The Betrayed

by Thadius0

Chapter the Sixteenth - ...ask what you can do for an Empire.

Terror gripped Twilight's heart then. She knew somewhere in the back of her head the name Cain, but she couldn't place it.
Nonetheless, the fact that Abel's eyes had become akin to Sombra's didn't give her any hope whatsoever.
"What did you do to Abel? How are you still here?"
The transformed king turned to her and laughed.
"I merely showed him the truths of his existence. It took a while to find the buttons to push, but oh, how I enjoyed his protests. And I am still here because I had such a strong hold over him. True, your blasted Heart gave him strength for a moment. But it was far too late. I had been stealing away his magic, and closed him off to the voices of his pesky Hive Mind. He is mine."
The changeling looked to the Heart and hissed. "Still, it keeps him awake. I will be able to stand up to that wretched thing soon enough..."
The king looked around at the gathered ponies and grinned a very malicious grin. "Oh, the knowledge in his head. The ideas and concepts! His species before coming to Equus, oh they were advanced! The things I could do with this body! Like this!"
The changeling reared back and slammed his forehooves into the ground, creating an arch of dark crystals behind him twice as tall as himself. Looking back at it and nodding, the transformed changeling looked to the crystal ponies and smiled again.
"And now, for my first trick. Using the denizens of this Empire to power my Gate!"
There was the noise of suction, and all the crystal ponies started to collapse, one by one. From each, a stream of glittering magic made its way towards the archway behind the king.
The six were not idle. Not by choice, anyways.
They were restrained by flashing red auras, not a one of them could move, no matter how hard they tried.
"His Oroborus curse is most fascinating. Feeding off the energy of the pony in question to keep itself working. Its only problem is range, it will not work half a world away. But it will keep you six under control."
There was a flash behind the king as the archway behind him filled in with shadow, and he nodded. Just then, Cadence and Shining Armor came down, their horns aglow. The king merely laughed.
"Oh, please, spare me. You couldn't touch me, Cadence. You're still too weak from keeping out Sombra all this time. And your precious Heart can't be used that often in succession. True, it annoys me, and it could purge me, but it needs at least a day, especially considering what I've done to the crystal ponies just now!"
Shining growled and lowered his head, aiming his horn at the grey changeling. "Surrender, Abel, and I'll make sure to remove Sombra as painlessly as I think I should."
The king shouted at that. "SOMBRA WAS A WEAK FOOL, FOCUSING ON ONE EMPIRE! HE COULD HAVE HAD ALL EQUESTRIA! AND I AM NEITHER SOMBRA NOR ABEL! I AM CAIN, AND I WILL NEVER SURRENDER!"
With that, Cain jumped backwards through the archway he made. The darkness rippled once, then settled. The auras around the six vanished, and Dash nearly jumped in after Cain before being restrained by Twilight's magic.
"Twi! Lemme...go!"
Twilight merely shook her head and wandered up to the construct. "We don't have any idea where this thing goes, or if it's even safe for ponies besides him. The best thing to do is write a letter to the princess and try to help the ponies here until we know where he is."
-----
Dear Princess Celestia,
Thanks to the efforts of everypony, especially Spike, the Crystal Empire is safe again, and Sombra is defeated.
However, not all is good news.
It would appear that a fragment of Sombra's dark power got inside Abel and changed him. His coloration is different now, and he's calling himself Cain. I know I've heard this name before, I just can't recall where.
Cain's already made his strength known. He managed to restrain us with something he calls an Oroborus curse, which feeds off your own strength to power itself. He also made a sort of crystal archway that connects the Empire to somewhere else, draining the crystal ponies to power it. I can't determine where it leads because of all the dark magic he used. Don't worry, the crystal ponies are all fine. Woozy, but fine.
It would appear he has at least partial access to Abel's memories, and full control of his natural abilities.
From what he let slip, the Crystal Heart would seem to be a weakness of his. But considering what he did to the ponies here, along with the fact that it can't be used in rapid succession...
I await your advice on how to deal with the situation.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

Celestia looked over to her sister, whose eyes were wide with fear. "Luna, do you know that name?"
Luna nodded once and swallowed, trying to get her vocal chords to work. "It...it was the story Abel told us...Abel was the name of the younger brother who was betrayed...Cain was the betrayer."
Celestia's eyes widened in comprehension. "Let us hope he does not live up to the name in full."
The solar diarch waved a wing at the door. "Go, safeguard the Elements. We may need them. I will have to respond to Twilight's letter. I have an idea."
-----
My most faithful student,
This is most distressing news. However, there is hope, as your letter told me.
If he fears the Heart, if he's fled the Empire, it is for a good reason.
Sombra was aligned to hatred, so it seems only logical that Cain was born of hate, or at the very least, fear.
The light and love the Heart gives off must be something even he cannot stand against.
And while the Heart cannot be used so soon, at the very least, we know how to fight him.
If you can, try to determine where the archway leads.
If you can't, then return to Canterlot, quickly. Luna is guarding the Elements for now, but if Cain has access to Abel's memories, that will be the first place he'll strike.
Your mentor,
Princess Celestia
-----
The Doctor had just gotten home from running his clock shop as 'Time Turner' when he realized something was wrong.
Namely, the door was ajar.
He may have lived in a very trusting town, but nopony just leaves their door open, him included.
Realizing he was probably walking into a trap, The Doctor pushed on the door a little more, wincing at the creaking sound.
I probably should have gotten those hinges oiled-
And then he was gripped in a red aura and yanked into his home, the door slamming shut behind him.
Staring into a visage with red-and-green eyes and fangs, The Doctor realized who this was.
"Bala- no, wait, they called you something else at that clearing...Abel! Abel, what are you doing, and why have your eyes changed?"
There was a faint hiss from the entity in front of him, and The Doctor took this moment to run his eyes over the rest of the changeling. Gray? Black? I know he's a changeling, but something like this...
"Where...is your screwdriver, Doctor?"
The Doctor gulped. "Why do you want it, Abel?"
Suddenly The Doctor was slammed against a wall, and a hoof from the changeling king impacted right next to his head. Looking over his shoulder gave The Doctor all the information he needed. He's been looking for it for at least a few minutes, he tore this place apart!
"Do not test me! Where is it?!"
The Doctor merely shook his head. "You know, I'm getting the impression you're not Abel. Despite his stunt at the grove, he and I were at least cordial with each other. Who are you, and why do you want my screwdriver?"
And then the changeling king grinned. "Bravo, Herr Doctor. You figured it out. I am Cain. And the reason behind me wanting your screwdriver is simple enough, but I shan't tell you."
Cain leaned in close and whispered. "I have access to some of his memories, and your screwdriver would really help. It's how I know that you can regenerate only so many times, depending on where you are in your timeline. How many regenerations do you have, Doctor? Would you like to find out?"
And for the first time since he came to Ponyville, The Doctor felt true fear.
-----
Luna was standing guard in front of the vault of the Elements when she heard a commotion.
She got into her battle-stance and stared at the doors, waiting for whatever was out there to try its luck in here.
She was therefor pleasantly surprised when the doors were not burst open, but instead opened softly by a red aura.
"Ah, good, so she IS in there. Which means this place must be of import. Very well, off you get."
The sounds of hooves running into the distance was secondary to the sight before her.
The transformed changeling king walked up to Luna, grinning all the while.
"Hello there, Luna. I'm here for the Elements, if you don't mind."
Luna shook her head and charged her horn. "Release our loyal vassal, wretched shade, lest ye feel the might of the moon!"
And at that, Cain laughed. "Oh bravo, points to Twilight for sending you a letter about me. But if you think you can stop me, I merely have one word to say to that. Oroborus!"
The globe of red shot from Cain's horn, impacted...something in front of Luna, bounced to the ceiling, and disappeared. Cain was flummoxed for a moment, but that moment was enough for Luna to shoot a lightning bolt at his hooves. "The next shall not miss. Return our vassal or suffer!"
Cain brought a hoof to his chin in thought. "A reflective barrier. No magic not your own can get past. Interesting."
And then, with a pop, the barrier fell. Cain grinned. "Did you forget what I AM? Ororborus!"
Another globe shot at Luna, who had just recovered from the shock. She managed to dodge the curse, barely. Charging up her horn again, the two prepared to engage in a fight, before Cain whipped his head around. "So, she's coming as well..."
Thus, he was off-guard when Luna struck him with her second bolt. Cain yelped and put a hoof to the burned spot. "Ow! That hurt!"
His eyes glowed more intensely. "I don't LIKE being hurt!"
Luna was gripped in a red aura and slammed into the ceiling. Then into several pillars. Then through the stained glass. And then, finally, the floor. She gasped several times, before noticing the form standing above her. "End it...you...wretch."
"Oh Luna. I shan't slay you. I shan't even feed off you. Who knows what would happen to the world if I did? Somepony needs to raise the moon, after all. No, I'm going to give you a gift. It's a spell I just slapped together, but I want to test it on somepony before I really need it. Oculous!"
And with that, Luna began to scream and cry, even as Cain raised The Doctor's sonic screwdriver to the Element's vault. She didn't stop, not even when he raised it to his own horn after, or when he opened the vault and took the case.
She couldn't stop.
She was looking into the Void Eternal, and It was staring back into her.
Not until Celestia came along shortly thereafter to undo the effects of the spell could she stop crying or screaming.
But the memories would stay with her forever.
-----
A fitting place to do this. They were used here, twice, on Luna. And now I will find a way to destroy them, or at least counter them, here. Without the Elements of Harmony, Equestria will be defenseless against me.
Cain sat down and stared at the jewelry before him, studying it with all his senses.
-----
A bright flash, accompanied by a popping noise, lit up Ponyville Square. The Bearers, along with Spike, suddenly appeared. Surprised by their surroundings, the group looked around. "Why would he come to Ponyville?"
Twilight sighed. "That's assuming he did, Spike. The magic holding the archway together changed when I hit them with the same spell I hit the doorway with."
Just then, a scream came from the mailmare's house. Derpy then flew by, carrying Time Turner to the hospital. He was bleeding from so many cuts on his body, it was a wonder the girls could identify him.
There was silence for a moment. "I think he was here."
Just then, Spike burped up a letter. Grabbing it, Twilight read it out loud.
"To my most faithful student, Cain has come here and dueled with Luna, eventually besting her. I know not what magics he used, but she was screaming so loud it is a miracle the entire city did not hear it. He has taken the Elements, but worry not. Ever since Discord stole them, I had a tracking spell placed on them. Right now, they, and most likely he, are in the Everfree, in the Castle of the Two Sisters. Twilight, I cannot stress this enough, but since love and light seem to be his weakness, that must be your method of weakening him. Yours truly, Princess Celestia."
Twilight nodded, rolled the letter up, and turned to her friends. "Let's go, girls."

Comments

[Skalula7]

wow that was fast ...... got another?

[Thadius0]

3795801
That was my stockpile, working on the next.
I TRY to keep a spare chapter on hand.
That was it.

[Skalula7]

3795815 its all good. I can wait.

[amiamera]

3795815
Now I feel kind of bad. I like his evil actions but the turning evil still feels...like it should take longer? Meh, I still am enjoying this. Also, stare into the abyss and it stares back, nice with Luna. I should say void but the quote is abyss.

Also, why does the full powered shade die but the one in his body lives? I'm just trying to figure out it works but then again, we can always just say "magic, now shut up!" :)

[Thadius0]

3795828
Yeah, I feel bad for Abel too.
But hey, I can take critique.
Also, if you feel like looking for fun, go back through the last chapter and look up all the tinytext.
Abel has one big ol' button of pain. And it kept. Getting. Pushed.
I'm gonna go with 'Abel was a paranoid, over-packed on the magic front, and the shade inside him fed on that.'

[hs0003]

I suddenly regret giving you ideas regarding the Doctor
Poor poor Doctor

[Thadius0]

3795859
"I shouldn't of said that. I should NOT have said that."

[hs0003]

3795871 ??

[Thadius0]

3795901
...Hagar, from Harry Potter?
Says that when he realizes he said something he shouldn't have.

[hs0003]

3795905 I recall now, it has been a while since I've seen those.

[Tome Turner]

Ohhhh that's why he's calling himself Cain... It just sounded really dull and anticlimactic at the time.
Also,

I had been stealing away his magic, and closed him off to the voices of his pesky Hive Mind.

This was a good explanation.
Is he really immortal as in, he can die just not of old age?

[shinigamisparda]

Damn, shit had hit the fan and hit it HARD. However, I still see hope. Need we forget that Cain intentionally cut off Abel's link to the hive mind? I see Twilight rallying some help.

[Ninjahzzzz]

3796481 here's hoping he has combat immortality and not just temporal immortality

[Thadius0]

3796481
Yup, just ageless! In fact, I intend to go into the price of changeling ruler agelessness soon enough!
...And believe me, there is one.

[PinkDragonJr]

heh, Oculus Rift.