//------------------------------// // End Game: Justitia // Story: Atlas Strongest Tournament // by Bico //------------------------------// ATLAS STRONGEST TOURNAMENT ~BICO PART 12: END GAME ACT III: JUSTITIA In spite of the completely filled seats at the Atlas Strongest Tournament stadium, the ceremony was quiet and sober. Princess Luna walked down the line of competitors, medals floating alongside her. She draped a bronze and silver medal around the necks of Shining Armor and Applejack, respectively, and then put the gold medal around upon Rarity, who regarded it passively. The platinum medal went to Scootaloo, who beamed at receiving the honor.   “You have all done well,” Princess Luna said, scanning the tournament competitors, including the preliminary contestants who had assisted them on their trek into the Everfree. “You have shown both the fighting spirit and friendship of not only our home of Equestria, but all the realms of this great continent.” She nodded contentedly. “King Neptune surely approves of the lands he left us to rule in his absence.”   Scootaloo looked to her side to regard Rarity, and beyond her to Lao Wu and Ran Biao, who both looked somewhat agitated. “Uh… Princess? Can I… say something?”   “Of course,” Luna responded, yielding to her.   “Uh, so,” Scootaloo began, fidgeting as she felt the eyes of hundreds of ponies and other creatures on her. “I signed up for this tournament to make my teacher, Rainbow Dash, proud. To prove that her way of teaching martial arts was better than…” She looked sheepishly at Lao Wu, who gave her a pointed stare. “Others. But, you know? I realized that everypony who fought here, today, is amazing. Just because I happened to win doesn’t mean than anypony else here wasn’t worthy.   “That’s just as true here as it is for the pony who got the best grade in class or the pony who got to be their special sompony’s… well…” She glanced down the line of competitors to lock eyes briefly with Spike, who flushed and looked away. “Special somepony.” She gave Rarity a look and said, “And, who knows, maybe the one who lost out is the one who really should have won in the first place.”   Scootaloo took off her medal and looked at it with a smile on her face. Then she turned and hoofed it over to Rarity, who took it in her magical grasp with a bemused expression. “Even though I landed the finishing blow in that match, I know you were the better fighter. You taught me a lot in that battle, and I know I wouldn’t have won if it hadn’t been for Chrysalis and her goons interfering.”   The crowd erupted into applause and hoof-stomps of approval, breaking the somberness of the occasion.   Rarity gave her a cautious smile. “Scootaloo, thank you. I don’t think I can accept this, though. Even if I had the advantage of experience, your learning curve was impressive. You are most definitely the superior talent, here.”   “Ladies, ladies,” Luna interjected, lifting the medal out of the air. “I believe I can resolve this.” She placed the medal around her own neck and popped a second gold medal around Scootaloo’s. “You can both be runners-up for second place. I am obviously the best fighter in this tournament!” She gave them both a smirk.   Twilight Sparkle tried to smile at Luna's shenanigans from her royal seat. She should have been happy to see the once lost and broken princess regaining the sense of humor that had once allowed her to wield the Element of Laughter with her sister. However, that same sister, or, rather, another form of that sister, plagued her thoughts. "Princess Twilight?" Eos asked from her place beside her. "Is something the matter?" Twilight looked up out of habit, before adjusting her gaze to the now slightly shorter pink alicorn who had once been her teacher. "Princess Celestia! Uh... no, it's nothing, really..." Eos sighed through her nose, a sad smile hanging on her face. "I know it's a lot to get used to. My physical change is perhaps the least jarring. Having reverted to my more youthful self, you may also find that I... will not always behave as expected." "I understand," Twilight said. "But, another thing is... I... remember the things I thought and the memories I had while I was Astraea, and... you..." "She is not the reason," Eos said. "I would still have chosen you as a student, and a friend, even if you had not been her." "Did you know the whole time?" Twilight asked, suddenly. "Since that day you made me your student?" "Before that," Eos replied, looking away. "I knew the nature of your birth. Your mother's magic was connected to her, and... the other side of your family was descended from King Atlas, himself." She glanced back at Twilight with a warm yet hesitant gaze. "There could be no mistake." "So from the very beginning," Twilight concluded, her tone calm. "All the things you taught me and the growth I went through was to replace me with her." Eos whipped her head around. "No, Twilight, that's not what..." "But it is," Twilight said. "Building my magic, harnessing the powers of Harmony, my apotheosis, even being forced to temporarily hold the powers of full alicorns were all necessary steps to preparing my body for her full power." "That's true," Eos admitted, lowering her eyes. "But I would not have just had you replaced. It would take a lifetime for you to be truly ready..." “So she just took my body too soon,” Twilight reasoned. “I wasn’t ripe, yet?” Eos grimaced. “I would not have gone through with it without your consent, Twilight…” “And yet,” Twilight said, hunching her shoulders as she turned away from her former teacher. “You didn’t ask me when you set me down this path. You never let me know where you were leading me or why. How could I ever know that it was really my choice if you’ve been molding me to make the choice you wanted my whole life?” “I raised you to be a critical thinker, Twilight!” Eos said, springing up with wings flared and body rigid. “You aren’t my mother!” Twilight retorted, whirling around to loom over Eos, inches from her face, cheeks flushed. Glaring into Eos’ wide eyes, she saw her own anger and hurt reflected in them. She jerked back, looking away with embarrassment etched on her brow. “Celestia… I… I should go. See my friends.” Eos bowed her head. “Yes. Of course, Twilight. We can talk more, later.” Twilight backed away and vanished in a flash of magenta light. Eos looked back down at the stadium, her eyes hazy. “Hardly more than a day back in this form. Has my cousin's curse found me again so quickly?” Spike jumped as Twilight materialized next to him. "Oh! Hey, Twi... uh..." Twilight embraced him warmly. His stiff posture relaxed, and he returned the hug with gusto. "I thought it would be better to be down here where the action is." "Yeah, well," Spike said with a shrug after they released each other. "Not too much action, anymore, and I'm kinda glad for it. Just back patting all around." He gestured to the throng of contestants and spectators mingling. Twilight laughed uneasily. "Yeah... I think I'd rather be fighting again than deal with so many ponies at once, though. Even after all this time as royalty, I still haven't gotten used to it." "Well, I'm glad we're not," Spike said, a pained look passing over him. "Seeing you all... 'Nightmared up' like that was terrible." "Same here," Twilight responded. "I was horrible, and I feel terrible that I couldn't stop you from going through that, Spike. And the whole time you were in that thing's thrall... I was so afraid I'd lose you." Spike patted Twilight on the shoulder. "Don't worry about that. I won't let that happen. After all... I mean... you're the closest family I've got... uh... Mom?" Twilight cleared her throat and her face flushed, clearly taken by surprise at the epithet. "Haha, yep... that's my boy!" Wavedancer emerged from the crowd and half trotted half slithered to Spike's side. "Spike! Princess Twilight!" "Hey, Wavedancer!" Spike greeted. "So, have you been feeling alright?" Wavedancer asked. "I can't help but feel responsible... it was the Rainbow Pearl that led to all this trouble in the end." "Yeah," Spike said, patting his stomach. "Hard to believe it's been hiding out inside me all this time." "I guess the remnant of the Master Rainbow is still there," Wavedancer mused. "Breaking up and taking on the form of the Elements of Harmony... that will be much less stress on you. Having Light and Dark constantly struggling within you couldn't have been easy..." Spike folded his arms and cocked his head. "Well, I have had chronic indigestion since that time..." "I still say it's the excessive late-night snacking," Twilight commented with a smug grin. "I wonder what happened to the Rainbow of Darkness after all that, though," Wavedancer said, her expression turbulent. "Lord Tirek's most powerful weapon can't have just been destroyed." "Hopefully, it all got dragged right back down to Tartaros for a reunion," Twilight said, shuddering. "Don't worry about it," Scales said, jumping out of the crowd. She slapped Spike on the back jovially. “If that pony-corrupting monochromatic rainbow comes looking for trouble, we’ve got your back.” A scaly flank bumped against Spike’s shoulder as the cerulean tail attached to it wrapped around him. Ran Biao turned her head to look intensely into his eyes. “Even you are strong and brave, I will become stronger than Rarity Ayi and protect you from everything.” “Th-that’s really nice of you guys…” Spike said as his eyes darted around, locking onto Twilight’s and giving her a pleading grimace. Twilight stifled a giggle. “Ah, you’re an adult, now, Spike. I shouldn’t get between you and your… friends. Seems like you have more coming, too…” She backed away, absorbed into the crowd of her own fans that was forming around her. “More?” Spike asked, coincidentally just as a dark shadow fell over him. He looked up to see the wolfish Canidian Mountie glowering down at him. “Hey, you’re not my friend!” “Sorry,” Gray Fang muttered. “But I’m not the friend who’s here to see you. It’s somepuppy else who wanted to see you, eh?” He gestured to his leg, behind which a cream coated young Diamond Dog garbed in a baby blue dress crouched. “Precious Fang?” Spike said bemusedly. “Why are you… oh, wait… the ‘Fang’ thing. Should’ve guessed.” “Lord Dragon!” Precious cried before leaping past the other females and entrapping him in a full-body hug. “It’s been so long. I missed you!” She popped her tongue out and dragged it wetly across his cheek before giving him a lopsided grin, her eyes wide with adoration. A talon grabbed Precious’ head and pulled her off of Spike, who sighed in relief as the pup barked in protest. “Thanks, it was getting hard to breathe…” Another talon hit him hard in the gut. “It’s about to get harder!” Spike staggered back, the other girls putting themselves between him and his attacker. He could see beyond them, though, that the assailant was a young griffoness wearing a metal helmet and swinging a spiked mace around with her tail. “Gael?” She pulled off as heated a grin as a creature with a beak could. “That’s right. I never got to fight you in the tournament ‘cause of that old scaly pony thing! Well, I’m going to fix that, now.” “Miss Gael!” Precious protested. “You can just hug Lord Dragon like a normal friend.” Gael blushed fiercely. “He is not my friend. H-he is my hated enemy!” A gleaming burst of magic interrupted the argument, and Aurelia floated from the sky and gracefully landed amongst them. “My dear griffon, even the most hated enemies can become the best loved friends. Isn’t that right, my dear Spike?” She craned her neck and gave him an affectionate nuzzle. “Ugh, that’s so lame…” Gael responded, the red of her cheeks glowing through her feathers. Spike cringed as the ladies surrounding him pressed in, each attempting to get his attention. He was saved, however, when an orange hoof reached through the throng and pulled him out. “Whoa!” he cried, shocked to find himself sailing through the air on a scooter, with his body pressed tightly to a laughing Scootaloo. “You looked like you were getting a little suffocated in there,” Scootaloo said with a smirk. Spike grunted as the scooter landed on the ground and sped between ponied and various other creatures with incredible skill. “Uh… yeah, it was getting a bit hot.” “In more ways than one, I guess,” Scootaloo said with a giggle. She looked back and saw that the girls were stampeding after them. She snorted. “Looks like it’s gonna be a race. I don’t lose races!” “Scootaloo, wait, no-o-o-o-o!” Rarity watched the clamor as Scootaloo dragged Spike away, and she hesitantly put a hoof forward. “It would only make it worse,” Lao Wu said beside her. Rarity stopped and looked to her side. “What do you know of it, old stallion?” He closed his eyes and grunted. In spite of his more youthful appearance since shedding his skin, his gestures retained all the hallmarks of his aged self. “You can surely feel it as well as I can. The Master Rainbow and Rainbow of Darkness no longer war within him, but…” “His qi(1) is unbalanced,” Rarity concluded. “But why?” Lao Wu laughed humorlessly. “Before, the Light and Darkness were evenly matched within him. However, even now that he has released them, he still has a connection to the Master Rainbow, as you can see from sharing his armor with your princess friend.” “Are you saying that the connection with the Light is unbalancing him?” Rarity wondered. “I think that might be a good kind of imbalance.” Lao Wu scoffed, giving his former student a scornful look. “That is foolish. Imbalance to either side will result in chaos. But not what I mean. No, I believe he also has a connection to the Rainbow of Darkness.” “But… wouldn’t that keep him balanced, Master?” Rarity responded, brow crinkled in thought. Lao Wu shrugged. “Funny thing about Darkness. Light cannot exist without it, but it gets along just fine with no Light at all. Without full power of Master Rainbow, a little Darkness can grow to fill what was left.” He gave her a poignant stare. “He must work to create his own Light if he is to avoid this. Giving him more to crave will only bring him disaster.” Rarity returned his stare, her eyes cool. Lao Wu’s eyes narrowed. “And how do you feel, Rarity?” As the afternoon shadows grew long, Luna entered her sister's chambers in Canterlot. "Sister? We could not find you after the ceremony, only to learn that you had come back here." Eos lay prone on a cushion that was now too large for her. "I did." "Sister..." Luna approached the cushion, her face drawn in compassion. "I know that it is difficult, but you shall regain your former glory, just as I did when the Elements of Harmony broke my connection to my patron protogenoi." Lifting her head, Eos looked back at her bare, rosy flank. "You were not completely robbed of your essence, then. How am I to reconnect when my mark is gone?" "The mark of a full-blooded alicorn is not so easily lost," Luna said. "We will find your power and you will be restored." "Mine, perhaps," Eos said. "But what about...?" Luna's blue coat melted and her body reshaped itself into Moon's body. "Relax, Sister," she said in a deeper, silky tone. "With both the power of Nyx and Erebos I can handle anything Celestia could have. And I can handle the temptations of Darkness." Eos looked into the cerulean eyes that belonged to Luna. "Of course, Sister. I have full confidence in you." "That is good," she replied as she demurred. "Then you will not, I am sure, be upset when I tell you that I have already enlisted Discord's aid in this task." Eos blinked. "Ah. Wonderful." "Hey, Rarity," Spike said, plodding into the Carousel Boutique, his demeanor drained but pleased. Rarity half smiled as she closed the door behind him. "Spike, it's good to see that you've extricated yourself from that horde." He laughed and gave a hearty huff as he plopped down on Rarity's couch. "Yeah. Hope you don't mind. The girls got a bit rowdy." "Not at all, Spike," she replied, setting herself down on the cushion beside him. "You should know that you're welcome to absolutely anything in my home." Spike turned his head to her and took her in head to hoof, his eyes lingering on her chest, which still had the fire ruby emblazoned on the skin beneath her coat, showing through as a brilliant pink heart. He blushed. "Yeah, thanks, Rarity." "Is there something you want to talk about?" Rarity asked. "Uh... well," Spike said, fidgeting. "I just... wanted to hang out with one of my best friends." "Oh, Spike," Rarity said, giving him a pointed look. "You're... a big boy, now, aren't you?" Spike wheezes in surprise, sitting straight up as smoke escaped his mouth. "Wh-what are you saying? Just because we're two adults, now...?" Rarity tapped her chin as she looked up at Spike. "Yes, you have gotten bigger. I hadn't noticed at first since you came in on all fours, but you're a head taller than yesterday. You were still shorter than I then." Spike flushed. "Huh. Well... Scales did say dragons like me keep growing all their lives." "True," she said. "Though I've never seen you grow so quickly before. Well, except the one other time..." When he didn't respond, she hastily changed the subject. "All those girls following you around all day must have been nice, Spike. Oh, don't give me that look. We're a lot alike, you and me, and I know I would enjoy the attention." He flushed and polished the floor with his heel. "Well, they're all really great, but I'd have liked it more if you were there." "You really are sweet," she said with a saccharine smile. "But I bet you would say that to any of the girls, wouldn't you?" He laughed nervously. "Well, I am pretty charming." "Very," Rarity added, giving him a flitter of her long lashes. "But, no," Spike said. "I mean, I'd miss my friends all the same, but it's different for you. It's like... more than I feel toward a friend." "Best friends?" she ventured. "My, but that is flattering." Steam coiled from Spike's nostrils as he became noticeable uncomfortable. "No, no. I mean, yeah, but... listen, after what happened at the tournament and afterward... especially after you and the others used your... uh... feelings for me to shake me out of the control of the Nightmare Forces or whatever that thing was..." Rarity stomped her hoof lightly. "Spikey, don't tell me. Show me." Closing the distance between them, he pressed his face against hers, their lips mashing together. Her body relaxed as she felt his arms wrap around her. His excitement seemed to build, however, as he kissed her mouth red. She thought for a moment the heady atmosphere had made her feel as if she was walking on air until she realized that her hooves were, in fact, dangling above the ground, and his spines were scraping against the ceiling. Rarity pushed him away. "Spike, enough." He was breathing hard, eyes alight with glee. "Rarity... you don't know... how much I wanted..." He sighed wistfully. "You're definitely worth more than some dumb training in Spina." Rarity's ear flicked. "Spike. I'm glad that the... tension that's been between us lately has finally come out in the open. I was honestly... not sure how you felt anymore... or how I felt until recently." "Yeah?" Spike said, his mouth spread wide as he leaned in, scraping his shoulder blades against the ceiling as he strained to see the now much smaller pony. Rarity's face was a mask. "Spike, you will always be one of my dearest friends. But don't give up any opportunities on my account." "What?" Spike cocked his head in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't feel the same way for you," Rarity said. "I can't let a dragon I admire as much as you suffer pining for a pony who can't return his affections." Spike hunched down, deflating before her eyes as his heart broke. "But... why? What did I do wrong?" "Nothing at all," Rarity said. "Love knows no reason, and the opposite holds true as well. If I could decide who to love... I would choose you in a heartbeat. But... I cannot." Spike hung his head. "I... I see. Sorry to have bothered you, then. Maybe... maybe I will take that trip to Spina, after all. Just for a little while." "That sounds like a fine idea," Rarity said, looking down at her crumpled friend. "Sometimes a change of scenery can... rebalance us." Spike nodded. "Uh... I think I'll go. It's... it's been swell." Rarity opened the door. "Goodbye, then, Spike. Perhaps you should find your friend, Scootaloo. You enjoy spending time with her.” “Uh, yeah,” Spike said. Rarity closed the door behind him as he left, his shoulder slumped dejectedly. “He’ll be fine,” she said to herself. “Really, Rarity?” a voice surprised her from behind. When she whirled around, she saw her younger sister sitting on the couch, a disappointed expression on her face. “What were you thinking? Why would you lie to Spike like that?” Rarity turned away from her sister and her voice came in a monotone. “I didn’t lie at all.” “No!” Sweetie said, her voice pitching with emotion. “You love him. Your love helped free him from that evil thing!” “I might have loved him before,” Rarity said. “But I feel nothing for him, now.” Sweetie Belle squinted her eyes, disgust crinkling her muzzle. “How could you? Nothing at all?” Rarity turned toward her sister, her eyes dead. “That’s right. I feel nothing at all. For anypony.” Rising from the couch, her eyes wide, Sweetie Belle stepped toward her sister. “Wait… what happened to you, Rarity?” She put on a smile for show. “Twilight warned me what would happen if I used the crystal heart spell too many times. Being in it for so long while I was cocooned… I think it may have robbed me of my emotions, permanently.” She looked down at the pink heart shape adorning her chest. “All that love that poured into Scootaloo’s final attack… that was the love for him that the Fire Ruby had stored over the years… and the love for me that he used to grow it, originally, of course. That’s what gives the ruby its unique properties.” “If that’s the case,” Sweetie said, rushing to her sister and taking her shoulders. “You can’t leave it like this. You should go to Spike. He can help you!” Rarity shook her head. “That would be foalish. I only just began to realize the full depths of my feelings for Spike. I can’t let him put himself at risk for what may very well be false hope. I can’t let him go through that pain, either. It’s more merciful to break his heart now than let him hurt for years more.” “Rarity,” Sweetie said softly, her brows joining in sympathy. “Sometimes… sometimes, you’re really generous to a fault. You can’t even see it.” “What?” she asked. “If you really have no feelings for him or anything,” Sweetie said. “Why are you crying?” Rarity brought her hoof to her cheek, and when she pulled it away and looked, it was indeed wet. “Well!” she said after a few moments of examining the moisture coating her hoof. She stared for several long seconds more as tears dripped from her chin to the floor. Finally, she opened her mouth. “Horse-saddles.” Deep in the Everfree Forest, a tangle of new, thorny growth filled the crater that had once been stripped bare by the kiss of the moon. The source of the vines was at the center of the depression, where a thick, treelike plant covered in massive thorns sprouted from the earth, its roots stretching all the way down to the underworld. Upon its whiplike branches hung five cocoons, each embedded with a colorless gem. A solitary stallion crawled from the base of the trunk, where there was just enough room between it and the earth to squeeze through. He clambered to his hooves and stretched his purple, bat-like wings and tossed his midnight black mane which sparkled with stars. His sword-like horn sparked with red energy as he tested his magic. “It looks as if my daughter convinced Lord Tartaros to finally give up the ghost, as it were,” he said in a deep bass, chuckling to himself. He turned back to the tree. “Well, I had to fight my way back up here, but the rest of you lot…” The cocoons began to pulsate and crack. Soon, one broke open, releasing another stallion-shaped creature. This one had the body of a quarter horse, but his face looked more like a mule’s. His black hide was covered in white stripes and he was clothed in a high collared, blood-red, leather vest. His eyes were shielded from view by solid black sunglasses. A cocky smile adorned his muzzle. “Ah, Zeb,” the alicorn stallion said. “It looks like a lifetime as Erebos’ lackey finally paid off in Tartaros.” The zebra scoffed. “You will address me as Zebra Lord Zebulon, stranger. Such familiarity with me breeds only danger.” Another cocoon cracked open, and thick black smoke poured from it, coalescing into a dark unicorn stallion garbed in royal armor. “You will both be my sssslaves, foals…” “And you must be Sombra,” the first stallion remarked. “As single-minded as ever, I see.” The third cocoon then hatched, and a blue-furred ram leaped out, landing gracefully in front of his two precursors. He let loose a low and dangerous bleat, his eyes flashing red with power. “You two would do well to be silent.” He turned and bowed his head to the alicorn. “Forgive these foals. Though we may not have met in person, I am well versed in ancient lore. It is an honor to stand in your greatness, my prince.” The prince grinned, showing his sharp teeth. “Grogar the necromancer. I have rarely seen a mortal wizard quite so talented as you. The honor is mine.” A fourth cocoon bloomed and a clacking bundle of chitin emerged. Chrysalis’ exoskeleton walked forth, but inside there seemed to be nothing but dark smoke which poured from her empty sockets. She opened her mouth and a deep, buzzing voice came from deep within. “I serve only Erebos.” A thickly muscled red arm burst from the final cocoon, and two ape hands ripped it apart, releasing a fully empowered demon centaur into their midst. “You will all obey me! I am the most powerful, and I am the master of the Rainbow of Darkness which freed us.” “Please, Lord Tirek” the prince said, chortling. “Erebos already bid for your freedom before, and you squandered that chance. Do you really think the powers of Darkness would let you lead again?” He shook his head. “You’re the one taking orders, this time.” Tirek glowered. “Well, well. If it isn’t the low prince, Astraeus. Are we to take orders from you, then? I’d like to see you try!” “Oh, no,” Prince Astraeus said, clicking his tongue. “I am but an opportunist who got wind of this plan in time to hitch a ride.” “Feh,” Tirek said. “I see. Going to go crawling back to your wife after all this time? Or ‘ex-wife’ as the case may be.” Astraeus curled his lip. “I was exiled for the crime of betting on my parents rather than Uncle Saturn’s upstart kids, and then Aurora left me for… for Mars, of all ponies.” He snorted, but soon grinned. “At least Venus let her have what for. But, no, while I am here for personal reasons, it is most certainly not to return to that mare.” “Then who is to lead us?” Grogar asked. He eyed his company warily. “Who can lead us?” Astraeus looked to the ground, black as ash, with a knowing smile. Around them, the blackness seemed to retract, leaving a lighter brown soil. As it converged, its star shape became apparent, and at its center a black, bubbly mass began to grow from the earth. It took on a slimy pony form, with a curved horn similar to Sombra’s growing from its forehead. When the star disappeared beneath the new pony’s body, the black slime was absorbed into light blue fur, and revealed the cutie mark of a wand on her flank. Trixie opened her eyes, which glowed red with dangerous magic. She spread her batlike wings and laughed. “The Dark and Mysterious Trrrrrixie returns!” The five villains before her blinked. They turned to each other mutely. Then they spoke as one. “Horse-saddles!”