The Last Human

by Crooked Djinn

Howling Wind on the Eve of Chaos

Like the watchful eye of God, the black sun hovered above, swallowing the world in a darkness that lusted for light. From your cabin window you could see the oil painting of an ashen sky. As you dressed, fear and anxiety took root within you. Starting at your feet and slowly creeping up the length of your legs. Soon you would be petrified should you allow your fear to overtake you. But as you adorn the large golden sun medallion which saved your life, you sense fear cower away. Stepping in front of the mirror, you examine yourself. Turning your body side-to-side to see yourself at different angles. Your new attire fits well, especially considering it was fashioned and modified on such short notice.

White loose fitting pants held down by hardened leather grieves that started at the upwardly pointed shoes and traveled up your legs to end at the leather harness which wrapped tightly around your waist. Set about the harness were various pouches, sleeves, and holsters for many a weapon. In its center, a lightly colored sapphire, glowing dimly. Said to be a catalyst of sorts, meant to heighten one's magical capabilities. A thick and heavy white shirt, long with its sleeves and high on the collar. Lined traces of silver, all interlacing with one another in a web. On top of that was a leather breastplate, hard as bone and unrelenting. Your arms were encased in leather gauntlets, bracers, and rerebraces. On your left hand, you still carried the aegis, the inlaid gold still shining as good as new. You adorned the long sand scarf, white and peppered with black spots, hanging loosely by the neck. And finally, you took your old goggles, one of the only things tying to the past, and pull them over your head.

You look into the full body mirror, staring at the stranger who looked back at you. An unfamiliarity accompanied you now. You were no longer the man who woke up in Celestia's statue garden. You were the hybrid of a dead man and one who was born again. You open the door from your cabin and step out into the hall, only to find Discord lounging in the air, his tooth grin ever splayed across his face.

"My, my, you sure cut a dashing figure in that getup. You look like you think you stand a chance." he said mockingly.

"And you think we don't?"

Discord then planted his feet on the ground, his lanky figure towering above you.

"You might. I can't say with any certainty though. But it'll be fun nonetheless to watch you both trade fists out there."

"Watch? You're not going out to fight?"

You look on in confusion at the draconequus, who only folded his hands behind his back.

"It's an incredibly heavy favor to ask of me. The one your fighting is my brother, after all. I wouldn't dare raise a claw against him directly."

"What? Then what would you do? What was even the point of your being here? Are you just here to-"

Discord silenced you by covering your mouth with your scarf. He then floated back, retaking his seat in the air.

"What I said is I will not face him directly. I never said anything about not supplying his enemy with a means to combat him for me. This world is also precious to me. It is the land of my freedom, the world you helped me escape to. It is for that reason I help you now. Let it never be said that Sandalphon is one to never pay his debts. I owe you. And believe it or not, there are things here that I too wish to protect."

Discord's smile fell from his face and for the first time, he seemed deathly serious. There was no hint of sarcasm, deception, or his usual mocking tone. The thought that something was at stake for him never once crossed your mind.

"I see. Then... I'll be sure to fight as hard as I can. For everyone's sake, even yours. But, this does not make us friends. I haven't forgotten what happened. You're incredibly selfish, manipulative, and despicable. But even so... even monsters deserve second chances."

Discord's smile then returned and he reclined, satisfied.

"Spoken like a true wise man. These colorful ponies must be rubbing off on you. Before you know it they'll have you singing and dancing, raving about the magic of friendship and all that. Enough to make the songbirds hurl."

You were amused by this. From what you've met of them thus far, you could say that their kind was especially cheery. Even if faced with the end of the world, they still maintained their boisterous spirit. Mostly Celestia, who seemed to always keep her calm and temper in the face of absolute devastation. It was remarkable. You smile to yourself, happy that this was the world you found yourself in.

Maybe so. But I don't see myself complaining. But besides all that, why are you here? Were you waiting for me?"

The draconequus turned over to his back, sipping from a tall glass of sparkling white wine.

"I nearly forgot. The big girl upstairs sent me on a delivery." he answered.

With the snap of his fingers you were tackled by a weightless light. It bursting around you in all directions in a typhoon until vanishing just as quickly as it appeared. What it left behind were gifts, conjured by the beyond. A sword, holstered on the left side of your waist. Curved like a wicked cat's smile, inlaid with jewels on its golden hilt. Like a bending ray of sunlight, it shimmers with splendor. Strewn over your back is a long rifle, similar in fashion the guns the centaur gave you. But this was made of ivory and gold, splendid in its craft and truly befitting of something holy. Holstered on your right hip, a long barreled revolver, engraved with a language lost to the human tongue. In your right hand, you clasped a weightless and warm lance, spiraling along its length. You could feel it tethered to you, as its master you could summon it at will. Even worlds apart from one another, should you call it forth, it will obey. These weapons clung to you now, devoted to their god slaying purpose. With these tools, you shalt do wonders.

You marveled at the items bestowed on you and it was then you remembered Discord to be of the divine. The chimera moved back to behold you, stroking his long goat's beard in consideration. Raising one bushy eyebrow, he smiled.

"I have to say, you look like you can actually get this done." he says enthusiastically.

You don't reply, still looking about yourself at the weapons you've been given.

"Oh! And one more thing." he said while outstretching his paw. With the tip of his claw, he tapped your forehead. What followed was a light burning sensation that soon spread down to your shoulder blades. A distinct familiarity accompanied it. It felt like Celestia's magic. A golden circle of runes slowly turned clockwise on your forehead before vanishing beneath the skin. Discord then blew onto his claw like it was a smoking gun.

"What is all this?" you ask in a pitch of excitement.

"Gifts." he replied. "As I said, I have things precious to me in this world. I'm not sending you to meet his armies without the proper equipment. You can thank Celestia, she's the one who suggested these pieces."

He then snapped his claws again and the light from before rushed past you like a hurried breeze, blowing all throughout the ship. From above you could hear sounds of bewilderment and surprise, followed by awes. Discord folded his arms, content with himself. A demon who'd side with those weaker than he, in hopes of preserving the world he had grown to love. You began thinking that he wasn't so bad, albeit mostly annoying and overbearing. He shared your goal and wanted to see one more day under the peaceful blue sky. You smiled at him. The first ever time you've done so. He was on his way to fashioning a friendship between you two. Should both of you make it back in one piece.

"Firstly, I should give thanks to you. I misjudged you, but I see now you're helping us in your own way. Thank you."

Discord scoffed and began slithering through the air down the hall.

"Save your thanks."

You chuckle and follow after him, the spear sparkling away, waiting to be recalled at any time. You step out onto the deck, a harsh heated breeze knocking into you, tossing your hair. Immediately you spy Celestia, surrounded by Twilight's friends. All of them done up in the same gear you were, and with similar weapons. Then you notice Twilight, sitting away from them all, looking out towards the Ishtar gate. You suspected the reason and felt your heart sink. As you approach Celestia she turns to you, smiling in tired silence. You nod in quiet greeting, doing little to hide the frown on your face.

"I take it you've told her?" you ask.

Celestia only nodded as she turned her head towards the solitary alicorn fledgling. A dark grim cloud hung above all of you as you took a few moments of silence.

"I should go talk to her," you say as you started off. But you're held in place by the mare with the blonde hair, tugging at your harness.

"Woah there. There's not much you can say that'll break'er from this funk. Juss... give'er awhile."

"I'd say we all need a little time to digest the news. It's not easy, but we'll manage. Spike was someone very near and dear to our hearts... such a loss isn't easily taken." Rarity added.

And so you stopped. Perhaps it was better to leave her to mourn. After all, no one was closer to Spike than she.

You turn away from Twilight and back to the group.

"Alright then. I'll leave her be for now. But soon one of us will have to go over there."

"Mayhaps." Celestia started. "But not now. Twilight is immensely strong hearted, as well much as she is sharp minded. She'll be with us shortly."

"Is she upset with us?"

"More so herself. She blames herself for not being sterner in her disposition of having him stay aboard the ship."

"I see. Well, regretting the past won't help all that much. The best thing she can accomplish now is ensuring he didn't die in vain."

"That's exactly what I'll do."

Twilight's sudden outburst turns each of your heads. She stood on the edge of the gathering, her figure more resolute and hardy. Moving into the center, she held her head high, a fierce flame burning in her eyes.

"Spike went on this journey because he wanted to find himself and discover what he was made of. And I'd say he did a great job of that. He marched through that desert knowing full well of its dangers and that he may not come back. I'm sure there were countless times in which he came close to dying out there. But that didn't stop him, he wanted to prove to himself and us that he was indeed capable of being an adventurer. And for that, I'm proud. For someone to press on in the face of life and death situations on the daily isn't easy. How many times have we gone up against evil and nearly died? I count six. And Spike has done so a hell of a lot more times, and in that desert, I'm sure he found what he was looking for. Frankly, I should be blaming Anon for Spike's death, but he wouldn't want that. Instead, I'm going to fight these angels so I can go home and make a proper grave for him. At least that way, we'll have a way to pay our respects."

Twilight looked each of her friends in the eye. In the silence that followed, you could almost hear the quiet conversations that rested on their gazes. Each of them nodded in turn, smiling and vowing to each other to make it back in one piece. It brought you unexpected joy to see such strong commitment between friends. Such ferocious loyalty and love for one another brought forth both memories of the past and now. As if sensing this, Celestia brushed you with her wing.

"She's quite the motivator, hmm?" she whispers.

"Aye. They all get along so well, it's no wonder you entrusted them with such great power. Seeing their friendship gives me some hope of my own."

"As it should. Twilight is a very special mare, as well as her friends. In time, I had hoped to name her my successor."

"And have you done so yet?"

"In time I will. With each trial she proves herself to be more and more capable. I had been thinking to retire one day after I had assured Equestria's well-being in her hooves. But such a time has not yet come. I don't know how long it'll be, but I know one day she will eventually grow to be even wiser and kinder than I. Maybe then Luna and I can finally take a break from all this."

She sighed, rubbing her temples with her wings.

"...You once asked me what I planned to do after this was over, and I told you I may travel. One could always use company on those empty roads."

"Are you asking me to?"

"I am. There's no one I'd rather more than-"

You're cut off by a monstrous crackle of lightning, striking all around the ship. The deafening thunder soon followed by the commanding roar of Judea.

"Solomon Khalifa! Sandalphon! I would have words with you both!"

You furrow your brow, clenching your fists as you slowly part from Celestia. Discord appeared beside you, stroking his beard and raising one bushy brow. A light came down from the ashen sky, calling to you both, a light originating from the eclipse.

"Well, we better go see what our guy wants." Discord said with a sigh.

You look back to Celestia, her face just as troubled as yours. But she nods, entrusting you to Discord's hands for now. With a tentative smile, you wave at her as Discord lifts you into the air. You watch the ship shrink smaller and smaller below you as you climb higher into the sky. From so high, you can see the land for miles in all directions. Darkness devouring the entire world. Before you know it, you're standing face-to-face with Judea, Heaven's Door behind him and the dark sun above your heads. You let go of Discord and walk forward, folding your arms in discontent.

"We're here now. Say what you must and be done with it. I mislike meeting with you so far from others."

Judea slouched in his throne, resting his head on a solid mighty fist. His golden eyes moved between you and the draconequus, taking in every detail. Finally, he spoke, his voice much calmer.

"I was unaware one of my own was helping you. Had I known, I would have given you less time. But how fitting is this? Just as I had lost a brother back then, I lose another now. The universe is toying with me. It amuses itself by making enemies of those who I would seek to cherish."

"You made enemies of us the moment you sought to dominate this world. Do you not see what you are doing, Judea? You're raising an army just to beat this world into submission. Do you think they will worship you once you have destroyed their homes? Trampled their fathers, mothers, even children? What you're doing is turning the world against you without even lifting a finger. You've become the enemy of an entire world!"

You stare him deep in the eye, trying to judge if there was any trace of the humanity he evoked so often. But upon meeting his cold, empty stare, you find nothing.

"Be that as it may, I will not allow these creatures to go on living in such a chaotic world. They lack order, a clearly defined way of life. They have become just as free and disgusting as humans. They need a being to shepherd them, and if not I then who? They've already given themselves to gods, incompetent ones at that. Ones who condone their sinful lifestyles. They make a mockery of the gift of existence."

Judea looked past you and out into the world he sought to rule. In his contemplation, he had become disgusted with it. Whether or not that was due to the addition of Mettatron's soul, or his own personal feelings, no one could say. He and Mettatron were one in the same. He looked to Discord, who still maintained his somewhat carefree and aloof nature.

"Why do you assist the enemy, Sandalphon? Have you been so corrupted that you would raise arms against your own brother? Have you given yourself to the empty idea of freedom, and spoiled yourself with the unpredictable? Such shamefulness, that you of all would sink so low."

Discord began filing his claws, kicking back on a small stool.

"I won't pretend I'm doing this for some selfless and grand reason such as 'the magic of friendship' or 'the sake of all that's good'. That's never been who I was, really. To put it simply, I'm doing this because a world under your rule would be an intolerable boredom in which I would be likely to end my own life. All those years ago, I helped Solomon and Judea break those seals so that I may finally escape from you and the trite Kingdom of Paradiso. And what I found here was chaos unending. Even now unpredictability courses through this world, without my influence. I for one could never give that up simply because you want to move in. So I suppose I'll give these little god-killers the tools they need to send you packing."

Judea then closed his eyes, his wings slowly waving back and forth. The silence was occupied by the harsh storming winds that blew around you in all directions. A storm at the center of world's end, ever ravenous, always churning. In the storm, images appeared. Entire armies of dragons, yak, griffins, changelings, cyclopes, diamond dogs, gargoyles, hippogriff, all converging on one single location. The armies of this world uniting for the first time in history in order to defend their world from one godly man who thinks himself their ruler.

"Do you think these creatures will help you, Khalifa?" Judea started. His eyes were once again open, glowing harshly as you peered into the storm. "This world's armies gather at the end of the world, just to meet their deaths. And you'll let them. Just as you allowed me to wither away into nothingness. That moment you stood between me and Paradiso, you condemned me!"

"Nay. It's not that I condemned you. It's that I saw what your lust for immortality was doing to both you and our world. They are coming here to fight the very thing I tried to prevent! I wanted to stop all this, stop that damned door from ever opening, stop you from becoming the monster I see before me now!"

"Then you would hide behind your fodder and sacrifice lives to prolong your own? I have noticed you are armed. Why, any one of those weapons could mortally wound me. So why is it you've yet to attack me? After all, we are alone up here. You could finish me off, ending this war before it even begins. I'll tell you the reason, Khalifa. It is because you don't have what it takes to kill me, to end the life of the one who wears this face. So you would hide behind others, hoping they would kill me and spare you the grief. After all, you're used to sacrificing lives for your own selfish intentions, hm? Have you told that alicorn of fifty soldiers you killed, just to save her? Of that captain you so kindly shot in the back of the head, all because of revenge?"

Your hand finds its way to your revolver and approach him. Discord takes notice and sits up, eyes widening. Judea remains motionless as he watches you approach and draw the gun. Before long your standing before Judea, his cold golden eyes looking up at you.

"I've accepted what I am. I've made my peace with all my sins, and I'll eventually confess them to her. But even now, I have no shame for what I did. I feel sorrow for the lives that were lost because of me, but I cannot regret. Regretting would only prove my resolve to be weak. And if I have to add your life to the death toll, then I have no apprehensions."

"Hmph. Such bold words. But I know your heart. There is nothing about you that I cannot see. Your heart lays bare before me."

He continues to stare up at you as you place the barrel of the gun against his forehead. Judea calls your bluff with a tiny smirk. What follows is a loud bang. In that moment time slowed, or at least, it appeared to as Judea quickly moved his head to the side to avoid the shot. The stream of light grazed him, drawing immortal blood from the side of his head. His eyes were wide in horror and disbelief and for the first time, his calm and collected demeanor evaporated into nothingness. This time, it was your own cold eyes that stared down at him. A gaze so frigid and piercing, it could send him into madness.

The god bared his teeth, jagged fangs grinding into each other. A forceful gale then slammed into you, knocking you off your feet and sending you through the air and off the platform. Judea's furious howls of great malice pierced the hearts of all that heard. Discord flew down after you, catching you in his arms as the sky became riven with bolts of lightning.

As you land back onto the Radiant Dawn, Celestia rushes to you. Nothing needed to be said, for your body language said it all. The war was on. She stamped her hoof, turning wildly to address the crew, her wings at full mast.

"Weigh anchor! We take to the sky to meet the opposition!"

With a single unified cheer, the ship roars to life and begins its climb into the black heavens. The battle to decide the fate of the world would be fought in the skies above the cradle of Equestrian life.

Comments

[Charlemane]

This is the first story I've run across where you're recommended to read the sequel before the original. O.o

[Crooked Djinn]

8439983
This is actually the original. The First Immortal is actually a prequel.