“To kill me?” Drake laughed. “Valk, you couldn’t even if you tried.”

Valkyrie narrowed his eyes, the collar around his neck glowing now that Discord had shown himself and Valkyrie was known as a traitor. “I did it once before, Drake.” Back in his own dimension, Valkyrie had killed Drake after he had tried to protect Diane.

“That was a different me.”

Valkyrie hung his head sorrowfully. “Even so… I must.”

“Really?”

Valkyrie sighed, shutting his eyes tightly in the only sign of defiance he had left. “I must.”

“Says who?”

“Who do you think? Discord.” He pointed to the collar around his neck as it glowed brightly. Drake thought to himself. A form of mind control, hmm? He could fight that. Valkyrie sighed once more, his eyes pained. “I don’t want to do this, Drake.”

“Then don’t.”

Valkyrie shook his head angrily. “I can’t just NOT do it!”

Drake lifted his head slightly. “Tell me. Why am I to die?”

“Because… if they get into trouble, you’re there to save them.”

Drake’s eyes widened as he realized what this meant. “It’s not about me dying… It’s about stalling me.”

Valkyrie gave him a grim face, showing Drake that he was correct. “You cannot help if you are dead.”

“Alright then.” Drake grinned as he summoned his obsidian blade. Diane had made it for him as a gift, long ago. It was purely black along the blade, and the grip for the hoof was pink with 3 balloons curling up from it. The sword resonated with the strength of Pinkie’s soul, a powerful magic imbued in the obsidian. “You really wanna go for it?~”

Valkyrie slowly raised his blade. “I must,” he repeated one last time as the collar glowed brightly. He began to start forward when he stopped, his eyes wide. Pain. Pain gripped his every nerve, bone and organ. He had been having pains and aches for awhile now, knowing he was dying, but never like this. This was agony. He dropped to his knees as the sword left his hoof, clattering to the floor. His hoof went to his head, where the cut had reopened and had resumed bleeding. “N-no,” he managed to say, pain coursing through his entire being.

“What’s the matter? Thought you were gonna strike me down~” Valkyrie shut his eyes tightly as he felt tears begin to form, the pain becoming unbearable. He sunk down closer to the floor, agony ripping at every point in his body. Drake smiled. “This is my chance!” Drake began to charge forward, his blade high. Valkyrie looked up in fear, tears rolling down his face. He remembered the Drake he had known, long ago in his dimension. He would show mercy, kindness… Then he remembered that this was not his Drake. His eyes widened in horror, until he shut them tightly, unable to accept his fate. He didn’t want to die. He let his tears run, both in fear and pain, until he heard the words… “Time to set you free.”

Valkyrie opened his eyes wide as he was lifted up by his neck. Drake smiled at him. “This thing is in the way~” He lightly tapped the collar. Then, he began to pull at it, trying to make it snap off with no success.

Valkyrie winced at the collar rubbing against his neck, though this pain was nothing compared to the receding agony from moments ago. “I-It’s no use, Drake! I am his until he sets me free!”

Drake made a small ‘tsk’ sound. “I refuse to kill you, Valk…”

Valkyrie watched Drake, thinking. This pony could’ve just killed him. Yet, Drake had spared his life. Valkyrie was startled to realize that he didn’t want to kill Drake either. Not only that, but he was ready to fight Discord for his freedom back. He would NOT kill the man who had spared his own life. “And I you, Drake.” Valkyrie’s eyes widened as the collar around his neck burned.

Drake let Valkyrie stand on his own, looking at the burn appearing around Valkyrie’s neck. The implications of this were too incredible to be left alone. “There’s another way to save yourself, Valkyrie! You have to fight him!” Valkyrie groaned in slight pain as the collar burned and scarred his skin, the heat spreading up his entire neck. Despite this, he still kept in his mind the fact that he wasn’t going to be Discords slave. Drake kept cheering him on, knowing only Valkyrie could break the hold of Discord. “Fight as Card! Fight as you!”

Valkyrie sobbed slightly, the hold starting to take hold once more. He couldn’t fight this… He should go along with it. He wasn’t the hero. He wasn’t going to help. He was the one who hurted… He was a murderer. “I-I’M NOT HIM, DRAKE,” he shouted out, the collar burning horribly, the smell of burnt fur rising in the air. “I-I’LL NEVER BE HIM! I’M JUST THE VILLIAN HERE!”

Drake looked him deep in the eyes, shocking Valkyrie. He was used to ponies adverting their gaze from his eyes, as they were used to doing the same with Card. Drake, however, knew know fear of Card. “You ARE Card Trick, for Celestia’s sake! You aren’t a villain here, Card!”

Valkyrie kept those words close to his heart, struggling against the hold Discord held over him. You are Card… You aren’t a villain… You helped here… “I-I’m n-not the villain,” he struggled to say, the collar scorching his neck burning brighter than ever as he groaned in pain.

Drake grinned brightly, seeing the collar dim slightly from the red – gold it had grown to. “He’s misled you long enough, Card.”

Valkyrie breathed deeply, tears in his eyes dripping down onto the collar and creating steam. “I… AM… CARD TRICK!” With a scream, the collar seared what felt like his very bone, sending flames through every nerve and bone in his body. It felt like eternity of pain, and it would have been had the collar not shattered after releasing this last blast of heat.

Valkyrie shuddered slightly and nearly collapsed. Drake caught him, supporting his weak body. “That you are,” he said with a grin.

Valkyrie opened his eyes, panting. The heat was already fading and his mind felt… clear. He felt… warm. “I-I’m… free?”

“You are.” Drake smiled softly. “I said I’d always try and protect you. No matter what Card, I stick to my promise.”

Valkyrie smiled back then glanced at his hoof. Somehow, he knew what he would see there. He should have died already, burned to dust. However, Discord had locked him here with his collar… Now that the collar was gone, Valkyrie was nothing more than a walking corpse. His hoof was fading slightly, almost like he was a ghost. He didn’t have long, he knew. An hour or two at the most, accompanied by pain… Valkyrie stood on his own, his strength renewed by a single thought. That’s not how heroes die. “Drake… Thank you, for everything.”

Drake knew what was happening with a single glance at Valkyrie’s hoof. He smiled softly. “Any day, Card.”

“Give Lily my best wishes if you see her. I won’t be returning.”

“I know. I will.”

Valkyrie gave Drake a small smile. He turned his back to his old friend, still smiling. Time for the last act of the Martyr. With that last thought, he disappeared into a column of shadow, seeing Drake for the last time.

“Farewell… Valkyrie.”

Author's Notes:

WOOT NEXT CHAPTER x3 Yesh, I'm loving this story so much, ima be so sad when it's done!! Still, then I can work on Shine of Time more and start Lonely God. ^^ Enjoy!!