//------------------------------// // Chapter 29 // Story: Ursae Majoris: Eternal Knight // by Draconaes //------------------------------// Chapter 29 ****** Tyr picked himself up off the ground. That last teleportation had set him off again, and he was feeling the effects of too much magic saturating his system. He spun around when he heard a magic sword being summoned. "Aether." Aether approached him with his sword at the ready. "Hello, mutant. Nyx wanted to give you a chance to live, but I'm not going to take chances at this point." "Oh? What would the other High Instructors say?" "Your creator and your shield are dead. The others are dead or subservient to Nyx." Tyr stumbled as he summoned his own blade. 'Syn and Thanatos are dead? That would explain Nyx knowing.' "Murder is a vile thing, Aether." "They were no longer tools of the Escape. Their right to life was forfeit. As is yours." "Hey!" They both turned to see Tiamat run into the room. "Where's Nyx?!" Tyr and Aether exchanged looks before shaking their heads. "Void!" Tiamat turned and ran from the room. "Um..." "Right. Back to killing you." They both entered fighting stances and charged. ****** Nyx ran for her life. Things were not supposed to be this way! The whole point of founding the Escape was to avoid having to fear for her life! And yet, here she was, alone on an alien planet, save for Aether, who didn't really count anyway, running from an enraged goddess. 'Blasted overconfidence... why did I think a cripple like me could take her on!' She had managed to hold her own for a few minutes, but then the alicorn had started flinging spells around and teleporting. She had taken that as the sign to switch to tactical retreat mode. The hallway she was running down ended at another hallway. She could see forest through a window placed at the intersection. 'An outside wall. Maybe there's an exit nearby.' She turned left and saw Luna advancing. 'How did she get over there? I though she was behind me!' "I advise that you surrender! As I said I would rather not be forced to slay you!" Nyx sighed. "And what will you do to me if I do surrender?" "That is yet to be determine. However-" Nyx didn't hear anything else that the alicorn might have said. Said alicorn was likely standing in shock, having witnessed another figure crash into Nyx, flinging both of them out the third story window. Nyx herself reacted to this development by flaring her wings and attempting to position the assailant beneath her. A moment later she was met with a loud, unnatural cracking and pain shooting up her legs. She looked down at her assailant, a female starborn. She coughed. "Void..." "One of Tyr's allies, I assume?" "You... tyrant. I'm...Tiamat. Ack... alone." Nyx examined her injuries and found that she had landed on her back beneath Nyx's feet. Considering the higher gravity of this planet and the distance they had fallen, Nyx was surprised that she was still alive. "You threw away your life for nothing? On your own initiative? I would regret your death, but I'm beginning to question your usefulness to the Escape." Tiamat switched to using her translator. She was evidently having trouble articulating through her pain. "You don't need my life story. A friend taught me what it means to die for something, instead of nothing. Humans are idiots, but sometimes they have good ideas." Nyx tried to stand but fell to her hands when pain shot through her legs again. They were most likely cracked from the fall. She braced herself and stood anyway. She ripped off her chestplate to reduce her weight and started walking, slowly but surely. "I... would stay... and help, but... I have... to find Aether. May void... welcome you." "May the Escape burn!" ****** Trixie found herself once again in the entry chamber to the castle. 'Why do important things keep happening here?' She heard footsteps and watched as Kuthrine and Anderson entered the castle. Trixie sighed in relief. "Oh good. I was worried for a moment!" Kuthrine froze upon hearing her voice. "Trixie? What are you doing here?" "It's a long story. Right now I need to keep these away from Nyx. Also from Tyr, I think." Anderson readied his weapon. "Nyx is here?" "Yes! That's what I said!" Trixie checked the other entrances to the room. "She's trying to take over Equestria. Maybe you two can..." She trailed off when she noticed that she was alone again. She looked out the main entrance to see the two humans sprinting off into the forest. "Hmph. Fine! Abandon me! See if I care! It's not as if I was planning to stay here anyway." Trixie saw Nyx approaching out of the corner of her eye and ducked back inside. "Oh no oh no oh no!" She backed into a darkened corner and hid the elements behind her, looking for a better place to hide. She heard sword fighting approaching and pressed further into the corner. A moment later she saw Tyr tumble down a straircase built into one side of the room. Aether jumped down a moment later and swept Tyr's sword out of his hand. Judging by Tyr's cry of pain and the way he held himself, he had taken part of his right arm along with it. "Void welcome you, mutant." "Aether, stop!" they turned to see Nyx limping inside. "Always overeager to kill. And stop calling him mutant. Now that I can actually see his "discoloration" it's hardly far from pleasing." She handed Aether her sword. He backed away and allowed Nyx to stand in front of Tyr. Tyr growled. "What, then, Nyx, if not death?" She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Try stabbed her through the back with her sword. Trixie muffled a gasp. "Aetherrr... you glorrrrious... idiot! Bwahahaha...ha...haha...ah." Aether released the sword and let her fall to the floor. "Fear not, Nyx. Your name will live on, untarnished, as I lead our Escape. I couldn't let you ruin everything, including your record. Void welcome you." Tyr just sat there, shocked into silence. Aether raised his own blade. Trixie looked around. She didn't want to let Tyr die like this. A shock to her rear made her jump. She spun around and noticed that the elements were sparking. A spark touched her horn and the world fell away, revealing six pony-shaped beings of pure color: orange, pink, blue, green, red, and purple. The purple "pony" spoke "Hello, Trixie. I am Harmony." Notes: Only one more chapter, I think. This story shall finally be complete!