Pathfinder

by The Sumareian

One Shot.

You think me defeated mortal, only a fool could believe that.

Taliel gasped as his lungs sucked in the rancid air. He was still in the clearing still alive, he looked to his right, there stood Luna, here sharp gaze burning into him.

"Twas a foolish thing you did, trying to sacrifice thy self." Taliel saw a flash of pain in her eyes.

He looked at the princess finally noticing the blue heap behind her. he opened his mouth to speak, only to be met with a searing pain in his throat, that then spread through out his body.

"Luna, he did what anyone of us would do, especially to protect those he cares about. What would, Barricade say if he saw you right now." Luna shrank slightly at her sisters words, almost as if that pony had once been in a similar circumstance.

"He didn't say anything, he just.... just... smiled." Luna stepped away as her eyes began to water, she began to sob softly her sister now coming to comfort her.

Taliel tried to move his body, each and every tendon and muscle sending him a new wave of pain.

Get up. He tried to will himself to at least sit up right, his only successful movement was his right arm, he felt the stress of gravity pull at his wrist, he turned his head and saw a lone metal shackle. He tried to call upon the power of his mark, only to feel the a dull vibration come from the restraint.

"It's an inhibitor cuff, Taliel. It absorbs any and all magical energy before it manifests itself in the world. Fyre put that on you, just before you were about to make your blood sacrifice."

He felt a set of forelegs hook under his arm and begin dragging him to a nearby tree. He looked once again at the mare who saved his life.

"We certainly cut it pretty close there didn't we." Fyre said as she weakly raised her head, and glanced over to him.

Tailel nodded to her, and attempted to smile. Several other ponies each with a arm band with a red cross on it milled about the area, one paused and tried to help the mare up.

"No, don't worry about me, its just a little magical paralysis, I'll be up and at'em in no time." The mare weakly kicked her hindlegs, showing the medic she would be okay.

"You know Taliel, when I got assigned to Equestria by my superiors. I thought the worst that would happen is some type of cupcake riot, but no first you show up then these crazy creatures led by whatever that was invade the city and its up to, yours truly to save the day." She smiled triumphantly at her involvement in saving the world.

"Thanks..... Fyre." Taliel felt his throat burn with every word, he didn't show his pain however, as he surveyed the clearing, the royal sisters were now directing efforts to put out any stray fires that weren't extinguished by the vortex he made with his interrupted stream of magic.

"Careful now, you were pretty beat up when we arrived." one of the medic ponies a mare, offered him a canteen of water.

He opened his mouth knowing he couldn't raise his arms to grab the canteen she gently poured some water into his open mouth. He swallowed down, three solid mouthfuls before he started to cough, his throat no longer burned from it apparent dryness, and he began to feel the pain in his body dissipate.

"Hey whats that thing." one of the ponies shouted as a dark orb materialized in the crater. It sent out arcs of electricity as it grew larger and larger.

Taliel looked for his bow it lay intact next to one arrow. He looked back to the orb seeing a dripping claw cracked its surface, the stench of decay filled the air. Taliel knew what that claw belonged to and he wasn't going to give it another chance to destroy this world, so long as he drew breath. He rolled to his stomach and began to claw his way towards his bow.

"I Taliel O'Carrish of house blackforest do solemnly swear to fight and destroy the taint where ever it manifests,to protect those who cant protect themselves to serve as a unifier of humans and indiri. No matter their house or status." recited his oath to his clan.

He reached for the dark piece of wood, it felt lighter in his hands, he took the arrow inspecting its trident tip. He forced himself to his knees, the surrounding ponies backing away in fear of the growing snarling maw. Taliel notched the arrow, and pulled it back.

He looked to his right wrist as he began to draw power from his mark. The cuff vibrated, he needed more he focused.

"Taliel what are you doing! Get out of there." He heard Fyre shout over the rising wind.

"With this bow, and blade I swear my life to stemming the tide of evil..." He glanced back at the ponies and rested his eyes momentarily on Luna. "To protect those of any realm of land."

"I submit myself to the service of all, be they big or small. I submit to the shunning of my ancestors and gods." Taliel tensed and prepared to set the arrow loose. He felt his magic begin to flow as he heard a small crack come from his wrist.

He stared into the vortex, just on the other side was the Deygoth clawing its way back to this world. Rage, souring the air around it he knew it wouldn't stop until either it or him was slain. He felt the tingle of magic grip his shoulder and elbow he was a yellow aura surround his bow, it grew heavy in his hand, yet he still held it poised to let the arrow fly.

"I'am a Pathfinder of the the indiri peoples. I with my mark cast you foul tainted one to the pits of hell!" He hissed as he let the arrow loose the cuff on his wrist shattering as he poured his entire being into propelling the shot, which tore through the air in a blinding crack of light and noise.

**************************************************

Celestias ears rang, as she slowly got back to her hooves, her vision blurred, all she could see was grey shapes moving at the edge of her vision.

So much raw magical power. she thought as the air around her tingled, she had only know this feeling once before, After she used the elements on Luna, on any other pony, she knew they would have suffered from the overflow in some way.

"The.... others." Celestia forced a healing spell on herself, her head throbbing from exertion,as if the magic in the air was polluted by something.

She looked for Luna. Unlike her, she was knocked unconscious by the blast her starry mane laying still in the dust. She took in her surroundings, all around were rescue ponies all knocked unconscious from Taliels shot.

"Taliel?!" she jumped slightly staring back to where he stood not moments ago, there was nothing, save for his bow and a few shards of the inhibitor cuff. She reached out with her magic hoping to at least fell a hint of him anywhere, he was gone.

"Sister.... What happened?" Luna shakily rose to her hooves as she cast a similar healing spell on her head.

"He's gone Luna. Taliel is gone." Celestia felt her shoulders grow heavy. "He's another one we couldn't save."

Both sisters looked back to his bow, Celestia felt a single tear fall across her cheek.

"He was brave, a hero in our world and his, tis a shame that like many he couldn't reap the fruits of his sacrifice." Luna said mournfully, as she bowed her head in silence. "Goodbye friend may thy journey to the afterlife be a peaceful one."

"Luna, he sacrificed himself to save not only us but our world. His journey will be a peaceful one."

*******************************************

In the the dense woods of Blackforest an old man carefully walked into a clearing, pausing as he looked at a small crater. the air around it still crackling with numerous magical energies.

He removed his hood, and glanced about, hoping that no one would bee witness to his act.

"Taliel, if you are indeed lost to us, then give me the chance to try and find you." he reached out his hand a a intricate staff materialized in the air. "Besides kid, your parents would kill me if I didn't try to get you back."

"I'm Joric of clan Dresphal, seeker of the lost." he smiled, he was doing what Taliel did before doing something foolish.

With that the old man slammed his staff into the center of crater, the blinding light of the small magical cataclysm he was enveloped in a blinding white light......

THE END.