A New Begining

by Emeris Moonglade

Old Secrets Revealed

Chapter 7: Old Secrets Revealed

The dust was still thick in the air though the chaos had subsided. Everything lay in ruins, or, as ruined as ruins can get. One of the thick stone walls was missing, several of the stones that had composed it lay scattered throughout the forest. The stained glass windows were missing. Below their frames was the multi-colored mound of a steaming crystal like rock.

The alicorn stared at the stilled being lying in a small crater on the rough stone floor. He breathed heavily while the darkness soaked back into his skin. But he was conscious, staring at the domed ceiling, his eyes wondered from corner to corner as if he was looking at a grand spectacle. He must have been in a daze. The amount of power a being that size was able to muster was extraordinary, physically impossible, but this, this was something else entirely. She’d need to take him to Celestia.

The human groaned as he heaved himself up to his feet. His legs wobbled some but he was able to manage a little balance, just enough to keep him from toppling over. He seemed exhausted, of course, who wouldn’t be? He gazed over the destruction he had caused, he eyes reflected that of sorrow. What other things had he done in that outburst?

His eyes widened when they came over the alicorn. Recovering what was left of her composure, she too got back on her hooves. She eyed him warily, unsure of what he might do next. If a human could do that, there was no telling what else it could do.

“Is thou...are thee... bah!” Her tongue felt twisted and unnatural, but she kept trying. “Are...you...alright?” she asked, smiling in triumph at her success. John only gave her a blank stare. “Human?” his eye twitched.

“Mah name isn’t human, mah name is John.” His deep melancholic voice sent a chill running down her spine. She shivered. “Ah’m so stupid, damn.” he muttered to himself. “Ah let it get too far again, fuck me.” The alicorn raised a brow.

“John, what happened?” she said slowly. She was worried, whether for him or of him, she didn’t know. A slight tremor ran up her body as he glared at her, but his eyes softened, which made her feel uneasy. “Don’t worry, you can trust me.”

“Can ah?” he asked. It was more directed to himself than to her. “Can ah trust others when ah can barely trust mahself? It isn’t fair. Why’d it have ta happen ta me?”

“What isn’t fair, what did you do?” she made her voice as friendly and kind as possible. She had to get him to talk. If he is capable of killing her sister, she had to know what she was dealing with, and hopefully, how to stop it.

“Like ah said, ah can’t trust anyone. Plus yer the one who started it. Damn it, damn it. Why’d ya have ta go and do that.” He began pacing, hand behind his back. “That was as far as ah have ever taken’ it since then.” He was talking to himself again. “Seven years.”

“Seven years since what?” she asked, it was almost a plea. She leaned in closer so she could hear every word. John looked as if he was about to speak, but instead: “No.” he said firm and commanding. “Ah’ll tell someone ah trust, and that ain’t you.” He walked away leaving the alicorn dumbfounded. “If ah’m ta tell anyone, or anypony, it’ll be the main six.”

“B-But...”

“No buts’. What’s yer name? Ah’m tired of thinkin’ of ya as alicorn.” He was about ready to leave when he turned toward her.

“My name is Luna, Princess Luna if titles are important.”

“Thank ya.” And he left. The princess looked at the destroyed castle. What is he?

~*~*~*~*~

“Crazy pony.” John stated as he trudged through the underbrush. He looked up at the sun and changed his direction east. “Ah mean, what kinda pony says she’s a princess without guards ta protect her. Ah almost killed her.” He shook his head and continued on. He was about four hours out since he had left behind Luna. That was the alicorn he must have seen in the stained glass window. The princess of the night, or goddess, according to Twilight. So that castle must have been the Moon Castle. The dwelling of the two alicorn sisters before Canterlot was founded.

He came across a stream, it wasn’t very deep, though it was very wide. You could walk right through and you would only get wet to the top of your boots.

“Not much of a river if ya ask me. More like a movin’ puddle.” He rolled up his pants and advanced across the river. It didn’t really matter whether or not his boots got wet, they were old and beat up anyhow. Soon on the other side he unrolled his pants and began walking again. His boots squeaked with every step he took and he groaned.

“Oh if ah would have known they were gonna make that obnoxious noise ah would a taken’m off.” He shook his feet to get any access water off. “Fuck, now ah gotta listen ta ya all day now.”

He continued on, trying his hardest to ignore the awful noise under him. He winced every step he took. He’d been through enough that day, every unfortunate mishap that happened was beginning to get on his nerves. It was almost tempting to blow up again.

“Ah’m just tired and hungry, don’t need ta destroy the world because ah’m upset.” He muttered. He kicked a rock into a tree, it made a hollow thump. Excellent choice. “What the fuck!” he turned around but didn’t see anyone. It wouldn’t be wise to destroy Equestria before your little friend does first. “Ok, really funny Luna. Now knock it off!” Tsk tsk, so sad, you think this is the work of that simpleton. I am far more superior than that whelp. Guess again. Oh and I suggest you keep walking before nightfall comes. You don’t want to be here after dark. She chuckled quietly

“Are ya Celestia?” he asked as he continued down the path, his eyes darting every which way. Now, I find that as an insult, though, I’m more in-between. Oh com’on, you heard about me from Twilight, and you saw what I can do to a being in the Moon castle. John took a few seconds to think, then his eyes widened in realization, he drew his sword, but never quit walking. “Nightmare Moon.” Cheers, though, I don’t think that sword is going to do any good.

“Oh it can’t can it?” He brought his sword up to shoulder height. Nope, in fact, after my little probing in your head while you were down in the diamond dog’s den, I can put what I am into a little more sense for you. “That was you that was you that made me drop ta the floor?” Yes, it was so much fun watching you shake in agony. Oh, and might I say, your world is very interesting. All the destruction and chaos, then eventually nothing, leaving only you.

“Shut up ‘bout that and just tell me what ya are?” Oh ok, if you insist. Think of me as, well, the Lucifer of this world. The king of hell, the king of everything evil and wicked in this so called peaceful land. I am Celestia’s opposite, she brings goodness and happiness, I bring torment and death. Kind of like what your world went through. In fact, it’s a lot like what our world went through many thousands of years ago. “Ok, time fer ya ta go.”

“If you say so.” A vile chuckle echoed through the trees, sending wave after wave of chills running down his back.

“That wasn’t creepy at all.” John said sarcastically. He swung experimentally through the air as he walked and began chuckling to himself. “Damn. Ah must be more crazy than ah thought. Ok, should only be ‘bout half a day out. Then it’s either ta Ponyville or AJ’s place. Probably Ponyville.”

~*~*~*~*~

Branches snapped and cracked behind John as he stormed through the forest. A little while ago he ran into a hydra. A nasty creature with slime blanketing its thick, lime green scales. You could almost see its putrid breath. And since then John had been running for his life. He had already made the mistake twice. He wasn’t about to make it again. Using his power to harm, felt too good and it was dangerous. The only chance he had was to run.

It had been about twenty minutes of dodging heads and clawed feet. His lungs burned with the same ferocity as his legs. They were about to give out. Since his pace was greatly increased, he estimated the time it would take him to reach the edge of the Everfree would take about another ten minutes. If he could last that much longer. There had been only a few other occasions where he was forced into this much activity. He didn’t want to think of them. It was too painful.

His breaths began to became harder and sounded more and more like a wheeze. How he had lasted this long was beyond him. Maybe it was the mood the forest had. The need to get out was superior to the need to rest.

The pounding still echoed behind him. He looked behind him, peering into the yellow slit eyes of the hydra. Their long pink snake like tongues stuck out of their scaly lips. He turned back quickly, whether it was to watch where he was going or to shun away from those grotesque faces, he didn’t know. All he knew was he needed to get away.

He thought of using his sword, but he knew it was utterly useless. He once went up against one of these before. It may have been smaller, but his sword just bounce harmlessly off their thick armor. Damn it, damn it, damn it. Its gainin’ up on me. Holy shit, it’s the tree line!

John burst through the tree line, the sunlight glistened off the dew covered grass. He was out; though, the only problem was, will the hydra fallow me out. If so, he was still screwed. Several hundred meters out he stopped and glance at the thickets of the Everfree. The hydra’s head were plainly visible above the tree tops. Each of the three heads were hissing and snapping their maws in frustration. Apparently he had made it out.

With one last venomous hiss, the hydra turned its scaly back to its prey and headed back into the forest. John breathed a heaving sigh of relief and flopped onto the ground, his chest rising and falling rapidly with panted breaths. He began laughing, laughing so hard his gut hurt, then curled up into a ball and began a hacking cough.

“Wow man, that was a close one.” He struggled to his feet. “Hehehehe. Well ah guess ah should go find the others.” He paused, “Wait a minute.” His gaze landed on a crack splitting the ground to the left of him. Many trees had fallen or were disfigured into odd shapes. Black billows of smoke drifted from a couple. He ground his teeth. “Ah really did it this time.” He clutched a handful of his sweaty black hair. “Damn.” He looked up and down the crevice, then sniffed the air. “What now?” It wasn’t trees burning that he could smell, it almost smelled like apples. That was it; it was the appalling smell of burning apples.

John froze in fear. What had he done? Applejack had said her farm was the only one for miles around, and he couldn’t be that far away from Ponyville, so that meant... “Oh no.” His eyes widened to the size of saucers, then he bolted. He ran north, almost as fast and as hard as he had from the hydra. Will this day ever end?

~*~*~*~*~

“Big Mac!’ Applejacks shouted over the roar of the fire. “Fetch a pail of water and get yer flank over her and help me!” AJ fought furiously with the flames that overtook her barn. Trying to pat them out with an old wool blanket. It was doing good with the smaller flames, but with the monstrous one looming before her, there was no chance. All she could hope to do was keep it contained. Sweet Apple Acers was all she and her family had, she wasn’t about to let it go up in flame.

“Ah’m commin’ sis!” Big Mac yelled. He didn’t shout hardly ever, but when he did, it could nearly match that of the Royal Canterlotian Voice. His hooves pounded heavily against the grassy ground. He carried an old wooden bucket, as he ran water sloshed around, some of it spilling, but the majority of it still resided. “Here!” He passed the bucket to AJ, who ran over to side of the barn where fire started spreading along the ground, then tossed the bucket back to him.

“Go get some more!” She started kicking dirt over the fire. It helped some, but the massive flames wouldn’t give up, they still trailed along the ground. “Big Mac! Somepony!”

“Applejack!” shouted a voice from far off. But she dismissed it, continuing with her false hope of smothering the flames. “Applejack!” she heard it again, this time more clearly and louder.

“John?!” She turned around to find the human, standing behind her, panting and dripping sweat. “What the hay are ya doin’ here? And where is Twilight and Rarity?”

“Let’s get the barn out first!” he shouted, grabbing a bucket that was sitting next to the house. “C’mon.” Bucket in hand, John did laps from the barn to the well. With Applejacks help they were able to keep the fire contained until finally, the barn collapsed, sending sparks soaring high in the air.

“We did it!” AJ threw up her hat and caught it. “The flame shouldn’t spread anymore. Thank you so much John, ah thought the farm was a goner.” Her excitement was cut short after realizing Twilight and Rarity were still nowhere to be seen. “Where are the others?”

John sat down on the steps of the porch and answered. “Rainbow is leading them home.”

“Rainbow was with them too?”

“Ya she allowed me to the den.” He raked his hands through his sweat matted, ash covered hair, loose flakes drifted off his head. After a few minutes of Applejack fretting, pacing on the porch, John stood up. “Ah’ll go find them if it’ll make ya feel better. Ooof!” A rainbow blur slammed into him, knocking him flat on his back.

“Rainbow Dash, deary, will you please learn how to land. That’s the second time you’ve done that.” It was Rarity and Twilight. They trotted over to where John lay on the ground. He didn’t bother getting up; he just laid there, hoping nopony would notice him.

“Wow, what happened to your barn?” Rainbow hovered in the air so she could get a better look at the scene.

“A bolt of lightning just shot straight out of the clear blue sky and hit mah barn.” She was rather irritated.

“Oh yes, John.” Twilight chimed in. “About your breaking and entering, Rainbow told us all about it.”

“Ah kinda figured she would. So what about it?”

“Are you the one who caused the phenomena a little bit ago?” John just lay there staring off into the clouds. His stomach churned with guilt or the fact he hadn’t eaten in days. All he could manage was a nod of his head.

Comments

[RandomPerson]

First! dunno why just first. this good cant wait for next update