XII: Unveiling
Morelda slid limply across the dark obsidian floor of the council hall. The remaining council members surrounded the traitor in their midst, leveling their horns and readying their killing magic. Their faces were all masks of determined rage as they let loose blasts of varied destructive forces; fire and air, even shards of the rent stone of the floor rocketed through the air like the arrow of the end-times, carrying all the cataclysmic force of the council's combined might.
The stone shards fell useless to the floor, and the tornado of fire simply funneled into the hungry gem hanging about Gerd's neck, serving only to light his smug grin with its green flame. The gem pulsed madly as it consumed the magic, as if it were somehow berserk with hunger for more.
The council shared a collective grimace, all backing away in disbelief. "How?" cried one angry young councilman, unable to contain his anger and confusion with the same control his elders displayed.
The scribe was the one who answered him, standing calmly and safely at his lord Gerd's side. "Quite simple, really," the old changeling chuckled, his tired eyes in harsh contrast with his devilish tone. "The council never was, and could never hope to be, the match of house Gallock."
Gerd chuckled loudly, craning his neck back and venting his victorious mirth to the dome high above. "My ancestors laid the groundwork tirelessly for this moment, my moment," he said, his tone full of smug cockiness, with his ever-present smirk to match. "The council should have seen the signs, but we were too clever to be caught, and you too stupid to catch us. At last the chosen son of house Gallock stands triumphant. Not even with all your power combined can you hope to match me!"
The council bared their fangs at such a blatant challenge. Though he had already proven once that their magic was of no consequence to him, they had their duty. They had to try, no matter the result, for their duty was to defend the people from exactly this. The tyranny of force, of hate that sought to overtake the people through might alone.
They let loose their wrath again, though it fell short once more, only feeding the gem.
"You fools!" Gerd cried, his eyes glowing with magical energy as he lost himself to the ecstasy of power. With hardly a thought he lashed out with a torrent of air, targeting an older member of the council with all of his fury, a wicked grin spreading wide beneath his hellish eyes.
The air-whip knocked the councilman high and far, slamming him against the wall of the raised ring along the chamber's edge. He crashed into it, his breath leaving him rapidly, and taking flecks of bright-red blood with it. His eyes shot wide, the pupils dilated from pain and shock as the impact shredded his spine, dropping him limply to the floor. He twitched once, trying to choke out some last word before death claimed him, but much like his magical efforts to slay the traitor, it was in vain.
The remaining council members looked to one another in fear.
"You... bastard!" came a growling, angry call. That voice was strained with pain, the words sifted through gritted teeth as Morelda brought herself to her hooves. Two of the younger councilmen rushed to her side, helping her stand. One of her outer-lenses was in place, a stream of blood running down its light-blue curvature. She spat blood as she finally made it upright, glowering at him as best she could. Her breathing was labored, and she was obviously in pain.
"Ah, so you are alive," Gerd replied calmly, not flinching at the insult she threw at him. "I'm glad; I was afraid that the council's eldest member wouldn't have any fight in her. Poor old Korrick would have done so much better than you, I'm sorry to say. At least if you had kept him around you might have stood a chance at halting my schemes. He would have noticed my plotting and saved you, but by your own hooves you turned him into a traitor!" Gerd cackled, treading closer to her. Her once-loyal fellow members fled her side as their unstoppable enemy neared her, leaving her to stand on her own.
Morelda choked on a gasp. "You... The truth! Tell me the truth!" she shouted, struggling to stay on her hooves as he neared.
"The truth? Everything you think you know is knowledge I gave you!" Gerd roared, slapping her hard as he stepped in front of her, dropping her to the floor once more. "Korrick's schemes? My doing, all false. My respect for the council? A farce!" he cried triumphantly. "The only truth I ever gave you was news of your foul king's death! And like good little sheep, you licked from the silver spoon I filled with lies! Without dear Aurus to guide and guard you, you could never have stopped me. A shame that I had him killed, isn't it?" he asked, pacing in a slow circle around his downed adversary and chuckling darkly.
"How... could you?" Morelda growled, struggling futilely to stand before slumping back to the floor. "You are a councilman! You duty was to the people, and you swore an oath to protect them!"
"I am a god!" he roared, circling behind her. "I have no duty to anything or anyone! I swore an oath to protect ants at my hooves, and if I go back on it the ants will know no better. They have their mundane, idiotic lives to busy them, and my betrayal is of little consequence to them, and their concerns are below me!" He stomped a hoof near her head, trying to intimidate her further.
He silently fumed as she made no move to flinch or dodge, simply bore his oncoming attack stoically, though it was all for show. "Without the people you will be nothing. When they recognize you for the monster you are, they will hate you. You saw Chrysalis, what she became. You expect to fare any differently?"
Gerd laughed at her as if she were an idiot. "Even if they left me, I have all the power I could ever need, and they cannot take it from me. I can feel your own hate surging in me as strong as any love, yet have I grown weaker? I am stronger than I have ever been, than anyone will ever be!" He backed away from her a step, locking eyes with her.
"But it's no matter. The people are fools, and fools are easy to control. They will never learn of my betrayal to the council. You and yours have been a thorn in my side long enough, and at last you are the only paper-thin barrier remaining between myself and the perfect power. I will rule T'rahk Enox, and then the world beyond. And they will love me for it. After all," he chuckled, bringing his head low to whisper in her ear, "there will be no council or king left to warn them about me."
Morelda moved to speak, but Gerd kicked her in the side of the head, dropping her fiercely into unconsciousness. "I tire of you, old one. Perhaps you should just accept that the world belongs to me. Now then..." he growled, turning his attention on the remaining council.
"I'm willing to forgive you for your transgressions against me. Even an ant will bite when it is afraid," he said, chuckling and settling into his smug smirk, his eyes alight with victory. "Tell me, little ants..." he asked, looking pointedly at the dead and broken councilman bleeding all over the floor on the other side of the room.
"What is more important, justice or power? Tell me, can you stop power with justice? No matter how you hate me, I can crush you. No matter how badly it wishes otherwise, even the most just ant is just an ant. And if you know what is good for you, you will realize the value of appeasing your new god," he said, standing a bit taller and smiling wickedly.
Silence reigned for a short time, before at last a young councilman, one near Gerd's own age stepped forward. He walked quietly, approaching his enemy, this abomination against peace and righteousness. He stopped in front of Gerd, standing tall and saying nothing.
Suddenly he prostrated himself, closing his eyes. "Forgive me, my lord," he cried loudly, reaching his neck out and kissing Gerd's hoof. "Hail Gerd Gallock!"
The remaining council seemed shocked as Gerd placed his other front hoof atop his new disciple's head roughly, forcing his nose into the floor. The young changeling did not protest or struggle, simply bore the humiliation as his new liege did whatever he pleased.
Unable to fight it, unable to find a way other than death or abandoning their ideals, many of them prostrated themselves. The room filled with resounding cries of "Hail Gerd!" and "Forgive us!" as their fellow councilmen looked at them in horror.
Gerd chuckled as he watched the show, watched all the would-be champions of justice bow to his power. As always there were those who refused to give up their ideals, but they would be made examples of, just like Morelda who lay unmoving and questionably alive on the cold stone floor.
"There is nothing to forgive, my slaves. After all, an ant could not know better. Now then, come join your wise brother here at my hooves, and watch the show. It seems there are still some insects that enjoy the idea of righteousness," Gerd chuckled wickedly, watching with satisfaction as those bowing to him quickly rushed to his side of the room, leaving their former allies behind, trapped between Gerd and the unyielding marble wall of the council hall.
Gerd's wicked laughter was drowned out by the screams resonating off of the dome above as what remained of the council made their last futile struggle for their pitiful lives.
The beam lanced between bubbles of golden light, bouncing off of the curved, translucent surfaces at strange angles. Each new bubble the green light contacted sent it rocketing in some new direction, into the next glowing orb. At last the beam shot back out the way it had come, slamming Aurus hard in the chest.
He gritted his teeth, fangs bared as he dug in his hooves. The impact pushed him back several feet, though his hooves never left the ground, carving twin trenches in the dirt of the courtyard. Smoke rose from his chest, where his shell had halted the attack, his shell smoldering slightly at its outermost layer.
"Are you alright?" Celestia called from across the way, surrounded by her glowing golden bubbles.
Aurus coughed to clear the tension in his chest and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I wasn't expecting that... What did you do?" he asked, trotting closer to her to observe her spell.
Aurus had been learning spells rapidly, preparing for the trip home that drew ever closer. Just the past week he had learned the very beam-spell that Chrysalis had used to combat Celestia, much to the pony monarch's disdain. Various others, such as Twilight's force-field spell, Chrysalis' fire portal, and Korrick's myriad air-manipulation spells were now at his horn-tip, ready to be cast on a whim. He could command them with both power and grace, easily guiding the spells to meet his needs.
The past two months had been kind to him where training was concerned, teaching him much. His practice with runes was complete, his own skill with them far surpassing his mentor's own. Chrysalis had long since given up trying to teach him anything more about them, for she had reached the limit of her own meager knowledge.
With such a variety of spells at his command, Aurus had moved on to combat training, learning to battle with his new-found abilities. Though he still had much to learn, he was a force to be reckoned with, and his new arsenal was nothing to scoff at. Still, new spells arose every day in these sparring sessions, like Celestia's latest maneuver.
"I call it 'misdirection'." Celestia said quietly, floating one of the bubbles near him. "It's exactly the same as the force-field spell, which I have used to stop your beam before. But instead of one, I created many smaller bubbles. Like the single force field, the beam bounces off, but by moving the bubbles around, I can bounce the beam in any direction I like. After reflecting it off a few of the orbs, I can even shoot it back the way it came from. It requires much more focus, but much less energy," she said, dispelling it.
Aurus watched the orbs vanish with a look of awe. "That's incredible! Turning your defense into an offense..." he gushed, turning his gaze back to her.
She laughed warmly, amazed that he was unharmed by his own powerful attack. Had it hit her, it would have done no small amount of damage, but that was the risk she took to train him. He couldn't afford to hold back, had to be taught how to fight with his all if he expected to win. "Give it a try yourself. Start with just two orbs, and try to keep them small enough to move easily," she said, hopping up and flapping her wings to move herself away from him, preparing for the next round of sparring.
Aurus did as she asked. He'd made multiple shields before, during lessons where he had trained to protect both himself and an ally simultaneously. After only a couple of attempts he had two easily maneuverable shield-bubbles floating around him, though his were a greenish color.
"Alright, now when the beam comes for you, try to deflect it," she called, aiming her horn.
"Ready!" Aurus called, settling himself lighter on his hooves like Chrysalis had taught him. Movement was a major part of any fight, magical or not, and he had to be ready to dodge or lunge at a moment's notice.
The golden ray of light lanced towards him. Weeks of training had conditioned him to anticipate its path, despite the speed of its travel. Purely on reflex he moved the orb on his right into it. The beam collided, then bent along the curved edge, screaming off in a random direction, Aurus realized immediately that he hadn't even considered where the beam would go after he deflected it, and he watched in horror as it made its way straight for Twilight.
She quickly threw up her own force-field, bouncing the beam harmlessly into the ground in front of her. "Hey, be careful!" she chided, glowering at him.
"I'm sorry!" he called back lamely, unsure of what else to say. "I'll be more careful this time!"
"Ready for another go?" Celestia asked, smiling at him.
"As I'll ever be," he grumbled, moving his orbs into a more manageable position.
The next beam came in at his left, Celestia bouncing it off of one of her own bubbles to send it in at an odd angle he wasn't expecting. But practice had conditioned him against panic, even in the face of possible failure. With a scowl of determination, he pivoted his first orb into place just in time, bouncing the beam to his right just far enough to miss him. His other orb was already in its path, just a hair below the ray of light. The beam struck the curve and rocketed straight skyward, deflected perfectly and harmlessly.
"Magnificent!" Celestia congratulated, clapping her hooves in delight. It never ceased to amaze her how quickly Aurus learned, especially lately now that his confidence and control were much improved.
"Now do five!" Chrysalis called out from her place behind Korrick, snickering at her sudden challenge.
"Shut up woman!" Korrick grumbled, nudging her gently. It was an unspoken rule that nobody was supposed to bother Aurus while he was practicing.
A rule the rotten ex-queen broke frequently.
"Heh, watch me," Aurus called back, conjuring three more bubbles. It was really more for show than anything, but he wasn't expecting what came next.
"Bold, I like that!" Celestia called, firing again.
"Whoa, whoa, wait!" Aurus cried, fumbling for control over the suddenly increased number of orbs. One of them fell lamely to the ground and rolled away from him slowly. He managed to get one in front of the beam, but the other three remained where he had conjured them, forgotten in his need to simply deflect the laser.
The laser hit the first orb, bouncing left directly into the next. It rocketed up over his head before bouncing to the orb on his right. In a final act of defiant irony, the golden ray shot off of that orb and slammed into his ribs, rolling him end over end to his left, where he finally came to a stop next to the shield-ball that had rolled away, lying upside down as the dust settled around him.
Chrysalis tipped over laughing as Celestia rushed to Aurus' side. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly, looking him over. "I thought you were ready!"
"Apparently not," he huffed, scrabbling his hooves around until he finally managed to roll over and get up. The orbs under his command had long since vanished once he lost his focus on them. "I guess five's a few too many right now," he chuckled, ignoring the ache on his right side.
Behind the pair of sparring mages, Korrick kicked at Chrysalis as she rolled around laughing. In the foreground, Celestia simply smiled with relief. "Oh good, I thought I really hurt you."
Aurus just chuckled. "No way, I'm tougher than I look. Still, thanks for teaching me such a useful trick. I'm sure I can control five with practice. In the meantime though, do you mind if we take a break?"
Celestia just smiled warmly at him. "Sounds like a good idea. Why don't you take a few minutes? You can spar with Luna next when you're ready."
The two nodded at each other before wandering separate ways. As had become his habit, Aurus made his way to his six friends quickly, eager to spend his meager time between matches with his loved ones.
Particularly Applejack.
The orange mare greeted him with a comfortable peck on the lips, pulling up beside him as he wrapped a foreleg over her neck, giving her blonde mane a gentle stroke. The two of them had grown closer in the last two months. After that first dramatic fight they had had various other disagreements, but all of them were civil and ended in compromise. They were finally growing as a couple, and not as separate individuals, taking the time to be patient and lean on one another.
Much of the drama in their relationship was Aurus' fault, a fact he openly admitted. His training had become almost nightmarish lately, and he was pushing himself harder than ever with less energy than he was used to having. Applejack was often times his only real comfort at the end of the day, even though he loved his other friends dearly. She suffered the brunt of his venting and his temper on the bad days, but she always managed to snap him out of it. He'd tried apologizing before, but she had only scowled at him harder, and so he had long since given up, and simply started accepting her silent and constant forgiveness.
The other five seemed to take the relationship very well, and had stopped making remarks about it quite a while ago. Nobody's teasing had been more frequent than Rarity's, though Rainbow Dash was a close second. Still, it had all been in good fun and the budding couple had recognized the lighthearted fun-poking for what it really was: approval.
"Nice wipe-out," Rainbow Dash chuckled as Aurus and his partner finished their disgusting kissy ritual. "Maybe you should keep your head out of the clouds and stop biting off more than you can chew, loverboy."
"Ha ha, very funny," he replied curtly. "That wipe-out doesn't even come close to some of the times you've crashed, so I wouldn't get too high and mighty," he said with a laugh. The two of them bumped hooves, letting the bash-humor drop for the time being as Twilight trotted over from her conversation with the princesses.
"I can hardly believe your progress lately," she congratulated. "You've only just seen Celestia's deflection spell, yet you're already able to cast it. You're getting better at magic every day. And the way you fight... I've never seen somepony take hits like that, let alone dish them out!"
"Thanks Twi. It feels good to know I'm not the only one who thinks I'm making progress. Still, I can cast the spell just fine, but moving five different orbs is a problem. Heck, I even dropped one when I panicked," he said, using his leg around AJ to support him while he scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment with his other front hoof. The strong farm-mare didn't even seem to notice as he put all the weight of his front half on her shoulders to execute the habitual motion he always made when he felt sheepish.
"You'll get the hang of it soon enough. You always have," she said with a smile. She was always so encouraging, and it was uplifting to hear her cheering him on, just like the rest of his friends.
"You'll be bouncing lasers around like crazy in no time," Rainbow said with a confident smile his way.
"And even if all you can do is make the bubbles, I think that's nice. They're very beautiful," Fluttershy added quietly, poking her head out from behind Rainbow, where she had been hiding ineffectively for the last three minutes.
"I agree with Fluttershy. Those green globes would make amazing fashion supplies; it's too bad they're not permanent," Rarity pouted.
Aurus just laughed, feeling rejuvenated as his friends surrounded him, sharing their humor and support with him.
"Aurus, come and practice!" Luna called from a short distance away.
"Well girls, that's my cue," he said with a sigh, rubbing his side. It was no secret that Luna was the more energetic of the two sisters when it came to fighting. For every scratch Celestia put on Aurus' shell, Luna made ten. "Wish me luck!"
His five friends all waved and snickered to themselves while Applejack extracted herself politely from his overlapping leg. "Ya don't need any luck, sugar," she said quietly, kissing him on the lips in farewell. "Ya jus' gotta focus. Don't let her knock ya flat!"
Aurus laughed, turning and waving over his shoulder. "I'll try not to."
Anything he said next was lost as Luna started their sparring match as quickly as she could.
"We are going to test thine armor thoroughly!"
"Ow," Aurus grumbled nonchalantly as Fluttershy massaged his shoulder.
"I'm sorry Aurus," she said soothingly, rubbing a bit more gently. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Is this better?"
"It's fine Fluttershy, and thanks for doing this. I'm going to be sore tomorrow, but I don't think I'd be able to move it in the morning without your help," he replied with a small smile.
"We are sorry, but we expected you to dodge that one," Luna grumbled defensively, pouting to herself on one of the numerous couches the gang had dragged into the library room.
Aurus just sighed, fighting the urge to follow habit and scratch the back of his neck. "Yeah, I kind of deserved it anyways," he grumbled in such a way that it was clear he only half meant it. During the fight he had gotten frustrated and thrown one of his deflection orbs at her. The unorthodox move had caught her off guard and hit her in the nose, aggravating her.
In the end she had resorted to non-magical combat, flying hard for Aurus and tackling him. The two had rolled around in a fashion more befitting a schoolyard brawl, a ball of shell and fur tumbling end over end.
Needless to say Luna had come out on top.
"Well I thought it was hilarious," Chrysalis added idly, trotting up to another one of the bookshelves, and prying one out with her fangs. She spent much of her time reading lately, since she lacked the energy to spar with Aurus like the princesses.
"We did not ask you," Luna replied snootily.
Aurus chuckled to himself at the casual exchange. Much had happened in the last few months. Though nobody showed any signs of growing close to Chrysalis, everyone's tolerance of her was noticeably improved. Celestia, amazingly enough, was no exception.
"Don't care," Chrysalis mumbled around the book, wandering back to her seat.
"It's been quite a while since we heard from your friend Malik," Korrick put in from his place to Aurus' right. "Do you think something's happened?"
"More likely it's the opposite." Celestia was the one to answer him, a hoof under her chin in thought. "It's possible he's been found out, but it's more probable that he simply hasn't found any new information to report. We would have heard something from him if he suspected he had been discovered."
Korrick nodded, following her logic. "Then Gerd is acting strangely. I would have expected him to make a move by now, he was never the overly-patient type."
"Well it's too risky for us to try and reach him ourselves," Aurus said, his words on the wings of a comfortable sigh as Fluttershy soothed his aches. "There's no telling where he is or what he's doing, so communicating with him could be dangerous. If our enemy can be patient, so can we."
"Wise as always," Korrick said with a laugh, resigning to his king's line of logic. "Still, if it hasn't happened yet, I suspect he will strike soon. Be ready, Aurus. There is no telling what grim news we might receive next."
Aurus' pleasant smile faded into a resigned scowl, the face of one who has long awaited dark tidings and is prepared to face them.
"I know, Korrick. And I promise it will be Gerd who's not ready for me."
Malik trotted along the subtle path in the dust. It was only one pair of hooves wide, but well traveled. The harsh, hot winds of his homeland constantly blew sand across it, obscuring it from the most diligent of eyes each day. But at night the sandstorms settled, leaving it revealed to his trained eyes.
This level of caution was hardly necessary. Gerd was far too consumed with his success lately to pay anyone but himself any mind. He could probably have contacted Aurus in the middle of the council hall itself without being noticed.
Especially after the harsh events that had taken place there today.
His pace quickened subconsciously as he broke into a canter. Midnight was not his usual time to message his king, but this simply could not wait. He had been waiting for the moment to break away and alert his lord since the very second Gerd had summoned him to the council hall.
He and the other assassins had been gathered to look upon the spectacle of his conquering; the council now knelt at his hooves, and marched to the beat of his drum. He, like the other assassins, had knelt as well, had faked his service to this monster. He never could have sworn true fealty to such a creature.
The reasons why were looking at him with dead eyes, mouths open in silent screams, their fangs painted with dried blood.
The corpses on the far side of the room had consumed his every thought. Malik had seen many dead bodies in his life, but none so brutally mangled, or so proudly displayed. Like the carcasses of some prized scorpion hunt, on display to all his underlings. Even as an assassin there had been a modicum of respect for their targets, honor for those they killed. Assassins only faced the strong head-on, but they killed the weak silently and swiftly, making their passing painless and without fear.
Malik shook his head. Gerd was no assassin. He was a murderer, killing with no code or reason other than for his own amusement.
He stopped inside the shallow cave, lighting his horn. Ever since Aurus' guidance, he had been making friends in secret, exploring the possibilities of love and peace on his own. He had all the magic he needed to do simple tasks now, and this time it was an emergency. With all of his haste, Malik opened his mind to the spell that would transport his mind across the void to communicate with his friends in Canterlot.
Lately he had been ordered to send his messages to Korrick, for Aurus was busy with his training. Korrick would then deliver the news to his king.
As the pool of water in front of him finally absorbed the magic, the spell took hold of it. Instead of its own dark depths the pool displayed a different scene, glowing with candlelight, a copy of some room far away.
Malik only hoped that his words would reach Aurus in time to stop the slaughter to come.
Aurus woke with a start to the banging on his door. "Huh, what?" he asked tiredly, his voice not nearly loud enough to be heard over the pounding.
Realizing whatever it was wasn't going to wait, he grumbled his way out of bed and over to the door, pulling it open slowly. He was almost struck square in the nose by Applejack's hoof, which was coming down for another knock.
"Thank goodness yer awake!" she said, her tone full of urgency and worry. "Ya gotta come to the library room quick! Malik's callin', an' it ain't pretty," she said, tears brimming in her eyes.
That sobered him up quickly. "What's happened?" he asked, his own voice becoming infected with her concern. The tears in her eyes worried him deeply.
"There ain't no time t' talk about it!" she said, turning and trotting in place before launching off down the hall. "C'mon!"
Aurus followed in hot pursuit, his heart throbbing with worry and adrenaline. What had happened to distress her so badly? "Malik..." he whispered to himself, concern flooding his veins as surely as the energy driving him down the hall.
The two of them raced into the library room, where the other friends of Ponyville, the princesses, and his changeling allies were assembled. Korrick's face was grim as he looked into the mirror in front of him, its edges glowing with green energy.
"You're certain?" Korrick asked with urgency.
"Yes, there's no doubting it." Came Malik's voice, sounding far away, but still audible.
Aurus pulled up next to Korrick, skidding to a halt in front of the mirror. "Malik, thank all that's holy that you're alive! What's going on? Has something happened?"
Malik's countenance within the mirror's depths shifted in his direction, nodding grimly. "It's started."
"What do you mean? Has Gerd finally made his move?" Aurus asked, his voice rising with anxious anger.
"Yes, and he isn't pulling any punches. Today he took the council by storm. Even their combined might was no match for him. He... he killed over half of them. Crushed them all like insects... I-I've never seen a body so destroyed," Malik went on, his voice showing the beginning signs of hysteria.
"Calm down!" Aurus growled, his own worry for his friend causing his tone to take on a harsh note to better snap him out of it.
"Y-yes, my lord," Malik said, a shuddering sigh helping to stay his nerves. "He drew the assassins to him today, saying it was time that we aided him. That he would be needing our services soon, and that we should be ready as the new council paved the way for his 'godhood'. I'm afraid there will be many more deaths to come... And that your family will no longer be safe. My lord, wherever you are, your people need you!"
Aurus trembled with rage as he looked on his friend's face. The fear and worry deep in Malik's eyes filled him with righteous anger for a changeling who was little more than a shell filled with murderous intent and grandiose, disgusting desire for power.
He bared his fangs, his eyes glowing with barely-withheld magic as he did his best to master his emotions and keep from blowing the room apart. Through his gritted teeth he finally delivered his words, and all in attendance flinched to hear their dear, sweet friend talk in a voice colder than death.
"I will be there, Malik... and Gerd will pay."
Gerd chuckled to himself, safe within the walls of the castle. Why should a god have to return to a humble house? A castle was hardly more fitting, but it would have to do. He laughed again, more loudly this time, declaring his victory to the ceiling above, flipping the gemstone from hoof to hoof with practiced ease.
Moonlight sifted through the tall, arched windows of the king's study. Oh how dead Aurus must be rolling in his grave! The pale luminescence painted Gerd's cocky smirk with stark contrasts, his fangs casting long and sinister shadows on the wall behind him. His green eyes glowed brightly, himself and his gemstone companion the only specks of color in the otherwise black and white world of moonlight and dark stone.
"Ah my friend, we've done it!" he congratulated the gem, smiling as he held it up. He observed its uneven and visually pleasing shape, the many rugged facets as he saw the light of the magic pulsing within. It flickered suddenly as if in reaction to his words.
At a pace as if it were laughing.
Gerd joined it, chuckling darkly again. "Indeed, laugh! With my schemes and your raw power, we're unstoppable. Alone I could have done so much, but with you I can ascend to heights I never thought possible. I'm no idiot, and I know where to give credit when it's due," he said with a wicked smile.
The gem pulsed brightly once, as if in agreement before returning to its usual, quietly glowing state.
"I am a god now, and you are my weapon. All the gods of old had their tools that they used to forge the world, or so it says in the legends. Isn't that what I'm doing? Forging the world to fit my will?" The stone pulsed its agreement silently. "Then I must name you. You are my blade, my hammer and nail as I break down and rebuild this shoddy reality the old ones made for us. It's time they bowed to my superior genius and power, just like the people do now! If there are gods out there, let them tremble as I tear their worthless world apart and make the pieces my own!" he cackled, placing the gem back around his neck.
"What do you say? Zarkoj, 'the hungering one'. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" he asked, emphasizing the name of his tool, the weapon he would use to reforge the world in the fires of his desire.
The gem flashed brightly, as if it could hardly contain its glee, eager to begin unleashing its fury on the insects below.
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For the next chapter, I am conducting an experiment! I am going to find out how many people actually read my opening comments for the chapters by using shameless self-promotion. All you have to do to be a part of this wonderful survey is follow the steps below.
Follow these steps:
1. Ignore the cockiness of the text on the button below.
2. Click it.
3. Ask me something on my tumblr, because I'm bored.
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And now that that's done, on to business! This chapter is heading in the darker direction, drawing our characters together for the final plot arc! It's time we got things really rolling and found out what Aurus can really do, eh? Soon, my viewers! Soon!
I hope you enjoy the read, and I look forward to the closing chapters!
Spotted a typo:
force-filed
Woohoo! New chapter! Yeah!
Ask and you shall receive. Also, you can put ponies on your tumblr with this. It's pretty cool.
829089
I feel your pain. I've been doing what I can to give the shipping some limelight while still moving the plot forward, but I have yet to really dedicate a chapter to it. Still, hopefully you don't feel that the relationship is completely uncalled for or out of the blue. That was much of the point for what little development I had time for. At any rate, there are still chapters to go in which the relationship will be handled a little more in depth, particularly the epilogue.
Putting him on the throne was almost a sort of 'grasp at straws' for Korrick, and he had no idea that it would meet with the success it did. Aurus, by his own words, dislikes being called 'lord' or 'king', and simply wants to protect his people. It's his nature more than it is his position, and it's that natures that fills the throne well. His desire to rule is almost non-existent, but the people need him and he refuses to abandon them. To him it's as simple as the fact they've chosen him to be their guardian, and he's just doing everything he can to fit the bill.
Hopefully that helps to put some of your concerns to rest a little, though I certainly can't expect them to vanish. They're valid issues, but I just wanted to lend some clarification to them. I'm glad you're enjoying it nonetheless, though, and look forward to writing more chapters for you, my friend! Thank you for reading, and for letting me know what you think!
835244
I'm considering it... but the computer engineer in me dislikes the extended load times.
835186
Oh my god, if this had a comedy tag, I would.
835210
It is repaired. Thank you for finding it! The worst part is I saw it earlier, and then forgot where it was. I was lazy.
Gallock...
835279
Well to be honest, that's not a one-liner. That would be a joke 12 chapters in the making!
You don't give yourself enough credit. I bet if you gave it a go you could write something substantial and truly hilarious. At any rate, thank you for your kind words! Keyboard art isn't easy you know.
Hope you're enjoying yourself, my funny friend!
835114 There, I asked you your question, your most important question to ever be asked!
835286 An apple would be too spontanious. Should be... They are meeting for the final battle, getting powered up and ready to fight. Aurus standing at the bottom of the steps leading to the castle with Gerd walking down it to meet him for a battle of fate!..... Then Pinkie Pie pushes Gerd and he trips down the stairs, breaking his neck and dies. The Epic Battle is over!
835292 EDIT: I assume this is you, Jiro?
Hmmm... Now that's a fun tumblr question to answer!
Anonymous asks:
How did you originally get inspired to write this story?
And Razorbeam answers:
To make a long story short, I simply sat down and wondered for a while. What could my next great adventure in writing be? What can I do that hasn't already been done? I knew I wanted to use the changelings, but every other author seemed to have their own plans for our shape-shifting friends.
I knew what I wanted to show. Questions abounded; how can a society that is based on love be completely evil? How can a race that magically advanced be a simple hive-mind? Imagine if they had simply earned the love they craved. How powerful would they be then? But I needed a medium, something or someone to bring out that spark in the changeling people, and a way to prove to them that peace can be a mighty force. I mixed my desire for uniqueness with my own philosophies and ideals, and the result was Visionary.
I hope you find the answer adequate. man-with-no-tumblr.
835296
Oh believe me... just because I don't write the comedy genre [yet] doesn't mean I don't know funny. If you knew me in real life, you would find out first hand.
Though he had already proven once that their magic was of no consequence to him, they had their duty. They had to try, no matter the result, for their duty was to defend the people from exactly this.
What if trying harder makes the enemy more powerful?
Oh wait, THAT'S PRECISELY WHAT'S HAPPENING.
Marked for read later, praying that this will be better than every other annoying changeling fic that makes featured -.-
835340
Not to try and sound pretentious, but I am a hardass critic... There are only.... maybe 5 stories on this site that have totally caught my attention
"The people are fools, and fools are easy to control." Don't you love irony?
Now if only Aurus would take up training to learn to speak more causally. He's getting there, but not quite. Ah, I'm just teasing though.
Well, the pressure cooker's been filled, the lid's clamped on, and Gerd has turned on the burner. Aurus is out of training time, now we get to see how well he can stand up and prove his worth. You did an excellent job with the whole coup scene in the council chambers. Nice use of all the established personalities on the Council to play out Gerd's takeover, and that was a near letter-perfect villain's monologue while standing over his defeated enemy.
Judging from his practice scene, it sounds like Aurus hasn't been sitting on his hooves, so hopefully he's picked up enough that with help from his friends he'll be ready to stand up and defend his people. Malik's a good ace in his hand, though Gerd seems to have the bulk of that card in his hand. Guess it will be a skill check for all the assassins, and hopefully Aurus' teaching will also sway the balance there.
I'll be looking forward to the next installment.
Next time on Visionary: Discord between Aurus and Gerd.
You know, I've noticed that the amulet of Gerd's only absorbs magical assaults, which actually leaves quite a few options of attack open, even for magicians.
For example: Levitate large, heavy object(s) over Gerd with telekinesis. Release. Let gravity do the rest.
Or, in laymans terms, "Rocks fall, Gerd dies"
And if the climactic battle ends with someone grabbing the amulet from Gerd with their bare hooves, I'm going to laugh.
Wow, Gerd's really stepping it up.
You have no idea how much i looked forward to this chapter, and i must say there was no disappointment. I eagerly await seeing how you wrap this masterpiece up.
Quick question though, why doesn't Malik just use a poison dart on Gerd or convince all the assassins to do their job and take Gerd down? You know, using physical harm while he's sleeping or something.
That would be an interesting way to end it. Have Malik just poison Gerd in the middle of an epic fight. EPIC
Holy fuck Gerd. Well, there's no kill like overkill.
But just like Blue from pokemon, he has reached the top only to come hurtling down... hard. Aurus gonna kick the dicks out of this guy.
So changlings are an insect/mammal hybrid, with a exoskeleton and a endoskeleton (they have twice the support). It also means you can smash them liks bugs and break their bones while talking to a crystal as Gerd demonstrated so well. Are you ever going to have Aurus focus on hoof-to-hoof combat? I noticed there was a little with Luna (cause she is a total boss) but it never seems to be the focus. Also, if Malik watched the council be crushed, wouldn't it have been a good idea to report Gerd's apparent invisibility to spells? Gotta stay informed.
836159
Unfortunately Malik and the other assassins were summoned after the fact. Malik currently has no idea how Gerd beat the council, only that he did.
836173
OH NOES! Aurus will have to give Gerd one hell of-a hoof sandwich.
You should make an alternate ending for all these anit-climactic comments.
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I am actually loving Chrys more and more. She's a jerk, but genuinely seems to have a sense of humor and, so far, as painful as what makes her laugh can be, it's not lethal stuff.
Wonder what she's been reading up on though. Heh.
Also, the whole AJ-ship thing; Love is power. Even though Aurus is in it for the love itself, he's getting power from it; while this may not seem big, everypony seems to forget exactly what took out Chrys.
Plus it's cute.
"You'll be bouncing lasers around like crazy in not time," ---no time, not "not time" . Just a small error.
836877
Ah, the dreaded double key-press. Extra 't' gets me every time. Thanks for finding that!
836767
Yeah, I'm preparing her to be less of a jerkface without completely redeeming her. She's now more like the puzzle piece that doesn't fit where you want it, instead of the puzzle piece that's from the completely wrong puzzle.
And as for this ship... I love it. I don't touch on it nearly enough in the story, and that's going to be my biggest regret, I feel. The romance is understandable, but I haven't given it the attention it really deserves.
But I agree it's cute.
The corpses on the far side of the room had consumed his every though. ---this time lacking a T, haha. I believe that's meant to be "thought".
Aside from that, I delight in Gerd's blinding pride. Nowhere in his self-absorbed mind is there room for caution, as he has grown drunk on his own power...power that isn't really even his own. Obviously I hate him, I'm meant to hate him. And damn, pissed off Aurus...you can tell he's about to go badass on some evil, but he's also got enough control to manage things. After all, righteous anger is all well and good, but control is just as, if not more, important.
Well, I look forward to Gerd getting what's coming to him, and the love of his people returning to him en masse when they realize their king is not dead, and Gerd is consumed with hatred. Ooh, this is so exciting!
I want to see this duel so badly...
Dis. Gon. B. Gud.
Incoming shitstorm!!!!
I only just realized this has been updated
well time to read
The corpses on the far side of the room had consumed his every though. Its missing a T I believe?
The corpses on the far side of the room had consumed his every thought.
I think it's kind of mean that you're setting Gerd up to be consumed by this gem (which is obviously more than just some magical artifact) during the finial encounter. Even for he murderous, backstabbing Traitor Mac Jerkpants he is.
On the other hand: Every epic final boss battle needs a "this isn't even my final form"-joke.
840427
Everything that's been 'set up' is a product of your imagination.
I haven't declared what I am going to do in the end to anyone yet, and so far nobody has been able to guess it. I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised to find the ending a bit on the original side.
My imagination, eh?
Once the antagonist starts to talk to his weapons about how he will rise to godhood and starts naming things there is only fiery death or a nice padded cell in Arkham Asylum.
And this is not even Batman.
On a related note: This board needs a "Daring Do"-Icon!
840469
Why Daring-Do? I mean, I'm all for it. I'm just curious.
840475
So I could slap it behind that "And this is not even Batman." in my last comment.
Thy end is near
of the story, that is.
Welp, Gerd's fucked.
At this point, I really hope it doesn't end like:
"yo man, you've been a bad guy -y'know, with da murderin' n' shizz- but imma gon forgive u cuz im the protagonist n' stuff"
Or:
"bam! Sent that sucker straight to the moon b*tch!"
But more like:
"Damn, I just ICED dat fool! n' thats why you don't mess with me!"
Or:
"Okay, I just died. GG, ktnxbai"
In other words: Because of the seriousness in the story, I feel that there should be a fight to the death, possibly with Aursus actively denying forgiveness to Gerd. It would show that Aursus is fair in forgiving people(ponies?lings?) and not a big softy.
Does anyone agree or disagree?
841499
I agree, and have already resolved to kill Gerd. Decided I was going to around chapter 6.
841904 Chapter 6? I resolved to kill him after the first sentence. I can sense douchebags like him far in advance. I have created a mighty army to fight him!
Currenty in my Army of Aurus:
3 batallions of ODSTs.
1 company of Raven P.M.C. operatives.
The Rebel Alliance.
Starfleet's M.A.C.O. special forces.
Chuck Norris with a BB gun.
The Doctor.
BLU and RED teams.
Of course, we will be arriving in the UNSC Infinity after we pick up Spartan-117.
YEA VISIONARY IS UP
Edit: Some sadness that it seems to be getting closer to the end.
835186
Thats screams disgaea
835186 no better make it very climatic and gory and have applejack and others hate him for torture
what I think thats normal enough