=Helios 13=

>You were Princess Celestia.
>You were currently reading a report from your star pupil Twilight Sparkle.
>"Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned the importance of dental hygiene."
"Oh boy..."
>This was going to be a memorable one.
>The report read and filed away with the rest, you stepped out onto your balcony and began the process of lowering the sun.
>As you were just about to sit down and relax to some Wing Crosby when a knock came at the door.
>To your relief, the one outside the door was just who you wanted to see.
"Anonymous! Good to see you return safely..." 
>You had been worried.
>He peaks his head in and glances around. "Celestia I need you to stay here."
>You are slightly taken aback by the seriousness in his voice.
>In the hall behind him, you see guards running to and fro with a sense of purpose.
"Anon, what's going on?"
>Anon sighs. "We found the shadow caster..."
>You perk up. 
"That's great news Anon!"
>Anon shrinks a bit. "Yeah. We're going to go apprehend him now, so can you stay here? I don't want to get worried about you too."
>You look into his eyes.
>There's...hurt inside them, sadness.
>Anon wasn't telling you something.
>You...weren't telling him something either.
"Y-yes Anon. I'll stay in tonight."
>Anon sighs. "Thank you. I'll check in when I get back."
>With that one of the most important people in your life shut the door and left.
"...Be careful."
>Please.

-Anon PoV-
>You walked through the city streets with a contingent of royal guards at your back.
>They turned quite a few heads. Walking in formation, golden armor glittering in the last vestiges of sunlight.
>No chances tonight.
>You cupped your gauntleted hand over your mouth and called to the masses.
"Everyp0ny return to your homes please! Official guard business, move along!"
>You threw a silent thanks to whoever may be listening when they galloped off the street.
>This served two purposes. It allowed your guards to move faster and ensured that they would not come to harm in the event there was a confrontation.
>You passed through the gates to the Blueblood estate and turn to some of the guards behind you.
"Fan out and secure the area, we don't want them slipping away."
>Due to the size of the estate, a considerable amount of the guards were needed to secure it, the remainder of you heading inside the house.
>You storm your way up the stairs, intent on disrupting anything they had going on.

>In the same room you found Blueblood in when you first came here, you found a butler.
>"My word! What is the meaning of this? Why are you here?"
"To arrest Prince Blueblood for using ancient magics to kidnap citizens. Where is he?"
>The butler scoffs. "I have absolutely no idea what you-"
>You lift the butler up by the scruff of his lapel.
>This was no time for games.
"You're lying. I smell it on you."
>You bring him a hairsbreadth away from your face.
"Where. Is. He?"
>You drop the trembling butler on the ground with a resounding thud.
>He shakily walks over to the piano in the corner and presses three keys, sending scared looks back at you the entire time.
>At the third key press, a door in the bookshelf swings open, revealing stairs spiraling down.
"Bookcase hooked up to the piano..."
>Cliché much?

>You and the guards you didn't have securing the house descended the stairs.
>The quarters were cramped, the walls no more than a few feet across.
>It was clear that not too many ponies came down here.
"Everyone stay close, and call out anything out of the ordinary."
>Your words echo up the stairway as you descend deeper.
>And deeper.
>And deeper still.
>The farther down you go, the less sounds come from above.
>The songs of birds of the night, or of the guards patrolling the house.
>Instead all you heard was your own footsteps and the sounds of those behind you. Beyond that, a maddening nothing.
>It really wasn't helping your nerves.
>Both you and your men's breathing had quickened to an almost frenzied pace.
>You could feel the sweat start to form on your palms, and your feet were a little shaky.
>A door appeared at the end of the stairs leading into a small and poorly lit room.
>You inched yourself through the doorway, keeping a hand on your sword and an eye open for trouble.
>The room was...empty.
>You turn back to the guards in the stairway.
"Alright guys, it looks like we're alone do-"
>The familiar spark of magic echoes from inside the room.
>You dive back on instinct just in time to dodge a wall of stone shooting up from the ground, sealing the other guards in the stairwell.
>The pounding of the guards on the other side of the wall mix your own and echo through the room.
>Until another sound overpowers them.
>"Anonymous."

-Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJK-KKW2MR8&-
>The clip clop of hooves comes from the center of the room towards you.
>You draw your sword and toss the sheathe on the ground, it would only slow you down.
>"I suppose I should have expected someone." A voice said as it trotted into view.
"Blueblood...you look like hell."
>The Princes' bloodshot eyes had bags under them and his normally perfect hair hung in his face in strands.
>He sighs. "Yes, I suppose I have been overworking myself lately."
"Using shadow magic to kidnap citizens?"
>Blueblood sighs again, deeper this time. "Yes...that was me. But I did what I did for good reason."
>You scoff. [spoiler][/spoiler] "What reason could justify that?"
>Blueblood stares at you with an almost bored face. "This."
>His horn glows and brings light to the room.
>You wish it hadn't.
>Clamped to steel beds at the rear of the room sat the kidnapped ponies.
>They had various magical instruments nearby them and coils of pulsating energy behind them.
>And each of them had their skin hanging in bags and ghastly white hair.
"Wh-what is this?"
>"This is sacrifice Anonymous. Using the life energy of these ponies, I will create a cure-all."
"A what?"
>"A cure all, please try to follow along." He says as he trots to the captives.
>"I will create a spell that will wipe out everything bad. Disease, aging, unhappiness! I will bring Equestria into tomorrow as a true utopia!"
>You laugh a shrill laugh.
"Oxymoronic! A utopia built on the broken lives of others!"
>Blueblood glares at you. "I knew you wouldn't understand."
>His horn lights up, swinging open doors at the back of the room. "And I won't try to make you."
>Through the doors come ponies in familiar armor.
>That of the royal guards.

-Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hDs6mC-
>You brace as the colors of the royal guard and night guard slam into you.
>A kick to the head leads to a quick slice across the neck for the lead.
>You hated the idea of killing other guards, but you had no mercy for traitors.
>Another, a pegasus, charges you from above.
>You're able to twist yourself in such a way that it lets you grab him and throw him back.
>Hours of practice with Shining Armor had taught you about the weak spots in the guards' armor.
>Above the knee.
>Near the tail.
>The fact that the entire suit would fall apart if you snapped the strap under the chin.
>One guard was feeling just that as his armor slid off him like water.
>You took advantage of his shock to slam him in the face with your gauntlet.
>Suddenly, you find yourself floating in the air, a blue glow surrounding you.
>A hand slips into your boot and pulls out a long dagger.
>With a flick of your wrist, you send it flying towards the offending unicorn with practiced aim.
>You hit the ground as the dagger imbeds itself in the neck of the spell caster.
>The remaining guards didn't like that, rushing you as you tried to climb.
>Blueblood ranted as the guards piled on.
>"You stand in the way of progress Anonymous! These ponies would have died and been honored martyrs in the eternal empire that followed!"
>A guard kicks you in the chest and sends the wind out of you.
>"All you needed to do was to stay out of our way!"
>You crumple to the ground.
>"But now -- You die!"
>The guards prepare to smash your face with their hooves, but never get the chance.
>The ceiling above you explodes in a shower of arcane magic, revealing a pure white pony in the middle as it dissipates.
>"No. He will not." Celestia says. 
 
>Whatever resolve the guards had evaporated in sight of the Princess.
>Celestia looked over to you in concern as they piled off and ran back through the door they came out of. "Are you okay Anonymous?"
>You spit a bit of blood from a split lip out of your mouth as you regain your breath.
"Yeah, just gimme a minute..."
>Celestia turns back to her nephew and hardens her face.
>What passes is the most awkward moment in family history.
>"Stop this Blueblood, before I make you." Celestia says, ending the silence.
>Blueblood scoffs. "And how would you do that Aunty? Hold me down and spank me like a child?"
>That actually didn't sound so-
>No. No. Stay focus.
>You get to your feet and start to inch your way to Blueblood, making use of his back to you.
>"Aunty, with the power you hold, you could have fixed everything ages ago."
>"I would not have done it like this Nephew! This is monstrous, barbaric even! You don't even know if it will work!" 

>"So you would have us not try!? To deny ourselves certain avenues over others is to limit ourselves! Or worse, to condemn us to never having known fruits for our labors!"
>"What fruits!? All I see here is a madman willing to sacrifice his own people for a mad grasp at power!"
>You were close now, within feet.
>Celestia obviously saw you, but to her credit she did not so much as glance at you lest she give you away.
>Blueblood's breathing grows heavy as he lowers his head.
>"You have gone soft. You are unwilling to sacrifice even such a minute amount to save countless others." He says through gritted teeth
>Bluebloods horn glows green as he charges a spell and draws from the nearby mana batteries.
>Almost there...
>"In time, you and everyp0ny else will serve the One True Qu-"
>Blueblood doesn't finish his sentence and wheels around to face you.
>You smell ozone as the spell fills your vision.

>You feel the magic surge through your chest as you get thrown off your feat.
>"Anonymous!" You hear someone call.
>You land on your back with a thud as your breathing seems to just stop.
>You feel your arm lock up as you are sent into the familiar sensation of neurological shock.
>There is no physical pain, you don't feel any cuts or broken bones, but your mind is screaming.
>Lights and sounds break through the agony, but you don't register them.
>As suddenly as the million pinpricks of pain came to you, they stop.
>For a moment, your relieved that the pain stopped.
>But then you begin to worry as the comforting sensation of nothingness continues to spread.
>You try to move, to get yourself back on your feet and get back into things, but it doesn't happen.
>Your limbs won't move.
>Your fear of what is happening melts away. It doesn't leave you it's just gone.
>That scares you more.
>Something is very wrong.
>You register yourself being picked up by a magical grip.
>You feel the wind against your face as something happens to your body.
>Words break through the haze of what's happening, or at least try to.
>You're almost certain you hear your name.
>Blackness creeps at the edge of your vision, trying to take you away.
>The wind on your face stops.
>You wonder what happened to Cele-
>
>
>

>The darkness went out in every direction.
>You floated in that darkness.
>Everything was nothing.
>No sight.
>No sound.
>No feeling.
>It was...peaceful, this place you called death.
>You had heard of Tartarus and Elysium, but you weren't there.
>Guess you just didn't belong.
>And then, your darkness was not.
>There was light inside you.
>Bright light.
>Bright light that made everything start.
>The sight of blackness, not just nothing.
>The sound of the world.
>The feeling of softness on your back.
>And the sensation of something.
>Something warm and sad inside you.
>You follow that feeling.
>Follow it back to wherever it is.
>As you do, your senses return to you.
>And you are greeted with the sight of a ceiling.

>You groan as you wake up.
>"Anonymous!?"
"Wha-"
>Soft lips push your words back down your throat as they greet you.
>The sadness you felt washes away, replaced by the warmth that accompanied it magnifying a hundredfold.
>Celestia breaks away from you and places her head on your shoulder, tears forming at the edge of her eyes.
"Wh-what happened? With Blueblood?"
>Celestia exhales a deep breath. "I defeated my nephew, he is currently at an asylum in Detrot. I flew you here as fast as I could."
>You rubbed your head.
"What happened to the citizens?"
>Celestia chuckles and caresses your head with a wing. "Always concerned for the people..."
>"Doctors at Canterlot General looked them over, as well as the Royal Magisters..."
>Celestias head fell a bit. "They were aged prematurely by the siphoning of their life energy...they may recover and they may not..."
"But...they're safe?"
>Celestia smiles and nods. "Thanks to you."
>You try laughing only to groan when your chest starts to throb.

"NNngggg...I feel like shit...how long was I out?"
>"Two days. You were here for all of it."
>You look around the room.
>Circular bed.
>Big fireplace
>Chaise Lounge...
>You were in CELESTIA'S room.
>She had kept you in her room.
"Uhh...Wow. Thank you."
>Celestia smiles.
"So, how bad of a hit did I take?"
>Celestia's eyes shift from relief to concern.
"Anything broken?
>Celestia sits up on her bed. "Anonymous...Bluebloods spell...you suffered no physical damage."
>What?
"But...why did I go into shock? Why am I aching?"
>"As I said...there is no physical damage..."
>You were starting to get worried, Celestia looked it too.
"Celestia, what happened to me?"
>She sighs. "Anon, Blueblood destroyed part of your soul."
>...
"...What?"
>That was...
>What!?
>"It was only by a miracle that I saved you."
"How?"
>Celestia shifted on the bed.
>"I...bound your soul."
>"With mine."

>...
>WHAT!?
>You needed to breathe...
>No! Fuck breathing! You needed answers!
"W-what does that do?"
>Celestia looks a bit nervous. "I-I simple terms; I am a part of you, and you are a part of me."
>You place a hand on the bed to calm yourself.
>You were bound, by the SOUL to Princess Celestia.
"Why do all this?"
>Celestia snaps her head away from you and mumbles something. 
"I'm sorry?"
>Celestia slowly turns back to you, her eyes on the floor.
>"I said...I did it because..."
>"I...I think I love you Anon."
>You hear glass shatter in the distance.
>It all made sense now.
>Those warm feelings, feeling more scared or embarrassed than you should.
>Those were Celestia's feelings, coming through to you through the link.
>You hear Celestia start talking, but not what she says.
>You grip your head a bit.
>What thoughts were yours!? Which ones were Celestia's!?	
>And what's up with Celestia?!
>Just a bit ago you were just spending your first non-sexual evening together and now she loves you!?
>All of this was causing an unbearable strain on your head...
>But you were just so happy to have him back wi-NO!
>YOU'RE STILL YOU!
>You come back to yourself as Celestia is nuzzling your face.
>"I'm so glad you're alright Anon..."
>You're both silent.
>This...this was too much.
"I have to go."
>"Wh-why? Celestia asks as you rise from the bed.
"I-it's too much, too fast. I can't be here."
>Celestia jumps off the bed.
>"A-non, whatever is wrong, I-I can fix it!"
"No, you're the problem."
>You don't see your armor or sword in the room.
>Oh well, can't stay to find it.
>Too fast.
>You open the door and rush past the guards.
>A Princess shedding her first tear of the night behind you.