Thirty minutes earlier.
I found Sunset in her chambers, frantically packing. She stared at me as soon as I told her what I wanted to do.
“You are nuts.”
“Maybe. But I have to try.”
She shook her head, “Page... that's idiotic, even if you somehow manage to defeat him where the Princesses and the Royal Guard failed, he could kill you in the process! Come on, you can come with me. We can still get out in time.”
I just nodded, “Possible,” before I sighed, “Likely even. But I have to try. For them.”
Sunset sank down to sit, “You love her. You really do.”
I smiled slightly, “What tipped you off?” before I shook my head, “But I need your help and we need to hurry. We need to get to the armory, it will take ten minutes at most, then you can run.”
She shifted, scraping her hoof against the floor, undecided.
“I won't lie, Sunset,” I continued, “The sooner you run, the easier it will be to get away. Staying can kill you. But the question is not if staying can kill you, but if you can live with leaving?”
Sunset gritted her teeth and then got onto her hooves, “Fine, Monkeyboy, you win. Let's go.”
“Thank you.”
“Don't thank me, this is a stupid idea and I still think you are going to get yourself killed.”
I didn't answer, I just followed along towards the armory. She was right. Even if everything went perfectly, I might get seriously injured or killed in the process. But I couldn't do nothing, I couldn't just leave.
I'm sorry, Luna. But I have to try to do something, anything to keep you safe. Even if it killed me.
It didn't take long to reach the armory. It was unguarded. Normally there was at least two guards outside it keeping the contents safe.
Now there was nobody here.
Still, the door was locked.
I moved aside and motioned towards the steel door, “Sunset, if you please?”
She nodded and gathered up her magic before blasting it off its hinges, causing it to go crashing through the room behind it, shattering a stand of spears across the floor.
“What do you need?” Sunset asked as she walked inside first, leaving me to follow.
“Focus on the sturdy things. Steel hafted spears, swords. That kind of thing. The bigger and stronger the better.”
Sunset nodded and started to gather, picking and choosing between the weapons before getting to work with a frown, “Page...”
“Hmm?” I asked, picking up some spears in my magic, giving them a spin. These will work.
“Thanks for bringing me back,” She said quietly as she wove her spell craft.
I nodded as I picked up a pair of daggers, checking the blades and sliding them into one of the belts, “Didn't do it for you. But you are welcome.”
“I just don't think I'm going to get the chance to say it later.”
Grabbing another pair of daggers, I couldn't help but think she might be right.
XXXXXXXXXX
Now.
Pain racked through my body as Tirek opened his massive jaw. I could feel my magic starting to drain from my horn, the golden energy glowing like the sun as he absorbed it.
I gritted my teeth and worked through the pain from the draining, the pain in my left frontleg and reached up to grab my necklace with the medallion and all the little decorations hanging all around the thin chain all around my neck using my right hoof.
Tearing it free, I threw it straight into that gaping maw and down his throat. It didn't even touch the sides.
For a second, nothing happened and it stretched on longer than any second in my life had before. Then Tirek jerked and arched his back as he roared, the draw on my magic turned into a scream as he stumbled back, clawing at his chest and throat as I fell.
I landed hard, something in my right rear leg made a crackling sound and pain shot through me, my vision threatening to go dark for a second as Tirek stumbled back and forth.
He screamed and trashed before slowly sinking down onto the knees of his front legs. He looked confused, “Wha...” he started to say before he fell over onto his side, hitting the floor with a loud crash, the ground shuddering beneath the impact.
Silence. The throneroom was completely silent as everyone stared at the fallen Lord Tirek. I was just trying to stay awake from the shooting pain through two of my legs.
Tirek started to slowly glow. First in small spots on his chest, then his sides. His eyes flashed open, glowing a bright white that filled his slack and open mouth.
The glow spread across him from the growing spots on his chest and sides, covering him in a half sphere before it flashed outwards. I didn't have time to do anything.
I didn't have the magic to shield, I couldn't move and try to get out of the way.
Everything dissolved into blue sparkles.