The Fall of Canterlot Kingdom

by JzanderN

Chapter 5 – Hammer Time

Despite Devon’s claims, Alec still found plenty to admire inside. The halls looked like a blend of the school halls he was used to and that of a medieval castle. The walls were lined with stone lockers with rough, twisted sides. The bricks in the wall were uneven, some jutting out, and none laid next to another neatly. The jagged lockers almost blended into the walls, and they all came together in beautiful chaos.

It wasn’t all grey, stone and chaos, though. The walls were decorated with banners of suns coloured half crimson and half gold, and a scarlet carpet ran through the floor. The doors were all made of wood, both in the corridor and on the lockers, and despite the chaotic brickwork, the frames that held them were neat and straight.

The castle was even fitted with knights, all equipped with silver armour that shone in whatever light there was. Unfortunately, Devon gave warning about the kind of treatment they gave him when he encountered them. Farhan also expressed that they should be avoided where possible.

“They’re Shadows,” he said. “Dangerous to cross in the wild, but here? As long as they are here, they’ll serve the Palace’s ruler. If they see you, they’ll alert more to come join them. And then, of course, they’ll attack you.”

They weren’t scarce either, making the journey to wherever Fahran was leading them take a lot longer than it might have needed to. Though while Alec spent his time running from one hiding spot to another, Devon and Fahran leapt from spot to spot in one quick motion, looking more like a blurred streak. Was this the power of their outfits?

He may have had no idea where Farhan was leading them, but it wasn’t hard to figure out when they arrived. The group stopped at a dead end with a large, metal door, protruding between two lockers. It had a lock half as large as he was. “I’ve searched every part of this castle many times over,” Fahran said, “except for behind this door. The source of Sunset’s desires have to be behind here, otherwise I have no idea where they might be.”

“So we just need the key to get in,” Devon said. “Any ideas where it might be?”

Fahran shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve been trying to find the key or some other way in for months now and I’ve gotten nothing. That’s where you come in. I was hoping maybe you’d have a new perspective on how to get inside.”

“Why?” Alec asked. “We don’t know anything about this place apart from what you’ve told us. You know the metaverse better than us.”

“But you know Sunset better than me,” Fahran said. “The real Sunset. So you might have some idea of where she would keep stuff like this in the real world, and could use that to find it here.”

“Why would we know anything about where Sunset would hide a key?” Alec said. “It’s not like we’re her friends or anything.”

“Anything you know about the real Sunset would be more than I do. And you can investigate the real world, which I can’t. Either way, you have a better chance of finding it than I do.”

Devon sighed. “Okay, let me think,” he said. Alec wanted to think too, but wasn’t sure where to start, and before he could figure that out, they were interrupted by a commanding voice from behind them.

“Halt! Who goes there?” Heavy footsteps followed, and he turned around to see three Shadows blocking their way. One wore silver armour like he had seen on every other Shadow, but the second’s more closely resembled an emerald, and the third a ruby.

“I’ll handle this,” Devon said with a smile. He turned towards the Shadows and stood ready to fight.

---

Devon stood firmly, looking at his enemies as they marched towards the trio. Last time he would have beaten the three himself in one move, but there was something different. He could feel a disconnect between him and his Persona; he was clearly there... somewhere, but it was like there was a wide canyon between them, and Fuu-ki was barely in sight.

“What happened to my powers?” he yelled out.

“You didn’t think you’d be that powerful forever, did you?” Fahran jumped to his side. “No, that was just a burst from when you first summoned your Persona.”

“Okay, but how do I do it again? I’ve forgotten.”

“No you haven’t.” Fahran summoned his own Persona. “You’re just thinking too much. I’ll take on two and leave one just for you.” He leapt towards the two Shadows behind and left the one in silver still walking towards Devon, its sword drawn.

He quickly searched around himself, and quickly came to a stop at his mask. It wasn’t power, but he could feel something in there, laying dormant. He grabbed his mask, trying to get it out, but it came off, loose and no longer stuck. Instead, he tried willing it; throwing it off with his mind. He had no idea what he was doing, yet the mask disappeared in blue flame and he could feel the sensation behind him, awoken. His Persona, Fuu-ki. He clenched his hand, the staff feeling familiar in his grip. He was starting to remember.

There was still a block, though. A glass barrier between the two. They were no longer of the same mind; anything Fuu-ki knew was vague at best to him. Unhelpfully, the Shadow hadn’t stopped approaching, giving him no time to recall what happened next.

He imagined Fuu-Ki moving forward, imagined himself moving forward without moving, and it advanced to meet the Shadow. He whipped around his staff and Fuu-Ki copied his movements with its double-bladed sword, meeting the Shadow’s blade. Fuu-Ki pushed it away and cracked his blade on its helmet, though Devon may as well have used his own staff for all it seemed to do.

The Shadow stepped forward, and he spun Fuu-Ki’s blade to meet it again, and again, and again. Finally, he struck it in the chest, forcing it backwards and sending it crashing into the ground behind it.

He tried to remember what he did last time. He recalled reaching out to something. Garu. What was Garu? Where was it? He shook his head; he was thinking too much. He closed his eyes and felt around, reaching with… he didn’t know what, but he vaguely remembered how to. He looked around for something else familiar, and found it around him. He remembered it: the Power of Garu. The power of the wind. He drew it in and it ran through him, circling inside his body, and up through the chains on his wrists, into Fuu-Ki.

With a twirl of his staff, wind cut around the silver Shadow, surrounding and trapping it like a tornado, before colliding with it, sending it staggering back. He willed his Persona to fly forwards, and it charged towards the Shadow. Both whipped their weapons, and Fuu-ki’s hit the Shadow, turning it to black dust.

Fuu-ki disappeared, and the mask returned to his face, though it probably didn’t cover the triumph written over it. He looked over to Fahran to see him still dealing with the ruby Shadow. He danced with flames, yet the Shadow didn’t seem to care.

“Look out!” Alec yelled, and Devon had just enough time to turn around and see the emerald Shadow slam into him, sending him flying across the room and crashing into the ground. He ignored his aching, stood, and summoned Fuu-ki again. He reached out to Garu again – it was much quicker this time, now he knew what he was doing – and, with a twirl of his staff, sent wind flying into the Shadow, but it didn’t flinch. He reached out again and sent more wind, cutting and slamming it, but none of it slowed the Shadow as it walked over to him.

What the heck? He thought as it swung its sword at his Persona. He tried moving his staff to block it, but the sword struck beneath its left arm. He felt a sharp pain in that same spot, as if he had been whacked by a large stick. The Shadow attacked again, and he struggled to keep up. It wasn’t long until it elbowed Fuu-Ki in the chest, and he fell backwards clutching his as if someone had elbowed him, his Persona returning as a mask as he hit the ground.

“Do you like him?” a familiar voice said. One neither Devon nor Alec needed to look to see who it belonged to.

---

The room was silenced by her words, and Alec could hear the sound of her golden boots on the stone floor as she entered the room. Sunset wore gold armour, though it looked more like she wore it for the aethstetics than for the protection as it left a lot of her body exposed; her arms, legs and head specifically. Her eyes glowed a sickly yellow, and she held herself as if she owned everything they looked at.

So this is her Shadow, he thought to himself. Exactly what I imagined she would be like.

“I had them made for you two especially,” she continued, “after your last visit here.”

“You made them?” Fahran asked. “How did you do that?”

“There’s no need for you to know that,” Sunset said. “All you two need to know is there are plenty more where they came from.”

“They’re not that powerful, Devon,” Fahran said. “If we switch up, we can take them as easily as any other!”

“Maybe,” Sunset said, “but how many can you deal with?” With a snap of her fingers, a squad of Shadows came behind Sunset, half emerald, half ruby.

Sunset then turned to Alec, looking like she just noticed his existence. “Well, you’re a new one. Are you going to fight too? No, you don’t look like those two. You’re not a threat.”

He stuttered meaninglessly before she continued. “I usually execute those who trespass here, but I already have my hands full with these two, so why don’t you do yourself a favour and run home?” she said in a sneering voice.

Part of him immediately wanted to run, but he couldn’t abandon Devon. No, he wouldn’t.

“Run, boy,” she said in a half whisper, madness in her eyes. “Run from me. Or will you try to fight too?”

His mind went blank. He was shaking and breathing heavily. Too much of him told him to listen, to do as she said as he always did. It argued with his loyal side, both voices shouting in his head, and underneath them another voice spoke clearly, confidently and assertively. Go on. Run. Run away. Do as she commands.

He looked at Devon, his back to the wall and surrounded by emerald knights, looking straight back at him. He thought about their friendship, everything Devon had them do, good and bad, how they became friends, and why they stayed friends.

Come on, then. What’s your answer? the voice asked.

“Come on, then. What’s your answer?” Sunset asked.

Alec looked back at her, summoned strength from he knew not where, and yelled “No!”

Sunset was taken aback by his response. “Excuse me?”

“I said no! I’ve been pushed around by people like you for too long. I’ve been pushed around by everyone for too long. I’ve been pushed around by Devon for too long. I have desires of my own! Things I want to do! And I don’t care what you want or what he wants, but right now, all I want is to take him and get both of us out of here!”

The voice laughed. You’ve kept me waiting. Let us forge a contract.

Lightning shot through his head and he collapsed to his knees, one arm weakly holding him up while his other held his head. His screams leaked out, coming out in parts rather than one note.

I am thou, thou art I…

Thou hast been a passenger to others for too long.

Take hold of thy reins and steer thyself as thou wish!

“Again?” Alec barely heard Sunset over the voice and his own screams. “Guards! Surround him!”

The air crackled, lightning threatening all the Shadows who came near, and a simple mask appeared on his face, navy blue with gold trim. He grabbed onto it and, with great effort, pulled it off in a bloody spectacle, burning the face it left behind. His blood erupted into blue flames and completely encompassed him, imbuing him with strength. The flames rose above him, leaving him in a navy blue and black outfit with golden lines that zigzagged down his arms on his chest.

The flames died out and underneath them stood a warrior, chained to his wrists. Donning white gloves, boots and a cloak; a golden, scaled vest and a gold helmet with spikes on top, horns hanging down the sides, and glowing eyes underneath; tattoos on each leg and arm; and a large, shining silver hammer in one hand, he stood, hunched over and ready for battle. He knew him. His other half. His Persona. “Thor.”

He flexed his new strength, gripping a hammer the flames had left him, and reached out to the Power of Zio. It spiked up his veins and crawled through his body at lightning speed, into the chains and up to Thor. As one, the two raised their hammers, and he released the power. Lightning poured out of Thor’s hammer in every direction, striking all of the Shadows and sending the emerald half falling to the floor. He heard a scream among them. Devon’s scream. Alec grimaced and called out to him, seeing him on the ground himself, but couldn’t stop in front of the ruby Shadows crouching, but not down. Both Alec and Thor took a step forward, taking their hammers in two hands, and struck the ground, sending shockwaves to the Shadows (and thankfully not to Devon) and turning them all to black dust.

He looked over the scene in front of him. Sunset was nowhere to be found, and there wasn’t a Shadow in sight. Surprisingly, there was no debris, cracks or damage anywhere in the room; it looked as if no conflict had just taken place.

He withdrew his Persona and ran to Devon. He was laying on the floor, holding himself and groaning in pain. “Oh my god! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just a bit shaken,” Devon said, slowly getting up. “Be careful with that lightning; that really hurt. I don’t think it agrees with me.”

Alec smiled in relief. “I don’t think it agrees with anyone. It’s lightning.”

Devon chuckled. “It seems to agree with my grandad. It struck him twice.”

“Really? How was he afterwards?”

“Heavy.”

Alec fell to the ground as if Devon’s word had reminded his body of what came next, all of his energy sapped, and his body feeling like weights. Devon was surprisingly unsurprised by his sudden collapse, reassuring him that he was okay as he helped him back to his feet.

“Yeah, don’t mind me; I’m just exhausted, carrying this 180 ton body around,” Alec said.

“I know. I went through this when I first woke my Persona. You’ll be fine after a night’s rest. But first, we need to get out of here.” Devon pulled him up to his feet. He could feel himself pushing down into the floor, but he held onto him, keeping him standing. “Fahran, scout ahead for us, make sure the path is clear, and I’ll carry him out.”

“Roger that!” Fahran saluted and ran ahead.

“I’m sorry I made you do this,” Devon said once they were alone.

The two set off, Alec dragging his feet in front of the other one step at a time. He smiled. “It’s okay. I’m partly to blame too.”

If it took a long time to get to the giant door without being spotted earlier, it seemed to take twice as long to return to the entrance. Thankfully, the security was lighter, and Devon only had to drag him to a hiding spot a few times. Eventually the three emerged from the castle, though the front door was blocked by a squad of Shadows, and Alec had some difficulty climbing through the window in his condition. But he did eventually get through, colliding with the floor when he did. Devon worried that he was hurt, but he assured him that he was just taking the opportunity to relax and lie down.

Devon chuckled and picked him up again. “Come on, let’s get out of here before more trouble comes around. The door’s not far now.”

Alec vaguely remembered Devon saying something about a door before, though if he explained back then he couldn’t remember. He wasn’t in the mood for another lecture he barely understood, so instead started picking up his feet again. “I’ll tell you what, though,” he said, “I did a damn better job than you were doing.”

Devon rolled his eyes. “Wait until your next fight before you brag. I was that good when I first got my Persona, and then I forgot everything.”

“Really? You were that good and then ‘forgot’?” Alec teased.

Devon smirked. “Actually, I was better. I got them all out in one go, no second strike needed.” Alec rolled his eyes.

The two stopped in front of a ghostly, glowing blue door, with Fahran standing in front of it. “So, I’ll see you two tomorrow?” he said, tapping his paws together.

“I don’t know,” Alec said. “I agreed before because Devon wanted to do it, but now? I don’t know if I want to.” Fahran looked up at him, his eyes wide and pleading. Alec sighed. “How about this, I’ll let you know when I’ve decided. I’ll come in and if not, I’ll leave quickly afterwards. If so, we’ll see what happens from there. Deal?”

Fahran smiled. “Deal.”

Alec smiled back. “Now come on, Devon. I can hear my bed calling me from here.”

Devon chuckled. “I know exactly what you’re talking about.”