On the same day, in an unknown place, two figures vigilantly and with suspense watched the whole event in Canterlot, the meeting of the man and the ponies, both shadows were reflected in the cauldron filled with a magical decoction showing the event in the castle courtyard, for a moment two shadows in silence watched everything, the meeting of the human and the conversation ponies until Alex disappeared in his own portal and a third appeared between the two shadows.
Finally, out of the darkness emerged a pair of human hands that gripped the edge of the cauldron tightly and Alex himself stared at the fading sight of anger, pain and ignorance except for one initiate, Alex, his blank gaze was still staring in silence as his forehead began to wrinkle the same like his whole face in a characteristic gesture of pain, Alex closed his eyes, unable to look any longer at what he had done, how much pain he had to inflict on everyone by doing it for their sake.
Another contradictory emotions and everything he had to deal with looking at the fading image, everything was pushed back by the certainty of the man, Alex suddenly opened his eyes and his face showed no more grimaces of pain or regret but full determination and confidence, strength and focus, Alex withdrew his hands from the cauldron, hiding them behind him, knowing that there was still much ahead of him and only he could stop it, he and his madness which shed all pain and regret aside, his madness and one main goal showed him the only way he followed from the beginning as soon as he appeared in the world of the ponies, standing on the fine line between the existence of the world and its destruction, under the yoke of the tyrant's rule of the puppet of destiny and nothingness.
- tell me how you can take it. A familiar voice sounded in an unknown place when Star Swirl appeared next to the man, looking in shock at the image of a certain man.
- I can, I must, I forged my fate with my own will, only I can cope with it, only I can bear everything that the world, your world, gives me today. Alex said, looking ahead without exchanging any glances with the bearded sage who was about to die during the fight with the Hydra-pony.
- you know man, I mean Alex, you really must be crazy. Star Swirl said, scratching his chin nervously.
- I didn't offend you, I?.
- no, but not a madman test, a madman and a madman are two different people, a madman is incoherent and chaotic, he makes too many mistakes, and a madman is a truly genius person. Alex said, turning to the bearded sage and sun princess who also died in her distorted Daybreaker form and yet stood with the bearded sage in front of the man.
- it makes me madman, my genius, my willpower and my childhood never taken away, my dreams, all united into one form, me, thanks to which I was able to build a multi-level plan, a plan that changes every day, a plan that changes and adapts to the world, the present threat and what my enemy, our common one will do. Alex said.
- what will he do, what do you mean, please tell us, do not hide the truth from us like us in Zecora's house. Princess Celestia said, bowing her head in front of the man.
- you will return home soon, it will happen this week, I promise you that, at last the barriers of illusion will break, they will be replaced forever with the failure of the last work of the elemental lord. Alex told Celestia and Star Swirl who trembled with happiness.
- I mean I'll see my sister soon. Celestia asked excitedly.
- me, we'll all be back to show the world how wrong it was about you. Star Swirl asked, eyeing the man suspiciously, despite what Alex had done, Star Swirl was still a cautious skeptic.
- Exactly, what you will do is your business, whether you forgive me or not, I don't care anymore, it will be indifferent when I finish the last attempt of this intelligent quarter. Alex said, and his words immediately changed the mood of both ponies.
- what do you mean. Asked Star Swirl coming closer to the man, come even then he was full of prejudice and suspicion.
- is it something related to us, after all, when we come back, everyone will forgive you, how you withdrew the corruption in us by the power of time, how you hid the truth from others to protect everyone. Alex!. Celestia said looking straight into the man's blue eyes.
- don't blame yourself, even if you deceived them, you did it for the good of the world, for all of us, you saved and you save us all, unless it is something else. Celestia said, suggesting something else the man was hiding.
- I will not lie to you, it would be nice knowing that the world will forgive me, although it will not make any difference to me, I know what I can find at the end of my path when Akeron starts forming the last key. Alex said, turning his back to the pot of magical decoction which had lost its power and stopped showing Canterlot and the castle courtyard.
- what do you mean, do you?, not impossible. Celestia said, feeling what the man said in her heart.
- You don't think you're gonna make it out of this alive?. Star Swirl asked as his mind passed a wave of light joy.
- anything is possible, even that, I know too well this kind of rascals like Akeron, I know what he will strive for now and I provoked him to it myself. Alex said as he walked over to the window overlooking the Everfree Forest.
- how you provoked it. Star Swirl asked confusedly.
- it is obvious, I have always said that my goal is the good of the public, which as you know was never the complete truth, each of you is equally important to me, but Akeron having such perfect illusions in front of him thinks that this is all I care about, just like the gathered people In tears, Akeron will want to use it in two ways. Alex said turn to the princess and the bearded sage.
- two ways I mean what. Princess Celestia asked in a trembling voice.
- Akeron needs the last third key, he will want to resurrect the essence of storms, a cloud of chaos and harmony, to create it, he will want to hit me directly to create the last of the beasts from ancient times, to create it, he will want to sacrifice everything, Equestria will be destroyed in one in the process, everything you see will be destroyed by this quarter intelligent, I think he will want to collapse the shell into the depths of magma where it rests deep underground, so he will resurrect the primal beast that once served him and he will also take revenge on me. Alex said, and his words brought pure fear to the hearts of both ponies.
- so you think Akeron will want to destroy everything. Princess Celestia asked, trembling with fear at which Alex nodded a few times.
- yes, and he will do it in three days, I even know where it all starts. The man said.
- It means where?. Star Swirl asked, equally terrified and trembling.
- Ponyville, this will be the place of the beginning, but trust me until I live, I will not let this quarter intellect win, this puppet of destiny and nothingness, I will never let him! Even if I had to give my life! I will not let him win!, Equestria it won't be destroyed! she promises. Alex said in a thunderous voice that usually would scare anyone with such force that everyone would run away screaming, but not the two brave ponies, Celestia and the suspicious Star Swirl saw him not as a terrible monster, but a real hero.
- whatever happens, we believe in you with all my heart, and at first I was afraid of you. I'm proud that I could meet someone like you, that I could be saved by you, my friend. Princess Celestia said.
- me too, I am happy and honored to call you my friend and believe me when it's all over no one will ever call you a monster, I promise you. Star Swirl said, even though he was honest, there was a hint of hesitation in his last words.
- I believe, thank you, and when it is over, you will return to your relatives and something else. Alex said as he suddenly walked over to the table taking a sheet of paper.
Both Princess Celestia and Star Swirl watched in silence as the man wrote the letter, word for word, sentence for sentence, Alex was already writing down the second page, his face showed no emotion or anything, his eyes were so empty and his mouth did not show the slightest smile. Finally, the last word was written, Alex took the envelope in his hand, hid the letter, sealed it, and when he turned to the princess he showed a familiar smile.
- please, when it's all over, give it to Twilight, that should explain everything to her, I can only hope she will understand. Alex said as he handed the letter to the sun princess.
As requested by the human, Celestia received a sealed letter, but she did not want to hear that she was to pass the letter to her former apprentice.
- Alex, you know very well that I will not do it, you should do it and you will do it, you have to believe it, how I believe in you, I know that you will come back. Princess Celestia said, come her heart beat faster knowing there was nothing certain here.
- remember, Alex, you can't give up, don't think about the fact that you won't come back, if you manage to stop the lord of the elements, you will make it and go home. Star Swirl said.
- the fact that I will keep the lord of the elements and keep him forever in the underworld is very likely, I will do everything to stop him and block the next scarlet monoliths forever, if I succeed your world will be free and Akeron will never reach your world with his power again but if I come back, I do not focus on it, my whole attention is focused on all of you and your home, I will not allow destiny and nothingness to turn your home into a farm of its eternal play as these two forces have done to my world where man, an empty man, deprived of childhood, dreams and willpower, is destroyed in mutual conflicts and eternal wars, this is my top priority! Alex said angrily turning his back to the princess and the sage to once again look across the sky at the open world.
- this world has always been free from destiny and nothingness, and I will never allow it to be a victim of these cursed forces, for you, for them, for her. Alex said when he suddenly realized something, he immediately looked down at the ground fighting with his own thoughts until everything was once again rejected by the power of the madman and the maniac smile that appeared on his face.
- maybe I'll do even more than I think, yes, we'll see how Akeron is deluded by my fog, it will be decided soon, the end will come soon and you have my word. Alex said, turning to the princess and the bearded sage, placing his right hand on his left breast, my heart having the smile of a maniac all the time.
- you have my word, I will not fail, and what then is your choice, yours. Alex said as he suddenly disappeared into the portal open beneath his feet.
Princess Celestia and Star Swirl ran to the closing portal and behind them appeared more shadows, the remaining ones who died at the hands of a man but were actually saved by him.
Princess Celestia looked back tearfully at Stygian, Rockhoof, Mage Meadowbrook, Flash Magnus, Somnambula, Mistmane, Star Lara, Sugar Belle, Miss Cheerilee, Maud Pie, Garble, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Pharynx and Discord , all those who have been transferred by man to the house of typesetter, and those who have been transferred from the house of Tempest Shadow.
Everyone nodded silently, agreeing with the last plan of man, today they had to be patient and wait for the last battle which was fast approaching and was to be the participation of brave ponies when they had to wait for their time, according to the will of man to protect their loved ones until the fall of the elemental lord's last plan.
- so we only have to wait and believe in man, in his strength, sacrifice and effort, we must be strong and patient with him and all whom we love. Celestia said.
- we will do it this way. Said Discord who, like most of those here, had been cured of an incurable corruption by the power of man, by the power of time.
Celestia nodded her head again, releasing another tear, the tear of her hope that man had long ago won.
THIS TIME, NEW ABYSS.
As it turned out, not only Alex watched everything that happened in the castle courtyard, there was also someone who, with wide eyes, watched the anger of the ponies, the naive hopes of the three of them and the madness of a smug man, his maniac smile and everything he did for this so far, Akeron was not able to believe what he saw, he was not able to understand the actions of man, but he understood one thing, as was checked by a man with one difference.
- yes man, Alex you are madman, you enjoy your victory and suffering that you have brought on everyone, but there is something you care about. Akeron said as he suddenly struck him, in his holographic image of the power of the last of the scarlet monoliths, the sudden scream of one of his chosen ones. As it turned out, it was Tirek who glared at his master angrily.
Tirek and Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and King Sombra all looked at the elemental lord with clear anger, rage at seeing one truth.
- well, what do we do now, another of your chosen ones was defeated, the bicorn was more powerful than the Hydra-Pony, and yet he was crushed, chewed and spit out by a human, and he himself looked like he was a little sweaty and tired. Said the angry red centaur, Tirek showed no sign of the elemental lord's fear in demanding the impossible.
As Tirek ended his anger and frustration, the same emotions intensified the pink Alicorn by waving her colorful curls dismissively.
- your self-confidence, has lost your servant, so what if another of the shackles broke and you are almost free, since there is someone who cannot be blackmailed, someone who with his power exceeds all our imaginations!, I saw this man, Alex, fight with Your servant, when I think about it, this man had full control over the Bicorn all the time, and if this is so, how much power he still managed to hide from us. Cozy Glow said in a disrespectful tone to which Akeron was no longer passive.
- you think this man can be more powerful than me!. Akeron shouted as his six golden eyes burned with a scarlet glow, but even then no one showed fear of his anger, which made him even more frustrated.
- yes, yes. King Sombra said, a black unicorn in silver armor approached the pillar and the image of the lord of the elements without the slightest specimen of fear.
- he may surprise you even when you manage to liberate, if he is so powerful that he easily defeated two of your chosen ones what he can do, what he will do tomorrow!. Sombra shouted, venting his own anger and frustration on the elemental lord, but that was not the end of the black king's accusations.
- I know that you are afraid of him, I can see it right away, that is why you stopped all offensive, you stood still, you plan, you think how to outsmart a man, you are afraid of him, until you destroy him, you will not go to the final phase of your liberation plan or not. Sombra said looking with equal intensity as Akeron himself.
- you trash!. Akeron screamed but even his scream which shook the whole crater did not cause the slightest reaction of the black king and the others standing confidently before his lord.
- your anger shows the truth, you are afraid of it, you are afraid of man. Chrysalis said without taking her lord's green eyes from hers.
- you want to outsmart him, but you do not know how, as long as he, this madman is alive and walks around the world, you will not try to free yourself from your eternal prison, ironically come yourself close to liberation, you sentence yourself to imprisonment due to your own fear, cha cha cha ha. Chrysalis laughed out loud, causing an explosion of anger and frustration.
Akeron screamed loudly that everything shook the dreams, but this time, apart from trembling, there was also a scream of pain from the four chosen ones, the four chosen ones were struck with scarlet power from scarlet amulets, the four chosen ones fell to the ground screeching louder and louder.
- you really think that I'm afraid of a man, that I'm plotting how to deceive him, outsmart him, throw him from the firmament of the present world!. Akeron shouted, looking with satisfaction at the image of the distorted elect who squealed louder and louder with the piercing pain.
Come on, pain filled the bodies of the centaur, alicorn, changeling and unicorn, they all looked into the eyes of the elemental lord and screamed simultaneously.
- Yes!. There was a loud scream and all lightning suddenly stopped.
- I'm not afraid of him, but I'm pragmatic and careful, besides, I know what I will do and you will help me, if it succeeds and a man swallows the hook, the weapons of my brothers and sisters will be used against him, do you want to know what I have come up with? He said placing the huge paws of the hologram on the ground and bringing his head closer to the four tyrants who stood up and looked at the six golden eyes.
- what's your plan?. King Sombra asked.
- what did you come up with?. Tirek asked.
- means you know how to outsmart a man?. Cozy Glow asked.
- is it possible, you know what a person cares about?. Chrysalis asked anxiously for an answer.
Akeron of dreams smiled broadly, looked at the sky and his loud laughter rang in everyone's ears, Akeron remembered the last memories when the powers of his brothers and sisters were used against him and today, free of the two shackles, he had a chance to repeat the process but also in another more destructive way, he did not want to imprison the man because he had no chance, but he found a way to destroy him, so he hoped.
- I know more than you can imagine, ha man thinks he knows my every move, so be it, limited fool, and I'm supposed to be limited here. Akeron said when he suddenly laughed out loud, ignoring everything and everyone, including new questions to which he himself knew the answers because he himself provoked these questions.
- be silent first. Akeron said, interrupting the unnecessary words and then he looked at his chosen ones.
- and now listen, a man thinks that I am a bad villain, he has read too many comics, he has watched too many films, his limited mind will not see the truth and the trap I will set for him, let him think what I want, I will use it against him, I have already started the process, but you are indispensable to me for this, you are your strength and essence. Akeron said.
The last words of power and essence did not appeal to the four chosen ones, Tirek, Sombra, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow looked at each other without knowing what to expect from their leader, the one who gave them freedom and recruited them, the first question to come before the question was this red centaur.
- what our essence is supposed to mean?. Tirek asked.
- exactly whether you want to sacrifice us?. Chrysalis asked with a natural suspicion about the plans of the Elemental Lord.
- of course not, this is not my plan to test, but to understand it better you have to let me explain my most perfect plan I have ever made. Akeron said and his smile did not leave his face even for a moment.
- so we listen to what you want to propose, what kind of golden mean you came up with for a human being. Cozy Glow said looking up with a slight naive smile.
- so listen, a man surely thinks I want to free himself from the last shackle, let him think so, let him think that I am a stupid, unpredictable villain, this is my greatest advantage when it begins, when he wants to stop the collapse of the continent. Akeron said.
- the breakup of the continent, you want to destroy everything, you are crazy! What about what we were supposed to rule!. Sombra shouted, interrupting the satisfied elemental lord.
- ha, even you fell for it, Equestria will not be destroyed, why would I have to destroy what I will rule, that's not what it is about, but if you fell for it, so does he, let him think that I want to sacrifice everything to recreate the cloud of chaos and harmony and at the same time the last key that will give me freedom, and when it begins, when you give the monolith your power, I will complete it along with the power that my brothers and my sisters have left, it will not create a trap but will create power, this power will destroy man in the underworld! but for this you have to face ponies and a human, you my demons, this way I will get the right essences of power, except for humans, of course, but enough to create a weapon to stop a man who thinks he is stopping the continent's collapse!. Akeron said shouting the last words out loud.
The elemental lord's plan was clever, intelligent, brilliant, but there was one thing about it that disliked the four chosen ones very much, the four tyrants looked at each other suspiciously and again recalled his words about their personal struggle with ponies and man.
- Akeron, maybe tell us the truth, you want to destroy us, you want man to defeat us for his own good!. Sombra shouted.
- if this is how our cooperation is supposed to look like, I say goodbye. Chrysalis said as she grasped a scarlet amulet that was unable to remove itself, instead it clung to Chrysalis' neck and would not move even an inch.
- what is it, if none of us has a choice here, liar!. Tirek shouted, also trying to pick up the scarlet amulets.
- you cheat, what did you do with us, why!. Cozy Glow shouted.
- what I have to do, I know that you will not go to war of your own free will, not you, because you are afraid of a man, so you did not give me a choice, besides, you really thought that I would share power with you !, this world is mine and only mine, this is my priority and you will only be mindless pawns as it always was! Nothing will change that, unless your failure!. Akeron said, laughing louder and louder as the scarlet glow began to engulf the bodies of the four betrayed tyrants.
- you lousy coward, you yourself are afraid of a man and you make us fight him in the brow of our will, how can we be so afraid!. Sombra shouted, effectively provoking the elemental lord who screamed again.
- I'm not afraid of rubbish! I'm pragmatic here and nothing else, I'm not like you, like villains from the human world, from these funny movies and comics, I'm more than that, interesting. Akeron said entering his own state of reflection.
- maybe I'm a bit madman myself, ha ha ha ha. Akeron laughed as the bodies of the four tyrants were enveloped in the scarlet glow almost to the eyes.
On the threshold of their own consciousness and their own strength, struggling with the power of warped Tirek, Chrysalis, Cozy Glow and King Sombra shouted to the trickster who fooled them.
- you quarter of the intellect, as the man said, your fear will be your undoing. Tirek cried out and his eyes turned fully crimson, so the evil centaur lost the last glow of his free will and became nothing but a mindless puppet.
- be damned traitor, be damned!. Chrysalis screamed as her eyes turned completely crimson and her gaze became devoid of emotion and free will.
- you will pay for what you did to us and faster than you can imagine, you can hear me ragging!. Screamed Cozy Glow, losing the last speck of the will of her own choice, being henceforth designed for one purpose, to fulfill her master's will.
- and you who have nothing to say to me, Sombra, I always thought you had the most to say here. Akeron sneered, which caused a sudden smile on the face of the evil unicorn.
- yes, you thought a lot, soon you will understand your mistake, Akeron what you have done and you will do it, it will only seem to you, it will not do you any good!. Said the king of the mascot as the last will left the black heart of the mind of the evil unicorn.
Akeron, proud of his own brilliant plan, driven by fear and dread towards man, watched his four perfect generals who, endowed with a part of his own power, were ready to carry out his orders without will, without decision, designed like machines to serve.
Corrupted four scarlet tyrants bowed their heads and the last scarlet monolith split open and the earth was pierced by rapidly expanding scarlet veins that headed straight for Ponyville, and with them more scarlet legions, hundreds of centaurs, snakes and vultures, troops formed with each minutes and gathered into one perfect armies.
- now my legions, strike at Ponyville, let this city tremble. Destroy this place and prepare a trap, my faithful servants. Akeron said as he addressed the last words to the four faithful generals.
- Yes, Master, your will will be fulfilled to the letter. Tirek, Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Sombra said at the same time, and the four moved to the front of the ever-growing army of scarlet legions and began marching on Ponyville.
Akeron himself, when his form of the hologram began to fade, smiled for the last time, anticipating and expecting what the man himself said.
- soon my problem, my thorn in my side, you will say goodbye to this world, you naive, how good it is that all your life you have always read these funny comics and watched these human movies, now thanks to them and your stupidity I will lead to your final defeat, because nobody and nothing can survive what I have prepared for you, the power that could destroy me, the essence of everything, good, evil, light and nothingness, and even chaos and harmony, all saturated with scarlet elements, all this will be the beginning of your defeat man. Akeron said.
As the great army marched on its way to Ponyville and the trap being prepared, Akeron himself laughed again loudly at the moment when his form finally faded and he himself waited in the underworld for the implementation of his plan, the end time, everything that would begin exactly three days later.
L
finally this great illusion barrier begins to collapse, finally Alex could show that he never hurt anyone, he created the perfect illusion to fight and save everyone, to deceive friends if he still has them and of course enemies to mislead and trap them, but today it is not so sure because Akeron also has his crazy plan here, is Akeron the same madman or will he be able to deceive everyone, even a human?, because the heroes, Alex and Akeron that I created seem to live their own lives.
