Synthesis of the Atheist

by BlackRoseRaven

Four Stages Of Cruelty

Chapter Seventy Three: Four Stages Of Cruelty
~BlackRoseRaven

Northern Ponyville was no longer part of a village, but a scarred, desperate battleground. The gates had not only been completely demolished, but much of the northern wall had been razed to the ground, and Thesis' soldiers were swarming constantly forwards, drawing all attention towards them as all of Ponyville's forces gathered to try and keep the ever-growing horde at bay.

Almost all, that was: there were still pockets of soldiers here and there stationed at possible breech points and guarding the walls, still Pegasi patrolling the air even though they had retaken most of the night sky from the Thunderbirds and the North Wind and other aerial threats Thesis had deployed, and Yamato Guard patrolling quickly back and forth through the area around the library and the city itself. So far no enemies had reached the barricaded library, and that was the way they planned to keep it, if at all possible...

But it was hard: Antares felt his blood boiling with the desire to be out there, taking part in the fight, and Avalon was zipping back and forth, growling and looking uncomfortable as she stared almost desperately towards the flickering fires in the distance. Aphrodisia was making a low rumbling in her throat as well, trembling as her body rippled strangely now and then, the scythe over her back gleaming as if mirroring her emotions.

Only Tender Trust was calm, looking silently up towards the sky as she breathed slowly in and out, studying the air above before tilting her head curiously, the first to notice since she was the least distracted. But a moment later, Antares and Apps both looked with surprise as well as a pack of Hellhounds charged past them, all dressed in harnesses that clearly identified them and protected their exposed organs, the half-Phooka murmuring as they passed: “And now even nature's children must get involved. I do not want to think of all the harm being done to okâwîmâw's work.”

“God, if any of those bastards so much as took one step inside the property of my family's farm...” Avalon snarled, flitting up to the air a bit before there was a tremendous booming sound, and the mare winced back a bit before cursing and almost shouting: “How the hell can you guys all just sit there and do nothing?”

“It's hard. It's really, really hard. But I know we have to.” whispered Aphrodisia, shaking her head and trembling. “And it's even harder when I have to think about... about how they might be burning down the buildings outside the wall or hurting our friends or anything like that... p-please, I don't wanna think about it. The angrier and more upset I get the harder it is to hold back with all the blood and bad energy in the air...”

Avalon opened her mouth, looking down at Aphrodisia, and then the tiny Pegasus gritted her teeth before nodding shortly and flitting down beside her, reaching up to touch her shoulder with a small smile. “Look, hey. You got the coolest stuff right now. I mean, me, sure, I'm badass. I got crosshatch blades and kickass armor, but you got that awesome scythe. And it looks way different now, yeah? I don't think reaper scythes usually come with hearts.”

“Yeah. It's starting to become more like me, since it's bound to me and all. That's what Morning says, anyway, she's been tryin' to teach me a lot.” Aphrodisia replied after a moment, smiling a little in return and carefully pulling the scythe off her back: the handle was now slightly twisted and looked more like natural wood, the blade larger and nastier-looking, but there were the little hearts carved along the neck of the polearm that Avalon had pointed out as well. “It's been responding better and better to me, too. Morning says one day I'll be able to summon and dismiss it at will, 'cause it's such a special weapon. I'll just have to always have a special place to put it.”

“That doesn't mean up your butt, Pinkslap.” Avalon said mildly, and Apps giggled a bit even as she swung the pole of the weapon at the tiny Pegasus, but she ducked back with a grin, and Antares smiled despite himself, feeling a strange sense of relief even as he heard some other horrible rumble in the background, sensed that the battle was just growing more and more dire to the north.

But all the same, he knew they couldn't move in. They all knew all of Ponyville was surrounded, and that Pegasi had begun short bombing runs against the enemy forces scattered all around the outside of the walls. Just like they knew that the Tyrant Wyrms that had marched on them from the south, southeast somewhere had been destroyed, but not without a heavy cost. But Antares was trying to avoid thinking about this as well: it made him even twitchier to think that his parents were at the clinic, being treated by Scarlet Sage, while Celestia and Sleipnir had been forced to already join the battle in the north despite how drained and injured they both were. He wanted to be there with his parents or there in the north, not here, standing in the middle of a street, just... waiting pointlessly, knowing that even if somehow something did slip inside, the chances of them finding out about it in time to do something before it was caught by another patrol were infinitesimal...

The glossy-black unicorn shook his head slowly, then grimaced a bit as there was another thunder of sound in the distance, and this time they all saw the geyser of flame that shot up towards the sky, Avalon falling silent and Aphrodisia shivering a little as she murmured: “That's not Burning Desire. That's not good at all.”

Antares nodded a little, and then Tender Trust rose her head and trembled before she whispered: “A maci-manitow approaches. No, even worse... this one is corrupted nature, disease and a living curse... a thousand evils inside one shell...”

“Well thank you, little baby, I don't usually hear my prey say such nice things about me.” mocked a voice, and Antares' eyes widened as he turned to look down the street and stare with shock as Protelea slowly approached, her head low and insects already crawling over her features as her eyes gazed at them hungrily from behind her weedy, thorny mane.

She was followed on either side by a Necrotroph, one of these ponies fresher than the other and gurgling weakly as he visibly flinched and trembled, the Pegasus' wings dripping with maggots and worms as throbbing pustules drooled slime and ichors over his mutilated, half-skinned body, his eyes rolling wildly in his head. He reeked of rot, while the other Necrotroph was almost unidentifiable, little more than a mass of curled skin and muscle that had been sapped of its nutrients, crawling with beetles and insects of all shape and size.

Antares snarled and reached up to quickly pull his buckler off his back and lock it into place around his foreleg, Avalon and Aphrodisia stepping up on either side of him as the parasitic Replicant only laughed derisively. “Oh, look at the fresh, low-hanging fruit, just waiting to be plucked and eaten up. Apparently you've forgotten what happened the last time we had a scrap, little baby colt. Or maybe you've gone and convinced yourself it wasn't so bad after losing your wings to Psukhikos, but sweetie... this time there's no running away.”

“Let's see how tough you are after I break your wings!” Avalon snarled, hovering beside Antares and readying herself, and Protelea only licked her lips hungrily, her eyes locking on the tiny Pegasus.

“Good. Fierce. How cute.” Protelea almost purred, and then she leaned forwards and ordered in an eager voice: “Warm them up for me, colts.”

The Necrotrophs both staggered forwards, the fresher one screaming as its jaws stretched wide and insects began to spill out from its body, the darker, almost-charred Necrotroph lurching forwards and vomiting a thick stream of acid towards the ponies. Antares winced as he hurriedly stepped forwards, raising his shield and blocking the stream with this as Avalon shot up into the air and Aphrodisia snarled and leapt into the fray, yanking her scythe off her back and twisting her body as she flung the polearm at the fresher living hive.

The weapon spun faster than it should have and visibly twisted itself in mid-flight to slam blade-first into the side of the living hive, knocking it staggering with a mournful howl. At the same time, Avalon shot downwards as Protelea giggled and slowly stepped backward, grinning with twisted delight as she watched the charred Necrotroph rear back and vomit another stream of acid up at Avalon as a thick mist of tiny flies began to spill out of the gaping wounds in its sides.

The tiny mare moved just fast enough to avoid the spray, slamming both rear hooves into the Necrotroph's head to crunch in its skull and knock it almost bowing forwards. She swept a crosshatch blade sharply downwards the moment the back of its neck was left vulnerable, sending up a thick spray of congealed blood and pus as she severed the spinal cord, and the monster collapsed limply. Flies and insects burst out of its sides like smoke, before this fog twisted upwards and around the mare, and Avalon yelled and cursed as she flapped her wings as hard as he could, sending herself backwards and shaking off most of the insects with a snarl.

But even unable to move, the living hive still was able to raise its head and vomit out a stream of poison, twisting its head to the side and leaving a bubbling trench of acid between it and the ponies as carnivorous insects streamed rapidly out of its body. Antares cursed under his breath, his shield already steaming and half-melted just from the one stream he had blocked before he snapped his horn forwards, sending a blast of white fire hammering into the disabled Necrotroph.

It burst into flames, arching its back with a mournful wail as it twitched back and forth, bugs popping like corn over its body and through its rotten flesh. The stallion leaned forwards, concentrating on the white flames and pumping more energy into them before Protelea snapped: “Poison that kid!”

Aphrodisia was mercilessly laying into the other Necrotroph, however, cloven hooves smashing back and forth against it as she snarled and her body flexed, her coat taking on a rubbery texture and her eyes glowing as her scythe seemed to saw itself deeper into the side of the living hive. Protelea glared at the demon as acid bubbled up out of her throat, and then the Replicant suddenly turned back towards Antares and spat a sticky blast of acidic slime at him.

Antares didn't have time to react, but he didn't have to as Tender Trust leapt smoothly over him, the sphere of slime splattering uselessly against her wings. It steamed against her smoky body, but she easily flicked the muck free from herself, setting herself defensively in front of her friend as Protelea snarled in fury.

Then Aphrodisia seized the Necrotroph in front of her by the head and slammed it face-first into the concrete with a sickening crunch, before grasping the pole of her scythe and jerking downwards, then hauling upwards with a vicious grin as her eyes blazed with wrathful light, the living hive howling miserably as it was torn into two halves. Acid and confused insects sprayed out of either half before they both hit the ground with a sick, fleshy thud, splattering over the street as the demon's eyes locked hungrily on the Replicant.

The other Necrotroph collapsed in a smoldering pile, insects scurrying wildly in all directions as the control of the living hives faded, and Protelea snarled in fury before looking to the side as Aphrodisia lunged overeagerly forwards. And Antares could only shout a denial as the Replicant's jaws stretched unnaturally wide as she leaned forwards and vomited a spray of acid and insects over the demon, Aphrodisia staggering backwards with a scream as she dropped her scythe before her eyes rolled up in her head as she fell onto her side.

The acid began to harden like cement as beetles burrowed into her rubbery flesh, letting the poison seep faster into the fallen demon as Protelea turned her eyes forwards. Tender Trust and Avalon both stared in horror as Antares trembled and shook his head, and then Protelea strode over to the Dominia and stomped savagely on her once, then twice. “You're nothing but little children. And now you're all going to feed my babies.”

“Go to hell!” Avalon snarled and shot suddenly forwards, and Antares cursed, unable to do anything but follow as Tender Trust stumbled almost blindly in their wake. Protelea only laughed at their approach, slapping Avalon away with one hoof, and the tiny Pegasus cursed as she was knocked off course before twisting around to right herself-

Protelea spat a blast of acid at the Pegasus, and Avalon barely managed to twist to the side before the Replicant laughed loudly, the tiny mare not understanding before she screamed as a horde of buzzing insects suddenly rose up from the ground and swarmed around her. She flailed violently at the air as Antares cursed and flung himself at Protelea, but was forced to bring up his shield when she lunged at him and swiped down a hoof, hammering against the buckler hard enough to dent it before her jaws snapped down at him.

He winced as he yanked his head out of the way, then slammed it firmly into her face before blasting her backwards with telekinesis, and the Replicant snarled as she was knocked head-over-hooves before clawing all four into the ground. Her body flexed and trembled, and then she shook herself violently for a few moments, and Antares' sharp eyes widened before he leapt backwards, snapping his horn out and releasing a shockwave of concussive force that knocked a wave of almost-invisible bugs rising up all around him flying backwards.

Protelea leapt upwards, spreading her wings and flying into the air as she dropped her head forwards and vomited out a stream of what looked like parasitic worms. They began to crawl eagerly in all directions over the ground, Antares' eyes widening in disgust before the Replicant looked up at him with a vicious grin.

She began to shoot forwards... and Avalon smashed bodily across her, knocking the insectile monster careening with a screech before the tiny Pegasus whipped back across the mare, lashing a vicious swathe across her body with a crosshatch blade to send out a burst of greenish blood. Protelea screamed, but it was choked off when Avalon managed to twist up beneath her and slam both rear hooves into her stomach before ripping both crosshatch blades down Protelea's breast and splattering herself with the Replicant's blood, snarling: “You're in my court now, bitch!”

Avalon shot backwards, and Protelea hissed in fury before flying forwards after the Pegasus. She began to open her mouth, but then cursed in surprise and frustration as Tender Trust rammed up into her stomach, distracting her enough that Avalon was able to flip her body and charge straight at the Replicant, Protelea looking stupidly forwards before the tiny mare half-spun to viciously slam both rear hooves into the bug-like mare's face with her full momentum backing her.

Protelea was launched backwards through the air, screaming and flipping wildly backwards before she hit the ground, bouncing and rolling down the street until she fell in a gasping, broken pile. Avalon grinned viciously as she and Tender Trust dropped to the ground on either side of Antares as he looked at her with disbelief, and the the tiny mare leaned forwards and shouted: “That's for Apps!”

The Replicant slowly looked up through the dark ichors coursing down her features, and then she slowly hauled herself to her hooves, breathing hard in and out as she trembled violently, then whispered in a disgusted voice: “You don't really think you're anything but food to me, do you?”

Avalon snarled... and then gurgled and coughed out foam as she stumbled forwards before shaking her head weakly. Antares looked at her with concern and horror as Protelea grinned slowly, licking her lips as she said hungrily: “And my babies have already started to eat.”

The tiny mare snarled, then leapt forwards and shot towards the mare, Antares shouting her name desperately, but it was like the Pegasus didn't hear as she zigzagged almost drunkenly through the air, slowing instead of accelerating before she grabbed her stomach and vomited as she began to fall forwards. And even as Antares and Tender Trust ran towards her, Protelea pounced, slamming the tiny mare to the ground and pinning her as her tail arched over her back and stung downwards as the stinger blossomed like a hidden blade-

Antares dove forwards, stretching his foreleg out desperately to block the stinger with his shield: the buckler was almost torn in half by it, but the toxic stiletto was repelled before Protelea snarled and slammed a hoof up into Antares' face, knocking him sprawling backwards. The Replicant leaned forwards, jaws opening wide, but Tender Trust leapt over Antares and protected him with her body as the Replicant vomited out a stream of acid, the unicorn cursing and hurriedly scrambling backwards beneath Tender Trust as droplets of the poison seared against his flesh and armor.

The half-Phooka managed to shove herself forwards through the stream, swinging a hoof out and knocking Protelea backwards. The stream of acid was choked off as the monster staggered with a snarl, and Tender Trust followed up almost desperately, wings spread to help her keep balance as she tried to drive the Replicant backwards under a flurry of blows.

But Protelea seized the mare by the throat, lifting Tender Trust high before twisting and slamming her down on her back, jaws stretching wide. Antares leapt at her back, but a rear hoof slammed into his face, knocking him crashing and rolling backwards and overtop Avalon before Protelea leaned down and forced her jaws over Tender Trust's, before she made a horrible gurgling, retching noise, and the half-Phooka's eyes bulged as she gave a muffled scream.

Acid and insects flooded down her jaws even as she tried to vomit, her glowing eyes bulging and limbs kicking and flailing uncontrollably before the half-Phooka shuddered and fell limp. Protelea drew back from the mare with a twisted grin, licking her lips slowly as the half-Phooka shivered brokenly, foam and a bit of acid dribbling out of her mouth as her eyes stared sightlessly up towards the night sky.

Antares howled in denial, trying to pick himself up before he looked down and saw Avalon looking brokenly up at him, blood running from her eyes as her flesh bulged and writhed in places. He lost all concentration for a moment, and then Protelea's hoof slammed into his face and knocked him rolling backwards before the Replicant leapt forwards and pinned him on his back.

The stallion began to snarl and his horn to glow, tears in his eyes, but Protelea's tail snapped over her shoulder and stabbed down into the side of his neck, making him gurgle and his eyes bulge before he stiffened up. His limbs felt waxy, unable to move as he lay on his back, and Protelea studied him through the greenish blood on her face... blood, he saw with horror, that was crawling with parasites and terrible, poisonous, malicious life.

Her jaws opened, and she leaned down, licking slowly up the side of his muzzle, her barbed tongue making faint cuts against his face as she whispered: “Look at you, sweetie. Nothing but a helpless little colt. Nothing but flesh and meat: nothing but a lower part of the food chain. And me and my babies are all the way at the top...”

She nipped him, and Antares trembled, concentrating, feeling his horn beginning to glow, trying to draw up what magic he could... and Protelea smiled mockingly down at him before the stallion tried to scream as he felt an excruciating, horrific agony tear through his abdomen. His magic spluttered out, and Protelea shook her head slowly as she whispered: “Like I'm going to let that happen again. Those are beetles. They're going to lay their eggs inside your intestines. The eggs are going to hatch. And hundreds of them are going to spread through your body and eat you up, from the inside... out. And I'm going to keep you alive for the entire experience, sweetie.”

Antares tried to scream again, and all he was able to give was a muffled gurgle before Protelea rose her head. He stared up her features, terrified, watching as light spilled over them and he saw every detail before... wait, light?

Protelea frowned in surprise, then looked up with a wince as something shone in her eyes, blinding her before she began to snarl. But any threat she might have had was cut off as a fireball slammed full into her features and exploded in a tremendous blast that knocked her sailing backwards with a scream, hitting the ground and bouncing once before she managed to scramble up to her hooves, face now charred and weedy mane falling around her in burned tatters.

Hooves slowly strode up beside Antares as light shone all around him, gasping as he felt warmth spreading through his body, felt his entire form glow with heat that drove away or killed the parasites attempting to infest him, freed him from Protelea's poisons and paralysis. He slowly sat up, then trembled and gazed up in disbelief at the mare that stepped up beside him, her horn glowing brightly, streaked silver mane pulled tightly back from her metallic eyes... eyes that burned with a fire made all the brighter by the single crimson flaw in one. “Do I have to do everything for you, hero?”

“Prestige Luster...” Antares whispered, staring with awe at the viridian mare. She was protected by a set of lightweight golden plate, but he had known every detail of her body so well that he could all-but-see her changes through it: she was taller, more toned... stronger. The stallion picked himself up, trembling, and Prestige gave him a quick smile before she turned her eyes back forwards, even as her horn glowed and lifted a beautiful shield free from her back: the main body was made of white alloy, but the border was gold, an inscription of runes etched into the gleaming metal.

He took it without hesitation when she passed it to him, and when he slipped it onto his foreleg, the round, large shield just felt... right. Protelea hissed at them as she stepped forwards, the Replicant's scorpion tail raising and shuddering as acid dripped from her jaws and hideous insects began to spill out of the wounds in her body. “Fine, little filly, your coltfriend can watch as I rip you apart and devour your insides before I kill him!”

“We can take her, if we work together.” Prestige said quietly, and Antares nodded firmly as he stepped up beside her, both unicorns setting themselves. Antares couldn't help but giving her another look, but she only glanced back for a moment with a half-hidden smile. “Eyes on the bug, hero. We've got a lot to do before we can get caught up.”

Protelea snarled and leaned forwards, vomiting out a spray of acid, but Antares moved faster than he'd ever imagined he could: one moment he was beside her, the next he was in front of Prestige, shield raised. The stream of acid pounded against it uselessly, dissolving into steam as the blessed metal glowed faintly, and Antares felt Prestige tap his shoulder before she leapt upwards and snapped her horn forwards, sending a massive blast of lightning into the stream of poison.

The arc of electricity raced down the acid and straight into Protelea's gaping jaws, and the attack was cut off as Protelea shrieked and was blasted backwards, hacking and gagging as Antares winced: arcs of lightning raced over his shield as well, but his eyes widened as he realized a moment later the shield had absorbed the charge, holding it without hurting him. The stallion grinned at this before Prestige landed beside him, and without even needing to look at her, they both raced forwards as Protelea looked up in stunned disbelief before she snarled in rage.

Her insects swarmed forwards, but without hesitation, Prestige skidded to a halt and snapped her horn sharply out, a freezing wind ripping through the air around them and knocking the hordes of bugs backwards as Protelea flinched from the biting cold. Antares leapt forwards in that moment of vulnerability, slamming the edge of the shield down in a hook across the Replicant's face, and the monster screamed, body spasming as the charge of lightning leapt from the shield and across her body.

Antares followed up with a short swing of the shield into the Replicant's features, stunning her and knocking her back a step even as her form trembled from the electricity still running through it before the stallion roared as he slammed the shield out in a full bash, almost dislocating the Replicant's jaw as her head twisted to the side in a burst of greenish blood. Her eyes rolled as she fought for balance, and then Antares' free hoof slammed up under her muzzle with such tremendous force it knocked Protelea rearing back with a gargle.

And behind Antares, Prestige leaned forwards and snapped her horn upwards, the ground beneath the Replicant exploding upwards in massive blades of earth that slammed into the insectile monster with enough force to knock her into the air, screaming in pain before Prestige followed up with a fireball that blasted Protelea into the front of a house with enough force to crunch in the wooden siding, her eyes bulging in disbelief.

Antares leapt backwards, falling into place beside Prestige again, both ponies facing forwards as Protelea fell to a slump, mouthing wordlessly, charred and battered before she began to tremble violently. Her eyes filled with fear and rage and hate before she screamed, hauling herself back up on unsteady legs and slamming her front hooves into the ground.

Worms nearly the size of snakes ripped up from the earth all around them, Antares yelling and staggering backwards as Prestige snarled, the two unicorns staggering backwards before Prestige snapped her horn out, the ground around them bursting into flames. But the worms still flung themselves at the ponies as if they didn't notice the fact they were on fire, making both unicorns curse as the parasites bit at them and scorched the flesh they collided against.

Protelea took the moment to leap into the air, buzzing quickly over the two unicorns and dropping her head forwards to vomit out a stream of insects, both Antares and Prestige howling in agony before Protelea spun around as poison bubbled out of her jaws. She made another pass over them, but this time spat out a stream of thick acid, and Antares snarled as he forced himself to react despite the agony ripping through his system.

He grabbed Prestige around the neck with his free foreleg, yanking her close against him as he held the shield over their heads, blocking most of the acid fall. It still streamed around the shield and splattered against flesh and armor as the worms continued to leap at them, biting at their limbs from below despite the fact they were standing amidst a field of flames, and both ponies gritted their teeth before Protelea spun around and dove down towards them.

Antares didn't even know what came over him as his instincts blared at him, but he half-spun and swung the shield out in a vicious slam that smashed into Protelea before she could drive into them, knocking her off course and sending her skidding face-first through the flames with a squeal of agony before flapping her wings wildly to hurriedly regain the air, body smoldering faintly. She immediately spun around to dive back towards them, but now Prestige's eyes were glowing along with her horn, and she half-hugged Antares against her before snapping her head back and giving a raw cry of fury.

Antares flinched and stared in shock as a massive shockwave of fire and lightning and pure concussive force ripped through the air around them, all-but-dissolving the worms attacking them and blasting Protelea backwards with a shriek of disbelief, knocking the insectile Replicant from the air and sending her crashing down in a smoking heap. She rolled several times as one of her wings almost tore free from her body, landing prone on her side.

The unicorns both breathed hard in and out, staring at each other with amazement at the way they amplified each other, their eyes locking, feeling the beat of each other's heart, the rhythm of each other's energy. Antares opened his mouth, hesitating for a moment as he leaned towards her... then looked up with a wince as Protelea whispered shakily: “N-No...”

The Replicant limply dragged herself up to her hooves, then snarled at them, one wing hanging brokenly, badly-charred as her tail swayed almost drunkenly above her. “You... you worthless... meat...”

“Let's finish her off, hero.” Prestige said quietly, and Antares nodded firmly as the two unicorns slipped apart and took up ready positions, the two glaring at the Replicant as the monster trembled weakly, but then snarled and suddenly broke into a sprint, tail raised and fangs bared as a few last remaining insects did their best to follow in the wake of their living hive.

Protelea threw herself at Antares as the stallion ran to meet her, and he caught her on the shield, scooping her up into the air and then using it to fling her upwards. And with one of her wings broken, there was nothing she could do to catch herself, flailing violently with a shriek before Antares seized her tail just beneath the stinger, snarling and letting her rise just a little higher as Prestige's horn glowed brightly at the same moment.

Antares yanked down with all his might, teeth grit and body flexing as he lashed Protelea downwards just as Prestige snapped her horn upwards, spikes of ice tearing up out of the ground; and with a miserable howl, in a splatter of green blood, Protelea was left impaled like a bug on a pin by several thick spears of ice that had torn more than halfway through her chest and body.

The Replicant jerked back and forth, writhing weakly, bleeding green ooze and coughing acid over her own features as she struggled wildly. Antares breathed hard, stepping slowly backwards as he looked with disgust at the monster: a monster that was still screaming threats alongside her pleas and howls of agony as Prestige shook her head silently.

Antares lowered his head... then flinched and leaned backwards in surprise as he saw the gathering insects. He looked up as his eyes widened, seeing the swarm crawling rapidly up to Protelea as she grinned widely... but then it faltered as a sound began to rise through the air that Antares didn't recognize at first. But as he stared at Protelea, he understood, and he didn't need his ability to see as clearly as he did once the Replicant began to scream.

Her bugs swarmed over her with the sound of a thousand hungry mouths feeding, the mare jerking back and forth helplessly as Prestige shuddered and looked away, and Antares lowered his head and closed his eyes as the swarm rapidly consumed their former queen and former hive. Even as pieces of her began to tear loose, even as flesh peeled and bones spilled to the ground, not a drop of blood could be seen, not a speck of gore: everything was covered in a thick blanket by the carnivorous swarm, to be consumed; to them after all, it was only meat.

It only took minutes, and then the horde of insects dissipated: it seemed like plenty of them simply died, while the rest took off into the air or crawled away in all directions, leaving Prestige and Antares sitting side-by-side. They breathed slowly in and out, then finally looked at one-another before both unicorns leaned forwards and shared a fierce, tight embrace.

They drew back slightly, and Antares trembled before he leaned down, but Prestige smiled faintly as she slipped a hoof between them before he could kiss her. He halted, staring at her almost desperately, and the mare shook her head slowly before she murmured softly: “No.”

“I... Prestige...” Antares swallowed thickly, drawing his head back... but then he closed his eyes and nodded slowly, taking a shuddering breath as he took in his surroundings, looking back and forth and whispering: “Right. Either way... we're... we have a few things to do. Are you here...”

“I'll help you get your... our... friends to the clinic. Then I have to join the northern front. I... I'm not staying, Antares.” Prestige said quietly, drawing back and smiling faintly as she took his hooves silently, squeezing them slowly. “Valhalla is where I belong right now. Valhalla is where I have to return to after this battle's over.”

Antares nodded slowly, trying to swallow the lump in his throat before he looked back and forth, whispering: “Right. Right, I understand... I just... Prestige...”

“I know. I know.” Prestige smiled a little again, and before she turned to stride quickly over to where Avalon had fallen, Antares saw the gleam of tears in her eyes, even though the mare's voice didn't hitch even a little as she said softly: “But you have a life with Meadowlark here, on this world. I have a new life, the honor of being trained as one of the first new Valkyries...”

Antares dropped his head silently as he strode towards Tender Trust, and then both unicorns looked up and over their shoulders at almost the same time, staring across the distance that separated them, seeing the pain in each other's eyes before Prestige whispered: “But I still believe believe that... if two unicorns are meant to be together... time and distance, life and death... nothing can truly separate them. If one day we're meant to be together... we'll be together again.”

The glossy-black stallion smiled faintly at this, nodding slowly and lowering his head, and there was silence for a few moments before an explosion shook the night, and Prestige closed her eyes and turned quickly around as Antares returned his own eyes to the half-Phooka in front of him, horn beginning to glow brightly and Tender Trust moaning and writhing as he reached down and touched her stomach. Much as he cared for all his friends, for Ponyville, for everything, though... all he could think about was Prestige Luster, and how he would give it all up if he could only be with her.

Thesis felt it: he felt Protelea's death as he sat silently in an apple orchard near Ponyville, his back against one tree and hooves folded in his lap. He trembled in disbelief, shaking his head slowly as he whispered: “This isn't possible. This cannot be happening. Cheshire stolen from me, Psukhikos blind and... insane, and now Protelea... my... my friends are all gone...”

He trembled, then slammed a hoof against the ground and gritted his teeth, looking up with a snarl before he stood up and shouted furiously in the direction of Ponyville: “I could have killed you all with my bare hooves at any time I wanted! I could have let my army burn down everything around your squalid little village! I could have easily taken you against your will! Why won't you just help me? Why have you all turned against me?”

Thesis turned around and swung a hoof into the apple tree behind him, crunching in the trunk and sending apples spilling in all directions before the stallion bared his fangs and looked slowly down at the ground, whispering: “Mother was right. I've been far too nice to them, and far too kind to Kismet. Now it's time to get even. Now it's time to show them that I am not to be trifled with.”

The stallion turned back around, gazing towards Ponyville before he growled and slammed both front hooves into the ground as the pistons on his back began to pump, his muscles flexing and bulging, his eyes glowing as the ground in front of him transformed into a circle of thick black mire. It bubbled before beginning to swirl, slowly at first... but then rapidly gaining speed, turning into a whirlpool of dark poison as Thesis ordered in an enraged voice: “Rise, pawns: rise and go to war. Rip them, tear them, kill them... make them suffer. Make them die!”

The whirlpool became a terrible dark tunnel, waves of malice emanating from it before hideous, vicious beasts began to rip up out of the whirlpool, Thesis stepping backwards and watching with cold anger as the quadrupedal, emaciated monsters snarled and charged towards Ponyville, smashing their way through the fencing around the orchard as more and more flooded up out of the vortex. The Replicant felt only a moment of regret as he watched the creatures storm towards the village, but it was quickly swallowed up as he shouted to the deaf night: “This is all your fault! You could have stopped this, you made me do this!”

The mire monsters thronged towards the village, quickly forming into packs that carelessly smashed their way through their own allies, scrabbling over larger creatures and simply trampling smaller ones as they barked and roared and left splatters of black ooze in their wake. They slammed through the ripped-apart gates like a tidal wave and charged mindlessly for the nearest target they could see, not seeming to even notice any ally unfortunate enough to be between the monsters and their prey.

Morning Glory's chains snapped around her, ripping two mire beasts that dove at her to shreds even as she finished crushing a Dullahan to pieces beneath a hoof, cursing in frustration. She and a few others were still holding here, near the gates, but most of their forces had been forced back, as the buildings burned around them and they fought in a fog of war created by flame and smoke and ashes.

The Destroyer was bleeding heavily, but invigorated by her own wounds and the battle around her, even though she was missing plenty of metal plates from her body and her mask had been cracked in half. All that mattered to her was that they were still keeping the enemy back in spite of the impossible odds against them.

Ahead, Selene smiled calmly, hovering in the air and looking as calm as ever as her galactic eyes gazed with detached interest over the battlefield. A phalanx of Dullahan began to stride forwards, shields raised and followed by several mostly-rotten unicorns with veins of corruption pulsing through their bodies, hurling fireballs in every direction with flicks of their horns.

“Foolish children.” Selene said softly, and she closed her galactic eyes for a moment before dropping her head forwards. The world rumbled with her power before there was a single, titanic blast, the platoon of Dullahan blown apart as their bodies were crushed like tin cans and the face of the structure they had been passing crumpling inwards, sending burning beams and an avalanche of wood spilling over the few headless knights that had survived and the unicorns behind them.

Selene smiled calmly, then looked up almost curiously as a mire beast snarled at her, seeing the creature leaping off a burning roof too late before it slammed into her and drove the Nephilim to the ground. And immediately, more surged forwards, biting and clawing and tearing at the Nephilim, sending up a hail of feathers and flower petals and red, red blood before Morning Glory charged forwards and snapped her horn outwards, unleashing a blast of both telekinesis and purification that flung the mire beasts backwards and shattered them into heaps of clay and porcelain.

Morning Glory cursed as she looked down at the wounded, bleeding Nephilim, but Selene only smiled calmly up at her, opening her galactic eyes and saying softly, as if nothing was wrong: “Go. We must not be useless to Mother. Or stay, and you will die too.”

The Destroyer felt a chill run through her spine before she looked over her shoulder, roaring to the few survivors still fighting and holding back as much as they could: “Retreat and regroup!”

The demon turned and began to sprint, not waiting to see if the others were following her orders, and Selene lay brokenly on the ground, still smiling up at the night sky and studying the moon lovingly, tenderly, even as Thesis' forces laughed and roared their assumed victory. Many of them gave chase, a few trampling the Nephilim, but she neither noticed nor cared.

She thought that among the stars and planets and galaxies, she could see her blood-mother looking down at her: that Heaven was somewhere out there in space, where all the angels could watch them with their never-ending disdain. She didn't know what was better or worse: the compassionless angels above, or the primal demons below. All she knew was that she was made of both, and had the feelings of both... but power she now understood hadn't been too little to please her mother, but so much that she had been abandoned out of fear.

Selene closed her eyes, and the moon and stars all pulsed with her concentration: her eyes opened, and they reflected the night sky above for a single moment, the moon giving her a pupil, stars twinkling in black irises before she whispered: “Goodbye.”

Morning Glory wasn't sure what happened: all she knew was that she felt something terrible and powerful behind her, that she heard the eager howls and roars turn to screams of terror and fear before there was a... a gasp. And then light, shining so brightly she didn't dare to look back, clenching her eyes shut and running as hard and fast as she could before a rumble echoed through the night.

And then sound and presence were both simply gone, and Morning Glory staggered to a halt as she finally gave in to the urge to glance over her shoulder, and wished immediately that she hadn't. That she could have just kept running forwards, and never looked back ever again, and never stopped.

Only a few meters behind her, the ground had been stained gray, like all the color had been stolen from the world. There were few real buildings left, instead only ashes, and broken frameworks that were slowly dissolving in places into char, the largest structures now nothing more than skeletal stacks of sticks. And no life, neither friend or foe: just... emptiness, all the way to the gates.

The air was still trembling faintly, and Morning Glory slowly turned around and strode towards the ruination before reaching hesitantly out... and shivering as she felt like her hoof felt like it passed into jelly, but she saw only thin air. But the air itself had become heavy, and the Destroyer shuddered before a hoof grasped her shoulder and shook her firmly.

She looked blankly towards Burning Desire, who smiled faintly up at her as he whispered: “Come on. There was... we're not done yet.”

Sister nodded hesitantly to brother, then shook herself out before gritting her teeth and turning to continue towards the center of Ponyville and the square. The enemies that had been here had fled at the show of power, likely terrified out of their minds by the thought that whatever had done that would be coming back after them... except Morning Glory didn't quite think that Selene would be coming back after that. She shuddered a little, but felt her mind and strength returning as she looked around at the people quickly gathering, many of them staring up at her, desperate for some kind of leadership.

“Where are Celestia and Sleipnir?” Morning Glory asked sharply, and then she cursed under her breath as ponies only looked back and forth fearfully. “Luna Brynhild? Twilight Sparkle?”

There was silence, and Burning Desire shook his head before he looked up and whispered: “No one's sure about anything. We're... look at us. We're what you've got.”

Morning Glory gritted her teeth, and then Pinkamena called clearly, as she helped drag a mare in beautiful golden armor to her hooves: “We're all you should goddamn need. Who gives crowbait's flank where those glory hogs are? Let them deal with whatever the hell they've got to, we have you, and you have us, and I for one wouldn't want it any other way right now.”

The Destroyer looked across at Pinkamena for a moment, and then she smiled grimly as her eyes roved over them. Only a few real soldiers, and a lot of misfits. And yet she didn't feel worried, as her eyes managed to pick up on Courtly Love... the stupid goddamn idiot who had followed her across the Bifrost for reasons she still couldn't fathom. The stallion who was also apparently dumb enough to think she hadn't seen through his disguise the moment she'd seen him.

She saw demons, a few half-demons ready to fight alongside mares and stallions and a few Nibelung that all glowed with radiance in her eyes: warriors sent from Valhalla to fight alongside them and help survive this attack. She saw soldiers and knights like Spike alongside tricksters like Nightmares and Discombobulation, and scared but determined ponies who refused to stay out of the fight and wanted to defend their homes, and the people who lived in this village.

Morning Glory turned around, reaching up to silently touch the crest of Magister hanging from her necklace, and then she said calmly: “Then listen closely, and get ready. If any of you are cowards, now is your time to run, because I refuse to give another inch of ground to Thesis. I refuse to let down my friends, or let him take a little filly away from her family, or her family away from that little filly.”

There were shouts of agreement, and Morning Glory smiled coldly as she cracked her neck before she and Burning Desire gazed at each other, then traded a firm nod. And by the time Thesis could marshal his soldiers into some excuse for formation and march his hodgepodge army of monsters and Clockwork creatures through the scarred northern section of the city, the people of Ponyville had gathered into one united front where demon, angel, and mortal all waited side-by-side.

Morning Glory stood in the center, Burning Desire on one side of her and Pinkamena the other, grinning darkly as she licked her bloody lips. And Thesis strode quickly through the front of his battle line, shaking his head in disbelief as mire beasts growled and glared with their soulless, wax-like eyes.

The Replicant stared across at these defiant ponies, mouthing slowly before he leaned forwards and whispered: “What is the meaning of this? Look at you... bloody, dying, weak! Either you get out of my way, or you know that I will force you out of my way... there's no possible chance you can stop me now. It's too late, and you're all too far gone.”

“Try us.” Morning Glory replied coldly, and Thesis narrowed his eyes before the Destroyer cracked her neck as Pinkamena pulled her axe off her back and slammed the blade down into the ground, her teeth bared. “Your army will not keep fighting once you die.”

“Enough! Push your way through them! The filly is in the library, we'll find the cowards that are hiding from us after we claim her!” Thesis shouted, then he pointed forwards and snarled: “Teach these... these ignorant puppets what kind of force they are dealing with!”

The mire beasts surged forwards with howls and roars, followed by a haphazard wave of Dullahan and barbarian Nibelung that had no purpose left in life but to die, weapon raised high in eagerness. Morning Glory only grinned, then snapped her horn forwards, blasting several of the mire beasts in front of her into pieces before hastily-homemade explosives were flung down from the nearby rooftops into the crowded army, and Pegasi carrying thick blankets suddenly shot over the heads of Thesis' forces.

The blankets didn't just act like nets when they fell over clumps of soldiers: they were also soaked in chemical fuel, and ponies with torches and firebombs aimed as best they could for these large, wide targets. The entire packed column of soldiers began to panic around Thesis, even as plenty of demons and monsters continued to flood forwards around the Replicant, eager only for battle and not caring if that meant burning to death themselves.

Pinkamena's axe slashed back and forth through mire beasts even as the sheer flood of soldiers began to force them back into the square, the Devourer snarling as her body expanded against her ribbed armor, popping loose plates and rungs of steel. Then a Nibelung leapt at her, swinging its own axe down, and Pinkamena grinned as she tilted her head to the side, catching the haft in her jaws and biting through the wood before replying with a savage rending slice of her own axe that cut the Helheim-corrupted dwarf in half. “Sixty-seven!”

She turned too late to see the Dullahan's sword coming towards her, but it was halted by a kite shield before a powerful hook slammed into the headless knight with such tremendous force that the suit of armor all but exploded, Sleipnir grinning over at the demon. “Sixty-eight, my phoenix!”

“Can't just stay gone, can you, asshole?” Pinkamena grinned all the same, eyes burning with joy and battlelust and pride as she and her husband fought savagely side-by-side, ripping a swathe through the enemies around them before the demon asked sharply: “Where's Princess Sunshine?”

“The clinic was attacked, but fortunately we had aid... aid that... there!” Sleipnir almost absently slapped a Dullahan out of the way so that Pinkamena could lean back against him, glancing quickly in the direction the stallion indicated before she grinned despite herself at the sight of Antares and Prestige at the head of a group of Starlit Knights and soldiers from Valhalla.

The glossy black unicorn blasted a mire beast backwards with a lash of purification that turned it to clay, shattering against a Dullahan and making it stagger before Prestige snapped her own horn forwards and blew the Dullahan apart with a fireball. Then her eyes widened as a Nibelung ran at her with a spear, but Antares leapt over the mare and stomped both rear hooves down on the neck of the weapon, knocking it into the ground. The Nibelung gargled as it almost impaled itself on the butt of the spear, and then Antares' shield whipped across the dwarf's face, knocking it flat in a broken heap.

“There!” Antares didn't even have to shout, his eyes telling Prestige all she had to know, and the mare snapped her horn to the side, sending a blast of lighting hammering down from the skies and into a massive, minotaur-like demon, making it howl and arch its back as it staggered drunkenly instead of clawing into the ponies in front of it.

A bloody half-demon stallion looked up with a wince, and then the crimson Pegasus snarled and spun around, his wings spreading and flexing as they took on a scaly sheen. One slashed like a blade through the knee of the bull-creature, making it roar in pain as it fell to a kneel before Riffraff reared up and spat a blast of flames into the demon's face.

It leaned back with a hiss, and then a Yamato plowed into its stomach, knocking it bowing forwards before a charred Rainbow Dash shot down and slammed both his rear hooves into the back of the bull-demon's head, finally knocking it senseless as both Riff and the Yamato quickly dodged out of the way of the falling giant. A mire beast leapt for the Pegasus, but it was blasted into pieces by a fireball from Burning Desire before he suddenly grinned and flicked his horn towards Morning Glory as the Destroyer looked towards a dragon that was currently shoving and ripping its way through the ranks of Thesis' own army towards them, one of its wings missing and most of its skull bare to the world, tubes of corruption sticking out of its back and cables keeping the poison powering it pumping through its body.

Morning Glory dropped and readied herself as her mane and tail flared up and light began to build over her body, eyes glowing before she burst into bright golden flames as she charged straight at the dragon, Burning Desire pouring all his energy towards her. Mire beasts attempted to pounce on him, but hammered instead into the walls of a barrier that formed around him as Shiny staggered up beside the Passion, dragging a broken leg and the gatling gun over his back hammered into pieces, but the Clockwork Pony more alive now than he had ever been in the past.

The dragon roared and leaned forwards to try and snatch up Morning Glory... and the demon dove straight into its jaws with a roar before lashing her horn upwards as she continued to charge, obliterating most of its skull and charging along the back of its neck as it convulsed once, the dragon catching aflame with the golden, purifying fire as she stormed up onto its back and stood atop it, glaring down over Thesis' gathered army and shouting: “Flee, cowards! Flee or die!”

At the sight of the dragon collapsing and burning, at the sight of the Destroyer posed atop it, wreathed in golden flames, her eyes glaring down into their very souls, many of those who could still think turned to follow her advice. Thesis' army began to break up, no longer simply confused and demoralized, but losing faith in their leader and feeling a growing terror and awe of what they had thought would be an easy conquest.

But the mire beasts were continuing to push forwards, seeming to come from almost everywhere, and even as hope began to grow, it was curdled as there was a loud, overeager roar from another corrupted dragon that had slammed its way through another gate, and was now inadvertently flanking the army, followed by a horde of Soldier Drones and eager Nibelung barbarians. And another roar joined the chorus as a second dragon rampaged towards them from the west, with a few Dullahan following in its wake.

Cowlick snarled, looking towards this almost-lone dragon before she looked down at the tripod she had been frantically bolting into place, then spat to the side before simply grabbing Artemis. She yanked the anti-materiel rifle to the edge of the platform and sat up as she rose the weapon as best she could, using the lip of the platform to steady the gun as she aimed down through the scope and snarled: “Hold the door for me when you get to hell, asshole.”

Cowlick pulled the trigger, and couldn't even scream when the recoil of the massive gun slammed it back into her shoulder and snapped bones like brittle twigs, sending both her and the weapon crashing backwards as she coughed blood. But the bullet flew true, slamming through the skull of the dragon and blowing apart most of its skull, sending it tumbling face-first into the ground and sprawling across the road with a gurgle.

The other dragon was still rushing towards them, but then it stumbled as one of the Nibelung in front of it was crushed by an anvil, glancing down at this before snarling as it looked up and saw the two Draconequus standing at the end of the road. Discord grinned and cracked his neck as Discombobulation punched his hand into his metal fist, and the dragon growled before springing forwards with a furious roar.

Discord began to make a violent series of dropping motions, sending enormous weights, anvils, pianos, and other objects of all shape and size slamming down into the dragon and the soldiers around it, the massive, corrupted reptile staggering back and forth under the hail but continuing to charge as Discombobulation slowly drew his metallic fist back.

Energy flickered through the air around him before Discord suddenly winked as the dragon drew in close, half-spinning and making a sharp upwards-rising motion, and the street exploded upwards in a tidal wave of sand and rock that washed over the dragon, blinding and stunning it as it staggered to a halt right in front of them.

Discombobulation stepped forwards into a punch that fell just short of the dragon's muzzle, his fist outstretched as the dragon blinked and shook its head out, then snarled before Discombobulation calmly flicked it under the chin with one finger, and the beast's head snapped back like it had just been uppercut by a giant, rearing backwards before Discord pronounced a multicolored pinion and waved it back and forth with one hand, shouting with malicious cheer: “I love a good demolition derby!”

A massive machine on enormous spiked tires sprung out of nowhere, crashing down on top of the dragon and crushing it onto its back as the tires spun, ripping up its soft underbelly as it howled in misery, and Discombobulation calmly produced an enormous, old-fashioned detonator plunger, dropping this on the ground in front of him and grasping the large handle in both hands as he remarked pleasantly back to Discord: “I love a good demolition.”

The Draconequus shoved firmly down on the plunger, and the explosion that resulted rocked the entire area, Thesis looking up with a snarl of disbelief from the rooftop he had retreated to in order to get a better view of the battle. But a moment later his eyes widened as he sensed his mire beasts concentrating on the library, shoving forwards while all the other soldiers of Ponyville were concentrating on trying to fight back against the hordes of monsters he had brought against them...

A demon seized into the massive safety shutter with four powerful claws, then tore it free before shrieking when a stoic Wrath demon seized the six-legged demon by the tail and yanked him backwards, then turned and spun to fling the smaller beast through the air. And then Atrus grimaced as he looked up, even as the faintest snarl tensed his features as his claws smashed and tore through mire beasts charging towards the library... but there were simply too many, and one of them was already crashing through the door-

Cheshire roared and stepped forwards, slamming the back of a broken hoof into a mire beast hard enough to reduce it to sludge before seizing another by the throat, crushing it like a toy. Mire beasts flooded forwards and bit and attacked him, but Cheshire flung them around like ragdolls, ignoring the little damage they could do to his body.

Several mire beasts suddenly tore past, but they ran straight into Eventide, who smashed one of them into sludge, but she was tackled backwards into the corridor by two more, and Cheshire shouted a denial as he flung off the other creatures attacking him, not caring or seeing them as one of the mire beasts leapt past Eventide and smashed open the door to the bedroom that Innocence was in.

The filly screamed in terror from Scarlet Sage's embrace, Ratatoskr and Abaddon both hissing at the intruder as it began to leap forwards, but Cheshire's broken claw caught the mire beast by the skull before turning and flinging it savagely enough into a wall to leave nothing but a black stain. He began to spin around with a snarl... and then there was a hoof at his throat, and Cheshire stared down as Thesis looked up at him with incredulity.

“What are you doing?” Thesis asked in disbelief, and then he slowly turned his head to stare into the room, at pregnant Scarlet Sage, at Innocence... before he frowned and stared at the pseudodragon. Abaddon snarled at him, and Thesis shook his head slowly before leaning forwards, staring into Abaddon's eyes before the pseudodragon began to tremble violently as the corruption that made up the pet's body boiled, and Thesis said quietly: “Do you feel that through your stupid little toy, Scrivener Blooms? Come and get me. I'm about to take your daughter. Both your daughters.

“And Cheshire...” Thesis slowly turned his eyes towards the trembling, staring behemoth, snarling up at him as he jerked his head down. “Are you a bad pony? Do I have to treat you like a bad pony, and punish you for your disobedience? Are you a bad pony or are you going to help me, your friend? Are you a bad pony, Cheshire, or are you going to fulfill your purpose?”

Cheshire trembled violently, then stared towards Innocence as the filly screamed and curled back against Scarlet Sage, as the Pegasus hugged the baby to her body, shaking her head as tears spilled down her cheeks before Cheshire began to shake harder, then turned his amethyst eyes to Thesis, locking them with his. “Not... bad pony...”

Thesis began to smile... and then one of Cheshire's broken claws seized him around the throat and hefted him into the air, the Replicant choke and grabbing uselessly at the pony's foreleg as the behemoth snarled in fury. “You bad pony!”

Cheshire brought his other broken hoof upwards, dropping Thesis only so he could slam a vicious punch with all his strength behind it into the helpless Replicant, Thesis flying through the room and smashing through both a window and a shutter, chunks of glass and a bent steel sheet flying through the battlefield outside the square before Thesis hit the ground and bounced limply once. And immediately, all fighting stopped as the mire beasts simply dissolved and all eyes turned with shock to stare at Thesis, who was laying on his back, breathing hard and staring disbelievingly up at the sky.

Then Cheshire leapt out of the library with a roar, and a moment later he was on top of Thesis, slamming crushing blow after blow down into Thesis' features, pummeling the Replicant back into the ground. A natural arena formed around the two, all eyes only able to watch before Thesis finally managed to kick Cheshire off him, staggering up to his hooves.

The two faced each other, black blood dripping out of Thesis' jaws, his eyes stunned, wordless, as Cheshire grasped at his own skull and clenched his eyes shut, then he looked up and shouted: “They are... they... friends! My friends!”

“I... I... I was your only friend! We were brothers, family!” Thesis said incredulously, shaking his head wildly and looking down, then he gazed up with a snarl, black tears spilling down his cheeks. “How could you betray me like this! I took care of you! I gave you purpose!”

Cheshire only shook his head, and then Thesis snarled furiously, pointing at him with a hoof and snapping: “Don't you look at me like that, you're siding with the traitor, the bad ponies, the scum! Have you forgotten who you are? What you are? What meaning is there to a life without purpose... I gave you purpose! I gave you a reason to exist! How dare you throw all that back in my face?”

“Purpose... I have purpose.” Cheshire replied after another moment of struggling, straightening and raising his head proudly. “I am... not... bad pony. I am not a hunting animal!”

“I was giving you meaning! I never punished you beyond your capacity to repair!” Thesis replied almost desperately, and then he gestured past the behemoth towards Scarlet Sage, who was in the doorway, staring out with Innocence as Eventide stayed close beside them. “There's still enough time to make up for your mistake, Cheshire, now you stop being a bad pony and help me punish these bad ponies. Do you understand me, Cheshire? You are a-”

“Not Cheshire... Riordan. Riordan, not Cheshire!” the behemoth interrupted, his amethyst eyes glaring down at Thesis before he looked slowly up as Scrivener, Luna, Twilight and Celestia managed to shove their way to the front of a crowd of friends and enemies that was all mixed together, for the moment all thought of battle still forgotten. “You will not touch her. I... I will not let you hurt them!”

“So... so that's the way this is going to be.” Thesis nodded a few times, looking down and trembling before he shook his head with disgust and held up a hoof, whispering as the pistons on his back began to pump and hiss: “Goodbye, Cheshire.”

Riordan snarled, then began to step forwards... but then his eyes drew down in surprise as his rear leg refused to move. And his eyes widened in shock as his coat rippled before becoming crystalline, the corruption that made up his body turning to obsidian gemstone as all eyes stared in horror. The Replicant twisted back and forth as if trying to free himself, but as he reared back, half of his body had already turned to gemstone that was already beginning to crack, continuing to petrify before he looked over his shoulder at Innocence with concern... but it wasn't fear for himself, but for the little filly. He saw her cry out, reaching for him, shrieking... and Riordan forced a smile for the filly even as his neck turned to gemstone, before his eyes slid closed as his features froze.

Thesis swept his hoof to the side, and Innocence screamed as the stallion shattered into flakes of gemstone and rubble, spilling down in a broken pile of rock and obsidian and a bit of sludge. Scrivener stared in disbelief at this, trembling violently as a terrible stillness filled the air, and then Thesis strode forwards, eyes locking on Innocence even as he started in a contemptible voice: “And that is only a glimpse of what I am capable of. No more mercy or quarter will be given, and-”

Scrivener leapt forwards and tackled Thesis, the two rolling together before the Replicant flung the charcoal stallion away and rolled up to his hooves, snapping: “I have already won, why are you-”

He was interrupted by Luna diving at him, but the Replicant turned to seize her by the face, throwing her towards the ground; Luna caught herself low on all fours, and even as he raised a hoof to stomp on her, Twilight Sparkle snapped her horn forwards, sending a blast of lightning hammering into the head of the Replicant and knocking him staggering. He snarled and began to step forward, his pistons starting to pump again... before Celestia slammed Tyrfing cruelly down into one of the lower pistons, the machinery crackling and Thesis' eyes bulging as he arched his back, before screaming when Luna flung herself upwards and her glowing soulstone horn tore through his breast.

Black blood gushed out over Luna's features before Thesis stomped savagely on her, pinning her beneath one hoof before one of Scrivener's slammed across the Replicant's face, knocking him staggering. He tried to raise his other hoof, and Celestia slammed a vicious, full-swing blow of Tyrfing into his side, knocking him off his hooves.

Scrivener caught the back of the Replicant's head in a claw and shoved him down as Luna leapt up from the ground and swung her hoof up, and the blow shattered Thesis' muzzle and visibly crunched in part of his features as he was knocked limply sideways. He hit the ground and rolled once, blood running from his broken face as he trembled on the ground and slowly picked himself up, staggering up to his hooves and staring weakly over at the ponies before his eyes widened in horror as Luna and Scrivener both charged suddenly forwards, Twilight baring her fangs and a snarl of fury spreading over Celestia's own features as Thesis screamed: “Kismet!”

Luna and Scrivener dove forwards as Celestia and Twilight both sent blasts of tremendous magic force towards Thesis, and a moment later both ponies and blasts of gold and blue flame hammered into Kismet as he appeared in front of Thesis with his limbs spread. The death entity was knocked staggering backwards as Scrivener and Luna fell back and Twilight and Celestia leapt forwards, assembling in a line as Luna shouted, tears flooding down her cheeks: “Get out of the way! Get out of the way so we may tear the monster apart, as thou knows he deserves!”

“I am sorry.” Kismet whispered, breathing hard and leaning forwards as sapphire and golden flames burned over his body, while Thesis reached quickly back, grabbing desperately at the broken metal piston. “With every fiber of my being... I wish I could... you must go through me...”

“So be it.” Luna whispered, and she and Scrivener both snarled before running forwards as Kismet calmly lowered his head. But then, before either of them could plow into the death entity, Thesis managed to rip the broken piston away from his back, the machine spurting corruption even as the other pistons began to pump properly and he shoved a hoof against the ground.

A black wave of mire exploded from the earth beneath Kismet, the death entity crying out in agony as it became blades that tore through his own lower body and formed a deadly wall of spikes that Luna and Scrivener almost ran straight into. They barely managed to skid to a halt as Kismet fell backwards, and all eyes saw too late Thesis had vanished from behind the death entity.

Something seized the back of Twilight Sparkle's collar, yanking her backwards and into the air as she choked, and Thesis snarled as his eyes blazed, pistons pumping on his back and spurting from the broken machinery as he shouted: “I elect this soul to pay the reaper's fee!”

Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and Scrivener Blooms all looked up in horror as Kismet shouted a denial, before scythes seemed to swing out of the air itself, slamming into Twilight's body from all sides, ripping deep into the Lich's very spirit as she gurgled and blood ran from her body. Innocence screamed as Thesis only held the mare high like a trophy, as reapers faded in holding the weapons buried through the violet winged unicorn.

And then, moving in terrible synchronization, the reapers all twisted and ripped their scythes through Twilight's body, sending up a spray of gore and ghostly energy that filtered formlessly upwards like fog. The Lich's remains turned to ash even before they hit the ground, and Scrivener and Luna both howled as Celestia was only able to shake her head wordlessly, Tyrfing falling helplessly from her grip as the mare collapsed to her knees.

Thesis turned, grinning still, pointing towards Innocence as he began to open his mouth as the six reapers all followed his gesture... but before Thesis could speak, Kismet appeared between them, shielding them with his body as he said quietly: “You have gone too far, Thesis. Too far now.”

“I've gone too far? Look at them all!” Thesis shouted furiously, his pistons still pumping, a snarl on his features before he glared over at Celestia, striding over to her and slapping her hard, knocking her senselessly to the ground as she only trembled, staring at where Twilight's collar lay in a pile of ashes. “They are weak! And pathetic! And I have been kind and generous to them all the same and how, just how did they repay me, Kismet? Betrayal, dishonor, cowardice!”

“Thou art the coward!” Luna lunged up to her hooves, charging at Thesis as Scrivener followed after her, but the Replicant turned and slammed a hoof into her face, knocking her to the ground. It made Scrivener stumble, and Thesis seized the stallion by the neck before slamming him down on top of Luna, and Scrivener howled in agony as he was pinned on Luna's horn, the sapphire mare gargling as she felt the same deep wound rip through her own back, spasming violently.

“I have been too kind. Too generous. Fine, Kismet. I don't have the patience to argue with you anymore. I don't have the patience to play with these weaklings anymore, these ignorant pathetic mortals who don't understand even this army I sent after them is... is dust in the wind compared to what I could do! And I don't want to have anything to do with them, either. Let them die here, in their precious home...” Thesis snarled again, then he slammed a hoof down into Scrivener's chest, and the stallion's eyes bulged before he arched his back and screamed as the Replicant growled: “I'll just take what I need to activate my dormant genes, and retrieve the rest after the vultures have their way with this village.”

Scrivener's flesh boiled as he felt the corruption in his body being manipulated, twisted, and Thesis grasping something... and a moment later, agony became indescribable, overcoming even the pain from his likely-pierced lung as Thesis tore a rib out of his chest, neatly wrapped in a layer of thick corruption. “There. And from you...”

He reached down, and Scrivener tried to reach up, attempted to seize Thesis by the throat as his hoof snapped apart into a claw, trying to force him back, but Thesis only slapped this away as Celestia stared mutely. Then Thesis seized Luna's wing before twisting savagely, and Luna and Scrivener both howled before the sapphire mare gargled as Thesis simply ripped her wing completely free from her body, shaking it briskly like it had been no harder than tearing the wing off a fly.

Then he looked coldly over his shoulder at Kismet, asking in a disgusted voice: “Are you happy? I've shown them much more mercy than they deserve. Let's leave.” He halted, then snarled down at Scrivener, who was only staring weakly up at Thesis now. “I offered you a chance to help me, don't you ever forget that! I offered you a chance to be complete... all I wanted was help! And I have tried to make this easy every step of the way. I could have easily come here, at any point in time, and killed you. Harvested this whole town by myself. Instead, I have tried to make my generosity and power clear in other ways, and... and look at this mess! We could have worked together, become whole side-by-side, and instead, instead, this! This is all your fault, Cheshire's death, that is-”

“Enough.” Kismet said quietly, and the death entity glanced over at the reapers still floating ominously above Twilight's remains, gesturing to them. They vanished, and then Kismet bowed his head forwards, grasping the back of Thesis' neck before he looked silently down at Scrivener and Luna. “I'm sorry. We should return to your homeworld now, Thesis. I'm sure you're eager to be home, and Endworld is doubtlessly the only place where you can complete your plans, correct?”

Thesis only spat to the side in disgust as he cradled the parts torn from Luna and Scrivener up against his chest, and a moment later he and Kismet simply vanished. And all that was left was silence, except for Innocence's sobs, as stunned, uneasy enemies looked back and forth between each other.

That was until the spikes of corruption that Thesis had created turned to gray stone... and a moment later, a Nightmare that had been infused with Thesis' corruption collapsed forwards with a gasp and a whimper as gray sludge bled out of its body, before its eyes widened in shock as it looked down at itself before hurriedly vanishing and fleeing. Soldier Drones and Worker Drones both went from standing stock-still to turning gray and listless, losing their source of guidance and energy, and Dullahan turned to flee, leaving only a few battle-hardened Nibelung.

One of these began to raise an axe to pointlessly attack the pony next to it... and it simply exploded in a hail of gore and a flash of light that made all present stare in shock as Celestia slowly stood up, a snarl on her features as she looked back and forth and shouted furiously: “If you are an enemy, you have thirty seconds to leave Ponyville! After that, you die, no surrender or quarter!”

Thankfully, many of the enemy that hadn't already turned to flee took this as their chance to leave. Only a few of the most insane, most-tormented rose their weapons, asking for a death they quickly received. And yet none of it mattered to Celestia, as she numbly looked down at Luna and Scrivener, who could only tremble on the ground, broken and defeated. As she looked at the pile of ashes that had been Twilight Sparkle, unable to know if there was enough of the Lich's spirit left in Luna and Scrivener for her to ever live again... as she heard Innocence, crying for a mother she might no longer have, and a friend who none of them had gotten a chance to ever truly know.

Author's Note:

Vs. Protelea [Final]: Wintersun - Battle Against Time

Comments

[AXl711]

You bastard! You damn bastard! Cheshire I kind of expected, but Twilight!? That was going too far!

[hellcatte]

Are you sure you're not evil?