Tristan's New Life

by ShadowVoltstreaker

The Ardourian Veil

"He… is free? Who is he?" I don't know how many times I've thought that over and over, but I know I was standing in the same place for a while now since I had melted the ground and was now sinking.

Moving my hoofs out of the holes in the floor I turn around to face the three colts that came with me to save Rarity.

Crossback.

Flutter Night.

Fortune Caster…

Looking at their faces I see a small amount of worry and fright. Although Fortune had sheathed his sword already,
Crossback still had his out. "Probably because of how I look…"

The voice in my head had already left my thoughts, and yet my body still remained the same.

"Guys…" I said, getting the attention of all three, "Let's go home… and tell them what happened here."

"But what about you? Are you safe to be around everypony?" Crossback said, striking a nerve in me.

"I… I honestly don't know. But I think as long as I don't touch anything, it'll be fine." I mumbled, uncertain.

Sheathing his sword Crossback replied, "Alright… I'll teleport us there."

"Ok. But let me hover in the air first. I don't know if ill set the whole place on fire." I said, flapping my wings and hovering.

We all nodded, signifying we were ready. Crossback's horn started to glow, the sheer light and force of it was immense.
Turning my eyes away I wait until the light is gone.

Once the light was gone I opened my eyes, no longer were we in the cave. We were standing outside Twilight's house.

Looking at my body I saw I was on the ground and quickly burning a hole. Flapping my wings I hover off-ground, and look at Crossback who had closed the flaps In his cloak to hide his wings. "I'm going to ask you about those later Crossback. So be ready." I said, the anger in my voice still present. I couldn't calm down, even though Gieremund was dead and Rarity was safe I couldn't calm myself.

"Only if you tell me about why you look like that." Crossback replied.

"Ill do my best. Now lets go in."

Nodding Crossback opened the door to the library and walked in first, then Night, then Fortune. I heard everypony cheer when they saw we had returned, alive and without a scratch. And with Rarity.

"Wait, where’s Blaze?" I heard Dash say.

"Right here…" I took a quick breath and went inside.

When I went in everypony looked frightened and slowly backed up, it wasn't unexpected but… it still hurt.

Dash was the first to speak up, "B-Blaze?" she was the most frightened out of them all.

"Uhhh anypony want to go camping? Just need some marshmallows and I’ll… incinerate them?” I nervously joked, showing them I was still me.

"What happened to you?" She slowly started to inch her way towards me.

"Stay back!" I shouted. "I-I'm sorry… but I've already lost control and killed somebody… with this… this body. And I don't want to do it again." I felt a tear roll down my cheek, "Especially not to you… Dashie."

I could see the tears begin to form in her eyes, she almost lunged out to me, but Twilight caught her with her magic. The whole time she was in Twilight's magic she kept calling out my name… "Blaze! Blaze!" her tears were staining the floor, and her voice began to crack. I couldn't take it anymore…

"Fortune. Please... please put her under a sleep spell, Crossback you come with me to see the princesses. Maybe they can tell me why I look like… this."

Nodding to me Fortune put Dash under a sleep spell and Crossback moved towards me, his horn shone bright, before we left I took a quick glance at Dash, letting another tear fall. Closing my eyes to shield them from the light I waited until it had dimmed.

When I reopened my eyes I had been standing in front of the Royal Palace in Canterlot. The two guards at the front pointed their spears at us, "Halt! Who goes there?" they shouted in unison.

"Blaze and Crossback, I need to see the princesses. Let us through.”

The two guards looked at each other before raising their spears and opening the doors, "Very well." The one on the right said. "Just make sure not to touch anything, you're already burning a hole in the ground." The one on the left finished.

Looking at my hooves I saw that they were, in fact, burning holes into the ground. "For the love of…" I mumbled, flapping my wings and hovering, moving into the castle.

Taking a left at the first corner we reach Celestia's room, I move my hoof to knock on the door but Crossback stops me, "Hey what are you doing?"

"Knocking on the door?"

"Yeah. And then what? Burn it down?"

“You don’t like doors made of ash? I mean, they suck when it’s windy…” I looked at him and chuckled, but I knew he was right, if I touch anything then I’ll set the whole castle on fire. "It's all Gieremund's fault… if it weren't for him I wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Oh yeah keep whining, that'll fix everything."

"Keep fucking with me… Celestia is right behind the door and she knows a LOT of spells!"

"I'm just gonna be quiet for a while."

"That's for the best."

"Blaze? Anyone home?" Crossback said, waving his hoof in my face.

Snapping back to reality I said, "Huh? Oh… yeah sorry about that."

"You alright? You don't look so good." I looked at Crossback with a 'You don't say?' face. "Right, Sorry." He said, looking back at the door and knocking on it.

"Come in." Celestia's voice was slightly muffled by the door.

Crossback pushed the doors open, revealing Celestia reading a letter in her bed. Putting down the letter Celestia looks at Crossback with a smile, as she looks at me her smile fades.

"Twilight's letter didn't say it was this bad…" I heard her say under her breath.

"Yeah, and that's why we're here Princess, do you know anything about this? Or has it ever happened before?" I said, flying a little closer.

"Yes… however I cannot tell you who this was from, I can only tell you how to get rid of it."

"Why can't you tell me who it’s from?"

"Because if it is from him…" she paused, thinking "Nevermind. I’ll just tell you how you can get rid of your new appearance temporarily."

"I see… I guess it's better than nothing.." I wanted to find out more but I figured it wouldn't be wise to question her.

"Excellent. Now, this new… power of yours is an ancient one. It bathes the bearer in a cloak of flames, causing anything they touch to be set ablaze." She paused for a moment to let me soak in the details, "This cloak of flames, was called The Ardourian Veil by Starswirl. It is triggered by the bearer's emotions. In short, to make it go away you only have to calm
yourself. To bring it back you must enrage yourself."

“Wonder what happens when you’re horny. Amirite?”

“That’s it, I’m asking.”

“Ok ok I’ll be quiet.”

"Simple enough” I smiled, “All right… here goes nothing." I said, closing my eyes and doing as the princess instructed.

However, every time I tried to calm down I was met with the image of Gieremund taking Scoots by the throat. This only caused my rage to resurface.

I almost lost it.

"Blaze you must calm yourself! Think of Rainbow Dash!" Celestia said, steadily getting louder.

I thought of all the time we spent together… our first date… the first time she kissed me… the first time… she said she loved me.
________________________________________
Crossback's POV

Blaze's body started to heat up, causing black and red flames to protrude from his back. His breathing was getting heavy and fire was pouring from his mouth, I could tell something was getting him angry. I wanted to do something, but I only just met the guy… I don't know enough about him yet.

"Blaze you must calm yourself!" the princess said, jumping off her bed and flying over to Blaze "Think of Rainbow Dash!"
His breathing stopped for a second, the flames in his back receded and I could see a smile cross his face followed by a lone tear that evaporated before it fell.

The flames of his cutie mark lowered and went back to, as Twilight said, a 'Nintendo 64 controller'. His mane and tail went back to a red and gold color, his coat however, changed into a dark reddish brown color. Moving to his front I looked at his eyes, making sure everything was back to normal.

He was slowly descending onto the ground, when his hooves touched the ground he opened his eyes. They were no longer pure black, instead they were red, which I assumed was their original color.

"So... Do I look as good as I feel?" Blaze said with a grin.

"If you feel like crap then yes." I smirked.

"I'm not asking you these kinds of things anymore."

"That's for the best."

"It's good to have you back Blaze… again." Celestia added with a smile.

"It's good to be back." Blaze said, returning the smile, “Whoa.. Déjà vu… Uhh Celestia?”

"Yes?" Celestia replied with a raised eyebrow.

"You said that the… cloak I had on was called the Ardourian Veil right?"

"Yes. However if you're thinking of looking for it in the libraries you're out of luck." Her horn shone a bright yellow and emitted a small light. "Because I just hid them all."

"Are they under your bed?"

"Nope."

"I see... Well in any case that's not what I was going to ask."

"Oh? Then what did you mean?" Celestia said, surprised.

"Well… when I was wearing the Veil, I heard a voice in my head say 'I'm free.' And when I defeated Gieremund he said that his mission was complete because he is now free."

"I see… then this proves it." Celestia said, walking back to her bed.

"Proves what exactly?" Crossback said.

Turning her head back to us she said "That one of the most ruthless foes my parents ever fought has returned."
________________________________________
?'s POV

I had left that body, he was a nice kid with a heart of gold… Inside that heart however, was pure rage. An excellent meal, and just the thing I needed to escape my prison. I was now on my way to my old home, it’s on a mountain peak inside a molten crater, "I wonder if my old 'friends' are still there… no… it has been over a millennia since I returned. They are probably all dead."

Looking straight ahead I see my old home. Landing on the peak I drop in and look around, "Somepony seems to have been keeping this nice and tidy for me."

"Well those were your orders." A voice from the shadows rang out.

"Yes, and we wouldn't want to disobey direct orders from you." A second voice rang out.

"No matter how long it has been, we are always under your command." A third rang out.

Grinning I said, "Well well, it seems that I have some faithful allies here afterall."