-Earth, Light's Location-
Light closed his eyes in thought. "... most of this... it would not have happened if I had accepted the truth. This fact that I am not a God, that their rules didn't apply." Ace was under him, barely breathing as his wounds were treated.
To both of them, Ace's death, both this mortal form and his spirit, was very much a possibility.
"I lost my position as god of Equestria, threw Leon's life out of balance, caused the death of the governing force of existance..." He rambled on and on, trying to make sense of his past actions. "All for my facade. Convincing myself I had these limits..." He looked at his dying friend. "I'm sorry, Ace. I really screwed things up."
All of the time he had spent, from the time he and his... "sister's" creation of the Figures, he had hated his powers. He watched the imperfect worlds form around him, he began to fear his own powers, and what temptations would come with using them. After all, there was a god he had loved... and he watched in horror as his own power had spiraled out of control and killed her. And so he had made a deal with Oblivion.
Both agreed to disappear. The figures were there, the worlds could be born without the interference of creation and destruction. Origination fell in love with these worlds, this small specks of love, and lowered himself to the status of a mere god, sealing away as much of his power in the process.
To him, to the worlds around him, he was no longer The Origination. He was Light.
Was.
And now, he stood there.
...was...
"... life isn't fair... is it, Ace?" Light smiled solemnly at Ace as he channeled immense amounts of magic through his friend's wound.
After a small mount of time, he judged his friend's condition stable enough to swap worlds. He picked Ace up on his back and walked through a gate, leading to the location of Aria.
-Fancypants' Restaurant, Nyx's Location-
I sat there with all the things Twilight had said flowing through my mind.
"I was a... hu... man..." She frowned as I contemplated all that had happened. Did all those things really happen? Then again, if there was anyone I felt I could trust, it would be this unicorn in front of me. I was especially silent as I learned of how I died.
Twilight... she wasn't a killer. I could see her feelings in her eyes.
Regret.
After a long, awkward silence, I smiled and tried to move the conversation forward. "...and what of these past two years, then?"
The story continued as our meals arrived, I had an unusual soup whose name I could not pronounce, while Twilight had ordered a grass salad and some haycakes. While we ate, she told me about how her friend's "happily ever afters". Rainbow Dash and the Starlights. Fluttershy and her renown as an animal expert. Pinkie Pie and her success at Sugarcube Corner. Applejack's expanded farm. Rarity's clothing shop. And of course, finally... Twilight's coronation.
"...I wish I could have been there... For every single one of you..." I said with a hint of melancholy in my voice.
"It wasn't something you could control. You're here now, right? That's all that matters." She smiled as the waiter came and refilled out glasses with water. He introduced himself as the owner and smiled.
"Why hello, Twilight Sparkle. Fancy meeting you here." He smiled, "Enjoying the cuisine?"
She smiled, "Of course, some of the best food I've had in a long time!"
Fancypants chuckled and bowed. "Only the best for the newest young Princess." He stood back up and smiled. "Consider this meal, 'on the house' as my personal congratulations for your new status."
"Oh, no. I couldn't do that. Thank you, but I do insist on paying for this meal. Still, thank you for the offer."
He smiled, "Why thank you for your kindness, Princess." Then, facing me while still speaking to Twilight, "And who might your friend be? Your coltfriend?"
Both of our faces lit up a bright red, but I recovered first. "I wish! I don't think I could ever be so lucky as to get the affections of... well... Twilight." I smiled and lightly chuckled as I held out my hoof. "My name is... Leon. Or Nyx. Nice to meet you."
He grabbed my hoof and shook it, "And I am Fancypants. Pleasure meeting you as well." Fancypants nudged a nearby waiter, which actually happened to be ours. "This table's meal is on the house."
"Hey!" Twilight yelled at Fancypants, who merely laughed and walked away. I couldn't help but giggle at Twilight's reaction. She was annoyed, but even she smiled after a short period of time.
"He seems nice." I said with a smile.
Twilight looked over to an approaching waiter while responding to me, "Yeah, he is."
"Would the ma'am like dessert? Or how about the gentlecolt?" The waiter said, smiling and bowing to the princess as he listed off the different choices.
Twilight sighed, "Well... nothing I guess." She really didn't want to not pay for anything extra, but the waiter smiled. Fancy Pants had been several steps ahead.
"Mister Fancy Pants specifically told me not to leave until both of you order dessert."
Twilight groaned and slammed her head against the table before finally settling with a chocolate-ice cream cake. I myself ordered a turtle cheesecake. I wasn't sure how Twilight's dessert was, though she seemed to enjoy it a lot, but my cheesecake was the best thing I could remember tasting. It was delicious beyond belief. I smiled as I finished the dish and wiped my mouth with a napkin.
-The Birth and End of All Worlds-
The fight was one-sided. Aria simply wasn't strong enough to hold herself against the chakram-weilding god by herself. She slowly gave more and more ground to the god, who effortlessly deflected her blows while returning devastating attacks with relative ease.
"I told you Aria, you are foolish, weak, and-"
"Right." It was Light, he appeared with Ace on his back, as he was still in the form he preferred, the form of a Winged Unicorn.
He let the limp body, pierced through the chest, fall to the seat that Ace had occupied for the past two years. Aria was horrified, but the chakrams that had been intended for her disintegrated before they reached her.
"What did you do, Light?" The god who had been fighting Aria raged as his weapons were whisked away without his discretion." He turned to face the being in a threatening gesture.
"...you're different..." A woman's voice called out from one of the spectating gods that sat around the table.
Light smiled. "Of course. Things rarely stay the same, after all."
They, one by one, began to notice his aura of power that wafted around him.
The same female god said, with a hint of suspicion, as to what had occurred, "Light, where did you obtain this power?"
His simple response was, "I always had it. However, this isn't the time for questions." He turned and opened a white gate that lead away from the Birth and End of All Worlds. "I recommend you listen to Aria."
As he walked through the game, the words of Aria seemed to linger in the air. "And if I don't have my request granted, there is always force."
They turned to face Aria. "So you want us to go to Equestria?" She nodded, completely serious.
Aria was dead serious, "There is a danger, and I'm hoping we can do something about it." She turned to the gate, picked up Ace, and left through the gate.
The gods sat there silently. "...I suppose its time we left this place... isn't it?" A single god said.
They nodded, and each one began to walk out of the world they had remained in for two years.
-Canterlot Castle-
Spitfire's revelations were of shock and worry, and as she looked over the book, she began to think of all that had happened. "So... Leon..." She replaced the book's location, taking extra care to remember its location.
However, she paused and looked around when she remembered the loud noises from earlier. She walked out of the library, and paused almost immediately.
"...G-guards?" There were bodies strewn haphazardly along the hallway: many in painful-looking positions. She jumped up as she realized, "The princesses!" She flew through the hallway with unparalleled speed and agility as she rushed towards the royal quarters, but as she rounded the last corner to the room of Princess Celestia...
"L-luna!" There was a hole in the wall, and Celestia was on the floor, obviously hurt. Luna was panicking as her sister lay there in pain. The guards were disabled, her sister was severely hurt, and she couldn't call for help as she was doing everything she could to treat the wounds of her sister. She couldn't leave her sister's side, it was a no-win situation. Luna looked up at the yellow pegasus who called her name.
"W-what happened!" Both ponies were panicking.
"P-please contact the hospital!" Luna said, frantically using spells to help stop Celestia's bleeding, treating her internal wounds the best she could. It was difficult, so multitasking was out of the question. Spitfire took off towards the hospital. "... and Princess Twilight..." Luna added as Spitfire took off, her years of flying skills being pushed to the limit as she flew towards the nearest hospital at speeds that outmatched even Rainbow Dash's... or at least the Rainbow Dash from two years ago.
-Ponyville-
The ponies returned home with everyone wondering about how the castle reopening had went. Of course, they all god news that was more than they had bargained for, and by that afternoon, Twilight becoming Princess was the only thing anyone talked about. Of course, they all began to plan a party for her return, everyone was excited to hear that even though she was a princess, she still wanted to stay in Ponyville. Of course Spike was the most ecstatic.
"Yippie!" He said, rushing off to do something-or-another when Fluttershy mentioned Twilight was staying, causing her to jump at his sudden action.
"Sorry Fluttershy, its just I need to clean up the place! I mean, its really messy right now and- oof!" He walked right into a door that he had expected open and landed on his rear. "A-anyways, I'd better get cleaning!" He grabbed a feather duster and began running all over the house.
Meanwhile, Rarity had been swarmed by people looking at the photos of Twilight's coronation dress. She was already swamped with work, and after that display in Canterlot, the orders for her work virtually began to double. She smiled as she began to work on several dresses at once. Of course, she kept thinking about how she would ever top her masterpiece. She kept smiling to herself, for every magazine she had imported from Canterlot had the same image on the front page: Twilight Sparkle in Rarity's Dress.
AppleJack and Big Macintosh smiled, apple-bucking season, at least for now, was over. She smiled knowing there would be plenty of time for resting for the next few days, so she decided to wander over to Pinkie Pie's place at Sugarcube Corner.
And of course, she was already preparing for the party that the Princess would be welcomed back to. It needed to be her most fantabulastic party ever. It was difficult trying to prepare all of the ideas she had for the party, but she was sure she could pull it off, and with Applejack's help, it was going to be a massive hit, even if it wasn't the superly-awesome party of all time.
But of course, it would be.
-Cantlerlot Streets-
I smiled at Twilight as she led the way towards the Castle. The streets were deserted due to the time of night it was, and as me and Twilight smiled and laughed and giggled and joked on our trek to Canterlot, we saw Spitfire flying through the sky towards the Hospital Twilight had stayed at.
"Huh, I wonder why she's in such a hurry..." I said to Twilight, who shrugged in response. We thought nothing of it and continued to walk towards the castle, engrossed in a deep conversation.
"Twilight, Nyx! I've been looking all over for you!" A voice called out from behind us.
"Trixie? Is there something wrong with the hotel?" She was worried and seemed to be wary of her surroundings. She was magically levitating a note.
"I...just got a letter from the P-princess. A-and..." She released the magic, letting the parchment fall from the air into my hooves.
"...somepony is after Leon..." It was hastily scrawled, but the note was obviously from Twilight's teacher.
The wind ominously blew through the area as Twilight's demeanor changed from joyful to completely serious.
Twilight felt chills down her spine as she remembered how easily Leon had been captured on the train two years ago, and how powerless she was to stop it. But this time, it was different. Whoever was after Leon had her to get through, she closed her eyes and looked at the castle. The pony, whoever it was, had made it to the castle.
She closed her eyes... The Princesses... Were they hurt? Whoever it was had managed to get into the Castle through its small army of Guards. Spitfire had most likely rushed to the hospital for medical aid, that would explain her urgency. Then she shook her head. Rushing towards the person after Leon would be a foal's course of action, and no matter how much it pained her, she knew the smartest thing to do would be to protect Leon and to hide him.
"We're going to Ponyville." She said matter-of-factly. "I'll get everything set up, don't worry." She looked at me, and with a determined look, simply said, "This isn't going to be like last time. You're going to be safe. I'll make sure of it." And with that, she summoned fourth immense power, transporting all three of us from our location in Canterlot to her home in Ponyville, which, to Spike's dismay, was nowhere near finished when it came to cleaning.
-Canterlot Streets, Leon's Location-
"Finally." I said halfheartedly. I wasn't really upset, but I had turned the corner, and in front of me was the pony I had searched for time and again. Leon
With him was a light-greyish cyan pony and...
...Is that-?
I began to approach them, with no real plan other than to incapacitate the two mares and take down the stallion, his target.
And would you believe it? They disappeared from sight. I stood there for a few moments, expressionless.
How did I feel when I saw that?
I didn't.
I would simply have to find him, wherever he was, and end his life. Simple as that.
-Leon's Grave-
The grave marker cracked more and more, an invisible force striking against it repeatedly in a desperate effort to destroy the marble slab. Next to it was a chess set, showing pieces moving deliberately towards a single, unknown goal. Finally, there was a book, whose insight into the events that had occurred seemed to be unparalleled.
And there stood Rainbow Dash. She felt... driven to be here by a force she couldn't describe.
"Leon... where did you come from? Why... why are you here?" She walked through the field, which ponies had long stayed away from, whose mystical properties had warded off all the ponies but those who had known Leon the most.
And by that, the only ponies who had visited in the past two years, at least before this fateful night, were Twilight, Celestia, and Luna.
She wandered through the beautiful scene, enthralled by the chess set, the marble marker that seemed a millenea old, and finally the glowing book. However, as she went to reach for it, the light around it rejected the presence of her hoof, pushing it away violently. She jumped back and shook her hoof after complaining audibly to nopony in particular.
And then she looked to crystalline lake that sparkled in the night. Rainbow Dash took off, flying above the small lake, swirling around as the sparkling water reflected her every move. She searched into the depths of the auroral lake, searching for answers that seemed so elusive to all of the ponies close to Twilight.
To those friends, it was a story whose depth was incomprehensible.
And as Rainbow Dash flew above this lake, finally breaking the silence by crying out in frustration as to what to do, she turned back to the look at the book. "...please..." She approached it, worried it would refuse to show her the secrets once more, and as she reached for it, the orb of light slowly gave way for her hooves to reach into it.
And the book opened to a single page, on it the insignia of night and day, the symbol of Equestria. A deep, calm voice called out, causing her to drop the book and jump back.
"This, Rainbow Dash, is a story that you shouldn't know."
She went to speak to the mysterious voice, but before she could utter a voice, it continued.
"But as a friend of Twilight... No... as a key that had helped make the last story have the ending it did... I suppose you have earned the right... Just remember, though. The things you will learn, can never be unheard."
Rainbow Dash smiled, and let the voice spin a tale whose detail left vivid images in her mind, whose truths left the pegasus stunned, and even speechless. After the voice's tale had finished, Rainbow Dash had only one reaction.
She had a huge grin, "So Leon's ever cooler than I thought."
The voice was silent for the longest time, but finally, it responded to what she said.
"...maybe you're right, Rainbow Dash..." A slow, deep laugh followed it. It continued, "I'm in good hands..."
Rainbow Dash did a double-take with those final words. "Wh- what? Who are you anyways?"
The voice stayed silent for the longest time, and a breeze picked up in the lake. "... I am the clouds you always move. The earth you've cultivated. The animals you've encountered. The sweets you've eaten. The books you've read. The dresses you've worn..."
All her friend's passions?
"...I am a friend, always have I watched over you and those close to you..."
Rainbow Dash sat there in realization of what the voice had prepared to say.
"Rainbow Dash... I am this land. I am Equestria."
-The Spires of Reality-
Oblivion repeatedly struck out at the final seal defending Equestria from her interference. A small marble slab under the guise of a grave. She was thoroughly annoyed such a small seal could cause so much trouble for her. She had managed to slip by the seal once, if only for a moment, before it had rejected her presence, and she had already caused a brief moment of havoc. However, she had to tread carefully. If she acted too quickly, her sibling, The Origination, would notice.
And at this point, him reinforcing a seal would be devastating for her plans. Why else had she gone to Earth? Take out Ace, force Light to heal him, keep him from returning for as long as possible.
But she was running out of time, she could only stall Light for so much longer.
She closed her eyes and focused, sending another massive wave of energy towards the marble slab in Equestria, forcing another crack to appear on the surface.
...alone...
...afraid...
...lost...
-Earth, *1 week later*-
Sparkles emanated from the remains of the city of Heaven. Death had been everywhere, some souls going to their next lives an other worlds, and some souls destroyed in the rage that had been Oblivion's.
But within in the rubble of the city, things began to fade away. The deceased bodies, the wreckage of the skyscrapers, the ruined roads...
In its place were lush meadows and rivers.
… and the world was none the wiser.
The residents simply disappeared from existence. No information anywhere. Not in the internet, not in the many established governments' most detailed files, and not in the minds of the closest family members of those that had lived in the city...
The city itself was gone, thoroughly wiped from every person's mind...
...what city? This place was always a pristine meadow.
But the name... Heaven... it seemed to not want to go away.
It promised joy. Relief. A chance for success. A chance to live in a paradise. A chance to be in a place that... that wasn't Earth.
And the word, it imprinted itself in many places. In ancient books promising an afterlife. In minds of those who refused to the world change unnoticed. In paintings of angels and gods.
And they weren't wrong. Everything needs a name after all.
And thus, Earth found a new word to describe their afterlife. And they... they believed it had been with them for all eternity. An ancient word that had been with them since the earliest of days. A word that had written itself into the most ancient of texts.
Heaven. Nirvana. Reincarnation.
And at the same time, for this planet, the story of Leon came to a close.
For his legacy disappeared with Heaven.
So yeah, two things.
First of all, Someone named NS6590 gave me a suggestion to see if I could get a commission to get the scythes that Light uses as a work of art. Sadly, I'm not artistically inclined, so if any of you know/are a person capable of making something along these lines, you would be a hero.
Secondly, I was sick, so the pro is when I was awake I could work on this and get it out this early. The con is that as soon as I get back to school I'll be swamped with work. Meaning there may or may not be a new chapter out this week.
...crap.
Well, whatever. Read on fellow bronies and remember to leave a review!
You guys are awesome!