My Little Pony Fan Fiction ❯ A Walk Among Spirits ❯ Chapter 41

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

15 years later:

 

Flames erupted into the air as the building collapsed to the ground. Canterlot was in complete chaos as Royal Guards rush around the city trying to put the fires out and confront the group of creatures that attacked Canterlot.

 

Flames erupted and soared through the city streets as Royal Guards screamed in pain as the flames engulfed their bodies before turning them into nothing but piles of ash. The flames then shot into the air before looping around and slamming onto the cobblestone sidewalk. The flames began to morph and form a silhouette of a Pony before the flames scattered into fireflies. The fiery red mare standing on the scorched sidewalk rotated her neck until a joint popped and she let out a satisfying sigh.

 

A group of ten Royal Guards charged towards the mare who smiled and said, "The ice mare cometh." Her fiery red coat changed to an icy blue and her gray mane and tail changed to pure white. She let out a breath as white mist poured from her mouth. She then phased into blue mist and slithered towards the group of Royal Guards.

 

The blue mist twisted and slithered around the Royal Guards before phasing into their bodies. When the mist slithered into each of the Royal Guards skin. They felt a chill throughout their bodies as though ice was forming on their bones and freezing their veins. As the mist slithered out of them, ice crystals began to form on the Royal Guards body. They screamed in panic as they began to try and break the crystals. However, when they broke one, another three grew from their body.

 

Within seconds the ten Royal Guards were frozen solid in ice crystals. The blue mist slithered through the crystals like it was examining its handy work. It soon darted away and reformed into the icy blue mare. She looked at the ten Royal Guards and joked, "Y'all need to chill out." She let out a laugh, pleased with her clever pun.

 

"Seriously Frost Burn?" Marionette said as she walked up to Frost Burn before she added, "you really just made a pun?" Five ponies walked up next to Marionette. They were an amalgamation of ponies as hooves dangled from limbs of flesh and mouths let out moans of pain.

 

"It's no fun if you're super serious all the time," Frost Burn said as she shrugged. The two heard hooves behind them and when they turned around. They saw a massive group of Royal Guards heading towards them. The two looked towards one another a nodded. However, before they could act. An orb the size of a hoof-ball shot past them and towards the group of ponies. When the orb entered the group of ponies it exploded in a massive wave of lightning and electricity. The Royal Guards convulsed as lightning and electricity coursed through their bodies. Smoke lifted from their charred bodies as one by one they fell to the ground.

 

"Can you two stop fooling around and actually do your jobs," a mare's voice said. Marionette and Frost Burn turned towards the olive green mare with the electric blue mane and tail. On the right side of her mane was a yellow highlight that zigzagged like a lightning bolt. She had an annoyed look on her face as she let out a sigh.

 

"Come on Tesla. That was my kill," Frost Burn said before Marionette shot her a glare and Frost Burn corrected, "Our kill." Marionette slowly looked back at Tesla who just rolled her eyes and walked past the two mares.

 

"You two are here to do a job, not to goof off and play with the dead," Tesla lectured as she turned to face the two ponies. She lifted her left front hoof and a small orb formed at the tip that was made of both lightning and electricity. She narrowed her eyes to the two and added, "Or do I need to teach you two how to behave again?"

 

"No-no," Marionette and Frost Burn said in unison as they both shook their heads. Suddenly a group of Pegasus Royal Guards dive-bombed towards Tesla. Frost Burn's coat shifted back to its fiery red color while Marionette readied her mounds of Pony flesh to attack. However, before the two could do anything. A crackle of thunder erupted and a bolt of lightning shot past Marionette and Frost Burn and slammed into one of the Royal Guard Pegasus. It then chained to the other Royal Guards as they convulsed and fell to the ground. Smoke lifted from their charred bodies as a single bolt of lightning hovered in the air before it slammed into the ground behind Tesla.

 

The orb shrunk and disappeared before Tesla turned to where the bolt of lightning slammed and stared down at the electric blue colt standing in front of her. The colt looked up at her and suddenly started hopping around her and excitedly boasting, "Did you see what I did big sis? Did you? Did you? Did you?" he stopped hopping around her and stood in front of her waiting for her response.

 

Tesla smiled warmly at the colt before she ruffled his gold mane and praised, "I did see Lightning Rush. Good job." He giggled and his smile grew as he hopped into the air and rejoiced. She laughed and added, "Why not go and find more Royal Guards to play with?"

 

"Ok big sis!" Lighting Rush cheered before he morphed back into a lightning bolt and shot towards the center of Canterlot as a crackle of thunder followed.

 

"Huh, now that's weird," Frost Burn said a little perplexed.

 

"What's weird?" Tesla asked before she turned tail and walked away from the two mares.

 

"Weird that you're treating Lightning Rush like Family, but you killed his real sister in cold blood," Frost Burn said. Marionette looked at Frost Burn in shock and quickly stepped away from her. Frost Burn didn't notice Marionette moving away from her as she continued, "I mean, what happens when he finds out you killed his older sister?"

 

Tesla stopped and turned to face Frost Burn. She lifted her right front hoof and the orb of lightning and electricity appeared on the tip of her hoof as she coldly stated, "He won't find out."

 

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

 

Celestia rose up into the air as her horn illuminated and shot a beam of golden magical energy. The sand brown stallion rolled to the side just as the beam of magical energy slammed into the marble floor of the throne room. The stallion stood up and smiled wickedly as he lifted his right front hoof to the side. It glowed orange before his hoof quickly morphed into a battle ax. His back hooves glowed and morphed into springs before he shot towards Celestia. Celestia quickly moved to the side as he shot past her. He maneuvered his body so the springs hit the ceiling and he was propelled back towards her. His left hoof glowed orange and morphed into a blade. Celestia quickly created a magical shield as the stallion's two weapons collided with her shield. His crazed smile grew as he screamed, "Alright you horny bitch! Let's see how long your shield will last!"

 

A large group of vines pulsed and constricted around the dark blue shield. There was a bright light and the vines were suddenly eradicated as Luna's shield erupted into blue flames. Luna glared across the room at the log brown mare who look discussed at what Luna just did.

 

"How dare you destroy mother nature's beauties!" the mare screamed as she slammed her front hooves to the ground. Green cracks scattered up her hooves and on the floor under her hooves. Vines with large hook-like thorns exploded out of the floor and shot towards Luna.

 

Luna's horn glowed and her three crescent moon sabers floated to her side and began to slice the vines to shreds before she shot towards the mare. The mare growled as the cracks started to crawl up her leg and slither more across the floor. Vines erupted around the mare and wrapped her in a dome. Luna carved through the dome of vines, but every time she destroyed a vine. Three more took its place.

 

The stallion continued to slam his weapons into Celestia's shield. With every hit, the shield seemed to quiver, but hold its shape. Celestia's eyes glowed gold as her shield exploded out and pushed the stallion back while coating the throne room in a golden glow. The vines that created the dome around the mare erupted in flames and flung her back into a wall. She let out a wail of pain before she fell back to the floor.

 

"Damn it that hurt," the stallion said as he crawled back to his hooves and gave Luna and Celestia a crazed smile.

 

"Yeah, well this would go smoother if we had some actual help!" the mare yelled as she looked over at a second mare who had stood near the door of the throne room. The second mare was a lavender coated mare with ocean blue hair and tail. She had a blindfold over her eyes. She had been standing in front of the door like a statue and now seemed to look over at the two before she sighed.

 

"Weaponry darling," the lavender mare said sweetly to the stallion before she added, "Would you kindly help me?" the stallion's front and back hooves glowed orange again and changed back to normal before he raced over to the lavender mare.

 

"Ivy, keep these two busy while I help Petrify," Weaponry said to the first mare. Ivy sighed and rolled her eyes before the cracks in her legs and floor disappeared. She reared back and slammed her front hooves on the floor again. The cracks quickly raced up her leg all the way to her shoulders. The floor under her was coated in cracks before vines erupted from the floor and created a wall of vines between them and the two alicorn sisters.

 

"This won't hold them for long. So get her over here and ready Weaponry," Ivy said as she looked back at Weaponry and Petrify. Weaponry gently took Petrify's right hoof and led her towards the wall of vines. Ivy watched and rolled her eyes before she added, "Sometime this century."

 

"Quiet!" Weaponry yelled before he added, "she needs to be careful."

 

"It's alright darling, I'm good here," Petrify said as an explosion erupted from behind the wall of vines and part of the wall started to be engulfed in flames. Weaponry stopped just as Petrify continued, "Would you kindly remove my blindfold?" Weaponry nodded and his front hooves glowed orange again. This time they changed into Griffin gauntlets. He used his razor-sharp talons to gently remove Petrify's blindfold as another explosion echoed behind the wall of vines.

 

"Would you two hurry up?!" Ivy yelled. The cracks had spread up her shoulders and were now coating her abdomen.

 

"Alright Ivy, you can let them through," Petrify said. The cracks quickly reseeded back down her front hooves as the vines withered and died to let Luna and Celestia through. Celestia and Luna flew towards the three as Petrify opened her eyes. Her eyes were pure white with no pupils. However, within seconds red cracks scattered from the corners of her eyes to the middle and created a slanted pupil that looked like a fissure in the ground.

 

Luna and Celestia suddenly stopped as their eyes widened and they stayed hovering in the air. The only movement was their wings flapping up and down. They seemed to be in a trance as they stared into Petrify's eyes.

 

"Would you two kindly finish them off?" Petrify said as blood began to trickle from the corners of her eyes. Ivy reared up and slammed her front hooves again. The cracks rose up her legs and scattered across the floor. A vine exploded from the ceiling and reared back before it slammed into Luna's body. Luna didn't seem to notice the hit as she slammed into the ground. Her wing bent backward as bones cracked and broke. However, she didn't notice the pain coursing through her body as she continued to stare into Petrify's eyes.

 

Weaponry's back hooves glowed and changed back into springs. He jumped into the air in front of Celestia as his right front hoof glowed and changed into a war hammer. He smiled as he lifted it over his head and joked, "Hammer time." He swung his hammer down onto Celestia's back. Celestia slammed into the ground as bits of the marble floor shattered and flew into the air. Weaponry landed on the ground as two vines slithered from the floor and began to wrap around the two alicorn sisters. Their hook thorns cut into their flesh as the vines tightly wrapped around Celestia and Luna. The tip of the vine moved close to the sister's horns as a white rose with pink tips grew from the vine's tip. The flower's petals wrapped around the tip of the horns as yellow tendrils came from the rose and wrapped all the way down to the base of their horns.

 

"Alright, we're all set Petrify," Weaponry said as he turned towards her. She had already closed her eyes, but the blood still stained her cheeks. Weaponry walked over and added, "Let me get rid of that," he said as he was about to clean the blood from her cheeks.

 

"No need darling, it will just dry up like the others," Petrify said before she continued, "Now would you kindly place my blindfold back on?" Weaponry nodded as his hooves once again changed to the Griffin gauntlets. He gently placed the blindfold back around her eyes and after he did that. Petrify smacked him in the back of the head.

 

"Ow! What was that for?" Weaponry asked.

 

"For your stupid pun," Petrify said. Before Weaponry could protest, Luna let out a blood-curdling scream as the pain of her broken wing finally registered.

 

"Luna!" Celestia screamed as she too was out of the trance. Her horn glowed, but the rose atop her horn began to pulse and suck the magical energy from her body. She glared at the three and hissed, "What did you do to Luna? What are you doing to my magic?!"

 

"Wouldn't want the Masters presents to teleport away," Weaponry joked.

 

"Do you think he'll be pleased with me?" Ivy asked Weaponry before her face flushed red and she added, Think he'll make me his special somepony?" Weaponry just rolled his eyes and sighed.

 

"You do know he has," Weaponry stated.

 

"That old hag mare? He needs a young mare to show him something new," Ivy interrupted.

 

"This old hag still has a few tricks up her flank," a voice said from the door. Ivy froze and shakily turned towards the door where an elderly purple mare with an ash gray mane and tail and slanted emerald green eyes like snakes stood. Her forked tongue flickered out of her mouth that had a playful smile on it.

 

"V-v-v-v-Viper," Ivy stuttered. Viper's smile grew as she walked towards the three. She looked from the two alicorn sisters to Ivy, Weaponry, and Petrify. She then let her forked tongue flicker once more before she turned towards the door as a gray stallion walked into the throne room.

 

"I've brought you a present my dear," Viper said. Ivy glared at Viper but quickly stood straight as the stallion drew closer.

 

"Good work," the gray stallion said as he passed Viper and the other three without looking at them. His gaze was fixed on Luna and Celestia. He stood in front of the two alicorn princesses and added, "How the mighty have fallen."

 

"What do you want with us?" Celestia hissed. The stallion's eyes narrowed at her as a disappointing look fell on his face. However, a smile formed on his face.

 

"You don't remember do you?" the stallion said.

 

Before Celestia could answer there was a crackle of thunder that shattered three of the stain glass windows. A bolt of lightning shot into the room and bounced around the room with a purple blur inside of it. The lightning then crashed into the ground in front of the gray stallion. The collision created a dust cloud that shot pieces of the marble floor into the air. Lightning Rush skipped out of the dust cloud beaming with delight.

 

"Looky, looky what I found," Lightning Rush cheered. The gray stallion narrowed his eyes to see in the dust cloud and as the dust finally settled. His smile grew as his gaze fell on the unconscious body of Twilight Sparkle.

 

"Ivy!" the gray stallion said which made her jump. She nodded and the cracks slithered further up her legs and scattered further around the floor. A vine slithered out of the ground behind Twilight's body and wrapped around it. A white rose with pink tips grew from the vines tip and latched onto Twilight's horn like Luna's and Celestia's.

 

"Did I do well? Did I? Did I?" Lightning Rush asked. The gray stallion looked down at Lightning Rush as his wicked smile formed into a comforting one.

 

"Yes, you did very well Lightning Rush," the gray stallion praised before he added, "Now, can you go find your sister and the others. We need to round up the Ponies of Canterlot for a special event."

 

"Can do!" Lighting Rush said with a giant smile on his face. He once again morphed into lightning and shot into the air before shooting out another window. Another crackle of thunder followed and broke two more windows. Twilight groaned as the sound of thunder and broken glass woke her. She opened her eyes and tried to focus as the blurriness clouded her vision.

 

"Looks like you're finally waking up," the gray stallion said. Twilight narrowed her eyes to focus and when the blurriness finally disappeared she stared into the eyes of the gray stallion.

 

"S-Skyline?" Twilight gasped as her eyes widened. The gray stallion snorted at her question as a vine slithered from the ceiling and wrapped around the vines binding Twilight. The vine lifted Twilight so she was eye level with the gray stallion. Twilight squirmed to try and escape her bindings, but the hook thorns of the vines cut into her flesh. She looked back at the gray stallion and asked, "Why are you doing this?"

 

"Why!?" the gray stallion roared before he added, "Because this world deserves to feel the same pain I did!"

 

"But you left with Atlas; he was going to take care of you. He made a promise," Twilight protested.

 

"Yeah, he did. For all of five months," the gray stallion said before he shot a glare at Celestia and added, "until your beloved Celestia sent him on a mission to the San Palomino Desert.'

 

"We didn't know about the ambush the changelings set up. We couldn't have predicted their numbers," Celestia argued. Celestia's horn glowed again, but the flower pulsed and sucked the magic from it.

 

"Didn't know or just didn't care," the gray stallion hissed before he continued, "You send your soldiers to their death and expect their families to just accept it? You make your subjects suffer while you sit on your comfy throne and ask for more! More pain, more sacrifice, more suffering and you don't even care what happens to them."

 

"That's not true! My sister does everything in her power to protect her subjects," Luna argued.

 

"Silence!" the gray stallion roared. The vines binding Luna tightened and she screamed as they squeezed her broken wing.

 

"But Serenity, she had to have taken care of you after Atlas's death," Twilight said. The gray stallion looked back at Twilight with rage.

 

"That bitch did nothing but torment me!' the gray stallion screamed as he reared up and slammed his front hooves on the ground before continuing, "After his death, she began drinking and blaming me for his death. She began beating me at night and what could I do?"

 

"We could have helped," Twilight said.

 

"Ha! You honestly think anyone could have helped me. They all heard about what happened and when one of my Espers appeared after a bully pushed me down. I became nothing but a monster in their eyes. I found no solace at home or with the Ponies of this kingdom," the gray stallion explained before he continued, "So I ran away. To the only place I knew."

 

"The facility," Twilight said. A crooked smile formed on the gray stallion's face.

 

"Correct. When finally finding an open hatch to descend down into that hellhole. I was met with other like myself. Society couldn't or rather wouldn't understand what we were put through. However, in all its disarray. I did find a friend," the gray stallion said before he turned back towards Viper as her forked tongue flickered from her mouth. She shot a glance at Ivy and smiled. Ivy snorted and looked away.

 

"But this isn't the way to earn their trust and understanding," Twilight argued. The gray stallion turned back to her as his smile only grew.

 

"In my years of training with those Ponies down in the Suicide Dome, I learned something," the gray stallion said before he walked closer to Twilight and whispered, "If society won't willingly accept you. Then you force them to accept you." The gray stallion walked back to see the shocked look on Twilight's face.

 

"Skyline, don't do this," Twilight pleaded.

 

"Skyline died fifteen years ago," the gray stallion admitted before two more vines slithered from the ceiling and wrapped around the vines binding Luna and Celestia. The gray stallion turned tail and walked back to Viper and the others before he turned around and added, "There is only Spirit Walker" the vines then brought the three alicorns to the balcony as Ivy followed with Weaponry guiding Petrify towards the balcony.

 

"Are you ready?" Viper said as she walked up next to Spirit Walker. He simply nodded before Viper walked towards the balcony. Spirit Walker waited in the throne room for several seconds before he headed towards the balcony.

 

Spirit Walker stopped in front of a full body mirror. He turned to face it. However, instead of his own reflection looking back at him. The shadow stallion stood in the mirror. The strands of shadows making up his body wriggled and slithered in the air. The shadow stallion's hollow eyes staring back into Spirit Walkers. A sadistic crooked smile formed on the shadow stallion's face. In which Spirit Walker mimicked and saw the dagger-like teeth he now possessed. Just like the shadow stallion. Spirit Walker then turned to walk out to the balcony.

 

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

 

Celestia, Luna, and Twilight were hovering over the balcony with the vines still wrapped around their bodies. A new vine had slithered from the balcony floor and wrapped around their necks. Ivy licked her lips and waited for the call to let the three drop.

 

Spirit Walker walked to the edge of the balcony and looked down to see the Ponies he had come with had wrangled up all the remaining Ponies in Canterlot. The citizens seemed scared and confused. They looked up and saw the three alicorns hovering over the edge of the balcony and began to panic. Spirit Walker lifted his front hoof to stop the panic, but none of the Ponies seemed to notice. He sighed and rolled his eyes as Black smoke began to slither from his body. 

 

The Ponies continued to panic until there was a massive roar that sounded like a leather glove being pulled down a string instrument cut through the air. The ponies looked up to see a massive two-story creature with a reptilian visage, a robust build, an upright posture, a long tail and rows of serrated fins along its back made of thick white fog standing next to the castle. It reared back and roared again and the crowd fell silent. Spirit Walker smiled before he cleared his throat and walked up to the mic stand.

 

"Ponies of Equestria," Spirit Walker began as he looked at the crowd of Ponies. His smile only grew as he pointed a hoof at the three alicorns and continued, "Behold your false gods."

 

End