Both Sides of the Blade

by AverageMemory


Chapter 9 Becoming Legend

My mind raced. This monster had to be stopped at all cost. The fate of Equestria was in my hooves once again, but this time it was different. This thing had killed Derek, now it was my turn to return the favor.

Orobas slowly turned around to see me.

“YOU ARE A PERSISTENT LITTLE BUG.” He bellowed.

“LIKEWISE!” I yelled up to him.

“OUT OF MY WAY.” He said, smacking me out of the air.

I had to keep pestering him, so I flew back into his sight.

“WHAT IS IT NOW?” He asked.

“YOU KNOW CELESTIA TOLD ME SHE NEVER DID LOVE YOU!” I yelled, hoping it would enrage him.

“YOU- YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT!” He yelled, his eyes turning deep red.

“YES I DO! SHE TOLD ME!” I lied.

His body shuddered. “NO!” He yelled. “NO NO NO NO NOOO!”

He grabbed me from out of the air. “LIES! I WILL HEAR NONE OF IT!” He said.

He began to crush me in his hand. I felt my bones crack and blood running down my side.

“N- NOOOOOOW!!!!” I yelled.

“WHAT? YOU WANT ME TO KILL YOU NOW?” He asked, laughing. “YOU ARE A LITTLE....”

He stopped and stared at the oncoming rainbow.

“WHAT? NOOO!” He yelled. It struck him, right between the eyes. Blinding light shone out of the point where he was hit.

He unclenched me, and I began to fall. I closed my eyes, and welcomed the cold arms of death.

Much to my dismay, somepony caught me. Before I passed out, I saw the majestic mane of Princess Celestia, as I gently floated back to the ground.

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My eyes fluttered open. I looked around, finding everyone crowded around me.

“He’s alive!” Twilight shouted.

Everypony around me cheered. All the townsfolk, Twilight and her friends, and Princess Celestia all stood around me.

“Great work, Majora.” Celestia said.

“Thanks...” Was all I could say, as I was suffering from multiple broken bones on the ground.

“Thanks to you, Equestria is safe once more!” Twilight said, happily.

“Great....” I said. “Could we go visit Nurse Redheart now?”

“Of course we can.” Celestia said.

“Not.... so...... fast.....” Somepony said.

Celestia looked over and gasped. “YOU’RE STILL ALIVE!” She yelled.

The crowd of ponies gasped and slowly inched back.

I looked, and gasped myself. It was Orobas, but in flesh and blood. He stood on his hind legs, holding himself up with his scythe. His wings fully extended outward.

“What are you?” Celestia asked, disgusted.

“Not too sure.” Orobas smiled wickedly. “Whatever I am, I don’t like it.”

He took his scythe back in both hoofs. “Your Eraser Beam and Elements of Harmony have failed. What now?”

I stood there in awe. He was still going. What was it gonna take to kill him? My body was badly damaged, but my mind wasn’t. I suppressed the pain, and got up.

“Oh?” He seemed perplexed. “You are still going?”

“This fight continues until one of us drops dead.” I said.

“That’s the idea!” He laughed. He glared at Celestia. “You first.”

He jumped at her, bringing back his scythe as he moved.

I darted. He rose his scythe into the air. My mind was processing so fast that time seemed to move slowly. His scythe dropped toward Celestia. I landed in between them, and swung my sword at the rod of his scythe. My sword cleaved the rod in two and the blade fell to the ground, leaving just the rod in Orobas’s hoofs. Orobas jumped back to avoid my attack. My mind slowed back down.

“Well, you seem to have cut down my scythe.” He said. “Too bad I don’t need it.”

He threw the rod to the ground. Celestia took up stance next to me.

“This time,” she said, “we will fight together.” He eyes were fixed on Orobas.

Time to settle this once and for all.

Orobas laughed. The crowds of ponies all backed away, but remained to watch.

“So, you are going to fight me now, Celestia?” He asked.

“Orobas, I don’t know how we are going to do it, but we will defeat you.” She said.

“Good.” He smirked. The sky faded black. The sun disappeared, but its light remained.

His eyes glowed red, and his blazing fire aura returned to his body. It wasn’t burning him, it was radiating off him. He dropped to his hoofs.

“Come get me.” He said.

I charged and Celestia took to the air. I went at him with my sword. He dodged, but was hit by a laser from Celestia.

“Two on one... a bit unfair, wouldn’t you say?” He asked.

Celestia summoned her orbiting band of light and charged Orobas. I just kept going with my sword. Orobas just threw up a shield.

“Enough. I will settle this my way.” He flashed his wicked smile. His horn glowed, but not red. This time it glowed black, sucking the light out of the air around it. He shot a beam into the sky, and the darkness domed around us. Pitch black, I stared into the darkness.

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Celestia wandered the darkness.

“Orobas? Where are you?” She called out, a bit mad.

As she wandered the never ending space, she became frustrated. “OROBASSS!” She yelled.

“Celestia.” She heard him say. She spun around, and there he was.

“Where are we?” She demanded to know.

“Oh, just a little place where we can be alone.” He said.

Slowly the darkness melted into a forest area. Celestia looked around, and saw that she was surrounded by other alicorns who all seemed to ignore her and Orobas. It was Ancient Equestria.

“WHAT IS THIS ILLUSION?” She yelled, turning back to him, but he was gone.

She decided to look around, be it illusion or not.

As she walked, she found an old house. Walking up to it, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She glanced over and saw a young Orobas. Her heart sank, she looked to her other side to see a younger her running up to him.

“Orobas!” The young Celestia said.

“Oh, hello princess.” The Orobas said. “How are your parents?”

“Good!” The young Celestia chimed.

Celestia closed her eyes. It was so strange, seeing it so vividly like this.

“Celestia.” She heard Orobas say. “Celestia.”

She didn’t hear hear the younger version of herself respond.

“Celestia, are you just gonna stand there?”

She opened her eyes. The young Celestia gone, and the Orobas was looking at her.

“Wha?” She uttered.
“Yes, you.” The illusion said. “Why did you go? Why did you run away?”

Celestia tried to turn and walk away, but she was met eye to eye by the real Orobas. She gasped and stumbled back.

He approached slowly. “For too long I have waited for some sort of condolence from you. I had hoped you could forgive my sins so that I may move on to the next life.” He got down in her face. “But you didn’t allow this, did you?”

“What do you mean?” She inquired.

“I have cursed myself with my own magic in order to cheat death over and over. Until my mission is complete, until I have made the entire world suffer.” He said.

She glared at him. “Then you are lost. If you have spent this entire time thinking I would forgive you, then you’re wrong.”

Orobas expression went sad.

“You really think after I witnessed you rise from death, and then ruthlessly take revenge on those who killed you, I would simply forgive you?” Celestia said. “I could forgive your concern for me at the time, but then you started killing. I do not believe I could simply forgive that.”

Orobas became mad. “But-”

She cut him off. “Not more can be said, Orobas. What’s done is done, you cannot reverse it.”

“Then you must realize that I have to kill you now, correct?” He bellowed.

“You will try.” She said, her eyes narrowing.

Orobas’s scythe phased out of the ground and floated up to him. He took it his front two hoofs and rose to his hind legs. Celestia summoned the band of light. They circled each other, looking for an opening.

Celestia had to think. She needed a plan. Then she remember the day he confronted her, and how she got him then. Would it work again? She stepped toward him slowly, Orobas immediately began swinging his scythe at her. The band of light continued to orbit her, blocking each swing. She hesitated, but it was worth a try. With Orobas becoming mad at her defenses, the time was ideal.

“Orobas.” She said.

“WHAT!?” He yelled back at her, pulling his scythe back.

“Thinking back, I suppose I could’ve acted a bit more... rational.” She said.

“YOU THINK?” He yelled, smashing the end of his rod into the ground.

“So I suppose,” She paused for effect “I could... apologize.”

Orobas cocked his head. “Wha- What?”

“You heard me.” She said, looking off to the side.

Orobas seemed to be falling for it.
He lowered his scythe. “But you said...” he began to say, but stopped “Why?”

“Well, I did sort of overreact.” She said. Her mind started to flood with memories. She DID over just a tad. “If I hadn’t, maybe you wouldn’t have killed so many. So, I’m sorry.” She lowered her head for effect.

Orobas dropped to his hoofs.

Good.

She teleported beside him and let the orbiting light find him. It circled her, and smashed into his chest, sending him flying. She turned in the direction he was moving, and fired an intense shot of magic at him. It passed cleanly through his stomach.

“GA! YOU... LYING...” He coughed up blood. “WITCH!” His words echoed all around, shattering the darkness, giving way to a blinding light.

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I looked around. “Princess? PRINCESS?!” I called out, my voice absorbed by the darkness. I glanced around.

“OROBAS!!!!” I yelled.

“Who?” I heard a voice say?

I looked up and saw... Derek!

“MAJORA!” He called out to me.

“Derek?” I said in disbelief.

He walked up to me. “Hey, old man.”

“Der- DEREK! HOW? WHAT!?” I stuttered, unable to piece together what was placed in front of me.

“I don’t know.” He said, looking around.

“Derek! We need to get out of here, now!” I said, starting in one direction. I looked back and noticed Derek wasn’t following me. “What’s wrong?”

Derek’s horn began glowing that anti-light black. He turned to me, his eyes glowing red.

“Majora...” He said, but in Orobas’s voice.

Sweet Celestia. “OROBAS!” I yelled.

He inched toward me. “Come on, Majora. Slice your friend down in cold blood. It’s your job now.”

I merely stepped back. It was definitely Orobas, but with Derek’s face. I couldn’t fight him. Not like this. He fired a shot of magic at me, blowing me back.

“Orobas, stop hiding behind your phoney disguise!” I yelled.

He merely laughed. “Your pain is understandable. He was special to you was he not?”

“NO! I mean yes! STOP THIS NOW!” I was confusing the life I wanted with the life I lived for the first time ever. I was a soldier, not meant to cling to anything. I was trained in to be one of the most mentally superior stallions. Derek... he brought me into the life I wanted.

“So, you do hold this colt in high esteem.” We flashed a wicked smile.

He lunged, creating a red version of Celestia’s orbiting light. When he got close, it circled around him and cut into me. I flinched back, and his light swung around and knocked me down.

“YOUR WEAK!” He yelled. “YOU ARE NOT A SOLDIER, YOU’RE A PATHETIC OLD MAN!”

I just lay there, taking in what he said. Blood flowed from my cuts. He began to laugh.

“No.” I said.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you.” He said.

“NO!”

“NO, WHAT?”

“I AM A SOLDIER!” I got up, and drew my sword. “I was taught that I should never have friends. Friends on the battlefield lead you to defeat.” I held my sword up. “Derek proved to me that friendship was important. Friendship is what keeps us mentally stable, and aids us in our times of need.”

“WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?” He yelled angrily.

“IT MEANS MY HE WOULD BE CHEERING ME ON RIGHT NOW!” I shouted.

I moved swiftly toward him. Orobas was unable to react to my sudden burst of speed, and I cut right through his back. I peered back, Orobas had dropped the disguise.

“How...?” He said quietly.

“HOW!?” He repeated. It echoed all around. Orobas vanished in a wisp of black smoke. The darkness shattered, giving way to blinding light.

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The dome of darkness shattered, revealing us as we were before. Orobas had a look of pure shock on his face. He was badly damaged from our efforts inside the illusion.

“Nice try, Orobas.” Celestia said.

I looked up at her. She wore a very angry face. I wondered what happened to her in the illusion.

Orobas coughed up blood. “You think that’s the best I have?” He laughed, coughing up more blood. He began to charge immense amounts of energy.

“I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!” He yelled, blood continuing to drool from his lips. “I WILL DESTROY THE ENTIRE WORLD!”

His blazing aura grew. Celestia held her position. “Majora, give me your sword.” She said, not breaking her stare at Orobas.

“As you wish.” I unstrapped my blade and tossed it her way, a yellow glow bringing it up to her eye level. The scabbard threw itself to the ground. She moved toward Orobas, focusing on the sword. Sparks began to fly off the sword.

“STAY AWAY, OR I WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING!”

Celestia remained unphased. She continues to walk toward him, still focusing on the sword.

“STAY BACK!!!” Orobas yelled.

Celestia stabed at Orobas, he jumped back. Celestia compensated for the jump, and propelled the sword. With a loud “SHWACK”, the sword stabbed into Orobas’s chest.

He coughed up more blood. Celestia stared Orobas down, as he kneeled down from extreme pain I couldn’t even begin to imagine.

“Die... just die.” Celestia said, with a face of pure anger.

“NEVER!” Orobas shouted. A large maroon laser shot out of his horn and right at her.

She began moved back, but the shot was fast approaching. Right before my eyes, I watched as a fatal shot began to inch its way closer to Celestia.
Then, right before it could strike her, a large pentagram appeared in front of Celestia. It absorbed the shot, and fired it back at Orobas’s neck.

“GUUH!” He yelled in agony.

The circle disappeared from out of the air, and reappeared under Orobas.

Celestia became enraged. “WHO IS DOING THIS?” She looked around. Everypony was just as confused as her.

The ground under Orobas liquified.

“GA! WHA- NOOO!” He yelled.

Slowly, he was pulled into the ground. His yelling and thrashing only made it worse.

“CURSE YOU CELESTIAAAA!” He yelled as his head was finally pulled into the ground. My sword resurfaced and the ground solidified.

“Th- THAT WAS DARK MAGIC! WHO DID THAT!?” Celestia yelled out to the crowd.
Nopony said a word.

“I... I do believe that was the last of Orobas.” I said.

The crowded murmured.

Celestia just stared at the pentagram, which was now fading away. My sword was all that remained. Again, she glanced around, trying to pick out her culprit.

I breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Twilight ran up to me. “MAJORA! THAT WAS AMAZING!” She shouted.

“YA! Pinkie said. “YOU REALLY BROUGHT THAT MEANIE DOWN!”

“Let’s not forget that the Princess finished him.” Applejack added.

“Yes, Majora and the Princess do make a great team, don’t they?” Rarity said.

“That was awesome.” Rainbow Dash said, still gaping in awe at the pentagram.

Fluttershy peeked over the box she was hiding behind. “I-Is it over?” She asked.

“Now, now, my little ponies. Majora is the true hero.” Celestia said.

“YA! THREE CHEERS FOR THE HERO!” Pinkie yelled.

HIP HIP HOORAY!

HIP HIP HOORAY!

HIP HIP HOORAY!

“NOW GIVE A SPEECH!” Pinkie demanded.

“Uhhh, no. I think I will be taking a much needed conversation with Nurse Redheart.” I said.

Everypony laughed.

I think I owe Derek two lifetimes now...

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