//------------------------------//
// 22) Dinner with the Prophet 
// Story: Fact or Fiction 
// by Mocha Star 
//------------------------------//

	Rainbow Dash didn't care if she was in the Torrent Capital, the way she was feeling she might as well have died an gone to heaven. After the mesmerizing bath they were messaged and their hooves manicured to perfection. It felt to good to be true, being pampered like Rarity in her fantasies. The feeling of a human hand gingerly messaging her was wonderful. All to shortly, a cloaked centaur quietly stepped in. 
The Bathhouse workers became very sheepish around him, when he motioned for the Equestrians to come with him, the workers rushed the two pegasi over to him. As he led them out, the workers put the silver bridles back on the two mares. The dream ended with Natabirus and several centaurs in black cloaks greeted them in the cold street. The giant centaur had a large and ornamental cloak on him trimmed with fur, polished horns and a freshly curled beard he looked like he was dressed up for a wedding, not for a battle report.

Under a grey afternoon sky Natabirus and his goons walked up to the Tower with their heads held high. The mares' reigns were pulled gingerly but firmly by the pompous centaurs. Going inside the tower the mares were still amazed at how dark it looked yet they could see perfectly fine. On either sides of the grand hall were doors leading to mysterious rooms. The largest one near the alter was were Natabirus headed. It led to a staircase that was made in hell. The stairs were unfairly steep for a pony, and the mares dared not fly here.

The climb up was a cruel one. The centaurs snickered at how Rainbow Dash was coming short of breath on a measly staircase. Daring Do was used to physical endurance tests and had to be strong for Rainbow Dash. Neither of them knew what awaited them. They neared the top and two cloaked centaurs ran ahead. When Rainbow Dash and Daring Do saw the door the centaurs ran to open, it looked like any average door besides it's size. The centaurs opened it and a blinding light stuck their eyes.  Once their eyes adjusted the room looked like it belonged to an astronomer or a philosopher. The roof was far above the mares and even the smaller centaurs. The whole room was built for something much larger then a pony.

There was an opening to a balcony where the sun's light was coming from. The room was so high up that a bit of frost clung to the walls. At the center of the room was Belial. His lower torso lay like a resting horse while his hands rested on his legs, his back was to the door. Natabirus kept a noble demeanor while the cloaked centaurs faltered.  Rainbow Dash gazed at confusion at the naked centaur in the frigid room, Daring Do's senses went to a full alert.

Natabirus coughed polity,"Your Holieness, I have the battle reports here and I-"

"Leave them here," Belial said flatly.

Natabirus seemed shocked,"But...but you've only trust a report spoken by us..."

Belial's calm voice was oddly warm,"I'm not going to speak to you today. Leave the reports and the mares here."

"Wha...this i-is most irregular," Natabirus stuttered.


Belial's sigh was one of pure disappointment,"If you're going to question my word, look into a mirror. A centaur of your prestige reviving wounds like that irks me. Go back into the streets and talk to the tavern whores, thug. I'm sure they've missed you and your purse."

Natabirus gritted his teeth savagely,"As you wish, your Holiness."

He left the scrolls on the ground and closed the door quietly. The only sound was the gentile flow of air from outside and the beating of the frighted mares' hearts. The two mares felt helplessly tiny there, the scrolls beside them as big as rolled carpets. Belial's gaze was fixed outside, not looking over to his visitors. Several silent moments passed. He stood up, his size was foreboding. With a wave of his hand a table materialized up behind him, he turned and the mares saw his face,"Come sit."

"But these...things are keeping our wings from opening up,"Rainbow Dash complained.

Belial tilted his head to the side. The mares looked down at themselves and at each other, no bridles or saddles. Belial was using magic, a kind they've never seen before. The large scrolls behind them fluttered up like giant paper birds and soared over to where Belial was sitting. A pen fit for his giant hands floated from a desk into his grip. He sat focused on the battle reports before him. His memorizing eyes read the scrolls, a disapproving glare in them.

Belial didn't look up. He waved his non writing hand and before the mares knew it the were pulled up by an unseen force onto the table top before him. Being on such a giant space they felt like little dolls or chess pieces. He kept looking and making notes on the scrolls, never looking up at them.

"Where is Dew Berry and her family," Rainbow Dash shouted, breaking the silence,"They've done nothing to harm any of you, none of us have."

Belial moved a pinched set of fingers sideways like a zipper, before Rainbow Dash knew it she couldn't open her lips. She rubbed fretfully at her face and Daring Do tried her best to look civil. The adventuress wanted this discussion to go as smoothly as possible.


Several more silent moments passed again before the giant centaur spoke"Calm yourself, your friends are not in peril," Belial said as he read the scrolls," I have personally had them to stay in the tower's stables. All three of them are quiet safe."

The mares kept quiet, not sure if was a wise idea to talk to someone they've heard such terrible rumors about. They sat on the table, feeling small and with a dwindling candle of hope.

"You've come as dignitaries," Belial smiled,"You're here to beg my armies not to continue our assault." The mares looked at each other with confused looks. Belial continued,"I trust my son has slain one of your royal figureheads?"

Daring Do pursed her lips,"We're....we're not dignitaries. We're actually here mostly by accident."

Belial smooth and calm face flinched slightly,"Pardon me...then what exactly are you two Equestrians doing here?"

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof in the air. Belial made a 'unzipping' motion and the mare gasped for breath,"We're here to help a...friend of ours," Rainbow Dash said. She wan't sure if she should give out Pea Gravel's name.

Belial put a thoughtful hand on his chin. He scanned the two mares for several moments. His hypnotic yellow eyes went to Rainbow Dash,"You, rainbow haired one. I see in your thoughts memories of the One True God; Tirek."

"Excuse me?" Daring Do said,"One True God?"

Belial folded his hands,"You have not heard of our faith? Only the noble of heart and strong of will have been smiled on by the Lord. His teachings lead the weak to strength, through hard work and faith any creature can become a true hero to their piers."

This introduction to Torrent faith rubbed Rainbow Dash the wrong way,"You mean to tell me that Tirek is a hero to you? He's a noble leader and a god?"

Daring Do pulled the cyan mare closer to her,"It may not be a good idea to get this guy mad," she hissed,"We don't know if we talk about that centaur around him..."

Belial took Rainbow Dash's words to heart,"You speak ill of my Lord. Your naive age I will let be used an excuse, for now. Why do you have such angst to our faith?"

Even tough Daring Do tried to keep a hoof over Rainbow Dash's mouth the cyan mare shouted her heart out,"He's no god! My friends and I kicked his ass and sent him crying back to Tartarus!"

There was a bone chilling silence. Belial had his eyes closed but it felt like a vacuum before a storm. A vein bulged in neck,"Then tell me, little one, who is your god?"

Daring Do knew it was too late to get out of this debate, religion was one of the most tender topics anywhere with anyone. Rainbow Dash had a half confident look on her face,"The only divine thing I've ever seen is Princess Celestia and Luna. If me and my friends were here with them, we'd send you crawling to your 'god' in Tartarus!"

Daring Do almost smacked the cyan mare,"What have you done?"

They both looked at Belial. His hands griped the edge of the table, his arms shaking slightly. The mares could hear his uneven breathing. Rainbow Dash knew what she said was the truth, even if that meant getting hurt she'd stick to her word.

"Celestia you say?" Belial asked as if the word cut his mouth,"Celestia....the Sun Goddess>..."

"She can raise the sun and even the moon," Rainbow Dash scoffed," What can your-"

Belial's eyes opened. His yellow pin pricks stabbed at the cyan mare,"You dare to say that fraud's name in my Lord's house? You have the gall to even think of overpowering my God in the wells of combat?" His calmness became a volcano.

Daring Do wanted to stop this before it got ugly,"Please forgive my friend, your holiness. She's young and dose not understand when to keep her mouth shut."

Belial suddenly became very calm, like magma freshly hardened in a tundra. He exhaled with a small smile "You… you mentioned Tartarus? You...you and your friends transformed to defeat him?"

“Wait, how did you know that?” Rainbow Dash glared, "You’ve never been there before!"

"Simple, I read your mind. It’s very clouded,” Belial’s face showed an ounce of humor,”But that is not important at the moment. Your… goddess… she'd always be ready to protect you?" His face then twisted into a small evil smile, "Save you if you were in danger? Move you out of harm's way?"

"Absolutely, she'd be there in a heart beat!" Rainbow Dash said with a tear of fear and pride,"She'd never turn her back on us!"

Belial held his hands open and the two mares gravitated to them. They pawed at the table's surface but the pull was far too strong. They landed in his palms, hands that could easily wrap around a tree. He cupped his massive hands and stood up. With a powerful and prideful strut he went out to the open faced balcony. The mares could see out and below. It was a ledge so far up a look down would make a pegasus dizzy.

Belial took a huge breath in of the icy air. He shouted out to the sky in a voice so powerful it echoed across the city below and to the mountains beyond,"Sun Goddess Celestia! In my hand I have one of your champions, the pegasus Rainbow Dash! If you value the mare's life strike me down with your almighty power, show a non-believer your true divinity!"

Rainbow Dash and Daring Do looked up to the sky. It was grey with some parting clouds. Above the tower the wall of cloud cleared slightly. Seeing this made Rainbow Dash's heart skip a beat. She believed that her princess would save her, fly in and take her back home. Her eyes welled up with hopeful tears. Daring Do was very afraid. She wanted to see the princess fly in and save the day as well but she knew, somehow, that nobody was coming.

Belial's face glowed with a smile like the sun he was challenging,"So be it!" He shouted again in the ear ringing voice,"Hold these words true, Sun Goddess, The Torrent is coming for you!"

He looked down at the two mares,"You two will tell me the way to her garden, Equestria. If you do not I will have to use force."



Belial had a icy grin,"Or what? Will you take it from me, murder me in my sleep and steal it back? Will you call upon your 'almighty Sun Goddess' and have her drive a lance of fire through my heart?" His body contained a small chuckle,"You've lived a lie, know a lie. It's time you learn your place in this world, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash shook with rage, she wanted to hurt him. She wanted to save the day hooves singing but she knew it, she knew she'd lose. That fact alone was crushing to her. Daring Do was too shocked to say anything. She just stared at her floating heart, praying it would be alright. 







Nearly two thousand years ago an old kingdom had once strong ties with Equestira, an ally far away. It's king was a tense but benevolent ruler, unfortunately fueling his son's hunger for power. As the prince grew her began to resent his father. The king went off to Equestria to mend some political damage the prince caused...

When he came back he was ambushed. Murdered by an all to familiar centaur.

With the king dead, the centaur known as Tirek abandoned his homeland in search of power and magic. Upon his journey he had found an object who's power is corrosive to the imagination. Few disciples followed Tirek to where his mind had set, the Equine Kingdom. 

History's details can be warped and muted over time, even over exaggerated. What little Tirek's disciples had seen made them flee from their powerful leader. A strange cataclysmic event occurred and the world opened up, gushing water from ancient underground reservoirs. Rain storms screamed over the land, an unequaled storm raged over the land. Great oceans filled with monstrous beasts circled the kingdom and her neighboring territories. Equestria was now isolated...but not forever.


Tirek's home had gone into a state of ruin. The centaurs and gargoyles that lived side by side with them grew wild, they lost most cultural reason. When Tireks' disciples finally returned, they found their kinsmen worshiping pagan gods and idols. The enlightened few however, listened to the disciples. The roots of the Torrent's religion was born.