//------------------------------// // 25-Redemption // Story: A Repentant Draconequus on the Equestrian Throne // by DungeonMiner //------------------------------// Chapter 25 Chaos smirked as he walked in the Canterlot Gardens. He could smell the hellfire already, and he smiled at the thought of the groaning souls that would weep under him after hope had been broken and their spirits shattered. Oh, to rule the world. To rule over Faust’s pathetic weaklings and break them under her gaze. There was no sweeter thing. “I can think of a few…” a voice said next to him. Chaos’ head snapped to the source, and he saw an emaciated alicorn walk next to him. Death gave him a sideways glance, and his scythe hovered next to him. “Ah, Death…” Chaos said, recovering from his surprise. “I suppose you’ve heard our call? After all, you still must collect the souls that come to us, no?” Death said nothing. “Yes, I think this is about to go quite well for us.” Death remained silent. Chaos gave him a look, before a smile crept on his face. “It must be so hard for you. First to watch the monsters you were sworn to keep despoil the land of the living,” he said, checking Death’s face. He remained impassive. “Secondly, to watch your beloved Celestia succumb to her own darkness, to watch her as she devolves into a blithering, bloodlusting monster.” No reaction from Death as they continued to walk through the garden. “And finally, being unable to stop me,” Chaos said. “Because anything you do to me, will hurt your precious brother.” “Almost anything,” Death said. “Pardon?” “Almost anything I can do to you will hurt my brother,” the alicorn with bone-white hooves corrected. Chaos paused. “Oh really, what can you do then?” Death smirked. “Do not count your victory before all pieces are on the board, demon. You might find yourself surprised.” “Please,” Chaos scoffed. “If Faust could have stopped us, she would have. The fact of the matter is, is that she is simply not the omnipotent being of this world any longer.” “So you say.” “I do say, and my word is now law,” Chaos said. “Now, go, you despicable debt collector, go and bother me no more,” Chaos said as he turned his back on the coal black alicorn. “I’m not here to collect,” Death said. Chaos blinked, and spun. “What?” Death smiled. “What did you say?” “I said two things,” Death said. “I said I am not here to collect. I also said that almost anything I could do to you would hurt my brother. There is one thing I can do.” “What?” Chaos asked nervously. “Stall you.” The draconequus’ eyes went wide as he quickly spread his wings to fly. And then his world erupted into pain. He face slammed into the ground, and he turned to see his tail pinned by the vicious blade of Death’s scythe. “It’s a shame you’ll be stuck here for a bit,” Death said. “Your master could certainly use your help in a few minutes.” Chaos clawed at the dirt, trying to move forward. “It’s almost as if it were some integral part of a grand strategy or something…” Death muttered with a smile. Chaos turned, leaping on the scythe to try and remove it from his tail. It would not budge. “Now, Chaos. For the next fifteen minutes, you and I are going to be good friends.” <<<|Ω|>>> Alan hovered in nothingness. The world was black and empty. A void so cold that it could only be a demon’s soul. He wanted to cry, honestly he did. The only thing that stopped him from weeping was the fact that tears didn’t exist in the void. So his consciousness merely lay there in the darkness, trying to curl on itself as he tried to find some sort of warmth in the darkness. He never knew he could be this lonely. Even when he was in the changeling pod, separated from Twilight, he had at least felt some companionship, but here… It was so quiet, but it wasn’t silence. Silence has it’s own golden pleasantness about it, no, this...this was a deafening, maddening, soul-wrenching quiet. He was so alone, so cold, and silently sobbed as he thought of his son and his wife. Oh, what had he done? And then, he heard something in the quiet. The voice was muffled somehow, but he was sure he heard something. He stopped his sobbing, and looked up into the darkness, sniffing. “Hello?” he called. “H-hello?” a voice echoed. “Is someone there?” Alan asked. “Hello?” “C-can you hear me?” “Are you real?” “I-I’m real. Are you real?” “M-maybe? I don’t know anymore...” “Who are you?” Alan asked. “Who are you?” the voice echoed. “I’m...I’m Pendragon Alan Goldenhoof of Equestria. I think?” he said, muttering the last two words. “Equestria? I...I think I know that name…maybe...it’s been so long.” “How long?” Alan asked. “I don’t know.” “Who are you?” Alan questioned again. “I...my name...my name is Umbra Shade. I think...maybe.” “Umbra? Where are you, Umbra?” “I’m here.” “Can you come here?” “I think…” “Come here.” He came, and the two got close, sharing barely enough warmth. It was all they had. <<<|Ω|>>> Princess Mi Amore Cadenza glared down at the monster that now inhabited the body of her brother-in-law, bow in hoof, and a magick arrow ready. Sombra looked up at her, his head cocked. Twilight looked between the two, watching as a slew of invisible blades seemed to clash where their gazes met. There was silence between the two for a long time, until the dark king sniffed, and then smiled. “You smell of the royal’s blood,” he observed before smiling. “My, my...it has been a while.” “Silenzio, Mostro,” Cadence hissed, as she grabbed the arrow. “You will speak when I say you can.” Sombra raised an eyebrow. “Feisty.” An arrow slammed into the ground, inches from his hoof, and a new one was on the string faster than you could blink an eye. “Test me again, and I will show you feisty,” Cadence said. Sombra simply smirked. “Now, Monstro, tell me. What brings you here?” “If you are wondering about your precious empire, I’m afraid it is still lost. Perhaps one day I will release it, perhaps not. Now, however, I am going to focus on destroying the last few things that can slow me down.” “The Elements?” Cadence asked. “Very astute, Princess. With such perception, you’d make a wonderful ruler,” Sombra said, smirking sarcastically. Cadence smirked herself. “As if the Elements were the thing you had to worry about.” Sombra didn’t seem to hear that. “Once the elements are gone, then the only thing left to worry about is Celestia herself.” He smirked. “Of course, Luna is doing her job and keeping her busy quite nicely, and once Celestia does what needs to be done, I imagine she will make a wonderful commander for my armies.” Cadence rolled her eyes. “For all the years you had to come up with a plan, Sombra, I must say I’m disappointed.” Sombra sneered. “Please, mortal. My plan is beyond you.” Cadence shook her head, and smiled. “Do not think you’ve gone unnoticed. Your servant was practically reeking of your scent, and had I known you better, I would have recognized your foul stench.” “Oh, well done. You’ve smelled me out,” he said, as a new blade began to form. “Now let’s see if your sense of smell will protect you against my blade.” Another arrow flew through the air, shattering the blade. “I think my bow will be fine.” Sombra growled. But Cadence smiled. “Of course, there is one tiny problem to your grand, grand, plan, Sombra. Something that you forgot.” “Oh really?” Sombra asked as yet another blade formed. “And pray tell, mortal who forgets the location of your keys, what have I forgotten?” Cadence smiled, as she strummed the string of her bow. “You forgot love.” Silence returned full force. It hovered over the garden with a vengeance while the two stared each other down, Cadence with a smirk while Sombra leveled a deadpan glare at her. Twilight looked up at her foalsitter, confused, before her eyes were drawn to her son, still in the magical grip of Sombra. She looked between the two before her horn began to glow. Sombra, meanwhile only rolled his eyes, before gagging. “Spare me the sap, mortal. Keep your repulsive love to yourself, you disgustin—” The pop of teleportation sounded, and Sombra looked down to see himself holding nothing. An arrow shot past him, flying past his chest. Another arrow followed the first, only a fraction of an inch from his chest, and Sombra leapt back, just in time to see yet another arrow dig into the ground where he once stood. Twilight began to back away, Orion in her magical grasp, while Cadence fired arrow after arrow at the creature in Alan’s body. “Stay still, Sombra.” Cadence yelled. “Stay still and I’ll show you what love can do!” <<<|Ω|>>> “So these are the mighty Mare-Do-Wells, huh?” Bad Joke said, rolling off the back of one of his attackers. “I was expecting a little more out of you.” The changelings whized around Bad Joke, trying to take him down as the pegasus masterfully kept them at bay. “We’re going to give you one chance to surrender, Joke,” one of the Mare-Do-Wells cried. “Surrender? Hahaha! Now that’s a good joke!” the criminal cackled. “I can’t surrender, and I don’t want to!” Chess Piece leapt backwards. “You can’t?” Bad Joke flipped over yet another Mare-Do-Well, wing blade dragging uselessly along a covered carapace. “Yessirree, Miss! Mind’s a little bent you see,” he said, smiling. “And not in the way you’re thinking.” “What are you talking about?” Chess asked as the other Mare-Do-Wells disengaged and began to reposition themselves. “What? Did you think I was born with this kind of fashion sense?” Bad Joke asked. “As with everything else, Ol’ Man Chaos got us together, and he showed us who we really are.” “What do you mean, who you really are?” Chess asked. Joke smiled. “You know the pony back there that looked like he skipped leg day a couple of times? He was just some punk. Then our father showed him that he was a murderer. All it took was holding his hand for a bit, and he went all out. After that, the boy went bonkers, and that’s coming from me. Heheheh-heehee.” The Changelings continued to spread out, surrounding the pegasus. “Then you’ve got good ole’ Doms. Chaos showed him that he’s actually a lying, sniveling coward with that dice roll, and ever since he’s left things to ‘fate,’ which is just his way of passing the blame so he doesn’t feel the incredible guilt that made him rip off his own Cutie Mark.” Chess blinked. “So, why don’t you save your talks about surrender and redemption for those guys. I saw who I am when Chaos showed me. The only difference between them and me, though, is I liked it.” <<<|Ω|>>> The boy once known as Morning Dew sat in the darkness and shook his head. The stallion he was fighting was good. Very good. With any luck the stallion would kill him. Faust knows it was the best that he deserved. “Come on, boy! Stay with me!” the stallion said. But Dew shook his head. He had already been lost, and all the stallion was doing now was screaming into a roaring face of fury. Dew turned away, unable to watch as he fought the stallion. He hoped the stallion would be merciful and killed him quickly, despite what he deserved. If he had any sort of control over his body these days, he would have let the stallion destroy him by now. Unfortunately, as part of his madness, he signed over control to a force that was beyond him. He sighed, and layed down on the floor. He was a murderer. He deserved to die. “Stay with me, boy!” Mac yelled. “Ah ain’t gonna leave you!” Dew shook his head. He didn’t know why. He was a monster. He didn’t deserve it. “You don’t?” A new voice asked, and Dew looked up to see a tall pony, covered muzzle to tail in a dark grey cloak. Her voice was soft, smooth, and oddly comforting, even in the nothingness that surrounded them. “No…” Dew said. “I don’t.” “Why don’t you deserve mercy?” the cloaked pony asked. “Because I murdered somepony.” “Did you?” she asked, almost as if she couldn’t believe it. Dew tried to curl into a ball. “All it took...all it took was the promise that I wouldn’t get into trouble...that’s all he needed to say…” “And now you’re in trouble…” the cloaked figure noted. Dew shook his head. “I’m in trouble…” The cloaked figure moved closer, before laying down next to the poor colt. “Please, don’t…” Dew said, shuffling away from her. “Why do you scorn my touch?” she asked. “I...I don’t deserve company. Just...just leave me be…” “Leave you? You’re going to push me away without hearing what I have to offer?” “I don’t deserve your company,” Dew explained. “I’m a horrible pony that deserves no mercy and no company.” “But I offer them,” the cloaked pony said. “And I do not deserve it,” Dew repeated. The cloaked figure sighed. “Morning Dew, gifts are not a matter of what you deserve, and neither is mercy. I offer you these gifts, not because you deserve them, but because you do need them.” Morning looked up at her. “Now, may I sit with you and make my offer, or will you keep pushing me away so that you may wallow alone?” Morning blinked slowly, and looked forward, but he did not send her away. The cloaked figure smiled, and he knew it, despite being unable to see her face for the cowl. She shifted next to him, and a massive white wing stretched out and wrapped around him gingerly. As the wing touched him, he shivered, before relaxing into her. “There,” the cloaked figure said, as she nuzzled him. “I don’t know why you’re wasting your time…” Morning said. “Because any time I spend saving the ones I love,” Faust said, “is time worth dying for.” <<<|Ω|>>> “Stay with me, boy!” Mac roared again as he struggled against the massive pony. Only the bloodlusting eyes of Red stared back at him. “Come on!” Mac struggled, as if his own will could bring the boy back. The monster roared, before the cry caught in his throat. Mac felt the pressure on his legs lighten, and the face of his opponent softened, and transformed, even as the colt’s body began to shrink. It was almost as if he deflated, shrinking as he fell to the ground. And then, before Mac’s eyes, Red was gone, leaving only a young colt who sobbed happily as he lay on the ground. “I’m free…” he muttered. “I’m finally free…” <<<|Ω|>>> The Victory burst through another cloud bank, sailing through the air as lightning flashed and thunder roared through the massive storm cloud. All along the deck, Pipsqueak’s crew of pre-teens ran this way and that, grabbing ropes and aiming cannons, trying to keep the cloud of demons that were coming after them at bay. Scootaloo swung back down to the deck, landing next to Pipsqueak. “They’re getting closer, there’s no way we can outrun them at this pace.” “We don’t need to outrun them,” Pip said, before spinning the helm. “We just need to stay out of sight.” A crack of thunder bellowed in the sky, shaking the ship and causing the glass in the windows to rattle. “Are you sure about this, Pip?” Scootaloo asked. “No,” the captain said, turning again as the ship began to dive back into a cloud bank. Lightning cracked behind them, and a swarm of demons flew into the darkness after them. "But it's what we've got." <<<|Ω|>>> Cadence, Twilight, and Sombra all danced around the garden, the Princess firing arrow after arrow as she tried to pin Sombra. Twilight ran, trying to keep her son away from the monster chasing her, trying to awaken her boy from whatever spell he was under. Sombra, meanwhile, had blood shining in his eyes. Yet another blade had formed, Hatred using the borrowed power of his host to hunt down Twilight. “Oh, Sombra,” Cadence called, “stay still! I have an arrow that calls for your black heart!” Twilight looked up at her flying foalsitter, surprised by the venom in her voice. Sombra laughed. “So much for love.” “Is love furyless?” Cadence asked, letting loose another arrow. “Is love passionless? Do not speak of love when you know nothing of it, Demon!” Three arrows thudded into the ground in quick succession around Sombra as he skidded across the perfectly manicured grass, leaving long, muddy trails marring the surface. Twilight looked around, biting her lip in worry. If Cadence wasn’t careful, she’d seriously hurt him, and thereby, Alan. Another arrow shot forward, and Sombra ducked out of the way of the streak of blue fire. Cadence growled, before she swooped down and landed. “Face your judgment, Sombra!” she said, glowering at him with the bow by her side, “Face your judgement either at my hooves or Faust’s.” “I take my judgement from Faust, and she has let me go unopposed,” Sombra taunted. “Unopposed until now!” the princess cried, as she spun the bow up loosed yet another arrow. Thwip! Thuk! Twilight gasped staring with wide eyes at Sombra. Sombra blinked. And Cadence smiled as she finally hit her target. Sombra looked down at his chest, and the flaming blue arrow that stuck out of his chest. He blinked. And the he laughed. “Is that it?” he asked. “Is that all the power you can muster?” Candece kept smiling, before setting her bow down on the ground. “Is that the extent of your abilities? Is that all love can do?” Sombra laughed as he grabbed the arrow in his chest with his own magic, corrupting the color to a blood red. “Is that it?” He asked as the arrow snapped and faded out of existence. Cadence walked up, next to Twilight, and spoke softly. “That is the beginning, Sombra.” “Oh is it?” he asked, smugly as a blade formed. “Your precious love has done nothing. Love has not conquered me.” “Love does not conquer,” Cadence said. “Love overwhelms. It surrounds and encompases,” she said. “Save your preaching for the dead,” Sombra said as he leveled the blade at her. “They’ll be the will be the only able to hear you.” The sword flew forward, and Cadence stood, waiting for it. <<<|Ω|>>> Alan and Umbra sat in the void. “Is it always this dark?” Alan asked, even though he knew the answer. “It has always been dark,” Umbra answered. Alan would have nodded, maybe he did, it was hard to tell. He figured, he just needed to break the quiet. He blinked. And this time, he knew he blinked. “U-Umbra, do you see that?” “See? What is there to see?” “I...I see a light…” “Y-you do?” “Y-yeah…” he said. “Is it a trick?” Umbra asked. Alan shook his head. “I...I don’t think so…” Warmth began to seep into his consciousness, radiating from the light. “I…” Alan began. “I think I need to follow it…” “Y-you’re going to leave?” Umbras asked, fear in his voice. “Y-you can’t leave! I can’t be alone again!” Alan paused. “I...I think I have to, Umbra.” “No! No! Please don’t leave me here!” “I…” Alan began, before the words just seemed to pop to his mind, “it’s my duty, Umbra…” Umbra paused. “I...p-please?” “Umbra...I have to go,” Alan said, as he stepped away from the only other thing in the void. “But I won’t...I will do everything I can to make sure you get out of here, okay? You’re not going to be stuck here.” “I...please…” “I’ll come back for you,” Alan promised. “I swear I’ll come back for you.” “Why are you leaving?” “I’ll come back. I just need to save my family first.” “D-don’t go…” “I’ll be back!” <<<|Ω|>>> The blade halted in mid air, inches from Cadence’s neck. Sombra blinked. The blade had simply frozen in the middle of the air, sitting before the Princess with an empty threat, but not much more than that. Cadence looked down at the blade, and smiled. “Let me guess, this hasn’t ever happened before?” Sombra blinked before a new blade formed and shot forward, only to halt next to it’s brother. Cadence smiled wider. Sombra grit his teeth as a third blade leapt for her throat. And again the sword froze. Twilight stared with wide eyes. “What did you do to me, witch!?” the king demanded. Cadence smiled. “I thought witches were your domain,” she taunted. “I told you, Sombra, love overwhelms. It has overwhelmed and overcome your spell, it shined in your darkest darkness, and led Alan back to the light. I gave him a path, and he has kept me safe in return.” As she finished her speech, the red magick of the blades began to ripple and distort. Then, before the eyes of the gathered, it began to peel away, not unlike a banana skin, revealing the perfect, silver blades beneath. Sombra’s eyes went wide, and Twilight saw the fear in them. “N-no! You cannot do this! I am the master here!” The silver blades shook free of their red skins, and turned on their master. “N-no! Stop! I co-c-c-c-command you-o-ou-u-u-u!” Sombra said, his voice breaking as his face twisted between a hundred different features. “I-I-I W-wi-wiw-wo-wo-ill win-in-in-nn-n-n! I muh-muh-uh-uh-uhst!” There was an explosion of light that flooded the garden, and all eyes throughout Canterlot stared up as a second sun rose at the castle. When it cleared, a white stallion, armored in silver, chitin armor with golden hooves lay prostrate on the ground, while a black smoke trailed off of him into the air. Alan used his front legs to prop himself up, and smiled at the sight of Twilight and Orion. “Hey, honey…” he said with a smile, before nodding to Cadence. “Princess.” “I’m happy to see you, Pendragon,” she said, as Twilight rushed to him and encased him a loving embrace. Alan held her tight, before smiling. “Now...let’s go kill some hellspawn.” <<<|Ω|>>> Chaos scraped and pulled, trying to move forward. He had heard his master’s call, but Death had held him fast. The draconequus could not move under the scythe of Death, no matter how desperately his master called. And then there was a flash of light. And then silence. Chaos’ heart froze at that terrible, terrible silence. His master was still alive, he could feel the oppressing presence of the King even as he lay under the hoof of Death, but to be denied his vessel, to have this victory stripped from him? This was something he had not prepared for. “Very well, Chaos,” Death said, before dragging the draconequus back by the wound in his tail, and throwing him back to wall behind him. “I’ve had my fun. You may go now.” Chaos looked up, confused, before taking to the air, searching for his master. Death watched him go with narrowed eyes. “Yes. I may have had my fun. But my revenge is about to begin.” -------------------------------- Alright! Only a few more chapters to go, guys. “Nuuuuu! I don’t want it to end!” That’s what a lot of people are saying… “So you’re going to continue the story indefinately, for ever and ever? Or even forever? Which, is like, four evers.” No, Pinkie...that’s...I’ve got other stuff I’ll write. “Oh, okay, can I come with?” Um, sure? I guess? It depends on if the readers want it, so maybe. “Oh, ok! Gotcha.” Anyways, guys, the battle is about to reach its zenith, and the Plan is about to come to fruition. “Next time! Meet up! The battle against Tiamat! Celestia against the Moon! And Chaos takes the field!” All of this, and more. “We’ll see you then, guys!” Bye!