//------------------------------// // Chapter Three - From Memories to Present // Story: Life is a Curse // by Zael //------------------------------// Following the pink-maned unicorn, Shrouded couldn't help but wonder why a Prench duelist would be at Celestia's service. "So… I didn't quite catch your name." "I never told you." "And… may I know it?" She stopped, unsheathed her rapier and pointed it at his throat. "I still don't know yours, and I'm frankly disappointed our fight before was interrupted." Shrouded chuckled and snapped his fingers: in a flash, two swords made of pure magic were pointed at the female, one at the heart, the other at the chin. She gulped but stood still, while he grinned. "You know you can't win, but you try anyways. Heh… you remind me of my sister." Looking puzzled, the other unicorn lowered her blade, and he made the swords disappear with another snap. The situation went on like this for a while, both of them looking at the eyes of the other, as in a sort of mental battle. The pink-maned unicorn was the first to talk: "You have a sister?" Noticing a hint of sadness on his eyes, she regretted a bit saying that. "I had, long time ago. Now she's no more… You know, it's funny. Have you ever thought about being immortal? Seems nice at first, because you will never die, so you can do everything you want, you can accomplish all your goals, fulfill all your dreams. Well… it didn't go like that for me. When the sisters attacked Sombra, he sacrificed almost all the inhabitants of the suburbs to power up his dark magic: they were slaves, they were expendable. My family was there. My father, my mother and my sister… all dead, and for what? For nothing. They vanished like that." She interrupted him: "Then why you had the armor of Sombra's dark guards?" "Simple: even if I had almost no respect for a leader like him, a guard job was better paid and more safe than being a miner, every day mining for crystals and gems. Every day, from morning until evening. My parents were miners, you know? And they still had been able to send me or my sister to magic school; I let my sister go, while I enrolled in the guards. Males who could afford it, had a choice: army, school or mines; for females only school and mines. That's why I refused, to assure my sister a better and brighter future. Even if that future never came." She sheathed her rapier, and made him a gesture to follow her, while saying: "I can't possibly understand what you've gone through, and I'm really sorry to have brought up that discussion." "Don't be. Everything now is only a memory, but painful as it is, it can't change the reality. All my family, all my friends, everyone and everything I knew… is all past. To say it clearly… all my bitter past, now has turned to dust… Name's Shrouded Petal, by the way." She stopped near a door, turning to face him. "I guess now it's fair if I tell you mine. Je suis Fleur Dis Lee, Duchess of Vanhoover and personal guard of the Princess of the Sun herself." The red-eyed unicorn seemed to ponder, until he said: "Dis Lee as in Louis Charles Dis Lee?" "He's the founder of my family, how could you possibly…" "He was sent to study in the Crystal Empire for 3 years as page of an ambassador, and we sort of trained together when he were both free. I knew he returned to Prance, but didn't know he became a noble." "After he came back, it is said that he made fortune during wars to defend Prance, and that he became the Dauphin de Prance, rising to the noble class. When he died he left every possession to the Roi, even the title of Dauphin, only asking for a fief and to maintain the noble status from his family. He is remembered as a warrior of pure intentions and of noble integrity, and the Dis Lee house has always been held in high standards to the Rois de Prance; it is also known that one or two of my ancestors were married into the royal house." "But you are here. I suppose something went wrong." "Not really… My fate was to be married to the Prince, but I didn't want to marry that fat and pompous brat. So I exiled myself, without saying anything, and came here, asking for the Sisters' protection. While Princess Luna was hesitant about this, Princess Celestia took me in as her champion, after seeing my ability with the blade. Probably now in Prance they know where I am, and will try to get me back. I'll fight with all my might to never go back there: I'll rather impale myself with my rapier than to get married to that kid." "He must be quite the physically and mentally horrible foal, I guess. Oh well, as you didn't mean to bring back my past, I do not wish to bring back yours." Both of them remained silent, walking through the corridors with occasional regards offered by maids to Fleur, kindly accepted by the mare: when they arrived to the royal garden, though, it was clear there was going to be trouble: standing in front of them, the guards previously beaten by Shrouded were talking to their captain, a white unicorn with blue mane. "It's him, captain!" Said unicorn advanced to meet the other two unicorns, saying: "Lady Dis Lee, why are you siding near the infiltrator?" "Because, even if I didn't believe it at first, he seems to be a personal acquaintance of both Princesses. And he is enough skilled to force me in a defensive stance and to beat Princess Luna in a fight. Though maybe Luna wasn't trying so hard… Anyways, would you kindly let us pass?" No answer came from the captain, but his horn illuminated, conjuring a magic cage, imprisoning Shrouded, who just started to laugh. "Why are you laughing, you scum!" "Your magic is strong, captain, but you only used arcane magic: no matter how strong it is, it can't compete with elemental magic. You could have done a better work with this cage, if you used both arcane and elemental magic." Shrouded regained his composure, and then started chanting, with great surprise of the others. "As I stand below this sunlight, and I pay for all my crimes, I pray you for all your might, and for your deceiving lies." The unicorn seemed to turn into a pitch black entity, with smoke coming off his figure, as he walked right through the magic cage; he took his blade and continued chanting: "Shadow blade of the greatest sin, grant me power to duel, may my enemy never win, and forever I'll serve you well." He charged his blow, aiming for the left shoulder of the captain, but suddenly a wall of fire surrounded him. "Little flame of my heart, expand yourself into the field, cut my enemies apart, and only burned they may yield." Shrouded interrupted his chant, regaining his normal form, and sheathing his sword. "So there is actually someone who can use elemental magic besides the princess here. Maybe I'll test you... Through ember and flames, I've walked my path, only ashes on your graves, will remain after my wrath." As fire started to rain down on the garden, suddenly all the spells were dispelled by a simple word: "ENOUGH!" Everyone turned to the door, where they saw her majesty, Princess Celestia. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luna and Celestia stood in the throne room even after both unicorns went away. The Princess of the Night spoke: "Sister… This is no mere sign of His return. The prophecy was true, and we are not ready!" "We have some powerful allies now, Luna. And the only one who was brave enough to oppose Sombra is with us too: this was also a sign. We can use him as a bait: Sombra cursed him with immortality, but eternal life is not so easy to control, even with dark magic. He didn't age, and he can’t be killed: that is not a simple immortality curse or spell, that is the real sign. Sombra was preparing the ritual for eternal life, but he was interrupted by us and by him; knowing that we are eternal, he did the most logical thing before being banished, using the ritual on Shrouded. He is merely a vessel for that ritual, a recipient for Sombra to open when he'll return, consuming him and all the things he has learned, becoming horribly powerful. So, Luna, tell me: what can we do now?" Asked the Princess of the Sun with a devilish smile of her face. The younger one tried to think, but suddenly an idea came to her mind: "We make it backfire. But how?" "Simply: we must use dark magic to perform a curse shield on Shrouded. When Sombra will try to absorb him, he will absorb the curse shield too, breaking the curse he used to activate the ritual: this way he'll be weak and we'll overcome him easily." "Shrouded would die in every possible case." "Little sacrifices have to be done to accomplish the greater good." Luna said nothing in response, but that wasn't her sister's way of thinking: she must have been truly desperate to propose a plan like that, and Luna could tell. Celestia never tried to sacrifice anyone, nor kill for someone or something else sake: she was banished, same it could be said for Sombra, Discord was petrified, Tirek imprisoned. Suddenly, a guard came in shouting: "Princesses! We found the intruder! He's taken your champion hostage and he's battling against the captain! They're in the garden!" Both princesses almost facepalmed, running through corridors and halls to get there before everyone could get hurt. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia's dispel was absolute: no-one of the fighters could even think to try another spell without angering the ruler of Equestria. "Captain Armor! I demand an explanation!" "Your Majesty, the front guards told me everything and when we found him…" "Was he holding Miss Dis Lee hostage?" "Your Majesty, I acted as a captain of the…" "WAS HE?" Celestia abruptly ended that quick exchange to put pressure on the captain by simply shouting. "I can't say that, or at least I don't know." "Good. Shrouded Petal, were you holding my champion as an hostage?" "No, Princess. Miss Dis Lee was escorting me to the royal medic quarters." Celestia saw a red and yellow tail ducking behind the captain of the guard, and said: "Sunset, come out. Now." The girl, without any other choices, stood up and say: "Er… Hello, your Majesty?" Celestia was definitely pissed, judging by the glare she gave to Sunset. "What did I say about fire spells in my garden?" "I know you said not to use them, but he was using dark mag…" Shrouded immediately corrected her: "Shadow magic. There's a huge difference." "Mh, shadow magic users are quite rare. We must speak again later. But what I dispelled was a high grade fire spell. Usually normal mages specialize in arcane magic and in only one elemental magic type, rarely in two…" "Let's just say that my long life has been useful: I had the time to learn every type of elemental spell, when I wasn't fighting, of course." Celestia was about to speak again, when a lightning-fast pegasus arrived on the scene. "Princess! Fort Ravenwall in under attack! An entire diamond dogs army is circling the walls! We need immediate backup!" Celestia seemed to ponder for a moment, then she said: "Sunset, Captain Armor, Fleur, Shrouded. You are all deployed now by teleportation. Other soldiers will arrive later, just give me some time to assemble some reinforcements. You, pegasus, go with them." She casted a teleportation circle, and then said again: "Do your best to hold that fort."