Fallen Sun

by shademaster24601

The Truth, The Half-Truth, and Outright Lies

Chapter 5: The truth, The Half-Truth, and Outright Lies

---

All in all, it was a very quiet day. There were some clouds that needed moving, a breeze to direct, and a scheduled rainfall, but it was over fairly quick. So there was a possibly rogue alicorn on the loose, but like Twilight said; there was nothing they could do except wait for princess Celestia to write back. Taking this reality to heart, Rainbow Dash decided to curl up on a comfy cloud and settle into a nice sleep. The cyan pegasus smiled in her snug little spot, having one of her favorite dreams. A race between her, Spitfire and Soarin, both of them neck and neck ahead of her. Then, in the last lap, Dash gave herself a boost of speed that created a sonic rainboom and sent her right into first place. She rose triumphant in the winners circle, a trophy full of roses and a wonderbolt's uniform. All the while ponies were chanting."Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Dash!" Louder. "Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Dash!"

This next one seemed way too loud and close. "Rainbow Dash!!"

This caused the pegasus to rise with a start and bonk her head against the head of the one who woke her. Rainbow fell back and rubbed her aching forehead. She winced and looked up with blurred and clearing vision. "Twilight? What the hay?!"

The lavender alicorn struggled to keep herself in the air and rubbed her head in kind. "Ugh...We've been calling your name for five minuets! What in Equestria do you do all day to be so...are you wearing a...?"

Before Twilight could finish, Dash had a defense. "Hey, I don't need a super long day to get a good sleep. I'm just feeling super lazy today." She then smiled and rolled over on to her stomach to reveal what caught Twilight's eye. "Which is like regular lazy, but I am also wearing a cape." She took off said accessory, folded it and held it against her chest as she flew up to meet her friend. "So, what's up?"

Twilight looked troubled. "Princess Celestia has summoned the elements to Canterlot. The gang's just about rounded up, but we can't seem to track down Pinkie Pie." Dash looked down to confirm. Everypony, but Pinkie, was waiting below her and her royal flying buddy. Twilight went on. "You haven't seen her, have you?"

Dash shook her head. "Not since we left the library this morning." She looked over Twilight's shoulder, then pushed past her as she saw somepony fly by. "Hang on a sec, Twi. Hey, hey Derpy!" The mail-mare stopped, allowing Dash to catch up. "Did you see Pinkie in town today?"

The blond maned mare smiled and gave a nod. "Yeah, she was showing a stallion around town."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow as Twilight flew over to hear. "A stallion? Pinkie was on a date?"

Derpy pondered for a moment. "No...I don't think it was a date, though they did stop a few places to eat together, but I think she was showing him around. It makes sense though, I don't think I've ever seen him around town before." She giggled a bit. "I mean, I think I'd remember seeing a new alicorn in town before." She just smiled, her eyes crossed in their usual way, not noticing the frozen look on Dash and Twilight's faces. "Well, I gotta go. Places to go and mail to deliver. I hope that helped." She flew off humming a little tune, leaving the other two mares hovering in shock.

Rainbow was stunned. The slightest notion that Pinkie might have been in real trouble sent her thoughts in a rush. It took a moment to process. "An...alicorn..."

She turned to Twilight who confirmed. "Uriah...Come on, we need to move."

They flew down to the rest of the group as fast as they could. Rarity, AppleJack, and Fluttershy were worried the moment the two came into view. The look of panic on their faces was noticed almost instantly. A.J. spoke up first. "What's wrong?"

Twilight took charge. "We need to go, now. We need to head back into town and find Pinkie. She could be in real danger."

---

Pinkie considered herself pretty optimistic and that view was shared by pretty much everyone she knew. If you spent enough time around her, then you'd soon learn that there wasn't much that a smile, a party, and maybe a song couldn't solve. Pretty much everything troubling she ever came across ended with cake and ice cream. Sure there were hard times, like when she thought her friends were avoiding her, but even that ended in smiles. Even Uriah, who blustered onto the scene like some force of doom and gloom soon dropped the miserable face and let loose a smile.

When it came to how to handle a situation, Pinkie could usually work it out with a joke and a counterpoint for the happy, but ,right away, she could tell it would be different this time. It started when Uriah brought her to a hillside a good distance from town. It had a pretty view of the sunset though. He took her by the shoulders and said "Pinkie, I need you to listen." She gave him an affirmative nod. So, he began his tale, recounting from the very start. At first, Pinkie really liked the story and was still smiling away. As it went on, however, Pinkie's smile vanished, and a look of sadness overtook her. Uriah told her a tale that was strange and horrifying, one of love, family, adventure, and creatures far more incredible than anything she had seen before. It was a story of Equestria long ago, a hero who gave everything he could to save it, and the monsters that sought to destroy everything he held dear. Uriah spoke with a heavy heart, every recount a knife in his heart. It hurt more than he could have imagined, remembering faces that haunted him in his sleep for one reason or another. Pinkie began to weep, but he kept going, beginning to reach the end of his story, the choice he had to make that led to his exile. At some point, his wings had flared out. He lowered them as he went to see if he had gotten through to the young mare before him. "Do you understand, Pinkie? Do you see why I did what I did back then and...why I must do what will be done now?"

Pinkie couldn't speak. She tried to form words, but they just fell apart with sobs. She took a deep breath and just looked at him for a moment through her tear-blurred vision. Her lip quivered and she just threw her hooves around him and began to cry into his shoulder. He was surprised and tried to pull away at first, but decided to accept it and wrapped a wing around her. "I never thought," She began. "I mean, I knew it had to be something bad for you to be so cold, but...this..."

"I know," He sighed. "I've been hurting for a long time, but all of that has changed." Uriah released her and took on a firm stance. "I am going to bring about a new age. One that will be remembered as a great justice to all of Equestria!" He calmed himself. "I know how much your friends mean to you and I'd never ask you to act against them, but please, I need you to stay out of the way."

She tried to compose herself. "Maybe...maybe we can figure something out. Twilight might be able to help and I'm sure if we just talk to Celestia together..."

Pinkie didn't even get to finish. "No," screamed Uriah as he stomped a foreleg with an audible 'boom'. "I will not negotiate with that arrogant witch! She had her chance to listen five hundred years ago and she threw it away! By Summer's end, I swear, I will she her body and will broken, her palace toppled around her, and all of her people demanding her head!" He threw out his wings in fearsome fashion and his eyes flashed red. A ring of dark red flame appeared around him, causing Pinkie to scramble back a foot or so. He locked his determined gaze on her frightened blue eyes and spoke with venom in his voice. "That...is my vengeance." The ring erupted into a pillar of burning darkness that reached into the sky. It began to dissipate after a few seconds. Soon, only a large black spot of scorched earth lay where Uriah once stood.

Pinkie trembled. The sight of her new friend falling into a rage and leaving with such a gruesome resolve made her feel like she failed. She knew Uriah was good, deep down, no matter how much of a barrier he put up. She couldn't really blame him though, not after what he told her. Then she thought about Celestia, and Pinkie got mad. She hung her head low, and sat there for a moment. Then a familiar voice called out, "Pinkie!" The energetic earth pony had only looked up for a second before Fluttershy had her wrapped in a hug. "Thank goodness. We were so worried about you."

The rest of the gang followed. Rarity, AppleJack, Rainbow, and Twilight all gathered around to give their friend a relieved hug, which Pinkie accepted, but not with her usual zeal. Twilight was the first to speak. "We saw the flames and we got here as fast as we could." It was at this point that the young alicorn noticed something off about her normally energetic friend. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you did he?"

Pinkie looked back at the scorch, then sighed, "No...not really."

It was obvious something was wrong. Twilight could tell, just from her voice, that Pinkie was upset. "Are you sure? What did he want?"

"Just to talk," said Pinkie, still looking kind of glum. "To see Ponyville, learn about us and get a bite to eat. We had cupcakes...it was awesome."

Twilight didn't know which to be more concerned about. That Uriah was asking questions or that something was clearly wrong with her friend. That was definitely a Pinkie Pie answer, but it was just that the way she said it was so sad. It was an issue, but the matter at hoof needed to come first. "Pinkie, Celestia sent us a summons to the castle. She must have some information about Uriah."

At this, Pinkie's expression changed. She went from down in the dumps to angry in a pinch. "Oh, I'm sure she does. Fine!" she exclaimed with a huff. "Let's see what she wants then."

Pinkie got up and started marching in the direction of the train station in a sour mood. The rest of the gang just looked shocked. Pinkie was the text-book definition of happy. What in the wide wide world of Equestria happened while she was with Uriah? Knowing their mission, they followed their disgruntled friend. Twilight suddenly found that unsettling feeling growing more painfully accurate.

---

"It feels cold," Luna remarked. She sat beside her sister in the throne room. They were waiting for the arrival of Twilight and the element bearers. "Surprising. You'd think it would be warmer with all the extra guards you crammed the castle with."

Celestia didn't exactly enjoy such a snide remark from her sister, but she was right. Hundreds of soldiers had been called in from posts all over Equestria and were added to the already substantial security force patrolling the castle. "Luna, I know you're concerned..."

"Then let me help!" Luna interrupted with a pleading look in her eyes. "Please tell me what's making you so upset. You shut yourself off in your room all day, you put massive defense spells into play without alerting me, you staff the castle like you're preparing for war." Luna would have gone on, but she could tell Celestia already knew the point."A thousand years ago, I needed you. The very least you could do is let me help when you obviously need me."

The solar princess sighed. "I wish it were so easy. Please, just...give me time. I promise I'll tell you everything once Twilight and her friends arrive."

Unknown to the two, they were being watched. A pair of glowing red eyes was staring down on them from above. Uriah hardly flinched getting in. A chameleon spell and a variation of a cloud walking enchantment kept him silent and unseen as he sneaked through the palace. It didn't take him long to find the throne room. He knew every inch of the castle and at the present moment, it was taking every ounce of will power he had not to fly down and throttle Celestia. He just hardened his glare at the older sister as Luna replied. "But why can you not tell me now?" Silence was the only reply. "Is it about the comet? Do you know something about this Uriah?"

"You have no idea," He thought. This was becoming increasingly irritating. Pinkie told him that Twilight had sent a letter to Celestia announcing his arrival. He figured that Celestia would have responded immediately. The wait, however, was telling him a different story. She had to have withheld her reply, which meant she was up to something. Getting her story straight, planning counter measures. The dice were rolling and the pieces were being placed on the board. Now, it was all about the first move.

The sound of hoof steps and doors opening brought observations and arguments to a halt. Twilight and company entered with a quickened pace. Celestia let out a relieved sigh. Just the sight of Twilight, safe and sound, was a massive weight off her mind. "I'm glad you came quickly."

Twilight nodded. "Of course. Given the issue, we felt it best to get here as soon as possible."

Celestia took on a more grim look. "You were right to contact me. If this really is Uriah, then Equestria could be in great peril."

Uriah gave an internal growl. However, his eyes widened with the rest of the attending audience when an outraged voice, dripping with sarcasm, came out loud and clear. "Oh, I'm soooo, sure!" All eyes were on Pinkie Pie, and jaws were collectively agape. Uriah was surprised. Was she actually standing up for him.

Rarity, after doing everything she could not to faint, decided to move things along. "Your majesty, maybe you can shed some light on just who this Uriah character is."

Celestia was still trying to figure out the purpose of the rather unpleasant look she was getting from the element of laughter herself. "Yes...Uriah is a very powerful and dangerous warrior. Long ago, he was my highly trusted military adviser. His skill, leadership, and heart saw us through many trials." She turned her attention to her faithful former student. "Much like you Twilight, he showed the potential for true greatness and ascended to a higher level of power, becoming an alicorn. However, the power that came with it proved too much...and he became corrupt." She started to tear up again, but maintained her composure. "In his madness, he committed a crime so terrible, that I was left no choice. With a heavy heart, I crippled his use of magic and imprisoned him on the comet. Now, it seems he's returned."

"Liar!" Boomed Pinkie. She marched forward with an angry glare aimed at the solar princess. "Uriah wasn't a soldier, he was more than just a military adviser, he didn't ascend to being an alicorn, and he didn't go mad with power and you know it!"

Everypony was stunned by the outburst. Celestia's pupils shrank and her tone became harsh as she responded. "How...dare you?! How could you possibly..."

"Because Uriah told me!" Spat the pink earth pony. At this point, Rarity did faint.

Celestia was dumbfounded. "What?"

Pinkie took a strong stance. "He told me everything. He told me who he was, what he was facing, what he did, and what you did and didn't do."

The scene was escalating out of hoof. Applejack stood beside Pinkie, because she could smell a lie a mile away and Celestia was suddenly looking less pristine than usual. Twilight was stunned. "Pinkie, what in the hay are you talking about?"

Luna looked at the chaos that was brewing and then the look of shock and fear on her sister's face. "Enough!" She bellowed. "Celestia, this has gone on long enough. The look on your face confirms that Pinkie is correct. You aren't being honest with us. Now tell us the truth! Who is Uriah and how do you know him?!"

"I'm her son," Came the short, stern, deep-voiced reply. Everypony turned in surprise to face the main doorway. When they did, the doors became wrapped in a blood-red magic aura. Every doorway, window, and exit was slammed shut and sealed. Upon inspection of the door, a shadow without an owner was seen cast in the light. Two red eyes appeared and Uriah's camouflage began to fade. When he was revealed, he spread his wings in menacing fashion and took a formal stance. "Well? Isn't anypony going to welcome me home?"

Author's Note:

,but in all seriousness, things are about to go down.

Comments

[Urist McWriter]

This is great, probably one of(if not the) best OC alicorn story ive ever read. I look forward to the continuation of this.