fortress is all but completely destroyed. My entire dark army has fled – so much for them being a major plot point in my achievement of world domination – and the ponies all hate me. Why, I bet-”
Then Morpheus yelped in surprise as he was seized in a fierce embrace around the neck by two of the mares, staring down with horror in his eyes as Rarity and Pinkie Pie both looked up at him with shining eyes. “Oh, darling!”
“You saved us all! And... and Twilight, you saved Twilight too, right?” Pinkie Pie said brightly, looking warmly up at Morpheus, and the winged unicorn winced before carefully reaching up and prying the two off, staggering backwards and shivering a little as Toad chortled on his back. “Yeah! And Princess Celestia wasn't really Princess Celestia, right?”
“I knew it the whole time!” Rainbow Dash said hurriedly, raising her head high and wobbling a bit on hooves that were still made of stone, and Applejack favored the blue Pegasus with a mildly-entertained glance as she continued quickly: “I just... you know, she totally didn't act at all like the real Princess Celestia. The real Princess Celestia is always so nice and at least twenty percent-”
“Please shut up. You're making it very tempting to leave you with rocks for feet for the rest of your life.” Antecedes said dourly as he approached with a sponge and a small bucket. Rainbow Dash glowered at him, but the skeleton was unperturbed as he dropped beside her and dunked the sponge in the container, before he leaned forwards and carefully started to paint one of her remaining hooves. “We don't have much of this left. Tell me, if you had to choose a limb to be permanently crippled, which one would it be?”
Rainbow Dash stared at the skeleton, but Morpheus only rolled his eyes before he looked back and forth, awkwardly doing his best to keep Rarity at a foreleg's length until he spotted Neato Burrito sitting away from the rest of the group. “Uh. Excuse me.”
“Only if you promise to come right back, darling!” Rarity called... and then she stared in horror as Toad leapt down from Morpheus' back and grinned up at her.
“Hey, babe. Don't you worry about him. I'll keep you company if you want.” The amphibian puffed out his neck, then winked at her and grinned... before scowling as Rarity shrieked and turned to bolt, the toad visibly deflating.
“Oh cool!” Pinkie exclaimed, sweeping up the little amphibian, and he yelped as he was hefted into the air above her head and spun around, the bright-pink mare gazing up at him with awe. “It's a talking frog! Talking frog, hey, do you turn into a prince if I kiss you?”
“Oh please don't try!” Toad groaned, trying to pry himself out of her grip before he called helplessly: “Boss! Hey, hey boss! Come on, come back, give me a hoof here, for crying out loud!”
But Morpheus ignored Toad as he sat down beside Neato Burrito, looking curiously at the Luchador as the earth pony miserably played with his torn El Casco mask. “Señor Morpheus, I am very glad you are okay, but... oh, I am not fit to be seen by your high-and-mightiness. I have failed you.”
“What? You did not, Neato Burrito. You did very well.” Morpheus encouraged, but Neato Burrito only mumbled, dropping his head and looking ashamed of himself. “Celestia was my battle to fight. And you stopped those other ponies from attacking me, did you not?”
“But I was defeated! I have brought shame to my Luchador line!” Neato Burrito said weakly, thrusting his torn mask almost into Morpheus' face and making him wince. “Now all know that I, Neato Burrito, am El Casco! And El Casco is no more! I lost, in máscara contra máscara! And I was unmasked, and I am ashamed!”
Morpheus reached up and slowly rubbed at his face, and then he frowned before asking moodily: “So what, does that mean after any Luchador loses his wrestling match, he has to give up his title forever?”
“What? No! That is ridiculous!” Neato Burrito proclaimed, shaking his head fiercely. “Only a coward or a weakling would retire after losing one match! No, I will never stop fighting, it is in my blood, I am a Luchador! But... but I can no longer wear my mask! She has been taken from me!”
“Please don't. Ever refer to your mask as a 'she' again.” Morpheus shuddered a bit, and then he frowned before looking over his shoulder at Pinkie Pie, asking slowly: “Well... could you reclaim your honor by defeating the pony who beat you?”
Neato Burrito nodded slowly, then he frowned over his shoulder before saying honestly: “Yes, but that mysterious Luchador, Ex Parte... she came from nowhere, Señor Morpheus! I do not know how we would get in contact with her again.”
Morpheus looked for a few moments at Neato Burrito before he turned his eyes back towards Pinkie Pie, who was giggling and bouncing around with a miserable-looking Toad. Then he drew his eyes back to the stallion and looked at him sourly, asking flatly: “Are you serious?”
Neato Burrito only frowned at this, asking curiously: “Why? Do you know of this Ex Parte? Did you perhaps meet her during your mighty battle with Princess Celestia?”
“It wasn't Princess Celestia, it was... someone else.” Morpheus muttered, grimacing and not wanting to get into who Celestia had revealed herself to be... and something about that was still nagging at him painfully. But maybe it was just the part where Halfdragon had mentioned her own sibling had replaced Luna... “Look, I don't have time for all of this Neato Burrito. But if you want to challenge Ex Parte to a fight, you don't need to look any further than these ponies. Ex Parte leapt in to protect them, correct? So if you want to fight Ex Parte...”
“I must challenge each and every one of them to battle, until Ex Parte leaps in to defend their honor, as I defend yours!” shouted Neato Burrito, thrusting a hoof into the air as he clutched his mask against his chest with his other foreleg. “El Casco will rise again!”
Morpheus looked blankly at Neato Burrito for a moment, and then he rolled his eyes before patting the stallion awkwardly on the shoulder, saying dryly: “Good talk.”
“Yes! Excellent talking! I must now go and prepare, Señor Morpheus... for I must restore my honor before I am again worthy of being at your side!” Neato Burrito declared, and the winged unicorn blinked in surprise before Neato Burrito leapt up to his hooves and bolted away from the campsite, calling over his shoulder: “Farewell, my friends!”
Morpheus sighed tiredly, rubbing slowly at his face for a few moments before he strode moodily back towards the others. He stopped in front of Pinkie Pie, who looked up at him curiously while squeezing Toad against her chest.
He looked back at her with a slight grimace, studying her and wondering how the hell this spry little thing could have kicked Neato Burrito's flank, and then he simply shook his head before saying moodily: “A little bird told me that El Casco wishes for a rematch with Ex Parte. He wants to... 'regain his honor.'”
Pinkie Pie's eyes widened slowly, and then she nodded fervently, bouncing up and down on the spot and looking strangely excited. “Oh yes, yes, yes! I'll definitely let Ex Parte know right away. You know. I'll let her know. Right away.”
Pinkie Pie tipped him a wink that could probably be seen from the moon, and the winged unicorn sighed tiredly before he dropped his head forwards as she informed: “I'm Ex Parte, silly.”
“Thank you for sharing.” the stallion said moodily, and then he shook his head briefly before looking up and asking irritably: “Antecedes, are you done yet? We need to go to Canterlot. I still need to destroy Equestria, and from what I learned during my fight with Halfdragon, Princess Luna might be one of the Draekin as well. Which could make things very difficult.”
“Hey, you can't destroy Equestria! I... I thought you were secretly a good guy or something!” Rainbow Dash blurted out, and Applejack frowned worriedly as Fluttershy looked up fearfully. “And what do you mean, Princess Luna is a dragon?”
“Draekin. Very different. Usually with ironic clan names, like Halfdragon or Smalldrake.” Antecedes muttered as he finished carefully scraping Rainbow Dash's hooves with the substance: now only one was stone, but it was rapidly turning back to flesh and blood as he stood up.
The skeleton realized that all eyes were looking at him, and he gave an exasperated sigh before explaining grumpily: “Equestria used to be occupied by three tribes. Hearth's Warming Eve tells us this. What they leave out is that the three tribes didn't instantly start working together because of one nasty little encounter with some ice spirits.
“Unicorns created little kingdoms and used earth ponies as conscripts and Pegasi as mercenaries. They enslaved both as well. There were many, many years of conflict, and at that time, Equestria was also a wild land, untouched by any civilization. There were many creatures here that didn't take kindly to the intrusion of the ponies.” Antecedes paused, then he looked slowly around at the semicircle of ponies that had naturally formed around him, and he continued in a quieter voice: “Then the crusades began.”
“I don't think any of us... ever learned anything about any 'crusade' in school... I mean, I wasn't the best student, but I think I'd remember that.” Applejack said slowly, but Antecedes only chuckled quietly and shook his head slowly.
He looked around at them all, his red eyes glowing with strange entertainment as he said wryly: “I feel a little sorry for you ponies. You've lost so much of your culture. And even if that culture was mostly made from atrocities, evil, and suffering, it's still your culture. You should still know your roots.”
Applejack glared at the skeleton, saying moodily: “I know my roots. My family, as a matter of fact, helped found Ponyville!”
“You're talking to a thousand year old dead stallion. Do you really think that I'm going to be impressed by your parents founding some little city somewhere?” asked Antecedes moodily, and Applejack grumbled under her breath even as she blushed a bit before the skeleton held up a hoof. “Back to the point.
“The crusades were led by the Dragoons of the White Dragon. It was a very strict religion, which gave its Grand Masters a ridiculous amount of wealth and power. And when you have wealth and power, you often end up wanting more wealth and power.” Antecedes shook his head slowly. “So they began a march against the 'pagans,' starting with Equestria. Ponies were either 'converted,' and forced to relinquish their treasures – and often, daughters – to the Dragoons... or they were 'cleansed.'”
“By which you mean...” Rainbow Dash swallowed a bit, trading looks with her friends. “Oh wow. That's heavy... but... no way, I've never heard of it!”
“What history do you know?” Antecedes asked, and it would have come across as ironic or mocking if he hadn't sounded so serious. The ponies traded looks between themselves nervously, and the skeleton nodded calmly, saying softly: “Exactly. All you know is what you've been taught. And all you've been taught is that a thousand years ago...”
Antecedes allowed his voice to trail off, then he glanced to the side at Morpheus, who was frowning deeply. “This part will interest you. The Halfdragon Clan was one of the noble families at the time of the crusade. It was never confirmed that the Killing Light was actually a member of the Halfdragon Clan until now, though... I always thought she was part of the Bladescale family, which is the only Draekin family that we still have records of.”
“That is not anything that interests me, Antecedes. Please get to the point.” Morpheus said dryly, and then he grimaced at the sky as he felt the rain beginning to fall in heavier droplets, muttering: “Oh, wonderful.”
He flicked his horn irritably, and a dome of black energy burst into being, floating above him like an enormous umbrella. He smiled at this... then winced when the five pony mares immediately huddled in around him, the stallion glaring back and forth between them before he snapped: “You are in my personal space! I do not like mares, you're all... icky!”
“Icky!” Rarity looked horribly offended, and then she huffed and whined: “And well, then use your magic to shield us all! I absolutely cannot get my mane wet on top of everything else and... oh, come on, darling, Twilight isn't here so...”
Rarity quieted, and Applejack grimaced a bit as Pinkie Pie looked up uneasily. All five of Twilight Sparkle's friends shifted, and even Morpheus felt a strange twist roll through his gut before he sighed softly and muttered: “Fine. I'll expand the shield... and... well, don't worry about your friend. I'm... sure she's fine. Right, Antecedes?”
“The shield is still whole, yes. As long as the shield is whole, it means you're all alive, and you're all still connected. Besides, you five should know better than us if something happens; you'll feel it.” Antecedes replied calmly, and then he shook his head briefly before adding irritably, as he glanced up at the clouds: “Also, you didn't cast this spell properly. The atmospheric pressure is completely off.”
“Oh shut up. It's not like you can feel the water anyway.” Morpheus complained as his horn glowed, expanding the protective dome of dark energy over the entire field. Then he turned a pointed look back towards Antecedes, saying irritably: “You were getting to the point then? Because I'm hoping you have a very good reason why I'm wasting my time here while I could be on the way to Canterlot to destroy the world.”
Antecedes sighed tiredly, rubbing at his face moodily before he asked in a dry voice: “Could you please stop announcing your intention to destroy the world constantly? And this is important: besides, I don't think Princess Luna will make a run for the Tablet of Dreams... more importantly, if she did, there's no possible way we could stop her, anyway. If we take our approach slow and measured, she might give us a chance to explain ourselves.
“Because remember, we aren't dealing with the real Princess Luna. And if she really is the sister of the Killing Light, then there's only one person she could be: Throna Halfdragon. She was thought to have died, but... the records were always indistinct. It's very possible that instead she was taken prisoner or badly injured, and later recovered by Stronghold.”
Morpheus frowned at this, then he licked his lips slowly before asking uneasily: “What do you know about this... Throna? I've never heard of that name, but you're much more familiar with ancient history than I am...”
Antecedes only shrugged, saying moodily: “Nothing special, from what I can recollect. Second-class healer, not the kind of Draekin I'd expect to have survived... but maybe because of her noble name and her status as a noncombatant, she was spared while others were not. I think that we should ask her ourselves in Canterlot, Morpheus. And I'm beginning to think we should escort these ponies home with us, strange as that may sound.”
The five mares looked up in surprise at this as Morpheus groaned and slapped at his forehead, then he snapped: “You're supposed to be a skeleton, so think with your brain, not your nonexistent-”
“You think for a moment, Morpheus. We need all six of them alive to keep the Elements of Harmony working.” Antecedes retorted, then he gestured pointedly around at the rumbling, rainy darkness around them. “If we just abandon them here, chances are they'll be attacked. And while the goblins might not do much to them, there are much more dangerous creatures guarding this territory... not to mention all the idiotic traps you had us set up.”
“He's kind of right, Boss.” Toad piped up from one of Pinkie Pie's forelimbs. “They could end up getting hurt or worse if we just abandon them out here. Especially since. You know. The crazy evil lady set the whole forest on fire.”
“She wasn't evil, she was... well...” Morpheus halted, frowning uncertainly as he bit his lip, and then he shook his head quickly and flung those thoughts away, grumbling: “Anyway, I... well... I'm not dragging these five back with me. It will take us literally the entire day and night to march there if we have to tow them along. Antecedes, you take care of them, I'll go ahead alone.”
The mares all grumbled at him, and Antecedes sighed before he said finally: “There's no telling what will be waiting for you ahead, though. I can feel your magic waxing and waning, and you won't be at full strength when you reach Canterlot. And from what you described before, the Killing Light must have been stockpiling magical artifacts and treasures since the crusades.”
“Well, that's perfectly fine. I still have my secret weapon, after all.” Morpheus replied pointedly, and Antecedes only stared at him for a long, awkward moment before the winged unicorn glared back, blushing only slightly. “You forget, Antecedes, the caliber of enemy we are faced with. You'll see: this is an act of tactical genius.”
“This is a blunder.” Antecedes rubbed slowly at his face, and then he sighed tiredly before nodding and muttering: “Fine. It might be better this way, anyhow. When that purple unicorn finally comes to her senses, I can remove the hidden enchantment carved inside her body.”
“Is... is that why Twilight was acting so strange?” Fluttershy asked worriedly, and then she looked uneasily towards the castle, murmuring: “Oh my... maybe we should... we shouldn't leave her alone if she's got some kind of... spell on her...”
“No, Halfdragon is dead. Besides, the real hold that Halfdragon had over her was...” Morpheus stopped, then he shook his head slowly and murmured: “Well, it's not important anymore. It... it doesn't matter, because I'm going to end this all.”
“You don't have to, darling... you can... come with us.” Rarity said softly, and Morpheus glanced over at the mare with surprise: both at her words, and the change of demeanor to something... honestly gentle and compassionate instead of fawning. “We'll... help explain everything. Honestly, it's hard to wrap my mind around but... something was wrong with Twilight, after all, the whole way here, and this impersonator was so angry and cold.”
Applejack nodded firmly, adding: “We've seen things called Changelings before, you know, who take on other ponies' shape and form... so it ain't like we can't believe something like that happened here. I bet the real Celestia must be out there... we should work together, and if that Luna really is a big fake too, we should interrogate her and find out where the real princesses are!”
“They're probably dead.” Antecedes said tactlessly, and the five ponies all stared at him with horror as the skeleton said softly: “They've likely been dead since the crusades.”
“That's... that can't be, though. Celestia was always so nice to us... and... what about Nightmare Moon?” Rainbow Dash asked incredulously, shaking her head vehemently. “I can't believe that! We need Princess Celestia! The real one has to be out there somewhere, and... and we gotta find her and save her!”
Morpheus chuckled at this, shaking his head slowly before he muttered: “No, I just have to find the Tablet of Dreams. I know where it must be hidden: in the treasure vault at the core of Canterlot. Then I'll... fix everything in my own way. By making everything... nothing.”
“You don't have to, though. Come on, we... we can all be friends.” almost pleaded Pinkie Pie, smiling at him reassuringly as she leaned towards him. “Come on, let's go back to Canterlot and figure it out together, and... after we fix everything, we can have a big party!”
Morpheus grumbled under his breath, and then he shook his head shortly before muttering: “No, I won't be dissuaded from what I've chosen. I'm going to do what must be done. All of you...”
The stallion gritted his teeth, and then he shoved himself away from the crowd before snapping his horn sharply, and the mares flinched and shouted in surprise as the dome of darkness vanished, rain pelting the ponies as the winged unicorn spun around and snapped: “I am not the good guy! I am not going to be... done in by your wiles, deceived into giving up everything I've worked for, and I will not forget what the world has done to me, or that this world is crafted in the image of a false empress... it must all fall down! And I have wasted enough time on all of you and all of this! I am Morpheus, I am the King of Darkness, I am Lord of Evil, I am not your friend or your savior!”
With that, Morpheus leapt into the air and then vanished into a burst of dark energy, leaving the mares standing in the pouring rain and staring into the space where he had been moments before. None of them knew what to say or how to react, shifting uncomfortably, eyes drawing down, trying to form questions... but it all felt suddenly so... useless.
Antecedes sighed quietly, and then he flicked his horn calmly, and a ceiling of red energy slowly formed over the camp, suspending itself between the trees around them and shielding the ponies from the heavy rain. “Well, there he goes. And like it or not, he's probably going to succeed.”
“Yeah. Poor bastard. Poor, stupid bastard.” mumbled Toad, and then the amphibian shook his head before adding wryly: “And poor us too. I mean. We're kind of going to get erased shortly and all. That's a pretty crappy deal.”
“Why, though? I mean... what's his problem?” Rainbow Dash blurted, looking back and forth disbelievingly. “I thought... I mean...”
“Isn't there anything we can do?” asked Fluttershy quietly, the sun-colored mare looking up and biting her lip. “He seems so... he just seems so sad.”
“Yeah... he wouldn't want to destroy everything if he just realized he had friends.” Pinkie Pie added pointedly, nodding a few times. The other ponies gave varying murmurs of agreement, and then the pink mare paused before looking curiously between Antecedes and Toad, asking slowly: “But you guys are his friends, right? So... why didn't you stop him?”
“Hey, I'm just a pet.” Toad defended lamely, holding up his webbed hands. “What the hell am I supposed to do? Moony doesn't listen to me. And when he gets really annoyed with me he squishes me or doesn't feed me.”
Antecedes shook his head, and then the skeleton muttered: “Why would I want to stop him? My existence is nothing but pain and frustration. I sought dark powers, I achieved dark powers... now I suffer with these dark powers. And I am selfish and, if you must know, too cowardly to want to live like this for any longer. But if the world is erased, I'll be erased with it, and free.”
There was silence for a few moments, and then Fluttershy said meekly: “I don't think any of us want you to die, Mister Antecedes. You seem... nice.”
The crimson glow from Antecedes' sockets softened as he looked for a few moments at Fluttershy, and then he shifted a little before muttering: “Well, I'm not. But... come on. Your friend has been given enough privacy. We need to bring her back to reality, and then we might as well start marching back towards Canterlot.”
“Yeah, maybe Moony will screw up. Or monologue for long enough that we'll be able to get there and...” Toad hesitated, then laughed a bit, mumbling: “And I don't know. We could just smash the Shield of Heaven...”
“Moonflower already took the shield from me. He's got it keyed to his summoning magic now.” Antecedes replied with a shake of his head, and then he hesitated and looked up before murmuring: “But fine. Let's get going. I suppose there's no great harm in giving you ponies one last chance to try and convince Moonflower to do something different.”
“But he's a stubborn bastard. And he won't believe a word you guys say, either.” Toad said pointedly, nodding a few times. “Guy's got all the power in the world, enough of a brain to use it... but not a single shred of trust for strangers. He's got an anxiety thing.”
“He's got a lot of things.” Antecedes muttered, as he turned towards the ruins of the fortress. “Enough, all of you. Let's pick up your friend, then you can decide from there what to do.”
No one really knew what to say, so they all simply agreed through silence and motion, following after the skeleton, none of them completely understanding what was really going on... but all of them hoping that Morpheus would give Equestria another chance to show that there was more to ponies than just whatever he had suffered under Halfdragon's secret regime.
Morpheus wheezed painfully as he appeared in front of the gates to Canterlot, almost falling over as he slumped slowly down to the ground. He mumbled a little under his breath before shaking his head briskly out, his horn sparking a bit before he glanced awkwardly up as he found two large, burly Royal Guards glaring at him.
He immediately straightened and hopped backwards, raising his head high and thundering: “I am Lord Morpheus, bringer of darkness evil! I mean, the... the bringer of evil darkness! Not just regular darkness, but the kind that's filled with... evil.”
Both Royal Guard were now looking awkwardly at the winged unicorn, and the stallion blushed slightly before he swore under his breath and rose a hoof as his horn glowed. Green lightning surged outwards over both Royal Guards, making them flinch before there was a puff of black smoke... and a moment later, both soldiers had been transformed into large, chubby lawn flamingos, posed awkwardly on one leg with expressions of horror on still-vaguely-equine features.
Morpheus huffed loudly, and then he glared back and forth... but as it was that dark time between late night and early morning, there was no one else around. So instead he bad-temperedly shoved one of the flamingos over before striding towards the sealed castle games.
Morpheus scowled at this moodily, and then he rubbed his hooves together before his horn glowed blackly as he approached, baring his teeth in a grin and growling: “No matter how large or how you shut it, a gate is still a gate... and my magic is the key to any door!”
He laughed loudly as he slowly forced the immense portcullis to rise, gritting his teeth as his eyes blazed and his horn crackled with the same dark aura that gleamed around the metal bars. And as it rose high, the enormous doors past the sealed gate shuddered violently before they began to slowly creak open as Morpheus poured all his strength and concentration into the telekinetic push.
Ponies stared as Morpheus smashed in through the ajar doors, the stallion grinning widely around the entrance hall and throwing his head back as he declared: “Try as you might to hide, none of your locks, your barriers, your walls will stop me! I am Morpheus, Lord of Shadow!”
He stepped forwards and let the gate drop behind him, doing his best to hide his wheezing... although there really wasn't a whole lot he could do to disguise the sweat running down his body. And then he scowled as one of the few ponies in the entrance hall pointed awkwardly past him, Morpheus glancing moodily over his shoulder... and staring blankly at a small side entrance, the door leading outside left invitingly ajar.
Morpheus mouthed slowly at the sight of this... and then one of his eyes twitched before he turned around and snapped: “My... my awesome majesty demands that I use the main entrance, not some... not some silly servant's entrance. Now, I demand to be brought before Princess Luna!”
“That is funny, Moonflower, we were about to demand that thou would be brought before us.” boomed a voice, and Morpheus blinked dumbly before he looked awkwardly up to see the Princess herself was standing only a short distance away, several bat-winged ponies on either side of her glaring fiercely at the stallion. “I am glad we are in agreement about this, at least. Let us not waste time and speak in private... but first, I must ask that thou make an oath that thou wilt do no harm to any ponies here, including myself.”
“Oh, don't worry. I won't hurt any ponies.” Morpheus said moodily, and the Princess of the Night glared at him before the stallion straightened and gave a grim, short nod. “Whenever you're ready, your highness. But I should warn you now: if you attempt to ambush me, you will leave me no choice but to demonstrate the fullest extent of my powers.”
Luna only laughed shortly before replying thinly: “Unlike some present, we have honor here, Lord Moonflower. Shall we?”
“I am Morpheus. Morpheus. Not Moonflower.” the stallion said testily, but then he gave a brief nod and gestured at her irritably, and Luna huffed at him before turning around and quickly striding away, the stallion following after her and her guard with a scowl on his face... but nervousness in his eyes, far from sure about what the hell was going on.
To his surprise, they headed to the throne room: Luna dismissed her guards almost the moment they entered, leaving only the lifeless-looking soldiers standing at the doors as these swung slowly closed.
The moment the doors shut, Luna's entire demeanor changed, going from fierce and self-assured and loud to slumped and... tired, he thought. Morpheus frowned at her, and Luna reached up to silently toy at her peytral before she murmured quietly: “You killed my sister. You killed her, and now... I'm the last of my kind left.”
She quieted, then shook her head slowly before giving a faint laugh, whispering: “And do you know what the worst part is? I'm actually relieved. She had become so... obsessed. So damaged. I had to watch her over a thousand years as she became... more and more twisted... so determined that she could play goddess to this nation...”
The mare shook her head silently, and Morpheus hesitated only a moment before stepping forwards and saying quietly: “Your name is Throna Halfdragon, isn't it?”
“Yes, that's right.” The mare looked up with surprise, then she blushed a bit and glanced back down. “And you are... Moonflower, yes?”
“Morpheus. Moonflower is my old name.” The stallion glanced away awkwardly, and then he rubbed the back of his head slowly, looking uncomfortable before he asked finally: “Do you understand that I'm here to destroy the world, and that I just killed your sister?”
“There's nothing more dishonorable to the Draekin than dying a peaceful death. And my sister... was sick in mind. I think she knew her body was ailing... as I can already feel my body beginning to weaken.” The mare silently touched her own body, murmuring: “The spirits of the Draekin aren't meant to inhabit such soft pony forms. That's why she grew so weak, so... unpredictable and angry. Even after just a few years, I feel like... I'm changing. My compassion and discipline are bleeding away, and the... childishness I've always had is coming more and more to the surface. Just like Stronghold was so full of rage and hate and pride and had forgotten... who she had once been. Honestly, it's... it's a strange relief to know she's at peace. I was starting to fear that in her quest to make the whole nation 'good...' she was going to destroy everyone in it, myself included.”
Morpheus looked at the mare, realizing she hadn't really answered either of his questions but deciding not to press the subject any further. Instead, he shifted uncomfortably before prompting slowly: “So you and your sister... you took the places of Celestia and Luna a thousand years ago, you... became them?”
“Yes. Or at least, Stronghold did. She used the Tablet of Dreams to become Princess Celestia after killing her: it allowed her to both fake her death and take control of the nation in secret.” Throna replied quietly, giving a brief smile. “I just... stayed quiet, and hid away. It wasn't that hard: I know all the old places that history has long forgotten.
“Luna, of course, noticed her sister was acting strangely, and... well, we all know the story of Nightmare Moon. I doubt Celestia would have ever been so callous, but... Stronghold was always focused, always... selfish.” Throna quieted, looking down silently. “When Nightmare Moon returned from the moon, Stronghold had grown comfortable enough playing her role she was able to wait out the defeat and reconciliation with Luna... and then, that night, she was cursed and turned to stone, and thrown in the treasure trove with all the other artifacts. And... I used the Tablet of Dreams to become the new Princess of the Night. Although there were... differences between us.”
Throna fell silent as she reached up to stroke slowly through her starry mane, looking down before she shook her head slowly, trembling a little. “It... it wasn't fair. To her, to me, to... anyone. Stronghold was always so convinced she absolutely knew what was best for everyone, but look where we are now!”
The mare cursed under her breath, then she slowly forced herself to calm, closing her eyes and hugging herself before she murmured: “And I'm too weak and too tired of this whole charade to do anything about it. I could use the Tablet of Dreams to kill you, but... what would that accomplish? Precisely, nothing. I'd still have to rule the country and explain the absence of almighty Princess Celestia. Which I couldn't do.
“I could use the Tablet to bring Stronghold back, but... it would require a sacrifice. And sister or not... I'm not willing to commit murder to power the Tablet.” The mare closed her eyes, shaking her head briefly. “And I... I'm afraid of what Stronghold would do if she came back. These last few months, she... she lost the little of herself that had been left. I was scared of her. And I fear what she would do much more than what it is you plan to do.”
Morpheus nodded uncomfortably, and then he silently put his hooves together before saying awkwardly: “Even though you do know that... I'm going to take the Tablet of Dreams and use it to destroy the entire country, right?”
“Yes.” Throna looked up at him with a faint smile, giving a slow shrug and a quiet sigh. “And I'm going to keep my claws... or my hooves, rather, out of it. You do what you feel you have to, Moonflower, Morpheus, Mumford, whatever your name is. And if the world ends, I'm not going to complain. I've been alive for a good fifteen hundred years and... I miss Mommy.”
The mare looked up and gave an open, honest smile, and Morpheus looked at her with surprise before she shrugged and said simply: “I think that when we die, it'll just be another coming home. I never lost my faith, like Stronghold did... I still believe that there's something or... someone out there, who cares about us. Each and every one of us, you, me, and all the ponies and dragons and other things in the world. I do.
“I think when I die, I'll get to see Mommy and Daddy and all the rest of the Clan. I hope Stronghold is there, too, and that... she's learned her lesson. Mommy always scolded her, but that was because Stronghold always had to be right, always had to be special, always had to push and push and push. And while her pride and drive made her a commander in the crusades... it also meant she missed out on a lot of life. I feel sad for her... not angry at you, just... sad.”
Throna stopped, then she shook her head and murmured: “No, how could I be mad at you? You did... you did a good thing. She was losing herself. She had started... drinking more, and abusing potions and powders, and throwing around her power to get whatever she wanted. She really started to believe she was better than everyone else, purer somehow. Able to 'handle it.'
“I never thought she was a bad person, even if she was scary and ruthless and proud... but she was true Draekin, and the Order of the White Dragon was everything to her. So when we were given the order to retreat, she ignored it, along with most of the army, treating it like it was a test of faith. And when we were excommunicated for continuing the war against the High Elder's orders... it destroyed her. She really believed she was doing the right thing, but... she only saw enemies on the battlefield. I was a healer. I only saw... victims.”
Morpheus shifted a bit, and then he shook his head shortly before grumbling: “You're telling your story to the wrong person. I'm not interested. All I care about is-”
Throna reached up and smacked him, and Morpheus' head twisted to the side as he mouthed slowly and wordlessly before the mare scolded: “Stop it. Good or evil, right or wrong, that doesn't matter and it's not an excuse to be so willfully stupid. If you beat Stronghold, you can't be stupid. So don't act like it.”
Morpheus glared at her, and then the mare shook her head slowly before biting her lip, then she looked up at him and said quietly: “And I think that you'll ultimately make the right choice, anyway. Like I said, you must have a brain in there.”
The stallion only shrugged moodily, rubbing slowly at his cheek before he said sourly: “Enough of one to know that any inconveniences that might arise from the world being destroyed wouldn't be difficult to overlook if it meant I'd never have to deal with another mare, ever again.” He stopped, then hesitated before adding wryly: “And furthermore, I thought you didn't care. Or you were afraid or something of being left to try and rule this pathetic little kingdom on your own.”
“It's not a kingdom because there's no king.” Throna said testily, and then she shook her head shortly before adding in a quieter voice: “But I am, yes, but... I also know that it's better not to run away from my problems. No matter how far you run or how you try to hide, they have a habit of... showing back up.”
Morpheus frowned a little at this, his eyes flicking to the side as he shifted uncertainly, before the mare sighed softly and said quietly: “The Tablet of Dreams can only be activated by a sacrifice. Are you willing to sacrifice life to achieve your ends?”
“I suppose the sacrifice will be the entire world.” Morpheus replied moodily, and then he shook his head and looked down, muttering: “So I guess that... I guess I am.”
Throna studied him for a few moments... then she gave a strange smile before simply nodding briefly. They looked at each other uncomfortably for a few moments, and then the mare said calmly: “If you want, I'll teleport you directly down to the vault in Canterlot's core. I would prefer to avoid any further conflict... none of us can stop you, anyway. I might as well send you right down to the vault, although you'll still have to figure out how to get in yourself.”
Morpheus hesitated for a moment, and then he nodded briefly before biting his lip. Throna looked at him curiously, and the stallion grimaced, then shifted before mumbling almost grudgingly: “Thank you. For... being reasonable. I didn't expect you to be.”
“I was only ever unreasonable with Stronghold. And that's just because... at the end of it all, we were arguing about absolutely everything. The only time we were sisters was when we pretended to be Celestia and Luna and... the rare occasion when...” Throna halted, and then she sighed softly, reaching up and silently touching her breast. “I can't wait to shed this pony's body. I wish I could be my old self again without needing a Reconvertor, but... sacrifices must be made. That was one of Stronghold's favorite sayings...”
“You have funny names.” Morpheus almost blurted, and then he winced a bit when the mare glared at him sourly, her starry mane sparking violently. “I... mean that in the most flattering way possible, of course. You just... sound...”
Morpheus realized he was painting himself into a corner, so instead of saying anything further, he simply smiled awkwardly and closed his mouth. They looked at each other again for a few long moments, and then the stallion said finally: “I'm ready to go, Throna Halfdragon. And... I... suppose I should thank you for helping me. It's strange, but... this isn't the first time... someone I never expected to has helped me.”
“Then maybe you should consider that before you do anything stupid. Stronghold was trying to build a perfect, peaceful nation: I'm not sure if she succeeded, or if she failed in a wonderful way, but I do know that Equestria is a good place, where maybe even you can... be accepted. You just have to be willing to try.” Throna stopped, then smiled faintly and shook her head slowly, her horn glowing as she murmured: “But perhaps in another life.”
Slowly, a portal revolved open in the floor, and Morpheus looked down into this uncertainly, feeling a strange hesitation welling up through his body before he glanced over his shoulder as the mare gave him another brief smile. “And thank you for listening to me, too. It's been so long since... since I've really had anyone to talk to. Stronghold could get along without any friends, but we were... we were never all that alike.”
Morpheus only looked at her for a few moments, and then he dropped his head and shrugged a little, replying quietly: “I suppose it's the least I can do for you. Even... even we villains have our codes, you know. Maybe even, in another life, like you said, perhaps...”
The stallion broke off, then shook his head quickly, looking down for a few moments before he muttered as he turned away: “Well... goodbye, Throna Halfdragon.”
With only the briefest of hesitations, he strode towards the portal and stepped into it, and the mare gave him a faint smile before shaking her head slowly as he sank through the vortex. And she couldn't help but reflect on how even if the stallion claimed he wanted to be left alone... he seemed to trust unfailingly in and depend upon other people all the same, leaving her some hope that there just might be a future for Equestria after all. Even if Stronghold would have called her childish and stupid and cowardly for deciding to bow out of this fight, Throna knew that sometimes you just had to trust in fate... and that even the worst of people could make the best of choices.