The Fall of Canterlot Kingdom

by JzanderN

Chapter 2 – Awakening

Devon didn’t need to look up to see who was standing over him. He knew Sunset’s voice all too well, as any Canterlot High student would.

“I said, ‘and who do we have here?’” she repeated, grabbing his face and forcing him to look up at her. She looked almost completely different than she normally did. If her head was covered up, he wouldn’t have suspected it was her. Rather than her usual punk rock outfit, she wore golden armour with a chestplate, boots, and gloves. Compared to the rest of the knights, her armour had less bulk to it, looking more elegant and like what a Queen might wear in battle. The only thing missing was a crown on her head.

But her change in wardrobe was nothing compared to her eyes. Rather than their usual cold blue, they were a sickly yellow and almost glowing. Her pupils were like pinpricks, and instead of sending cold shivers down his spine, they pierced through him and made him want to shrink underneath them. And yet they still held the same hate and viciousness they always had. This was undoubtedly Sunset Shimmer, despite everything saying otherwise.

“You’re different from everyone else,” she said with a cruel smile. Devon felt himself shake under her gaze. “But then again, you’re not so different, are you? You’re not a threat. You’re just another coward in the crowd.” She shoved him back to the ground and walked away. “Have him dealt with, and don’t waste my time with such insignificant peasants again.”

The guard grabbed him by his collar, dragged him out of the cell, and threw him face first in the middle of the room, where all the other guards formed a circle around him. He looked up at them, his face burning slightly. They towered over him, cracking their knuckles and closing in, almost giving him claustrophobia. He still hadn’t processed what happened in the hall earlier and now this was apparently happening. Even with the aches, he wasn’t sure this wasn’t just a very strange dream.

He took deep breaths to calm himself, though his heart still drummed loudly. Time seemed to slow down, and a strangely familiar voice echoed through his head. It was confident and charming. What’s wrong? Do you not wish to stand up to this? Or does cowardice hold you back that you’d accept defeat without a fight?

“I’m not a coward,” Devon said, somehow finding his voice. “I’m just not strong enough to fight. If I was stronger–”

“What’s that?” Sunset called over. “Are you saying I’m wrong?”

Is power truly all that you need?

“I–”

“Then prove it.” The guards made a break in the circle, showing her staring straight at him.

Very well. Then let us make a contract.

Pain pulsed through His head. He cradled it, writhed about on the floor and attempted to scream, but it was trapped in his throat.

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou art willing to take justice into thy own hands.

Take pride in your actions and forge your own path!

The pulsing faded, but the pain stayed. He pushed himself to his feet. His arms and legs still wobbled, but they held as he stood up straight, never breaking eye contact with Sunset. He felt like his entire body was tingling and a powerful gust of wind exploded outwards from him. The room rang with the clangs of the knights smashing against the walls and floor. He covered his ears and noticed a mask on his face, covering his eyes and stuck firmly to his skin. He grabbed it and pulled it, but it wouldn’t come off. He shifted both his hands to one side and pulled again. It ripped off his face, taking blood with it and leaving a burning pain behind.

Blood poured down his face, boiling and bubbling on his skin, and turned to blue flames which engulfed his entire body. Instead of being burned, however, the heat flowed around him. He could feel power within it when it brushed against him. He reached out and grasped it, letting it flow into him, and the flames rose, leaving a staff clenched in his hand. The flames dissipated, leaving behind a figure floating above him. Its face has been carved out, leaving only its bottom teeth, it had four horns, spiral tattoos all over its body and it wore white robes with black symbols of the sun, and blue arm braces. It held a double-bladed sword and stood tall, and ready to fight.

Devon looked over himself. He was wearing a different outfit; a black suit unbuttoned to show a navy blue undershirt and gloves. His wrists had chains that were there yet not there flowing out of them, writhing in the air and connecting him to the figure. Say my name, he heard it say in his head. Say my name and gain my power!

He didn’t have to think. He knew what it was; it was as much a part of him as his left hand. It was his Shadow, his other half, his Persona. “Fuu-Ki.” He stood firmly, looking up at his enemies as they climbed back to their feet. It was like he and his Persona were of one and the same mind. And Fuu-Ki knew what to do. And so he knew what to do.

He reached out to the Power of Garu. He didn’t know where it was, yet he found it as easily as any part of him. He reached deep into it, feeling it pour inside himself. It rushed through him, swirling all around his body and into Fuu-Ki. In unison, he and Fuu-Ki whipped their staff and double-blade, and he released the power. The air swirled around the room like a hurricane, sending the guards flying into the air and crashing into the walls and ceiling. As the air settled, they fell to the floor, all but two crumbling into black dust, leaving only Sunset on her feet stumbling backwards.

“What are you?” she asked, her eyes wide.

Devon turned to face Sunset, but before he could move further, his mask appeared back on his face, Fuu-Ki disappeared and he collapsed, suddenly exhausted.

“Well, well,” Sunset grinned confidently again. “I guess you don’t know your limits.” Sunset snapped her fingers and the two guards immediately stood and ran to her side. “I was wrong about you. I’ll make sure to fix that before it becomes an issue.”

The guards approached, one in front of the other. Devon tried to pick himself up, but fell to the ground again, his muscles exhausted. He refused to die, but he couldn’t make himself do anything. He looked up at the guards and imagined the ceiling falling onto them. He imagined a hurricane sweeping them up. He imagined lightning striking down at them, a blizzard freezing them in their place, and hellfire raining down on them. Then fire rained down on them. It was a light rain, but a rain of fire nonetheless.

The second guard shielded itself with its arms and stumbled back outside the rain, but the first wasn’t so lucky and fell to its knees, covering its face until the shower stopped. As the guard climbed back to its feet, a small figure leapt down out of nowhere and pushed him to the ground. Devon saw its armour was damaged with three large slashes cutting right through it before it turned to black dust.

Looking at the figure, it turned out to be a cat. A cartoon-like cat – the type to stand on two legs – with navy blue fur and a crimson red scarf that flickered like a flame. “Why, hello there,” it said. Great, a talking cartoon cat.

“Who are you?” Sunset asked.

“Who am I?” The cat laughed. “I’m the cause of all your problems!”

Sunset looked confused. “What?”

“You know, the one who’s been causing you trouble for the past few days!” Sunset gave no reaction. “Months?” No reaction. “Since this place was made?”

“Have we had something causing trouble here recently?” Sunset asked, to which the guards simply shrugged.

“Oh, come on! I’m the reason the security is so tight! The alarms were blaring just this morning!”

Sunset shook her head. “You’re mistaken. Our security hasn’t changed since this Palace’s creation. That alarm was simply announcing my arrival. It happens every morning, which you should know if you’ve been here as long as you say you have.” The cat appeared stunned, and Sunset rolled her eyes, clearly done with everything. “Guard, take care of them!” The guard stepped forward, its gaze fixed upon the cat. Devon recognised him as the one who had found him, guarded his cell and would have executed him.

“Hey.” The cat spoke quietly to him. “Hey, you. What’s your name?”

He briefly debated whether he should give his name to such a strange creature, but decided it was here to help. “Devon.”

“Devon. Nice to meet you. Can you run?”

“I don’t know. I’m pretty exhausted.”

“Well you’re going to have to try when I say so. Straight up and out of this place, got it? It’s not far.”

He had no choice but to agree, keeping down and watching the cat. A shadow briefly appeared above it, surrounded by a familiar blue flame, and with its disappearance he felt as though his whole body was lighter.

The guard lunged and its sword rang as it struck the ground where the cat once was. The cat rushed him from the side, three claw marks appearing where it hit him. The guard stumbled, but kept on his feet, turned and leapt forward again. This time he opted for short, swift strikes on both of the cat’s sides, keeping it in front of him. If he was hoping to win a war of attrition, his hopes were dashed as the cat jumped up high, hitting the guard in the head and toppling him. He crashed into the floor with a great clatter.

“Now!” the cat shouted, barely audible over the racket of the fallen guard.

Devon scrambled to his feet and ran with all of his might. He was no athlete, and with how exhausted he was, he expected to collapse before he reached the stairs, but he still had breath when he started climbing them. It wasn’t because of his stamina, though; the dash he made would have had the school track team look his way. He might have thought it was adrenaline, but he remembered the feeling he got when the cat summoned that shadow. Whatever he did to him, he had to thank him.

Thanks to his newfound speed, he soon collapsed outside of the dungeon, hearing the door shut behind him with a satisfying click. He looked behind him to see the cat. “That door won’t keep her locked in there forever,” it said. “We need to get away from here before more Shadows come and corner us.”

“What did you do to me?” He couldn’t help but ask. Whatever it was, he could feel it wearing off and his body becoming heavier, weighing him down again. He had to remember it was his normal weight.

“I made you faster,” the cat said casually. It walked past him with a skip in its step. “Now do you want to get out of here or not? ‘Cause if you want them to throw you back in there, you’re welcome to stay around for an idle chat.”

The cat ran to the end of the hallway, and Devon dragged himself to his feet and followed, limping along the wall. He couldn’t tell how long the journey took, or how many guards they came across along the way, only that they eventually reached the much more familiar outside, now empty of students. Though not completely familiar; something was different, and not just the castle. Not that he could care to know at the moment.

“Here we are. Home free,” the cat said, turning to face him. “And free of the guards if you want to talk. Though I think most of your questions are best saved for another time.”

Devon sat down, managing not to collapse for what seemed like the first time in the day. His body seemed to sigh in relief, though he did have to fight to keep his eyes open. “Is this a dream?”

The cat looked almost offended. “Of course not. If it was, I wouldn’t be real.”

He sighed. He wasn’t expecting a yes, but had to try. “What kind of place is this?”

“How do I explain this simply?” the cat said, licking its lips. “It’s Sunset’s heart. The world according to her.”

“No wonder it’s such a horrible world,” Devon said. No wonder it’s so messed up.

“Specifically it’s one side of her. The part that’s all messed up and distorted by her desires, to the point that she sees the world like this.”

Devon nodded and looked at the Kingdom in front of him. “So what was she doing here, then? How did she get here?”

“That wasn’t her, or at least not as you know her. That was her Shadow. The side of her that she’s hidden, even from herself. We all have different sides of ourselves. Some we wear as masks, some we keep secret, and some we don’t even know about. The only difference is which we let drive ourselves, and she let her Shadow take over and rule her.”

“Are you saying I have something like that too?”

“Shadows aren’t necessarily cruel. They’re just the part of you you’ve hidden away from yourself. Besides, you’ve already met your Shadow when you got that power.”

Devon hauled his hand up to touch his mask. That voice, he thought. So that’s what that was.

“Treasure that power,” the cat said. “Even if you never use it, simply having it is a rare gift. Perhaps rarer than one of these places.”

He let his mask go. "I guess the only other question I have is what are you?”

“Me? I’m just a talking cat,” it said. Devon waited for it to continue.

“That’s it?” He eventually said. “No explanation for how you can talk?”

“You’re not explaining how you can talk either. Why should I have to?”

Devon rubbed his temple. This was not the time for this. “Whatever. I think that’s everything. Or at least everything you can answer.”

“So you have more?”

Devon started standing up. His body groaned in protest, but he quickly managed to get on his feet. “Yeah, like ‘what was that about all those guys changing to become the same?’ and ‘why me?” and “how did I even get here in the first place?’”

“Oh, that was me. I brought you here.”

He snapped around and stared at the cat. “You brought me here?”

“Yes. Sorry I left you on your own for a while there. I kind of lost you to the crowd.”

Devon immediately had a lot to say, but all that came out was, “Why? How? Why?”

“Well, after a long time of working this place on my own and getting nowhere, I decided to form a team, and you are my first candidate!

“So you brought me here against my will?”

The cat lowered its head. “Yeah, that’s… right. Sorry about that.”

Devon dragged his hand over his face. “Why me?”

“Your encounter with Sunset this morning.” The cat said. Devon groaned; he really didn’t want to think about that again. “I saw that look in your eyes. That look that would stare into hers despite their fear.”

“You misread that badly,” Devon said. He thought back to that moment when he found himself paralysed under her gaze, unable to move or look away. He shook the memory out of his head. “Whatever. Just get me out of here.”

Thankfully it didn’t take much of a search to find the door he came through, else he probably would have left it to the cat so he could sit down again. Though it was hard to see from the entrance, it became more visible and obvious the closer they came. By the time they were standing in front of it, it glowed a bright, ethereal blue, and the other side was a pure white light.

“It doesn’t look like anyone’s about, not that Sunset would know if they are, but no-one should see you coming out of nowhere.” The cat patted Devon on the back of his leg. “I’ll see you next time.”

“What makes you think I’m coming back?” he asked.

“How about taking down Sunset?” Devon straightened his back; the cat was smiling as if it had caught a fish. “Like I said: this is the side of her heart that’s all messed up from her desires. Destroy this place, and you’ll remove that part of her while keeping all the memories and guilt that come with them.”

“Won’t that damage her?” Devon asked.

“Destroying her Shadow will, but her Palace is fair game.”

Devon considered for a moment. He thought about what his Shadow said; the “contract” he made, as it called it. “Can I bring a friend?”

The cat smiled. “If they can get their own Persona, absolutely. They won’t be able to fight without one, and will just be dead weight in this world.”

“And you said it was a rare gift,” he said to himself. “Just one more question: how do I get back here?”

“I don’t know.” The cat rubbed the back of its head. “I’ve never been outside myself, and I’m not sure if I can. But I showed you this door earlier and you had to unlock it yourself. And if you unlocked it before, you should be able to unlock it again.”

Even if I don’t know how I did it, Devon thought. “I’ll be back after school, not before or during, and I don’t know when. But I’ll try to be back quickly.”

The cat smiled again. “Now go on. You’ve got a long day of recovery ahead of you.”

With a smile, Devon braced himself and fell through the door, catching himself on the concrete path. He looked behind him and saw the castle had gone, and his school was back how it was supposed to be.