Elements of Battle: Moonlit Steel
Well shit. Before me lay a tear in the earth, a gorge so deep and wide I couldn't possibly leap it on my own. A few meters to the left lay the remains of an ancient bridge, the wood having rotted away to almost nothing and the ropes in such bad shape that even with magic to repair it, the bridge would never hold so much as a glass of water, let alone a 23 year old man with heavy clothing. Going back never even occurred to me. She was back there, and I'd first risk jumping down into that chasm before I faced her again.
"There he is!" As if summoned, the purple, one-horned demon appeared behind me, the shriek of her voice tearing into my very soul.
Well, one thing's for certain, I'm no liar. Taking a few steps back, I sprinted forward and jumped as hard as I could, and in a heartbeat I found myself flying over empty space. My stomach found itself somewhere in one of my toes when I realized I was correct in thinking I wouldn't be able to jump it. Without the time to construct a proper spell, my instinct took over, and without time to hesitate, I broke the seal on my blood with a burst of energy.
Instantly, unbridled joy flooded my mind, the back of my tunic tearing open as silver-dotted dark blue blades of light shot from between my shoulder blades. Or maybe "blades of darkness" is a better way of describing my inheritance.
Within a moment, I alighted on the other side. Already I regretted breaking my power loose. It'd been years since I'd had my wings sealed away by my master, and though they felt comfortingly familiar, I was far from used to them. Flying any farther right now would be dumb, so with every bit of willpower I could muster, I forced my wings to dissipate their physical form, but I could still feel them within me, glowing with power just waiting to be released. It was at once a comforting and disturbing sensation to feel throughout my form. Without looking back, I began running into the thick forest once again. At least my cloak had somehow managed to survive being shredded.
This time, a path long since abandoned and forgotten among the dark reaches of the forest stretched through the brush. With nothing better to do, I followed it, only slowing from my sprint when the sounds of shouting died behind me. The cracked and broken cobblestones looked as if they hadn't seen a single step in the last five-hundred years! They were barely visible under all the plants that had grown over them in the years, but they still marked a path for me to follow.
It must have been twenty minutes later that I stopped in my tracks. Not five steps back the forest was so thick that you couldn't see through it, but where I stood it suddenly opened up, and the sight before me was extremely impressive. A massive castle, its walls looking almost to be made of lapis lazuli, deep blue and speckled with silver stars, much like my wings. It took me a moment to realize that the walls actually looked exactly like the night sky, with many familiar constellations adorning them, almost identical to my wings. After a moment, I realized how strange that was. Curiosity overtook me, and with barely a second thought, I began striding toward the palace.
I'd barely gotten five meters when a voice boomed out from the shadows. "WHO GOES THERE!?" it demanded, its deep, thundering rumble echoing across the land. I paused, my eyes scanning the area warily.
"I am Felix of Athens. Show yourself, lest I accuse you of being craven." I didn't normally speak in the dialect of my home, but with everything that happened, my discipline broke a bit.
"WE DO NOT HIDE FROM THEE, MORTAL!" Said the voice, "LOOK TO OUR TOWERS, AND THOU SHALT SEE US!"
My gaze darted upward at the words, alighting upon a lone figure at the top of the nearest spire. At first, I believed it to be at Pegasus, with its massive wings spread out behind it, but almost as soon as I thought that, I saw the horn that was as long as a sword jutting from its head. I had no time to wonder, however, for as soon as my eyes found it, the figure leapt from its perch, diving straight towards me. In an instant, it landed in front of me without so much as a flare of the wings to slow it down. But despite crashing into the ground from that height, the creature looked as if it had simply landed as any normal pegasus would.
So impressive was the first landing, I almost didn't notice the two pegasi that swooped in behind the first. I was too busy admiring the pony before me. Far larger than any of the others I'd yet seen, its wingspan was incredible, each one being at least as long as I was tall. My eyes traced its form up, taking in the mane that appeared as if it were identical to everything else here, and the rather sharp horn.
"WHAT MANNER OF CREATURE ARE YOU, TO TRESSPASS UPON THE GROUNDS OF THE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT!?" That voice once again boomed, much louder than before with its proximity. Already I could see the trick for what it was, and it really wasn't as extraordinary as it initially appeared. A simple magnifying charm placed outside the mouth increased that voice to fifteen or so times its normal volume.
Wincing at the ringing in my ears, I said, "Could you please dispense with the voice?"
"TAKE IT," the equine screamed. Within a second, the two bat-winged pegasi flanking it flew at me.
Without time to draw a weapon, I did the only other thing I could: I let my wings loose. With a flash, the star-spattered blades of night caught the armored guards by surprise, deflecting their attacks and pushing them back with a quick movement. While they were stunned, I reached into the pouch I wore behind my waist, and pulled out a folded piece of paper; one I hadn't touched since I became the Element of Luck nine months ago.
Even as the guards stood back up and got their bearings, my fingers traced over the runes on the page before me, giving them life once again and watching as they began to glow. Even as they charged me, the portal opened before me, and my arm disappeared into the page, feeling for the object I sought. Just as the guards leapt at me, my fingers finally found the hilt of my blade, a thousand miles away, and I pulled.
The sword, still sheathed, caught the four hooves that were aimed for me and sent their owners flying in a single strike. With a deft flourish, I strapped the scabbard across my back, over my cloak, and drew the blade, gripping it just below the wing-shaped guard in my right hand. The third time the two armored pegasi flew at me, the world seemed to slow down as my eyes hunted for the weak spots in their protective covering.
Six strikes later, there was a loud clang as the iron breastplates fell to the ground, their straps neatly severed without so much as scratching their fur. Apparently they didn't get the hint, however, for they didn't stay down. Staggering to their feet for the last time, I had to give them points for persistence. This time, when they flew at me, they were quicker than before.
I was still far faster. With a flap of my wings, I flew far above their attack, and then dove at them, the fingers of my left hand a blur as they scribbled magiki grafi in the air before me. "?????????" appeared on the palm of both my hands, and when I touched the fur of the pegasi guards' backs, it transferred, and the spell instantly knocked them out. They'd probably wake in a few hours with a minor headache.
Now I was down to the strange unicorn-pegasus hybrid. "Look, I don't want to fight you..." I began.
"WE DO NOT BELIEVE THEE. THOU HAST DEFEATED OUR GUARDS WITHOUT HESITATION, AND NOW THOU SHALT FACE US!" The horn glowed, and a beam of light shot from it, aiming straight for my chest. Twisting to the side, I barely managed to dodge the ray of what looked like moonlight.
Well, I tried to be reasonable, but when I saw the trench that blast of energy left in the ground, even I could tell there was no point. With a grimace, I spread my wings once again, raising my sword before me. Pointing it at my adversary, I waited for her to make the first move.
I didn't have to wait long. Within a matter of seconds, she raised her head, the tip of her horn glowing brightly, crackling with energy. Almost as quickly as it began, the energy was released in another beam, heading right for me. With a shout and a cry of, «???????? ?????????!" The magiki grafi began to glow along the flat of the blade, and an arc of white light shot from the tip of my blade, following the curve of my stroke. The two collided at an angle, and somehow managed to deflect each other into the ground, my attack leaving a trench, and hers leaving a crater in the hard soil below us.
I didn't get even a short reprieve this time. Just after firing the beam at me, the pony charged me, apparently intent on impaling me with her horn. Fortunately, a quick spin of my blade slapped her horn aside, allowing me to twist away from the rest of her body before it could hit me. Acting on instinct, I found myself clinging to the black mare's neck, the blade of my sword pressed against her throat. "I really don't want to hurt you," I said, "but that doesn't mean I won't if you force my hand."
"FELIX!" roared an all-too-familiar voice. Great. "LET HER GO, NOW!"
"Alaric?!" I turned my gaze to the source of the voice. Sure enough, my companions, and the ponies, had managed to catch up with me. "Hey, she attacked me!" I yelled, indignant. But nonetheless I pulled my blade from her throat and leapt off, my wings disappearing and allowing me to drop to the ground, where I rolled to disperse the energy from the fall.
Nero immediately stormed over to me and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt... which tore off when he tried to haul me into the air. Undeterred, he grabbed my cloak and tried again, this time successfully. Staring into my eyes, he growled, "You'd better have a hell of a good explanation for what happened here." I was glad to see that the ponies who'd come with my companions were rushing to my previous opponent, if only because it meant Twilight Sparkle wasn't anywhere near me.
"If you'd let go of me, I'll explain." I was unceremoniously dropped to the ground. Sheathing my sword, I did my best to give my story. From the reason I unsealed my wings, to why I pulled my sword to this land, to why I had been found riding what turned out to be the ruler of night in this land with a sword to her throat.
Turning to the Princess in question, I bowed respectfully. "My apologies for my previous behavior, your Majesty." I received no response, which I chose to take as a good thing.
When I straightened back up, I found myself nose-to-muzzle with what was currently my least-favorite unicorn. I immediately bolted, but before I got so much as a meter, my cloak was caught in an iron grip. "Oh no you don't," came Dexter's rarely-heard voice. "You've caused enough trouble tonight."
With running being futile, I briefly considered taking flight, but dismissed the idea almost instantly. I'd be caught before I even left the ground. With a sigh, I went a bit limp, signaling defeat. Fortunately, Twilight Sparkle seemed to take the hint well enough. She was on the other side of the courtyard, tending to the Princess.
As my group all turned to see what they could do to make amends, I unsheathed my sword, looking it over. It'd been almost a year since I last saw it, but it looked, and felt, exactly as I remembered it. Its wide blade glinted brightly in the moonlight, almost mirror-like, until it met the owl-shaped guard, the bird of my clan carved lovingly into the steel and wood, unbelievably detailed in spite of countless years of wear. The hilt was quite simple in comparison; merely a textured wooden grip, in the style of a hand-and-a-half sword, with a pommel that was carved to look like a sleeping owl, but not nearly so detailed as the guard. Yet the beauty failed to hide the blood that stained this blade, the same blood that covered my hands, as well.
A hand landing heavily on my shoulder interrupted my brooding. "You can't undo the past, Felix." I turned to find Alaric regarding me with sad eyes. "Regret won't bring him back."
I sighed heavily and sheathed my sword. "I know."
"We're here to make sure their plan fails."
"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?!" I couldn't help it, I screamed. "YOU THINK THAT MAKES IT ANY EASIER THAT I HAD TO KILL MY BROTHER WITH THIS CURSED THING!?" I slammed my mouth shut, immediately regretting the outburst, but the damage was done. Even without looking around, I could feel 12 pairs of eyes boring into me. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to once again run off into the darkness before me, but I steeled myself. If I didn't face this now I might never be able to. Alaric was the only one who'd know about it before that moment, but now everyone with ears knew. Feeling as if I were passively committing suicide, I turned to face the eyes.
Their expressions were almost all different. They ranged from downright horror on a couple of the ponies faces, to surprise, to concern. But the one that surprised me was the expression on the Princess's face. Her muzzle wore an expression of pure sympathy, as if she knew the pain losing a brother to your own actions caused. But none of those expressions made it any more pleasant to have it out in the open. The fact that it was my actions that had led to this situation did nothing to make it any easier.
Gritting my teeth, I growled, "Point me in the direction of Camelot-"
"You mean Canterlot?" the Princess asked.
I continued. "Point me in the direction of Canterlot," I put as much venom as I could into the name, "and I'll meet you there."
Seven ponies all pointed with their hooves at the same time and in the same direction. Without thinking, I turned and began jogging, intending to get out of sight as fast as possible. Too late, I realized the fatal flaw in my plan. I was barely paying attention to where I was going, and the next thing I knew, I ran face-first into a very, very hard wall, and promptly proceeded to pass out.