Hecate's Orphanage

by BlackRoseRaven

Fury Of The Unrepentant

Chapter Eighty Seven: Fury Of The Unrepentant
~BlackRoseRaven

Veliuona looked curiously over her shoulder from where she stood in front of the Gates of Pandemonium, the massive, cold stone cavern around her littered with unmarked, unharmed corpses of soldiers.

She smiled, turning calmly away from the enormous, thrumming gates of steel, the ill purple light that spilled between the bars framing her in its eerie radiance as she said calmly: “You took longer than I expected you to, kidege.”

“The Primordial was more dangerous than anticipated.” Thorn replied quietly as he led the way forward, one eye covered by heavy bandaging. He halted and studied the mare for a few moments, then asked calmly: “Parley?”

“You seem driven to try, so I will entertain you, kidege. Parley.” Veliuona nodded and strode towards them, before she grimaced as her collar sizzled, reaching up to touch it and breathing slowly for a few moments before she murmured: “I have only a short time.”

“Unless we break your collar.” Thorn answered evenly, and Veliuona cocked her head curiously before the stallion gestured at her and said quietly: “Cadence, La Croix. Get rid of that control collar.”

“Are you certain? I will be more powerful with the collar removed, you know. I could also simply vanish and resume the path I chose to run as the Mistress of Cursed Shades, bringing eternal life to my tribe and death to all who oppose me.” Veliuona said curiously, but Thorn only smiled calmly as he gestured towards the mare, and Cadence approached fearlessly as La Croix followed nervously behind her.

“We can take you.” Cadence said, looking up at the zebra, and Veliuona chuckled softly before she leaned carefully down: bending at the waist, Cadence noted, never putting her forelegs down. But it was still enough for Cadence to quickly inspect the collar, grimacing a bit as she muttered: “Lots of magic. Those weird runes, same as Melinda's... I don't know if-”

“I won't blame you if it hurts.” Veliuona said almost kindly, before she turned her eyes towards La Croix and asked: “Unaweza kunisaidia?”

La Croix bit his lip nervously, and then he nodded after a moment as he turned to dig in his satchel. He pulled out a vial, then grimaced as he flicked his bracer-covered foreleg out, the needle springing from it before he carefully guided this down into the vial, drawing some of the liquid out of it as he muttered: “Oui. But Cygne be right. 'Sgonna hurt.”

“I've been hurt worse.” Veliuona replied evenly, and then she grimaced when La Croix stabbed the needle into the metal of the collar, gritting his teeth as he wiggled it back and forth before he managed to sink it just a few millimeters into the metal of the restraining device.

There was an awful hissing, veins of pulsing liquid eating their way through the collar as Veliuona shivered and leaned away slightly, and La Croix grimaced as he hurriedly stabbed the needle into the metal: this time it sank far deeper, the steel already melting away to a consistency that was more like wax as he injected more of the acid, muttering: “Just 'bout... okay, Cygne, see if you can bend it now!”

Cadence grasped into either side of Veliuona's collar, then yanked as hard as she could to either side, wincing and swearing as melted, glowing metal splattered in all directions. Veliuona swore angrily in her own language as she yanked herself away, and La Croix ducked backwards before all three ponies stared as the collar clattered to the ground, where it sat in a steaming, reeking pile of waxen metal.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Veliuona slowly looked up before she gave a slight smile to Cadence, even as she almost idly brushed away some of the melted metal that had spilled onto her breast: both flesh and clothing peeled away with the molten steel, but both also instantly restored themselves, knitting as naturally and easily into place on the Voidborn as Seneschal could restore his pixels.

“Interesting.” Veliuona finally pronounced, and then she straightened on her rear hooves, placing her front hooves together as if to pray as she smiled kindly at the group before her: Cadence and La Croix; Thorn Blackfeather, with Moonflower lingering nervously behind him; the earth ponies, Ex Parte and El Casco; Antecedes, half-supported by Sombra, the Draekin Throna standing suspiciously on his other side... “You there. Mage. You are injured.”

“As injured as a pile of bones can be.” Antecedes answered with a shrug, moodily shifting on his one remaining, working hoof, as a shinbone clacked against the floor behind him with his movement. Moonflower had done his best to repair some of the damages, but all he'd really done was add a few uncomfortable-looking white sticks to the skeleton's frame, making it just possible for him to walk with a little bit of assistance.

Veliuona looked at the skeleton for a moment, then she simply waved a hoof, and Antecedes gasped and staggered to the side as bones cracked and snapped loudly back into place, Moonflower staring over his shoulder before he gaped and turned back towards Veliuona with surprise. “There. Now rest, child. You have not slept in many days.”

“Years, really.” Antecedes conceded after a moment, bowing his head and adding almost awkwardly: “Thank you. I'm... not used to getting help. So thank you.”

Veliuona only smiled, then she turned her eyes towards Thorn, studying him intently before she murmured: “Neither am I.”

“Will you join the Clockwork Empire?” Thorn asked bluntly, and Veliuona smiled wider.

“I like that. To the point. Serious. But I don't entirely trust you yet, Thorn Blackfeather.” Veliuona paused, then she reached up and rubbed at her neck before she continued quietly: “I may be 'free,' but I am not truly free. Loki can still control me. None of the Voidborn are free of his powers. I also believe that if Loki is destroyed and sent back to the Void, we will all perish. Loki is like... like a shaman, do you understand? He is the living link between the beyond-world and this physical world. The Void and Dunia.”

Veliuona paused, then she shook her head before saying quietly: “I do not desire to spend the little freedom I have serving mashini and puppets. And I would serve you ill. I want to protect my people, and my people are not your people. Perhaps my people are among your people, but even then, I would not serve you well. Loki will regain control of me when he sets his eyes on me. He does not need a collar to leash to; we are not all so free-spirited as Thesis.”

“The collars let him puppet you from a distance. Or rather, encourage you to listen to his orders.” Thorn summarized, and Veliuona nodded before the sapphire stallion asked: “Then what do you want, Veliuona? I have no quarrel with you and I am not your enemy, unless you decide to make me your enemy.”

Veliuona tilted her head, before she asked: “Then what if I simply leave? My business is my people. I want to return to my people.”

“That Midgard was destroyed. I'm sure you know that.” Thorn said, and Veliuona nodded, unfazed.

“That is true. But I hear them, all the same, and I know enough of what happened to know where they are and how to get there.” Veliuona replied, before she asked: “Will you stop me from leaving?”

“No. Like I said, my duty is here and you are not my enemy.” Thorn answered, before he smiled briefly and added: “Celestia is 'gone,' so to speak, but you may be interested in finding Freya, in a place called Subterra. She won't apologize to you, but... she may be interested in giving you a second chance.”

“It is I who should give her the second chance.” Veliuona scoffed, but the zebra looked amused and curious all the same before she rubbed slowly at her chin, murmuring: “Perhaps. Maybe I'll make war on her. Maybe I'll just taunt and mock her. I know that Loki hates her too: perhaps I'll capture her and use her as leverage.”

Thorn only smiled, and Veliuona cocked an eyebrow, asking: “Aren't you afraid of that, kidege? I might destroy your family. I might destroy the world they built. Doesn't that-”

“My job is here.” Thorn said simply, and then he looked up and studied Veliuona for a moment before he smiled slightly again. “And I feel as if you hate Loki far more than you hate Freya. Time may not heal all wounds, but it does numb it.”

“Bitterness is always there, kidege, you have much to learn about the world...” Veliuona paused, studying the stallion thoughtfully before she nodded with a surprisingly-warm smile. “But bitterness is sometimes welcome, too. Yes. I shall visit her. I shall mock her.”

Veliuona paused, then she returned her eyes to Thorn and said in a more-solemn voice: “And because we are not enemies, Thorn Blackfeather, I would advise you to turn around and leave this place immediately. Or do you really think Loki would be so foolhardy as to attack Tartarus like this? No. He is sending much greater forces against far more important prospects. Beware him, Thorn Blackfeather: you are dealing with a master of manipulation, who claims to have planned these events from the very beginning... and who very well might be speaking the truth.”

Thorn frowned uneasily, but then Veliuona simply bowed to him before she turned to look at La Croix, giving him a surprisingly-kind smile and saying something to him that made the zebra blush. Then the mare simply vanished from the spot, and Cadence stared in disbelief for a few moments before Moonflower asked stupidly, voicing her thoughts perfectly: “That's it?”

“That's it.” Thorn said quietly, looking uneasily at the Gates of Pandemonium before he shook his head and asked: “Is there any way to communicate with Princess Luna or Canterlot? We need to know what's going on immediately.”

“No. Do you believe her?” Antecedes asked, and Thorn grimaced before he nodded hesitantly.

“Yes. But we still have to retrieve the architect from Tartarus. We can't linger here now, though, it has to be fast.” Thorn said, before he winced as Ex Parte and El Casco popped up on either side of him.

“Then you are in luck, señor, because there are no better Luchadores in the world for this job! Just give us the go-ahead and we'll slam through those doors like the toro and come charging back with the Architecture!” El Casco proclaimed.

Ex Parte posed sharply, adding firmly: “File a motion and I'll bring the witness to testify before you can say warrant for arrest!”

Thorn stared for a moment, and then he sighed and turned towards the Gates of Pandemonium, asking: “Moonflower, Antecedes, can you open them?”

“Yes, with some help from Throna.” Antecedes glanced over at the Draekin, who grunted and nodded as her horn began to glow, the bars in the center of the gate beginning to thrum as runes flared to life across them and they slowly started to shiver apart. “Moonflower?”

“Oh, uh, yes! I can help!” Moonflower volunteered awkwardly, nodding vehemently before he turned his eyes quickly towards the Gates, adding almost nervously: “Just... watch out for spirits. There's all sorts of nasty things in Tartarus, you know...”

“Hey, I got it, mon ami. Just open the damn gates already.” La Croix grumbled, and Moonflower nodded before he and Antecedes both leaned forwards, visibly concentrating as Throna gritted her teeth, tilting her head back and forth as the runes flashed in a strange pattern across the bars.

“Stronghold fortified this magic. No wonder you couldn't just shove your way out through the gates.” she grumbled, before she wheezed loudly as the gates finally began to slowly roll open, exhaling a plume of smoke as moans and gasps echoed through the chamber, half-visible shades leaping out of the open gates to vanish in the air around them. “Damn it all, do something about those ghosts!”

“Hey, hey, all y'all, stop that!” La Croix shouted, waving a hoof angrily at the air, and while it seemed like nothing more than useless yelling, Cadence could see at least some of the phantasms above twisting uneasily on themselves, roosting over the roof and hesitating in their escapes. La Croix, after all, had some dominion over all spirits, even if his methods in dealing with them were... peculiar. “Hey, reste ici, ain't no runnin' from what y'all have done!”

“Real great, zebra!” Throna shouted, and at least that confirmed to Cadence the Draekin couldn't see spirits, as the frustrated half-dragon yanked herself slowly backwards, helping Moonflower and Antecedes wrench the gates open wider. “There, isn't that-”

“Hold it open and we'll-” Thorn started, before he grimaced in surprise as Ex Parte and El Casco both leapt forwards, bolting through the ajar Gates of Pandemonium and into Tartarus.

And before Thorn could even formulate an order, the two earth ponies came rushing back out, almost flinging an old, wizened Nibelung at Thorn, the wolf-pig stumbling a little over his tattered robes before both of the Luchadores posed on either side of them, Ex Parte shouting: “Motion granted!”

“The hooves of justice are swift!” El Casco added, and Thorn stared before he winced as the Gates of Pandemonium slammed themselves violently closed as Moonflower gaped and Antecedes fell on his face, but visibly lost his own concentration as he stared in disbelief at the two.

Throna wheezed loudly for a moment before she fell back on her haunches, shaking her head in disbelief before she blurted: “And just how did you manage that?”

The Architect, surprisingly, was the one to answer, the blind-eyed Nibelung slowly turning his head towards Thorn, so old and ancient that dust seemed to fall from his ashen fur with his movements, baring yellowed teeth in a rotten smile as he whispered: “I heard the whispers, of course. Someone was coming to get me. I wasn't sure who it would be, only that it would be... interesting.”

“Did you design the Tablet of Dreams?” Thorn asked calmly, and Cadence scowled as her eyes drew uneasily over the Nibelung, as the Swan murmured inside of her: Yes. Of course. The Architect is an Architect... and truly ancient. He would remember the old ways. He would know...

“The old magic, Swan Maiden? Yes. Yes, I do. Like the magic that made you.” the Architect said, turning with greedy curiosity towards Cadence, who winced back in surprise as her eyes widened slightly in disbelief. “Oh, don't be frightened, Host. I know it must be unsettling... but the Swan is so very loud that I'm sure the others hear her, just as well as I do... they just... pretend not to. That is polite. But I am too old to be... polite.”

The Architect coughed several times, before he slowly turned back towards Thorn and answered an unasked question: “No.”

Thorn frowned even as he gave the slightest nervous shift, and the Architect gave his rotten grin before he rasped: “Yes! Yes, now you have my attention.”

“Emotional reading. Some would almost call it perverted.” Antecedes remarked, and the Nibelung snorted in contempt before the skeleton asked: “What now?”

“Your fortress is closest. We'll head there first and secure the Architect.” Thorn said after a moment, shaking his head briefly. “We can send a letter from there to contact Canterlot, but-”

“They're all going to die.” the Architect said carelessly, and all eyes looked sharply at the Architect before the old Nibelung smiled over at Moonflower, who winced a bit as he leaned uneasily away. “I knew you would do it. I knew you would test the efficacy of my craft the best. You did wonderfully. I have much to teach you.”

“I... I'm quite alright, thank you, I've... learned lots, got lots... learned... and I don't really need to learn anything else. If anything, I've learned that learning too much is a very bad thing. To learn.” Moonflower replied awkwardly, tapping his forehooves together as he leaned anxiously away from the Architect before he asked uneasily: “Can't we just... I don't know, send him back to Decretum? I'd forgotten what a...”

“An unpleasant fellow I am?” the Architect asked, mimicking Moonflower's voice perfectly, and the stallion paled a little before the Nibelung smiled and asked softly: “Kill me?”

Moonflower stared at the dwarf, before Thorn, surprisingly, said evenly: “Please cease emotional reading or I will issue an immediate request for a restraint collar.”

“One that will be fulfilled once we reach Endworld. I understand. But until then, you're all so loud, and there's no noise to drown out all these thoughts flying a million miles a minute at me.” the Architect replied, before he added: “Eridu. You may call me... Eridu. Many others have come before me, rest assured. But it flatters me to think that you consider me the oldest of the Architects.”

“How did...” Thorn caught himself, then he shook his head before adding in a more professional voice: “No, we can save this for later. It's more important we return to the Black Fortress. We can question him later.”

Eridu gave Thorn another eerie smile as he stared at him almost eagerly, but the sapphire stallion turned away, saying shortly: “Fall in line. Time to leave.”

“La Croix, up front with me! Moonflower, stay in the center with Antecedes! Daddy, follow with Neato Burrito and Pinkie Pie!” Cadence ordered quickly, before she winced as Throna glared at her horribly. “And uh... Throna, you can-”

“Walk up front with you.” the Draekin interrupted, and while Cadence wasn't exactly intimidated, she knew better than to start a fight right now, only nodding shortly as the group assembled itself behind Thorn, who was still eyeing the Architect moodily.

The Architect smiled, before he grunted in surprise when Throna simply barreled into him and half-flung him onto her back, saying moodily: “I'll carry this dwarf. I have a few questions for him myself that I want answered, since I might not get the chance to ask otherwise.”

Thorn only nodded briefly, glancing back once to make sure they were all falling into line before the Architect whispered: “Afraid? But I suppose that you should be. All that work, all that work, and what's it really been for? Still, don't be so hard on yourself. You're only a child. Disappointment and failure are natural.”

Thorn visibly tensed at this, but then he simply shook his head before he ordered sharply: “Let's move. We have a lot of ground to cover.”

He started towards the stairs, and after a few moments, the others followed, Cadence shifting uncertainly and wondering silently just what the Architect had seen inside Thorn, and whether or not bringing this Nibelung with them was nearly as good an idea as it had seemed.

And the Architect only smiled, as he turned his knowing eyes to the Swan as he whispered: “No.”

Thorn pushed them hard, but thankfully, they were a group that was able to survive pushing into the night to march towards the Black Fortress. The moment they reached the outskirts, however, they found something very clearly wrong, even under the pall of heavy, deep-night darkness.

“Where are the lights?” Antecedes asked quietly as his crimson gaze roved slowly through the darkness. Their glowing horns lit the way with magic, but by now, they had all expected to come across at least a few of the lantern-skeletons, but no. There was nothing, and somehow none of them felt it would be a good idea to start lighting the silent lamps that lined the path.

“Didn't the goblins used to light up all these? And even if that's changed, why is everything so quiet?” Moonflower asked nervously, and El Casco rumbled slowly in agreement.

“I don't like it, boss. Something about this cabrón is not right, Señor Morpheus. I mean, Señor Moonflower.” El Casco corrected quickly, and then he winced slightly when the Architect looked slowly towards him from where he was seated on Throna's back. “You don't scare me, pen-”

“No, you are not frightened of many things, little stallion who ran away from his village. Just that it will be discovered that you are no true... what is this word for wrestler? It is very strange.” remarked Eridu, and El Casco stumbled as he stared up at the Nibelung and Ex Parte hurried to his side with a growl, but Eridu had already turned his eyes away, asking Throna: “Why don't you kill me, then?”

“Because I have been taught that it was wrong. Not that I needed to be: I was never like Stronghold.” retorted Throna without looking back, before she asked waspishly: “If there's a trap ahead, I say we send this Architect into it first!”

“The trap is in Canterlot. Ahead is only a test.” Eridu said cryptically, and Thorn looked at him sharply, but the Architect only chuckled before he turned his eyes away, saying softly: “No. There's no need for me to say any more. Do what you will, Thorn Blackfeather. This is about you and yours, not me.”

Thorn studied Eridu silently for a moment, and then he said quietly, without taking his eyes off the Architect: “Cadence, take your team and move as close as possible to the Black Fortress. Stay on alert and don't give away your position. We'll follow at a slower pace. Secure a position outside the Fortress and scope out the interior, if possible.”

“Understood.” Cadence nodded and saluted quickly before she turned her eyes ahead, saying sharply: “Moonflower, La Croix, Sombra, let's move in fast and keep it quiet. Cloak us, Moonflower.”

“Yes. Yes, of course.” As the group parted ways with the other ponies, Moonflower twisted his magic around them, hiding the ponies beneath a veil of shadows that mixed almost perfectly with the darkness of the night around them.

They only made it a few paces down the path before Moonflower shifted awkwardly into that two-step he always did before he decided to ask a stupid- “Um. Do you think they're safe?”

“Hey, you should know Thorn better than the rest of us. He'll take care of them.” Cadence said quietly, and La Croix grunted in agreement as Sombra smiled reassuringly at Moonflower. “And if you're worried about Thorn, well... I'm pretty sure that he can take care of himself.”

“Yes. I... I know that he can. I know.” murmured the unicorn, shaking his head and blushing a little before he hurriedly fortified his enchantment around them, then he looked up and continued: “I just... you know. I worry about him. I worry about...”

Moonflower looked down, chewing on his lip apprehensively, and Sombra said gently: “I know that I might be speaking out of turn, but Thorn is handling his... problems very well. Better than I could, as a matter of fact... but he is young and strong, and wiser than I was at that age.”

Moonflower smiled a little, nodding before he lowered his head before he almost blurted: “His eye.”

“He's strong. He's already acting like it's nothing. And... I mean, no, that doesn't mean it's really nothing. We all know Thorn better than that, but...” Cadence quieted, then she murmured: “Light ahead.”

The others looked up quickly, and La Croix narrowed his eyes before he muttered: “I ain't sensin' spirits or even any kind of magic, but that light... somethin' about it be étrange.”

“Let's get a little closer.” Cadence murmured, and the others nodded as they crept along the path, slowly closing in on the open lot in front of the Black Fortress. There, they quickly found the source of the lights that were creeping back and forth along the ground: Moonflower's skeletal horses had been modified so that the lanterns embedded inside them shone out like eerie spotlights, and new, large satchels hung from their sides.

Cadence frowned uneasily: the skeletons were patrolling listlessly around the lot, moving in slow circles, often overlapping. They had no riders and no guides, but she could see that all of them had been outfitted with some kind of heavy collar with a gemstone embedded in it. She noted that when the spotlight of their lantern passed over a fellow skeleton, these gemstones gleamed brightly for a moment, then went out when the other collar responded... some kind of alarm?

“I know y'probably don't smell it yourself, Cygne, but... somethin' ain't right about what they're carryin'. I'm thinkin' explosives.” La Croix said quietly, and Cadence scowled at this, uneasily drawing her eyes over the skeletons and their collars... yeah. That would make sense. “Moony, those things...”

“Old, old bones and painted wood. I... I don't like the undead very much.” Moonflower shivered a little, shaking his head and mumbling: “They're not alive. Just constructs.”

“Then I can't do much about 'em, Cygne, but that also means they shouldn't be able to detect me. I'll sneak on through and check out the fortress, let you know what lie beyond, how 'bout that?” La Croix asked, and Cadence nodded.

“Alright. We'll figure this out. You go ahead, and come back and warn us if you see anything.” Cadence said quietly, and La Croix nodded once before he vanished.

The ivory mare returned her eyes to the patrols, watching them for a few moments before she muttered: “They're all on different timing. Moonflower, how do these constructs work? Can I kill them?”

“They're powered by the lanterns. The lanterns all have a core of crystal, they both create the light but also keep the constructs moving. But if you break the lanterns...”

“We'll deal with that as it comes.” Cadence muttered, and then she hesitated before scowling as she reached up and pulled her rifle off her back, extending the barrel of the gun and carefully taking aim with it as she grumbled: “I can't believe I'm doing this...”

“Are you sure that's such a good idea? Maybe we should just...” Moonflower winced at the glower Cadence shot him, before he whispered: “I'll uh. Try and muffle the sound.”

“Please do.” Cadence muttered, before she paused and then frowned at the stallion, asking: “Wait, can they detect sound?”

“Yes and no.” Moonflower shook his head, answering hesitantly: “They can understand certain commands, but they don't really 'listen' to anything. It's uh... tricky. And I mean, if you shoot them and they lose power I obviously don't think that it'll set them off but at the same time those collars are probably not connected to the power source so the collars could still go off so-”

“So then I don't shoot the lanterns.” Cadence said, and before she could question her own judgment, she took aim with the rifle and fired.

The shot was like thunder in the dark night, making the others wince and their glammer vanish for a moment before Moonflower hurriedly recast it, shadowing them a moment before one of the skeletons thudded to the ground. It moved mindlessly on three legs, digging faint scratches through the earth, and Moonflower gave a shrill little laugh as the lantern light continued to glow normally, starting: “Well, I suppose that-”

Another skeleton strode into the spasming wreck of construct on the ground, then tripped over it before its collar beeped violently several times, and a moment later both skeleton constructs exploded in massive gouts of blue and green flame and-

Cadence felt the shrapnel hit her, not with enough force to knock her off her hooves, but more than ample enough to scrape and tear her armor and cut into her exposed flesh. She gritted her teeth in pain for a moment before she looked sharply back and forth, but her father was simply scraping the worst of the debris from his body with a grimace as Moonflower shivered a little, a large, ugly nail jutting from his chest, but thankfully little deeper than the first layer of his plate armor.

“Explosives. Just like La Croix said.” Cadence mumbled, thankful that the glammer was hiding her blush as she shifted her rifle to her shoulder, then she scowled a little as she leaned up on her hooves. “I hope that didn't screw up anything for La Croix.”

“I hope that didn't screw up anything for us.” Moonflower said before he could stop himself, and Cadence gave the stallion a dry look, but Moonflower only dropped his head between his shoulders.

Then Cadence blinked as she realized she could actually see him, and Moonflower frowned before he stared back at her in surprise, wincing as he grabbed at his horn. It was still thrumming, focusing his magic, but something was interfering with the illusion itself, dissolving it before it could entirely wrap around them.

Cadence gestured sharply with her hoof for them to pull back, but just as they began to retreat, the lantern lights flickered and the skeletons all suddenly halted, stopping in place as the air became still and silent.

For a few moments, there was nothing; then, one after the other, the tall lamps around the edge of the square flashed to life, coating the open lot in bright light.

Cadence grimaced a bit as she leaned away from the edge of the lot, then she narrowed her eyes as a female voice spoke, saying contemptibly: “Well, well, well. So he was right. You've brought some new friends, Morpheus. What, did you use up your old allies already? Antecedes always was weak, though... and I can't imagine any of these other worthless crowbait were able to keep your attention for very long. These new ones, though...”

The feminine voice chuckled quietly, and Moonflower trembled as he pushed his way forwards, letting his magic die out as he stepped into the bright light. He was shivering and afraid, and yet all the same, he rose his head and asked, even as his voice quavered: “Why? Why are you here? Why-”

“Why not?” asked the voice bitterly, before Cadence's eyes widened as a figure crossed the drawbridge towards them: a Draekin, like Throna was, except... larger, fiercer, clothed in ornate golden armor and with gorgeous white scales and a mane made of glowing tendrils of magic. She walked on three legs, because one front claw was occupied carrying La Croix like a ragdoll, the Loa bloody and battered and hanging limply from her grip.

“Why not?” she repeated as she stepped off the drawbridge and into the open lot, and Moonflower trembled violently before Stronghold Halfdragon flung the zebra aside like a sack of potatoes, La Croix rolling to a broken halt as the Draekin mare spat to the side, then turned her cold, ruthless eyes back to Moonflower as her long, flanged tail slammed viciously against the ground. “Oh, I'm glad you recognize that being mercenary, giving up my pride and my honor to work as nothing but a killer for a wretch who hides behind his toy soldiers is something I find... detestable.

“But that doesn't matter. My pride doesn't matter. What I want doesn't matter anymore, because I've learned there's no White Dragon, there's no god, there's no reward for being good or doing right, it's all just... lies, to keep us in chains.” Stronghold snorted in contempt, shaking her head in disgust before she refocused her cold eyes on Moonflower. “I was promised Heaven... or at least Hell. And all I got, Morpheus, was nothingness.”

“Maybe...” Moonflower swallowed thickly, then he rose his head and said in a steadier voice: “Maybe that was your just reward, Stronghold, for becoming the Killing Light.”

Stronghold smiled thinly, and there was silence for a moment before she calmly reached up and pulled the visor of her helm down over her eyes, leaving only her scarred muzzle visible as her claws flexed eagerly against the ground. “Or maybe being the Killing Light is what's led to this, Morpheus. Another chance to fight. Another chance to live. Another chance to die. And now there's no reason to hold back, no reason why I shouldn't try and take you and every other piece of pony scum I come across with me.”

“Wait!” Cadence shouted, striding quickly up beside Moonflower, and Stronghold scowled, her gaze cold and disdainful even through the grille that covered her eyes. “My name is Cadence Danzsöngr, and I am-”

“I don't care who you are, little girl. To me, you're nothing.” derided Stronghold, and Cadence slowly narrowed her eyes, but this only made Stronghold smile cruelly in response. “Oh, what's wrong? Did I upset you, poor mare? I'm sorry, let me try and put on my Celestia voice and treat you like the special snowflake you are. I got very good at it, after all, in all the years I spent solving Equestria's problems for those ungrateful scum.”

Moonflower only shook his head, before he and Cadence both flinched in surprise when Stronghold suddenly swung a claw out, an explosion of golden energy ripping apart a carnival stand and knocking Sombra out of hiding, the stallion landing with a grunt of pain beside La Croix. He immediately leapt to his hooves to stand protectively over his friend, but Stronghold only smiled at him mockingly, asking: “Oh, you're after the stripehorse? Fine. Get the slaw if you want. I want the faggot.”

“Only... only my friends are allowed to call me a faggot!” Moonflower snapped, glaring at the Draekin mare, but Stronghold only laughed loudly. “Stronghold, you... you...”

Moonflower halted, and then he trembled before he stepped forwards and blurted out: “I don't want to fight you again!”

“Because you're afraid, Morpheus, isn't that right? Because you're weak, and pathetic. But that's fine. I'll kill your friends first, then.” Stronghold said coldly, locking her eyes on Cadence as the ivory mare stepped forwards, gritting her teeth as she set herself. “In fact, that sounds even better. I'll take everything you cared about away, just like everything was taken away from me. And at the end of it all, maybe you'll come to understand the truth of the world. That everything is nothing. That no matter what you do, it's worthless, and thankless. You had the right idea from the start, Morpheus. Live only for yourself. Care only about yourself. And may the rest of the world rot.”

“That's not the way I see the world at all.” Moonflower whispered, before he shook his head and held up a foreleg as Cadence began to step forward. “No. This is my problem. She's my problem and I'll handle her. I'll-”

Moonflower was blasted off his hooves by a thunderball of golden energy, hurtling out of the lit square, and Stronghold laughed raucously as Cadence glared furiously at the Draekin. “You bitch!”

“Oh, name-calling, little girl? Well, at least that's already more than these ponies were ever able to do!” jeered Stronghold, before she leaned forwards and roared: “Come at me, whelp! You are nothing but a nameless nag and I am Stronghold Halfdragon, the Killing Light!”

“I'm not afraid of names!” Cadence shouted as she lunged forwards, then immediately ducked beneath a lash of Stronghold's tail before she leapt over a rake of her claws, only to gasp and be rebuffed by a powerful torrent of golden magic that erupted from the Draekin in a shockwave.

She flipped once, landing and stumbling backwards as Stronghold laughed before she mocked: “What are you doing, broodnag? Are you already getting tired, or are you just too feeble to keep up with a commander of the White Dragon's Crusaders?”

“Horses of Heaven you like the sound of your own voice.” Cadence muttered as she straightened slightly, then she swore as Stronghold lunged forwards and slashed her blade-like horn down, Cadence lashing her own up to try and repel the attack, alicorn grinding against alicorn.

“I like watching you squirm.” she hissed, and then Stronghold twisted suddenly, slashing her horn out as she released a pulse of golden fire, and Cadence was sent skidding backwards through the dirt, barely managing to stop herself from tripping right on top of one of the inactive skeletons. “What match is a pony, no matter how strong she thinks she is, against the powers of a crusader in her prime? You're meat to me, little girl!”

“Oh why don't you just shut up?” Cadence shouted as she half-turned to seize the bomb-construct behind her, and then she spun forward and flung it as hard as she could, Stronghold rearing back in a moment of surprise before the skeleton slammed into her and exploded in a tremendous blast of blue hellfire.

Cadence winced slightly away from the blast, then she snarled as Stronghold leapt out of the explosion before it could even fully dissipate, a furious grin on her face and her claws outstretched-

Cadence's daggers leapt in front of her, guided by her will more than any telekinetic power, but even as they slashed in a furious pattern against Stronghold, the Draekin retaliated with hard swipes of her claws, batting the blades away again and again before she suddenly caught both daggers by their handles and spun them around, driving them towards Cadence's eyes.

The ivory mare narrowly managed to flung herself backwards in time, the daggers instead digging uselessly into the earth before Stronghold simply dropped them and leapt forwards, roaring as she slashed her horn out and unleashed a massive blade of energy. Cadence barely managed to drop beneath this, swearing as it swept by above before she gaped in shock over her shoulder as it tore through several stands before slicing its way into the forest, chopping down half a dozen trees before it dissipated.

Cadence faced back towards Stronghold, who grinned viciously as she straightened, tapping her breast as she snarled: “Infinite energy and the power I held while in my prime. I raised armies and razed armies, little broodnag. What have you done with your life?”

“Killed.” the Swan said coldly, and Cadence felt a power pulse through her before Stronghold gargled in shock as both daggers tore themselves suddenly up from the earth, one of them plunging into Stronghold's throat and the other spinning around to stab deep through her back.

The Swan moved like lightning, leaping forwards and seizing the handle of the blade sticking out of Stronghold's throat, twisting it savagely as she pulled past the Draekin and tearing her neck wide in a spurt of energy-

Stronghold's tail lashed up and smashed the Swan out of the air, before she spun with a furious roar, a gust of golden flames blasting Cadence off her hooves and knocking her rolling into a skeleton. For a moment, Cadence registered that the Swan had been stunned out of control, before she swore as she felt the pulse of energy: but it was too late to react, too late to do anything but cry out before the skeleton beside her exploded in a tremendous bang.

Cadence landed in a limp, prone heap in the dirt some twenty feet away, her body smoldering violently as she coughed weakly before her eyes fluttered slowly open. She gasped quietly, then looked up, fighting through the pain and the confusion eating at her brain to see Stronghold towering over her with a cold smile, slowly tossing the mare's other dagger in one claw as she said softly: “I expected better.”

Cadence snarled in humiliation and anger, before she flinched when the dagger came sweeping down, but then it suddenly halted and trembled the moment it touched the side of her head, Stronghold's eyes widening in surprise. Cadence reacted immediately, snapping her horn out and sending a blast of ivory fire into Stronghold's eyes, and the Draekin howled in pain and frustration as she staggered backwards, dropping the knife to grab at the seared grille of her helmet instead.

The ivory mare flung herself to her hooves, barreling into Stronghold like a wrecking ball and slamming a volley of blows back and forth against the Draekin's armored body to knock the crusader off balance before she leapt up and viciously kicked both rear hooves into Stronghold's throat, making her reel and gag, clutching at her neck as she struggled to catch her balance with her other claw.

Cadence's hooves rained down on Stronghold's face, smashing back and forth across her muzzle in a rapid volley before she dropped an elbow straight down into her muzzle, shattering bone before she seized the Draekin by the head and vaulted over her to slam both rear hooves into the middle of her back.

Stronghold fell on her face with a curse, but her tail lashed violently up on instinct; this time, however, Cadence was ready for the counter, catching it beneath the deadly flanges before she dropped and slammed the natural weapon of the Draekin into her own back, smashing through armor and armor-like scale to send up a great gush of energy.

Stronghold roared as she bucked Cadence off, snapping her tail out to catapult the mare away, but this time Cadence was able to twist herself around and land on her hooves, skidding to a halt before she picked up a nearby skeleton and flung it at Stronghold. Stronghold, however, only batted the broken construct away, ignoring the explosions that went up when it slammed into another of the volatile constructs as she hissed in fury at Cadence, except the ivory mare's eyes narrowed sharply as she realized the crusader was still bleeding energy from her back, studying it intently as Stronghold growled: “You ponies never did know when to lie down and die. Funny, considering how your queen never even tried to fight me.”

“We're assholes.” Cadence retorted, before she added quietly: “You look like you've sprung a leak, Stronghold. Why don't you back off? Go home and cry to Loki about how the big mean pony beat you up. Maybe he'll fix you up. Or let you run away to the Void. Sounded like you liked it there.”

Stronghold only smiled contemptibly, retorting: “The one decent thing about the Void, broodnag, is that only the strong survive there. That's part of what will make it so entertaining once Loki does destroy everything. Who will survive? Who will, however briefly, thrive? How will the whores and the wastrels and the murderers live when sex and money and the killing are all taken away from them?”

“You want the world to suffer... why? Because you have?” Cadence asked disbelievingly, and Stronghold snorted in disdain.

“Why not? Like I said before. Nothing matters. There's no punishment for evil, no reward for good. There is no God.” Stronghold said softly, before she held up a claw and flexed it slowly, saying contemptibly: “Morals, rules, charity: these things make us weak. And I have no use for lies and garbage anymore.”

“They don't make us weak. I'm sorry you never got your hugs or your gold star or whatever the hell it is you were missing, Stronghold, but people aren't good just for a reward at the end of day, just like people aren't bad because they're smarter or better. It's because it's easier.” Cadence set herself, shaking her head in disgust before she said quietly: “And believe me when I say, easy likes to come around and bite you in the ass.”

Stronghold snorted in contempt, then she scowled and looked up as Moonflower strode back into the lot, glaring at the Draekin: he looked as if a tree had fallen on him, but otherwise not much the worse for wear as he fell into position beside Cadence.

He took a little too obvious look towards where Sombra was carefully tending to La Croix's wounds as best he could, but Stronghold was entirely focused on Moonflower now that he had reappeared, the Draekin asking contemptibly: “Why are you back? Sick of watching the mares fight, faggot?”

“I told you not to call me that.” Moonflower murmured, before he shook his head as he took a slow breath before saying clearly: “I want you to stop. I want you to... to fight me, if you have to fight anyone. Stop dragging other people into this.”

“Very mature of you, Morpheus. But why should I listen to a colt-cuddler like you?” Stronghold asked disgustedly, snorting in contempt. “I could kill any one of you. I can out-fight-”

“You can't fight us all at once, Stronghold. One at a time, maybe. But not all of us at once. And there are more people on the way.” Moonflower said quietly, and Stronghold narrowed her eyes at this before Moonflower continued bravely, in a move that surprised Cadence: “And we have the Architect and the Tablet of Dreams. You know what they can do.”

Stronghold hesitated for a moment: it was enough for Cadence to know that in spite of all the unbelievable insanity they had gone through over the last while, maybe at least some of the claims about this Tablet were true, after all.

Then the Draekin snorted in contempt before her horn began to glow as she leaned forwards, saying confidently: “No. The witch went ahead to secure Canterlot. I know the Tablet of Dreams is there.”

“I wouldn't be so sure of that, Stronghold. The Tablet of Dreams traveled with Luna. Luna was just here, didn't you know? We have another friend going to find Luna right now, and wish you away like... like a bad memory!” Moonflower announced, leaning forwards as he puffed out his chest a little. “And we've delayed you enough that-”

Stronghold snarled, then suddenly snapped her horn to the side, blasting Cadence with a thrum of golden fire before the Draekin leapt forwards, her claws raking through Moonflower's face and making him howl in misery before he was pinned to the ground under her claw, gasping in pain as the Draekin leaned over him and growled: “We'll meet again, colt-cuddler. And if I find you've lied to me, then I'll make your death that much more painful.”

Cadence rolled to her hooves, but by the time she was up, the Draekin was already gone, her powerful wings carrying her quickly up into the air in a streak of golden light. Cadence grimaced a bit as she hurried over to Moonflower, looking down at him for a few moments as he gazed up at her tiredly with a face that had been punched, burnt, slashed, and maimed in just about every possible way.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked weakly: “So am I still beautiful?”

“Yeah, Moonflower. Real pretty. And smart, too.” Cadence said wryly, and then she reached down and grabbed his hoof, grunting as she hauled him up to his feet, and the stallion smiled awkwardly as he stumbled to a standing position before he bowed his head silently in gratitude. “How did you know she'd go for it?”

“Oh, well, like you said, I'm smart!” Moonflower smiled awkwardly, then he reached up and rubbed at his bloody face, mumbling: “I have to be smart. I'm not much of a fighter, after all.”

He halted, looking in the direction of La Croix, and Cadence nodded as she turned around, leading the stallion to where the zebra was now sitting up with her father, and the unicorn continued in a more solemn voice: “She knows the powers of the Tablet of Dreams better than anyone else, Cadence. I don't know how many times she used it. I suspect... I mean, it's... I don't like to guess at things, but...”

When Cadence looked at him pointedly, Moonflower bit his lip before he said: “I think she's after the Tablet of Dreams. It can do anything, Cadence... at least in this world.”

“Oui. I'm guessin' you're right. Didn't seem like she and th'other one in there were gettin' along all that well.” La Croix added tiredly as he brushed a bit of soot off his hat, before he smiled wryly and said: “Y'looked pretty weak out there, Cygne. Ain't like you. You're supposed to be the strong one here, after all.”

“She was tough. And that power she was putting out...” Cadence shook her head slowly, before she muttered: “But I wounded her, at least. Did you see it? She was bleeding energy. She might even still be bleeding energy. Does that mean the Voidborn can kill each other?”

“Perhaps in this world. But what she said was strange: are they unable to harm each other in the Void?” Sombra asked, and Cadence cocked her head curiously as she turned her eyes towards her father. He smiled at her, but looked almost uneasy as he continued meditatively: “How does Loki control them, then? How does he garner his unwilling allies? And has he done something to them that makes them vulnerable on this plane, or is it merely... the atmosfera?”

Cadence frowned: she half-understood what her father was getting at and why it was so important, but she forced herself to disregard it for now, shaking her head and muttering: “It's... not something we can focus on right now. The important part is these Voidborn can be hurt and killed, even without special weapons. Sort of.” She paused, then turned her eyes towards La Croix, asking: “So there was something else in there?”

“Oui.” La Croix grimaced a bit as he rubbed at his body, jerking his head back over his shoulder and grumbling: “Think she be some kind of mage. Unicorn, real pretty-like, talks funny. She got one of them control collars on her, too, but hers looks... different. Feels different, too. Think we might have seen one of her parallels before, but 'shard to tell: I didn't get much of a look before I got smothered like a lapin.”

“Great.” Cadence muttered, although perhaps that was a good sign, the ivory mare asking after a moment: “What's she doing in there? Do you think she knows we're here?”

“Was kinda hard to pay attention, Cygne, I didn't get more'n two feet inside before that goddamn gros cocodril set me on fire and then beat the merde out of me.” La Croix said grouchily as he brushed rapidly at himself, and Cadence smiled despite herself.

After a moment, La Croix cooled down enough to nod again and say hesitantly: “Look, I don't remember much because I got knocked upside my damn head and feu hurts, y'know, but the unicorn said somethin' about leavin' Stronghold to her business, and she was gonna go back to her own. Pretty sure it's a trap, but...”

“We have to find out what she's up to, either way. That's... that was my home.” Moonflower said quietly, looking at the Black Fortress silently for a few moments before he gave a small smile and asked: “So uh, no chance at all of us avoiding this, on that note, yes?”

La Croix looked at Moonflower for a few moments, and then he rolled his eyes before he gestured at Sombra with his head, saying: “Get the white potion outta my bag, would you, Papa Sérénité? Moony can't go meetin' a mare lookin' like he just stuck his head in the bayou while the eels were goin' by.”

Moonflower huffed, but he didn't hesitate to take the bottle from Sombra when it was offered, shifting awkwardly before he mumbled: “Thank you. So do we wait for Thorn, then? I don't... everything's changed a lot, but I think that if I have to, I can certainly navigate my old home with ease. It was my old home, after all.”

“Don't you worry, boss! El Casco is here to help you with everything you need!” declared the squat earth pony as he seemed to leap out of nowhere in front of Moonflower, and the unicorn winced backwards in surprise before he squeaked loudly as Ex Parte appeared on his other side with a little growl. “I am not afraid of these cabróns! I know that if anybody got the cojones to take them on, it's you, Señor Moonflower!”

“Um. Yes. Right. Yes.” Moonflower said awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his head slowly before he looked quickly back over his shoulder, and he looked half-relieved, half-horrified to see Thorn, Antecedes, and Throna approaching, the Architect watching from the Draekin's back almost eagerly, and Throna's own expression inscrutable. “How did you-”

“You fought her. But how?” Throna asked quietly, locking gazes with Moonflower, and Moonflower smiled faintly before the Draekin said firmly: “Don't you try and hide it from me, you hear? I know that magic. I know that power. I know... those scars...”

She reached up and silently touched Moonflower's face as Toad frowned worriedly from his perch atop Thorn's helmet, and the stallion blushed before he hurriedly flailed at the mare, knocking her claw away as he grumbled: “You mares need to learn to keep your claws off me. No matter how attractive I might be to you, I'll have you know that your kind will never be attractive to me.”

“Racist.” La Croix said wryly, before he shook his head and looked at Thorn, adding quietly: “She was real strong, though. And there's another one of them just up ahead in that fortress there. Don't know what she wants, but...”

“It's a challenge.” Antecedes interrupted, his horn glowing faint red before he scowled as much as his bone features would allow. “The magic sensors inside have all been blocked out. I can't get any idea of what's going on in there. But I'm not sensing a lot of commotion, either...”

“I hope everyone's okay. I hope Halfdragon didn't...” Moonflower halted, smiling awkwardly over at Throna, but Throna only shook her head slowly, looking grim.

“No. If anything, I know better than all of you what Stronghold used to do to her enemies, and... I only hope the same.” she murmured, then she sighed and said wryly: “I guess we don't have much choice though, do we? March in, or leave who knows how many to die, and who knows what else to happen here.”

Moonflower only smiled uneasily as Thorn reached up and silently touched the side of his face, and the Architect grinned from where he sat on the Draekin's back, his eyes glittering with pleasure and secret knowledge, eager to see how these ponies would struggle next against the strings of fate.