//------------------------------// // Victory // Story: Into the Darkness // by Subject 19 //------------------------------// Chairman Razka was in his room looking out the window as the sun slowly rose over the mountain range. It was quite a sight to be honest, especially given the knowledge that a single pony was making this act happen. For Equestria, it was finally a time of peace. King Sombra had been dealt with and the Crystal Empire had it's rightful rulers back in power. All that was left now was for Christopher to leave. “Christopher, we need to talk,” Luna insisted as she entered the chairman’s room. “About what?” Chris asked, turning his back towards the sunrise to face the lunar princess. Luna trotted towards Razka. “About what happened with Sombra.” Raka let out an annoyed groan. “I did what I had to.” “What you did crossed the line. It was inhumane and cruel.” Razka stood up and leaned down, his face mere inches away from Luna’s. “So what? I am not a hero. I enjoy the thrill of battle and I love tearing my enemies apart. Viciously.” “Be careful Christopher,” Luna warned, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “You are on a dangerous path, a path I myself have been on. I look at you and I see myself all those years ago.” Razka looked down at Luna, making eye contact with the night princess, his expression softening. “Why do you even care anymore? Your war is over and in a few days I’ll be gone. We will never see each other again. So tell me, what is the point?” “The point is making a difference in your life with what little time we have together. It’s not about what’s lasting. It never is, because nothing lasts forever.” “Except for you, your sister and your niece,” Razka pointed out. “Immortality does have its benefits every now and then.” “But my point is that everything I’ve been doing has been to help you. You need to be exceptionally careful with this Grimm you told me about. If you give him the opportunity, he will consume you. Then everything you’ve fought for will be undone.” “I’ll keep that in mind,” Christopher replied dismissively. Luna let out a defeated sigh. She had done what she could. All she could do now was hope. A week had passed since Sombra met his end and the princesses stayed true to their word, making final preparations to send Christopher Razka back to Earth. Twilight made a full recovery from her injuries and the rest of the mane six were more than happy to put this whole ordeal behind them. Christopher couldn’t wait to return to Earth, where his new country awaited him. From Janet Stahl’s most recent reports just a few days ago, the conquest was going smoothly. Nearly all of the United States was under the control of CHECKMATE and only small groups of the US military remained. Princess Celestia and Luna managed to cast a powerful spell on a mirror to create a portal to Earth. The spell was very taxing on both of the goddesses due to its complexity and strength. This was it. What Razka had been waiting for since he got stuck in Equestria. A way home. Christopher looked over to Luna, probably for the last time in his life. He put his hand on her shoulder. “Thank you,” he said softly. Razka then slowly walked through the portal. For a moment everything was black, then a bright light blinded him, forcing him to close his eyes. When the light vanished, he opened them to see he was in his office at CHECKMATE’s headquarters. Janet was at his desk and immediately jumped out of the chair. “Christopher!” she exclaimed. “It had been a while since we last spoke. I was beginning to worry something had happened on your end.” “I’m fine. How is the war?” Christopher asked his trusted friend. “The war is over. We won, sir. We won! The fighting is over! America is ours!” Razka could barely contain his joy, a massive smile forming on his face. “That’s… that’s wonderful! Now we can rebuild this nation. The way it should be.” “So tell me, how was Equestria? What was their world like?” “Their world is similar, yet very different from ours. What they lack in technology they make up for in magic. They are a very peaceful race too, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It gives me hope in a sense that maybe our species might one day find peace with each other.” “Well, it’s good to have you back, sir.” Razka took a seat behind his desk for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. “It’s been a long time since I sat at this desk. The last time I was sitting here Operation: Defiance had yet to begin. And now it’s finished and we’ve won the war. Now we have to make sure it stays that way.” “How do you propose we do that, sir?” “Power and fear. We divert as much of our resources into the production of the Hellfire Weapons System.” “Sir, if the rest of the world were to discover the creation of it, they would destroy us.” “Yes but that is a risk we must take. Our alliance with the rest of the world is shaky at best right now. It won’t be long before they turn on us. We need Hellfire.” “Very well, sir,” Janet said, letting out a defeated sigh before leaving Razka’s office. Razka leaned back in his chair and put his feet on top of his desk, a satisfied smirk on his face. “I love it when I win.”