Chapter XI

To see the man she betrayed still alive brought joy to her heart, a joy she believed to be as dead as her belief in him. His anger and distrust was understandable, but like a knife it tore her chest open. And Cadance's confession to kissing the man did worse. Still, the pain was bearable, she had no right to be upset for Sin finding another mare, but she wanted to be chosen. It hurt her in so many ways to embrace the fact that the man she loved, the father of her filly, was no longer set on just two mares.

Nevertheless, Luna gained everything she could hope for when her eyes set on the man for the first time in a millennia. With him back in the picture, back in her life, she was herself again. With desire, lust, love. . .insecurity and obsession.

Silent like her night, the concerned alicorn watched closely on her busy mate while Cadance returned from upstairs after putting Skyla and Rose Spark down for a nap. With the stress and drama from today, they certainly needed it.

"Girls are down," Cadance told the immortal as she approached him from behind. She spread a wind across his waist and leaned on his side whilst staring at his work. What she didn't realize was Luna had a deep disposition towards that.

"What are you making?"

The aroma of spices and vegetables pumped in Sin's nostrils as he expended a little magic through his hands and eyes. At least he was doing it right if he could cut vegetables without having to slow down.

"An old recipe for stew," he answered in a bland tone, returning the alicorns sudden nuzzling with quick stroke to her neck. "Hope you aren't allergic to anything."

Cadance glanced at the boiling white substance inside the large pot and raised an eyebrow.

"Does it have onion, because I am allergic to it ." she smiled apologetically up to the man. "I break out in hives."

She could almost hear the annoyance in his voice.

"Okay, so no onion in the stew."

Cadance, in spite of the slight agitation from this man, couldn't help warm giggling of amusement at his childish behavior. He was in desperate need of manners, but so she knew he was under-minded. She loved the freedom of his emotions and adored everything about him.

Although he was not in good grace, she was happy of his lack of subtlety and tenacity, in spite of the fact that he was a little dramatic and hot-headed. She didn't have much trust in him, but, nevertheless, she wanted to be near him. Still it made her curious. . . how could he feel negative about her allergy when it's minor?

She assumed the most logical idea and held him close.

"You're very stressed, aren't you?"

He was silent and his hands froze on the carrots he was about to drop in the pot. He was an immortal, a godly being in most eyes but his first problem—his everyday problem—was his stress. Discord's return was the starting point, and to know that his sister had been put in the same experiments was far worse to him than the seemingly endless gush of regret and guilt he had right now.

"You have no idea how stressed I am. Discord, my sister, and then Luna and Celestia—I may just have a stroke."

There was a moment of the pink pony taking him away from the stove with a small tug of his arm. It made his heart skip. Had he spent too long trying to be human to try having a relationship? Was he really worth the trouble? Even though he knew Cadance was brining him closer, the idea of being with her gave him doubt.

He was aware that he couldn't push away the kind alicorn the way he had done it with so many females during his travels. He'd been of the cold-hearted man, and so, every part she touched had warmed through him. She soothed the terrible feeling of inadequacy.

"You need to take a break relax."

He wanted to say no, but this time she had him. This time she added a new feeling in order to lessen the pain of the day for him. He'd been so exhausted and he'd just been left the responsibility of helping his only family. He'd been subconscious for the remainder of the day, but he'd had plenty of time to think about how he was going to fix it.

"Cadance, I need to—"

"Relax your shoulders," she whispered, his body responding as he found a comfortable position on the couch, almost resting on Luna's side when she scooted closer. "Take calm breaths and stop thinking about what is happening around you. Otherwise, you'll burn yourself out."

The massage to his shoulders was responded with acceptance, and he was powerless as she sat on his back, as if some form of medicine cured his problems. He was elated.

"Luna, massage his head." Cadance requested.

The pain in Luna's eyes disappeared. At least she was not acting out when her fellow princess worked on his sides, feeling every muscle loosen. The room was very quiet, the fall of snow calming and beautiful. Sin could almost hear the whisper in every snowflake descending upon his windows.

Luna followed the motion of Cadance's hooves, directly to the back Sin's head. The motion was stretched long and soothing, but it wasn't enough. Joy swept through her when he moaned delightfully to her touch. She wouldn't have to hold fear over the horrendous distance of their relationship in order to win him back.

"I haven't felt like this in ages."

The moans of his voice took Luna's breath as she connected partially with him. She had thought herself prepared for his mind—after all, she knew what to expect inside his memories—but there was no real way to brace the agonizing memories so clearly until one touched her. She let it burn through her in an effort to understand the man he was now.

. . .

Luna was totally lost in the refraction of Sin's past. She had made it to a dark recalling in one blink of her eyes, but the scene had seriously depleted her emotions.

Sin had been standing with a tremendous amount of blood staining his body, which in turn had been his and left him weakened. Luna would have to be careful not take this memory further than it would go, but she could not be so close to the past-self of her mate and not try to the worst of those silver threads weaving her with the memory. She'd listened all of what was said to the past speaking with the conscience as fire and destruction erupted around them. It was clear to Luna that she was seeing a burning city.

So you're just going to walk away and let everyone die, Luna looked to the cracked glass reflecting Sin. It was talking to him. You're going to run away because you failed.

"I gave everything I had," Sin replied grimly, wiping blood from his right eye. "I fought as hard as I could and used all my tricks. What is there left to do?"

Win or die trying, the reflection snapped furiously. You have to go back. You made a promise. You have to win.

Sin clenched his fists and gave the reflection his anger. "I used all I had to win and I still lost. I'm not strong enough!"

Bullshit. You haven't begun to fight. You're just afraid.

"I can't beat those dragons. They're bigger, they're stronger and they're smarter." He looked away, too ashamed to face the truth of his weakness. "They are gods, and I'm just a human."

No you're not! his reflection snapped, pointing at his chest. A human doesn't have godlike power. A human can't use magic. A human cannot transform into an alicorn.

"But—"

But nothing—humanity is what fuels you, the power of two alicorns burns inside you, and those two halves will make you win. It's what your mate would have wanted!

There was an eerie silence with Luna understanding what that meant. She watched as Sin looked up to the moon in his deepest thoughts, and then heard what she'd thought to be impossible; for her to be his motivation.

"It's what Luna would want," Sin said to himself, remembering why he was fighting. "Time to show those assholes what it means to be human."

. . .

The separation came unexpectedly and tore the mare from her connection. She shrank down into reality and her human as the exhaustion took over. She fell into the wings bursting out of his shoulders, surprised but so grateful to have the appendages catch her and a man who loved her enough to put his anger aside for her to not fall weakly. Inside her, she could feel Sin begin to shiver when his magic flowed into her.

"A little tired from seeing what I had you in?" Sin chuckled, shocking the mare as she shivered. She felt so cold from the frail emptiness of his memories. "Perhaps you should work on your powers a little before I let you inside."

"You let me inside your mind. Why would you do that now?" she'd asked him.

"To show you the biggest secret behind my power."

"You have the power to change into an alicorn," she stated, and he nodded, sadly as Cadance cocked an eyebrow. "You really can, just like father prophesized."

"Yes, but that doesn't absolve you from what you did to me. It almost killed me to change into that thing when I was at war with the dragons. Essentially, I destroy myself by using my body constantly to try to suppress the power and it works its way deeper."

That made her furious. How could this man sentence himself to such a torturous life and then go about his day with that tremendous power fighting for freedom?

"I'm not sure if I should hit punch you in the face or in your testicles, Sin. Why do that to yourself when you know it will one day, break free or end your life?"

She didn't wait for hi reply. She sat up pushed him down, and rested his body as she would when they were teenagers. The wings he'd used to hold her were closed off by her own. No new magic from Sin poured into her, but the amount she'd felt had made her stronger than she had felt in her entire life. She knew not what to do about his problem, but she knew what to do as his mare. Calling on old memories, she again used her charm to push his decision.

"You're hurting yourself by suppressing that power, and it's going to kill you if you don't stop." she said angrily, her beautiful blue eyes had grown hot as they stared fearfully into his. Begging at him. "Please stop inflicting yourself with pain. I suffer enough with seeing how damaged you are."

"Would somepony mind telling me what is going on?" Cadance pulled Luna off of him. She knew if Luna was this worked-up that something was very wrong. It concerned her a great as she looked to Sin for an answer.

Luna responded with anger. "I saw into a memory of his and discovered that he can transform into an alicorn," she took a deep breath while Cadance gasped. "But he's suppressing the magic that makes him change. He's letting it build-up and damage him on the inside."

There was silence. Sin found himself cornered by his new marefriend and old mate, backed into the couch as Luna had slung her wings around him. He stared up at the hurt alicorn. The tears gently fell and moved across his cheeks, setting in his hair while he realized his stupidity for cluing her in. He had remembered the paranoia of this mare as the pain rustled between him and her.

And it happened. . .

The feel of her lips on his. She was warm, and her fur lay over him. Somehow, even in his tired state and state of mind, Luna had managed to crawl into his heart.

He had known this moment would come, just later than sooner, he wanted. He had hoped it would come much later; preferably after he got to meet his daughter for the first time. Pressing his lips together he nodded, even though he did not have to give her any leeway to their broken relationship.

"Sin." In spite of the hurt in her voice, Luna was ready. She'd only needed to speak her mind. "Come back with me to Canterlot. Let me help you and your sibling. You have no reason to trust me, but I want to help."

"There is nothing you can do to help me." He infused anger into his voice. He believed he could not be rescued or saved when the power inside him was already rooted to his very soul. He would know. He had tried the worst methods possible.

"Oh, Sin," Luna said, biting her lower lip as she watched the erosion of his magic instantly regrow his hair. "Who did this to you?"

Sin took the question to heart, glaring at Luna. "If I knew I would tell you, but all I remember is getting freed by your mother and killing every scientist and guard that had their way with my body."

Sin gently thrust a hand to Luna's chest and pushed her off. He recognized with that touch the feeling of helplessness coming from her. His stomach knotted even more. He closed his eyes, wanting to wake up to his home in Griffonia, where he was rocking Feather Heart's daughter in his arms. Whether he was still a general or a nobody did not matter to him. He just wanted his life to be normal again. But he knew that was not the case. He knew, before he heard Luna cry, he would have to give her more of his healing than his pain.

When he opened his eyes, he was grateful that not only Cadance was understanding, but also comforting her. He kneeled to the hurt alicorn while she sobbed.

"Hey, I'm sorry," he said, meaning it. "A thousand years ago I was a soft-hearted kid who didn't, but you don't deserve what I am now. I know you hate what I've become now, and you don't deserve to see that side of me."

"Don't treat me so childishly like you did when we were teenagers," Luna reprimanded. "And I do deserve it. I deserve your hatred as much as Celestia does."

Sin looked down to the floor, laughing warmly. "Believe me, making me immortal doesn't come close to your sister making out your banishment to be my fault, and then going public with that lie to protect herself."

Cadance didn't understand, but Luna most certainy did. She was laughing with him.

"Yes, I suppose that doesn't come close to what I did."

"You're miles away from competing with her fuck-up, Lulu."

Laughter came around them, the deep intensity of a good feeling. Steady and strong as Sin wiped Luna's eyes. Coming from the very love he locked away, it spread throughout his body to give reason to cease the hatred in his hatred. The warmth of her body came next, so soft and gentle, but when he hugged her back, the emotion was powerful, the flow of something wonderful reaching out to nourish him. But it was too much in the end, and he was left wondering if it was alright to give this mare joy and reason to hope.

He looked over his shoulder to the boiling pot proceeding to overflow. "I better get back to making dinner." He left both alicorns, but not without looking back to his blue princess. "You're welcome to stay, but don't think this means I'm going to give your sister the same chance."

Luna gave him a quick nod.

He peeled back the remaining vegetables to expose the richness hidden inside. He lifted the rest of his work with magic and quickly finished before depositing the remaining contents in the two-foot-deep pot. He shuffled the utensils into the sink and turned his attention completely to cleaning his mess.

Luna lay back with Cadance, uncaring that ponies were walking by and seeing her without her crow. She could not care less. All that mattered was her connection to the human.

She leaned against Cadance without asking, whispering straight into her ears, putting unneeded thoughts into her head as they watched the man. "I know you just came into his herd, but I must warn you about his needs."

"What are you talking about?" Cadance asked incredulously. "His only need is to remain in control of those supposed gods inside him."

Luna turned to her slowly, the flames of passion from the pit of her soul casting an eerie shadow of lust. "Cadenza, I'm talking about the needs of a human male. You don't know it, but Sin is a very sexually active person."

Now it was her turn to blush.

Luna continued with a smug grin, knowing she was pushing boundaries. But from what she saw in this mare's dreams, she needed to know so she can take advantage.

"Oh, yes, my dear. You think a stallion can be active—well you're going to learn that a human is constantly active. I would know, I had the pleasure of understanding it when I was a teenager."

Cadance jumped off the couch and glared at the smug alicorn. "Luna, I don't need to know about that. I just got into his herd, and I'mpretty sure that's something personal to him."

"What's personal?" Sin asked, looking up from the sink to the blushing pony.

Luna came up behind her and wrapped her wings around Cadance's neck, pressing her cheek against the alicorn's. "Just a little insight about how sexually active you are."

"Oh, that," he shrugged his shoulder. "I don't know why that's surprising to you, Cadance. You saw me naked in that pond when we were in the Everfree Forest. You saw that I had a boner going on."

Cadance could only gawk at the man and think, Does he not have any boundaries?

Luna was on the verge of tears from teasing this mare so much, but one particular thought blooming in her head made it a point to end the fun by striking her with more curiosity.

The thing she didn't yet understand—and perhaps wouldn't either—she was without any knowledge of his change—he was with a dark past that had mystery behind his secret. He could endure the guilt and regret, so a little insight to whatever happened might harm her, but it would never stop her from finding out.

"Did it hurt?"

Slowly, Sin turned to her with a blank look in his expression. And he had put many chains around the memory that it would one day come back to haunt him. He reacted like a lifeless man who definitely had a blade stuck in his chest, from the agony of his biggest regret, yet his greatest triumph as a destroyer of evil.

"Imagine having all your bones break and morph," Sin expressed with fine imagery of the memory coming to life beside him, his mind playing the memory like a movie whilst he used his magic to project it. "It's the most ungodly pain you can ever feel. It's worse than when I was taken apart and put back together."

There was silence as he showed both ponies the horror of his temporary transformation.

. . .

Sin closed his eyes and breathed a terrible screech that echoed across the burning kingdom of Jaypan, tears scorching behind his eyelids as his enemy retracted her claws. He had found his reason to continue fighting in spite of the agony suffered, but this monster before him couldn't make it any easier by embedding him in the castle wall. His strength had been depleted after his last attempt at trying to hit the inside of her lava-dripping maw with his infinity wave. He felt cornered by the sheer power of this scaly beast, but his enduring determination everlasting, by his indomitable spirit.

He didn't give up—for Luna and Feather Heart. He suffered the agony of another blow to his entire body for a chance to jam his blade in the dragon's knuckles, knowing he needed to do something to hurt her.

"I don't care if you're a dragon, Cara. I will take you down!"

Cara was in far too much of her boasting to realize he meant literally. She knew would not surrender or fall to his knees like the ponies did and she didn't try to delve further into making him. Besides, it was fun throwing him around without the worry of killing him. He was the first creature to withstand this much brutality, and she was just getting started.

"How can you possibly defeat me?" the quartz dragon laughed, gesturing to the fallen kingdom burning in her flames. "I've conquered this kingdom with ease, eaten the shogun and crippled its army. I've shown the godly might of a dragon, and all you've done is act as a ragdoll for me."

The pain of failure and murder drove the rage through his mental wall and magic seals, and it steadied him. Sin freed himself from the wall and surprised the dragon with an enchanted punch made from the debris he suddenly collected and morphed into a fist. He gave Cara a burst of agonizing pain to her jaw and then he was on the ground, standing on his bloody feet while she fell hard on her back, causing a fissure that split the castle into multiple sections.

"I've had enough of this!" He screamed to the blackened sky, clenching his fists whilst bursting with magic. "Give it everything you've got. Break the seals so I can use that form to end her!"

"That was pretty good," Cara spat out a tooth, and then stood up with the intention to finish her work. "But now you've angered me. And for that, I must kill you!"

Sin was barely fast enough to move out of her line of fire when the flames came down. He dug deep within the confinement of his soul and demanded.

"I don't care about my pride right now. Just do it or Cara will win." he exclaimed.

Cara glanced to her right, her fury coming out whilst Sin moved across the battlefield at what remaining speed he could muster. "Stop avoiding me and accept your fate."

"I refuse," the agonizing man insisted. His body shook. He tried to pry the full extent of his power, but the seals were still firmly shackling the beast inside, the last stretch of his magic barely keeping him alive. "I made a promise to Feather Heart."

Cara scowled. "Fine, I'll just continue destroying the city."

Sin sprang into action, running up the dragon's scales, tightening his burning muscles. He couldn't take anymore of her, nor could he deny the fact of his cursed transformation being the key to ending this monster's reign of terror.

"Hey, I never said I was done with you," Sin said, aggravating her. "I still have a trick up my sleeve." As he spoke magic started to resonate from every hair on his skin. The jolt surging every fiber of his being as he jumped from her elbow.

Cara snickered as the man came into her line of sight. "You stupid fool."

"Bring it on!" Sin shouted, furious.

Both claws rose to his sides, fire drawn. One heavy clap of thunder booming across the city. Sin felt crushed inside her palms but he was not ready to die. Extending his reach to the power shaking loose, he concentrated whilst pushing her palms apart. This time he changed the atmosphere and temperature so that even as the cruel dragon tried to kill him, the magic and aura began to grow warm and then hot before ripping him apart.

Sin raised his head to the sky quickly on the twist of his breaking body coming at him in seconds, changing him and turning the battle to his favor as he screeched to the ungodly agony those scientists did to make him this way. He escaped and fell down hard, an audible crack signaling a new beginning. He fell to his hands and knees and delivered fear to the dragon's heart.

"THIS IS GOING TO HURT!" He ended the bitter taste of swallowing his pride with accepting what came next. His bones broke, his muscles dissolved, then mended as they morphed to one another. Few of the surviving soldiers had been watching from under the debris his painful transformation, but now the seals had appeared and shone brightly, a bizarre explosion of a multicolored aura spinning around him. The change wrenched away his thoughts and just as slow as it happened the first time. He broke the decibel limit of his voice, his screams fuels by the burning hot metamorphosis.

The remaining man curled into a ball as Cara took interest in his self-inflicted transformation, nearly hysterical with joy. The proud warrior she heard so much about fell, but he began to glow as the magic rose. She opened her mouth fast and the flames gust to his shaking body.

Sin's magic however, was protecting him immediately, consuming the fire into a vacuumed shell before devouring it. The smoky terrain followed up an advantage with time to finish his change.

Suddenly the screaming stopped, and Sin emerged in the air directly above Cara. The transformation stabbed at his pride, but he caught remembrance of the conversation he had with his reflection.

"Who are you?" Cara barked furiously. "Where's the human I was about to burn?"

"This is the last time I will use this power," he whispered. "But for now, might as well enjoy mind-fucking this scaly cunt."

Sin's eyes were full of color now, glowing like twin embers in the dragon's shadow. He appeared enhanced, making himself look brighter and larger with the remaining moments of altering his body. But there were trickles of blood running from his mouth to his chin.

He coughed blood and cringed. "I better end this now. Otherwise, I'll lose control and never be able to change back."

. . .

He rolled his eyes at both gawking mares as the memory ceased. "Sorry, but the rest of the story is rated-r, and I don't want to clean up your mess when you blow chunks."

Cadance suddenly shook her head and approached the smiling man. Her gaze rose on him. "You are the only creature in existence that is known to be a male alicorn, and you keep it locked away."

"Hey, if being notoriety and respect means being an alicorn, then I'd rather be a nobody." He shook his head and sat between them, taking his time getting comfortable, making little motions with his hands to hug their necks.

"You have to show us. Right now." Luna demanded.

Sin leaned over laughing. When one of the mares smacked him in the arm, he delivered a flick to their nose, but even that did not deter his amusement of their desire to see his second form.

"Sorry, but that power only comes out as a last resort. Besides, I like having hands more than I do hooves; there's so much more I can do as myself," he grinned evilly and slipped his hands further down their sides. "Like this."

Luna and Cadance jumped up and looked down to his hands goosing their flanks, their hooves firmly locked around the man's neck as he laughed some more. Next he set Luna down but stood up with Cadance in his arms, leaving the lunar princess to watch in shock and jealousy.

He was still laughing when he pressed the pink pony against a wall and touched noses with her, forcing that adorable blush to come back while his hands worked their way to her flanks.

He nipped her fur, trying hard not to laugh anymore. "It's impossible for a pony to hold you like this, or to kiss you so passionately. But this is just the tip of the iceberg on what a human can do. Just imagine what it would be like if I massaged your entire body with my hands."

Cadance rolled her eyes, trying hard not to laugh at him. "You're getting full of yourself there. You're going to have to do better than this to best me in passion." She pressed her lips against his, but laughter spilled out as she surprised him with the kiss. "And I am the Princess of Love, so passion is my forte'."

"Hello~," Luna snapped, glaring at her mate. "Did you forget that I'm your mare as well? I have needs too. Maybe I'd like for you to do some of that to me?"

"Yes, but I'm returning the favor for when she kissed me;" Sin answered. "It's only fair that I give my answer with a little passion and a date in the future. Plus you have much to do before you're completely back in my good grace."

"So I'm supposed to watch you give her attention and not me?"

"You can wait your turn."

"You're doing this to piss me off, aren't you?"

"Yes," he grinned evilly after pecking Cadance on her lips. "Karma is a real bitch, isn't it? Consider this as part of your punishment for impaling me with your horn."

Luna puffed her cheeks and smacked the back of his leg. "I did that to make you immortal."

He released Cadance and turned to his jealous princess, kneeling so he was at her level. It did not help either of them that he had the gall to rub her head like she was a child.

"You're so cute when you get mad at me. But look on the bright side— when we do go on a date it will be you who's paying."

"Why me?"

"Because the least you could do to start earning my trust again is by paying for a single meal."

Luna was about to retort, but Cadance beat her to the punch-or kick in the matter. Coming out of nowhere, Sin felt like he was going to vomit after the rear leg of his pink princess hit swiftly in his groin. He had no choice but to put her down and kneel to her.

"What was that for?" he whimpered, tears trickling off his chin.

Cadance snorted angrily, but she was merciful to the man. She helped him onto the couch aND to his surprise, kissed him.

"Don't grab my flanks. You haven't earned it yet."