IX.
Two hours into the day court, and Celestia was already at just about her limit. She sat on her throne, bored out of her mind as she listened to one of the cities nobles drone on about how the taxes on his business were too high. He was requesting that they be lowered, claiming that it would allow him to pay his employees better, but she knew that he would pocket most of the bits saved. It was times like this that she seriously considered changing the definition of the word; “Noble”. This wasn’t new of course, but it was still basically the worst part of her job.
“And so, this tax alleviation will allow an increase in profits, which will allow a raise in my employees salary of about .05 percent, which I’m sure we can all agree will have a very positive effect on the community as well as my company.”
Celestia looked at the noble, processing his claim. She looked to the side, then back to the noble.
“Well, Bit Pincher, that certainly was a well thought out proposal, and you definitely presented a decent argument.” The pony closed his eyes and raised his eyes with pride at the Princesses supposed praise.
“But, I feel that cutting the taxes for your business by 65% would allow you to raise your employees pay by more than just .05 percent. It seems to me that that would leave a large amount of excess bits that would not be paid to the nations taxes nor would they be put towards your employee’s salary. I don’t suppose you’d have any idea where those bits would go to, do you?”
“W-well, that money would go towards improving the company, as well as providing necessities for the higher ups in the company,” replied the stallion, getting a little nervous.
“I see…” said Celestia with her eyebrow raised. She saw the stallion noble start to shift his balance between his hooves, and looking increasingly nervous.
“I’m sorry Bit Pincher, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to deny this request.”
“But, did I forget to mention that-“ Celestia raised a hoof to silence the stallion, followed by a brief headshake. The noble got the message, and with his gaze focused on the floor, he turned to leave. Celestia sighed and shook her head. After a moment, she looked to the guard stationed at the foot of her throne.
“Alright, send the next one i-“ but she was interrupted by a loud booming sound, that rattled the very floor. Alarmed, Celestia jolted out of her throne, looking towards the direction that the sound came from. She galloped to the nearest window, and looked out to see the town in the distance, with smoke rising from one of the buildings.
“An explosion?” questioned the Alicorn. She then noticed a small black dot zooming towards the town. When she squinted her eyes she could make it out to be her human friend. “Roxas….” Just then, she heard the clopping of hooves on the stone floor. She turned to see a lone guard running at full speed. He made a sudden stop once he was inside the throne room, before stopping to catch his breath. After taking a few seconds, he took in a deep breath, and spoke to the Princess.
“Princess Celestia! There was an explosion in town. Sir Roxas has ordered guards to be dispatched, and has gone to investigate.” Celestia nodded in response.
“Alright, I’m going to make my way to town, and figure out what’s going on. Somepony tell my sister to meet me there.”
“Yes your highness,” replied one of the guards. Celestia nodded her head, and then teleported outside the castle. She then took flight; heading towards the town, praying that nopony had gotten hurt.
As soon as the battle started, Scorpan took to the sky with his wings, while Tirek used his magic to blast a large energy sphere towards me. I reared back my Keyblade, and spun like a tornado, sending the blast back towards Tirek. He gasped in surprise, before crossing his arms in front of his body to defend from the counter.
I glanced at Scorpan to keep myself ready for when he made his move and…he has a house…. in his hands. Not a full house, but he definitely had a chunk of a house in his arms. He raised the structure over his head and chucked it strait at me. Thinking quickly, I leaped in the air towards the oncoming projectile. I flipped my body, putting my feet above me, and as soon as they made contact with the side of the house, and pushed with my legs, sending it strait back at Scorpan. His eyes widened, and he put his hands in front of him to block. The house hit him, sending him backwards, but he was able to push the projectile off him before it pushed him down and crushed him.
The sound of Tirek yelling brought my attention back towards the Centaur. He was charging at me, with his shoulder reared to slam into me like a battering ram. As soon as he was in range, I cast my wind spell, which nocked him off balance. I then leaped up, and uppercut his face with my Keyblade. I then followed in quick succession with a series of strikes to the face.
Tirek took a swing at me with his fists. I blocked the first, but the second sent me flying into one of the buildings behind me. I crashed through the wall, landing inside one of the rooms. I rolled along the floor, before a bed stopped me.
With a hand holding my head, I hoisted myself up, and saw that through the hole I had made, Tirek and Scorpan had regrouped. Tirek looked like he was enjoying himself. I guess he was a battle junkie. As for Scorpan, he looked…uncomfortable. I had a feeling he didn’t really want to here. I’d even go as far as to surmise that Tirek was practically forcing him to help him with his plans.
It’s been years since I’d seen the show, but I still remember that Scorpan turned against Tirek, and helped in his defeat, at least I think that’s what happened. Maybe he was the key to stopping Tirek.
“Come out of there you puny little runt! I’m not done killing you yet!”
‘So, he wants a fight, huh? Alright.’ I had a move prepared that I had been developing, but hadn’t gotten a chance to use yet. But now…heh…well, let’s give it a go! I reared back my Keyblade, and charged my magical energy. I focused it around my body, and tensed my legs. Then, in a quick motion, I shot forward, with the tip of my Keyblade in front of me. I charged strait at Tirek, using my magic to propel me, strait into his gut.
My attack knocked the wind strait out of the Centaur’s lungs, as well as knocking him backwards. He fell backwards, landing on the ground with a thud. I landed on the ground. I then looked towards Scorpan, and raised my weapon in his direction. His eyes widened and he took a step back. Instead of attacking him, I lowered my blade, and then used my free hand to take the hood off of my head. I looked into his eyes, and tried to show some compassion.
“You don’t seem to like this as much as him. It doesn’t have to be like this, you know.”
“It doesn’t?” he asked unsure.
“No, it doesn’t. If you two leave now, and promise not to ever attack Equestria again, I’ll let you go.”
“That’s not possible, Tirek’s mind is set on conquering this land! There’s no way he would listen to me!”
“Then help me stop him!” I pleaded.
“I-I couldn’t do that! Tirek would kill me if I went against him! Besides, he’s my brother…I, I have to stand with him.” I looked down to the side. He was loyal and afraid of his brother, which meant it wouldn’t be easy to get him to switch sides. But it was possible. I just needed some time to talk to him. Unfortunately, my time ran out, when I felt my entire body being compressed. I shut my eyes and grit my teeth as I was lifted into the air. I opened my eyes to see that Tirek was gripping me in his hands, and squeezing me like a vice.
“You’re quite the agile opponent. But strength surpasses all other factors!” He then reared back, and threw me strait into the sky. The wind whipped past me, as I tried to orient myself, unfortunately, I was going too fast. I bent my neck and saw that I was fast approaching the ground. I crossed my arms, and braced for the fall. Only, it didn’t hit. The wind stopped whipping in an instant. I saw that I was floating in the air. I looked around, confused as to what had happened, when I saw a familiar face.
“Celestia!” The Alicorn Princess was hovering in the air, with me in her magical grasp.
“It seems I arrived at just the right time Roxas.”
“Yeah, you could say that,” I replied. Celestia slowly and gently set me down on the ground, and as soon as my feet touched the ground, she released her magic.
“Are you alright Roxas? You aren’t injured are you?” she asked with concern.
“No, I’m alright. Glad you’re here though. Where’s Luna?”
“I told a guards pony to fetch her. She should be here soon.” As soon as she said that, there was a bright flash, as Luna teleported right next to us.
“I’m here!” said the Lunar Princess. She looked to her sister, and then me, before greeting us. “Ah, Celestia, Roxas, good, you’re here. What the situation?”
“We’re being attacked,” I said with a serious tone of voice.
“Well, then, let’s go kick some flank!” asserted Luna, and the two sisters started to move forward. I held out my arms to stop them.
“Wait, I need to tell you who we’re fighting first!”
“Oh, yes of course. What have you found out Roxas” questioned Celestia.
“There’s two of them, brothers. The big red one is called Tirek. He’s strong, and he can steal magic.”
“What?!” cried the two sisters at once.
“Yeah, he can steal magic. If he opens his mouth really wide, get away, or he’ll suck out your magic. The other is his brother. He…I don’t think he’s like his brother. He seems to be helping him out of either loyalty, or fear, but I don’t think he actually wants to be doing this. I think if we can convince him to change sides, it could make this a lot easier.”
“Thank you Roxas. We will take this into account. But for now, we must protect our ponies, from both of the aggressors,” said Celestia.
“I understand,” I replied. Just then, another explosion occurred behind us. We all looked to see another building going up in flames and smoke. Tirek was laughing like a maniac, enjoying the destruction.
“Tirek’s the key. We beat him, and we’ll end this quickly,” I said with a determined look on my face. The three of us faced the direction of the town. The sisters took to the sky, while I sprinted, and the three of us made our way towards the town.
Celestia and Luna landed atop another building, while I afterimage jumped and appeared between them. Tirek and Scorpan turned to face us. Scorpan looked nervous with the addition of two new fighters, while Tirek had a scowl on his face.
“So…you’ve brought help. It appears we’re too much for you, eh?” Celestia then stepped forward, and addressed the two.
“I am Princess Celestia, Ruler of the Sun, and this is my sister Princess Luna of the Night. We are the leaders of Equestria. We demand that you stop this at once! You’re hurting innocent lives! If you stop now, we will show you leniency. If you continue, we will have no choice but to bring you down!” Tirek chuckled in response.
“Perhaps we should listen to them brother,” said Scorpan.
“Nonsense! Look at these three! They’re all that stands between us and total control! And once I steal these three’s magic, I will be unstoppable!”
“Very well then. Prepare yourself Tirek!” yelled Luna. The two flapped their wings, and took to the sky. I afterimage jumped, and appeared behind Tirek, hitting his head with my Keyblade. He turned around, and tried to swat me like a fly. It was then that Celestia shot a blast of magic at him. I leaped away from him, just as the blast collided with him, pushing him back.
Luna flew close to him, using her magic like a ray gun, hitting Tirek, who used his hand to try to block it. He then turned to his brother and yelled at him.
“Don’t just stand there! Help me!” Scorpan nodded, and dashed towards Luna. I afterimage jumped, and came down on him with my feet from above, knocking him down. He hit the ground and tore up the dirt. I landed in front of him.
“You don’t have to do this! This senseless violence is pointless!”
“I’m sorry,” he said as he hoisted himself up, and swung at me with his arm. This rocketed me backward, causing me to slam into a fountain, crumbling the rock, causing me to tumble on the floor.
“Roxas!” cried Celestia.
“I’m Ok!” I replied, getting back to my feet. Celestia nodded, and turned her attention to Scorpan. She reared back her head, and used her magic to send a blast of magical energy towards Scorpan. He used his wings, and rocketed backward into the air, dodging the attack. He then dashed forward, towards Celestia. She teleported above him, and bucked downward, slamming him into the ground.
Meanwhile, Luna was using her magic against Tirek, but he was now able to block it with his hand. He then let out a mighty yell as he charged a large last of energy, and sent it towards Luna. If it didn’t hit her, it was going to hit something, and that would mean a lot of destruction. I appeared in front of Luna, and cast a fire bolt towards the blast.
The two shots hit each other, causing an explosion of heat and light. No buildings were hit, but Luna and I were propelled backwards. I tumbled along a roof, while Luna slammed right into a chimney. The two of us took our time getting back to our feet, groaning along the way.
“We need…to finish this,” I said between breaths.
“Agreed,” replied Luna.
“I’ll distract Tirek, while you two hit him with everything you’ve got!”
“Right,” said Luna with a nod, and then she took to the sky, making her way towards Celestia. The solar princess was still fighting Scorpan, while Tirek was making his way towards the two, with the intent of taking Celestia by surprise.
“Hey Tirek!” I yelled, as I threw my Keyblade directly at him. He turned his head to face me, and at that moment, my weapon collided with his face. His head jolted back, and the Keyblade returned to me. I then began running the opposite direction that the Princesses where in, while firing fireballs at him. They didn’t hurt him much, but they got his attention.
“You annoying little insect! I’ll crush you!” Tirek then started galloping in my direction. He swung his fist down on the roof I was on, and I dodge rolled forward, evading his hit. He then swung his hand towards me, which I back flipped over. I then dashed forward, and swung my blade at his face, over and over. Enraged, he clenched his fists, and let out a scream. At the same time, he sent out some kind of magic pulse, which blew me backwards. I flew through the air once again, but this time, I was able to recover, and land on a rooftop.
“Do you really think you can beat me?” questioned the Centaur.
“Definitely,” I replied.
“Ha! Though I must admit, your skills are quite impressive. And, I have never seen such magic that you wield before. That weapon…it’s powerful isn’t it. He he…once I drain your magic, I will wield it for myself!”
“I wouldn’t count on that,” I replied.
“Oh? And why is that?”
“You weren’t chosen. That’s how this weapon works. It’s a weapon of light, not darkness. You could never wield it.”
“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
“Hey Tirek!”
“What?”
“Look behind you!”
“Please, as if I would ever-“
“Tirek!” As soon as he heard his brother call his name, Tirek turned his head to see a massive magical blast heading towards him. Celestia and Luna had grouped up, and had combined their magical energies to send an extremely powerful blast towards him. Unable to react in time, he crossed his arms in front of him, and prepared to take it all head on.
But, just as the blast was about to hit him, Scorpan leaped towards Tirek, and shoved him out of the way. The blast collided with Scorpan, creating an explosion of light and energy. This knocked the brother backwards, tumbling in the air, until he slammed into the ground. Tirek recovered, and looked at the sisters.
“You missed!” His moment of triumph was interrupted however, by the groans of pain coming from his brother.
“T-Tirek! Help!” Alarmed, Tirek turned to face the direction that his brother was now laying. Part of his fur was singed off, and there was smoke coming from his body.
“Scorpan!” actually concerned, Tirek raced to his brother, and kneeled next to him. He started checking his brother for injuries. After several moments, he stood up, and faced the sisters and I. He then lifted his brother’s arm over his shoulder, and helped him to his feet. The sisters landed in front of him, and I jumped and landed between them.
“Give up, you can’t win! If you surrender now, we will see to it that your brother receives immediate medical attention,” said Celestia. Tirek merely squinted his eyes, and growled.
“This isn’t over,” he said through grit teeth. He then lit his horn, preparing a spell. Acting quickly, I dashed forward, in an attempt to stop him, but unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough. There was a bright flash and I used my arm to shield my eyes from the light. When it subsided, both Tirek and Scorpan where gone.
“Damn it!” cried Luna as the two galloped forward.
“They teleported away!” said Celestia. I let out a sigh, and ran my hand through my hair, dematerializing my Keyblade.
“We need to find them, and finish them off!” said Luna, as she started moving forward.
“Wait!” I said as I put a hand to her wither. Both Princesses turned to look at me.
“What we need to do right now is make sure the citizens are ok, assess the damage and stuff like that. I’ll go looking for them myself.”
“It’s too dangerous Roxas, it took the three of us to beat Tirek alone,” said Celestia with concern.
“Don’t worry about me, I can handle myself.”
“I have to agree with Celestia on this one Roxas, we should hunt them down, and bring them to justice while they’re weak.”
“I know, but right now the two of you have to assure you’re people that everything is ok, and make sure they’re protected, and safe in the event of another attack. I’ll search for them, and let you know when I find them.” The two looked unsurely at each other for a few seconds, before turning back to face me.
“Alright Roxas, you scout ahead, and see where they went. In the meantime, Luna and I will help get things fixed up, and prepared for another attack.”
“Thank you. And don’t worry, I know this will all turn out alright.” We gave each other a compassionate smile, before I turned, and started running towards the Everfree forest.
What I didn’t tell Celestia and Luna however was that I actually wanted to get a chance to talk to Scorpan, one on one. I sensed good in him, and I knew he could be turned to our side, with a little work. I just needed to find him. But that wasn’t all. I also sensed some good in Tirek, however little it might be. He seemed genuinely concerned for his brother. Maybe if I could turn Scorpan, together, we could convince Tirek to stop his rampage as well. It was a hope, but I had no idea if it would work.
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
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I can't wait for the next one and this story is definitely the best! Keep up!!!
7215631 thanks, will do!
Great chapter my friend! I can't wait to see what might happen next!
7215871 Thanks!
7216139 Of course!
I don't want to wait...but I have to. Wonder what'll happen next?
Can't wait for the next chapter
7216389 Me too. Now if only my secret writing slave would work faster...
7216436 Have you brought out the whips yet? Slaves love those.
I like how you actually put in decent description's of what is going on in the fight. One of my biggest peeves is that most displaced that have fight scenes just skim right over them.
I am know a nobody named Torbrex
7268218 Thanks for pointing those out, they're corrected now