Chapter 16 A Deal With The Devil
Act 4
Starfall was alone in the forest, trying to run away from the sight of watching Vigile die over and over again. He could still picture him going from a middle aged stallion, the pride of equestria, the most loyal of guards and one of its best, to a withered husk. Starfall watched his entire lifetime drain in a blink of an eye. But that was not the only thing that haunted him...
The sky was still tormented with the backlash of Starfall’s power. The winds were rampantly blowing, making the entire forest ahead bend in the face of the sheer force. The large pool of chunky blood that used to be three skilled and merciless human warriors was flowing down the hill and into the nearby river, turning it a slight shade of pink and red as it kept seeping down to Ponyville.
Everypony looked up at the prince, who hung in the air with his wings outstretched. Slowly, he started to hover down towards the blood-soaked grass. Luna slowly approached her son, with fear dripping at her every step. They had eliminated the threat...but at what price?
“Starfall?” She called shakily. Starfall remained silent, his body still as he faced the gore covered ground. She kept moving closer to her son, making each step tentatively, suppressing her fears. Her son meant the world to her; She had to help him. She was close now, only 10 feet away from him. She called out to him again. “Starfall?”
Without warning, Starfall turned around, with his eyes still burning with rage. Luna felt her throat closing, She hovered above the ground as her son used his magic against her. She felt a rush of terror as she couldn’t believe how her own son was attacking her. “Starfall! It’s me…” She cried out. This finally made him release the magical grip. Letting her slowly down on the ground.
His eyes and wings turned back to their former white and blue as his eyes starting surveying his surroundings. His breathing kept becoming more and more intense as he couldn’t believe what he had done. Not only had he attacked his mother, almost killing her as well, but he also brutally slaughtered those humans. But then a powerful migraine hit his mind as he was reeling in pain.
The sight of seeing Vigile’s medium aged face turn into a skeleton, Over and over again. “ARGH!” Starfall fell on his knees with his hands trying to ease the pain in his mind. Tears started to form in his eyes as his mind tormented him.
Luna went over to her son and put her head above his. “It’s okay Starfall, it’s okay…”
Starfall opened his eyes with confusion as he stood up and separated from his mother as he got back on his feet
.
“Okay!? OKAY!?” He snapped. “I killed...them...I...I” Starfall could barely form words anymore, he was still in shock and guilt from his very recent. “I was ready for blood but not...This…” He hysterically looked at the soldiers faces and his mother and aunts. Some were clutching their swords, some were speechless to the display of godlike power and the rest, including his mother and aunt, were afraid of him. He kept turning his head backwards to see what was behind him as he slowly started to move into the forest.
“Starfall WAIT!” Luna tried to stop her son but her words did not matter. The young prince took one final glance at his mother, with tears in both their eyes.
“Forgive me…” And with those words he ran into the dark forest. Leaving the ponies behind.
Starfall had been running for a few minutes, he did not look back. But how could he? After he had failed to save Vigile, And mercilessly slaughtered the humans without any seconds thought...And the worst part was that he liked it. He never felt as powerful as he did when he tore the humans apart with his magic.
Alas, he stopped at a nearby river that was endlessly flowing down the melted waters from the mountain. He could barely breath and he felt an odd sensation of blood in his mouth. Tired from his escape and still haunted by the visions. The prince took a glance at himself in the lake. His eyes were still red along with his wings being black as the night sky. “Whats happening to me?” He begged. But his question was met with another vision of him tearing apart the humans. Their limbs cracking and bursting as their nerves and muscle were crunched up into a chunky mess. The prince flinched, as he could still hear the haunting sounds. The endless misery, was driving him mad.
He looked away in shame as he couldn’t look at his own reflection. He loathed himself for letting his...His father die...The closest thing he ever had to a father. He was at the point of inducing vision struck his mind. But not of his failure...
Vigile was walking down the hallway. His night shift had just begun, bored from commanding the guards, he decided to let the chain of command handle his duty today. Vigile sighed as he was thinking of the good old days with Anthony and Discord making the job slightly more interesting, but now its just bureaucracy, paperwork and teaching the newly stationed guards not to be too cocky. He stopped in his tracks he looked outside. The city’s street lights were hypnotizing him into deep thought. His eyes adjusted to to his own reflection on the windows as he saw an aged bulky stallion staring back. “This place is a hell of a lot quieter without you buddy...You owe me big time for covering for your sorry ass.” He gave a low chuckle to himself. “You’re buying the first rounds on the side.” Vigile’s thoughts were interrupted as he heard a porcelain sounding object break in the kitchen behind him. In a instant, he readied himself and flew into the kitchen, expecting to find a burglar or thief. But to his surprise…He saw no pony...Or gryphon...But Starfall.
Vigile was a bit shocked to see the human foal out of his crib. However he was quickly calmed down as he saw what he was doing. Starfall, with a warm wool overalls that only revealed his face. He would have looked so innocent had he not been stealing from the kitchen. Vigile was lost for words as he saw the human foal trying to levitate food to himself. He could not remove his eyes in astonishment from the 2 year old colt. As he started eating the stolen midnight snack, he stopped eating as he stared at the armored guard. The both just...Stared at each other until a voice broke it up.
The doors swung open and a aged pegasus mare flew in. Her blonde mane and gray fur were not the most elegant, but still revealed a beautiful mare with a strong look of worry in her eyes. “Vigile, The prince is missing!” She shouted out. She looked stressed and exhausted from keeping an eye on him. One minute he would be playing with his toys, the other he would try to fly off the balcony.
Vigile put his hooves on his wife’s shoulders. “Honey! Calm down, he’s fine.” He pointed towards the table, where the human foal was eating on the kitchen counter.
Ditzy took a relieved breath as she found Starfall. “Thank you dear, I don’t understand how he disappeared. I was going to the toy chest and when I looked back he was gone.”
Suddenly Starfall appeared in front of them in a flash of light. The pony couple was startled to see the foal prince teleport in front of them. The human foal looked up at the surprised ponies and gave a high pitched giggle. Vigile smiled as he stared at the foal prince. with his magic built into his armor, he levitated Starfall to Vigile’s level.
“You’re full of surprises aren’t you buddy?” Vigile said as he started making his way to Luna’s bedchamber. It did not take long before he was standing outside of her room with Starfall in his magical grip. He knocked on the door and waited for the Princess to open, but it appeared she was not inside. He slowly opened the door only to reveal his muzzle. “Your highness?” He asked out before opening it up completely. The room was empty of life. Vigile quickly trotted to Starfall’s crib and put him gently down on the madras. He was already fully asleep. He looked so innocent. It was really hard to believe that the small creature in front of him will one day be the tall and strong Prince of Equestria. “Don’t worry Crimson. I will keep my promise...Till the end.
Starfall fell back on his head as he was released from the vision. “VIGILE!?” He cried out as he looked around for his friend. His eyes desperately searched the area but found nothing. Disappointed, he looked back at his reflection again, with tears forming in his eyes that slid down his cheeks and fell into the lake. He tries to suppress the sobs and sniffles, trying to keep the last of his dignity intact and stop from crying out loud like a child. “Hear me Lightbringer!” He called out to the bright blue sky. “I beg you, Please! Cleanse my mind from these visions...From this guilt.”
Nothing happened. “I beg you...Grandmother! Cleanse me of my sins…” Again, nothing happened. “Please…” He lowered his head down from his gaze towards the sky. Staring at the dirt on the ground as he started to sob.
“My prince? Why are you crying? What has you so upset?” The unknown voice echoed in the forest.
Starfall’s eyes widened in surprise. He quickly stood up, with both his feet on the ground.”Who said that?” He asked politely. He scanned his surroundings, but found no pony or human.
“I did…” The voice came from the nearby apple tree. From it, a snake with purple reptilian eyes and red scales showed its face.
Starfall was startled by the talking snake. “You can talk!? Snakes can’t talk!” He said, uncomfortable by the snake.
“It is understandable, Many of my kin do not talk, but where their lack of words fail them, I have found the gift of the voice.” The snake had a humble posture, constantly lowering its head to the child of night.
“Oh...Forgive me for my behavior, I am merely troubled by some...Unfortunate mishap.” Starfall looked away from the snake in shame.
“I can sense a vast amount of grief emanating from you, your Highness. What has you so upset?” He asked with a genuine consideration. Starfall was about to answer, but another vision of Vigile turning from a aged stallion into dust in a flash. He squealed out in pain as he tried to ease the migraine by rubbing his temples. “I see...You're overwhelmed with guilt, grief and failure.” The snake glanced at the tree that it was connected to before returning his glance at the prince. “Maybe I can be off help?”
Starfall rose from his knees in surprise. “You...You can?” He asked hesitantly.
The green scaled snake nodded. “This tree bears the fruit of wishes, It is responsible for my intellectual transformation and may be the cure to your Plight.”
Starfall glanced at the red apples that were within reach. He was a bit sceptical about the properties of the fruit. “Are you sure it can help me?” He asked as he reached out and picked off an apple from the branch.
“If you want the pain to go away...Take a bite and it will be like it never happened.” He replied, keeping his reptilian stare on the prince.
The apple made its way closer to the princes’ mouth as he slowly took a big bite off it. His eyes widened at the unrealistic taste of the apple...It was almost addictive. He quickly took another bite to quench his hunger for more. Before he even noticed, the apple was gone.
“I don't feel any…-” Suddenly Starfall felt like his body had lost all control of his body. His sight quickly started to diminish and the world became more and more dark until he lost consciousness…
Back in Canterlot, The barracks were filled with wounded guards, mostly pegasi who were still seriously injured after the failed attack. The only casualty was Captain Vigile and many of the unharmed guards already started celebrating his memory with strong liquor and stories of how he used to kick their flanks. But in another part of the castle...The cries of mare could be heard as she was confronted with the bad news.
Zenith was standing outside of the room with another high ranking guard. Both of them could hear the poor mare’s crying as the Princesses delivered the horrible news. Eventually Luna came out of the room and both Zenith and the other guard Saluted. “Ma’am”
“At ease!” She commanded.
Zenith lowered his hoof down to the ground before he spoke. “Your highness, May I ask where the Prince is?”
Luna did not answer right away as She merely look out at a window that was looking down on the city. “I do not know...I think he needs to come interm with what he has witnessed...But still I am worried about what might befall him.”
“If you wish, I could fly out and search for him?” Zenith proposed, but Luna waved it off.
“No...He needs to be alone for now, I have no doubt he can handle himself in the Everlife Forest and if he is ready to come back, he need to do it on his own.”
Zenith nodded. “Very well, Your highness”
“Hello elo lo…” His voice echoed. Starfall found himself yet again in a pitch black void, but this time he felt like he had more control of what was going on and he had no patience for waiting around for the cure to his incessant migraines. “SHOW YOURSELF!” He called out to the empty void.
A storm cloud of purple darkness revealed itself in the form of the prince himself. ”You ate the fruit and I have revealed myself, what is it that you heart desires?” He spoke with an unnerving dark and chilling echo that could seep its way into the bravest spines.
Starfall was a bit taken back by talking to a reflection version of himself and the threatening voice, but he did not sway away from his resolve. “I wish for you to remove my misery, that which causes me pain.”
The reflection form of Starfall put his hand on his in deep thought. ”Hmm...Very well, but heed my warning Child, My gift does not come without its own surprise. The reflection started making its way towards Starfall, pulling out his false hand to touch the real one. In a blinding light, the both of them emerged as one and once again, Starfall lost consciousness.
His eyes quickly open, Starfall felt like a heavy burden had been removed from his shoulder. He could breathe normally again and the...Pain...Was gone… “It worked!” He said with an amused smile. He slowly stood up from the ground to scan around and see that the tree he had recently picked the apple from was gone… “That’s a shame.” He said bluntly, with no emotion behind it. He looked up to the sky to see it was far from night time. “Well this is a bore...Lets see what I can find back home to amuse myself with.”
Starfall was just about to make his way back to the Castle, but a loud growling could be heard a few yards away from him. Out of curiosity, he turned around to see what was growling at him.
Out of the large bushes, a creature with the claws of a dragon, the head of a lion and torso of a lion, that had brown fur coat and as a tail it had a snake as its tail and with its murder red eyes it gave the Prince a low growl.
Starfall simply smiled at the lowly creature who had dared to approach him. “-Not before I have a quick lunch.” His hands gave of a black glow as he prepared to use his magic against the Chimera…
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Uh-ho!
he took the easy road, and it is a path of darkness and despair in it's wake. This does not bode well for himself and those that he hold dear.
3838379 You have no idea...
Oh shiiiiii