A splitting pain erupted from Arin’s back, as his hand snapped for Nocturne. Without a moment to spare, he slammed the blade hard enough into the spear to shake it from Leotoln’s hands, and impale the weapon in the side of Celestia’s throne. And just like that, he was on his feet again. Pain shooting through his core, as the blood pooling from his grievous wound – stopped.

He sliced for Leotoln’s stomach, cutting through it in a heavy, freezing gash. Bloody ice spilled onto the floor as he took a page from Vapor Cloud’s book – and kicked him hard in the chest, knocking the massive Seraph away with a surge of dominating strength.

He was as light as a feather, and felt the beat of wind behind him. Wings. He had wings now. He… Ascended. And his hands… they glowed. Magic. He had magic now. He could cast magic.

His power surged within him, and a memory came to his mind. Of the very first thing he learned of magic, in his arrival. Healing magic. To grasp at it, pluck it and mend one’s body. He didn’t know much about healing magic, in general – besides what Luna taught him – but he felt like he had the power to rival the fiercest of foes, or move mountains. But he didn’t want that. He wanted his Luna, he wanted her alive.

He lifted his hand towards Luna’s unconscious body – a pleasant silver wave of magic engulfing her form. It lifted her to her hooves, and she snapped awake, confused.

“Arin?…” She whispered, tears falling down her blood stained cheeks. “You…”

“A Knight must protect his charge.” He winked. “Sorry if I was a bit slow learning that.”

The Seraphs behind Leotoln began to falter. Clutching the frostbitten gash in his stomach, the mad King laughed.

“Oh woe is me, to have persistent foes! Fine then – if death is not enough, then torture will suffice. Men, kill the spares – I’ll handle the boy personally.”

But not a soul moved at his order. This gave Arin his chance to speak.

“You claim to be my father. The king. Then you forget one important thing, your Highness. That would make me your son, andPrince. And as Prince, I challenge your right to the throne.” Arin proclaimed, swinging Nocturne oh so effortlessly. It was second nature, as if the blood awakened within him and taught him a thousand years of skill. Everything felt at his disposal.

“Oh! What is this – a back bone? I pity you, Son. Men, dispose of this race traitor.”

Again, nothing. The armor clad warriors began to step back, lowering their blades without a word – just curious looks. Even his Generals didn’t come to his aid, as they parted to the edges of the throne room. Giving the two a wide berth.

“Fine then! Cowards, all of ye. Aye, we’ll fight. Then, I’ll use your pretty princess as a rug in my new study, once I’m done beating the blood out of her.”

Luna spoke quietly, to her remaining soldiers, the shock of the last few minutes wearing off. Only two words came of it – “Make room.” And the stallions, beaten, broken, and bloody – did.

And room was made. The Seraphs lined the walls of the Throne Room, as Leotoln fetched the spear from Celestia’s throne. Arin calmly hovered in place, readjusting the straps to Sonata on his back. He had no arrows left, but something told him to keep the bow. Just in case.

“Son. I’ll only give you this piece of advice. What I’m about to do to ye I’ve never done to any man, child, or women. I’m going to dismember ye by the piece and use your limbs as arms and legs for my new throne. That’s not even a threat anymore – it’s a promise.” Leotoln spat, his sliced belly unable to heal away the dead, frozen skin.

“You’ve got a lot of broken promises, I bet. What’s one more going to do, Dad?” Arin replied, touching down onto the ground by instinct. His now silvery eyes locked onto Leotoln’s, muscles tensing as a faint gleam encompassed Nocturne. It pulsed with a font of magic, the dim sapphire now a blazing blue.

They were no more than a dozen hooves apart, before the bloodied king charged forward with blinding speed and a beat of his damaged wings. The tip of the spear centered on Arin’s head. Arin ducked to the side, spinning a retaliatory strike at Leotoln’s exposed legs, but before Nocturne could cut though, Leotoln’s wings beat again – carrying him over the newly Ascended. The gash settling deep, freezing away the skin with Nocturn’s powerful enchantments.

A ray of Harmonious Light punctured forth from the tip of Leotoln’s spear, the Crystal Heart whirring with power. Arin’s first thought was to dodge, but instinct guided him now. Instead, his hand shot forward – and the burning magic pulsed over his arm, sizzling skin beneath the dragonhide before he ripped the magic into his chest with blazing intensity. That’s what he was feeling; burning from within. His ember had turned into a flame, shining brightly – and the swell of harmonious energy shot across his body, settling firmly inside.

Instantly, the wounds caused by the radiant attack healed, not even a scar left of the once burned flesh.

Arin didn’t need to charge forward now. He felt the world around him itching at his skin – the magic boiling within him seeking freedom. He took a step, and it felt like the mountain he settled on bowed at his newfound strength.

Leotoln’s attacks lost their rhythm, as they became more aggressive – the berserk Seraph swinging the heavy spear to cleave Arin in two. But to Arin, it was such a slow and clumsy attack. His hand carelessly knocked the spear to the side, before his other arm darted the now magic engulfed Nocturne into Leotoln’s stomach.

The power that erupted within sent the King flying – crashing hard enough into a pillar to shatter it to pieces, clutching the gaping wound where his bowels once lay.

The enchantment of the sword left his entire stomach frozen over, impossible to heal – but also preventing blood loss for this dire moment. Leotoln used the haft of his spear to make it to his feet, wings bent and feathers falling from the devastating blow.

“This isn’t over. I wont die here, not to you. NOT TO YOU! YOU ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE MY SON!”

Leotoln grabbed the haft in both hands, channeling his magic further into the Crystal Heart. Intensifying the overwhelming magic within, he aimed the tip directly at Arin.

Arin, on the other hand, sheathed Nocturne. Watching the light boil within the Crystal Heart with curiosity, an orb forming at the tip of the blade – before exploding into a funnel of magical power aimed directly at him.

He stooped down low, gently withdrawing Sonata into his hands. Crouching, the Seraph beat his wings high into the Throne Room with a mighty leap – whirling until all feathers engulfed the air, taking aim with the magic-gleaming bow. The throne and back wall vanished in a wave of pearly Harmony, flecked with orange sparks of Leotoln’s power.

When he drew at the string of Sonata, that same Harmony magic he took from the Crystal Heart formed into the shape of a radiant arrow, his eyes locking to a single point in space. The massive, crooked heart hammering in Leotoln’s chest.

Breath in. And release.

The thread of light formed between him and his target. Bullseye.

A perfect, six inch hole formed all the way through Leotoln’s chest – where his heart once was. The weapon fell from his hands, Crystal Heart bouncing free of the steel of haft and fitting. Leotoln pressed his hand to his chest, and feeling it go right through, he looked to his army. His men. His soldiers.

“Healer… mage… help…” He gasped, lungs non-functioning. Not a single one of his powerful medicscame to his aid, as his body began to crack under the magical pressure. In seconds, he was undone – his body exploding into stone across the Throne Room.

Arin’s wings let him gently glide to the ground, Sonata falling from his hands as he clutched at his chest. The magic within him continued to boil and concentrate, now pure magma in his core. The light penetrated through his dragon scale vest, and with no outlet – he felt he was sure to die.

Immediately, Luna came to his aid – and knew just what to do. Taking hold of the now freed Crystal Heart, she placed it in his hands. The excess magic burning within pumped into the massive jewel, as a wave of magic seared in a glorious light.

Healing magic. Potent, powerful, healing magic – burning away the remnants of Leotoln’s stony body with harmony as he held it above his head. Like a trophy that soothed the world.

Wounds began to close and knit around them, as flames dwindled and died. Vapor Cloud gasped for breath, making it to his hooves. Outside the castle, dying soldiers coughed air into their healed lungs. In the infirmary, to Honey Rose’s surprise – a Royal Guard regrew a lost leg.

And there, in the center of the entryway – a black shadow began to take shape, the form of Umbra settling in its place. The shadows rolled away, as her horn returned to a normal spike, no longer corrupted by darkness. The Umbrum presence driven back, leaving her a living, breathing pony. Her eyes snapped open, and she felt… different. Free.

Some stallions even sprang back from the dead, if they weren’t too far gone. Fresh breath filling their lungs, even down the rocky cliffs of Canterlot. Their broken limbs now forgotten, only a painful memory.

But no amount of healing magic could bring back his first friend, who watched hopelessly from the moon. Unable to see the battle, to watch this conflict end… Celestia began to cry. Alone.

---

Over the course of an hour, Arin’s magic levels began to stabilize, as his eyes shifted back to a softer, more tame golden color. His senses returning to normal, and his brain fizzling into place as he held the Crystal Heart to his chest.

“I don’t know what came over me… I felt like I was possessed.” He talked quietly to Luna, resting on the ground in a circle. Before him sat the remaining Generals of the Seraphs, who hailed him as King. The one of the left, an elderly one by the name of General Unther, explained everything about the process of Ascending in detail. They hadn’t moved far – to a clear spot of the Throne Room – but the shift of the mood was brilliant. Seraphs and ponies, working together to help clean up the mess…

“When a Seraph first ascends, their magic spikes to roughly three times their expected strength. This occurs as the magic is taking hold, and burns powerful connections to your body and mind – allowing the instinct for wings and flight to develop, along with some natural magical abilities, if the ascended is lucky enough to have wings and magic both.”

“So the healing magic…” Arin questioned, holding Luna’s hoof tightly. His thumb ran over her prestine fur, and her wing wrapped around his back – his own pinions doing much the same for her.

“It’s essentially what your magic excels at. It’s a rarity among Seraphs to develop Restoration powers as their primary school. White Mages are among the most rare and sought after, as the more powerful ones can even undo death itself.” He explained thoughtfully, resting his hand over his knee, white wings tucked beneath his red cloak.

“I see. What about my other skills?”

“Any skills you had were essentially amplified by the magical surge; this is permanent. A talented youngster at fencing may become a Grandmaster once they ascend, as the magic essentially amplifies your entire being. So if you were a blacksmith Inert, you’d have the instinct for it now, and you’d find it comes as naturally as breathing. At least, that’s the theory in motion. Our doctors have done as much as possible to study the brain – from memories to nightmares, and this is the only conclusion we can draw.”

Arin thought quietly to himself, Luna’s reassuring squeezes all he needed.

“Alright, and one last question…” The new Ascended asked, “Why is my magic so powerful?”

At that, the General was lost. “By all means, it makes little sense. Even now, as the magic dims, you would still likely be more powerful than Leotoln at his peak. And you’re young – Seraph magic grows with age.”

“We know why.” Luna said. “But, it is not for me to tell you, Arin. My Sister would be best for this.”

Arin nodded his head, as a Seraph approached.

“My Liege, the mages have constructed the portal gate back to Alma Sol. With your power, all troops – excluding the dead, and our airships – will be able to return home, if we make haste. Will you be joining us?”

Arin hesitated, as Luna’s hoof took his hand. He felt a heavy weight in his heart, as he knew it was his time to go. He had discussed it already with Luna. His people needed a leader, one with friendship in their heart. If not – what would become of them? Who would show them what friendship is?

The Seraph general saw Arin’s hesitation, and though he was King, Unther was still an advisor to the Crown, and to the People.

“King Arin?” He said, as the group made it to their feet and hooves. Unther offered Arin his hand, who softly shook it.

“Yes, General?” He said to the older Seraph.

“I think you’re needed here now, more than ever. There are many noble houses in Alma Sol and beyond that would be fit to lead our people. But, there’s one group in particular that’s deserving of the Throne. If you would only make the decree. You see, there are still late descendants of the royal blood of Fallen Ravens in our world. With the news of Leotoln’s demise, if his heir took the throne – it would not quell hostilities with the Twin Spears of the South. I have contacts that could find the Ravens lost – and bring the true blood home, to Alma Sol. Of course, you would be needed to pass the crown to them, but… it could prevent further bloodshed.”

Arin hesitated. The Ravens were a kind people, of dark wings but wise words. Passing the crown back to their blood would immediately ease tensions between the Far Reaches and the Twin Spears. But they would be descendants of the old blood – their children’s children. Would those lessons still hold true to heart?

Unther continued, lifting his marred helmet to let his thin, wiry gray hair breath. “I can assure you, my Liege. I was once friends with Prince Storik, before Leotoln’s reign. Many of the Seraphs here, and home – they followed Leotoln’s orders not out of loyalty, but fear. You could bring peace back to the Far Reaches, and after a season or three, our mages could return you here – on good terms, and with the proper blood in power.”

Luna gently took his hand in her hoof, giving him a reassuring smile. “If you can trust these Ravens, Arin… I am still in need of a Knight.”

His hand ran across her cheek, warmth fluttering in his heart. “Very well. I’m not a leader, not yet – or by any means. But I’ll bring peace to the Far Reaches and return here, to be with my Princess. Once I return, I’ll be able to help find a way to bring Celestia home; with the power of my Ascension, of course, along with new knowledge of magic.”

“And I will join you.” An all too familiar voice appeared by the side – not from the shadows, no, simply no one noticed her quietly reappear, her gray hooves oh so quiet on the carpet. Now free of her armor, she looked to be an entirely normal pony. Albeit missing one key detail. She… didn’t have a cutiemark.

“Umbra, are you sure?” Arin began, “You’re finally free. A mare no longer bound by a curse. You could do anything in the world, if you wanted to.”

“And I have chosen what I’d like to do. Say, Arin… do you not have a Knight to guard you?” She gave a fangless smile, much more befitting of the now kind dark mare.

He looked to his new generals, who shrugged. “Your word is law, your Majesty.”

“Well, if you’d like to take the job… though I could only pay you in Gold Talons.” He laughed. “Talons! I haven’t touched those in months. But… knowing how expensive War is, I don’t think we’d have many of those left, huh, General Unther?”

“You’d be quite mistaken, my Liege. You see, Leotoln was always of the war mindset… thus the treasury is nearly overflowing with gold and platinum, even after our war investments.” The red caped Seraph said. “Enough to feed the people ten times over and then some, if you should so choose.”

“Ten times over?… Well, I do believe this war – no, this invasion was quite unnecessary. These ponies are kind, and have taught me much while I’ve been here. I believe it only fair that we return the favor with a few reparations for the damages and loss of life. That would only be the most honorable solution, wouldn’t you agree, Princess Luna?”

Luna blinked, stuttering at his reply. She forgot that she was the one in charge at the moment – she was so used to her Sister taking the lead in things. “I-I… We… yes! But of course. We shall look into the total damages, and – if a method of communication can be established – shall send Thee the bill?”

He looked to his gathered generals, who nodded and agreed.

“I’ll have my remaining scouts move our Telecommunicator to Canterlot, my liege – and give proper ownership of the remaining Seraph Warships to the Equestrians. Of course, when word spreads of your rights to the throne, there may be opposition to that claim. There are still Leotoln loyals among the men, especially some of the more distant scouts – a small platoon may be needed here to seize control of those camps once more.”

“Very well. Let’s leave loyal Wings here to work with the Equestrians to establish communication. Maybe one day in the distant future, we’ll be able to even set up a trade network – the food in Equestria is amazing, if I do say so myself. General Terrin and General Soari – I’m trusting you to help bring this plan to action. Once communications are established, all Soldiers may return home. Standard Portal Gates can only be used once every other fortnight, after all.” Arin said smartly. He felt so much more confident in his words, the magic having done wonders for his diplomacy skills.

He turned back to Luna, seizing her by the hooves and pulling her in for a soft kiss. She gave an adorable, surprised squeak – instantly returning that kiss with affection. General Unther was quite amused, stroking over his beard.

“Ah, young love. Well, on one end, I guess.” Going to gather the remaining soldiers together, General Unther left them at peace.

“I’ll be back before you know it, Luna.” He smiled, heart warming to her touch. “And we’ll be able to save your Sister, I promise.”

Luna sniffled, nodding. “Tis a terrible fate, trapped within that endless prison… Perhaps the Far Reach’s Mages have the key to free her. After all, your Generals confirmed that Leotoln helped aid Nightmare Moon in her release, through manipulation of Stellar Magics beyond Our knowledge.”

He smiled, confidence surging. “I’ll have them send the first letter with their methods, directly to you and Twilight. But now, I must go. Spread the news of what happened here, Luna. Of the peace and gifts we bring. I will bring those who broke the laws of war to trial among my men, and some peace may be found for the victims here. It will hopefully clear our name from the matter. And if anything… blame Leotoln for every misdeed. I think that worked with the Storm King, right?”

She nodded, wiping away her tears. Luna stole another brief kiss, Umbra rolling her eyes before her magic began to gently tug at Arin’s collar. When that didn’t work, she gave a firm yank – pulling him away. The moonlight Princess catching the Crystal Heart in her magic, before it could clatter to the floor.

“Come along, Arin. Or I will bring Luna with us, to save time. Your magic is stifling as we speak.” Umbra smiled, Luna following along by Arin’s side as the gray unicorn led them through the entry hall. They made their way through the now (mostly) clean Castle, the broken barricades chucked into the front lawn to be carted away by cleanup crews. The majority of losses were on the Seraph’s side, as their reckless strategy put them the most at risk – with nearly no final death count for the ponies gathered. Most of their deaths came at the final push, and was undone by Arin’s magic.

Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie gave half hearted cheers as the Seraphs gathered in a massive chalk ring in the front gardens, Twilight sitting sadly between her friends. Crestfallen at the loss of her teacher, however temporary. Her knight, Ice Lance, gently held her in his hooves, calm words undoubtedly being spoken. Umbra gave them a quiet nod as she passed, standing in the circle next to – rightly confused – Seraphs.

Arin approached the crying mare, who perked up at his appearance.

“Thank you, Twilight. In the end, regardless of the outcome – without you and your friends, all of Equestria would have been lost. My Mages will work tirelessly to free Celestia from the moon, and one day soon, I’ll return. Not as a King, but as a Knight to stand by Luna’s side once more.” He smiled, offering her a hand to shake.

She gingerly reached up, taking it. With that, he yanked her out of Ice Lance’s tired hooves, giving her a firm hug. Sniffling, she began to bawl her eyes out.

“C’mon Twilight! He’s a King now! We’ll get Celestia out in no time, and we saved like, all of Ponyville!” Rainbow Dash clapped a hoof against her back. “You should be kneeling or something. Aren’t Kings above kinda above Princesses?”

“Of course not, Dashie! Hasbro didn’t want humans to think Celestia was evil, so they made Lauren Faust remake her as a Princess!” Pinkie Pie chirped, before covering her mouth with a hoof.

Rainbow Dash just shrugged. “Next you’re gonna tell me we’re part of a kids show again, huh Pinkie?”

“No, this time we’re in a fanfic. It’s okay at best, but definitely has like, a million issues with it. But hey! You get to self insert yourself in Arin’s place, I guess, which is always fun.” She waved her hoof dismissively, the group around her rolling their eyes at her silly antics. Hey! They’re not THAT silly. Yes they are. They’re not! If you want silly, go back to Chapter 14 when I first saw Arin in person! Stop doing that!

Please ignore that last paragraph.

Arin stepped towards the chalk circle, two robed Mages on either side of him, now stripped of that magic smothering heavy plate armor.

“Now, I’ve never done this before…” Arin said, and the mage to his left nodded.

“The majority of the work is done. All you must do now, is raise your hands and channel power into the runes. We will do it together. On your call, my Liege.” A reassuring female voice spoke to him from beneath her hood. He instantly recognized that voice, the same mage from Alma Sol who touched his mind oh so long ago.

He looked to Luna, giving her a sad farewell nod, and four important words.

“I love you, Luna.”

“And I you, Arin.”

See! Total self insert material, right there! Just edit Arin’s name to whatever you want, and-

Pinkie Pie suddenly decided to go to sleep! Shocking.

Summoning the magic within him, Arin raised his hands to his soldiers – the mages doing the same as a wave of power shook the world. With a crack and a burst of wind, the survivors of the war vanished without a trace. The mages jumped into the swirling portal after them, as Arin turned to give one last look to Canterlot, and his love. A flash of light blinded the ponies, wind whipping around them.

And when the dust settled, he was gone.

Author's Notes:

Thank you so much for sticking around until the end. I'm happy I could write for you. And if you read this far, and you're reading this now - I'll have the smaller, less bloody sequel in the works soon. It'll tie up all the loose ends, from the cooks to the corrupt nobles, to Celestia's imprisonment on the moon. And I'm hoping to offer a few alternative endings as well.

Thanks again for reading. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or simply want to reach out to me - you can do so through Discord (Bastrii#2403), or through here. I'm mostly a non-participant in the pony fandom at this point, but I love writing, and I love the Princesses to bits. Maybe one day soon, I'll write a real book, using some of my original characters here as the inspiration.