• Published 15th Aug 2020
  • 4,360 Views, 59 Comments

Windigo Whisperer - Misty Shadow



What would you do if you were a human who could communicate with Windigos?

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The Storm Approaches

“This is the day I will go to hell…” Cloud Shroud told himself in horror as he looked into Beelzebub’s eyes.

A feeling of hopelessness overwhelmed him, and thus, his fire began to grow even dimmer…

*dwoom*

“Hmm hmm hmm.” Beelzebub chuckled arrogantly, sensing Cloud’s dread. “So I assume you’ve already forfeited? Then victory is mine!”

“Says you!” King Sombra exclaimed defiantly, his horn brimming with magic. “I don’t care if both these two are giving up! I’m not fighting for our victory, I’m fighting for my REVENGE!”

“No, Sombra, STOP!” Luna cried in concern. “You can’t defeat a demon with hatred!”

However, it was too late. Sombra fired a blast of magic at Beelzebub’s face, only for him to counter in the most unprecedented way...opening his mouth to consume Sombra’s magic.

“WHAT?!” Sombra yelled in disbelief.

“Both of you, TAKE COVER!” Luna shouted as she jumped at both Sombra and Cloud, holding them down to the floor with her forelegs and casting a spell that created a magical, blue shield around them.

“UUUUURRRRRAAAAAHHHHH!” Beelzebub roared as he spit Sombra’s magic back at the trio in the form of magical fire. However, because of the shield Luna had put up, the flames were repelled, leaving the three unscathed. This did not appear to annoy Beelzebub though. If anything, he looked amused.

“Ha!” he scoffed. “So the fearsome shadow king needs his ex-girlfriend to save his worthless flank!”

“RRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!” Sombra grunted angrily, his eyes turning green and oozing purple haze.

“STOP!” Luna yelled in rebuke. “Control your anger! Don’t you see?! He’s trying to rouse us to fury so that we’ll make rash and stupid decisions! He’s a demon, dark magic and anger are the fuel to his power! You need to cast aside your pride and work together with us!”

“Yes, that’ll work.” Sombra retorted sarcastically. “All we need to do is believe in the magic of friendship, and everything will work out. Only one problem. The only friends I’ve ever had betrayed me and the two by my side right now don’t actually trust me.”

“.....?!” Luna and Cloud were both astonished by Sombra’s sentiment.

“Sombra, you have to understand…” Luna attempted to explain herself. “I may have been suspicious in that moment, but I’ve always believed that you will change your ways in the end.”

“Sombra…” Cloud said in a perplexed daze. “Do you honestly see me as a friend?”

Beelzebub snickered, watching with interest. Sombra, feeling conflicted with the sullen expression on his face reflecting his mixed emotions, looked down at the floor before answering with…

“Honestly, I feel some part of me does. It puzzles me, because even after I promised Celestia and Luna I would reform, I still wanted to believe that friendship was just a means to an end. But then I felt something strange come over me after I met with Twilight. When I saw that she actually cared for her friends, I noticed an inconsistency in my beliefs. How in the world could I be fighting to protect you from that monster if I didn’t actually care about you? You had to mean something to me...but what?”

“I...mean something to you?” Cloud replied, feeling touched. “You didn’t just want my body?”

“How could I?” Sombra retorted. “It was your will that brought me to your body, allowed for the change. Everything is happening to you because you willed it, I explained that to you right from the beginning. It’s not possible for me to use you unless you want to be used.”

Cloud stood still and thought for a moment.

“Want to be used?” he pondered curiously. “Why would anyone want to be used? That’s the kind of thing people with no self-esteem want. People with no sense of security. People who have been deceived by intelligent sociopaths. People…”

Cloud then began to reminisce in regret how he had allowed himself to be so easily manipulated by Beelzebub, the very demon who now held the fate of his life in the balance, right after he had barked to Sombra about how he was done being used. For he was now starting to see the inconsistency in his beliefs...

“People...like me.” he finished.

*FWOOM*

“Hmm?” Beelzebub reacted in bemusement to a growing fire he could sense. “His power is returning?”

“The problem isn’t Sombra…” he confessed to himself. “It’s not the Windigos, it’s not Amoros, it’s not even the demon standing before us. It’s me. I was stupid enough to allow those Windigos who just wanted me for their own selfish purposes to use me from the start...and then when I had finally had enough, I just allowed this demon, the same demon who used them, to take their place. It doesn’t matter who’s using me. There will always be those in the world who just want to manipulate my fire to burn the way they want it to. What matters is me having the will to stand up to them! They can’t shake my will if I know who I am!”

Cloud’s fire continued to grow, concerning Beelzebub, who tried to mask his worry with a smug demeanor.

“Ho ho ho!” Beelzebub laughed derisively. “Are you to repeat the mistake of that failure of a king and give me another royal feast of hatred?”

Cloud, unmoved by his words, got up and pointed his right hoof at Beelzebub with a serious expression on his face.

“Don’t count on it for a second!” Cloud exclaimed confidently, calling his bluff. “Not only do I know now that hate can’t triumph over hate, I know myself! And a man who knows himself hates no one!”

Beelzebub and Sombra both gasped in awe, having the same thought…

“Knowing himself...he has completed the first stage of the test of his will...he’s finally set on the path to be given eternal life by the Book of Life.”

Sombra reminisced about the time he had been watching Cloud as a shadow the first time he came to the royal palace, knowing then what Cloud’s road to maturity would entail. He and the demon both knew full well that the following stage would be Cloud coming to know his hell…

“If I kill him now and send him to hell…” the demon pondered, beginning to reconsider his strategy. “He’ll be fully prepared to face the trials ahead and conquer them with a fire I won’t be able to manipulate in my favor...I have to tempt him and get him back in my clutches. Time to switch to Plan B…”

“Excellent work, Cloud!” Luna commended him. “You saw through his ruse! Now all we need to do is join together and-”

“HOLD ON!” Beelzebub abruptly proclaimed, interrupting her to the trio’s surprise.

“What’s the matter?” Sombra responded in a mocking tone. “Need some extra time to recite your last words?”

“I do have words I’d like to share,” replied a moderately irked Beelzebub, “and they most certainly won’t be my last. I would like to propose a compromise.”

“Compromise?!” Cloud cried in bewilderment. “What are you talking about?! We’re the ones with the upper hand here on a strict time limit! Why would we stop fighting now when we need to beat you to save my life?!”

“That is part of my negotiation.” Beelzebub answered, seeming sincere. “I wouldn’t dare allow you to die if you were to accept my offer. To show you how munificent I can be, I’ll even release the Windigos from the captivity of my soul in exchange for you merely hearing what I have to say.”

“.....” Cloud and Luna paused to think the demon’s words over but Sombra wasn’t buying any of it.

“Ridiculous!” Sombra scoffed. “Cloud, you can’t seriously-”

“It is ridiculous, no arguing with that.” Cloud conceded to Sombra’s right to be distrusting. “He would have to let the Windigos go at least before I’d consider his word worth anything. But Sombra, did you or any of us ever stop to consider before now...what might happen to the Windigos if we destroy Beelzebub?”

“No, because they are immortal ghosts, you fool!” Sombra retorted, not following Cloud’s line of reason. “Luna, surely you-”

“Sorry Sombra,” responded Luna meekly, leading Sombra to grunt, “but like Cloud, I also feel there is something we’ve overlooked. Destroying Beelzebub was our objective, but now, seeing these conditions, I think it just might be part of a trap. It is true that the Windigos can not die...but if they remain confined within Beelzebub’s soul after we defeat him for good...couldn’t they end up suffering with him forever in darkness? And then, how could they keep Cloud’s human body alive?”

“All conjecture!” Sombra stubbornly bellowed. “Worst-case scenario, the Windigos would merely be reaping what they’ve sown by making Cloud suffer through all this with their foolish trust in Amoros and I can keep Cloud’s human body alive if I have to! Come now, Cloud! After everything those wastes of vapor put you through, can you really forgive them?”

“Sombra…” Cloud answered solemnly. “The Windigos used me...just like you. If you were in their position, wouldn’t you want me to forgive you?”

Cloud had said this to Sombra while giving him a stern glare, a look Sombra returned before he grunted and looked the other way.

“It’s your call.” he finally admitted begrudgingly.

“I’m glad you want to do the right thing.” Luna lauded Cloud, by contrast.

“Beelzebub…” Cloud told the demon firmly. “You will release those Windigos from your captivity at once!”

Beelzebub smirked, faintly snickering…

“Very well…” he acquiesced, putting his claws together.

A bright light overwhelmed him as he willfully depowered himself, allowing the three Windigos, alongside an additional familiar figure, to escape. Sensing no danger anymore, Luna lowered the magical shield as Beelzebub shrunk to a miniscule shape. He was now merely an ordinary lizard, having only an extra eye as a distinguishing feature. Looking at Cloud, he put a finger to his eyelid and stuck out his tongue, apparently saying, “Psyche!”.

“Wait a minute…” a frustrated Cloud said in realization. “There was no offer! He just wanted the opportunity to flee!”

This proved true as Beelzebub began to retreat.

“OH NO, YOU DON’T!” Sombra cried angrily, blasting a spell of dark magic at the three-eyed lizard.

It was no use. The three-eyed lizard turned to shadow and disappeared.

“CURSES!” Sombra yelled furiously, stomping the floor with his hooves. “We could’ve had him! I TOLD YOU, CLOUD!”

“Relax.” Luna said to alleviate his agitation. “Beelzebub can’t do anything in that pathetic form of his now. With all his power gone, you should easily be able to defeat his influence. Cloud made the right call, as it seems he wasn’t just holding the Windigos hostage…”

Luna gestured to the figure that had materialized by the unnerved Windigos...Amoros.

“You!” Sombra exclaimed suspiciously. “Where did you come from?!”

“Like my followers,” answered Amoros in a sincere tone of voice, “I was trapped inside of the soul of Beelzebub. I’m sure you recall how he claimed to absorb the Windigos as I, but I assure you, that was a lie...mostly. I knew there was only so much time left before this secret of mine came out. I am indeed, the good half of his spirit.”

“That must be why you led us down the paths you did despite being a god of love…” Luna postulated sadly. “Beelzebub used you…”

“Correct.” Amoros affirmed. “I could never apologize enough for the sins of my evil half. The only thing I can do to atone for his crimes is to make every single one of them known to the Equestrian public.”

Luna was startled by this proposal.

“Do you sincerely mean…?” she asked with a look of shock on her face.

“Yes.” Amoros answered, closing his eyes and nodding. “I want everything brought to light. We shall make the order to Neighsay to declassify everything now.”

“Are-are-are-are you certain?!” a stuttering Luna exclaimed, flabbergasted and conflicted between her desire to tell the public the truth and her fear of the repercussions. “Sister and I have known for so long that the truth has to come out, but what will we do about Twilight Sparkle? She failed the test...she’ll be more emotionally vulnerable than ever...what will we-”

“That’s what we have these two for.” Amoros interjected, smiling confidently at Sombra and Cloud.

“What diabolic acts do you expect me to partake in?” Sombra retorted, still suspicious.

“Amusing words, coming from you.” Amoros gave a rejoinder, chuckling. “I just need you to carry on with what you were doing before, the plan you got Twilight to agree on. I know you came up with that plan believing you were rebelling against me, but trust me, it is only a rebellion against my evil half, Beelzebub. No matter what he claims, he is not I. I will prove this in offering you my full support in your plan to defeat him once and for all.”

“.....What does this plan of yours entail?” Sombra asked, making a skeptical grimace, still unconvinced.

“I empathize with your distrust,” answered Amoros in a gentlemanly tone, “but even you could not possibly perceive what I have planned as ill-natured. You and I both share a common goal, believe it or not. Neither of us want what my disciples want, a storm that will allow Equestria to understand their hate. And after what my disciples have been through, seeing just how deep-seated Beelzebub’s hate is, they have begun to reconsider their stance. However, their opinions are irrelevant now as the storm is inevitable. Beelzebub’s demonic influence has seeped too deep into the veins of Equestria, manipulating its government, the media, and the minds of the masses. Their hate is building, and soon, their hate will cause the Windigos to return once more, this time bringing a terrible storm with them. This is why no matter what, all of Beelzebub’s influence on the masses must be purged with the truth.”

Cloud, perplexed as he was by this sudden turn of events, could not find any fault in Amoros’ words. His motives had remained consistent with what he had told him in the past. First, he wanted him to save others from the storm, and now, he wanted Sombra’s help in stopping the storm too. His mind was not occupied with suspicion of Amoros, but instead, concern for the strangely quiet Windigos.

“.....” the Windigos were just hovering behind Amoros with nervous looks on their faces, as if they were asphyxiated. Cloud stared at them and began pondering.

“I can feel it…” Cloud told himself in thought, sensing great distress in their hearts. “Something they saw within Beelzebub’s soul traumatized them. I know how much they respected Amoros, but after not even believing in good and evil under his tutelage, would it really disturb them so much, the revelation that Amoros was being influenced by a demon?”

Amoros eyed Cloud and smirked.

“I see you’ve taken quite the liking to them.” he remarked. “If you’re curious as to why they’ve been so taciturn, it’s because they’re still growing accustomed to new revelations, most notably the idea of a new change I proposed inside Beelzebub’s soul.”

“What would that be?” Cloud asked inquisitively.

“I suggested to them the idea of you becoming their new mentor.” Amoros explained, surprising Cloud. “What do you think?”

“D-do you-you-” Cloud stammered in response. “Do you mean it?”

“Why would I jest?” Amoros retorted, making a serious expression again. “This is not the time for jokes. At a time we must be girded for a great calamity, I offer you to take my place, believing you have proven yourself worthy of great responsibility. You taught the Windigos faith and saved us from Beelzebub. It would also be quite beneficial to my plan if you were to accept this new role I wish to abdicate.”

“But...you’re a god and a Windigo while I’m neither.” an uncertain Cloud argued. “How could I-”

“You do realize why the Windigos were drawn to your fire in the first place?” Amoros interjected. “You know it was not simply an event that was ordained by a higher power, and you know it was your will that caused this all to transpire...but why your will specifically? There are tons of Windigos in your world who scout for fires similar to theirs, so why did my three most devout followers just so happen to see something in you? Could it be that it is your destiny...to be my successor?”

“.....” Cloud paused for a moment, having a skeptical thought over the use of that word, “successor”. He noticed that Sombra, who had previously told him that the reason he was brought to Equestria was to be the successor of Belohzhero, was fiercely glaring at Amoros now.

“Something troubles me about all this for sure…” he told himself in thought. “But it just wouldn’t make any sense for Amoros to actually be evil. I wouldn’t have become a better person if it wasn’t for his help. It makes more sense for the dubious actions he’s committed to be the work of Beelzebub controlling him, the same way he was controlling Sombra, who wants to be reformed now. And now that he’s giving up his power to help protect us from this storm...there’s just no way I can distrust him. I want to help protect others too!”

“I’ll do it, Amoros!” Cloud proclaimed. “I’ll take on the responsibility of leading the Windigos and saving Equestria from the storm!”

“Hmph!” Sombra grunted, looking the other way.

“Then it’s settled!” Amoros declared happily as he turned to Aero, Aera, and Aeros. “Welcome your new leader, you three!”

“.....Glad to have you.” Aero told Cloud nervously, breaking the silence of the still flustered trio.

“...Why are you acting so weird?” Cloud asked, growing ever more puzzled by the Windigos’ strange and antisocial behavior.

“Could it have something to do with something you did to them?” Sombra remarked with a growl, turning to Amoros.

“Sombra, enough!” Luna exclaimed. “Amoros has been through a lot! You know what we’re all going through, he doesn’t need accusations right now!”

“So you’re on his side, still?!” Sombra retorted. “You don’t even find it suspicious, the fact that after Beelzebub absorbed him, he looked just like-”

An image of Belohzhero frozen in ice flashed through Luna’s head again before Amoros interjected with…

“Calm down. Both of you. I know what you’re thinking, but Belohzhero is DEAD. Quarrelling is not going to stop the storm, no matter what you believe. You don’t have to trust me, thus why I have appointed one you can trust.”

He turned to Cloud, smiling. However, Cloud did not return the smile. He, Luna, and Sombra all had confused frowns on their faces as they said…

“Wait…did you just say that Belohzhero was…dead? Don’t you mean banished?”

“He was banished.” Amoros explained, still smiling. “Then, because he willed it, he died.”

“Why are you only telling us about this now?” a puzzled Luna asked, now sharing some of Sombra’s suspicion.

“It was only when we were inside of Beelzebub not long ago that the truth became apparent to all of us.” Amoros elaborated. “Viewing the inside of Beelzebub’s soul is an unforgettable experience. The things we came to realize in there would change anyone’s view of the world, I surely believe it. The kind of hate he possesses…I would not believe otherwise for a second that he has a connection to Belohzhero…or more specifically, that he is the spiritual successor to Belohzhero. In the past, Belohzhero created a storm that took many lives, and now, Beelzebub’s hate working through the ponies and Windigos will do the same. Only by trusting my plan can we lessen the impact. If you do not trust me, will you at least trust what you can do with my plan in order to save lives?”

Luna, Sombra, and Cloud were all silent for a moment of pause upon hearing this. This made no sense. Why would Belohzhero want to die? They felt the same feeling Twilight experienced back when she was being interviewed, being given naught but the illusion of choice. And so, in spite of their conflicted emotions, they all replied with…

“…Yes. We will work with you to the best of our abilities.”

“Splendid.” Amoros said happily. “Luna, Sombra, let us reconvene in another room with Neighsay. Cloud will stay here to accompany my subjects and allow them to grow more accustomed to their new leadership. It’s best he is left by himself in order to build those leadership skills he will need most efficiently.”

Luna and Sombra obeyed, though both were wary as they left the room with Amoros. Looking back at Cloud one last time before they exited the room, they knew full well from the concerned expression on his face that he shared the same thought as they did…

Something was not right…

Once Luna and Sombra were gone, it was without a second thought that Cloud turned to the Windigos and said to them firmly…

“Tell me everything. Right now. What did you see inside of Beelzebub? What does Amoros really want? No more vagueness, no more riddles, I WANT THE TRUTH.”

“Cloud…” Aero responded hesitantly, still reluctant to speak even with Amoros gone. “The reason our motives have always been so inscrutable is because…we don’t actually know the truth ourselves. We once thought we had somewhat of an idea of what was really going on, but boy, were we wrong…”

“Everything we thought we knew was a lie.” Aera said sadly. “Our desire to create a storm, having you be a catalyst to help Equestria understand our hate, having you build a fire throughout your journey that we could use to take our revenge on Belohzhero…all of it was founded on a lie that goes back to what we thought happened on that day…”

“What we thought happened on that day,” interjected Aeros solemnly, “what we inferred from what our minds could construe from the fragments of our memories…was wrong. We found out the truth from what we saw inside of Beelzebub, the way it really happened. Amoros finally revealed the truth to us, but his motives for not telling us what had actually happened weren’t evil. We just weren’t disciplined enough yet to accept the truth, and that includes the truth we had forgotten…the fire we had forgotten…”

“What are you getting at?” Cloud asked inquisitively.

“We thought we needed to learn how the fire of the ponies worked…” Aero explained. “We thought it was the humans who taught us how to create fire in the first place…but those were actually things we had always known, simply forgotten. Just like the existence of good and evil and the power of faith.”

“It was the influence of Beelzebub that led us to forget.” Aera chimed in. “Sombra knew the whole time, for he was also afflicted by Beelzebub’s influence once. He thought we were fools for listening to Amoros, but this is because he doubts good itself and does not fully understand Amoros’ connection to Beelzebub.”

“Amoros and Beelzebub are like Yin and Yang.” Aeros explained further. “Good and evil that must exist, for they are both part of one’s soul. We were fools to treat Belohzhero as if he was our ultimate adversary. It’s just as you said, there will always be those in the world who just want to manipulate your fire, and we made the fatal mistake of allowing our fires to be manipulated. That is why our existence for the past two millenniums has been hell. Cloud…do you realize now why your existence in your human life was hell?”

Cloud paused and held his right front hoof to his face, seeing it as a human hand before he solemnly answered with…

“Yes. Because I willed it, just like Belohzhero willed his death. And it’s because I know better now from my experience that I will face my hell, your hell, and finally know my fire…”

*FWOOM*

Cloud’s fire was further enhanced. Sensing this, Sombra felt more at ease while he and Luna were conversing with Neighsay in the evidence room about how they would gather the ponies to witness the announcement of the information’s declassification and prepare guards to be on the lookout of any signs in the sky foretelling of the storm. Amoros was satisfied as well, thinking to himself…

“They know who Belohzhero really is now. But Cloud will not know until he faces hell just how much more there is to know. For he too must remember things he has forgotten…”

Meanwhile, in the human world, Cloud’s human body was still lying in the snow and Beelzebub was crawling on Ken’s chest. Beelzebub opened his third eye, and the body reacted by placing its right hand where its heart was and opening its eyes that appeared dead. Inside of Ken’s apartment, it was shown that he had a laptop and a drawing tablet in his bedroom…

Author's Note:

Do you know who Belohzhero really is now?