Chapter Three: The Avatar Awakened.

***

November 10th, 2028.

"Just hold bloody still," John Constantine said angrily as he walked around the chalk circle he had drawn.

"I am doing, Constantine!" Elliot replied, trying not to sound impatient. "It's not my fault we keep being firebombed and I keep bloody having to stop myself from falling over."

Outside, the city of Dover was under attack. Ten thousand defenders were holding the shoreline and city against over a hundred thousand Earth Ponies, Pegasi and Unicorns. David Elliot, a Major in the British Defence Force and commander of the combined forces by virtue of being one of the most experienced soldiers left, wanted desperately to be out there with his troops, but such was not his destiny. Instead, he waited in a small cottage near the shore while the war was waged outside, standing in a chalk circle drawn by a madman. His twin daggers and hand cannon itched in their sheaths and holster, but he couldn't join his men yet.

Had it been any other time, and had Elliot been any less desperate, he might have turned away the help of this Constantine guy: he was an older man in battered suit and trenchcoat with a cigarette still firmly clamped in his mouth as he muttered his nonsense. He was clearly a little bit insane, ranting for minutes and minutes about how there was a magic unique to Britain that they could call upon, but it had to be used on a mighty warrior. Nonetheless, Elliot had decided to try the man's plan. It was insane, but it was still a plan, and in this day and age that was all Elliot was going to get.

The man's scruffy trenchcoat and loose tie didn't exactly conjure up images of a professional magician (what was supposed to be the attire of a magician anyway? Robes and a pointy hat?) but True Grit, a unicorn who had fought in the Resistance alongside the BDF for years and was up there with the top trusted troops for Elliot, was nodding every time Elliot looked at him: True Grit was there to inform Elliot as to whether Constantine was truly performing magic, and so far if the Unicorn was to be believed, the man was performing.

"Powers of Albion, powers ancient and wise..." the man muttered under his breath. Elliot didn't know how any of his mumbling would help, and was increasingly impatient with the whole thing, when he felt a little odd - a sort of tingling began spreading through him. He looked down at his hands, and found a soft golden glow had begun to envelope them. That wasn't all: he began to feel... what he could only call "a power" seeping into him. He frowned.

"The hell?" he said softly, eyes widening slightly.

Before he could attempt to ask the still-mumbling Constantine what was happening, a blue Earth Pony Allied soldier burst in through the cottage door.

"Commander," he said, clearly panicking, "the enemy have breached the defensive wall - a stream of forces is coming up - Rarity's with them!"

"Shit!" Constantine muttered, then continued mumbling. "Powers of Albion, come to me, powers of Albion, come to me..."

The tingling sensation increased and Elliot felt more and more power seeping into him, like water dripping into a container. As Constantine mumbled, a bright, golden light enveloped the entirety of the Commander's figure, transforming him into a humanoid silhouette, a figure of light.

Within the bright light, there was nothing. Elliot couldn't see anything but a field of white, obscuring his vision - obscuring the sight of his body even. Nonetheless, this place wasn't empty. Elliot could feel something. Something calling to him...

Who are you who disturbs the slumber of the ancient powers?

Elliot blinked - something was talking to him.

Answer, boy, or you shall be slain where you stand!

No, don't! Elliot thought, holding up hands that he could no longer see to ward off a blow he could almost sense building up. To his surprise, he felt the blow subside.

What have you come here seeking? the voice asked.

Help, Elliot said. I've come seeking help.

***

Constantine kept mumbling, praying that he would get enough time to finish the ritual. Predictably, no one was listening, and the door caved in. Shrapnel pierced the jugular of the Earth Pony soldier, and he lay on the floor gurgling. A purple blast knocked True Grit through a wall before the stalwart unicorn could react. Constantine turned to face the attacker, but could only blink as potion was splashed in his face. He swore.

"Well," a civilised voice said. “Isn’t that so much better?”

Constantine, realising he had only seconds, turned, agony already enveloping him.

"In the name... of Albion," he said, gritting his teeth as his body sprouted yellow hair through liquefying and his skeleton shifted itself, "in our hour... of need... come to us... grant us... an Avatar...!"

He screamed in agony as the potion took full effect, just as another, louder scream erupted from the beam of light that had once been Elliot, and then he fell unconscious, praying in his ponifying mind that the spell had worked...

***

Is this truly the hour at last? the voice asked, seemingly somewhere between bemusement and relief. The hour of Britain's greatest need? The hour when a warrior must return to save her again?

Not only the need of Britain, Elliot said to the being, praying he could convince it to help him. The entirety of the human race is threatened. All of our kind stand upon the precipice of extinction.

The being Elliot was conversing with was silent for a long moment.

And you have been sent here to serve as our Avatar? it asked.

I'm all that's left, Elliot replied sadly. If I don't stand up to stop these creatures, no one else will.

There was a moment of absolute silence that seemed to stretch for an eternity: Elliot was terrified that he had somehow failed to make his case, but then a soft sigh echoed through the void.

We both will, David Elliot. You and I together. Excalibur shall shine one last time.

Elliot could only feel elated for the briefest of moments before he suddenly felt a pure agony shoot through him, an agony greater than anything he had ever felt in his entire life. And then...

***

Rarity grinned as John Constantine, one of the biggest magical thorns in the side of Equestria's growing Empire, finished his transformation into a pony, the unrefined process having rendered him unconscious from agony. He would awaken soon, ready (if Rarity was right) to use all his knowledge of Britain and of her magic to help Solamina destroy the defensive barriers and finally cover the entire planet Earth in Equestrian grace.

The white unicorn turned her attention to the screaming beam of light in the centre of the room, frowning at it. She didn't know what it was, but she suspected it was some kind of magical weapon Constantine had been trying to summon to help the pitiful defence forces holding Dover. She snorted in amusement: whatever it was, she had full confidence that she could take it on.

Suddenly, a shockwave of magical power erupted, knocking her out through the door she had burst in through. She cursed as she stood, irritated that she had been taken off guard like that, before looking to see what had emerged from the light.

Her eyes widened slightly, as she found herself facing a giant figure in shining silver armour, wearing a cape and wielding a giant Zweihander. The hair was long and dark, the eyes blazing gold.

"And who are you supposed to be?" she asked, trying to be dismissive even as she quailed slightly, feeling waves of magical power rolling off of the being like heartbeats broadcast to the world.

"I was David Elliot," the being replied, it's deep voice resonating with power. "But now I am more. I am the spirit of Arthur, returned in Britain's hour of need. I am the spirit of the sword Excalibur, defender of justice and honour. I am the vengeance of a nation, the battle cry of a world that has been raped and mutilated beyond all endurance by thine and thy mistress' evil. I am a power thou cannot halt, Element of Order."

The being pointed it's sword right at her.

"I am the Avatar of Albion."

"Impressive title," Rarity said, smirking at the man's rhetoric. She summoned her own sword with her horn; it was a delicate but unbreakable rapier, gifted to her by the Shining Empress herself. "But your words don't frighten me. They're the words of a big man who's just found out that he's not the biggest bully in the playground."

"If thou thinkest that," the Avatar countered, making a sweeping gesture of challenge with his blade, "then by all means: come at me."

She charged at him, her blade spinning and swinging. But even as she struck, his own blade intercepted hers, faster than the oversized thing should have been able to move. She attacked again, but again he blocked her, a small smile on his face. A third time she tried, but this time he parried and riposted, forcing her to step back.

Frustrated, she unleashed a hail of attacks, but the blade the man wielded blocked every blow. She snarled, and attacked faster, pushing herself to her limits - but still he blocked. Frustrated, she jumped back and threw a magical attack at him, but he blocked that too - this time with his hand, held up as if to stop the blast in it's tracks. The purple energy seemed to dissipate in a cloud of vapour, leaving him standing there.

"Is that all thou hast in thy bag of tricks, little pony?" the Avatar said, his tone mocking.

Rarity forced herself to calm down. She was still able to win this, she was sure...

Changing tack, she uncorked a bottle of potion and threw it at him, fast as lightning. It splashed him right in the face - but he only smiled, an unnerving thing on that face. The potion evaporated into purple steam, and he didn't so much as twitch with transformation.

"Thy foul magics are nothing next to the power of Albion's vengeance," he said softly. He aimed the Zweihander at her again. "Now taste her justice."

He swung his Zweihander once, but Rarity blocked it. Undeterred, he swung again and again, her rapier blocking each time, but each time was harder than the last. And then, the impossible happened.

Her unbreakable rapier snapped in two like a twig, and the being's Zweihander embedded itself in her shoulder with a wet thunk.

Screaming in agony, Rarity fell to the floor, the Zweihander coming away with a wet tearing sound.

"Interesting," the being said. He stood over her, and began speaking in a deep, portentous tone.

"Rarity of the Elements of Order, thou art an enemy of Albion. Thou hast hurt her people, thou hast violated her world, thou hast invaded her shores. Thou art sentenced to die."

The being raised it's blade.

"Please!" Rarity screamed. "Please have mercy!"

"Why?" it asked in return. "Thou hast had none for thine victims. Taste their justice!"

And then it's blade swung in a powerful arc...

Rarity knew no more.

***

The being that had once been David Elliot walked into the ruined cottage. It saluted the fallen Earth Pony. It checked on the wounded True Grit, but the unicorn would survive. Finally, it turned it's gaze on the stirring form of the recently converted Earth Pony that had once been John Constantine.

"Thou art a servant to Albion, Constantine," he said softly. The pony looked up at him, eyes widening in alarm.

"Get away from me," he said, his voice betraying a fear that he should never have felt.

"I mean thee no harm, John," the Avatar said. The ponified Constantine didn't listen, continuing to back away, and sighing, the Avatar reached a hand out. Suddenly, the pony found himself frozen.

"No," he said. "No, don't..."

"Thy soul is still intact in thy new form, John Constantine, for I sense it has been shielded," the Avatar said, somewhat surprised: normally the soul was irreparably damaged in the new converts, a side effect of the horrible ponification process - but not, it seemed, in Constantine's case. "Some being thou hast dealt with may yet have aided thee, for thine sake or it's own I cannot say." Knowing what he now knew about Constantine - far more than Constantine would ever have wanted, he was sure - the Avatar sensed it might have been for reasons that were far from altruistic. "Still," the Avatar added, "thy mind is clouded by this evil. I shall release thee from it."

"No, don't, don't..." the new pony said, panicking slightly, but the Avatar ignored it.

The Avatar closed it's eyes, felt the bonds of magic that enslaved the former Constantine's mind. With a thought, it grabbed them tightly. On any normal conversion, this would have killed the subject or driven them insane, for their souls were almost always damaged by the process beyond any semblance of restoring them. In the pony Constantine's case, though, the soul was intact and unharmed. Clearing the mind was a troublesome matter - the Sun Tyrant's power over the converted was strong. But he was now the Avatar of Albion, and this was not - quite - beyond his reach.

Straining his new power, the Avatar reached for the chains around Constantine's mind, and with a heave of mental effort, snapped them. Constantine collapsed, eyes rolling back into his head, and the Avatar smiled. It's work was done - this noble servant was saved.

With that, the Avatar receded, it's armour and mighty blade fading away in a flash of light, leaving only the battered and tired form of David Elliot, who promptly collapsed from exhaustion.

***

When John Constantine woke up, the first thing he noticed was the unconscious Elliot.

"Oh piss," he said angrily, somehow afraid the spell hadn't worked. Then, through the doorway of the cottage, he saw the decapitated body of Rarity.

"Oh, piss..." he said, suddenly relieved: the spell had worked. Somehow, Elliot had become the Avatar and defeated the Element. Suddenly, Constantine felt a hope that he hadn't felt in years. Maybe they could actually survive this shitstorm after all.

He moved to stand up, only to totter over. He reached out a hand to steady himself, only to find himself looking at a yellow hoof. He blinked at it.

"Oh," he said, as full memory returned and he realised what must have happened. "PISS!"

***

"Guards!" Princess Luna yelled immediately. The Royal Guardsponies - of which there were several in the room - immediately sprung into action, charging the man with their spears. Without even looking at the Guards, the Avatar lazily blocked their blows, broke the heads off of their spears, and returned its blade to it's ready stance.

“That was a warning,” the being said.

Dumbfounded, the guards looked at each other, unsure what to make of the being's moves or obvious skill.

"Guards, retreat," Celestia said sternly, not wanting her little ponies to be hurt. "Now."

Reluctantly, the Guards did so, though none of them looked happy about it.

The being that had decreed itself the "Avatar of Albion", ignoring the retreating the Guards, raised it's giant two-handed blade in one hand and pointed it at Celestia in challenge.

"Sun Tyrant," it said, its voice deep and resonant but tinged with impatience and irritation. "I have told thee once. Take to thine full power and face me."

Celestia thought about the so-called "Avatar" standing before her. She considered it strange that he was clearly powerful, but was awaiting her “taking to her full power" (whatever he thought that was). He hadn't slain her guards, merely disarmed them, and he hadn't attacked her even though he had declared his purpose was to fight her. Some chivalric code preventing him from attacking first? A code of honour against attacking an unarmed or unready opponent?

"Tyrant!" the Avatar yelled. " I will not ask thee again! Prepare thyself or die unprepared!"

"I don't know what you mean," Celestia replied to his order, eyeing the figure warily. His patience was clearly not infinite. "I am not the Sun Tyrant of whom you speak."

"Thy lies and tricks will avail thou none," the Avatar said, moving his sword from the challenge stance to a combat stance. "It will only serve to delay thine end. If thou art to face thine death, face it as a warrior and not a craven coward."

"Enough insults, creature!" Luna yelled angrily, insulted on her sister's behalf. "My sister is no coward!"

"Then she should face her death in battle instead of bandying words and lies to hide from it, body of Luna," the Avatar said, not even sparing the other Alicorn a glance, it's eyes fixed on Celestia.

The midnight-blue Alicorn princess snorted in rage at the impudence of this being, whoever and whatever it was.

"How dare you!" she yelled, her royal voice resonating throughout the room. The Avatar finally soared her a glance, looking at her as though she were a piece of dirt.

"I have come to have the Sun Tyrant answer for her crimes," he said calmly. "It is my right as representative of those she hath wronged."

"She has committed no crime against thee or against any!" Luna snarled. "But thou hast! Thou hast come into this place of peace bringing thy violence and thy false accusations, and now thou thinkest to threaten my sister? I shall make thou regret that thou didst ever come here!"

Before Celestia could stop her, Luna summoned her magic, firing a frighteningly powerful beam of energy at the Avatar.

"Luna, don't...!" Celestia warned, fearing that this would provoke the creature, but it was too late. The purple bolt soared at the man like lightning, impacting on the front of his silver armour. He grunted, stepping back slightly at the force of the attack. For a moment, Luna snorted in triumph, thinking the impudent wretch had been taught a lesson, but then the man smiled: a cold, cruel thing, but tinged with sadness.

"Body of Luna," he said, tilting his head slightly, "thou knowst not what thy sister has done. This is a mercy, I think, and a surprising one given thy sisters foul nature. But greater still, I think, will be the mercy of releasing thee from thine torment."

He swung his arm back, his sword glowing with a golden light, and suddenly brought the blade forward, pointing it at her. It flashed and threw a bolt of energy at the Moon Princess, but she deflected it with a snort. He threw a couple more bolts at her, but she blocked both. She smiled savagely.

"Is that all you have?" she asked, her tone mocking. "Your rhetoric seems a little hollow."

"So," the Avatar said, apparently ignoring her words, "the Tyrant has allowed you to retain some of your former strength. So be it, then."

He raised his sword above his head, and leapt towards Luna, aiming the sword as though he were about to decapitate her...

***

Twilight had teleported herself and her friends to Canterlot as quickly as she could, but the teleportation had left her tired and drained, and she had needed a few minutes to recuperate. Nonetheless, once she had done so, she and the other Elements raced to the throne room where they just knew the being that had attacked them - and more importantly, Princess Celestia - would be.

"What exactly do we do when we get there?!" Dash asked.

"We'll think of something!" Twilight assured her friend, though she was far from certain of their course of action herself. After all - the thing had been fast when it intended to harm them, and it claimed to have killed most of the Elements already - what would stop it from doing it again...?

Again? Was Twilight actually starting to believe the idea that somehow, this thing had killed her friends? But what could that mean? Time travel of some description? Or something else...?

"Twilight!" a familiar voice called to the purple unicorn, snapping her out of her thoughts. Twilight smiled as Shining Armour, her brother and former Captain of the Royal Guard, appeared, racing towards her. He looked concerned. "What's wrong?!"

"Something's coming for the Princess!" she yelled in reply, not breaking her run. Shining Armour's eyes widened in shock, and he chased after her.

"What is it?!" he asked, sounding horrified.

"I don't know!" Twilight yelled back. "But I think it's going to try to..."

Before she could finish her thought, a group of scared looking Royal guards appeared at the end of a corridor, running from the direction of the Princess's court.

"There's a creature!" one of them yelled. "It's attacking the Princesses!"

Shining Armour snorted angrily. He might not have known what was going on, but his duty was to protect Celestia and he was damned if he was going to fail.

"Summon the guard!" he yelled. "Now!"

The two guards nodded and raced off as Shining Armour and the Elements kept running.

***

The Avatar of Albion smirked at the sight that was before him.

"Ah," he said softly, "now you fight."

Between his blade and Princess Luna stood Celestia, a golden shield of magical energy coming between them, sparking slightly where the Zweihander was trying to force through the protection.

Her field exploded outwards, driving the Avatar backwards. He spun his blade with a smile.

"Why do you think I was unwilling to fight you? Do you think perhaps that I am afraid of you?!" Celestia yelled, furious at the man's actions. "I am not your enemy - but you simply won't accept my word!"

"The word of a monster is no word at all," the Avatar said, aiming his blade at Celestia. He charged at her, bringing his blade down again, but again the blow was blocked by a field of golden light. He struck again and again, but she blocked every strike. Suddenly, she repulsed him once more, the field of energy expanding outwards. He moved to attack again, but was stopped in his tracks by a bolt from Luna, which staggered him backwards. He snarled in frustration.

"This is not your fight, body of Luna!" he yelled.

"Anypony who threatens my sister is mine enemy," Luna replied, angrily. The Avatar narrowed his eyes at her.

"Very well," he said, shifting his blade from hand to hand, trying to get a better grip on it. "If thou shalt aid thy demon-sister, thou shalt share her fate."

He moved to attack Luna, charging at her, but was once more repulsed by Celestia's golden magical shield.

"You will not touch my sister!" the white Alicorn princess bellowed, fury in her voice. "Never!"

She began sending beams of energy at the Avatar: bolt after bolt impacted on his shining silver armour, scoring marks on it and driving him back. Gritting his teeth, the Avatar began blocking the bolts with his sword, but the bolts kept coming, and kept driving him backwards.

"How dare you," the Sun Princess yelled. "You have come into my home, and brought your insane hatred with you. No more!"

Snarling, Celestia sent more bolts at the Avatar, driving him even further back, until one beam hit him square in the chest and sent him flying backwards through the double doors at the end of the court, the impact causing masonry to shatter under his weight and throwing the debris and dust into the air.

Celestia slowed her breaths, trying to calm herself down. She hadn't let loose like that in a while, and had never intended to again, but this creature, whatever it was, had threatened her sister. She caught a glimpse of Twilight Sparkle, Shining Armour and the Elements of Harmony - had they come here to help?

"Princess?!" Twilight yelled over to her.

"Stay back, Twilight," the Princess warned, eyes narrowing at the dust cloud surrounding the Avatar's form. She sensed that not only did it still live, but it was still strong - strong enough to destroy the Elements if it so chose.

"What is that thing?" Luna asked her sister, eyes wide: she clearly sensed the same thing. "That power should have destroyed it!"

"I don't know," Celestia replied, sounding more worried than she would have liked, "but I don't think I've stopped it yet!"

She was right: even as she spoke, the slow, methodical footsteps of the creature began sounding. From the dust cloud of shattered masonry, the figure appeared, walking towards the two Alicorns. His sword was resting on his shoulder as he marched towards them, his eyes filled with deadly purpose.

Celestia stood ready, but strangely enough the creature was making no aggressive moves: she would have thought, given it's previous displays, that any move on it's part would have been fast and deadly. She summoned the energy to cast a spell, but held back for the moment.

"The Sun Tyrant," he said slowly, as though deliberating, "cares not for her subjects."

Celestia's eyes widened. This was different: had she somehow convinced it of the truth, convinced it that she was not the Sun Tyrant he sought?

"They are puppets," the Avatar continued, his voice filled with doubt, almost as though he couldn't believe his own words. "That, or shields of flesh. They are to be discarded or destroyed as a chess master sacrifices pawns, not saved at the cost of her own safety."

"I don't know who your Sun Tyrant is," Celestia said slowly, aware that this might be her only chance at convincing the thing, "but I am not her."

The being seemed to be wrestling with itself for a long moment, as though this pronouncement was difficult for it to register.

"No," the Avatar finally said, sighing in defeat. "No, thou art not."

His body was suddenly enveloped by his golden energy, and a moment later the man in his battered clothes was standing there, smiling tiredly. Before anyone could say anything though, the man's body was wracked by a fit of coughs, and he fell to his knees, before collapsing.

A moment later, Twilight, Shining Armour and the Elements, along with a dozen Royal Guards, surrounded the creature.

"What is it?" Shining Armour asked incredulously, taking in the appearance of the being and the contrast between it's appearance now and how it had looked not a few moments ago.

"It called itself a representative of beings called 'the Britons'," Celestia said slowly. "And it claimed to be seeking a being it called the Sun Tyrant, Astra Solamina Maxima."

"It thought that was you?" Twilight asked, looking worried.

"Apparently so," Celestia said softly. "Were it not for myself and my sister fighting together, the being might have overcome us."

"What was all that armour?!" one of the Elements - Rainbow Dash - asked, sounding confused.

"A kind of transformation I believe, Rainbow Dash," Celestia replied, looking down on the being. "It arrived in this form, but transformed moments later."

"I think he's exhausted," the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy, said, examining the creature closely. Her voice betrayed laudable concern even for this being. "And it's sweating and feverish - Princess, I think he's sick!"

"Shining Armour," Celestia said softly. "Take this... being, to one of our spare bedrooms. Have a doctor come and see to it."

"At once Your Highness," Shining Armour replied smartly, turning and running to follow her orders. Celestia turned to Twilight and her friends.

"I need to know everything," she said simply.

***

Author's Notes:

My sincere thanks to all those who have favourited so far. I hope that the story continues to be worth your attention.

EDIT: This chapter was edited on 23rd March 2015.