The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

by Hooves Like Jagger


24th: Antagonist

The Rule of King Cocoon of the Changelings

“Princess Celestia! A report!”

A guard comes bursting into the throne room. Ever since Cocoon disappeared, we’ve been camped out here doling out orders. The Princesses are still extremely concerned, but they’ve decided to leave things in the hooves of the guards. Hunting down Cocoon has proven fruitless until now.

“Cocoon was recently discovered in the castle’s kitchen!”

“The kitchen?” Luna asks, vocalizing the question I’m sure is on all our minds right now. “Why was he in there?”

“It is a pretty clever place to hide,” I point out, but I doubt that was Cocoon’s goal. At this point, I’m not sure what his goal is anymore. The next time I see him, I’m not sure if he’ll try to destroy me or beg for forgiveness again. Maybe he’s trying to bake an apology cake. Can changelings even bake?

“He’s sealed himself inside the pantry,” the guard explained. “The first of us on the scene reported that he was eating the salt stored in there. When we tried to engage him, he put some sort of stone slab in front of the door. Magic has no effect on it, so we’re working on breaking it down with the battering ram.”

“Cocoon’s motives and methods have been a perpetual mystery,” Princess Celestia says. She puts a hoof to her forehead and sighs. “But this is really pushing it. I’m not even going to question what he’s up to this time. Remove him from the castle by any means necessary.”

The guard throws a sharp salute and gallops off with his orders. Here in the throne room, all we can do is puzzle over what to do next.

“I have a very bad feeling about all of this,” Celestia says after a long pause. “Cocoon’s display of power has been nothing short of impressive while his show of sanity has been less than impressive. This may come down to having him judged by the Elements of Harmony.”

“… Princess Celestia.” I’m not sure I can just leave things as they are. “You must have realized by now that there is more to what happened in the Everfree than what I told you.”

The Princesses turn to me, not saying anything. It’s a confirmation of sorts and now they’re wordlessly telling me that I am free to speak. This isn’t the time for holding back what doesn’t have to be held back. Perhaps I shouldn’t tell the whole truth, but I can shed some more light on what is happening.

“What if I told you that if what Cocoon is looking for falls into his grasp, we’ll never hear of him again? The moment his wishes are fulfilled, his part for history will be over for all of time. If he finds it in the next second, he will leave us as we are right now. What would you do if I told you this was true?”

Luna moves to speak, but Celestia raises a hoof and silences her. She closes her eyes, but I can’t say why. She is either concentrating or struggling with something inside of her. Perhaps I should have told them more, but talk of beings from other dimensions trying to get home might be needless complication right now.

“Louise, I thank you for sharing this with us.” Celestia opens her eyes up and looks directs her regal stare right at me. “But it changes nothing. This isn’t about what Cocoon wants, it’s about how he goes about getting what he wants.

“Ponies all across Equestria wake up with want in their heads every time I raise the sun. They want things like money, power, or love. A pony can do an honest day work for her pay. A pony can run a fair campaign to acquire office. A pony can go out of her way to display their affection for another. These are normal, healthy ways to obtain what one wants. Maybe these efforts are not enough or will never be enough, but the creative can find other, acceptable ways to speed the process along.

“There are ponies who steal to get money. There are ponies who lie to gain power. There are ponies who manipulate to gain love. Louise, is there anything fundamentally wrong with gaining money? With gaining power? With gaining love? Certainly not, but it all boils down to one thing: the ends do not justify the means. If there is only one, dark road Cocoon can travel to attain his goal, then we will have no part in assisting him on his way.

“If he can only achieve his ends with wanton destruction and venomous lies, then it would be best to seek something else. It isn’t what he wants that makes him evil, it’s how he must obtain it.”

“That seems unfair,” I say just as I think it.

“We can’t always have what we want,” Luna says. Coming from her, the truth of the matter becomes very clear: if Cocoon’s going to do something terrible to us in order to return home, we have to stop him. “In a perfect world, we all walk away happy, but how can we be happy with what Cocoon has done? If he will not consider us, we will not consider him.”

There is nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said. The die is cast. Cocoon stands at one end and we stand at the other. He either gives up his dream or we take care of him once and for all. It is rather sad that it has to come down to this, but he started it. He is the only one forcing himself to go home.

The sound of an explosion resonates from outside. The castle shakes, and we hold our breath until a guard comes rushing in.

“Your majesties! Cocoon has just been sighted leaving the Chamber of the Elements!”

“What?” Celestia gets up and starts moving towards the door, Luna close behind her. “Please tell me the Elements are safe. I only just sent Twilight and the others to retrieve them.”

“We haven’t had time to get confirmation, but… those of us who saw him agreed he appeared to be carrying a chest with him.”

“Curses!” Luna shouts, turning to her sister. “We should go after him ourselves, sister!”

“No, that’s too dangerous,” Celestia tells her. “Our last scuffle with him used up too much of our power, and he could be setting up a trap. We need to know what he’s up to. Where did he fly off to?”

“He flew off towards the city,” the guard tells us, pointing out the window towards the town proper. It looks peaceful enough, but the thought of Cocoon running rampant through the streets of Canterlot wasn’t good.

“And do we know where Twilight Sparkle went with her companions?” Luna asks.

“We believe they must have seen Cocoon break out with the Elements. Chances are they’re heading towards his position right now.”

“I don’t know if I like the sound of that,” I say, knowing full well that if they attack Cocoon he will probably attack back. “We need to intercept them.”

“Not yet,” Celestia says. “If you’re up for it, I have a task for you.” She looks down at me and puts a hoof on my shoulder.

“O-of course, anything.”

“Then come with me to the Chamber of the Elements,” she says without a moment’s hesitation. “Cocoon could not have possibly stolen the Elements of Harmony, no matter how powerful he is. He is trying to fool us once again, no doubt intending to lure Twilight Sparkle and our attention out towards the city without the Elements with us. You will thwart his plan by bringing the Elements of Harmony to Twilight in the city. Come with me and I will get the Elements for you. Take them to Twilight so we can put an end to Cocoon and his reign this very day.”

“Yes your highness!”

This is it. We’re about to embark on the final battle.


How much salt will pay the toll home? I’ve emptied the castle’s kitchen and several establishments across Canterlot. I don’t know where I put it all because I’ve easily eaten tons of it. For some reason, this plan seems plausible for that reason only. I’m gambling everything on this go, so it had better work. If I had to describe how I feel right now, strutting down Canterlot’s panicked streets in broad daylight, I would probably say “unstable.” That’s the idea anyway.

To go home, I must become a monster, in a physical sense; however, if having a human-ish body inspires human memories inside me I can only guess what having a monstrous body will do to my mind. I can’t even say how monstrous I have to become to get this to work. Is there such a thing as too monstrous? I can easily see myself overstepping the line if I lose control.

I could, in theory, begin transforming at any time, but the timing doesn’t feel right. I didn’t steal this chest just so I could have something to tow from location to location. Nopony I’ve seen has cared about what was in the box. I just demand all their salt and they either run away screaming or comply before running away screaming. There should be roughly six ponies who want this box. I need to find them.

“Hold it, mister!”

Unless they find me first.

I turn myself around and look down the street in front of me. I see a blue pegasus pointing an accusing hoof at me. I see a blonde earth pony staring me down. I see a white unicorn glaring at me. I see a yellow pegasus hiding from me. I see a pink earth pony entranced by a donut dangling from some apparatus on her head. I see a purple unicorn.

“King Cocoon, I presume?” Twilight Sparkle herself asks me. I’ve got all these memories of watching her when I was Mangle, but I still feel like I’m seeing her for the first time. It would be inappropriate to act differently, given the situation.

“The Elements of Harmony. It’s hard to believe it’s taken us this long to meet.”

“Cut the crap, bug-legs!” Rainbow Dash yells at me, with an insult I haven’t heard yet. “Give us the Elements of Harmony!”

“Do I look like a jeweler to you?” I ask, holding the box right in front of my chest. “Don’t come crying to me if you misplaced your trinkets.”

“Yer not foolin’ anypony, Cocoon,” Applejack says. “Yah can’t hide the truth from us.”

“Ah yes, a lecture about truth from Applejack the Element of Honesty.” I place the chest on the ground and put one foot on it Captain Morgan style. “Will I also receive lessons on Kindness and Generosity from Fluttershy and Rarity? Will Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash tell me all about the values of Laughter and Loyalty? Or perhaps you, Twilight, would like to preach about the Magic of Friendship, hmm?”

“Talking to somepony who won’t listen won’t do any good,” Twilight says. “On the other hoof, I’d like to know exactly what kind of game you think you’re playing, Cocoon. Why don’t you enlighten us?”

“Me? Enlighten you?” I hadn’t expected to be saddled with all the talking during this confrontation. “What is there for me to say? I want what I want and I’m going to do what I must to get it. I’ve got nothing to lose for trying and everything to gain if I succeed.”

“But we’re going to stop you, Cocoon!” Twilight says, taking a step forward. The rest of her companions, step up with her. “I don’t know what it is you want, but you obviously know what you’re doing is wrong! Why go down this path?”

“This is the only one that leads home!”

“Then maybe home is elsewhere.”

“… No, no, no, no…. no no no no no no no no NO!” Something verging on demonic awakens inside me. “I won’t turn back after making it so far! If I wasn’t meant to go home, I would have perished long ago!

“You want to know what keeps me on this road, Twilight Sparkle? I know, deep down inside, that I don’t care more than a tuft of wool for Equestria and her citizens. They called me King Cocoon the Liar, but I won’t live a life of denying what it is I truly want! I won’t live a lie! Settle down and pretend I’m satisfied here? No, I refuse outright. If that makes me the villain, then so be it!

“I won’t back down now. I said I’d go home, and so I’m going home. There’s no reason to turn around and be a hypocrite. There’s no reason to admit the merits of giving up. Other than it being wrong, there’s no reason not to tread the path home. Here, in front of the world, I will make my stand.”

“… Alright, you’ve made your feelings on the matter clear,” Twilight says. “If you won’t give up the Elements of Harmony, we’ll take them from you. I’ll give you one last chance: give us the chest.”

“Oh, you mean this chest?” I take my foot off the chest and kick it over. It topples open and spills its contents into the street: nothing. “It’s just an empty, forgotten box I found. Like I said: don’t blame me for your misplaced baubles.”

“But if you don’t have them, that means-”

“Oh, don’t tell me you didn’t even look right where you left them!” I laugh in a way fitting for the antagonist. Whether or not I’m about to face my nemeses on the verge of the final battle, I love it when a plan comes together. “Well, at least you have front row seats to the grand finale! Even I don’t know how this one ends, so for those in the audience with hats I would advise holding on to them!”

I focus all my energy onto transformation; however, this time I don’t settle for mere camouflage. The folds and creases I make in my body aren’t designed to be reversed. My goal is concrete, permanent. This is the first step in becoming a monster. I step fearlessly, pouring everything I have into this cry for freedom. I feel the power take hold, granting my reward with two sharp stings to my sides.

“…How… how did you…?”

My cuirass has broken. Only the star-shaped chestpiece remains on my body, if only because it appears to be bonded by scorches along the edges. The chainmail beneath my armor hangs like rags about my waist, but my armor is the least of my change right now. I raise my arms over my head so I can clearly see the new pair that has sprouted directly under them. I flex and move them, from the elbows to the fingers. It feels natural, as if I had four arms my entire life. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a real trip.

“That isn’t possible!” Twilight Sparkle yells at me. “Changelings shouldn’t be able to do that with their bodies. How can you do that with your body?”

“It’s very simple, Twilight!” Another pair of arms sprout from my back with two additional twinges of pain. “I never was a changeling; I’m a God.”

Six balls of fire fly from six outstretched hands, causing six ponies to jump from their spot on the street. Not only have I changed my body, but I seem to be more powerful as a result of it. By using the energy to transform, I’m taking it directly into my physical body. Armed with six limbs, I can grab at power more easily. I could tear this world apart!

I keep my head level, at least for a moment. I have a specific goal, and I must ensure it gets seen through.

“If I were you, I would be looking to collect your precious Elements of Harmony!” Another searing pain rips through me as a long, plated tail sprouts out of my body and slithers along the ground. The pain is somewhat less than before, which I can assume means this is working. The red, hazy clouds in my mind must also mean this is working. “I’m off to give judgment on Equestria.”

Pain and wind rush past me, but this time I’m not sure what has changed. When I land, the ground crumbles beneath my hulking frame. I catch a glimpse of myself in a window. My mouth is a cage of fangs while my body is an asphalt temple with a star crest hanging in the middle. This is the image of something to be feared. How is it I was immediately taken for some kind of monster in Manehattan?

The pain is numb and satisfying. I’m morphing more and more drastically without hardly trying. I become aware that I am no longer walking down the street, but slithering on a long tail with pulsing, green veins running down my length. My bottom four arms help drag me along and hold me upright, but I still have eight free limbs to cause destruction with. Lightning sparks from the ends of long, wicked fingers and the tips of jagged, scaled mandibles.

This is the destruction I bring down on this city, just as I should have in Appleloosa. Could I have spared an entire city my wrath for one pony’s kindness and understanding? No, I should have razed it to the ground with this power and placed him as king of the ashes. That is a fitting reward. I will be the high king, as is only fitting. I am ever expanding in size, trading in hands for leathery wings with crooked, hulking talons. When I open my mouth to speak, all that comes out is a guttural roar. Venom drips down the fangs all along my long jaws. The acrid smell fills my nose, but that isn’t all I smell.

There is metal in the air. Armored pegasi are coming after me in droves, but there is little they can do against a god-beast. I flattened them in the desert, and now I will destroy them in their homes. As they circle me, the long length of my body solidifies on top with hard, armored plates. I curl my many wings inward to coat my underbelly with tough hide. I can’t move without decimating the buildings around me with my jagged, bladed edges. The royal guard is nothing in my wake. In a few more minutes, I’ll be large enough to coil myself around Canterlot Castle itself!

Yes, the castle shall be the offering pyre to this world’s new god. I start moving towards my throne, slowly yet surely. I cast all my eyes upon it, feeling nothing that I mow down beneath my underbelly; however, these pegasi guards are becoming a nuisance due to their numbers. I had been content to swat at them with the massive sickle on my tail, adding another tip or serrated edge here and there for fun, but it seems they need a demonstration of a god’s divine might.

I open my gaping maw, revealing the abundance of focal points I have collected there. Like a god should, I breathe deep and release a searing, endless gout of fire into the air. The results please me, eliminating any who were foolish enough to block the path before me. The only remaining nuisances are hanging right behind my head, attacking a joint in the back of my neck they found exposed. To further perfect my image, I allow a large, circular plate to grow from this, forming the disk of my dark, hell-facing halo. I am nearly perfect! My godhood has nearly been realized!

Now it is before me, Canterlot Castle. I writhe my way up and wrap myself around it, just as I had imagined. From all the way up here, I can see all the way from where Quarterholm burned to where Dnaglefreed died. Yes, they are my domain now. This is the kingdom of the god-king. All of this is mine!

“Cocoon!”

The name stings my ears. I thought I had put such a name behind me, the name of a lowly changeling who pined for home. I turn down to the tower to see the blasphemer who would dare speak this name to me.

“This is far enough!” Celestia shouts at me, but I do not fear her. I cannot help but laugh.

“I’m the one in control now, Celestia!” I remind her in a voice loud enough to be heard far down the mountain. “The lowly Cocoon is no more. Now is the time of Apophis, God of Change!”

“All you are is delusional!” Celestia is but a speck on the earth now. I don’t know why I am lowering myself to listen to her. “Look down!”

As if there were anything other to see other than the fruits of my destruction, I peer down below me. Rising from the rubble, there is a speck of light. It comes up and up and up until it is at the level of my eye.

“Oh! So, the Elements of Harmony have come to challenge a god!”

“Call yourself whatever you wish, but this ends now!” Twilight shouts, concentrating hard to levitate her friends so high. They gather their energies, beginning the ritual of activating the elements. It is a pitiful display to watch.

“I am Apophis, God of Change,” I proclaim to them. “With one last alteration, I shall overcome your foolish ambition of victory.”

There is but one feeble thing left inside me. Once I remove it, nothing can stop me from ushering in a new age. Fueled by my thirst and driven by the very hand of fate itself, I concentrate my remaining power upon one, innermost piece. Like a candle being thrust into the ocean, the light disappears and the water turns black.


It is warm here. I stand, in my human body, in a field dotted by yellow flowers. This is a tranquil place, for sure. Seeing as there is no one else around, I suppose I’m the only on here. I alone have come to this prophecy hill… despite not knowing where or what it is.

“You have suffered a terrible fate,” I remind myself. “You put your body and your soul at odds purposely, and now they’ve been torn asunder. This is exactly what you planned.”

Yes, this is the quiet place a soul trapped within a remote body goes. I remember where this is now, and realize I am not alone.

“Draco? Draco, are you here?”

No sooner do I ask than a bouncing, green sphere of light darts over towards me. It jingles and chimes as it moves like a living thing, playful and eager to heed to the call of his master.

“Well, I’ve done it. I turned myself into a monster.” We are nothing more than a snack for it to feed upon now, Draco and I both. There is an avenue of freedom, but it isn’t ours to follow. “I guess it’s out of our hands now.”

I will either remain here forever as the unheard conscious of Apophis or the Elements of Harmony will spring me from this prison. I am hoping for the latter because whatever Apophis does is my responsibility. Maybe I don’t care much about Equestria at the end of the day, but doing right by them is about more than just getting a bad taste out of my mouth. There are living, breathing, thinking beings out there who will have their lives disrupted by me. I can’t atone for this guilt.

I take Draco into my hands and smile.

“I should have never come here.”

Perhaps that is the one, sure truth about my situation. Whether I leave or stay, I shouldn’t have come. Whether I create or destroy, I shouldn’t have come. Whether I make war or magic, I shouldn’t have come. The first wrong thing I did was set foot in Equestria. Even if I didn’t ask for the door to be opened and even if I wasn’t the one who opened the door up, I was wrong for coming here. Yes, that is the terrible thing I have done. One might say my arrival is the only part of this whole experience wasn’t my fault, but look at the results. Every bad thing I’ve done as well as every good thing stems from that first mistake.

I see now. It’s clear to me that I don’t deserve to have what I want, but I will take it if it is given to me. What could be worse than to put a world through this ordeal and then refuse the result out of guilt? Well… it is a convenient excuse for me, isn’t it?

It seems being here in this space without space is making me preachy. It’s just… I don’t want this whole experience to be without meaning.

“Ah, I shouldn’t worry.”

I close my eyes and remember that the meaning will make itself clear.


“…ey … ey! Heeey!”

Something hard hits me right in the face.

“Ouch!” What should have been a slow return to consciousness is a sudden kickstart as I reach up and grab my smarting nose. I find myself distracted when I realize that I’m touching flesh with flesh. I draw my hands away from my face. They’re human hands, true human hands. I get up from my spot on the ground and look myself over. The Elements of Harmony have returned my original body to me, untouched by time and age. They even had the modesty to dress me in a white dress shirt and pants, complete with a white vest, black tie and shoes. I look pretty snazzy if I do say so myself. “It worked!”

“Yeah, do you mind explaining what you’ve done?”

I look down and see Lou standing before me with Summitplunge, both of them looking like they’ve been through hell and back. Looking around, it seems wherever I’m standing has seen better days too. Around us, the sky has clouded over. The ambiance is unsettling, but I’m made aware of a rumbling not too far from our position.

“What’s going on?” I ask, trying to see something behind all the debris.

“We’re asking you that!” Lou shouts at me. “Was this your plan all along? To unleash a monster on Canterlot?”

“Kind of.” I watch Lou’s anger boil over, so I explain myself as quickly as I can. “I had to turn myself into a monster so the Elements of Harmony would return me to my normal form. I need it to go home. It’s over now, so… sorry about the destruction.”

“What part of this makes you think everything is over?” Lou asks, but it isn’t clear what she’s talking about. She spins around and starts walking out of the rubble, so I follow behind her with Summitplunge. We clamber up a few rocks and twisted pieces of metal to get a better look at the surroundings. In the distance, I can see Canterlot Castle. The distance I appear to have traveled when the Elements did their magic is impressive, but there is still something off about this scene.

“What the heck is that thing?”

It is only a speck, but I can make out the outline of some creature fighting against a swarm of guards. It flashes green, flying through the cloud and dropping guard after guard to the ground.

“He calls himself Apophis,” Summitplunge says to me. “The Elements of Harmony split that giant monster in two. One half landed in the castle and began to attack, but you flew all the way over here.”

“Well… I certainly didn’t expect that to happen.” I don’t even know why there is another being now. If another living, breathing thing spawned from the monster I became, then it is just a soulless husk. I haven’t just turned myself into a human, but it seems I have become the progenitor of a new kind of monster altogether.

“It trapped the Elements of Harmony in some sort of stone prison,” Lou says. “We’ve tried to break them out, but all the magic we throw at it doesn’t work. Celestia ordered some of us to investigate the other half of the explosion, just in case it was the key to defeating Apophis. Looking at you now… I’m not sure what you can do.”

“I could root for you.” I judge by the looks of the ponies next to me that my humor is not what is needed at the moment. “Sorry, but I’m human now. Humans can’t do magic or fly.”

“Can they fight?”

“I… well, yeah they can fight.” I look again at the battle rampaging near the castle. “We generally don’t have to fight against whatever that kind of thing is.”

“You’ve got to try,” Lou says to me. I realize they aren’t actually asking me, but telling me. “This is your fault, so stop that thing before it burns Canterlot to the ground!”

“There’s no guarantee it’s going to do that.”

“He’s promised to do it several times.”

I don’t really have to go along with this plan. If I run away now, I can be out of Equestria before this even has time to matter to me. The aftermath might be on my hands, but it won’t even matter anymore. All I have to do is run away down the road. All I have to do is leave Summitplunge and Lou behind, let the monster eat them instead of me. I just have to… cross the river…

“… If I die doing this, I’m going to kill both of you!”

“That’s more like the Cocoon we know!” Lou says, leading the way out of the rubble pile towards the castle.

“Cocoon is dead and gone, I’m afraid. The name’s Cooper.”


“Love your new God. To fight him is to invite your own death,” the self-proclaimed God of Change shouts into the fray. He opens his jagged jaws and releases a gout of green fire, searing anypony unfortunate enough to be in the way. When he closes his mouth, the pegasi charge in towards him once again. His single, massive eye flashes green once before he blinks away and reappears in a pocket above them. He points one of his crooked, clawed digits downward and mutters something to himself. The air becomes drenched with magic as the pegasi are suddenly dragged to the ground by and unseen force. Apophis laughs, letting his long tongue loll about.

Whatever this thing is, it is frightening for me to see. While it’s human in shape, the claws, wings, black exoskeleton, and single bulging eye kind of giveaway that it isn’t really one. Humans also don’t have exterior fangs or mohawks made of blue tendrils. This thing is wearing what looks like my old cloths with golden chains hung about it, as if to advertise its clear relation to my mistakes.

“Bow to me now and I promise you prosperity. A change is upon us, and only those who turn on their fellow pony and place themselves in my company shall be saved.” Apophis claps his hands together, creating a magic shockwave that knocks everypony in the immediate airspace around him away. He cackles wickedly and wildly, almost like he wants me to hear him from my hiding spot on the ground.

“… I’m having serious doubts about my ability to stop him.”

“Too bad.” Lou pushes me out of hiding and out into the open. She doesn’t come with me, but I certainly would go with her if I was forcing her out into this melee. I swallow my fear and trudge towards where Apophis is flying above.

“Yo! Apophis!” I call out to him, trying to get his attention. He hears me over the din and turns his head. Much to my dismay, he smiles upon seeing me. He makes a beeline for the ground and lands a few yards away from me. The guards attacking him relent, probably to see how this will all play out. I just hope they’ll help me if things get dicey.

“I didn’t think you would come here, Cooper,” he says to me with an unsettling amount of affection. “You couldn’t have possibly had a change of heart, could you? Will you rule this world alongside me? Shall I bestow the divine right to rule upon you?”

“No, I plan on going home,” I tell him, turning down his offer. “I’ve had enough of being a King.”

“Then perhaps you’ve come to say good-bye,” Apophis says, still smiling. “Farewell. It’s a shame our paths won’t cross again.”

“Yeah, that’s a real shame.” I suppose I am saying good-bye in a sense. He obviously doesn’t want to fight me, but I know we’re headed for confrontation. “Before I go, I need to stop you from destroying Equestria.”

“Ah-ha! Destroy Equestria?” Apophis starts laughing so hard I worry that his eyeball will fall out. He alternates between doubling over and clenching his stomach to leaning way back and holding his forehead. “I can’t rule Equestria if I destroy it! I am simply going to reform it. This place needs to change.”

“Nowhere is perfect, Apophis. Why does this world have to change? Why does there need to be a change in leadership? You weren’t born for that purpose.”

“Are any of us born for a purpose to be carried out?” For a psychopathic insect-humanoid, he’s kind of insightful. “It is our birthright to carve our own path, to change the face of the world. This is not about perfection, but this world simply needs to partake in its cycle of change. From the ashes of war and destruction, a new order will rise. This order too shall destroy itself, and once more an order will be born in the aftermath. It’s only through this cycle that this world will find salvation.” Then again, he is still a psychopathic insect-humanoid.

“Sorry Apophis, but you’re just another blemish I’ve left in Equestria during my visit. I told myself not to mess stuff up, not to get involve. Even though I’ve done a pretty shrimpy job of keeping that promise, it’s still my promise. This is my mess, so I’m going to clean it up.”

“Oh, you disagree with me?” Apophis looks legitimately offended. I think I may have just started something. “But I was born of you! I sprung from the darkest, truest part that you refuse to let walk in the light. Why deny that I am a fundamental part of you? You know you’re the villain, so why stand against your true nature’s truest form?”

“What is a true nature? Certainly not something I try not to be, I would say. I don’t think there is a value of trueness to a state of being. And alright, you’re angry little part of me, but so what? Just because my darkened part exists doesn’t mean I like it. It’s just decency to cover the ugly part of ourselves up, to hide it away. I’ll never be rid of you, but the least I can do is rid everyone else of you!”

“You’re welcome to try!” Apophis shouts, issuing his challenge. “I might only be a piece of you, but I am the strongest piece!” He points a claw right at me, which immediately lights up with green magic. In an instant, a bolt of green flies right at me. With nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, I just put up my arms in defense. It’s too late to get out of the way, so I wait and brace for impact.

The bolt strikes my arms, but nothing particularly spectacular happens. I don’t even feel it happen. I just watch as the light fades and the attack disappears. Apophis looks as confused as I feel, so he immediately fires another bolt with a lot more juice. I brace myself again, but lo and behold the same results are given.

“Why isn’t my magic working?” Apophis shouts, throwing bolt after bolt at me. He strikes my chest, legs, and face with no effect. In a last ditch effort to cause damage, he opens his mouth and lets out a searing gout of fire. The entirety of the flames engulf me, but I don’t grow a degree hotter. Instead, I find myself wrapped up in a captivating view of the inside of the firestorm. The green light flickers and dances all around me, until once again I am face to face with Apophis. “What magic is this?”

“It isn’t magic, Apophis! That’s just the thing!” I have an idea about what’s going on, but I can’t really say it’s the truth. It’s my best guess, so I’m going with it. “I’m a human now, and humans live in a world without magic. Your powers have no effect on me.”

“Well then, do humans live in a world with rocks?” Apophis asks, but it doesn’t dawn on me why until he levitates an enormous pile of debris over his head. Something tells me this attack is going to be slightly more effective.

“Protect him!” somepony shouts from the crowd. As the rockslide comes down atop me, several shields pop up before me. The rocks break before they squash me, letting me survive. Lou steps out of the crowd and stands next to me, smiling triumphantly. “It’s over Apophis! You can’t win as long as we have Cooper!” The guards cheer widely for me and Lou, which is a nice change of pace if I do say so myself. It’s nice to have them trying to protect me than trying to kill me.

“Who said you were allowed to interfere?!” Apophis has reached the end of his patience. He throws his hands out, letting out two bright flashes of energy. In either hand, he holds two frightening looking balls of energy.

“Get down!” I jump in front of Lou and cover her with my body, knowing this attack won’t have any effect on me. When Apophis slams his hands together, a vast sea of flames erupts outwards into the crowd. Those unfortunate enough not to have me as a meat shield end up being swept up and away by the searing tide. When it’s finally safe to let go of Lou, we’re the only two left standing on the battlefield.

“And then it came down to one unicorn and one human. Even if you can stop my magic, how do you plan on killing me?” Apophis asks, smirking with all the confidence in the world. “All you have are your two hands and I’m the one with the power of the cosmos at his beck and call! You don’t stand a chance.”

“… But you’re not the one with the cosmos at his beck and call.” I’ve just realized that all my memories are intact again. Without magic to hold them at bay, I can clearly see everything that has happened here in Equestria. From my first steps as a unicorn to the writings in the Arcacol, I can clearly remember. I’m not an old wizard, but I don’t have to be. I called upon the stars exactly in moments like these: when I had no magic left in me. “Ensis! Your father beckons for you!”

By the call of the father a light in the sky comes to life. Its purpose is singular and clear, so it only need be told to obey that eternal order. Ensis, tragic daughter of mine, fires a light from the sky directly into my outstretched hand. I clench my fist around this burden: a long, golden sword.

“Wait a minute, that’s-”

“This is Starswirl’s fabled weapon, which you ponies called the Mile Blade. When I made it, I forgot that ponies don’t have swords due to their lack of hands. You all just thought it was some kind of wacky spear. The handle was short while the blade seemed to go on forever, thus the Mile Blade. I didn’t use it often, but when I did the situation really called for it. It is a magic blade infused with star power, and it is purposed to deal death to fiends like you, Apophis!”

“Pah! Save your empty threats!” Apophis doesn’t seem impressed by my sword. He holds out his hand and gathers energy into it. In a flash of light, a long, wicked falchion appears in his clutches. “Even I can make swords. Don’t think just because you pulled off one little trick that I’ll be impressed or frightened. En guarde!” Apophis charges me with his sword in hand, looking to settle this in a bout of swordplay. Aside from a bit of fencing, I can’t say I’m the most competent swordfighter in the world; however, I have faith in this sword.

I tighten my grip on the handle and square my stance up. I ready the Mile Blade by my side, getting ready for the one strike I’m going to need to end this. Behind me, Lou backs up out of my way. Before me, Apophis raises his sword of his head and lets out his battle cry. I might not be a skilled swordsman, but this monster definitely has no business wielding a blade.

Before he’s in reach of my blade, I throw all I’ve got into a wide, oblique slash. From the tip of my blade, a dazzling aurora springs forth. The enchanted wind slices right through Apophis’s sword wrist, detaching his hand from his arm. His sword flies into the air, landing by its point in the dirt next to me. Apophis holds stock still, still processing what just happened. He looks down at where dark, dying flames cover the spot where his hand used to be.

“… Heh… eh-heh-heh-heh! So that’s why you were so confident! That was the real trick, wasn’t it?” Apophis says, letting his arm go slack.

“No tricks, Apophis. That’s just honest to goodness magic.” I reach over and take his sword in my left hand. “You gambled wrong and now you’ve lost.”

“Why do I have to lose?” Apophis looks up at the sky with a vacant look in his eye. He sounds disappointed, despondent even. “I finally had form. I was finally alive.”

“But you’re not alive.” I take his sword and drive it deep into where his heart would be, but he doesn’t even flinch. He looks down at the wound, which begins burning with green flames. The parts of him that are dying are slowly beginning to kill him. “You are hollow. Without a soul, you’re an automaton living off the desires I accidentally gave you. A man would’ve had a chance to get what he wants, but not you. The truth is that the world will not suffer from the loss of one man’s anger.”

“Shoot, now you’ll indulge me no more,” Apophis begins to falter a bit as he loses power. “… But still, I would like to remain.”

Without warning, Apophis grabs the blade of my sword and drives it into the other side of his chest. As the flames appear, they begin crawling down the length of the sword. I release it and step back as Apophis lets out a satisfied sigh. His body starts to burn all around and he begins to congeal with the two swords stuck inside him. The flames get hot and intense until even I have to stand back from them.

After a while, the fire dissipates. In the ashes, a single sword remains. Although it’s long, silver blade is clean and pristine, the guard and the grip are black and twisted. A single green stone resides in the pommel, but even without the imagery I can see what has happened.

“They always said anger was a double-edged sword.”

“Double-edge?” Lou asks, stepping up and examining the item for herself. Before she can pick it up, I take it off the ground.

“I’ve got a feeling this shouldn’t be left lying around.” I look around at the destruction and the injured guards all about us. “… Get Summitplunge. It’s about time I got going.”



Welcome

It is a simple sign written in plain English by my hand.

“It’s a selfish parting gift, but I’d like you to hang it outside somewhere,” I tell Lou and Summitplunge, both standing before me with somewhat somber expressions on their faces. “Don’t worry, I won’t ask that you kill anypony who can read it. Just… this seems like the kind of place a human might come to live out their life in peace.”

Lou takes it in her telekinesis and offers me a smile. The wind blows across the hill, drifting softly through the grass. At the center of these five stones, we’ve come to say our good-byes. We traveled for days until we were sure we weren’t being pursued. In the process, we stumbled across this little village in the foothills. It’s so far flung from the rest of Equestria, it’s the perfect place for anypony to disappear. Lou and Summitplunge have decided that’s what they want to do now that everything is over.

I explained everything to them. I told them why I had to do what I did and who I’ve been. The reason they are so somber is because it still doesn’t sit well with them. I’ve been selfish, and that selfishness has caused destruction to their home. I can’t bring myself to ask for forgiveness. I’m not sure they should be considering it.

“What happens now?” Lou asks. “Ponies aren’t exactly going to forget about what you’ve done. I mean, they already sort of haven’t forgotten. All this business with you and Apophis is going to be a big deal.”

“… I can’t say for sure if I’ve cleaned up all my messes,” I tell them. I take a look at the sword I’ve been towing around. “However, the ritual by which I have been able to come here and by which I will leave must be kept a secret. That is why you two have to leave before I perform the ceremony. As long as I am the only one who knows how it’s done, Equestria will be that much safer.”

“I don’t exactly understand… but I’m willing you trust you,” Lou says, turning her back on me all of a sudden. “So go home. Go back home before you make a bigger mess of Equestria.”

“… Yes, that’s a good way of looking at this.”

“Lou’s right. You should get going,” Summit says, turning to follow the unicorn. “We’ll worry about our world, so you get back to yours. That’s the way it should be, right?”

“Of course.” I watch them go down the hill. This is a bittersweet note to end my journey on. “Goodbye.”

“… Goodbye.” That is the last word I hear from Lou before she disappears with Summit down the hill. I’d imagined our parting a little more animated or meaningful, but this seems to be all we can manage. It’s been a long time coming, this goodbye. It’s time to return home. I reach into my sack and pull out the tools of my return: a stick of chalk and little rug.

After I plant the sword outside the circle, I draw the five elements onto the stones and lay the rug in the center. I take a seat and a deep breath. Even though I know this will work, I find myself wishing it will.

“Hello… Elements of Harmony. We’ve had a long journey together, haven’t we? We’ve been allies, enemies, and sometimes our relationship is blurry. Now, however, I come to you as a failed promise. Before I came here so many, many years ago, it was because a friend promised I belonged here. He told you I embodied your elements, but I know you’ve been watching me. Elements of Harmony, I’ve failed you.

“I’ve failed honesty by earning the title King of Liars with my tricks and schemes.

“I’ve failed kindness by ignoring the wishes of others and instead forcing my own onto them.

“I’ve failed generosity by taking the power, time, and energy I was given to spend on my own endeavors. Even when I did give what of my bounty, I gave reluctantly and poorly.

“I’ve failed laughter by spreading sadness and destruction in so many places. I took the light out of many lives, and I even took lives. I used my laughter like a dull blade to prod my enemies, but I hardly ever used it for the comfort of others.

“I’ve failed loyalty by turning my back on those who put the most trust in me. In their time of need, I did not immediately come to their aid. If I helped, it was for my own designs and not without a great deal of convincing. I lost faith in the touch of others.

“Most of all, I have abused the gift of Magic that’s been bestowed upon me. I once used it to aid the weak and right the wrong, but recently I’ve only used it as a weapon for defeating my enemies. I lived a full, eventful life here in Equestria as Starswirl the Bearded; however, circumstances have caused me to overstay my welcome.

“So, I ask of you Elements of Harmony, send me back from where and when I came from. I cannot continue to keep the promise made to you like this. As a toll for passing through back to my world, I commend the star Animus to your care. And please… accept my apologies for my shortcomings. I have been wrong, and so I ask I be sent home.”

The rug shifts beneath me.

“… Thank you.”