How did it come to this?
No one spoke a word; the events of the previous night had taken any possibility of conversation and dashed them to bits. Now, as Twilight and the group had found, there was no easy way of addressing the gravity of the situation. It was not as if none of them wanted to ignore it, they simply had no idea how to start the inevitable discussion.
She didn’t know how to comprehend this entire situation. Equestria had seen its share of chaotic things in the time she and her friends had assumed ownership of the Elements. They had pressed on through everything the world had thrown at them. From Nightmare Moon to the invasion of Canterlot, they had weathered it all and Ponyville had always bounced back. Yet, compared to what had occurred, all of those seemed like nothing. In all honesty, those times may have been a little chaotic, but they had been peaceful.
Now she wasn’t sure what to describe the former night’s events. Even now the memories were fresh in her mind. The monsters they had faced, the sheer amount of destruction that outclassed even the parasprite infestation that had wrecked her town, and the new feelings of remorse and disgust they all brought back. It made her want to curl up and cry from the sheer shock of it all. Never had she experienced anything like it. Never had she realised that the sudden onset of destruction, death and violence was something that Dante and his friends had become accustomed to in their own world.
She wasn’t the only one affected though, that much was apparent by her friends. Each of them were in varying states of disbelief. Applejack and Rarity were both staring out the window, gazing at the few remaining trails of smoke rising in the distance signaling that the fires in Ponyville were being contained. Moe was with them, sitting with his back to the wall as one of the castle physicians examined his torso and began casting magic around the affected area. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were in a corner, the latter being comforted by her athletic friend. Twilight felt a pang of sympathy for Fluttershy; the entire event had weighed on all of them, but the gentle pegasus seemed almost catatonic. Most concerning however, was the fact that the forever energetic and bubbly Pinkie Pie, who everyone would have expected to have been trying to cheer up the depressing mood, was simply standing still as a statue.
“God damnit!” Coppa shouted, bringing all eyes on him. He had been pacing in place the entire time, growling with every inch of hair on his body standing on end. Just now he was leaning on a desk gripping the edge with enough force that his nails had begun to gouge out lines in the wood. “I can’t take this waiting anymore!”
“Coppa, calm down,” Sam said coldly as he rose from the cushion he was sitting on. His wounded arm was bandaged to the elbow, covering up the stitches in his forearm. “Now is the time to collect ourselves and figure out what to do next.”
“Clam down? How the hell do you expect me to do that?” Coppa demanded. “Ponyville nearly burned to the ground; Ponies have died; someone who neither Moe nor I had wanted to see again is here in Equestria, looking to play her sick fantasies with him again; and if it wasn’t for whatever the hell possessed Dante, we would all be dead! Hell, we don’t even know if that thing is on our side!” He pointed a finger accusingly at Sam. “They kicked down our front door and handed our asses to us on a plate, and you want me to CALM DOWN?”
“Coppa this isn’t what-”
“What we should be doing?” Coppa interrupted. “Our team leader is currently in a cell, and we aren’t much better off ourselves. Being restricted to this room ain’t what I would reckon is a sign of trust from the Princesses.”
“Perhaps not,” Celestia said, making her presence known as she walked into the room. She looked at Coppa like a mother scolding a disobedient child. “You must look at this situation from my perspective, Coppa. My citizens were attacked, some lost their lives, many more lost their homes. I am grateful for all of your work in helping defend Ponyville, but until we have come to a conclusion about this terrible situation, you are restricted to the castle grounds and must remain under my watch. Is that understood?”
Sam and Moe nodded slightly, but Coppa said nothing and made no move that showed any acceptance. In fact, it seemed to Twilight and her friends that he was ignoring the Princess, much to their shock. “And what about Dante?”
“He is being detained until I can be certain of his condition. The thing calling itself Belial that has taken over him is unlike anything I have seen in all my years. He may have defended you during the attack on Ponyville, but there is much darkness about him. I believe that he did save you for his own purposes.”
Twilight twitched at the mention of Belial. The image of those black eyes, the strange markings on his arm, the bone wings, and the tendrils that had decimated the imps during the attack were still on her mind. Besides that image, there was still the memory of her other worldly encounter that persisted in her mind. She only wondered what Belial actually wanted and what sort of connection there was between the two things.
Her mouth spoke her thoughts before she even realised it. “Have you spoken with him yet?”
Celestia looked more surprised than anything by her student’s sudden question. A smile soon returned to the gentle ruler’s mouth and she looked fondly on her student with the usual warmth Twilight had known Celestia for. “I haven’t spoken with him at the moment, but that is part of the reason I have come before you all.” She turned to the rest of the group and her face resumed its serious demeanor. “I wanted you to come with me when I begin questioning him. I realise it may seem strange, but I believe that the only way Belial will speak is if he has an audience with all of you.”
“So you’re asking us to be there so you get the answers you want?” Coppa asked almost indignantly. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head almost as though the question annoyed him. Then, however, he broke out into a wide grin. “Ah, why the hell not?" His contagious grin slowly began to affect the others in the room as he continued. "If we’re there we might also be able to knock some sense into Dante!”
“I can’t complain about that,” Moe said as he slowly got up from his bed and took up the space next to Coppa. Soon enough Sam joined them and they left the room, leaving only Twilight and her friends with her teacher.
"Twilight... Everypony..." Celestia began after making sure they were alone. "I must ask of you something. Something you all may not like."
"What is it, Princess?" immediately responded Twilight. She noted the grimnes in the princess' eye and felt her heart sink as her beloved mentor spoke.
"If at any point it becomes obvious that Dante is lost, we must use the elements of harmony to seal him like you did with Discord before he can threaten us."
*****
Gathering in the wide hall of the throne room, everyone there held their breaths as the rattle of chains and a number of footsteps could be heard through the tall double doors. Tension was rife in the room and the group of three had barely any time to formally introduce themselves to Princess Luna, who sat beside Celestia on the raised platform. Each and every one of them held their breath as soon as the steps stopped. There was a quiet creak as the doors opened, and Twilight heard Coppa, Moe, and Sam all catch their breath as the procession entered the room.
Nearly ten guards of both the Night and Day Guard stood around the lone figure dressed in chains. Four held poles which connected to the chains around the possessed Dante’s wrists and neck. The bone wings on Dante’s back had disappeared and his robes appeared in tatters as though he had been in the dungeons for years. Yet the knowing, evil smirk had not faded as he lifted his gaze from the floor and looked at all of them with the same black and red eyes as before. Twilight’s heart sank. Belial was still present and in control.
“Your Majesty,” the lead Solar Guard said. The pegasus stepped forward, bowed and looked to his Princess with a grim but proud bearing. “We have brought the prisoner as requested.”
“Thank you, Sergeant,” Celestia replied. “How has he fared? Has he given you much trouble?”
A bark of laughter came from Belial and the angry eyes of the guards were all drawn to him. “I am standing right here, Princess,” he said mockingly. “You do not need to dispense the formalities since you seem rather keen to be done away with this business.” Every guard seemed just about ready for Belial to make the wrong move. Twilight and the others noticed how on edge they all seemed. Belial, however, did not seem to notice, or even care. Twilight suspected it was more of the latter. “Then again, how long has it been since you’ve had a prisoner? i’d assume it has been centuries judging by the dust and the current state of those guards who-”
"Be quiet!” The Night guard at the front hissed. "If it wasn't against the laws, I would have put you into the ground for what you did to Roadblock and Swift Leaf!"
"Crescent!" The Pegasus sergeant shouted, causing his guards to stand at attention and the wily bay mate to flinch. "You're in the presence of the Princesses. Contain yourself."
"But Stormcloud-" she quieted down as he glared at her again. Then, salvaging what little professionalism she had left, she bowed to the princesses. "I am sorry Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Forgive my outburst; I am coping with the fact that two friends are now in the infirmary."
"All is forgiven, Commander Crescent," Princess Celestia said with a smile. "As for your friends, I am sorry to hear that. What has happened to them?"
"We had placed them in the dungeons to watch after the prisoner," Stormcloud began while Crescent went silent. It was obvious to everyone that had she described the events, another outburst was going to follow. "They had only been guarding him for three hours before they were checked on. When we found them, they were unresponsive and hysterical. It took three of my guard to restrain Corporal Roadblock when he turned violent. We had to take them and restrain them while the medics figured out what was wrong."
"Do you have any suspicions as to what caused this?"
The Pegasus commander pointed a hoof to Belial. "He hasn’t admitted to doing anything, but we are sure it was him. As to what it was... all we know is that Swift Leaf is currently catatonic and Roadblock required sedation to keep him calm as a result."
Both of the royal sisters looked to the chained Diablon. There was no sign on his face that said he was going to argue his point. In fact, he looked absolutely calm in the face of the two most powerful beings, all while restrained by the magical restraints. He made no movements, only keeping his head straight so that he was staring directly at Celestia. To Twilight, it was almost like he was completely content with the fact he was shackled and bound.
Maybe Dante is resisting him... She thought to herself. It would have made sense, Dante did seem to have the power under control when he was conscious. It was only when he suffered great shock or was in danger that it turned the other way Or maybe Belial was only able to stay in control for short periods. Either way, Twilight nursed the thought and remained quiet as Luna spoke for the first time.
"Tell us, dost thou deny the accusation levelled against thyself? An assault on our guard is a grave offence, but it's punishment is even graver. This combined with thy threats against we Princesses would have earned thou a punishment most severe a thousand years ago."
Belial only laughed at the lunar Princess’s statement. "You mistake my meaning then, Princess. Those were not threats, but promises had you continued being a nuisance." He smiled and his laugh devolved into a chuckle. "As for your insinuation of capital punishment. Your sister knows as well as you that not once have you ever executed a subject no matter their crime. Sentencing me for simply utilizing their fears as nourishment is beyond cruel, not to mention rank with the stench of racism."
"Is that what you did then?" Celestia questioned. "You've fed off the fear of others without-”
“Spare me the lecture, your highness. I know what I do and I am conscious of its effects,” Belial interrupted. “Yes, I use the fear of others as a means of gaining energy and as a source of amusement. I can also sense exactly what fears inhabit every mind. For example, Commander Crescent.” He pointed towards the batmare and every pair of eyes in the room followed until they all rested on her. “she has a particular amalgamation of fears which are both pleasantly satisfying and amusing. Do not let her previous display sway your opinion, she is merely making up for what little bravery is still left in her.” His sigh of satisfaction was both alarming and odd when combined with the grin on his face. “How else is one to justify the fear of losing their post they love so much due to being nearly four months pregnant.”
“What?” Sergeant Stormcloud said above the gasps over their subordinates. Everyone turned to him all in shock and disbelief.
“Ah yes, Stormcloud,” Belial said. “That was another fear of hers. Revealing the fact that she had gotten pregnant to the one she had been having an affair with. It’s amazing that you guards don’t have a set of rules in place forbidding fraternisation.”
“When were you going to tell me…” Stormcloud said, his voice possessing an accusing edge. Twilight felt a twinge of pity for the guardmare. Nopony deserved to be put on the spot in this manner.
“Maybe it was after deciding whether or not she was going to keep it,” Belial interjected. There was another gasp and Crescent hung her head even lower as Stormcloud glared at her.
“Sergeant Stormcloud, Commander Crescent, perhaps you two should discuss this outside of the hall. You have my leave to take the day off and sort through your issue, my sister and I can manage for now,” Celestia said softly. Both officers bowed to the Princess and Crescent was the first to leave, no doubt in order to collect herself. Stormcloud lingered a moment before deciding to follow her. “Give her your support, Sergeant. This has been weighing on her and she will need your care rather than your accusations. Now go see to her.”
“Thank you, Princess. I will talk to her, and we will see what shall happen.”
“Good luck, Sergeant,” Celestia said. Her gaze turned stony towards Belial and it seemed as though her patience had run out. “I do not know what you are planning, or why you decided to submit yourself to my custody. What I wish to know is who and what you are as well as what you want.”
“That is an easy answer to give,” Belial replied. “I am Belial and I am a part of Dante which has taken form in order to follow the legacy of our father Acharon, the Black King.”
“And who is Acharon? The reports I gathered from previous interrogations makes mention of that name and that of the purebloods.”
“To tell you that is to go back to infancy of our world, when forces known as the Old Ones battled the creations of the gods: the first races created. Every race save for those of the Celestian’s and Diablon’s took up arms in a unified force. Their efforts however, proved futile and they were pushed back time and time again. The army of demons and other creatures proved to be overwhelming for them, and all seemed lost. So, in desperation, the humans, in their infinite wisdom, devised a plan to create a new breed of weapons out of their own kind.”
Belial seemed to take pleasure in the shock that passed over the faces of Moe, Sam, and Coppa. “The first experiment was the interbreeding with those of holy descent. The unification of angel blood and that of human’s produced mortal offspring with the power of the heavens. These became known as the Celestian’s. The idea had been that their holy powers would prove effective against the demons and allow the main forces to push forwards. They hadn't counted on the notion that simply banishing demons did not mean killing. So when they failed, a splinter group decided to go against taboo and captured a number of the Old One’s forces. They took the blood and mixed it into their own, hoping to fight fire with fire. You can guess what the product of that union was.”
“Diablons…” Twilight heard Moe whisper. Belial appeared to have heard the quiet words. The room seemed to have darkened slightly and Twilight felt a sharp pain in her head. Images flared in those moments, scenes of many monsters more horrendous than the ones from the past night. They fought against people in armour, but fell back as waves of fire and stone erupted from beneath them. Lightning arced from the sky, illuminating the ash that drowned out the sun, sometimes striking an unlucky soul in the melee below. All of this was controlled by a small group upon a ridge, illuminated by the occasional flash or patch of fire as they joined the battle. It cast light upon their faces, showing the modifications to their bodies that their powers had granted them.
“Yes but these Diablons were known as the Purebloods. Mortals which had retained the powers of demons, but restrained in a human body with only a few enhancements to their appearance. Using their new powers and mastery of the arcane, they pushed the tide back with their abilities and were instrumental in finishing the war. In return, they only asked for lands and to be left in peace. Years passed, and the demonic influence became diluted in their veins, but the stigma of their heritage resulted in them being hunted down like animals.”
“But why would they go against them? That doesn’t make any sense,” Twilight said with approved murmurs from her friends.
There was another image. It was like the battlefield from before with houses and the landscape in flames, but the landscape was littered with unarmed men, women, and children while ragged bands of armed people sifted through the remains. Occasionally they would find a survivor, but the images blurred out before the end came.
“Because of the fear that they could not control the power the Purebloods possessed or the their will. So if they could not control their weapon, then they would eliminate the perceived threat before it began. So the Diablons reward for bringing about the peace of the world was being slaughtered by those they had saved. But out of the ashes of the initial genocide came Acharon who laid waste to all that opposed him. He was the most powerful Pureblood the world had ever seen and commanded a host of others like him. He left nothing but destruction in his wake and slaughtered any idiotic mortal who thought they could stand before him. To those who faced him, he was like a god."
Then there was chaos as a lone figure with wings in black armour stepped out of the smoke while the group in front of him was torn apart by a pack of ape like monsters. Soon the landscape changed and this time the figures wielding their magical powers appeared even more monstrous and unhinged. Nothing was standing in their way, but the group appeared smaller and the figure of Acharon soon vanished with his hoard. When Twilight blinked again, the images were gone and she was back in the throne room.
“Well obviously he did a real shitty job since there are still the other races,” Coppa shouted, pointing a finger at Belial. “I don’t care about any history lesson you’re giving. How can you be a part of Dante? You’re nothing but a demon who’s possessing him. And like I care about this Acharon guy. I’ve never heard of him so he can’t be that important.”
“If you are comparing me to those creatures, you are sorely mistaken. If you consider those things to be powerful, then I must be a demi-god amongst them,” he said, shooting a glance at Coppa. The Dwarf’s hair stood on end and he tensed up, uttering a deep growl. “Just as a coin has two sides, so does Dante. There is the weak version you are so accustomed to and then there is myself, the true embodiment of what we are. In fact, you could even compare me to Princess Luna.”
“If you two are the same person,” Twilight started, “then why are you tormenting him and making him miserable? What can you possibly get out of that?”
“To break him and his will. That is how I can be the one in control.”
“What…”
“You can't break a man the way you break a dog or a horse,” Belial started. “The harder you beat a man, the taller he stands. To break Dante's will, to break his spirit, I will break his mind. He has this idea that he can resist this power, that he can simply avoid it. It's absurd. It's an anaesthetic; he needs that in order to deny that he is what he is. I must destroy that idea. Show him what sort of being we can be, and then show them that deep down he relishes this power. I’ll become his personal monster in the end and when he fears me, I become stronger; I become better. If he loses himself to the power, if he succumbs to my will, then he can become what he truly is and we can unite and fulfil the destiny envisioned for us.”
“You’re insane!” Moe shouted. “There’s no way that Dante would succumb to you. We all know what he’s like. You are never going to win.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, elf. I have been chipping away at his will since he could first put together a thought. Everyday I get closer and closer to attaining control and he fades.”
“I’ve heard enough,” Coppa said and ran forward. He vaulted over the few guards who went to stop him and broke into a sprint. As he neared Belial he cocked his arm back and threw his fist forward at Dante’s face. “If Dante isn’t coming out on his own, then I’ll beat you till he does.”
A sharp ringing noise erupted as Coppa’s fist seemingly connected with Belial’s face. Yet the lack of follow-up to the punch told every soul in that room that something had gone wrong. Coppa’s fist hadn’t actually touched Belial’s face as he had planned. Instead, it hovered in the air, straining against some invisible force that resisted the blow. Coppa groaned and strained until he was forced back and thrown across the room with the guards that surrounded Belial.
“Let us put all our cards on the table then,” Belial said as the shackles around his wrists rusted and crumbled into dust. “I am the last of the firstborn, I have the power to kill every single one of you in this room with the same amount of effort it would take to squash a bug.” His hand passed over the iron collar and he tore it off his neck with little difficulty. As he did so, a portion of Dante’s face tore away like dried parchment, revealing Belial’s true face beneath it. “I will free the imprisoned souls that followed Acharon from the timeless void, and we will wage a new crusade upon the descendants that had sought to destroy us. And Equestria shall play host to this; a staging point for the conclusion of what my predecessor had never finished.”
“Then this is where your dream ends,” Celestia interrupted with a stamp of her hoof. Igniting her horn, six objects behind her throne were encased in the glow of her magic and Twilight looked on grimly as the Elements of Harmony floated towards them. Quickly, they were fastened around their bearer's necks and each of them stepped forward hesitantly. Twilight felt a pit in her stomach form as she saw the confusion on the faces of their new friends.
Moe was the one to turn to Celestia first. “What are you doing?”
”She’s going to end the problem before it can grow,” Belial answered. He looked at Celestia mockingly, his red eyes glowing knowingly. The pit in Twilight’s stomach grew more intense as those evil eyes gazed at her and her friends. There was something eerie about it, something she couldn’t shake from her mind. “Judge, jury, and executioner, you’ve taken it upon yourself just like in your early days. That period you’ve tried to forget so long ago, when every decision you made brought devastation and a greater evil.” He gestured with an accusing finger. “Come then, use your shears and nip this bud.”
“We only do this for the safety of our citizens. We mean no ill will to you, Dante, but this must be done," Celestia said. There was little emotion in her voice, only cold authority in the words. Then she called for her prized student. "Twilight... Do it."
Twilight had to force herself to even think about activating the magic in the jewelled crown on her head. She peered to her side at Moe and the sheer confusion and betrayal written on his face was almost too much to look at. When she brought herself to it, the familiar power of the elements coursed through her. She felt herself lift off the ground and saw her friends do the same. None of them were happy that events had gone this way, but none had a choice as their eyes glowed brightly.
Out of the corner of her eye she could see that Belial hadn't moved or appeared concerned. "I'm not like Discord, Sombra, or your sister, Celestia. I came prepared," she heard him say. "Let us see what you do when your only weapon fails you."
There was a twinge of pain in Twilight's head as the Elements' power surged forth towards Belial. The rainbow beam hit Belial with a loud screech and an explosion. Not a soul moved as the walls and supports groaned from the force. Twilight spared a look at Celestia who remained stone faced in the face of the hostile action she had taken. It made her wonder just how far Celestia would go for Equestria and how resolved the Princess actually was.
Obviously it was not resolved enough when Celestia balked at the site of Belial still standing. He was no worse for wear as he brushed debris from his robe. A few guards tried to rush him, hoping that he was at least disorientated but found themselves frozen in place. Belial snapped his fingers and all of them fell to the ground. Dark energy moved past their forms, wrapping around them before shooting towards the elements themselves.
Twilight and her friends all cried out as the malevolent energy reached them. Separate strands reached out and encircled Sam and the others, pinning them to the floor. All strength in her body seemed to fade as it touched her. She fell to the ground, the feeling of exhaustion overcoming her and causing her mind to teeter on the brink of unconsciousness. In the haze she could make out Belial turning to smoke and appearing in front of Celestia. The Pureblood grabbed both Princesses by their necklaces and lifted them up without any issue. Both struggled wildly as they tried desperately to get away. Belial’s grip held firm and he cocked an arm back before he flung Princess Luna backwards, sending her crashing into the golden throne and toppling it over. With his hand now free, he placed a fingertip to Celestia’s temple, and a black smudge matted the perfect white of Celestia’s coat. Twilight cringed as Celestia’s eyes went wide and a pained whine escaped from the Princess.
"What you had pondered came to pass the night we came through to your world, Princess,” Belial said flatly. A small wisp came from Fluttershy who shivered as her eyes slowly fell shut. A soft pink orb grew and floated towards Belial who extended a free hand to it. Sam’s eyes widened and he thrashed as the blackness holding him grew to cover his mouth. “Your precious student and her friends died that night. The power and drain of the spell ripped their minds and souls to tatters in a matter of minutes. Fortunately I was able to sew the remains together once more.” He gazed at the pink ball within his hands. “So soft and gentle; much like its owner. Full of life and energy for the world. Her very existence is condensed in this small thing. It almost makes me curious to see what would happen if I were to scratch it. What do you think would happen, Princess?”
The orb flittered away from him and returned to Fluttershy. “Out of every soul on this world, there is none with more fear than you, Princess. Unable to save a kingdom or its subjects, forced to banish their own flesh and blood when they were poisoned by your shadow, defeated by a walking, talking bug. What is more pitiful than a failure such as yourself? You were once able to use the elements of harmony; you were a force beyond measure! And yet you did nothing with it. Your rule is nothing but a sequence of events where you have made the same mistakes over and over again; falling into the same trap each and every time.” Belial said mockingly. “Your kingdom is founded on nothing but lies. It is a corpse rotting slowly from within while maggots writhe in its belly. It was built with the toil of heroes, and now it is inhabited by frightened weaklings to whom the glories of those times are forgotten legends. So witness it all once more. Every mistake, every tragedy, every blunder you’ve made. Ask yourself how many times have you come to a situation where you have not pushed the burden to someone else? Now it is time to banish the illusions you have surrounded yourself with and face the sins of your past.”
It is time to act, Twilight...
As Celestia writhed in Belial’s grip, Twilight found herself regaining some semblance of her strength. The voice was familiar, but she was too exhausted to inquire as to where she had heard it before. The spell holding her seemed to loosen a little. It was as though somepony was pulling at it to give her space to escape. She seized the chance. Unsteadily she rose, huffing as the strain wore away at her legs. She felt a guiding hand of something as she ignited her horn. A bright beam of purple mixed with some unfamiliar energy that wove within it, tingeing it black, shot out and hit Belial in the back, between the shoulders. The Pureblood gasped, a smoking crater in his back where the beam had hit him dripped with his black blood as he lost his grip and dropped Celestia to the ground. He staggered slightly before he turned to smoke again and materialized in front of Twilight.
His hand grabbed her and she could feel his nails dig into her neck. “Ah, Twilight Sparkle, I nearly forgot about you. How careless of me.” There was the slight undertone of pain in his voice and it slowly dawned on Twilight that she accomplished something that Dagon had failed at the other night. Somehow, she had managed to wound Belial. Blood dripped onto the floor, filling the crevices between the marble. “You’ve become a problem of which I am unsure of how to deal with. If I kill you, I deprive myself of a crucial part to my plan, and that of a potential powerful ally. If I do not, you could be quite the thorn in my side.”
His hand released her and Twilight fell to the ground. “I’ll give you an option, little pony. I can teach you many things. I’ve seen how adaptive you can be. Like the dark magic you used at Sombra’s castle. You saw Celestia use it once, and you flawlessly recreated it with little effort.” His hand flashed with ethereal fire which he held close to her face. “I could teach you many new things. Spells the like this world has never seen.” His face grew taught and expressionless as he knelt on one knee. “You have already tasted the void, I know that much. And I can feel the presence of that traitor, Beleth, on you. What did he tell you? That I needed to be stopped? He was nothing but a fool and a traitor to his king and fellow generals. I on the other hand will not fall to the same tricks. There will be a time when I come before you again and you may give me your answer. For now, Dante and I will be going our separate ways.”
With that, he stepped away and Twilight felt his presence fade. She looked up and saw his body wreathed in blackness. Portions of his body that were obviously Belial’s were fading away and his cloak began to disintegrate to ash. Before long, his grin faded along with the rest of him and Belial’s black eyes soon returned to Dante’s red. With a sigh, Dante fell to the ground as he was released.
There was a tense moment where no soul in the chamber dared move. Then, in a flurry of movement, the guards set on Dante again and held his body down. They looked to Celestia who had risen from the floor and was tending to her sister. She gave a nod and they took him away, dragging him through the large doors and out of sight. When the entrance closed, Celestia sighed in relief as her sister began to wake up. She turned to Twilight and her friends while the three others all stared at her with a mix of emotions. Celestia stepped down from her throne and slowly made her way to the door.
“Everypony, I would ask of you all to give me a moment of privacy. There is much I need to reflect upon at the moment. Separate rooms can be arranged for you if you wish.” She looked to Sam, Coppa, and Moe, who all moved past her without a word of thanks. Coppa left last, but spared an angered glance to the Princess before he went through the large double doors and slammed it behind him. Celestia sighed once more and turned to Twilight. “I am sorry this happened Twilight. Perhaps it is best you and your friends get some rest. I will call for you later.”
Twilight nodded. “Thank you, Princess Celestia.”
*****
Twilight groaned in relief as she found her old room in the castle prepared for her. She was exhausted and even as she gave out hugs and polite goodbyes to her friends, all she wanted to do was sleep. Gracelessly she collapsed face first into the soft mound of blankets and pillows. She yawned and stretched herself out, a smile creeping on her face for the first time that day. Mentally, she would’ve thought that the events of that day would be circling in her mind. Normally her obsession might have kept her up, but she was just too tired to deal with it.
Sleep, as it seemed, was far off. No matter what she did or how she twisted and turned, she just couldn’t find a way to settle in. Groaning, she covered her head with a pillow, thinking there might have been some noise in the otherwise quiet room keeping her awake. She kicked off her blankets but found it to be too cold without and too hot when they were on. She settled for a halfway approach she finally became comfortable with. Yet still, sleep eluded her.
“Why can’t I just relax?” she groaned as she stared in the ceiling. She laughed soon after, a quiet but nervous sound showing how rattled she really was. “What is wrong with me? Look at me… asking the ceiling for answers. Like that is going to get me anywhere...”
Strangely enough, the ceiling did answer back. “Even the smartest being is no match for the natural reaction to the stresses of conflict.”
A small ‘wha...’ was all that Twilight managed to say before she followed the source of the voice to the other side of the room. Sitting on a chair, leaning back with his staff resting on the wall behind him, was the guide from her vision. Twilight stared at him for a moment before backing up and nearly falling out of her bed.
“What are you doing here?” she asked as she managed to regain some sense of balance with her sheets wrapped around her.
“I've come on my own accord,” he replied. “There has been a change, an unexpected one at that. I also see that you unconsciously held back when I assisted you in attacking Belial. I take it then that you've made your choice through your actions?”
“I wasn't going to purposely injure my friend, and I’m not about to end his life because of some prophecy you had either,” she shot back. The guide looked at her curiously before he let out a dissatisfied breath. A sudden thought struck Twilightand she quickly latched onto it. “Belial spoke of you as well. He said you were called Beleth and that you betrayed his father, Acharon.”
“That is a name I have not been called in a very long time,” he said, smiling weakly. “Yes, I am who Belial says I am. I am Beleth the Traitor and he who sundered Acharon’s will. I do not deny it. I betrayed my own leader, my friends, and the very ideals we all stood for.”
“But why?”
“It is a convoluted and lengthy story, one that neither of us have the time for.”
“Then why don’t you give me a summary,” Twilight said curtly. “Belial spoke of the Purebloods, but he wasn’t there if I guess correctly. What better way to learn about the situation I’m in than to get its history from someone who was a part of the reason this began?"
Beleth chuckled quietly as he adjusted his posture. “Never have I met a more inquisitive being than you." He leaned forward and clasped his hands together. "Very well then, Twilight Sparkle, I shall tell you. Get comfortable and listen closely for this is what I know of Acharon.”