Author's Note: Plans for the Future500 words

Chapter One: Ere the Sun Rises

A sharp, stabbing cold flooded through me, as though a thousand icy spears had skewered me from all angles, and were now being threaded through my carcass. My body then sprang to life, and with a quivering lurch, I broke into a series of heavy gasps. I tried to open my eyes, but all I could see was a blinding flash of white. Eventually it subsided, and as my muscles relaxed and my vision returned to me, I found myself lying on the floor, in a pool of my own blood, with the crystal sword still in my hand. Letting go of it, I scrambled to my feet, continuing to gasp and groan as a feral, animalistic shock coursed through my mind.

I was alive, with my every wound healed by the divine magic of Vitra ‘Aku, the Titans’ Sword. Looking down at my chest, I found a hole in my clothing from where the protruding kirikan’s claw had pierced it, and yet its lethal appendage was nowhere to be seen. I then spotted its sharp tip on the floor, having fallen off after the rest of it had seemingly disintegrated inside me.

Still in a state of shock, I lowered myself to one knee and picked up the sword again, but before I could take the time to properly inspect it, I heard the approaching clatter of hooves. Turning around, I spotted the girls galloping towards me, all rife with fear. At the sight of me, Twilight let out a wailing cry and charged at me at top speed, unable to hide the sheer terror in her face as she had expected to find me dead. Noticing all the blood, she still presumed that I was dying, and upon reaching me, she broke into a frantic sob.

“Oh gosh, no! Callum! Callum, we’re here! It’s going to be okay!”

Whipping around, she shrieked for Fluttershy, which was when I put a hand on the mare’s chest and took a breath to calm myself down.

“It’s… alright.” I sighed.

“No.” the mare groaned, shaking her head, “No, I’m not letting you die. Please, Cal… Please just hold on!”

“Twi.” I said gently, “I’m okay.”

Moving my hand from her chest to my own, I used my fingertips to press into where the claw had emerged, and without an ounce of pain to be felt, I started to smile.

“I’m… I’m not dying.” I assured her, “I’m okay.”

Blinking rapidly, the mare looked at me with confusion, as did the others as they crowded around me.

“Wha-... But… You… I don’t understand.”

“Yeah, I’m trying to wrap my head around it too.” I confessed.

“I thought you got stabbed by a kirikan?” said Applejack, tilting her head.

“Not to mention you’re covered in blood!” Rarity added.

Standing up straight, I told them that I had been stabbed by a kirikan, with its claw passing all the way through my chest and puncturing my right lung. I then held up the sword in my hand, and told them how I had died holding it, only to wake up perfectly fine again, with the injury completely healed.

At the mention of me dying, everyone gasped, and for but a brief moment, they didn’t even care about the sword. They were just happy I was alive, and now crying with relief, Twilight hugged me as tightly as possible, uncaring to the blood as it smeared across her fur. The others were just as unbothered, all desperate to put their hooves around their beloved friend, of whom they all genuinely believed had been lost to them. Soon enough though, their attention shifted back to the sword, with the ponies all staring with wide eyes at the sacred relic. It glowed with a brilliant azure, lighting up our mesmerised faces as we all inspected it.

Almost identical to an Ancient Greek xiphos, the weapon was a genuine marvel. Made almost entirely from titanstone, the body of the weapon was that of a glowing blue crystal, semi-transparent and adorned with a flowing pattern. At the centre of the hilt was a spherical gemstone, glowing brighter than the rest of the blade, and appeared to house a glimpse into some otherworldly nebula, shimmering with blues, purples, and a flicker of orange. Without question, I knew this was the Divine Crucible, where souls taken by this blade would be transported, and refined into mana for me to consume. Swallowing, I thought about Stardust, and how I had destroyed him. My heart started to sink, which was when Twilight understood what I was holding, and stepped back with a sharp gasp.

“Wait, this is… Oh my gosh, Callum, this is… I think this is Vitra ‘Aku.”

Everyone turned to face her with confusion.

“Vitra what-now?” quizzed Rainbow Dash.

“Vitra ‘Aku.” she repeated, “It’s the Titans’ Sword, the weapon of the Titans’ Champion.”

“Wait, as in… the Titans’ Champion? From the old stories?” Rarity gasped.

“Granny used to tell me those stories…” breathed Applejack, “I thought they were made up.”

“My mother told me about them.” Twilight said in turn, “She told me everything. The Champions, the Calamities, the betrayal of Appelox, all of it. Only Stardust Moonshimmer, the Titans’ Champion could wield this sword, and the Regal Mother before him, along with the other Champions from ages past.”

“Then how is he holding it?” asked Fluttershy.

Knowing full-well that Stardust had been secretly living inside my head, I could tell in Twilight’s eyes that she was guessing it was because we were sharing this body. Clenching my jaw, I hung my head in shame and made the confession of the ages.

“It’s time you all knew the truth… Long ago, the former Champion, Stardust Moonshimmer, took his own life in front of the Titans’ Orb, pouring his soul into it to end the cycle of Calamities and Champions. When I touched the first shard in Brazil, his soul flowed into me, and since then, I’ve been hearing his voice inside my head. He was still alive, and he’s been helping me guide and protect you all. He didn’t want anyone knowing about him, so I kept him under wraps.”

Everyone’s eyes widened, even Twilight’s, who despite already knowing about this, was surprised that I was now bringing it to light. Now pinned down by their concerned looks, I continued.

“Over this half year, he became my friend, and if not for him, we wouldn’t be here. He helped me cure Twilight of the Fel, and he helped fight Nah’Lek’s shade. He’s the greatest hero who ever lived, and nobody even remembers his name. When that kirikan attacked me, we died together, but not before I found this sword. Our souls were taken inside, and we met the last living remnants of the Titans. They made us…”

Trailing off, I recalled the battle, and how I had emerged victorious, and closed Stardust’s eyes forever. Everyone remained silent, still processing the information, until Pinkie finally broke the stillness.

“Made you what?”

“They made us fight.” I sighed, “It was some ritual. They said that only one could inherit the mantle, that either Stardust came back to resume his role as Champion, or I stepped up to take his place. There was no negotiating.”

With tears in my eyes, I looked at Twilight, who had also come to befriend Stardust, and had looked up to him with all the admiration in the world.

“I killed him… He was my friend, and I…”

For a second time, I trailed off, and Twilight’s already-tearful eyes grew ever mistier. As for the others, they were quite simply star-struck, baffled by the revelation that an unsung hero had secretly been living amongst them, only to now have died, all without them ever knowing he even existed. Rainbow Dash then rewound the conversation, still unable to comprehend the sheer fact I had been momentarily deceased.

“Okay so, while I’m still processing that a whole other dude was living in your head, can we talk about the fact you were freaking dead? You actually… died, died, right? Like, you seriously bled out? Stopped breathing? Your heart stopped beating?”

“Please stop describing it.” Twilight whimpered, shuddering.

Swallowing, I nodded gently and said to everyone’s distress that I had well and truly been killed by the kirikan. I had felt my body shutting down, with my legs buckling beneath me, followed by the same creeping blanket of numbness that I had felt in the brainscapes, after being murdered by the shade of Nah’Lek. The kirikan had genuinely been the death of me, only for Vitra ‘Aku to incur my resurrection, possible only thanks to the soul of Stardust Moonshimmer. The mana attained from him had repaired my wounds and breathed life into me once again. Even in death, he had saved me. Knowing this, Twilight passed me a glance of understanding, conveying that despite the loss of our friend, she was thankful that I, not Stardust, had returned from the grave.

I wondered if that would still be the case, had Twilight known he had loved her…

“Wait just an apple-pickin’ minute.” said Applejack, “If Stardust’s dead, don’t that make you…”

“The next Champion.” Rarity whispered, finishing the sentence.

Gasping loudly, Twilight backed away from me, and suddenly dropped down, bowing to me in reverence. Applejack and Rarity followed suit, and while the other three weren’t quite sure of what was going on, they also bowed out of courtesy. And then, a most unexpected occurrence happened. With a trembling voice, Twilight Sparkle recited some sort of poem to me.

“O’ thee hath arrived before us all, with Vitra ‘Aku in tow.
Earned from the Champion before thee, with thy final killing blow.
Esteem for thee need not be earned, for knowledge of thee is told.
Thine being here is welcomed, though thy purpose shalt be cold.
For with Titans’ living blade anew, Calamity is sworn to trail.
So unto you we ask thee now, may thee halt its ending veil.
And when thy duty hath been done, may thy mantle lay to rest.
For when we art in need again, another may bear the test.
A newcomer that hath strength like thee, to fulfil thy mighty role.
For the world of Titans is forever guarded by possessor of regal soul.
We welcome thee, o’ living blade, we bow before thy thrall.
We hail to thee, thine Champion, o’ saviour of us all.”

Blinking rapidly, I gulped, struck by such a profound string of words. The poem was about me, but that wasn’t even the scary part. What concerned me more was that I knew exactly what it meant, as though I’d heard it before somehow. It was a welcoming recital for the new Titans’ Champion, a decree of acceptance that a world-ending Calamity was on the horizon. It was a poem for welcoming the apocalypse, and the one who would stop it, chosen by the very gods themselves.

“Thank you, Twilight. That was…”

“Creepy?” Rainbow Dash suggested, standing up straight again.

“I was going to say ‘beautiful’, actually.” I muttered, passing her a dull look.

I then ordered everyone to stop bowing at me, I assured them that I was the same person I was before, and that they didn’t need to treat me like some sort of royalty.

“Darling, what you are now goes beyond royalty.” said Rarity, “You’re the Titans’ Champion, the living blade of the gods who made our world! You are as important to Equus now as, dare I say it… Princess Celestia herself!”

“I have to concur.” Twilight admitted, “This is not just some title, Callum. You’ve become something that hasn’t existed for over two-thousand years. Champions don’t just prevent Calamities, they shape the future of the world. They’re an extension of the Titans, and have contributed to everything from the founding of Equestria, to the birth of the Princesses!”

“You really saw them?” Applejack inquired with a tilt of her head, “You saw the Titans?”

Holding the sword out, I pointed to the Divine Crucible within the hilt, and explained how it was a realm beyond time, and when the Titans had first created it, they had divested a portion of their souls into it. Not unlike a shade, each Titan existed as a spiritual duplicate of their former selves, where they would welcome their Champion, and destroy the souls of all others who entered, to be used as fuel.

“Fuel for what?” asked Fluttershy.

“For me.” I told her, “As Champion, I can consume mana now, to strengthen my soul and heal my body. That’s how I’m still alive. The mana from Stardust’s soul? It fixed me. Now, if I ever kill anything with this sword, their soul becomes fuel for me. It’s so I can become strong enough to stop the Calamity, and to keep myself alive until it gets here.”

“What do you think it’ll be?” asked AJ.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Twilight said quietly, “It’s Nah’Lek. He’s the Calamity.”

Nodding, I said that the Titans had outright confirmed that just like last time, Nah’Lek the Defiler was the next Calamity. Gulping, everyone thought about the things Twilight and I had said about him, and with a shared pang of sorrow, we realised that Twilight hadn’t just endured the torment of a demonic shade, she had survived six months with a living apocalypse inside her head. Sensing the darker shift in tone, Pinkie changed the subject by asking if I felt any different, now that I was Champion.

“I don’t know.” I confessed, “I think it’s too soon to say. This has all happened so fast, I’m kind of in shock to be honest. All I know is that I’m alive, and that I have this sword now.”

“What about that?”

Raising an eyebrow, I followed Pinkie’s hoof as it pointed to the pile of broken crystal on the floor, left from the podium where the sword had been when I found it. I was about to say that it was nothing of importance, only to spot something strange amidst the rubble. Frowning, I bent down to inspect it, and found that it was a most interesting thing indeed.

From the crumbled remains, I retrieved a small oval-shaped object, no bigger than a wallet. It had a thin clasp on one side, for fastening to a belt or a waistband, and on the top was a curved dip with a horizontal slot, which seemed to perfectly match the width of the Titans’ Sword. Frowning, I wasn’t quite sure what it was, which was when Twilight inhaled sharply, in possession of the answer.

“It’s a void sheath!” she exclaimed.

“A what?” I asked.

Proudly raising her chin, she explained how void sheathes were vessels for weapons. Small, lightweight, and bigger on the inside, they existed for ponies to store and carry armaments. They were made with void magic, no different to the girls’ enchanted saddlebags. Supposedly they had been used by high-ranking soldiers for time immemorial, even before the time of the Princesses. These days, only the Royal Throneguard had them, making them practically unheard of to common folk who didn’t live in the capital. During his time as Captain of the Guard, Shining Armor had one, which was how Twilight knew what it was.

I was quick to test it, and found myself mesmerised as I inserted the sword, and watched as the blade completely disappeared inside it, leaving nothing on display but the handle.

“Wow.” I muttered, raising my eyebrows, “That is incredible.”

My mind then began to spin, with the shock continuing to ebb at my composure. This was all too much, and as I tried to process everything going on, I couldn’t help but doubt my readiness for this new chapter of my life. How was I supposed to conduct myself as Champion? Did I need to act differently? Was I supposed to be more formal now? Would I need to compose myself like Hawnu Rey’eng, and be all mysterious and biblical in my mannerisms? Was I still the same Callum? Or was I now this… new Callum?

“Darling, are you alright?” asked Rarity.

“Uh, yeah.” I murmured, “Sorry, this is just a lot for me to take in.”

“You ain’t the only one.” AJ scoffed, “I’m here trying to wrap my head around the fact you were sharing your body with some pony from the past.”

“Not to mention you’re this… Champion thingy now.” added Rainbow Dash.

“And that you, um… died.” Fluttershy mumbled.

“How about we set up camp?” Rarity suggested, “I think we could all do with sitting down with something to drink, and getting our bearings more calmly.”

We were all in full agreement, and started making our way out of the room and back to the large oasis. Along the way, Fluttershy asked if she could make absolutely sure that I wasn’t hurt, and given the sheer amount of blood on my clothes, I was happy to strip my top half to prove that I was unharmed. As the cloth shirt came off, everyone gasped.

“Callum, your… your scars!” Rarity exclaimed.

Looking down, I found that it was less the scars she was referring to, but rather the lack of them. It wasn’t just the injuries from the kirikan that my friend’s soul had healed, it was everything. The claw marks from the mutant queen, the machete cut from Inigo, and the burns from my fight with Twilight, it was all gone. Vitra ‘Aku hadn’t just healed me, it had restored me, renewing every fibre of my being.

“Holy shit.” I breathed, before letting out a gasp of my own, “I’ve got two nipples again!”

At that, I started feeling the inside of my mouth with my tongue, and found that my broken tooth, sustained in Portugal during my beating, had also been restored. Breaking into a smile, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I had always been something of a purist, and hated the notion of things being wrong with me. Though I had accepted my scars, I certainly hadn’t wanted them, and now I was completely and utterly blemish-free.

“Aww, I thought they were hot.” Rainbow Dash grumbled.

We all passed her a judgemental look, to which she shrugged, proudly standing by her conviction. Tutting and rolling our eyes, we redirected our focus back to me, with Twilight suggesting I use the waterfall by the oasis to wash the remaining blood away. I did just that, and as the cold water tumbled upon my bare, unmarred form, I returned to thinking about my new place in this world.

For such an overwhelming day, the evening was a rather nice one. With the tents set up, we sat around the fire with some hot cocoa, and slowly made peace with the passing of today’s events. From losing the Buggy in the sandstorm and nearly roasting to death on the surface, to me literally dying to a creature from the Everfree Forest, only to ascend as the new Titans’ Champion, it had been one hellish twenty-four hours. As we talked about all that had transpired, Twilight spent the whole time resting up against me, for my death had rattled her to the core, more than the others. With an arm around the unicorn, I lightly stroked at the fur on her shoulder with my fingers, and I couldn’t help but think about Stardust.

In his final moments, my friend had confessed to me his love for this mare, and now here I was, holding her close, comforting her. The more I thought about it, the more obvious his affections had been. During that game of truth or dare, he had been the one calling for me to kiss her, and when we held her for the first time after destroying Nah’Lek’s shade, he had openly said he was glad to be doing so.

It didn’t make sense to me though. Stardust had been in love with Celestia, which even in his dying confession, he confirmed to still be the case. In the memories I had observed in dreams, I had even heard the sun goddess calling him her ‘Little Star’, implying their relationship was a most intimate one indeed. How could he then love another, at the same time no less? While I had no judgement regarding polyamory, it still seemed odd to me that in just six months of sharing my body, most of which had Twilight treating me with the utmost contempt, the stallion had fallen for her. Something didn’t quite add up, especially given his additional claims to have ‘slept with half the kingdom’, to quote his own words.

Either way, he was dead now, so I guessed that I would never know. All that mattered was that I would uphold his dying wish, and help Twilight to overcome the damage she had suffered at Nah’Lek’s behest, and once again see in herself that she was beautiful. I wondered if I ought to tell her, to let Stardust’s love for her be known. Perhaps it would help her? If the former Titans’ Champion, and lover to Princess Celestia, could also find room in his heart for Twilight Sparkle, then surely she couldn’t be quite as worthless as she thought?

But then, a worrying notion silenced this idea. What if, upon learning such a truth, Twilight would resent me? What if she came to hate the man who had killed her admirer? Perhaps her feelings would shift, and she would have rathered Stardust return from the grave, not I, so that they could nurture and share in this love? No, Stardust hadn’t asked me to tell Twilight he loved her, he asked me to tell her she was beautiful. Swallowing, I made the decision to keep his feelings unsaid, and strive to fulfil my promise in making her feel worthy of life.

On the very subject of Stardust, Applejack asked about him, inquiring as to what he was like, and what it had been like to live with an unseen passenger. It was a difficult question to answer, for it was such a unique experience. Sometimes, it was nice to have the company, and have someone far wiser than myself guiding my actions. He had kept me alive in Portugal, with his penchant for wartime strategy coming in handy during my time in both Paulo’s cartel, and in the Blood Family. He had also been a calming factor for me, providing reassurance in moments of panic, like when Twilight had separated me from the group, forcing me to walk for days on end without food or shelter. For the most part, it had been a pleasant experience, albeit a strange one.

Other times, however, it had been difficult. When we had argued, there was no ability to walk away, even if just to gather my thoughts. There had been a huge learning curve in spending every waking moment as a duo, knowing that my every word and action was under scrutiny from an onlooker. Since Brazil, I hadn’t been given a moment of privacy, and it wasn’t always easy knowing that he was there, always watching, always partaking. From my passionate nights with Bunnie, to the simple act of taking a shit, Stardust was there for everything, experiencing it just as I was. Not that I had felt the need lately, but even personal things like touching oneself had been affected. In the few instances I had wanted to relieve some stress, the mere presence of Stardust had made it impossible, for I hadn’t exactly felt up to pleasuring a dead stallion as well as myself. In short, for all the upsides there had been to such a unique predicament, there had been many a downside as well.

“Wait… you don’t mean… he was there when we boned, right?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Chuckling nervously, I gave her an awkward toothy smile, unsure of how to answer. Needless to say, her eyes bulged wide open, as did everyone else’s. At first, I expected her to be upset, or perhaps grossed out by the fact she had been technically sleeping with two people at once, without even knowing it. However, once the alarm from such a revelation settled in, the pegasus’ lips formed into a devilish smirk.

“I’ve been having three-ways with some ancient pony hero from the past? Cool…”

Twilight shifted uncomfortably, and Rarity and Applejack both rolled their eyes with exasperation. Fluttershy stifled a giggle, while Pinkie Pie just looked at the mare blankly.

“What’s a three-way?”

“Never you mind, Pinkie.” Rarity said sternly.

Quickly changing the subject, Twilight asked that since absorbing Stardust’s soul, if I now had a regal soul like he did. Not knowing what that meant, I asked for elaboration, which she happily gave.

“A regal soul, named after the Regal Mother, is a soul that’s surpassed its natural strength. It’s made up of an abnormally large amount of mana, and gives the owner certain powers, like the inability to age. It’s something only the strongest beings have, like Princess Celestia, Discord, Hades, and obviously Princess Luna. All the previous Champions were known to have one as well, which makes sense, given their ability to make their soul stronger.”

Putting my mouth to one side, I gave the honest answer that I didn’t know. I certainly didn’t feel any different, and suggested that with how much mana had been spent bringing me back to life and healing me, there hadn’t been much of Stardust’s soul left to strengthen me. In short, I was still very much a mortal, and would likely need to consume many more souls before my own could be considered a ‘regal’ one. Rainbow Dash then made some off-comment about it being a good thing that I was so used to killing people now, and although she followed up by saying she was just joking, it still stung.

“I don’t want to be in this position, you know.” I grumbled, “Everything I’ve done, I’ve done to protect those I care about, and even as Champion, that’ll remain the case. I’m not just going to go on a killing spree to bolster my damn soul, that’s not who I am.”

“We know.” Twilight assured me, “None of us are expecting you to do that.”

The others nodded and hummed in agreement, and with that, we dropped the subject. However, even if unspoken, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. With a sense of indignity, I wondered how many lives I would take from this point onward. Stardust had fought in the Repugnant War, and had likely killed hundreds throughout his time as Champion. If I had any hope of beating Nah’Lek, would I need to do the same? What would it cost to make me strong enough to fight a demonic, Titan-born demigod, with a regal soul of his own? Could I ever live up to Moonshimmer’s legacy? I started getting lost in the question, and without Stardust in my mind to help bring me back to Earth, I yet again found myself in a state of overstimulation. Thankfully, Twilight was able to ground me again by asking about the Titans, specifically what they looked like.

“They were… incredible.” I huffed.

I looked off beyond the girls and pictured those magnificent beings in my mind. I described them to the others, at which point Rainbow Dash said that they sounded suspiciously like the girls, or at least, bore traits that seemed rather similar.

“Not to mention the names.” Rarity added, “Twilus, Pinkaísthima, Appelox… Surely I’m not the only one seeing a likeness?”

“I mean, we all represent the Elements of Harmony, which the Titans created.” Twilight pointed out, “Even with fate being fractured by Appelox, it still exists to some degree. I used to think us all becoming friends was just a coincidence, but I see now that it was our destiny, so it stands to reason that we were all born to reflect the Titans in some respect. Back when they were still alive, they probably willed it so that one day, six ponies bearing their image would inherit the Elements.”

“That’s one mighty big theory there, Twilight.” said Applejack.

“You can say that again.” I murmured, “You might be on to something though.”

Trilling her lips, Rainbow Dash seemed more opposed. She didn’t like the idea that her ‘awesomeness’ as she put it, was just because some dead god had envisioned it. She liked the thought of being original and self-made, and the notion that she may have been designed to some degree repulsed her. Shrugging, I appeased her by saying that regardless of what the truth was, it didn’t matter now. The Titans were dead, and though their written fate still existed, it was frayed and broken. Though some things on Equus might still occur because the Titans once willed it, the future was still in their hooves, more so than anypony before them.

“I’m glad to hear it.” huffed Rarity, raising her chin into the air, “I still plan to open a boutique in Canterlot one day, and I’ll be damned if those Titans stand in my way.”

Everyone chuckled at that, and Applejack followed up by suggesting we all got some sleep. We were all exhausted from such an eventful day, and even with my body completely restored, my spinning mind left me yearning to switch off. With that, we put out the fire and turned in for the night.

Our sleeping arrangements remained as they had been, with Applejack and Fluttershy in one tent, Twilight alone in another, while me, Rarity, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash all slept in the largest one. In spite of our intimacy since Portugal, I didn’t feel like any funny business with Dashie, mostly due to how overwhelmed I was. The pegasus respected this, and with my arm draped across her, the two of us fell asleep.

What a day…

Over the following week, we decided to stay based at the oasis for a while, to regain our strength after such a harrowing excursion in the desert above us. This gave us plenty of time to gather ourselves, and for us to search around the temple for the fourth piece of the Titans’ Orb, which we came to accept wasn’t here. Hawnu Rey’eng had led us to this place solely to find Vitra ‘Aku, and unless he planned on showing us where to go now, we were stuck not knowing where our next destination was.

As for the temple, our studying of the place had led to a few discoveries. Firstly, we had found the origin of the water, thanks to Rainbow flying up to the top of the waterfall. There was essentially a massive reservoir, transporting fresh water to every corner of the temple. As for how it was still full, we could only presume Hawnu Rey’eng stopped by every so often to top it up, discerned by the various carvings of him on the walls, depicting him bringing water to a crowd of people.

Speaking of people, we had found the temple’s residents. Through yet another passageway, we had uncovered a crypt of sorts, teaming with scores of human skeletons. In life, it seemed that they had worshipped the winged Guardian, venerating him as their own personal god. From this, Twilight deduced that when Nah’Lek had destroyed the Titans’ Orb and sent it to Earth, Vitra ‘Aku was sent with it, and upon arriving here in the Sahara, Hawnu Rey’eng had come to secure it. To achieve this, he had likely amassed a group of followers, and helped them to build this place. From there, they had lived underground in secret, surviving on the endless fresh water, along with the fruiting vegetation found in the oasis. In return, they protected Vitra ‘Aku, rigging various traps in the upper levels, and remaining in perfect isolation for their whole existence.

All the carvings and murals found throughout the temple supported this narrative, and we pieced together that the ancient culture had thrived for thousands of generations, only to gradually die out. Given the malformity in some of the skeletons, we deduced that without contact with the outside world, the gene pool had grown stagnant, with inbreeding leading to more and more health defects, until at last, the people died. As for the kirikan, we theorised that Hawnu Rey’eng had paid a visit to the Everfree Forest, and brought the creature here to safeguard the temple, long after his worshippers had died off. In truth, none of this really mattered, something that Rainbow Dash had been quick to point out, but for those of us with an interest, namely Twilight and myself, it had been fun to work out the logistics of things.

It was now the middle of the night, and all was quiet, save for the distant churning of the waterfall. And then, a blood-curdling scream tore into the silence, at which point my eyes shot open. Bursting into a sprint, I charged over to Twilight’s tent, with my hand firmly on Vitra ‘Aku’s handle, ready to engage. The other girls emerged from their tents and followed suit, but as I pulled open the fabric doorway and peered inside, I quickly realised what was happening, and my heart sank to the pit of my stomach. The fearsome adversary was no man, nor beast, it was little more than the memories of unspeakable torment. Whimpering like a frightened child, Twilight Sparkle sat up, having woken from another one of her traumatic night terrors. She was shaking like a leaf, and upon spotting me, she lunged forward and planted her face into my chest, jabbing my neck with her horn, hard enough to hurt. I put my arms around the poor thing, who jolted and twitched emphatically as her body continued to perceive the fading remnants of an indescribable manner of pain.

“It’s alright.” I said softly, “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

She responded with a spluttering sob, slathering my collar with her saliva.

{Thanks for that.} I muttered in thought.

Continuing to hold and hush her, I twisted my head to the others, all of whom stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

“You all head on back to bed.” I told them, “I’ll keep an eye on this one.”

Nodding, everypony backed away, yawning and rubbing at their weary eyes as they returned to their slumber. Meanwhile, I kept holding Twilight until her crying came to a halt. She tried to apologise, but I would hear none of it.

“You’ve not done anything wrong.” I assured her.

Sniffing, the mare wiped her nose and took a shaky breath, and after a moment of silence, she asked me why I was still up.

“How did you know I was?”

“You’ve still got your boots on. You never took them off when we all went to bed. You’ve been pacing around the sword room again, haven’t you?”

“Observant as always.” I sighed.

Nodding, I confirmed that I had been in the hall where I had first found Vitra ‘Aku. It was the room I had died in, with a dry patch of blood marking the spot where I had breathed my last. Though the passing days had given me time to grow accustomed to my new title as Champion, I had continued to struggle with it. It was less about being chosen by the gods to stop Nah’Lek, and more that I feared the person I might become to do it. Rainbow’s off-comment had stuck with me, and I was scared that I would become someone I didn’t want to be; a remorseless killer, standing proud atop an alp of bodies.

I had gone my whole life hating who I was, and since embarking on this journey, I had gradually come to embrace myself. This hadn’t been easy, especially after some of the choices I had made along the way. From getting involved in Paulo’s cartel, leading to Bunnie’s death, to joining the Blood Family and killing a boy younger than myself, my path was lined with guilt. In spite of that, I had chosen to look upon myself with acceptance. Now, this new frontier as the Titans’ living blade threatened to jeopardise that, and for as thankful as I was to still be alive, I couldn’t help but wonder if I should have let Stardust win. He was wiser than me, and had a level-headed grasp on what needed to be done.

Me? I was just a boy, trying his best to get it right.

“What if I lose myself, Twilight?” I asked her, “What if by the end, I’m a far cry from the Callum sitting here now? I don’t want to end up as some unfeeling psychopath, bathed in blood, just to match what Stardust was capable of. What if while I’m preparing to destroy a monster, I become one myself?”

“Oh, Callum.”

Pulling me towards her, Twilight flipped the script and started comforting me. Without argument, I let her presence soothe me. The soft fur on her chest rubbed against my cheek, and with a sigh, I closed my eyes.

“Listen to me, Cal. You are not a psychopath.” she told me, “You said it yourself, everything you’ve done, you’ve done to protect others. Stardust probably took more lives than we could ever dare to imagine, and in the end, was he a psychopath? Was he heartless and cruel?”

“No.” I rasped.

“Exactly. He was one of the nicest ponies I’ve ever met, and behind all that crass joking of his, I saw him for who he was. It’s not every day a pony is so pure that he can win the heart of Princess Celestia. Stardust was a good pony, and you are a good person. That is never going to change, Callum, ever.”

Inhaling deeply through my nose, I sat up and smiled, thanking the mare for her kind words.

“I mean it.” she breathed, smiling back at me, “Now, can you drop the pity party? I’m still here recovering from my own spooky memories to be dealing with your shit too.”

“Spooky?” I scoffed, taken aback, “That’s the word you’re going to use?”

“Would you rather I describe it more accurately?”

“Fair point.”

We both huffed with mild amusement, and promptly settled on calling Twilight’s night terrors ‘spookies’, as something of an irony, given how truly horrendous they were. To relive her torment, both seeing and feeling the unspeakable things Nah’Lek did to her, it nauseated me. All I wanted was to take it away from her. I would even endure them on her behalf if I could, anything to grant her respite from the hell she continued to suffer, even beyond the destruction of Nah’Lek’s shade. Still, there was no point wishing for things I couldn’t reify. All I could do was care for her, nurture her, and slowly bring about Stardust’s dying wish for her to see her own beauty again.

I then yawned, and seeing as I hadn’t slept yet, it dawned on me just how tired I was.

“Well, I should let you get back to sleep.” I said.

“Please don’t leave.” she begged, “I don’t… want to be alone.”

Tightening my lips, I conceded, putting my money where my mouth was and electing to provide what little care for the pony I could. Flopping down next to her, I used the crook of my own arm as a pillow, and started to get comfortable. Unable to hide her relief, Twilight got comfortable as well, and together, we drifted off.

The next morning, I woke to hear the sound of hooves outside the tent. Stirring, I rubbed my eyes and found Twilight still asleep next to me. She was clutching her pillow to her chest, with her head rolled back and a most unattractive expression painted on her face.

{Dork.} I thought, smiling at her endearingly.

Getting up, I left the tent to find most of the others all up, with only Rainbow Dash still yet to surface. They were eating breakfast and nattering amongst themselves, and upon spotting me, they greeted me with a round of hugs.

“Sleep well, Champion of the Titans?” asked Rarity.

“Oi, what have I said about calling me that?” I grumbled, halfway through my morning stretch.

Chuckling, Rarity poured a cup of tea for me, which I took with gratitude. Taking a sip, I emitted a soft hum and thanked the unicorn for making it.

“Well, I’m glad someone likes it.” she replied, glancing at Applejack.

“Oh, quit judging me just ‘cause I don’t like your hot dish water.”

Before they could ruin the start to my day with a squabble, I quickly asked what was for breakfast. The answer came as a bowl of oatmeal, plonked into my lap by Pinkie Pie, nuzzling my cheek with her nose as she did so. Feeling all the merrier, I munched away, polishing the bowl within the space of a minute.

“Well I’ll be, Sugarcube, hungry much?” Applejack laughed, “I s’pose you are a growing Champion after all.”

“Ugh, stop!” I groaned.

“So, how’s Twilight doing?” asked Fluttershy, changing the subject.

“She’s okay.” I replied, “She was able to get back to sleep, so hopefully she’ll be alright today.”

“I sure hope so.” AJ murmured, “It breaks my heart when she wakes like that.”

We all felt the same on that front, and were quick to move things along. We then dispersed a little, with Fluttershy going over to relax by the pool of water, while Rarity and Applejack did some cleaning around the camp. Pinkie Pie went off into her tent, only to come back out with a frown.

“Um, did anyone see Rainbow Dash get up? She’s not here.”

“What? I thought she was still asleep!” said Rarity.

We all went over to see for ourselves, and sure enough, Rainbow Dash wasn’t there. More confused than worried, I suggested she might have been in need of the bathroom or something.

“Unless she’s got something stuck up there, ain’t no way.” scoffed Applejack, “I’ve been up for hours, and I sure as apples didn’t see her leave.”

“What if she went up to the surface?” Rarity suggested, “Perhaps she was in need of spreading her wings?”

Shaking my head, I pointed out how over the past few days, she had been contented flying around the oasis. Even so, it couldn’t hurt to make sure. Volunteering myself to check the surface, I told the others to spread out and search the oasis for her, and to come and fetch me if she was found. With that, I set off, ascending the great stairwell that led to the upper levels of Hawnu Rey’eng’s temple.

I emerged from the hidden passageway and into the throne room, and in the dark expanse, I called out for Dashie.

“Rainbow! Rainbow, are you here?”

There was no reply.

{Maybe she really did go to the surface?} I pondered.

Making my way to the exit, I was just about to leave the throne room, when I heard the faint tapping of hooves. Turning around, I spotted her, emerging from behind one of the stone pillars, and as she stepped into the light, provided by the godflame brazier overhead, my heart skipped a beat.

“Rainbow…”

With blood trickling down her forehead and down one side of her muzzle, the cyan pegasus looked at me, her eyes so bloodshot that I could barely see the white of them. Her face was soaked with tears, and her nose was lined with snot. She had been crying, intensely, and save for the blood, she looked exactly like she did after Brazil, in the wake of her wings being plucked. This was the look of someone traumatised beyond reason, hardly any different to how Twilight had been last night.

Rushing towards her, I dropped to my knees and stared at her.

“What happened, Rainbow? What did this to you?”

Having clearly been crying for quite some time, she didn’t have the energy to cry any further, and simply convulsed silently in front of me, swaying back and forth as though she were about to pass out. Had something attacked her? Was there more than a kirkian in this place?

“Rainbow, sweetheart, what happened?” I asked for a second time, “Are you okay?”

Her eyes were distant, but as I moved my head to lock eyes with her, I was able to garner her focus. With her lips quivering, she slowly forced out a pair of words.

“I remember…”

Confused at first, I tilted my head.

“Remember what?”

Fixating on me even more, the mare inhaled, and as more tears left her eyes, she told me something I hadn’t at all been expecting, for such a fact had been lost on me these days.

“I remember what happened… the last time I was here.
I… I remember… I remember my daddy.”

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The Titans' Orb: Breaking Dawn - Mister Horncastle

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