//------------------------------//
// And So She Burned 
// Story: Hecate's Orphanage 
// by BlackRoseRaven 
//------------------------------//

Chapter One Hundred and Nine: And So She Burned
~BlackRoseRaven

La Croix snorted in sour amusement as they arrived at the cemetery, flexing his wooden leg absently before he looked at it moodily. He glanced back and forth, but since his only company were the gentle Electra and much-less-gentle Cadence... “You sure 'bout this?”
Cadence cocked her head curiously towards La Croix, before her eyes narrowed as the limb gave an eerie pulse, and La Croix grunted. Then he frowned and looked back over his shoulder at Cadence before he huffed and waved his prosthetic at her. “Y'want it? Y'can have it. Goddamn thing. It ain't Veliuona, if that's what you be thinkin'... maybe it was her once, or part of her, or I dunno... but it ain't her talkin' to me.”
“But you're hearing voices.” Cadence said slowly: even in the realm of spirits and magic... “That's not good.”
“I ain't hearin' no damn voices. 'Smore like seeing images and words. This ain't like that, this ain't like... Auriculos, either.” La Croix grumbled and looked moodily down for a moment, and then he shook his head vehemently before he flailed his limbs and said flatly, pointing at the cemetery. “Look, just 'cause y'think-”
“I don't know what to think. I trust you, La Croix. I do.” Cadence said tiredly, and then she rubbed slowly at her face before she repeated in a murmur: “I trust you. Look, if you say this is where we have to go, and... you trust this... whatever it is, then I do too. I'm sorry. I'm just tired.”
La Croix gave a small smile, then he said quietly: “Me too, Cygne. I think we all a little tired. Ain't that right, Madame?”
“Yes, it's been a long day.” Electra said softly as she spun her parasol idly, and then she glanced out over the cemetery before she gave a small smile. “This is a very pretty place. I've never understood why ponies would bury their dead, but... oh.” 
She frowned slightly, stepping forward past the cemetery gates before she pointed with her parasol towards the center of the cemetery, saying curiously: “There's something there. It's either something large, or quite a lot of somethings.”
“Well. At least the sun is coming out.” Cadence said grouchily, reflecting that even if they ended up fighting a horde of living corpses again... it's a nice day. I guess that counts for something. “Let's just get this over with.”
La Croix only smiled wryly at Cadence, then he nodded before striding quickly into the graveyard, Cadence and Electra following behind him. They headed directly to the center of the cemetery, and Cadence frowned as they approached what looked like a little cabin... “Does someone live here?”
“Quiet neighbors.” La Croix said ironically, and Cadence gave him a flat look before the zebra shook his head and gestured at the tools on the porch. “Manager's office, I expect, and all the duties that come with keepin' the graveyard clean.”
“I sense them.” Electra said softly, as she almost floated around the side of the house, and La Croix and Cadence traded a look before they followed.
They found Electra standing over a set of storm doors, the Changeling ineffectively pulling at these. Cadence cleared her throat, and Electra blinked before stepping aside before she stared as Cadence simply slammed a hoof down into the cellar doors to pop the simple lock out of place before she yanked the doors open.
“Just ignore Cygne. She be havin' a bad day.” La Croix said kindly as he wiggled past them and hopped down the cellar stairs, and Cadence rolled her eyes before she followed, Electra bringing up the rear with a small smile.
La Croix whistled a little as they descended into the basement, looking back and forth before he simply gestured outward, and Cadence's jaw dropped as they found what she guessed was literally the entire village packed into this small space, all of them snoring away as if nothing was wrong even though their bodies were piled three and four deep in some places. Electra only slightly rose her eyebrows before she said thoughtfully: “Well, now we will just have to carefully-”
“Hey!” La Croix shouted, whipping his hat off before he dug into it and flung a powder into the air, which promptly exploded into bright green fireworks. “Réveillez-vous! All y'all, get on up, the sun be shinin' outside and there ain't no time to waste!”
Half an hour later found Cadence leading a very confused group of ponies, an awkward Electra, and a bruised and sulking La Croix back to the village. While Cadence was certainly glad it seemed like everypony was okay – and that La Croix was back to his old self – getting several hundred panicking ponies out of the basement of the gravedigger's had been a chore she did not want to repeat.
The moment they reached the village, ponies began to disperse back to their homes: no one really wanted to stick around to find out what had happened, and Cadence couldn't really blame them for that. She knew from personal experience the last thing you wanted to do when you woke up in the middle of nowhere was play twenty questions.
She found Thesis sitting on the fountain in the center of town, the stallion frowning slightly as he argued: “Send a transport, then, we'll meet it outside of town.”
“We can deal with this ourselves.” growled Archon's voice, and Cadence immediately strode over to Thesis and leaned over him, making him wince as she nearly shoved him aside so she could glare down at the empty projection.
“Hey, I know that tone. From both of you.” she said as she gave Thesis a pointed look, and he shifted awkwardly before she returned her eyes to the blank screen. “What's going on? Is it Stronghold? Giant angry dragon-looking bitch?”
“That's not the kind of language a princess should use.” Archon voiced dryly, and Cadence rolled her eyes before his voice crackled slightly with static as he added: “Bitch is right, though. She's attacking the barrier, trying to break through it. Something seems wrong, though, because bitch or not, she doesn't sound stupid.”
“She's...” No, Cadence reflected, she wasn't stupid. Bloodthirsty, psychotic, savage... but not stupid. “Have you secured the castle?”
“All of Canterlot is protected. Something still feels wrong.” Archon said, before he added shortly: “But we'll deal with this ourselves. Don't-”
“Don't be prideful, Archon. And it's not for us.” Cadence smiled briefly, before she glanced over her shoulder at Miss Take and Shining Armor, who were both frowning. “You have two ambassadors here who are worried about what's going on in Canterlot. Send us another train.” 
Archon snorted, and then he said grudgingly: “Fine. I'll see what I can do. But this is an Equestrian operation and pertains to our security, not yours.”
“We'll listen as well as we ever do, Amadeus, dear.” Miss Take promised with a smile, and Cadence gave a wry smile at that: she could imagine just how well Miss Take usually 'listened' to things, after all.
Archon chuckled dryly, then he said finally: “I'll keep you informed, Prince Thesis. Cutting communications.”
The screen flickered, and Thesis dismissed it before he glanced up as Shining Armor said, with perhaps the barest touch of envy: “I think he might actually like you.”
Thesis simply smiled wryly and shrugged, then he glanced around at the ponies in various states of disarray that were filling the village, asking: “Did you find everyone, then?”
Cadence shrugged as she glanced back at La Croix and Electra, but when neither said anything, she turned her eyes back to Thesis and answered: “I think so. I mean, it's kind of hard to say for sure, obviously, but I think they were all down there. So unless anyone was lost in the attack...”
“Even if Bondye swept the sand in, I figure Veliuona probably some other old magic to put 'em all to sleep, then had her Velites move 'em all. Maybe the Nzambi, I know she could control 'em, too, but... they would probably have snitched to Bondye 'bout it.” La Croix answered, shrugging a bit before he asked finally: “Say, where uh...”
“Oh, Chrissy is off getting a vehicle for us from the outpost. A beetle bus should be able to get us back to Canterlot in a few hours.” Miss Take said helpfully, and Cadence frowned as Shining immediately winced and hugged himself. “Now stop, dear, it's not that bad!”
“It's worse.” Shining said plaintively, and Miss Take smiled and reached up to pinch his cheek, making him blush slightly.
“Stop that.” she chided, then she turned her eyes back to Thesis as he tilted his head towards her curiously. “Well, darling, I figured you wanted to get back as soon as possible, so I thought I'd go ahead and arrange the transportation! And of course whoever is attacking Canterlot will probably follow the train. This way we can sneak around and get back into the city.”
“We're being lured.” Thesis said, and Cadence frowned, but the stallion only smiled wryly as he shook his head. “Whether or not it's actually Stronghold, like you and Archon both agreed, she's not stupid. Why the hell would she attack the barrier like that? And she obviously knows where we are if Bondye and Veliuona were both here.
“Someone wants us back at Canterlot. I was surprised at first we haven't heard anything from the Crystal Kingdom or whatever you call it, but I realized that wouldn't make sense.” Thesis shook his head, glancing from Cadence to Sombra as the other stallion joined them silently. “This is about you, Cadence. About what you remember, where you came from. I don't think Loki took your coffin because it has some residue of magic in it. I think he took it as a warning and a symbol.”
“You've been thinking a lot.” Cadence said quietly, and Thesis smiled wryly. But that was the thing about him, wasn't it? He thought. He put things together, figured things out... “I wish you'd share more.”
“It's just conjecture at this point. And I'd hate to be wrong. But either way, we stopped the Voidborn out here, we don't have time to explore the wastes, and we have to go and stop this attack on Canterlot. Set off the trap.” Thesis smiled wryly, shaking his head before he looked over at Miss Take. “Metanoia, I appreciate you going out of your way for the team. But please consult me first next time. We need to work as one.”
Miss Take bowed her head respectfully to Thesis, saying politely: “I meant no offense, dear. But like Archon said, this is our concern, perhaps more than yours. I respect what you're doing here and I'm very glad to work with you. But as Cadence can tell you...” Miss Take winked. “I take care of myself and my friends first and foremost. I'm sure you can understand that.”
Thesis smiled wryly despite himself, and then he shook his head before he asked: “So what the hell is this 'bug bus?'”
“Beetle bus, dear, it's offensive to call us bugs.” Miss Take said mildly, before she glanced up as her ears swiveled around, saying thoughtfully: “I think it should be here shortly. Chrissy will loiter, of course, but she knows better than to try and sneak off. If she did that, I'd go and tell Mother.”
“Is your Mother really that scary?” Cadence asked before she could stop herself, and Electra winced and looked hurriedly around as Miss Take burst out laughing. “What? What?”
“Oh... oh, stop, Electra, you know as well as I do that Mother would love Cadence! She's such a wonderful little spitfire.” half-chastened Miss Take, before she turned an amused smile towards the ivory mare. “I apologize, dear, but all Changelings – most, rather, I should say – are bred with an innate fear of the Queen Mother, for obvious reasons. Not that she isn't actually quite strong, oh no. She has to be the very best to remain in power in our unfortunately-matricidal society.”
Miss Take paused, then she looked thoughtfully over Cadence before she said finally: “But as I am... slowly accepting, you have... gotten quite a bit stronger since we last met. As much as it pains my pride to admit, you are stronger than me. And as the Queen Mother does so like to joke, the only Changeling who stands half a chance at assassinating her is me.”
“Metanoia!” gasped Electra, but Miss Take only waved a hoof as Electra fanned herself with a grimace. “I do not understand at all how you and our sisters can be so... cavalier about that! It is awful, an awful part of our Hive that I do not agree with at all, even to this day. Why, that's why I don't visit home, because every time I do Mother wants us to watch the gladiators!”
“Oh, Mother just wants to keep you in her sight, that's all. She loves you very dearly, Electra, and it's... it's a love that she doesn't have for any of her other daughters, because she knows that the rest of us could very well kill her one day.” Miss Take replied matter-of-factly. “You're not like us, but that's a very good thing, and I never, ever want to hear you say or think otherwise. It just means that... it puts you at odds with some of the traditions of the Hive.”
Electra lowered her head slightly, and Cadence frowned before she asked: “What is the Queen Mother's name? Or am I not allowed to know that?”
Miss Take smiled, then she pointedly looked at Shining, who blinked before he answered: “Philophili.” 
“Now, darling, we aren't supposed to say the Queen Mother's name!” Miss Take said with an expression of mock horror, lightly slapping the back of Shining Armor's head, and the stallion simply looked at her dryly before he winced when she winked slyly at him. “I'll have to spank my naughty little colt later.”
“Hey, so I'm not the only stallion who gets spanked around here, huh?” Thesis said brightly, and Shining Armor slowly turned beet red as Thesis grinned before he winked over at Cadence, who was torn between grinning and glaring at him. “I mean, Cadence does a lot more than that to me, she really likes it when she pushes me down and-”
Sombra reached up and squeezed Thesis' shoulder, smiling down at him, and Thesis looked up at the unicorn before he gave a weak, cheesy grin, and said awkwardly: “Makes me. Pray. Nicely.”
Sombra nodded calmly, then he said pleasantly: “Allora stai pregando con la bocca sbagliata, Thesis.” 
Shining Armor looked confused, but Cadence burst out laughing, shaking her head before she blurted: “Daddy!”
Sombra only shrugged with a smile as Thesis gave an awkward laugh, before he cleared his throat and looked up as a clacking reached his ears, saying hurriedly: “Hey, uh, it sounds like an attack or something, we should go take care of that.”
“Oh, it's Chrysalis, she's back with the beetle bus!” Miss Take said cheerfully, turning with a smile, and Cadence cocked her head curiously as she stepped forward.
The clicking grew louder, until it was like a chorus of jackhammers, Cadence grimacing before her eyes widened in disbelief as what looked like a massive, segmented worm came trundling towards them, ponies scattering in fear from the huge, many-legged beast.
It came to a stop in front of them, staring at them with its four beady black eyes as huge mandibles clacked open and closed for a moment, and then it lowered its head to reveal Chrysalis sitting grouchily behind its huge head, rolling her eyes before she said tiredly: “Toot-toot, all aboard.”
Miss Take clapped happily as Electra gave a small smile, and Shining armor laughed awkwardly before he gestured at the beast and explained: “It's actually a giant flatworm. See, that part above is all a shell, and-”
“And they'll learn better by boarding, come on, come on!” Miss Take said enthusiastically, gesturing quickly at the others as she leapt forward and pulled open a hidden door in the side of the shell, forming a ramp for them to climb into the beetle bus. “Thesis, be a dear, take a seat at the back with us, won't you? Cadence... oh, I suppose we should fetch the rest of your team, shouldn't we?” 
“Goddammit, Moonflower. Where is he?” Cadence asked Thesis, and he only pointed, the mare glancing up before she smiled wryly at the sight of the unicorn leaning out of a window above with a look of horrified revulsion on his face. Can't really blame him for that... “Come down here, we're going to ride the giant bug.”
“I don't want to ride the giant bug!” Moonflower shouted with something like horror, even as the others began to climb into it. “La Croix! What are you doing? It's a giant bug!”
“I seen bigger in the bayou, Moony. This just a little bebette.” La Croix said mildly, glancing over his shoulder and waving amiably at the unicorn. “Come on down from there. Don't you know mille-pattes can climb anyway?”
“I don't care about Milly Pat, she can do whatever she wants, but there's no way I'm ever going to get on board that awful thing!” Moonflower shouted, before he stared when Cadence suddenly flew up in front of him with her forelegs crossed.
“Get on the bug, Moonflower.” she said flatly, and Moonflower winced; a minute later, he was almost physically thrown onto the beetle bus, whining as he realized he was walking over the scaly back of the massive thing as he hurried down the aisle inside the beast towards an empty seat. 
Cadence was surprised: it was almost like a travel bus or a train car, with little bench seats running down the length of the centipede's back, and at the very back there was a U of benches surrounding a small table, where Electra and Miss Take were sitting. The ivory mare hesitated for a moment as she looked at the front of the beetle bus, but Chrysalis was in what she supposed was the 'driver's' seat, a set of strange-looking reins in one hoof.
“Close the door.” she grumbled, and Cadence grabbed the open ramp-door with telekinesis, horn gleaming to yank it quickly up and seal it closed with a click. “Now go sit down. The sooner we get out of here, the better.”
Cadence hesitated for a moment, and then she walked over to Chrysalis and asked impulsively: “When you kidnapped me, the love between me and Shining... was it... was it love-love, or was it just... love?”
Chrysalis looked blankly for a few moments at Cadence, and then she scowled at her before she complained: “How should I know? For one thing, it was years ago, and for another, it's not like love has these nice distinct flavors.” She halted, then sneered: “But if I had to guess, it was a lot more lust than it was love, because one thing I can say for sure is that while you're almost green with envy, he certainly doesn't feel the same way about your ugly butch ass.”
Cadence twitched, and then she snapped before she could stop herself: “Yeah, well, I guess it was lust that gave you the strength to beat Celestia so why don't you... just... eat a whole bag of dicks!”
Chrysalis stared blankly at Cadence, then a hoof smashed into her face and knocked her sprawling out of her seat, Cadence grumbling and spinning away to stomp to the end of the beetle bus and drop her rump in her seat beside Thesis. All eyes stared at her, before Shining half-rose a hoof, then winced and shrank down when Cadence locked a smoldering glare on him.
Thesis gently patted Cadence on the shoulder, and Electra cleared her throat before she politely excused herself to head to the front of the beetle bus. Cadence sighed after a moment, then slumped when Miss Take said honestly: “I believe there was real love between you both. If there hadn't been, I wouldn't have felt so bad about stealing poor Shining away from you.”
Cadence glanced up, and then she winced as the massive worm began to move, Moonflower giving a little squeal as La Croix and Sombra both looked up from mid-conversation. Cadence looked down the aisle and scowled at Chrysalis, who was now sitting behind the driver's seat, where Electra had taken over.
Chrysalis scowled back as much as she could through her already-swelling face, and Miss Take clucked her tongue before she called kindly: “That's a very good look for you, Chrissy!”
Chrysalis made some rude gesture in response, but Miss Take only smiled in amusement before she turned back to Cadence with a smile. “Don't worry. I think she likes you, honestly! Or rather, she would like you if she got to know you a little better. It's just the Hive talking, the culture we grew up in. Do your part, or be destroyed. Dominate, or be destroyed. It's all very stressful, you see.”
Cadence only grunted, and there was silence for a little while before the ivory mare finally asked: “I guess I get why this is called a beetle bus, but... is it some kind of Changeling, or...”
“No, no. It's a domesticated beast, and quite intelligent at that. The smaller flatworms are actually ridden by Changelings in competitions and trained as cavalry, and larger ones like this serve as transports.” Miss Take gestured at the back of the creature, which formed the floor of the bus. “As long as we take care of them, they obey us. These, in part, were how so many Changelings were able to enter Equestria, as well. Beetle buses move extremely quickly, and in spite of their size they're quite hard to spot, especially since they often follow a burrower or diamond dogs. We have good relationships with diamond dogs, you know.”
Cadence grunted, even if she was admittedly intrigued, while Thesis cocked his head before he said: “It's a lot quieter in here. That means the shell's insulation is a lot thicker than it looks.”
“Yes, it's durable and impermeable. It can get rather hot in here, but that isn't usually too much of a problem because the flatworms themselves do not emit much body heat.” Miss Take said as she gently tapped her hoof against the flatworm's back.
“That's good. Otherwise I think that clicking would drive me crazy.” Cadence said, glancing down the aisle towards where Moonflower was sulking on a bench seat. She smiled a bit after a moment, then turned her eyes back to Miss Take, asking: “So you uh... work with bugs, then?”
“Oh, not me, personally, no. I was trained to ride a flatworm but that's it. But many creatures like this one operate off a similar method of pheromone and telepathic communication, which is something that we Changelings can learn to manipulate.” Miss Take paused, then winked as she reached up and tapped on her gemstone. “And then of course there's always mind control.”
Cadence sighed, and Thesis smiled wryly before he said mildly: “I hear that's what all the cool kids are into these days. But Cadence just likes to beat me until she gets what she wants out of me.”
Cadence rolled her eyes, but she refused to rise to the bait as Miss Take nodded and Shining Armor... was he glaring a little? Cadence looked at him curiously, but when he caught her gaze, he quickly looked away before saying: “You know, uh... this isn't the first time we've ridden a flatworm. I mean, that I have. I and Miss Take. The first time was...”
Shining rambled on with a story, and Cadence watched him, studied him, smiling a little as she allowed her eyes to linger over him. She watched the way he gestured as he talked, his whole body subtly moving with his words: he had always been like that, she reflected with a small smile. That was exactly why he could never lie to her, or at least not for very long. His body always told the truth, even when he tried to fib. It was in his eyes, his shifts, even the way he breathed.
She only half-listened to the story, more interested in the way he talked over what he was actually saying. She caught little details here and there she didn't remember, in the way he moved, in the shape of his body: he wasn't just more athletic, with less of that bulk he'd put on in the guard, he had actual scars now. Now the baby scars you got when something dinged your armor and the metal wore against your body for too long: actual scars, white, pebbly striations almost perfectly hidden among the ivory coat of his body. 
How much had the rest of him changed? There it was again: that sudden urge to just... rub her hooves across him. To reach across the table, grasp him, shove that stupid jacket of his back so she could check every inch of him; how much of a different pony was he? She craved to know. It was like all the mystery, all that initial heat had come back into their relationship-
What relationship? We don't have a relationship. Cadence thought to herself, blushing ever-so-slightly as her eyes roved along Shining's bare chest, and the stallion seemed to catch her, and seemed not to mind. Did he turn on purpose? He's not even looking at me... I could make him look at me. He should be looking at me. He's...
Yours? asked the Swan curiously, before Cadence could clamp down on those thoughts entirely.   You do not own him, Cadence, he is neither your puppy nor your property.
He damn well could be. He was before. Cadence thought almost grimly as she looked up, and that was all it took to make Shining look at her, his eyes meeting hers, his ears folding back slightly, his voice catching ever so slightly as a faint blush rose in his cheeks, making him look cute and boyish.
“Dearest, it's not like I really have any problem with the fact you want to have raucous sex with my partner, but he is my partner now.” Miss Take said pleasantly, and Shining's voice stuttered to a halt before he winced and blushed beet-red when the half-Changeling hugged him tightly around the neck with a smile, but her eyes were warning, her gemstone gleaming almost ominously. 
Cadence scowled slightly, before she glanced up in surprise as Thesis wrapped a foreleg around her and said seriously: “Now, before anyone gets any silly ideas, I just want you to know that I don't blame you in the slightest, Cadence, for wanting a stallion who you can handle better than me. Because I'm just that awesome. I really am. Especially, you know, down there.”
Thesis waggled his eyebrows pointedly, and Miss Take smiled slightly before she half-teased, half-challenged: “Well, Cadence, since you're so interested in mine, why don't I take a spin with yours and see if he's half the stallion he claims to be?”
“Only if Cadence agrees. Because I am hers.” Thesis answered with a smile as he gently squeezed Cadence around the shoulders, and the ivory mare blushed deeply as she looked at the stallion, feeling absurdly touched... and like such a stupid, selfish... stupid. I'm not even a bitch. I feel more like... like a greedy filly trying to get all the cookies in the cookie jar.
“You aren't my property, Thesis. I don't own... anyone.” Cadence said quietly, and then she gave a small smile as her eyes flicked towards Shining Armor in silent apology. “I never did, either. I wasn't very good with... small pets.”
“Ouch.” Thesis said blandly, and Shining Armor gave a smile despite himself, almost hesitantly faking his own hurt look, but Miss Take had already relaxed and was looking with a strange mix of gratitude and pride at Cadence.
“I know how hard it is to let go, dear. I admire that.” she said softly, before she suddenly perked up as she hugged one of Shining's forelegs, adding brightly: “You know, this reminds me of when I lived back in the Hive. Chrissy was a sweet young nymphal instar then and not the nasty adult she is now. You know, she was never mean until she pupated-”
“Shut up, Metanoia!” shouted Chrysalis, blushing deep red as she glared at them from down the train, before she winced when Electra gently shushed her, sulkily dropping her head.
“Oh, Chrissy, take it as a life lesson!” encouraged Miss Take warmly, before she turned her eyes back to the table, starting with a smile: “'Pupate' is what we call puberty. It's when we're expected to start finding our way in the Hive...”
Miss Take told an interesting story, Cadence thought: the mare learned a lot about her as the beetle trundled on its way towards Canterlot, simply barreling over any obstacles in its path. She was almost sorry when the flatworm finally slowed to a stop, and Electra called apprehensively: “We're approaching the barrier.”
“Alright. Let's head out and see what we can see.” Thesis said as he climbed to his hooves, gently slipping free of Cadence and giving her a silent squeeze, and she smiled wryly even as she gave a small nod: she would be professional.
The group filtered out of the beetle bus as it clicked and shifted nervously, Electra reaching up to soothingly stroke its features even as she frowned nervously at the wall of energy. Thesis frowned as well as he looked over the barrier, before he pulled his visor down and tapped a few buttons on his Mission Drive, asking: “Archon? We're here. We've circled around to the far side of Canterlot to avoid Stronghold.”
Cadence glanced around: she hadn't even realized they must have either scaled a wall or come up from the northern pass. The beetle bus was a lot smoother than she'd thought it was, but she wasn't naive enough to think that meant they would have passed unnoticed, especially if Stronghold was on the lookout for them.
Even if the flatworm had descended into the nooks and crannies around Canterlot and wiggled its way around here, Stronghold would have smelled them out somehow. There was no way they were going to sneak up on someone like her, especially in a fifty-foot bug.
But more was wrong than that, she thought uneasily, as she looked back at Thesis as he repeated sharply: “Director Archon! Lower the barrier on the northern face!”
Nothing. Silence. And Thesis grimaced before he looked up as Miss Take said quietly: “There are no guards on patrol, no airborne scouts, no nothing. Electra?”
“The barrier is muffling what I can feel, but there's no one close by. Something is wrong.” Electra confirmed nervously, as she popped her parasol open and rolled it slowly back and forth against her shoulder. “There's no disturbances in the magic of the barrier...”
“Stronghold found a way through. She probably knew all along how to get through it. She just wanted to make sure that we were coming, first.” Thesis mused, and Moonflower shivered before he blinked and looked up when the stallion asked: “Can you punch a hole in this barrier?”
Moonflower nervously bit his lip, before he took a slow breath and strode forward, reaching up to touch the magic wall apprehensively. He squeaked a bit when it zapped him, and Shining Armor winced slightly before he started: “You know, this is based on a barrier spell that I once used, and if my sister's modified it, then the chances of overpowering her magic are-”
“You can do it, Moonflower.” Cadence said firmly, and Shining Armor looked up in surprise, but the ivory mare only gave him a slight smile before she returned her eyes to the black unicorn, who glanced almost anxiously over his shoulder at her. “You can do this.”
Moonflower bit his lip, then nodded before he pressed a hoof to the energy, wincing again at the sparks that went up before his horn began to glow. He concentrated, breathing slowly, before he suddenly spun his hoof in a wide circle, and Shining Armor stared in disbelief as a window was left in the barrier, Moonflower brightening, before wincing when Thesis said gently: “Maybe this time cut a hole we can fit through, huh?”
“Uh. Yes. Of course.” Moonflower cleared his throat, then his horn gleamed as he pressed both hooves against the barrier, explaining almost giddily: “It's just like Melinda said, though! All you have to do is figure out the right way to ask and-”
Moonflower blinked as the barrier's energy vanished from beneath his hooves, and he fell forward with a thunk on his face through the large, rectangular hole he had cut in the barrier. He looked dumbly up, then squawked and flailed when Chrysalis stomped over him with a scowl, the Changeling Queen glaring back and forth as she growled: “Electra, do you sense that?”
Miss Take frowned as Electra carefully strode past Moonflower, then reached down to gently help him up even as she looked apprehensively towards the castle, murmuring: “I do. What a strange, dissonant energy. It is neither the stuff of ghost nor of memory... it is so lonely. So sad. So... cold.”
“I don't sense anything...” Miss Take said apprehensively as her green gemstone glowed, before she frowned slightly and murmured: “Either my Third Eye is not sensitive enough to pick it up... or perhaps I simply cannot process it.”
“It is impossible to grasp, only possible to feel, perhaps that is why. You are not as sensitive or receptive as we are.” Electra said quietly, tilting her head back and forth as the others joined the Changelings and Moonflower inside the barrier, and Cadence didn't like how even Chrysalis was looking worriedly at Electra now. “I do not know what it is. I'm sorry. I can't get any sense of it. I don't understand, it feels otherworldly and yet... not.”
Cadence frowned as she brought up the rear, before she glanced over her shoulder, watching as the barrier sealed itself behind them. She knew that Moonflower could easily rip another hole in it, but at the same time, it felt strangely final, like they had no choice but to go forward... we don't, anyway. But if the barrier is still up... “Canterlot can't be empty. And if Twilight's magic is still working, someone has to be present at the castle.”
“The air is strange. Whatever those strange things are, they are making it hard to sense anything. They both draw and divert attention.” Electra reached up and rubbed at her head slowly, before she murmured: “They won't be able to ambush us, though.”
“Good, Electra. Dear, you stay in the middle of the pack... if I may make that suggestion, of course.” Miss Take bowed her head politely to Thesis, smiling over at him... but Cadence didn't like how nervous she was. I guess they really believe in Electra, and they really believe that anything she can't grasp must be bad. Which means we're probably dealing with worse than Husks. 
“That sounds like a good idea. Stay beside her with Shining Armor, keep her protected. Chrysalis, I want you up here with me and Cadence at the head of the pack. You can sense them too, right?” Thesis asked, and for once, Chrysalis swallowed her haughty response and only nodded. “Good. Sombra, La Croix, bring up the rear. Moonflower, artillery position.”
The ponies fell into place as they started towards the open gates of Canterlot. Somehow, it was more ominous than if the gates had been sealed shut: what could have possibly been able to not only slip through undetected, but then drive away all the guards and soldiers? 
No, it was worse than that. Cadence couldn't sense or see any life at all as they walked slowly down the streets of Canterlot: it was like everyone had simply disappeared. Thesis grimaced uneasily as Moonflower shifted nervously, then suddenly blurted out: “Was it Melinda again? Do you think she did this?”
“No, everyone was here, just... stuck, when Melinda froze Canterlot.” Cadence answered, shaking her head briefly before she called to the back of the line, as much as she knew they shouldn't be chattering: “La Croix, do you sense anything?”
“No spirits, no nothin'. But I don't even sense what's got our Changeling amies spooked.” answered La Croix with a shrug, looking up towards the sky... or rather, the ceiling of the spherical barrier. “This magique be makin' it harder, though. Feels claustrophobic in here.” 
“I don't think Twilight's concentrating solely on the barrier, which is why her magic feels so... oppressive.” Shining Armor said uneasily, frowning slightly. “That effect... that's what happens when a spell isn't focused properly, especially with a full barrier spell. Magic residue presses in from all sides, makes it harder to concentrate or use magic yourself.”
Cadence smiled slightly as she looked back over her shoulder at the unicorn, and he smiled back in faint amusement and shrugged, saying: “Hey, I'm more than a pretty face, you know.”
“I wouldn't love you if you weren't.” Miss Take said kindly, before she added in a quieter voice as her eyes lingered on her sister: “Electra, please don't hesitate to speak up. I'm sure Prince Thesis is more than happy to hear your concerns.”
“Yeah, especially since only you and Chrysalis can sense whatever's lurking.” Thesis added, before he frowned slightly and suddenly came to a halt, saying quietly: “Twelve o'clock.”
Cadence looked straight ahead, before she frowned uneasily as she saw the flicker in the distance as well. Something was moving, shifting around, and Chrysalis narrowed her eyes as she leaned forward before she suddenly reared back as she- looked right? “They're here!”
“They're coming through the walls!” Electra shouted, and it sounded almost insane, hysterical, because Cadence couldn't sense, couldn't hear, couldn't smell-
But she saw it: the amorphous body phased through the wall soundlessly as the orbal core that held it together floated through an open window, the Aetherhaunt stretching its tentacles out towards them as she snarled and shouted: “Aetherhaunts! Don't touch them!”
Shining Armor winced as he spun towards one of the Aetherhaunts emerging out of the building near him, snapping his horn out, but his magic was harmlessly absorbed into the creature, doing nothing but drawing its attention. “What the hell?”
“Take!” Cadence shrugged her rifle off her back, hitting the lever to extend the barrel before she flung the weapon to the half-Changeling, who caught it and readied the weapon as if she'd trained with it her whole life. Cadence spun back around to fling several knives at the core of another Aetherhaunt, piercing into the crystal and making the creature writhe in silent agony. “Hit the core!”
“Of course.” Miss Take calmly took aim as she smiled slightly as she squeezed the trigger, a round blasting through the core of one of the Aetherhaunts. It blinked out of existence, and the half-Changeling's smile stretched into something wider, more predatory, as she said: “Now, I don't see why you don't enjoy these weapons more, Cadence... it's positively marvelous.”
Cadence grunted as she flung two knives out, shattering the core of another Aetherhaunt as Moonflower yanked cobblestone up from the road and shot them with devastating power into other ethereal creatures. Thesis, meanwhile, ushered Electra, Chrysalis, Shining, and Sombra quickly forward, saying sharply: “We can't fight them all, not in the open like this, not when we can't even sense the-”
An Aetherhaunt stretched towards him, and Thesis winced as he ducked back before he slammed a hoof into the ground, sending a black spike of corruption ripping up from the earth and through the core of the creature. It flashed out of existence, and Thesis grimaced before he looked ahead, eyes widening in horror as he shouted: “We need to get out of the street!”
Cadence looked up, and stared in horror at the thing she saw: it was like a massive, living shroud, a translucent sky-jellyfish with infinite tentacles that stretched out throughout Canterlot, strange vibrations of faint color passing through it in kaleidoscopal twists.
It stretched out, endlessly, beautiful and monstrous and terrifying. It was soundless, breathless as the Aetherhaunts, and yet far, far larger, and it had not just a core inside its massive, umbrella-shaped head, but a gaping maw that led to an impossible-to-process blankness; the Void.
“We need to get to cover!” Thesis shouted, even though he knew it was useless: its tentacles permeated the impermeable as it floated lazily towards them, ethereal form passing through anything that got in its way as if the physical world had no meaning to it; or rather, because the physical world had no meaning to it. Instead, it locked on to their energies, and even at this distance, Thesis could feel the hungry maw of the thing sucking at them, pain searing across his Voidborn body as he gritted his teeth.
There was nowhere they could go, nowhere they could hide where they would be safe. It had scented them and it would follow them, whether they hid in buildings, in the sky, a thousand feet beneath the earth. He had no idea what this awful thing was, and he didn't want to imagine what it meant that this massive Aetherhaunt was here, and all of Canterlot was empty, and-
“I can kill it.” Cadence said as she stepped up beside Thesis, and he stared at her in disbelief. But she only gritted her teeth before she snapped: “I can kill the goddamn thing! The Swan's powers work even against the Aetherhaunt!”
Thesis wanted to argue, because he knew what Cadence wasn't saying. But he knew there was no time: they could barely deal with the normal Aetherhaunt, let alone the giant, and he had an obligation to the rest of the world. Family came first: not his own desires, not his selfish love, not his need to keep Cadence safe.
“Kick his ass and come back.” Thesis said quietly, and Cadence smiled before she darted in, kissing him for a moment before she leapt and spun away from her friends, and Thesis gritted his teeth before he shouted over his shoulder: “Come on! We can't get stuck in a pincer between those things, let's find high ground!”
Cadence streaked into the air, heading straight for the massive Aetherhaunt as the Swan said softly in her mind: It is too great. Even with all our powers combined, I do not know if we can protect ourselves from it. It is slow, it is stupid, but its core is deep within its etherflesh, and further insulated by the gaping maw of the Void. We will burn. 
“Then we burn.” Cadence said grimly, snapping her horn back and forth to pelt the massive ether-beast with blades of white energy. They did nothing to harm its enormous jellyfish body, but the creature's tentacles slowly reached up, twisting and feeling through the air towards her as the enormous, awful thing turned its attention towards her.
We have died in many ways. But this creature may destroy our spirit. We do not know if even we can survive such a death. the Swan said dubiously, and Cadence only smiled, refusing to be distracted from her objective as she dodged back and forth when the creature's tentacles lashed suddenly at her.
They were as thick as tree-trunks, and just being near the beast hurt: she could feel a stinging beneath her skin, an itch she could never scratch, that only got worse as she shot in closer to the beast and its massive tendrils attempted to seize into her. She evaded to the side, and she shivered as her eyes flashed, seeing countless Husks around this monster that had swum out of the Void and into Canterlot, that had already harvested most of the city with its ruthless touch-
It will harvest us, too! The Swan burst out in her mind, but Cadence ignored it as she shot towards the sky, and the undulating jellyfish followed her, slow and steady, its body twisting and pulsating as its tentacles searched and slashed through the air after her. Cadence... we... we are afraid! We do not want to die!
“Neither did I. I did anyway.” Cadence said quietly, as she neared the ceiling of the barrier, and then she simply twisted herself backwards and let herself freefall towards the top of the jellyfish, her eyes sharp, her body full of pain and thrill and life as she whispered: “Don't be afraid.”
Tentacles lashed in from all sides, and Cadence flapped her wings sharply, shooting down a tunnel of tendrils and ethereal death as her whole body glowed white, a cyclone of murder crushing through the air behind her before she slammed into the top of the Harvester and tore through its ethereal body. The white flames encasing her burned even at the ether of the beast, but she could feel it already healing, clamping shut around her, and it made the Swan scream as she fought against agony for control of her own body.
She flapped her wings again, forcing her way towards the spinning core of the beast as she struggled to keep her eyes open, to see through the haze of ether and color around her as the monster twisted around her. Its very body reshaped itself to try and strike at her, to attempt to force her out, but Cadence sliced back with her daggers, countering its attacks even as the Swan hyperventilated in her mind as it experienced a new, overwhelming emotion: panic.
But still, Cadence kept her focus, pouring everything she had into fighting deeper, into forcing her way to the crackled, marble core of the beast. She felt it try to rebuff her, pushing her back, but Cadence shoved herself forward with all the strength she could muster with one final flap of her wings, hammering shoulder-first into the core before she gasped in agony as it unleashed a powerful pulse of energy.
The pulse made the stone that plated the core shudder and was powerful enough to blow away the ether of its own body, leaving the core floating in a cavern of empty space inside the beast. But the air was too empty, a vacuum that Cadence choked in as her wings flapped but found no purchase, her eyes bulging before she felt herself being dragged down towards the hungry maw of the Void below-
No no no NO! the Swan shouted in her mind, and Cadence felt a burst of both power and rage rip through her as her wings flared with light before she flapped them savagely, unleashing a shockwave of force that launched her straight at the stone core of the Harvester.
She slammed into it, daggers sinking through the beast's heart, and the Harvester thrummed with an echoing song of pain as its tentacles twisted helplessly, the enormous jellyfish pulsating before its ethereal flesh clamped viciously inward, crushing Cadence against the core with an impact that she didn't feel physically, but instead nearly knocked her spirit out of her body.
She gasped, stunned, before her eyes flared with light as the Swan took over, a snarl making her features ugly as she roared with another new emotion it had learned from Cadence: rage.
She yanked a dagger loose, clinging stubbornly to the core with her body as she stabbed into it savagely again and again, twisting the dagger with each impact to pry up stone plating. The Harvester twisted even as it tried to constrict harder, etherflesh undulating in a vain attempt to tear the Swan free from its heart.
“We will not die alone!” the Swan shouted, body shaking with rage, punctuating each word with a vicious stab before the Swan yanked back hard enough to tear a large chunk of stone from the core, and she immediately twisted her body around to slam both of her rear hooves viciously into the hole she had made, crushing crystal beneath them.
The Harvester wailed silently, then convulsed as the Swan stomped her hooves savagely into the heart of the beast as they flared with white flame. But the protective shell of energy around her body was being eaten away: it had already lost its armor consistency, now raging like a fire over her form instead, burning not only the etherbeast but her own body and soul.
The core pulsed again as the Swan brought her legs back, and she was slammed off the damaged heart of the Harvester before she gasped in pain as she was yanked along when its etherflesh suddenly contracted, forming a hollow tunnel in its body straight down to the maw of the Void as she lost control. But as she fell, both Cadence and Danzsöngr felt their wills align, both looking up before they threw every last bit of strength they had into one final gamble.
Cadence flung herself upwards with all her strength as the Swan unleashed all that pent up rage and hysteria and terror in one mighty burst, unleashing a shockwave of white energy that left her naked and vulnerable, but was just enough to tear loose from the grip of the Void. She streaked upwards, hammering into the hole she had torn in the crystalline core and punching through the weaker gemstone below, and a moment later, she tore out the other side of the heart of the ether beast, ripping its core into two shattered halves.
She flew upward as the Harvester twisted on itself, body beginning to dissolve, and Cadence grinned for a moment before she felt the surge of antimatter behind her as the mouth to the Void collapsed on itself.
Thesis looked up in horror as an explosion ripped through the air above Canterlot, windows shattering with the force of the sonic boom as blue smoke filled the air. A streak of lightning tore by, close enough that it seared Thesis' cheek, but he didn't care, only staring in horror as the smoke cleared, before he shouted the name of his love as he saw, far above and far away, a single speck falling from the sky amidst the surges of energy and lightning ripping wildly through the air.
Thesis broke rank, charging heedlessly into the storm. He ran past falling debris and through showers of broken glass, past Aetherhaunts that made last, wild grabs at him or were in the grips of death as their cores overheated and exploded in brilliant flashes of light as surging blue lightning ripped through them and antimatter pelted their vulnerable etherflesh.
Thesis ran, even though it was hopeless, even though he was helpless; Thesis ran, racing gravity, racing physics, racing death, even as Cadence's body was wrapped in glowing white light, as she became a glowing star.
Cadence fell.
Thesis leapt.
Lightning struck and the world shook and the air trembled, and all was merciless, and all was beautiful, imprisoned in this hollow city, beneath a dome of magic that had become a ruthless cage.
And even with all these things against him, the Replicant caught the Swan before they crashed to the street, together.