Friendship is Magic
The Light of Harmony
Chapter Eight
“I am Reborn”
It seemed like the dust that was kicked up from the fallen Bookcast was finally beginning to settle, But as Glaciem approached where the bookcase once stood, still shrouded by a veil of Dust making it difficult to see anything that may threaten him. He wandered through the sand grey mist, looking for his opponent slightly annoyed that the dust just seemed to linger on longer than it was supposed to. Then out of the clearing mist of dust
sat a slightly familiar silhouette.
The warrior inched forward, the settling dust reflected the red hued magic his horn was giving off. The Silhouette suddenly sprang to it’s feet, it’s mane flowed in the wind effortlessly in an eerily familiar way. As his hoofbeats echoed through the castle, Glaciem’s wonder began to replace alertness. “Why am I here?” is all Glaciem could ask himself, but each time only to be greeted with the same answer; Silence. Glaciem brought his horn to life readying himself for another attack from Nightmare moon. The dust finally dissipated revealing the silhouettes identity to a stunned Glaciem who deactivated his horn.
Before him stood a white Alicorn Mare with a flowing mane and a cutie mark shaped like a sun adorned on her. Glaciem was in awe as well as disbelief at who stood before him, He knew that who he was seeing defied all logic and something stirred deep within him, the feeling he thought died within him centuries ago began to stir deep within his soul and a mindset he thought to have lost forever began to speak again.
“Celestia?”
As he spoke that name the silhouette turned her head, Glaciem Readied himself, he knew Nightmare moon was still amongst the debris and dust somewhere. Although he wanted to believe who he was seeing was real but he knew he wouldn’t be that fortunate. As the last of the dust settled, there before him stood the mare that he always believed he would never see again.
Glaciem could feel his eyes begin to get misty, it seemed to Glaciem for those few precious moments; after twelve hundred years of living in Tartarus, of feeling nothing but sadness, despair, and hatred day after day, year after year. knowing that ponies outside of Tartarus where living the life that he had a chance to live; not as royals, but with Families and lovers who loved them. Glaciem shook his head Flustered “Get a grip! you know this is fake” But it was too late, something had been re-awakened, a voice now cried out in him, asking what he was doing here? why was he doing this? It was then Celestia closed her eyes. Glaciem once again shook his head, trying to tell himself that it was Nightmare moon playing a trick on him, but as clear as this voice was; Glaciem’s horn would not respond. Nightmare or not he could not do it, He could not bring up the courage to strike down the mare he cared for. Suddenly Celestia’s eyes shot open, revealing Nightmare Moon’s teal cat like eyes. Her horn suddenly came to life surrounding itself with Nightmare Moon’s purple hued Magic. Glaciem reactivated his horn, But not before beam of purple magic shot from the imposters horn, immediately he felt it slam into his chest armor with enough force to send him hurtling through the air. There was a loud, metallic thud as Glaciem struck the floor. The armor did its job, Glaciem immediately got up to face his opponent again. It was then Glaciem realised why his master sent him here.
The white alicorn shot into the air, enveloping herself in a purple mist that swirled around her like a miniature tornado. Suddenly the small purple tornado shot towards the ground, slowly dissolving as it descended. A loud metallic crash reverberated through the castle as the metal suit that made Nightmare’s current body landed mere feet away from the stricken warrior. Slowly she approached him. Nightmare was relishing every step, as if she had become the spirit of death himself.“Spirit of war?!” she scoffed at the very thought of this weakling declaring himself such a distinguished title.
Nightmare remembered her exile in the moon, how she could do nothing but plot her revenge and drown in sorrow at what she had lost. But during that time she also reminisced about stories her parents had told her; a story that she thought struck an eerie similarity to what she had just went through. About a young pony who had also felt shunned and unloved, and how he had become a monster. That monster called himself Nemesis, “The spirit of war.” His dark power like her opponents, was legendary, and how his spirit was sent to Tartarus following his defeat. Afterwards the alicorn amulet that he wore was sent into hiding never to be discovered, however some say that the amulet hides it’s fair share of secrets.
Glaciem’s body began to tremble as his breathing became more audible a Rage like he had never felt before began to stream through him. But as Glaciem’s rage took hold he noticed that he began to notice that the world around him began to blur, the sound of the wind began to grow fainter, the smell of mildew that permeated the castle became more faint. slowly lose his senses. It was then Glaciem heard a voice that he swore was emanating from the bright red gem that decorated his armor;The growl was a low and demonic one.
Nightmare moon stepped back as a twinge of fear and uncertainty gripped her. Her opponent has visibly changed, his eyes now spewing a dark red aura, She sensed his dark powers began to surge in power as well. The thing that unnerved her most however was when she looked into the dark warrior’s red eyes, it was as if another pony was staring back, watching, waiting for some indication that she was weakening. Still she had this self proclaimed warrior in an emotional struggle, Nightmare grinned; she knew that she had an advantage when an opponent was distracted, and without thinking twice she dashed forward hoping to seal this fools fate.
As she charged forward she noticed that Glaciem was not moving, nor did he show any signs of emotion. He just stood there, his eyes piercing right through her,as if he were studying the mare But it was the suspension in thought . Nightmare glared at Glaciem, Offended that he was not regarding her attack with much importance. But as she glared; she began to ask herself “How is this pony able to hurt me? Mortal Ponies are not supposed to be able to harm spirits!” Nightmare declared in her thoughts, unable to firmly grasp any logical reason.
Nightmare suddenly jumped into the air and readied her horn for battle but just before she suddenly lurched forward and gave a pained grunt as a loud metallic crunching sound was heard through the ruined castle. She looked down and saw that a hole had been blasted through the armor she wore.
Nightmare slowly began to
feel more heavy, like somepony had suddenly dropped hundreds of pounds of stone on her back as she began her descent back to the floor below her. Nightmare hit the floor hard; She began to panic as she saw the stallion approach her.
Nightmare stared once again into Glaciem’s blood red eyes, fear freezing her in place. She struggled to find an answer to her predicament. Shakily she returned to her hooves, she may be struggling to even stand, but she absolutely refused to cower before this pretender.
Nightmare dashes forward, Bent on nothing but her adversaries defeat, her purple magic illuminating the decaying stone around them. Glaciem calmly began to walk forward, assured that it was indeed only a matter of time before Nightmare began to throw caution into the wind and face him head on; a style that he excelled at. He smiled an unseen smile, Nightmare Had indeed become careless, enough to attack him on his terms. The warlords muscles tensed as Nightmare moon Approached him, her horn now surging with energy, he would
practically feel her breath if he weren’t wearing armor.
A sudden tremor rumbled through the demolished castle’s remains as Nightmare fired her magic attack at the armored warrior, who was now less than several inches away. But to her dismay her opponent began to flap his wings as he moved the dark purple energy blast just barely grazing his right ear, Nightmare tried to stop herself from blowing past him in time to fire another magic burst. However as she began to do so, she felt a burst of dark magic suddenly go through her
right wing.
Glaciem watched Nightmare Twirl and flip through the air, trying unsuccessfully to regain her flight senses. Nightmares terrified shriek reverberated through the castle as the mare slammed hard onto the floor. Nightmare looked back into the two pools of red eyes that spewed a small green aura, in a state of awe and confusion.
How was the fool able to harm her? how are his blows managing to have an effect on her? He is mortal; She is not. “There are only two beings in history that ever had the power to have inflict any sort of damage on spirits...and they have been gone for over a millennial. is it possible that somehow, this fool found the scrolls of black magic?”
Glaciem stepped back as nightmares horn came to life; a swirling purple mist slowly emanated from her horn and enveloped the mare. Glaciem saw the black pony shaped mass in the middle of the purple aura warp and once again take a more recognizable shape.
Glaciem gave an exhausted grunt as he once again saw Celestia’s form before him. Was this spirit Desperate? how much in contempt did Nightmare moon hold Glaciem in to insult his intelligence by believing this sham would work a second time? He had enough of Nightmare taking Celestia’s name through the mud in an effort to play with his mind.
She once again looked into The warrior’s eyes, who in turn glared back as if he were staring right through her. Just like before they were giving off their scarlet hue, the small green aura now flowed like the inferno of flames that made his mane.
Nightmare saw through the fear that surged through her spirit enough to realize knew she would not make it out of this the same way she entered it. “What are you planning to do to me?” Nightmare asked; Her voice, once rumbling with confidence, now sounded more like a frightened filly staring down a pack of ravenous timber wolves.
The masked warrior did not give the frightened mare an answer. There was a long and pregnant silence as Glaciem debated with the dark voice on what to do with his defeated opponent. He had known since he first saw the mare that this had been a test to conquer his fear of doing what he needed to do. Deep down he knew that if Nightmare was allowed to escape; The Darkness that created her would eventually build up enough strength to find a new pony to corrupt, and a new legend of terror like that of Nightmare moon would live again.
Nightmare analyzed her situation and thought hard. The armor that had acted as her skeleton was missing its front left leg , meaning she could not attack him without collapsing the armor within her. Nor could she use much magic to attack him again without sacrificing her very Spiritual existence. Her magic was exhausted; largely in part to her visaed of Celestia, and she could not use any more magic without harming her very existence. Nightmare’s magic, like all other ponies, required energy to exercise and cast; Something her current form was nothing but
Glaciem could hear the twisted thoughts coming from the Alicorn Amulet. How it silently enjoyed the terror Nightmare was being put through.
Suddenly Glaciem felt a surge of electricity go right up his throat, through his skull, and into his horn as his horn lit up in a dark red hue, the amulet was not interested in letting her go or to give her a quick send off to Tartarus forever. Red lightning shot from Glaciem’s horn and enveloped nightmares horn. Slowly, inch by inch to Nightmares horror, her soul began to unravel around the suit of armor as she felt herself slowly being sucked into Glaciems amulet feeding off of what was left of her dark power.
The whole world slowly began to blur back into existence, his hooves once again felt the sharp edges of gravel and chipped stone, once again he heard the crunch the gravel made when one of his steel covered hooves came down on the crumbling floor. Glaciem looked at his own hooves unable to fully understand what had just happened; one minute he is fighting Nightmare Moon, the next the whole world goes dark as something took control in the wake of the explosion of his temper. He looked down at the armor that had once been his opponent that littered the ground. shocked, Glaciem could only ask one question to himself this question would echo in his head, into the black void that was slowly releasing him.
“what have I done?!”
The only response he received was a deep, dark voice that seemed to come from the amulet itself.
“I am reborn…”