(this chapter was originally 2 parts that was boring so i made it ONE GIANT PART!)

Guardian Chap 44

by ~Sunjian54

The Equestrian Guardian

Chap 44

Both David and Nightmare charged toward the other bringing both weapons down in a resounding clash. The force of his Blade and her Mane were so strong that it literally tore chunks out of the castle walls around them and made the whole castle shake. The weapons grinded against each other, their wielders seeking to out power the other. Sparks shot from the metal as it grinded against the magic mane, as both David and Nightmare stared hard into each other's eyes.

"Can you see… my determination to never give up?" David growled as his energy began clashing with hers.

"No… all I see is a young fool who's about to die!" She hissed. Their energies formed around their bodies almost like giant flames from a candle around its wick. One white and one black each fighting for dominance over the other. The energy being released was so strong it tore chunks out of the pillars around them, and caused a giant hole to begin forming where they were standing.

"How is it that you're as strong as me?" Nightmare roared putting more force into her energy, which began to envelope David's.

"Because I… Fight… for others!!!" He shouted pushing forward with all his might and energy. The forces collided and sent them both flying back a few yards which they easily recovered from.

"That's what makes the Guardian strong Nightmare. I fight to keep others safe from monsters like you! And I won't die until I've freed everypony in Equestria. This world WILL…HAVE…PEACE!!!" He yelled bringing his sword up in front of him and pointing it at Nightmare. "And you won't stop that Peace from arriving."

Nightmare stared at this strange human. How could he possibly hope to resist against her? She had every bit of power she could possibly need to defeat him, and yet he persists on fighting her. "Do you know how foolish you're acting right now? I have the power of every alicorn that has ever existed! I have power that nopony on Equestria can even fathom, and once I open the Gates I'll have enough to finally become a GOD!" She said laughing.

"That's what you want? All these innocent ponies killed, all this land destroyed and ripped from the ground… Just so you could play God? Well… let me tell you something. You're no God and you never will be." He said smiling. Nightmare gritted her teeth, how dare this human speak to her that way. "You're nothing more than a poor excuse for a washed up, thrown out evil spirit. Look at yourself, feeding off the fear and sadness of others to increase your strength. No… you'll never be a God. You are and always will be what you were born as: A parasite that feeds off others. Since it has no strength of its own." David spat.

"ENOUGH!!!!" Nightmare roared as she charged at David wrapped in black flames. She smashed into him sending him into a nearby wall and she smiled as she heard the all too familiar sound of breaking bones. She quickly stepped back letting David collapse onto the ground clutching his chest in agony. "Damn you!" David coughed as his chest felt like it had just been hit with a steel baseball bat being swung by a pro wrestler. He staggered to his feet sword in hand and looked at Nightmare. She appeared to be focusing her magic into a tidal wave and sending down toward where he had just come from. The tidal wave fired off and she returned her gaze to David. "Now then… where were we? Oh yes… Right here!!!" She shouted attacking David with her mane. David threw his sword up blocking the attack from hitting his head but being slammed up against the wall had drained a bit of his strength and his blade tilted causing the mane to slip down and slice into his shoulder armor and into his shoulder itself.

"Is this all you have Guardian? I thought I was just a parasite?" Nightmare taunted grinning at him. David staggered backwards from the pain in his shoulder, the blood was pouring down his arm but that wasn't going to stop him. "You are." He said as rushed at her. He began swinging the sword up, down, left, and right, trying to get one good slash on her, but every time he tried Nightmare just stepped out of the way or blocked the attack with her mane. However after one swing towards her head, David yanked his blade down, reversed his grip and swung at her neck and this time he hit something.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Nightmare screamed in pain at the sword that had buried itself an inch or two into her neck. Blood slowly trickled down her neck and onto the blade itself. Seizing the moment he jerked his free hand into his holster, pulled out his pistol and jammed it into the base of Nightmare's muzzle. "Die." He murmured as he pulled the trigger and felt the all too familiar jerk of the recoil. Nightmare's head was forcefully jerked backwards, but David's joy turned to horror when her head came back down and she was glaring at him.

"Your pitiful excuse for a weapon doesn't hurt me!!" She roared twisting David's sword wrist with part of her mane and yanking his gun from the other before knocking him back and sending him tumbling on the ground. David jumped to his feet but quickly fell back to his knees because of the pain surging through his body. "Such a strange weapon." Nightmare said as she turned is father's pistol over in her mane. "Hard to believe that such a small device could actually kill someone. Or in my case, annoy them." She growled.

"Give it back." David demanded struggling to his feet. "It's my fathers."

"Oh..! It belonged to your father did it?" Nightmare smiled.

"Yes. And you don't deserve to hold it." David growled.

"That's true. I'm nothing like your father. Brave, strong, intelligent. And neither are you." She laughed as she broke the pistol apart with her mane and let the pieces fall to the ground clattering as each part fell. Everything seemed to slow down for David as he watched in horror. The one material possession that reminded him of his father clattered to the ground broken and beyond repair, and the face of his father that he would always see when he looked at the pistol slowly faded away.

"NO!!!! FATHER!!!!" David screamed in agony as tears cascaded from his face. He was powerless to stop Nightmare from destroying his treasure. Was he really powerful enough to stop her? "Don't worry Guardian you'll see your father soon enough." She said as she wrapped her mane around David's neck. "Or… I could return him to you right now." She said tightening the mane's stranglehold. Her sense of triumph however was quickly erased by pain as David plunged his sword straight through her armor and into her chest. She screeched in pain and dropped him to the ground.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT!!!!" She roared as she tossed David into a pillar across the room near the Gates of Darkness. "I've had enough of your petty resistance." Nightmare growled as she gritted her teeth because of the pain from the hole in her chest. David was flat on his chest. Every muscle in his body ached in pain as he tried to stand up, but no part of his body was listening. It was almost like his entire body had shut down and refused to start up again. "I'm curious… is this bracer attached to your body?" Nightmare asked as she pulled David's arm out in front of him and laid it out so she could look at it. "How interesting… it looks as though you wear it like a bracelet. I'm sure this will hurt then!" She shouted as slammed her hoof down and shattered the bracer on David's arm.

He screamed in agony at the pain he was feeling. It was indescribable, it felt like someone had first burned him with a hot iron, then dragged him across shattered rocks and earth, followed by letting him get whipped by a strong wind, held up against a raging blizzard and then electrocuted. He felt all these pains in a moment of seconds after the bracelet separated from his body. "My powers…" he moaned. Memories of all the training he had done, all the preparation, all the heartache and practice. It had all been taken away by this monster and he was powerless to stop her.

"Now then… for the final part of the ritual. Give me your sword!" She snapped stomping on David's right hand where his sword was still tightly clinched. "Never!" He grunted.

"GIVE IT TOO ME NOW!!!" She yelled as she continued to stomp on his right hand and wrist. David took the pain as best he could. The blade was all that he had left, and he wasn't going to give it up without a fight. However his body was exhausted and could only take so much pain, his spirit and heart were willing but his body was weak. He barely noticed his hand loosing from the pain until it was too late. His mind screamed at his hand to hold on to the blade… but his hand slowly opened and the handle of the blade revealed itself.

"Ah there we are…" Nightmare said triumphantly. "And all it took was me mashing your hand to a pulp to get you to let go." She laughed as she picked up the sword with her mane. David turned and noticed his right fist was indeed mashed. It was bruised dark blue, and blood was leaking from it, he also had some of his knuckles protruding from his fist. "AHH!!" Nightmare gasped in pain as she dropped the sword. "Of course… only the Guardian can wield his blade." She sneered as she walked back toward David and lifted him up off the ground with her magic and forced his hand closed around the blade. "You will open the gates for me Guardian." She said as she forcefully pushed him toward a small slot in the middle of her rune circle.

"Now… with the power of the Guardian's blade. I COMMAND THESE DOORS TO OPEN, AND GIVE ALL THEIR POWER TO ME!!!!!!!" Nightmare yelled as she forced David to slam the Guardian blade into the hole in the ground. There was a flash of bright light followed by an almighty rumble as the blade became a dark purple and shot a beam of what looked like energy to David right into the middle of the Gates. Slowly the Gates began to open wider, and as they did strange shadows began flying out in great numbers. They looked almost like pony skeleton's made out of smoke, but they had bright red eyes and were howling like demonic creatures that David had only read about.

"YES!!! COME TO ME SPIRITS OF DARKNESS!!!" Nightmare cried with a smile on her face as she threw David aside since he had fulfilled his purpose. David gathered all his strength and got back on his feet just in time to see the smoke like figures dive into Nightmare Eclipseus. David ran forward and yanked the Guardian blade from its place but the damage was done. The Gates of Darkness were wide open and hundreds upon thousands of the shadows were diving into Nightmare's body anyway they could. Through her mouth, her eyes, any way they could get into her body. The expression on Nightmare's face was beyond pleasure. It was almost as if she wanted as much of it as she could have, even if it destroyed her. Her body was radiating a black aura that was constantly growing stronger as each shadow flew into her body.

As the flood of shadows ended however, Nightmare remained standing. The only difference was that David couldn't see her face anymore. It was like she was just a pure, dark, shadow. Her body was there, but all you could see were bright red eyes. Eyes that were staring right at him, craving to watch him die. "Who are you!?" He demanded as he staggered as he tried to regain his balance. The pitch black Alicorn only stared at him. "We are Darkness. For we are the Spirits of Evil itself." The figure said in a cold, merciless voice. "We seek to kill all those who would dare stand against us. As our memories serve… you are the Guardian. You will be the first to die by our power."

David grimaced at the words that Darkness had uttered. He slowly brought the Guardian blade back in front of his face. "You would resist us?" Darkness asked. "We can't understand if you are foolish or brave."

"I'm a little of both." David retorted. However he cursed his mouth for shooting himself in the foot. He wasn't fooling anybody in his condition. Both of his wrists were broken from being stepped on, one of them dripping blood onto the handle of the blade. His legs felt like led weights, and his body felt like it weighed a million pounds. It was a wonder he was still standing. "Perhaps you're not as strong as you thought Guardian." A familiar voice echoed. David suddenly noticed that Darkness's eyes now matched Nightmare's exactly and it was her voice, although she still had no mouth.

"You called me a parasite, feeding off of victims stronger than I was. My how the tables have turned." She said coldly. "Now YOU are the weakling and I am the God who now rules. A mortal vs. a God? Surely you know the outcome." She joked.

"Cut the crap!" David shouted. "You're no God and you never will be. I'll keep saying it until I've drilled it into your head!!" He snapped, but a stab of pain followed by a cough of blood brought his heroic speech of defiance to an end. "Foolish till the end I see." Nightmare's voice said. "Well perhaps before you die I should leave you with a small bit of information."

"I don't want any more of your lies!" David barked.

"Oh this is no lie… more like a lost truth." She said calmly. "All this time… you've been living under the lie that your parents died in a car crash. Just a random stroke of bad luck." She said walking towards David, who was now using his sword as prop since he could barely stand. "However it was not bad luck that killed your parents Guardian." She said putting her muzzle to his ear.

"I… Killed… You're…Parents." She whispered quietly.

David's world slammed to a screeching halt. What had she just said? SHE killed his parents?

"LIAR!!! HOW DARE YOU LIE TO ME ABOUT MY PARENTS!!! HAVE YOU NOW SHAME!!!!!!" David roared as tears fell from his eyes.

"It's true. I killed them both."

"LIAR!!!"

"How could I be lying Guardian? Do you think it was just coincidence that the car happened to come from YOUR side of the car? That it happened to appear right as YOUR car pulled into its path?" She said questioning him on every detail. Images of what Nightmare had said began to filter into David's mind. Images of the accident… his mother noticing the car, his father's bravery to yank the car in the other direction so they would be the ones to take the impact. The vision of the car slamming into their own, glass and metal flying everywhere…

"STOP!!!" David screamed. "STOP!!! PLEASE!!! DON'T MAKE ME EXPERIENCE THAT AGAIN!!" He shouted as tears continued to fall down his face.

"And why not?" Nightmare asked. "You're the reason they're dead. After all… I looked into Celestia's future seeing crystal and saw that you would defeat me. I had to take measures to make sure that didn't happen. If you hadn't been so important to your parents then perhaps they wouldn't have sacrificed themselves for you!" Nightmare scolded. David's tears stopped instantly. "How ironic that their sacrifice will be in vain…" Nightmare cooed putting her muzzle right in front of David's fallen face. "Since their precious son has amounted to nothing." She whispered.

She gasped however when David's hand shot forward and wrapped itself around her neck. She was even more horrified to see him rising to his feet. The worst sight however were his eyes, they were now pitch black, and she could see herself being killed inside of them.

"How DARE you say my parents sacrifice was in vain!!" David said slamming her into a pillar still being held by her neck. "You don't deserve to even think about my parents!!" He growled. David's armor had turned blood red, his body radiating a blood red aura, with his veins throbbing throughout his arms. David roared in anger and threw Nightmare into the wall with a resounding crash. He slowly reached down and retrieved his now black sword that appeared to be dripping blood.

"This is your blood." He growled as Nightmare climbed out of the debris she had been buried in. "You're not invincible after all!!!" He shouted as he rushed at her. David swung his sword without feeling, without remorse. His anger burned through every part of his body, it felt like someone had filled his body with fire. He wanted nothing but blood at this point, he had become the Dark Guardian, and only death or Nightmare's fall would satisfy him. However not even the Dark Guardian was a match for Nightmare's new power. She easily stepped out of the way of David's sword each time he swung at her. Every time he made a move, she either blocked it with her mane or stepped out of the way.

She quickly grew tired of this game however and plunged her mane into his stomach and out the other side. Blood gushed forth from David's mouth at the pain he was experiencing, but his anger stilled burned. He struggled to lift his arm, but Nightmare stopped that by piercing his arm with another part of her mane. Nightmare was tired of playing, she plunged more parts of her razor sharp main into David's body. One went through his left arm, another two through his legs, a 4th penetrated his side, and the final strike went through his ribcage. Blood poured onto Nightmare's mane from the six holes she made in the Guardian's body. David's anger faded quickly and was replaced by an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion. With the last of his strength he brought up his pierced arm and swung the sword at Nightmare. The sword struck Nightmare's helmet, and broke in two, with the top half falling to the ground along with the bottom half which David could no longer hold on too.

"This is the end Guardian." She whispered as she threw David's body across the room. The last thing David realized was that he was in the air… and then all went black.

"D…vid, D…id, David… wake up." A voice asked.

David opened his eyes only to be blinded by a bright light. "Good you're awake." David turned to see Solas standing beside him. "Solas…? How can I be dreaming? I'm dead."

"Not yet you're not, but you're close to it." Solas said pointing at David's feet. David noticed that his feet were gone! Along with a growing section of his legs. "There's not much time. Quick stand on the alter." Solas said helping David to his feet which seemed to be there, they were just invisible. "What for?" David asked. "No time just get up there." The stallion begged pulling him toward the alter. "STOP!" David said breaking free of his grip. "There's no time! You have to be on the alter for this to work!!" Solas cried. "FOR WHAT TO WORK??" David shouted. Solas sighed and sat down on the bottom alter step.

"David…I haven't been completely truthful with you. I'm not the first Guardian." Solas said quietly. "What?" David gasped. "Then who are you?" Solas stood up and climbed the few steps to the top of the alter. His body was suddenly encased in light as David watched on in shock. The light blinded David and continued to be too bright to look at until it slowly faded away. David turned and gasped in amazement at what he saw. Where Solas had originally been standing, there was now a giant, shining, golden white alicorn. "Solas?" David mouthed quite scared. The figure smiled.

"No… my real name is Solaris." The alicorn said kindly.

Solaris was a few feet taller than Celestia, his entire body seemed to radiate light, but he still had his green eyes, which David could see were filled with love. "You mean you're Solaris the creator of Equestria?!" David said in shock. Solaris gave a hearty laugh that reminded David of his father. Strong, and caring. "The very one my friend. I kept my true form hidden from you until I knew the time was right." He said smiling and stepping off the alter. David slowly backed away and fell to one knee at the sight of the God of Equestria.

"Rise Guardian. I have much to tell you." Solaris said as he lifted David back to his feet. "First: I'm sorry I kept myself hidden from you. I had to keep my identity a secret until I was sure you were the right choice." "The right choice for what?" David interrupted. "The right choice to receive my power of course. You see… the legend that says that the strongest being in Equestria will receive the creator's power is only partially true."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the only creator's power the being would be receiving would be mine, and I don't choose based on strength. I choose… based on heart." Solaris said putting his mane against David's chest. I watched on as the 1st Guardian became corrupted with dark magic and began to destroy Equestria, it was in that moment that I decided that I would give my power to one being who could save Equestria if it ever fell into darkness again. I then sealed myself inside the rock that was thrown to earth and waited for the day that a human would claim the sword as his own."

"Me?"

"That's right David. When I first saw you, you're commitment to protect those weaker than you, even if it meant your life. I knew that you were a good choice, but I wasn't sure you were the right choice until moments ago. When despite knowing you stood no chance, you fought back against Nightmare anyway. That is why you must ascend the alter, so I may give you my power." Solaris finished. "Solaris… I don't know." David started. "You don't have to know. I already do. Now hurry! We don't have much time." Solaris said pushing David up the steps.

David looked around as the world around him quickly became nothing but light. "AWAKEN YOUR POWER!!! TRUE GUARDIAN!!!!!" Solaris shouted. David's eyes snapped open. He struggled to move and found that all of his injuries had been healed. He looked to see Nightmare sending another wave out toward where Trixie and Bio were fighting. "Hi Nightmare." He said calmly. Nightmare jerked her head back in complete shock. "WHAT!!?? HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!!??" She yelled.

"I told you…" Light slowly began to build around David's body until he was surrounded by a ball of light that lifted him a few feet into the air. "AS LONG AS THERE ARE PONIES WHO NEED ME, I WILL NEVER DIE!!!!" A bright flash of light blinded Nightmare and knocked her off her feet. She shielded her eyes at the strange ball of light that had now touched the ground. As a figure emerged from the light a cold chill ran up her spine.

David stood before her in a brand new suit of armor. It was bright white and covered every part of his body. It was adorned with the seal of Celestia and Luna, and had a bright white cape flapping behind it. The armor was polished to perfection and seemed to radiate light like a fire in a dark room. It was almost an exact replica of his Guardian armor, but now it covered him from head to toe and seemed almost like a second skin. He still wore no helmet, but Nightmare could see that he was truly powerful.

"I am David Arman. Son of John, and Meghan Arman. The Guardian of Equestria…" He reached out his hand and the Guardian blade flew into it completely repaired and glowing fiercely. "Prepare yourself Nightmare…" he said as he filled the Guardian blade with light, and with a slight tug created two swords. One bright white, the other pitch black. "I have learned to control both the Light and the Darkness around me Nightmare. Solaris has given me his power. So now… you will feel the same pain and suffering that so many ponies have felt from your reign of terror!!" He said crossing the swords in front of him. "I AM THE TRUE GUARDIAN OF EQUESTRIA NIGHTMARE!!! YOU'RE TIME OF RULE IS OVER!!!"

His voice sent Nightmare flying into the wall behind her. "No it can't be! I'm the most powerful being in Equestria, ME!!! How did you gain the power of the Creators??!!" She yelled furiously. "Because I only used my powers to help ponies in need. You used it to further your own selfish goals." David said calmly. Nightmare felt her rage building inside of her. She was not going to be stopped by this pitiful human. Power or no power she was too close to give up.

"I HAVE COME TOO FAR TO BE BEATEN BY YOU!!!" She screamed as she became surrounded by black flames. "I'LL KILL YOU AND TAKE THE POWER FOR MYSELF!!!!!!" She roared as she charged at him. David ran toward her and right as they merged he stepped out of the way without doing anything. "You missed!" Nightmare said turning around, until a sharp pain shot through her wing.

"I never miss." David said returning his swords to their scabbards.

Nightmare then heard something flop to the ground; she looked down and saw that one of her wings had been cut clean off. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She shrieked in pain at what had just happened. David stood facing her, his expression unchanging. He had learned from his father to never take joy in the suffering of his enemies.

"You… YOU… YOU CUT OFF MY WING!!" She yelled as blood poured from her wing joint.

"I merely defended myself. You brought this on yourself." He said calmly.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT I'LL KILL YOU!!" She yelled as she rushed him again. This time David didn't move but merely slashed with his swords as she went by. David sheathed his sword's again as Nightmare screamed once again. "Both of your wings are gone Nightmare. Do the smart thing and surrender." David said as he walked toward her.

"DON'T PATRONIZE ME BOY!!" She screamed as she lashed out with her mane. Her spine turned to ice however when she saw that her mane didn't even scratch David's armor. "How… h-OWWWWWWWWW!!!!" She wailed as David grabbed her horn and looked right into her eyes.

"I'm more powerful than you." He whispered. And with a quick twist of his wrist he threw her as far as he could and snapped her horn in the process. Nightmare collided with the now closed Gates of Darkness and struggled to regain her footing. "I've taken your horn, your wings, what more do I have to take from you to make you give up?" David said walking back toward the still glowing rune circle in the middle of the room. "I will never surrender!" She said defiantly. David stepped into the rune circle and raised his swords.

"Have it your way. THE GUARDIAN COMMANDS THAT THE GATES OF DARKNESS BE OPENED!!!!!!" He shouted as he plunged the swords back into the slot. There was a low rumble and the Gates began to open again.

"NO… NO NO!!!!!!" Nightmare screamed as she was being pulled toward the void inside the Gates. David walked off the rune circle and over to the pieces of his Father's pistol. Using his new magic he began to put it back together and make some upgrades.

"Guardian save me!! You're a human! You wouldn't let me die! You're a peaceful race of creatures." Nightmare wailed as she was pulled even closer to the gates. David could see that she was struggling to avoid being pulled in. Her hooves were grasping at the floor, clawing, grabbing doing anything to find something to hold on too. "Please help me Guardian!!!" She cried.

David sighed. He may have been charged to eliminate evil, but he couldn't let her die. "Give me your hand." He said reaching out. Nightmare reached out and took his hand with a smile. "You little fool! I tricked…" But before she could finish David had put his pistol in in-between her eyes. "Humans aren't as peaceful as you think. Do your research in hell." He whispered as he pulled the trigger. The gun bucked and Nightmare let go of his hand and tumbled back into the fog filled void.

"Farewell Nightmare. May you rest in peace with your own kind… If you can call it peace. GATES OF DARKNESS BE CLOSED!!" David shouted, and the gates slowly shut behind him.

"Now all I have to do is EHH!!!" David clutched at his chest and collapsed. He had broken the oath... he didn't have long."My heart's failing… I need to hurry." David quickly stood to his feet and freed Twi and the others from their cages. He then quickly began to heal all of their wounds. As he did so Celestia stirred. "David you saved us…" "No time… please take the others and escape!" David said. A sudden shake however caught his attention. "GO CELESTIA!!!" He shouted as he took off back toward Bio and Trixie. "Please don't let it be what I think it is." David mumbled as he ran full speed back toward Bio's position. David's fears however were well founded.

"No… Radious…" David mumbled as he saw the giant Demon looking over Trixie. David dashed over to where Trixie's body was and stunned Radious with a flash of light. As the monster staggered David lifted Trixie's head up. "Who… are you…?" She mumbled as she passed out. "A friend." David replied happily. He then touched Trixie and she vanished in a flash of light.

"Take care of her Celestia. I'll take care of Bio." He said as he looked at the massive towering monster in front of him. "Somehow." Next Chapter: Chapter 45 Estimated time remaining: 22 Minutes