The Last Human

by Crooked Djinn

Nostalgia

Below earth, far deeper than any mine or well, were pained howls of a man who had finally awakened. All that he had remembered flooded back into him after a long absence. Nothing was as painful as the memories his identity carried. To your horror, this man was you. Your eyes were tightly shut, straining the muscles around your sockets. A long metal bar jutted out from your side, blood leaking out of the insertion point. But it was nothing compared to the pain you felt when you looked Judea in the eye. You yelped again, reflexively turning over, away from Celestia as she tried to remove the rod. Your strained voice could be heard cursing away in the low air of the cavern. It had been this way for a good fifteen minutes.

When your were sent careening off the cliff of the lab, Celestia immediately dove after you. Though her wing was bad, she managed to snag you out of the air and glide down to a patch of rock at the base of the city's edge. You both rested there and struggled to think of a game plan. But all you could think of was Judea. Your former king and dear friend. He didn't look a day older, much like yourself. Though there was something other worldly about him. His shimmering golden hair and perfect reflecting eyes. He was no longer the man you knew. You had no idea how you even recognized him. You finish recoiling from the pain in your abdomen and turn over on your back again, facing the cavern ceiling. The cavern now had a great big hole in it. About five meters wide. The light from the surface trickled inward, giving the cavern a new life. Though it had been dead for numerous millennia. For the first time, Agartha saw the light of the surface. You inhale, nodding to Celestia. She took the rod in her mouth and you prepared yourself. Biting a bundle of cloth she had torn from her shirt. She pulls. And as she does so you could feel the rust and metal rip out of you. Blood spurted outward, staining her white coat as you cried out in agony.

She then moves quickly. Rummaging through Spike's bag for bandages. You move your hand over your wound in an attempt to at least lessen the bleeding.

"Celestia. I'm sorry. For everything. I should have stayed in Canterlot. I should have never dragged you out here with me. I put your life in danger countless times! And now I may had doomed all of Equestria!"

Tears don't get a chance to form in your eyes before they are evaporated away. You were down by the magma lake. Merely a few meters off from the slushing pool of molten rock. Celestia seemed to not hear you. She only propped you up against the cliff wall and began to bandage you. It did little to deaden the pain. But at least it stopped the bleeding.

"You've come too far to regret, Anon. All we can do is try and make it out of here." she said with her voice low and tired.

She then sat next to you and wrapped her good wing around you, pulling you close. It was unclear what she was thinking. When you looked at her all you saw was a heavy veil. Her eyes glued to the hole in the subterranean sky. Then you felt her shudder and shake. She suddenly felt cold, despite the heat that engulfed you.

"Anon. Who was that?" she asked.

Her voice was suddenly aged and absent. So quiet that you would have mistaken it for small mouse, had you been anywhere else. You look down instead of up. Where would you even start? And what all should you even tell her? There was no way you could tell her all the things you did. But she had the right to know. The right to hear your story. You owed her that much. So you began to recite your Epic. You watched her. Stealing glances from time to time. Watching her face and body for hints to how she felt.

"Back, when I was.... Before, all this. Back when I was 'alive' and not some wandering ghost. ...Back when I was known as Solomon Khalifa. I took part in a project that created you and your sister. The Alicorn Project."

Celestia's eyes quickly found yours, her expression one of bewilderment and dreadful curiosity.

"It was to be a grand revolution in human science and magic. Unparalleled by any finding before it. I was apart of a team of elite minds. A team that participated in an experiment thirty years prior: The Unicorn Project."

"The Unicorn Project?" Celestia repeated.

"I was not the first man to meddle in God's domain. I was merely apart of the next generation, chosen to carry on the will of its predecessors. You see, unicorns were created as a species of servants for man. We used their power to raise and lower the sun. For the last million years, the sun has actually been in the final stage of its life cycle. It was expanding. We hoped to prolong its death, if not out right halt it. But, as useful as unicorns were. They were flawed. Imperfect. They were rendered sterile and stripped of their magic eventually. The magic used to move an entire celestial body, was extremely taxing. So the king, Judea's father, asked me to head a new, more ambitious project."

"And you accepted?" Celestia asked.

She had been listening quietly. Very careful to not interrupt you. You prop yourself up even further with a groan. The pain was starting to subside but still remained present. The motion quickly tired you, causing you to hunch over and catch your breath. Once stable, you sat back and caught your breath.

"At first I was apprehensive. But, as a scientist, I felt my curiosity pull at me. I simply couldn't resist. So I accepted. Originally, it felt amazing to be tasked with such a grand project. But.."

"But?"

Your eyelids felt heavy as you remembered. The single most thing that set the wheels in motion.

"There was a plague. A sickness that swept across the globe, killing millions. The king had contracted it. And soon after, Prince Judea. There have been very few pains in my life that stand up to that moment I learned of his condition. He was scared Celestia. So terrified of death and the disease that plagued the populace. Seeing him like that....it was utter misery. And so I vowed. I vowed that I would find a way to save him. Months later, I would come across a concept that would allow me to do just that. Immortality."

Celestia now snapped her attention towards you. You were somewhat surprised to see her so startled. And then you felt a twinge of pain in your heart. Celestia knew full well what immortality was. And it occurred to you that there may have been times when she cursed her longevity. For a moment, you wondered what she thought of you. But decided to kill the wonder. So you continued.

"There was a queen. Queen of the unicorns. I was good friends with her you could say... When I was appointed to lead the project, I set up a lab in the unicorn city of Empyrea-Larsa. Her name was Amalthea."

You fell silent. Regret tearing you apart. As you went deeper into your memories and relayed them back to Celestia, you felt the crushing weight of your guilt.

"Queen Amalthea- in a way- was your mother."

You heard Celestia's breath hitch in her throat but you dared not face her. Now that you had recovered your memory. It became very obvious just how similar she and her mother were. Gentle, mysterious, and inheriting humanity's dangerous curiosity.

"My mother...? My sister and I never held any idea of parents."

"You wouldn't have. The both of you were born of your affinities. Amalthea also died long before."

"What happened to her.....Anon? Tell me more."

You pause again for a long while. This was where the story got almost unbearably painful.

"Your mother assisted me in my lab. One day, I happened to form a theory. The idea of tying one's life force together with something else. This would insure that both beings would create an infinite loop of energy, assuring that neither would die out. Back then, Amalthea was hesitant. She felt it was a great risk and that it could bring terrible consequences. And she had been right."

You struggle to rise to your feet. The lower half of your body was practically screaming at you and Celestia rushed up to help you. You point to the cliff, noticing that the edges were jagged and protruded outward in certain areas. It would be difficult to climb, but you both needed to get back to the city if you had any hope of leaving. You wrap your arm around Celestia's neck and begin to limp forward with her. As you walk, you can feel the vibration in your feet travel up your legs and rattle your entire body. You've felt weakness before, but never like this. Celestia climbed up onto a high risen slab of stone and turned to you to help you up. As she did so, you continued your story.

"You and your sister. You are the daughters of two unicorns. Both apart of the original ten created thirty years prior to the Alicorn project. Your father, Bucephalus, would help me around the lab as well, often asking about your mother. As a young man, I was mostly blind to things like romance and the like. But even I could tell he somewhat fancied her. In fact, I was the one to push your mother to take interest in him."

"So you set my parents up? Well, I suppose I should thank you." Celestia said jokingly.

You both made slow progress up the cliff but were starting to get higher and higher.

"You know, I really wish I hadn't...."

You give a dry laugh that drags its way out of your throat.

"I returned to Agartha after the formulation of my theory to find Judea bedridden, sickly and near death. As I saw him in his bed, I began to feel an immense dread for the friend I was about to lose. And so I resolved to do any means necessary to find him immortality. That was when it became less about alicorns, and more about becoming God. I suppose ultimately, that was the moment I allowed everything that followed to happen. That was the moment I sealed humanity's fate."

"What do you mean?"

"I unleashed Judea's ambition. Over time, Judea became more and more obsessed with his longevity. It became the one thing he thought of most. Many prices were paid in our pursuit. Mainly his own father's life. To Judea, the king was merely a road block on his way to godhood. And so, we murdered him."

Celestia was still silent. You wondered what was going through her mind, and what she though of it all. But at the same time, you didn't want to know from fear of her hating you.

"A year later, after we had finally assembled a team to really work towards our goal, we chose our test subjects. Judea was already more than half magic and machine by that point. Measures taken to extend his life. He was already wearing thin. But even then, we couldn't just throw him into the experiments. We needed a test subject. And in some cruel twist of fate, Judea had insisted we take the offspring of Amalthea and Bucephalus.... Of course, this made little sense to me, for they were both sterile, thus unable to reproduced. But as fate would have it, Judea found a way to overcome this."

"What were his means? Magic?"

"I suspected. But I never got a definitive answer."

You and Celestia were nearly halfway up the cliff. But you were low on energy. Along the way, your knees gave out and you collapsed. Heaving and sweating. Your wound still wasn't healed and with each step you took you felt the hole shoot pain into your body. Celestia then rushed to you, sitting you up and placing you against her chest.

"Did you attempt to stop him?" Celestia asked.

The entire time she had been carefully listening to your story. Making a mental note of every detail. Filing each chapter away in the cabinet that was the story of a simple inventor.

"Of course, I had been hesitant. At the time, Judea had convinced me. 'It would only be proper for the first alicorn to be born of the first unicorns.' He liked to dramatize things like that."

"So you proceeded with the experiments then? Did you at all suspect what would happen?"

".....I was aware of the means we'd have to use in order to make the experiment successful. I wasn't allowed to tell your mother and father. It was to be kept a secret from them. As time went on, we watched your mother and father play out their romance while we worked behind the scenes. Setting up what would be the depressing end of their lives together.. And then....we heard news that Judea's experiment was successful. Amalthea was pregnant. Twins."

You couldn't help but smile. Amidst the grief, it was a happy time for you. Amalthea had been a very close friend in the short time you knew each other. For those couple of months, you were genuinely happy for her. Happy that Amalthea got to experience the joy of a family. Even if it was short lived.

"You say you both were close. You and my mother."

"Aye. You see, when I first met her, I was immediately captivated by her otherworldly nature. She seemed to exist in between the dimensions that were our own world and the world of higher beings. She instilled wonder, happiness, and fear within me all at the same time. And she was very curious. Much like myself. Your mother wanted to know everything about the world she had been born into. About humans and nature, the laws of magic and life. As a scientist, she reminded me so much of myself. I taught her many things. And she taught me just the same."

Celestia smiled. You had happened to be looking at the time and saw just what kind of smile it was. It was sad. But with a hint of happiness. Princess Celestia would be considered by most to be the master of hiding her emotions. But you were beginning to be able to see through her veil and read what she truly felt. Celestia was happy that her mother and father were able to live peacefully until the end. And she was happy that they got to know you. But she was also filled with regret. Regret that she and her sister would never get to meet them. As well as the pain that was knowing how their lives ended. And there she was, sitting with one of the men responsible for it all.

Celestia found herself wanting to hate you. But felt it wouldn't be right. She wanted to distance herself from you; but felt that if she did, she'd lose the only tie she had to her past. She stayed silent before completely turning to you. Her giant azure eyes gazing into yours. It pained you. Because for the first time since awaking from the stone, you knew why Celestia's image dominated your mind so much. Why in the beginning you were so fixated on her and captivated by her visage. She looked exactly like Amalthea.

"Go on. I want to hear more. You were saying she was pregnant."

You stir a bit uncomfortably and recount your thoughts.

"Amalthea was pregnant. And with the news reaching our ears, Judea moved to act immediately. I can remember him rushing to our labs, moving as fast as his lame body could carry him. Eden, we called it."

"The lab where Heaven's Door is located."

"Aye. Eden was built almost immediately after Judea ascended the throne. And it is where we conducted most of our research. We brought Amalthea there. To room 101. Amalthea was under the impression she and your father were to be the first unicorns to see Agartha. But in reality, we had prepared for something far more sinister."

You take a pause as you remember Amalthea's excited face when you lead her into Eden. She asked so many questions. Much like a child.

"I met with them. Alone. I can remember her commenting on my dishevelled hair. I then led them into Eden. There was no conversation. Only a constant silence that stalked us. Bucephalus was taken off somewhere, I can't remember exactly when. But I soon found myself moving through the labs alone with her. Then we met with Judea. He, along with the other members of our team welcomed her. As if everything were normal. Then I moved aside......and Amalthea was forcibly taken by the guard. Amalthea called to me. Asking what was happening. But I only stood there in silence. Judea then told her what exactly it was that we were doing."

"....And that was?"

Celestia's tone was different. Most wouldn't be able to catch it, but it was trembling. As well as your own. You began to shake as that scene a million years ago played out in your head. You remembered everything. Every detail. Right down to the pitch of Amalthea's cries.

"Anon. What happened?"

"I betrayed her. I allowed Amalthea to be strapped down to a table and practically ripped open.... Celestia, I had never known greater grief than that moment. Judea forced me to remove Amalthea's unborn daughters... You and and your sister. She stared into my eyes, and I was overcome with an immense fear. I wanted to die when I looked into her eyes."

Your eyes began to tear up and your shaking had spread all throughout your body. You wrapped your arms around yourself, digging your nails into your skin. You buckled over, suffering the tidal wave of remorse that threw you against the rocks of regret and sorrow.

"She......she cursed me! I-I stood there....and robbed her of both her children! My friend! Before I had known otherwise, your father had charged into the room, hearing Amalthea's screams. But he was shot down in an instant. I was shell-shocked. I couldn't believe what I had been made to do..... and yet. I allowed it to happen! Before, I had told myself I was willing to do anything! Anything for my friend Judea's immortality! But as I stood there, with you in my hands.......I.....I felt so guilty! Sick to my stomach! Disgusted with what I had been participating in! And yet, through all of that......I never spoke out in protest..."

Tears flowed freely from your eyes and you were hunched over on all fours. Celestia said nothing. Her mouth opened, but she couldn't find words. She trembled, hit with the full force of her own emotions and recoiled away from you. But then she came closer, hesitantly placing a hoof on your back.

"It wasn't your fault.....Like you said, it was Judea who forced you. You couldn't-"

"But I caused it Celestia! It was me! I could have stopped Judea! Now.....now I wish I had just let him die all those years ago. It all wasn't worth it.. I enabled his evil. I unleashed his malice upon the world. I allowed myself to be swallowed by his ambition and in doing so, I became a monster for him! I kept telling myself, it was a means to an end! But I never came to terms with it. And Amalthea never forgave me... She would live the rest of her life despising her creators. And most of all, harboring a deep seeded hatred for me."

Celestia was silent again. She couldn't think of anything to say. Not a sound escaped her. She didn't know what to think. She loved you, but in her eyes, you were somewhat of a monster. Still, she could do nothing but grab you and bring you close to her. Hoping that she could at least dry your tears. Moments later, you passed out from crying.

---

"We so desperately wanted to play God. To be gods ourselves. We were willing to throw away our humanity, all for the notion of immortality. Service to our king. Service to our friend. Celestia.....have you ever known such regret? Please tell me you have...I don't want to suffer this alone. The pain from my wound is miniscule compared to this mountain of guilt. Celestia. Tell me I am not alone!"

You wanted her to provide solace for you. Even if you didn't feel you deserved it. You at least wanted something to hold on to. Something from this new world to take you and free you of the guilt. But what you wanted was the same as the damned. But there is no place in heaven for a sinner. Celestia turned from you. She stood, pacing. Her heart was racing and she was becoming lightheaded from thinking so fast. Very complex emotions swelled within her. She had wanted to know everything about you. But now that she knew you were directly responsible for what had happened, she felt lost. It was true that she loved you. Through that long and troubling journey, she formed a bond with you. The times you shared and what you experienced with her was etched into her being. Despite that, she found that she wanted to hate you. That she -should- hate you. But alas, hate was an emotion Princess Celestia could never truly grasp.

She stopped her pacing. Her mane covered her eyes as she turned to you. But you could see tears fall from her cheek. She tried to think of her guilt. What made you and her alike. Celestia, being a thousand years old, of course harbored some guilt. It was natural for anyone who lived that long. But, her guilt was only a hill formed at the base of the mountain that was your own. Even still, she could relate to you. Celestia then came close, each step reverberated through the rock on which you sat and shot through your body. She then loomed over you, her eyes swirling stardust. Then she spoke in her signature soft tone.

"Anon..or Solomon. Your sins are very great indeed. Even mine pale in comparison. But, you are not alone. We've all had our struggles. Things that we're not quite yet comfortable living with. Even so, we press on despite our guilty pasts. But, you cannot look to me for judgement. I'm not your judge. You yourself, will have to weigh your sins over your virtues. Personally, I don't think I could condemn you. You mean so much to me. You are my friend. My love.. May the stars forgive me, but I have to admit I'm a bit biased."

Celestia gave a laugh. It sounded much like her usual, beautiful song. Akin to a bird's happy melody in the early summer mornings.

"Which is why I've resolved. I am still committed to learn everything I can about humanity, and you. Despite how dark the lore is. I've never been one to overlook someone just because of their crimes. It is simply not my way. I believe there is hope for everyone. Solomon. A few days ago, when we sat on a ledge in K'veer. You told me you had died millions of years ago. And maybe that is true. Solomon Khalifa died all that time ago. That man is dead, and yet here you are. A completely different entity from him. You just happen to share his memories. You were given a chance to start over- to redeem yourself! You have the opportunity to right your wrongs. And so I will help you. For I, Princess Celestia of Equestria, will not abandon you."

Celestia extended her hoof. The light from the cavern ceiling spilled out around her, enveloping her in the golden light of the high-noon sun. She looked peaceful. Committed and determined. You felt her heart call out to yours. It was as if the bridge between you was being crossed. In that moment, you no longer felt pain. The guilt and hole in your side didn't bother you. Instead that pain was replaced with determination. You took her hoof and stood. Every man has to carry the weight of their sins. But what they often forget is that there is always a path to redemption.

You found a new resolve, there beneath the earth with Celestia. You would cast away your old identity, and adopt a new persona. A man who awoke from stone a few weeks ago. A man who traveled to the Badlands with a princess. A man who braved dangers and fought tooth and nail in hopes of discovery. Solomon Khalifa was dead. But his echo- his phantom- lived on. You were his second coming. His will manifested to do the right thing and end his suffering. You were reborn.

"Celestia.... thank you." you say weakly.

Your tears had stopped falling, as well as hers. Instead they were replaced with bright, glimmering eyes that reflected one another.

"Don't let your past rule you. That is rule number one of life. Instead, learn from it. Reflect on your mistakes and instead of thinking what you could have done differently; think of what you can do in the future. We've come so far, Solomon. Many have died for us. For you and I's selfish desire to uncover the truth. We owe it to them, and to ourselves to press on. No matter how hard things become. We have to persevere. You said so yourself."

With her good wing, Celestia pulled you in close. You weren't trembling any more and your heart calmed. You promised to yourself that you would do all you could to right your wrongs. Do right by yourself, Celestia, and Amalthea. You would honor humanity's existence by dispelling the evil that was Judea. The two of you parted and exchanged smiles. You both acknowledged how hard it'd be from then on.

It would be hard emotionally, as well as physically. Especially for you. Judea was your best friend. A man you had admired back in your youth. It was likely that he would stand in your way from then on. You both were intertwined. Not to mention the angels he brought with him through Heaven's Door. They were....different. More powerful than any angel you had previously faced. And there was no doubt you had Hell waiting for you on the surface.

"Celestia. We should go."

"Right away, Solomon." she said confidently.

You wrapped your arm around her neck and held her close, fearing that if you let go you'd fall into the abyss.

"Call me Anon."

Celestia responded with a nod and you both resumed your climb.

---

An hour had past. You were nearly back onto the platform you fell from. Along the way you continued your story.

"Heaven's Door was constructed by myself and Master Ro'Dahni, a man who worked on the unicorn project. We designed it to link to Paradiso- Heaven. Hence the name. My ultimate plan, was to link Judea's soul to God. We constructed a bridge from our world to Paradiso. By that time, Judea was hardly mobile. His eyes were gone and he no longer breathed automatically. He was rotting. A walking corpse. Which pushed me to hasten my progress. Initially, once the bridge to Paradiso had been established, we couldn't simply just open the door. It was a process, with steps. The door was bound by a force on the other side. A multitude of magical seals and barriers. It took our best magic to peel away each seal that bound it. Each time, the door opening just a tad bit more. By the second seal however, we encountered problem."

"And what was that?"

"An Angel. Without our knowing, malevolent forces started leaking out of the gate. All over the world there were reports of black monsters attacking the people and causing chaos. But Judea refused to pay it any mind. He set it aside as a problem he'd deal with after he gained his immortality. And I did the same. I thought that I couldn't afford to be distracted. And so we pressed on. But with each seal broken, more and more angels spilled into our world. Within a month, these monsters ravaged the globe. Killing millions. While we were unknowingly bringing them into our world."

"How did you eventually discover you were the cause?"

"One day, I was alone in the lab. Judea had gone somewhere, I forget. But I was deciphering one of the seals when I heard something pound on the other side of the door. I was startled, for it was unknown exactly 'what' was behind it. And so I approached the door. I can still feel the sweat rolling down my brow as I placed a hand on it and listened. Then I heard it again. It was like a metallic clank. Followed by a laugh. I heard a voice. A voice that isn't typically heard with the ears. But a mind's voice. It sounded like me. Yet I could tell that it was very different and alien. It said "You all are really making a mess of things." I backed away, startled at the sudden happening. Then went closer and replied. I asked who the voice was, for the identity would be a very interesting finding."

You'd never forget that chilling experience. It was something that frightened you, yet filled you with wonder.

"The voice took a very long time to reply. But when he did, it was only laughter. Then he spoke again. Introducing himself as Sandalphon, a creature of disharmony. That would be my only clue to his identity. As I continued to question him I realized that he was linked to angels. In fact, he was one. And from what I gathered, he had been a very high ranking angel. "Second only to Mettatron." he said. Of course back then, I hadn't known what that meant. He then began to provide me with the answers I sought. Like a snake he slithered his way into my ear and into my mind. It was like I could feel him digging into the earth of my brain and planting seeds. I found myself instantly 'knowing' how the seals worked. Sandalphon was the very one who gave the name of the one who would host Judea's immortality. King of the angels: Mettatron. Essentially....God."

"Disharmony." Celestia repeated.

"You know it?"

Celestia shook her head. But she was still deep in thought.

"Not really. Though, the name is very similar to someone else I know. But continue. I want to hear more."

You nodded and picked back up on your story.

"Sandalphon would then guide me through the process of shattering the seals that barred us passage into Paradiso. He bade me to never tell anyone of his presence. Not even Judea. And so I kept his existence a secret. Judea and the others never to know. Time was almost running out by the time we came to the last seal. Judea was completely immobile. Falling in and out of comas. Sandalphon guided me so far that the project had eventually become his entirely."

"And you trusted him?"

Celestia was now walking closer to you. Ever since the mention of the angel behind the door, she had been on edge. You shake your head to her question. You didn't trust the angel completely, but you felt it was necessary for the project.

"No. But I was willing to risk that for the sake of Judea. But I never did once question why Sandalphon was helping me. I had no knowledge of his motives or ideas. I simply followed his directions. I suppose that was a colossal error in judgement on my part. But by that time I had already been clouded by my own desperation. I simply couldn't afford to trouble myself with something like that. But then he asked me if I'd like to know why angels were invading our world. I had been curious, but never gave it any thought. And so I asked him of their origin. Then I knew. Angels, like himself, were spilling into our world because we were weakening the barrier. He explained to me that Mettatron saw that as a threat. A display of mankind's arrogance. And so he was calling for a rapture. Each time we broke a seal, a new breed of angel would manifest in the world and prey on humans. The fact froze my blood white. Once again, I was bringing harm to others by my own selfish desires. Sandalphon laughed, feeling my grief. But he continued. He once again started planting ideas into my head. He calmed my fear, assuring that I was doing the right thing and to question it would be selfish. He told me he admired me for the sacrifices I was willing to make for my friend. That I was finding salvation in chaos."

Back then, you had already resolved to go as far as needed in order to create the first immortal man. Your fortitude couldn't afford to be shaken. Not when you had went so far.

"I let Sandalphon convince me that what I was doing, was truly the right thing to do. And on the last day of the project, the final seal was broken."

Celestia pulled you up over the final ledge and you collapsed outside of the lab. It had been a long climb and you needed rest. Celestia turned you on your back to look over your wound. The blood was dry. You could no longer feel the hole in your side, but you knew it was there. You knew by the numbness that had over taken your body. Despite that, you stood. Leaning on Celestia once again. You looked into the lab, observing. Heaven's Door was wide open, revealing a swirl of stars and blackness. Some of the consoles were ripped apart. And the floor was singed where the angels had stood. The both of you slowly started walking, making your way about the lab.

"Judea had been present on that day. He was practically dead. His skin had mostly decayed and his face was shrouded by a veil. He sat in a wheelchair close by me as I made the final preparations. He was seemingly the avatar of death himself. None of us could bare to look at him for more than a second. Especially me. He spoke using telepathy. No longer being capable of speech. He told me that I had pleased him. That I had been an amazing friend to him. Judea could hardly move, but I knew if he could, he would have tried to embrace me. I moved to touched him, but he was so frail I was afraid that I'd somehow break him."

You laugh a bit as you make your way over to the large door that contributed to humanity's downfall. It filled you with dread the closer you got. And staring into the swirling vortex of creation and destruction, you began to feel as you did all those years ago.

"Sandalphon was present shortly before I broke the final seal. He told me, "I'll be seeing you again sometime." and that was that. His voice retreated with a sharp laughter that sounded like a volcanic eruption. But I payed it no mind. After all, I was only using him for information. Then came the time to completely open the door. Once I did, all hell broke loose."

Celestia stands next to you as you stare further into the abyss. It made you question if what you saw was really heaven. Or some sort of abstract form of the mythology. Just like long ago you found yourself unable to tear your gaze away from the infinite.

"I broke the seal. And with the last barrier between us and Paradiso gone, Earth was consumed by angels in almost an instant. But what happened here in Eden. This was ground zero."

You motion your arms about you, remembering the panic that flooded the lab. You could still hear the screams....and the demonic laughter of Sandalphon.

"The room was black in an instant. There was no light save for the door. I stared into it, another mistake I wish I could correct. I saw everything. Every interpretation of life. The construct of our beings. Everything that swelled within us. Our origins, our final destination. I saw the beginning and the end, genesis and the revelation of armageddon. It is...difficult for me to describe exactly what I experienced that day. I wasn't scared. More so...I was uncomfortable? Only slightly on edge. I felt as if everything was somewhat peaceful, yet at the back of my mind, something was prodding me. Trying to tell me that what we had done, was very, very wrong."

You looked to the back of the room. Where you and Judea stood over a million years ago.

"I could tell that everyone who was present felt the same way. As if we all shared a collective consciousness. It was then that I saw Sandalphon, along with other angels come marching out of the door. Sandalphon, was like a dragon. But made of other forms, all melded into one another. He had two horns, both foreign to each other. Two crooked fangs that jutted far from his mouth. Rotten, yellow sclera with blood red irises. He instantly found me and before I knew it, I was staring into his hypnotic gaze. He said nothing; he merely smiled and patted me on the back. And was gone. Then, a suffocating black wave came spewing out of the gate. Crashing through my entire being. Breaking my bones as if they were glass and stealing my air from me. It was excruciating and it all felt like I was trapped in a loop, made to experience it over and over again. But then I realized that it had all happened in an instant, for no one had saw him or the flood that followed. They all continued to stare into the vortex beyond the door. I began to tremble, my knees suddenly felt like ice melting in a volcano and I fell over. Then a pulse shot out from the door, crushing the heads of all those who were stood. It was horrific. I watched as their heads slowly burst into pieces and levitated in the air, before being drawn in by the door. Judea and I were spared such a fate, we were too low when the pulse was released."

Celestia was now very close to you. Taking in every word. She was entranced by the climatic turn your story had taken. And you were enthralled by your own voice as you heard yourself recount the horror that happened in the very place you stood.

"I heard Judea call to me, in the mind. He told me to proceed. To begin the process of melding his body with Mettatron. He began to calmly move towards the door as if he was being drawn in. I watched him, while on the floor I saw how he moved. Judea shouldn't have been able to move on his own, I had no idea what was causing it. Then I heard explosions, followed by screams and cries. I willed myself to stand and rushed over to a window. What I saw filled me with crippling terror. My eyes ached from the sight and I was forced to turn away. My people were being torn apart in the streets! Slain, mutilated, massacred, and dishonored. All because of that damned project!"

You find yourself pounding on the door. You strike it as hard as your body would allow. Countless souls were taken that day. All because you didn't have the sense to end it. Celestia watched as you struck the door's frame over and over, drawing blood from your fist.

"Never again." you muttered. "I'm going to correct my mistakes."

"Anon, you'll get your chance. But for now we have to keep a leveled head. We still aren't safe. We don't have time to lose ourselves. Now we must be stronger than ever." Celestia took your hand with her hoof and examined it. She smiled. Like she had just remembered something funny.

"So reckless. I can't keep bandaging you up if you purposefully harm yourself. Try and take it easy for the time we have left."

She gave you back your hand after giving you another bandage.

"You're right. I have to stay calm. Think rationally."

You put on your best act of confidence. But the truth was, you weren't so sure if you'd even make it out of Agartha. More than anything you wanted to rest after the climb. Yet something told you that you had to move on. There was no time to rest. Not to mention you wondered what Judea had been doing with his new found freedom. Speaking of..

"Judea used to say the same thing. Whenever I became too excited or angered, he always tried to calm me. I can remember how much it frustrated me. He always saw the bright side."

You wouldn't say it, but Celestia was not only like her mother. She was very similar to Judea. Before he became obsessed. A slave to his own selfishness. He was kind, generous, always thinking of others. He never put himself before one who needed him. You suppose that's why you felt such an attraction to the princess. She reminded you of two of your closest friends.

"I don't suppose you're finished with your story? Keep going. What happened after Judea told you to continue?" Celestia's tone was patient and caring. She helped jog your memory as she bandaged your hand.

"Alright. I can't exactly remember what happened after that. I was too caught up in my own emotions. But I remember Judea suddenly standing, though his legs had no muscle in them. He began to walk towards the door, with a smile. That was when I stepped in front of him. I wasn't thinking rationally. My entire mind was blank, save for one thought. Stop Judea. And so I barred his way to immortality. There were no words exchanged between us. But we knew how the other felt. Even still, he progressed and I went to meet him halfway. It was then that it became apparent that one of us, if not both, would die. I had accepted it and for the first time, I put my foot down. I was adamant and I would not let Judea pass through. Even if it meant killing him. But Judea showed no signs of stopping. The next thing I knew, I found myself tumbling on the floor with this man who was barely a few pounds. Yet his strength was overwhelming. It was like he was becoming stronger with each moment. At the height of our conflict, I was left with no choice."

"What did you do? You couldn't have killed him." Celestia interjected.

You nod. She was right. If you had killed Judea then and there, he wouldn't have come waltzing out with the angels at present day. No. What you did was something you didn't like to think about.

"I hurled him into the void. That deep blackness of spiraling dark. A place where creation stemmed from pure chaos. The last I saw of him, he was ripped apart. But he wasn't dead. I was still able to feel him- feel his existence rather."

"Feel his existence? Like a presence?"

"I don't know how to describe it. It was like knowing someone else was in the room, without turning to them. Or.....loosing an arm and still feeling your fingers."

"I think....I can sympathize with you on that."

"Oh?" you say curiously.

"After Luna and I's final confrontation a thousand years ago. For the next few weeks I felt as though it never happened. As if she still walk beside me every day and was always close by."

"It isn't a pleasant feeling."

With your hand bandaged, you both move outside the lab and begin to walk out of Eden.

"This is where my story ends. Afterwards, I fled. Amidst all the chaos and terror that we had brought to Agartha, I fled to my home. K'veer. I knew that it was the end of the world, at least for humanity. But I had to protect the future for other races. Mainly the unicorns. That would be my final service to Amalthea. My attempt to repent. I began to prepare Agartha's sealing. During the course of the project, Judea had constructed the Tower of Babel. The tower that was built around the elevator leading down here. It was built in an attempt to get closer to the sky. Back when we hypothesized we could simply "climb" into Paradiso. I had planned to destroy the tower, collapsing it over the only entrance into the city. But, during my preparations I encountered an angel in K'veer. The Dominion we encountered."

"That was your home?" Celestia remarked with a gasp.

You found it funny that you had been walking through your own home and not realizing it.

"Aye. It is where I did most of my work. Including the device that turned living things into stone. Originally, the device was very large. But, it just so happened that I had worked on a smaller, more portable version. I took that and escaped through the surface. But not before I was wounded by the Dominion. I was nearly dead as I struggled my way through the city's outer rim and onto the lift, but not before sealing the Dominion in stone."

You reached into your pocket and retrieved the one thing you had on your person besides your old robes and goggles when you awoke. The round stone key.

"This key was an all purposed key. A literal key to the city. Using this, I locked the gate into Agartha. But I was still wounded. I wouldn't have time to completely destroy the tower. And I must admit, I didn't want to die. I used my own invention to petrify myself. I set the timer for as long as possible. A million years. Around the globe, mankind was hunted to extinction. Only humans faced the wrath of God, and justly so. But I ran. I thought I could outsmart them by locking myself away in stone. But it cost me my memory, self identity. and sanity. I was still conscious for the first few years. I was driven mad by my own prison. And so I willed myself to forget. I threw away everything I was in life and stopped thinking. The next thing I knew, I awoke a million years later. In a strange place called Equestria and in the court of Princess Celestia. The rest, well... you can imagine."

You both had just stepped into the open compound of Eden as you finished your story. You could see the hole in the rocky sky more clearly. As you walk, you reflected on the past even more. You took this same path as you fled from the horror you released that day. You took this path in order to run away from everything and deny everything that had happened. But as you walked with Celestia, through that ruined city, you began to build confidence. You were going to correct things. You were going to finally make amends for your weakness a million years prior. You had made that long journey home for answers. And now that you had them, you sought to instill those truths into your core and accept them. Your weakness wouldn't rule you any longer. You were going to own up to your mistakes and confront Judea once and for all. This you swore to yourself.

Comments

[Twilight Kira]

FIRST! Also, f**k you Anon.

[mtf0330]

Any idea when you can update it again?

[Crooked Djinn]

7746026 When my motivation isn't in the la brea tar pits.

[starship55]

THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ADVENTURE OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS !!!!!!!! Please update soon !!!