Ten Tasks To Redemption

by dreadbaron

The Final Showdown

Chapter Four: The Final Showdown

Galeforce opened his eyes, and found himself lying on a floating platform. Portals swirled in the distance, as they flew freely through the twirling red cyclone surrounding him. Screams of anguish filled the air, as Judge Silverwing teleported in front of him. “Dad…” Galeforce gasped in fear.

“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” Judge Silverwing taunted him. “I’m not your father.”

“What?” was all Galeforce could say.

“You have advanced further than I would like,” Silverwing said, as his body started to morph. “It was necessary to break your spirit, so that I could finish you off here… once and for all.”

“Crothorr,” Galeforce growled, as the deception became clear to him. “I should have known.”

“You are correct, sir!” Crothorr shouted, as he ripped his Silverwing disguise apart. In it’s place the obese demon now stood, flexing his arms in triumph. “Forgive me for the lie, young one, but it was essential to the trap. I think you’ll find that condemnation by a family member is more… effective than usual.”

“You twisted old monster!” Galeforce raged, as he galloped towards Crothorr with all his might. He bucked the demon in the stomach with his front hooves, sending him flying to the other side of the platform.

“Come now,” Crothorr uttered, as he slowly rose to his feet. “Must we resort to violence?”

“Face me, Crothorr,” Galeforce challenged the demon. “I’m done with this place, and it’s time to end this.”

“As you wish,” Crothorr mumbled, as he lifted his hand in a dramatic fashion. He used his magic to grip Galeforce by the wings, and then began to pull in two directions. “Is this enough of a challenge for you?” he asked, as Galeforce buckled under the intense pain.

Galeforce screeched a blood-curdling scream, as his wings were ripped off his body. “NO!” he shouted, at the top of his lungs.

“You know,” Crothorr taunted his bleeding prey, “the Earth pony look really suits you.”

Galeforce slowly rose to his hooves, and stumbled slightly from his lightheadedness. He drew the shattered remains of his Thiefblade, and gave a rude gesture with his other hoof. “Forget the magic,” he insolently uttered. “Face me hand-to-hoof.”

Crothorr raged towards Galeforce, like a raging bull. He dodged the fatal blow his pegasus prey tried to strike with the Thiefblade, and followed that up with a swift punch to the throat. Galeforce fell to the ground, and was met by several firm kicks to his face and body. “Goodbye,” Crothorr hissed, as he brought the final blow down on Galeforce’s head. It crumbled under the weight of his foot, and he knew Galeforce had been defeated. Crothorr grabbed the fallen pegasus in his clutches, and dragged him back to the palace. He would have his slaves properly prepare the body, so that he could enjoy some fine Equestrian dining later on…

Crothorr relaxed on his throne of skulls, content with the way his day had panned out. He had defeated the greatest champion Tartarus had to offer, and he had done it without relying on his demon magic. He lasted through six of my Fatal Tasks, the demon thought to himself. Nobody has ever done that before…

“Sire, you rang for me?” a voice called out from the shadows, interrupting Crothorr’s train of thought. It was Cassim, the newest addition to Crothorr’s personal army of slaves.

“Indeed I did, Cassim,” Crothorr said, as he laughed heartily. “I want you to see me celebrate my victory!”

“You haven’t won yet, creature,” Cassim muttered in defiance, for he knew that the battle was not yet over.

“Bring me my finest bottle of wine!” Crothorr ordered, clearly not hearing the words his treacherous slave had to say. “I wish to enjoy only the most superb beverages with my meal.”

“Right away, your Lordship,” Cassim stated firmly, as he turned to go back to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, trouble was brewing in the kitchen. A portly demon chef was preparing the sauce he had intended to baste Galeforce with, when suddenly the fresh corpse disappeared. “Sire!” he cried out loud, as he dropped his spoon. “The entrée has gone missing!”

“Find it!” Crothorr bellowed from the other room, as he threw his goblet in through the door. “I want to feast on his flesh right now!”

The portly chef grabbed Cassim by the arm, and dragged him off towards the other door. “Help me find the food, and I’ll make it worth your while,” he hissed.

“Very well then,” Cassim chuckled, as he pointed a finger ahead of them. “He’s right there.”

The chef looked up, and was met with a remade Thiefblade to the face. “Pig,” the bearer growled, as he wiped the blood off the blade.

“Galeforce,” Cassim said warmly. “You have returned to finish the Trials.”

“What?” Galeforce asked in disbelief. “You mean to tell me this is all part of that wretched test?”

“Yes, it is,” Cassim admitted. “Fortunately for you, Crothorr doesn’t know it yet. You will have your chance at freedom yet, if you manage to kill him once and for all.”

“Fine,” Galeforce hissed, as he held the Thiefblade in a menacing manner. He approached the door to Crothorr’s throne room. “Crothorr!” he shouted, as he held the blade in a menacing manner. “Face me once more!”

“As you wish,” Crothorr said, as he lazily lifted his massive frame off his throne. “I’ve always had a taste for tenderized meat.” He ran towards his once-dead prey, swinging his claws wildly. He took yet another fatal swing at Galeforce… and the injured pegasus effortlessly dodged it. “How can this be?” Crothorr asked in amazement.

“Things are different now,” Galeforce chuckled cruelly, as he sliced the demon across his bewildered face. “I am no longer the cowardly Thief Lord of Cloudsdale, for in death I was reborn as the Champion of Tartarus. I am Galeforce the Valiant, and you WILL bow to me.” He cut the demon’s legs off just below the knee, causing him to drop to the ground. “Your time has come, demon. Prepare to die.”

“No,” Crothorr begged, “please don’t kill me!”

Galeforce hesitated, for he knew killing a surrendering enemy was not honorable in the least. “Leave this place,” he uttered, as he threw his Thiefblade to the ground. “Crawl away like the snake you are, and never return.”

Crothorr grinned, and grabbed the Thiefblade with his dark magic. “You foolish foal,” he sneered. “Now you have no chance to defeat me!”

Galeforce growled from deep inside himself, and raised a battered hoof. “Wrong,” he uttered, as he brought it down on Crothorr’s face at full force. This broke the demon’s concentration, and Galeforce was able to take his Thiefblade back. He grabbed it in his mouth, and swung it as hard as he could towards the demon’s neck. He connected, and Crothorr’s head rolled across the floor.

Suddenly, the room began to violently shake; as the roof and walls separated from the floor. “If I die,” Crothorr’s head cackled, “THIS ALL DIES WITH ME!”

Galeforce turned away from his fallen enemy, and galloped towards Cassim with all his might. He snatched his mentor in his teeth without skipping a beat, and threw him up onto his back. “Hold on tight,” he said firmly; as he spread his regrown wings. He took to the sky, and soon the two of them were making their grand escape.

Galeforce flew away from the palace, only to be met with a battle cry he knew all too well. It was Ahuizotl, who had returned with a vengeance. The beast had grown a set of wings since their last encounter, and was using them to fly at full force towards the two escapees. “Vengeance will be mine!” Ahuizotl bellowed, as his body collided with Galeforce’s. He punched the pegasus in the gut, causing Cassim to fall off.

“Cassim!” Galeforce cried, though he knew he couldn’t help his friend until his oldest enemy was gone. He drew his Thiefblade once again, and plunged it into Ahuizotl’s chest. Ahuizotl screeched in pain, as Galeforce pulled his heart out with the sword. “What will it take to kill you, monster?” Galeforce asked in anger.

Ahuizotl grimaced in pain, and grabbed Galeforce by the throat. “Nothing short of a god’s attack,” he admitted, in an oddly specific way. He then smiled with the cruelty of a true Hellspawn, as he turned Galeforce’s back towards the palace. “Finally I will have my revenge,” he hissed. “We both die here.”

The palace exploded in a violent flash of light and shrapnel, as Ahuizotl cackled in delight. “I don’t think so,” Galeforce uttered, as he braced himself for impact. The explosion passed by them, setting them both on fire. Galeforce and Ahuizotl screamed in pain from the burning, but in the end only Galeforce was left alive. Ahuizotl had botched the final mission of his (after)life, and his criminal career was finally at an end. Galeforce then turned his attention to Cassim, who had hit the ground in the middle of their battle. The pegasus shed a few tears, as a bright light appeared above his head.

“Galeforce the Valiant,” the voice of Hades boomed from above, “your struggle for freedom is at an end.”

Galeforce looked to the sky, and found himself standing once again in the palace of Hades. “It’s over?” he asked in disbelief.

“Nearly,” the god of the underworld admitted, as he stood up from his throne. “You escaped from the Dark Palace and killed both Crothorr and your greatest nemesis, thus completing the seventh through ninth Deadly Trials. However, your last Trial still remains.” He then pointed into the distance, where a guillotine was set up. “Do you truly believe you deserve redemption, Galeforce?”

“Of course I do,” Galeforce answered firmly.

“Come now,” Hades said to his prisoner, “ponies like you can never change. You are a villain through and through.”

“That’s in the past,” Galeforce retorted in defiance.

“You cannot run from your past,” Hades told him in a serious yet gentle tone. “Equestria burns because of your greed, and the blood of every single dead pony runs on your hooves. Do you not think you deserve punishment for their pain?”

“Of course I do,” Galeforce whispered, as tears of passion welled in his eyes. “I want to make things right.”

“Then step up to the guillotine,” Hades instructed him. “Place your neck on the line, and receive your retribution.”

Galeforce trotted over towards the guillotine, and placed his neck inside it. A lever appeared a few inches away from his face, and he knew what was coming next.

“Pull the lever,” was Hades’ final order, and Galeforce followed it without hesitation. The blade fell towards him at an alarming rate… only to disappear at the last minute, along with the rest of Tartarus. Galeforce was now back in what seemed to be his old cloud house just outside of Cloudsdale, lying next to a piece of parchment on his bed. He rolled over to look at it, and this is what it said:

Galeforce the Valiant,

Today you have learned the final lesson of heroism: always take responsibility for your actions. You have completed my Trials, and thus I have returned you to Equestria as Hades promised.

Thank you, my friend.

Your friend and current Trial Master,

Cassim.

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[dreadbaron]

This part of the Galeforce Saga is now finished, but Galeforce will return once more in "Endgame".