Synthesis of the Atheist

by BlackRoseRaven

Memento Mori

Chapter Eighty: Memento Mori
~BlackRoseRaven

Luna Brynhild gritted her teeth as she dodged quickly to the the side, before Prúðbikkja struck outwards like a cobra, stabbing deep into the chest of the griffin across from her: it barely flinched, grabbing the neck of the spear for a moment before it toppled backwards, the metal armor fused into its body clanking loudly against the ground as it fell still. Luna tore her spear quickly free with a burst of blood and feathers, flicking it up just quickly enough to block a swing of the razor-sharp claws of another of the augmented griffins.

She lashed back at it with her spear, but this one was fast enough to bring up one of its forelimbs, blocking the attack with one of the small shields fused just above its talon. It launched itself backwards, eyes dead, features emotionless, before beginning to leap at Luna again... except Scrivener Blooms managed to leap in and grab it by the back of the skull, ramming it beak-first into the stone and leaving it in a dead sprawl.

Luna looked up with a snarl as another creature began to rumble towards them: it shoved itself along on its hind legs and a massive, gear-like toothed wheel that clanked through its chest in place of front legs, giving it a horrible tricycle-like appearance. It was made of ugly metal plates, with glowing glass eyes and a mane and tail made of heavy chains that ended in pyramidal spikes.

Its head twisted back and forth as its jaw fell open before it began to howl miserably, and Luna flinched as anti-magic sparked over her horn, feeling the aura growing stronger and beginning to blur her vision with stains of reds and blacks. But before it could darken her senses completely, the mare yanked Sting Mk. II off her back and took aim, firing a single round through the monster's skull and blowing most of its head away before the rest of the creature followed in a tremendous explosion of anti-magic energy.

Scrivener winced a bit, and Luna flinched at the painful crackle of anti-magic along her horn, but then she shook herself quickly out before straightening and shouldering her gun, breathing calmly and looking back and forth with disgust as she muttered: “Well, at least that takes care of that.”

A single Dullahan was still alive, but it was laying in a broken heap, missing one of its hind legs and looking like a mashed tin can. The rest of the enemy forces had been crushed: broken metal plates, corpses of the elite, terribly-agile griffin creatures called Hoplites, and pieces of ruined Hobby Horse monstrosity lay all around the area, the stallion glancing up at the sky and Luna quickly holstering her rifle as she muttered to herself: “Let us force our way inside before more of those damnable griffin-freaks attack. I am so truly glad that they prefer to keep to themselves back in Looking Glass World.”

Scrivener only grunted, and the two shared a nod before they headed quickly forwards across the square, both glancing up at the open portcullis warily as they passed through the archway and entered into the courtyard beyond. Both ponies traded looks... then Luna closed her eyes slowly as the gate crashed down behind them, and Scrivener winced over his shoulder at the now-shut entrance. “Well. Crap.”

“Wonderful.” The sapphire mare looked back and forth, then grimaced a bit and repressed a shudder: this 'yard' was really just a straight walkway to a set of closed double-doors, and there was nothing else around except for gravel and a few larger chunks of stone here and there. In other words, a completely-open area, as both ponies apprehensively looked upwards and scanned what was lurking above... except what they saw wasn't a waiting ambush, but a net of electrified metal wire that they both doubted anything could slip through with ease.

The two traded looks, then simply began to stride forwards, heading towards the doors: Luna narrowed her eyes as she lowered her head, and Scrivener Blooms stepped forwards, his front claws digging lightly against the pavement as they both felt a chill run through their bodies. They glanced at each other again, then shared a short nod before they both sidestepped, putting a bit of distance between themselves and careful to avoid approaching the door directly.

And as they had half-expected, as they drew close to the sides of the doors, they were suddenly smashed open and a pair of Hoplites shot out in mid-charge, but their spears dug only into cement. And a moment later, Prúðbikkja tore onto the head of one as Scrivener seized the other griffin by the back of the neck, slamming its face down into the butt of its spear before he seized it by the beak and twisted firmly, snapping its neck.

The stallion tossed the corpse aside as Luna flicked her own Hoplite off her spear, grinning ironically. “Damnation, Scrivener Blooms. This should neither excite me so much nor excite me so much, if thou understands.”

“Too well...” Scrivener murmured quietly, and Luna softened a little as the stallion glanced down at one claw, flexing it slowly before he shook his head out and looked up with a small smile. “Anyway. Let's keep moving.”

Luna nodded in agreement, then hesitated before looking pointedly at Scrivener, and the stallion glowered back at her before he sighed tiredly and carefully leaned forwards to look in through the broken-open doors. Thankfully, all he saw beyond was a hallway... a hallway that looked as sterile and eerie as this courtyard, not a single decoration on the walls as far as he could see, the only thing breaking the empty monotony the pipes that ran along the ceiling and the bright white fluorescent lights on the walls. Sterile, cold, and blank.

The stallion strode carefully inside, looking back and forth before Luna followed after him, horn glowing as she kept Prúðbikkja high in the air, poised to strike past Scrivener if necessary as the alicorn horn tip thrummed with energy. They made their way to the end of the corridor, where it divided into a T-shaped intersection, and both ponies leaned forwards to glance in either direction before Luna grimaced a little. “Damnation.”

Scrivener grunted in agreement: there were doors at the end of either hallway, both looking reinforced, nearly-identical, and without a single sign to point them in the right direction. But to their surprise, there was something like a whispering in their mind before both ponies watched with amazement as a translucent Twilight calmly strode past them, smiling over her shoulder and heading silently towards the door down the right corridor before she vanished from sight.

“And even now, Twilight guides us... how she knows, I know not. And yet all the same, I know she guides us true.” Luna whispered, and Scrivener Blooms smiled faintly and nodded slowly. The two were quiet for a moment, only gazing in the direction that the mare's spirit had gone, and then Luna finally nudged the charcoal stallion, murmuring: “Onwards. And keep sharp lookout for her, Scrivy.”

The reinforced door wasn't that hard to get open, thankfully: Luna tapped over the door, studying it meditatively until she suddenly stabbed Prúðbikkja through the armored surface with surprising ease, and Scrivener stared before the spear crackled with energy, and there was a clanking sound from inside the door before it popped suddenly ajar.

“Simple. Easier to deal with than the doors of the old reliquary Celestia once had us break into.” Luna muttered, yanking her spear back with a slight smile before she used the polearm to carefully open the door, looking hesitantly into the blank hall beyond. “Alright, Scrivy. Step quickly.”

“Thief.” Scrivener said mildly as he passed, but Luna blushed like this was a compliment instead of an insult before she followed behind him, the stallion looking back and forth before he grimaced up at the ceiling and muttered: “How regular and empty this place is... it's starting to freak me out more than a little.”

Luna grunted in agreement: they passed a few doors on either side this time, but they were all reinforced metal, and there was no feeling that any of them would lead them anywhere important. Eventually, they followed the corridor around a curve to a set of larger swinging doors, and the two pushed through these to find themselves in a massive, empty dining hall.

The tables were all metallic, lined up in straight columns and rows. Everything had that synthetic, perfect feel again, added to all the more by the fact there was some kind of enormous conveyor belt at one side of the room. Scrivener paused, before his eyes were drawn towards a flickering light near one end of the conveyor belt, where it exited through a large tunnel in the wall.

He stepped forwards, and the light became a bit more distinct in shape: Twilight again, pointing at the conveyor tunnel. Scrivener and Luna traded looks before the sapphire mare nodded with a grunt, tossing a moody look around the room: there were several exits, but she trusted much more in Twilight than she did anything else right now. And as her eyes scanned the area, the only other things she could see were image-screens flickering with light, pipes on the ceiling, irregular shapes half-hidden beside the bright lights above...

Luna's eyes widened slightly, and then she reached out and snagged Scrivener's shoulder, halting him before he could go any further. The stallion looked up at her dumbly, and then the mare shook her head slowly before muttering: “Thou may desire to wait a moment, Scrivener Blooms. We do not appear to be entirely alone here after all.”

The mare paused, then shifted Prúðbikkja to the side before she flicked her head forwards, yanking Sting Mk. II out of its holster. She caught it by the handle and aimed upwards, balancing the weapon with telekinesis as her eyes narrowed slightly before she muttered: “Disgusting abominations.”

The mare pulled the trigger, and the White Matter round blew a hole through the Hoplite silently clinging to the pipes of the ceiling some ten feet away, knocking it flying in a burst of blood and feathers. It bounced once against the ground as the other three Hoplites immediately dropped to the ground, one of them pulling a short spear off its back and flinging it in a single liquid motion while still in midair.

Scrivener Blooms moved almost as fast on instinct, wincing backwards even as one claw snapped up before his eyes widened stupidly as he caught the javelin by the neck before it could hit. He gave a dumb laugh as Luna fired off a White Matter round into one of the two already-charging griffins, then the stallion regained his senses just in time to look up before a talon slammed across his face, knocking him crashing backwards in a sprawl.

Luna winced, then snarled and swung her gun to the side, slicing across the Hoplite's neck with the bayonet in a lucky blow that sent it staggering backwards as blood gushed from its throat, and then Luna leapt forwards and stabbed fiercely outwards when the last Hoplite threw itself in a dive at her. The bayonet on the end of Sting Mk. II sank into its chest, and the Hoplite grabbed at the gun before Luna grinned and pulled the trigger, blasting the griffin backwards into a dead sprawl.

The sapphire mare flexed her jaw as Scrivener sat up with a grimace, the cuts on his face leaking corruption but already beginning to heal. He reached up and touched these almost embarrassedly, and then Luna remarked mildly: “Aye, 'tis very impressive thou art able to catch a large, sharp stick tossed at thee by a bird. Thou art a mighty warrior indeed, Scrivener.”

The stallion grunted as he rolled his head on his shoulders, watching as Luna reloaded her gun before he said dryly: “I don't like how much you seem to enjoy using that thing.”

“Shut up, Scrivy. Thou art just jealous.” Luna replied mildly, and then she shoved the rifle back into her holster before adding, as she resettled her telekinetic grip over Prúðbikkja: “But we should continue before we receive any further unpleasant surprises. Hast thou heard any word from our... 'friend' inside thy mind?”

Scrivener shook his head: Valthrudnir was strangely quiet. Maybe even a little afraid... no, he didn't want to think about that. The charcoal stallion started forwards again, crossing the cafeteria as he muttered: “It's almost a little unsettling, but...”

Luna only grunted and nodded, and there was silence until they reached the conveyor belt, and the opening in the wall it fed into. Twilight's image was gone, but both ponies felt a quiet whisper in their minds, urging them to keep going, and after a few moments the stallion hesitantly climbed up onto the conveyor and moodily ducked towards the hole, muttering: “At least it's not going to need much of a squeeze... I'll go first, let you know what I find on the other side.”

The sapphire mare nodded, and Scrivener bit his lip before he dropped low and carefully wriggled himself into the square passage. Even though he could see some other room only ten or so feet away, he couldn't help but feel more than a little claustrophobic as he wiggled his way down the short tunnel, before pausing with a wince at the other side.

Slowly, he stuck his head out, looking back and forth warily, but there was no one here: just white tile floor, a ceiling with several large vents, and cooking equipment: he was in a kitchen of some kind. The stallion yanked himself out of the hole and hopped off the conveyor to glance uneasily back and forth, then he shook his head out before muttering: “Looks safe enough... funny, though. All this emptiness, the fact I can't even see a single stain around here... this is a scary kitchen.”

Luna grunted from where she was already wriggling through the tunnel, and Scrivener took a moment to inspect the room a bit more thoroughly: it wasn't large enough for more than a few cooks... if they could even be called that, Scrivener wondered uneasily as he inspected some kind of drink dispenser, with a tall, cylindrical glass already in place and half-full of a black liquid that smelled like a mix of oil and rot. He really didn't want to imagine what it was, or what creatures drank this goo.

When Luna finally hopped out into the kitchen, she frowned around at the almost-perfection of it all before asking moodily: “Does thou think that Thesis prefers his soldiers to be more machine than mortal, or is this just mine own feelings and bias?”

Scrivener grunted and nodded after a moment, looking back and forth before he gestured towards the door leading out. “Let's keep moving and find out.”

Luna grunted, then paused before looking at the drink in the machine, and Scrivener winced before he quickly reached out and snagged the glass, dumping it upside down and pouring the sludgy liquid out. The mare glowered at him, then turned towards the door and opened it with a simple flick of her horn, muttering: “Should we survive, I demand we return here so I may sample this poison. Thou art always trying to ruin all my fun, Scrivener Blooms.”

Scrivener only sighed and smiled despite himself as he followed her out into the corridor, and both ponies fell silent as they looked up to see Twilight's spirit heading quietly down a side hall. They were quick to follow after her, trusting in the spirit of their eternal companion: they knew she wouldn't lead them wrong, just as she would find a way to warn them if there were any dangers lurking ahead.

They only came across one other group of enemies, who were guarding a pair of fortified double doors at the end of a large foyer: Dullahan, who dropped smoothly into defensive positions, as the pair of Hobby Horses behind them turned their soulless, glassy eyes towards Scrivener Blooms and Luna Brynhild. And Luna only grinned before snapping her horn forwards, sending Prúðbikkja shooting past the Dullahan and into one of the monstrosities behind them.

The Hobby Horse exploded in a tremendous blast of anti-magic and electricity, disrupting whatever mix of magic and malice held together its fellows as the second Hobby Horse blew up as well, the headless knights fallen in broken heaps of empty armor as dark smoke and electricity burst from their now-abandoned shells. Luna's spear was flung through the air, but the mare caught this before it could hit the wall, shaking her head in distaste as she muttered: “Truly, these fools shall never learn, shall they?”

Scrivener grunted after a moment in agreement, the two studying the sparking remains of the creatures before they traded looks and shrugs. Then both ponies shared a nod and strode forwards towards the double doors... and halted in surprise as Twilight appeared in front of them, gazing quickly from one to the other before she silently put her front hooves together, as if to pray.

Luna and Scrivener both frowned, before Twilight's spirit faded out of reality again, and the ponies lingered for a moment as they deciphered what the mare had meant. She had told them to prepare... to be ready for whatever was waiting for them. That meant there was something they had to force their way through on the other side... something that was dangerous, but maybe also something...

The two traded a look, and then they pushed the doors open and strode out into an enormous, rectangular courtyard. It was surrounded by high walls tipped with massive, gothic spikes, and metal, electrified wire was strung back and forth to form a ceiling between the gravelly ground and the dark, rumbling black sky high above.

Standing across from them, in front of a set of armored doors, was Kismet. The death entity was calmly reading a book in one hand, the other silver-gauntleted claw behind his back as his eyes glowed almost sorrowfully. He slowly looked up, then sighed softly as Scrivener and Luna strode towards him over the gravel and weedy grasses that were struggling up from the earth here and there, waiting for them to get close before he addressed them. “Valkyrie Brynhild. Scrivener Blooms. It's a strange, sad pleasure to meet you here, at this crucial juncture... but I'm afraid that I've been ordered to stop you by Hecate, and I must listen to her as I listen to Thesis.”

“Hecate... thou means Evil Celestia?” Luna asked curiously, and Kismet nodded slowly as he closed his book and straightened. They studied each other silently for a few moments, and then the sapphire mare grimaced and shook her head, almost imploring in a gentle voice: “Can thou not forgo these orders, and let us pass, Kismet? I have no wish to do harm unto thee.”

Kismet only chuckled quietly, looking down and murmuring softly: “As I have no ill will for you, my friends. I cannot apologize enough for what I have not done and what I have failed to do. And the sorrow I feel for the way our fortunes have foully intertwined cannot be put into words, either. But I have no choice in this matter: if I do not fight you, I will not simply die or suffer punishment. My control over the reapers is forfeited to Thesis when I disobey him, as you witnessed before...”

“And coward that he is, he will use their numbers and cunning to assassinate us. Thou art strangely... giving, Kismet.” Luna smiled faintly, shaking her head slowly before she closed her eyes and lowered her head forwards. “I do not know if I could maintain such honor. Very well, it seems as if we have no choice but to engage in one final conflict, for once and all: and Kismet, thou hast my word that... we shall be merciful.”

“What have you been reading?” Scrivener asked suddenly, looking up, and Kismet seemed to smile at him kindly through his glowing eyes as he rose the old book and turned it around, showing that there was no title, no author, nothing but a thick black cover.

“This is a Testament, Scrivener Blooms. It has an endless amount of pages, and contained within it are the thoughts and beliefs of those souls whom I have had the privilege of meeting on my journeys.” Kismet said softly, bowing his head politely towards him. “It helps me understand and study what makes them who they are... it is why I believe that even if you both fear yourselves, your desires, and the darkness both within and without... you will survive.”

Kismet halted, then he flicked his wrist, and the Testament vanished before Kismet put his hands together and bowed his head, reciting in a soft voice: “Da ut in hora mortis nostrae refecti et culpis omnibus expiati, in sinum misericordiae tuae laeti suscipi mereamur. Requiescant in pace.”

A pillar of smoke billowed up from the ground behind him, then faded out to reveal the ominous, enormous church bell, Kismet smiling faintly as he rose one hand and a black, polished wand appeared in it. “May your victory be swift, my friends, and your lives happy.”

Scrivener and Luna both set themselves, and then Kismet snapped his wand forwards, sending a blast of black flames shooting at the two ponies. They dodged to either side, and Scrivener gritted his teeth before he and Luna charged in from either side towards Kismet.

Kismet snapped his wand down and flicked it to the side, creating a wall of black flames that Luna skidded to a halt in front of with a curse, while at the same time the death entity swung his free hand backwards to clang against the bell, making it sway and ring out. Scrivener cursed as he staggered, eyes bulging at the waves of force that washed over him and Luna, before he flung himself backwards when Kismet made a sharp rising motion with his wand.

Spikes of earth erupted from the ground where Scrivener had stood a moment before, and the stallion cursed before he dove forwards and took cover behind these when Kismet flicked his wand at him again, sending out another blast of black fire that blew away most of the stone. But a moment later the death entity's attention was drawn towards Luna as the sapphire mare roared and reared back, her soulstone horn glowing as she ripped the wall of black flames out of the ground, condensing it into a sphere that floated eerily in front of her before she stomped forwards and snapped her horn down.

The black fireball shot straight into Kismet's chest before he could react, exploding in a massive blast that knocked both Luna and Scrivener skidding backwards as the death entity was flung backwards, smashing painfully off his own enormous bell and knocking it to the ground. He almost lazily flipped through the air before crashing down half-over his own bell, gasping quietly and shuddering, his mask cracked and a look of surprise in his eyes.

Both Luna and Scrivener shook themselves out before the mare snapped her horn forwards, unsheathing Andlitstingar and springing the spear up to its full height, a polearm floating at the ready to either side of her as she snarled. Scrivener's own front claws flexed against the ground as he looked up, as the sapphire mare shouted: “Thou art no warrior, Kismet! Thou cannot keep up with our wrath!”

Luna charged forwards as the death entity slowly began to pick himself up, and Kismet cursed before he seized his massive bell by the handle on the top, sweeping it outwards fiercely. Luna dodged backwards with a wince, narrowly avoiding being smashed by the bell before she stabbed both spears forwards, but Kismet quickly half-yanked the bell up in front of himself, wincing and pressing his side into the massive instrument as the mare's spears bounced off the other side of it.

Luna only snarled in frustration, leaning forwards as her horn glowed, bringing a flurry of stabs gouging and slamming into the bell's face to dent and damage it, ignoring the faint stings of pain that went through her body at every hit against the reaper's tool. Kismet, meanwhile, was unable to get up from his crouch, half-pinned by his own shielding instrument.

Scrivener Blooms ran quickly forwards, then leapt up and used Luna like a step to fling himself high, trying to dive over the bell to surprise Kismet from above... but as if he'd been expecting this, the death entity snapped his wand upwards and blasted Scrivener with a wave of pure force that knocked him arcing backwards through the air, swearing and flailing wildly until he hit the ground a good distance away with a puff of gravel. It was more surprising than painful, but it was still enough to distract Luna and make her wince, halting in her attack.

Kismet was fast to take advantage of her being stunned, leaping to his feet and seizing the handle of the bell to swing it upwards as hard as he could. Luna was hammered by the uppercut from the instrument, knocked flying through the air with a shriek of pain as both her spears were knocked from her psychic grip and concussive waves of force ripped through her body. Scrivener gagged on the ground from what felt like a punch to his stomach, his eyes bulging before Luna crashed down beside him, rolling past with a curse to a drunken, half-standing position.

Kismet stumbled backwards with his too hard swing and almost fell over as his arm windmilled and the bell smashed into the ground behind him, the death entity gasping at the pain that ran through his body before shaking himself briskly. He released the bell and let it tip backwards after a moment to land in a standing position, and the death entity breathed slowly in and out before he straightened and murmured: “Yes. I can't defeat in you pure combat... so I am truly sorry for this, my friends.”

Luna and Scrivener both frowned as they picked themselves up, the mare flicking her horn to snatch up Prúðbikkja from where it lay nearby. The two readied themselves as Kismet calmly rose his wand in front of himself, his eyes glowing before the bell behind him shuddered as he said softly: “All life is a story. All stories have a beginning, and all must also have an end.”

There was an ominous rumble, and then Scrivener and Luna both staggered backwards in shock as enormous pillars ripped out of the ground around the pillar, before a tall, black-shingled roof quickly formed itself. The courtyard behind and around Kismet ripped open as the death entity only stood calmly, and hideous, grinning gargoyles ripped themselves up out of the vents in the earth, crawling up the pillars as ashes and black birds vomited into the air and began to swirl in a cyclone through the courtyard.

And then the pillars and the bell now locked into place inside the structure began to rise, as a tower ripped violently out of the earth behind Kismet, hellish light glowing up from the cracked courtyard around him as the Great Reaper only stood calmly. Scrivener and Luna could only stare on with amazement and disbelief and awe before the cloud of ashes vanished, while the enormous, staring ravens settled themselves all along the perches and arms built around this massive, monstrous tower that stood with the tip of its pointed roof nearly touching the mesh ceiling some fifty feet above.

An enormous clock face stood on the front of the tower, with a single hand that pointed at twelve: but as they watched, this slowly rotated towards the numeral one on the face, and the bell rung once, making reality itself tremble around them. Scrivener and Luna both gasped, feeling pain and lethargy rip through their forms before Kismet explained calmly: “When the bell strikes midnight, your story will come to an end. I am sorry, friends.”

“Scrivener Blooms, destroy the bell! I shall deal with the death entity!” Luna snapped immediately, and Scrivener grunted before he started to run forwards... and then his eyes widened in shock as reapers flickered into being around the tower, cradling their scythes silently.

Kismet began to open his mouth, and then he cursed as Luna snapped her horn forwards, sending a blue fireball at him. He swung his wand out, batting it away, but the mare was already charging forwards, following up with a blast of lightning that Kismet barely managed to block with his free hand, cursing as arcs of electricity shocked around and past him.

Scrivener took a moment to breathe, watching as Luna drove Kismet back before the stallion ran forwards, heading straight for the tower... and as expected, the nearest reaper shot down to meet him the moment he drew too close. The bell above rang a second time, but Scrivener didn't let the pain that it caused distract him as he leapt upwards and seized the reaper by the face, leapfrogging it and kicking off the specter to throw himself towards one of the lower perches.

He seized it with his claws, swinging himself upwards as ravens burst up and away from the roost with caws and squawks before a second reaper shot down towards him, and Scrivener kicked both rear hooves up just as it slashed down with its scythe, barely managing to deflect the weapon away by its pole. It also knocked him swinging backwards, and he could already sense the first reaper hurrying up towards him with its weapon drawn back before the stallion looked upwards in shock as he saw Twilight Sparkle's spirit floating above, holding a hoof down to him as she yelled silently at him.

Scrivener only trusted in instinct, knowing there was no other choice, and he reached up a claw to seize her hoof before she yanked upwards, and his eyes widened as he felt a tremendous surge of strength flow through him. The tower raced by as he was flung upwards before another instinct went off in his mind, and Scrivener snarled as scales spread over his features and his claws spread.

The last reaper shot straight down at the stallion, stabbing the pole of its scythe down to knock him downwards into its waiting allies as they both drew their scythes back: but instead of hitting Scrivener with the butt of the weapon, the stallion seized into the pole and yanked on it with one claw as he swept the other upwards even as he grew and transformed, seizing into the reaper and climbing it like a ladder before kicking off with all the strength of a Tyrant Wyrm as his transformation ended.

The reaper was launched down into one of the other specters, both of them tangling together and losing their weapons to fall in all-too-physical heaps. The last reaper narrowly managed to avoid being hit before it looked up as Scrivener glared over his shoulder and roared furiously, the sound almost canceling out the third toll of the bell and the wave of sapphire mist eating away at the specter and its soulbound weapon like acid.

The burning reaper exploded in a burst of smoke and light, and below, Kismet winced, distracted by this. Luna took the moment to stab fiercely into his shoulder with her spear, ripping it deep and sending up a blast of smoke as he gasped, then reached up and seized the neck of the weapon to stop her from pushing it any deeper.

The mare's soulstone horn began to glow, and Kismet's back arched as the horn that served as the tip of the spear began to channel its own magic in response, electricity crackling along the weapon before Kismet slapped his wand against the body of the pole. The flow of energy was reversed, and Luna's eyes widened in shock before Prúðbikkja shot out of his body like a rocket, the butt of the weapon ramming into Luna's own armored chest and knocking her sprawling and rolling backwards.

She managed to catch herself as Kismet lashed his wand out, sending a bolt of dark energy at her, but the mare deflected this with her soulstone horn, eyes almost glowing before she roared and leaned into a swing of her horn when a ray of black light shot towards her from the death entity's wand. She met it and forced against it, dark smoke and lightning streaming around her features as Kismet leaned back, cursing in effort before the bell above tolled again.

Luna flinched backwards slightly, and Kismet saw his chance as he flicked his wand to the side, the ray of energy abruptly ending as he leaned forwards into a throw of his other gauntlet, hurling a ball of black flames at the sapphire mare. But Luna was faster than he anticipated, throwing herself flat... and then grinning even as Kismet snapped his wand towards him to make the fireball twist around in midair, the death entity realizing too late she had expected exactly that.

The sapphire mare flung herself upwards and arched her back as her wings spread, the black fireball hitting only the earth and erupting in a magnificent explosion that launched the airborne mare straight towards the top of the bell tower. He spun around, watching with shock as Luna flew towards the bell, her soulstone horn beginning to glow-

One of the bat-like gargoyles clinging to a tower pillar leaned suddenly away and clawed at her, and Luna threw herself backwards in shock before the stone guardian leapt away from the tower and kicked both its dog-like hind legs into her, knocking her out of the air with a cry of pain. The gargoyle only grinned, flapping its rocky wings clumsily before it turned around and seized back into the pillar, settling itself once more into position as the death entity sighed in relief, then calmly pointed his wand at the Tyrant Wyrm nearly at the top of the tower.

Scrivener Bloom felt a tremendous force slam into his side, dislodging him before he fell with a howl from the structure, even as the bell tolled a fifth time. Pain wracked his body before he landed heavily on something with a loud crunch, and the Tyrant Wyrm cursed... then howled in agony as a reaper's scythe buried into his chest, writhing helplessly as pain ripped through his form.

Luna's own back arched with a howl, and then it turned to a snarl of rage as she yanked Sting Mk. II out of her holster and took aim, firing several rounds at the specter. Two hit, one tearing through its masked skull and the other ripping a wide hole through its cloak that began to smolder visibly, the creature's grip weakening as the damage spread.

Scrivener immediately took the opportunity to reach up and seize the neck of the scythe, ripping it out of his body with a furious snarl before he yanked it out of the reaper's claws. The specter fell to the ground, and the Tyrant Wyrm rolled up to a crouch, seizing the reaper by the head and slamming it face first into the ground before swinging the scythe down into its back like an ice-pick.

The reaper arched its back with a gasp, convulsing on the ground as it clawed miserably at the earth, but Scrivener ignored it as he began to turn around... only for a blast of white fire to hammer into his face and rip down the side of his neck, the Tyrant Wyrm staggering backwards as his scales burned and began to turn to stone, Luna's own back arching and her eyes widening in shock as her own features started to gray.

Kismet snapped his wand out, sending another blast of purification at Scrivener, but the stallion-turned-Tyrant Wyrm leapt over the crushed body of a reaper and half-stumbled behind the clock tower even as there was another ominous tone from above. Six rings: they were halfway there, and Luna snarled in fury at the pain that radiated through her system before she shouted furiously as she threw her gun down: “Thy quarrel is with me, Great Reaper! How dare thee turn thy eyes away!”

Kismet began to turn towards Luna, but too late: a sapphire fireball hammered into him and flung him backwards into the tower, crunching in the brick as he gasped in shock before hurriedly swinging his wand up, wincing as Luna leaned forwards with fangs bared, a massive surge of lightning chaining out of her horn and towards the death entity. His wand began to tremble and crack as he tried to hold her off with it, eyes glowing through his mask in utter amazement at the raw power this Valkyrie reborn could unleash when her emotions were raised.

Scrivener Blooms, meanwhile, slammed his claws into the ground as he felt the petrification starting to slowly spread. The earth around the tower started to rot rapidly away as he looked up, but realized all three reapers were gone: one had been destroyed utterly, the scythe was all that was left of another, and the last he had landed on while it had been physical and crushed into something resembling mush by complete accident. And the gargoyles above didn't seem all that interested in attacking until something got close to the top of the tower...

Scrivener glanced down at the mire he had created before leaning quickly down, shivering even as he hurriedly drank some of the corruption down: it tasted awful, but he immediately felt the petrification over his features beginning to recede. Then he looked up with a wince as there was a tremendous explosion, feeling a faint burst of recoil... but the cry of pain came from Kismet, not Luna, so he decided to trust in her and instead figure out how he could...

His eyes locked on the mire, and the small vines already beginning to twist out of it... and after a moment, an idea came to mind before he looked up with his teeth grit. Luna frowned at the message she received before her own eyes widened, and she grinned before seizing Prúðbikkja in her mental grip and charging forwards. Kismet looked up from where he was half-resting against the tower, one of his hands mostly-dissolved and slowly reconstructing itself before he snapped his free hand out.

Luna gasped as steam rose from her body, energy boiling out of her and Prúðbikkja falling as her telekinetic grip was interrupted... and then she felt it. Another presence, protecting her, covering her in a shell that fed her strength and gave her energy even before her spear could hit the ground. And without hesitation, Luna leaned out and snatched the weapon into her jaws, keeping herself staggering forwards before leaping straight at the stunned death entity before he could react.

Her spear dropped into hooves that spun the weapon around with all her Valkyrie grace, and drove it forwards with all the strength of her winged unicorn form, and Kismet howled in agony as the spear tore through him and pinned him like a bug into the wall. His claws grabbed uselessly at the black brick behind him as he gasped beneath his mask, unable to do anything but freeze up for a moment with the pain rushing through his system... and then Luna grinned as she channeled all that energy running through her towards Scrivener Blooms, the sound of the bell above tolling yet again no longer worrying her as she said coldly: “I shall not let our stories end before I am satisfied, Kismet.”

Scrivener Blooms gritted his teeth as energy ran through him, before the Tyrant Wyrm slammed his claws down into the mire, making it bubble violently before massive vines ripped up and out of the dark ooze. They snaked and twisted greedily upwards and outwards, several lashing around the death entity and crushing him back into the tower as he gasped in shock, while the others rushed up the tower, sending ravens scattering in every directions with caws of fright.

Vines snapped around the gargoyle guardians and their pillars, pinning the stone sentinels in place as other enormous brambles and ivy snared around the bell, yanking it violently to the side, spreading over it, constricting and crushing it before the structure rumbled ominously. And Scrivener Blooms staggered backwards in amazement as the vicious life squeezed down against death entity's stone tower, ripping the instrument from the belfry and crunching in the roof, and then entire sections of the brick structure.

The bell fell, smashing through the floor, and the entire tower came down with it, smoke and dust bursting out of the structure as it collapsed and imploded level-by-level. Scrivener staggered almost all the way backwards to the armored doors as Luna only watched calmly from where she was standing, ignoring the dust and grime blasting past and feeling Twilight's awed presence lingering nearby as crashes and booms filled the air for almost a full minute.

And finally, the dust and smoke began to clear and settle, and Scrivener slowly strode forwards around the ruins. His vines were curling up on themselves and dying, his mire had turned to muck, but the cracked earth was no longer glowing with supernatural light either. The tower was nothing more than a shattered base, with the broken hulk of a clock face sitting like a giant coin amidst the ruins and half-shadowing a chunk of metal that had once been a bell.

Luna's own eyes were looking calmly towards Kismet: the vines binding him against the wall that had yet to collapsed hadn't weakened or faded, and Prúðbikkja was still buried through his chest, leaving him pinned helplessly. His mask was cracked and one of his antlers had shattered away completely, as he hung limply and whispered: “I must admit... such power is terrifying, even without meeting the darkness as... as it does in you both. But I have faith you will... pull through. Now... please. If you wouldn't mind... let us finish this.”

Luna studied Kismet silently as Scrivener joined her, the two looking across at the death entity before the sapphire mare's horn glowed. Sting rose from the ground, and she reached out to grasp it, pointing the gun silently towards Kismet's features for a moment... and then she smiled faintly, shaking her head slowly and instead holstering it, murmuring: “Nay. Thou art beaten, Kismet. Pinned by a Prúðbikkja of a Valkyrie and helpless in life's coils. I do not kill the helpless.”

Kismet frowned, and then he tried to shift, but found himself unable to. He shook his head weakly, then finally managed in a disbelieving voice: “Do you not understand how foolish this is, Valkyrie Brynhild? Once I am freed, I have no choice but to attempt to find you, hunt you, do harm unto you and Scrivener Blooms...”

“Only until thou art freed or Thesis is no more. And I guarantee at least one or the other shall happen shortly.” Luna smiled slightly, bowing her head politely towards the death entity before she glanced back and forth, then nodded firmly once to herself as she spotted Andlitstingar where it lay a good twenty or so feet away. But with a flick of her horn, the spear returned to her, spinning itself once through the air before clicking and collapsing down to a rod that holstered itself neatly. “But we had best not waste our words. Come, Scrivener Blooms. 'Tis time to go.”

Scrivener smiled slightly, the Tyrant Wyrm nodding before he closed his eyes and lowered his head, his body flexing once before it slowly shrank down to normal size. He gasped quietly as broken pieces of armor tumbled off his body, and then he shook himself briskly and grimaced as almost all of his gear fell off, muttering: “Looks like I wore out the enchantment a lot faster than expected.”

“Well, 'tis probably because thou art getting beaten up much more than first expected as well.” Luna replied easily, and then she smiled at Kismet as the death entity stared at them with disbelief, the two ponies calmly striding past where he was trapped as Luna called calmly: “Prúðbikkja, take good care of our friend, and be no more cruel than thou must!”

As if in response, the spear sizzled with energy, and Kismet winced... before he looked up, his eyes glowing faintly as he said clearly after a moment: “Be careful, young ones. Hecate lurks in the facility ahead... she has been twisted into a hateful, scornful creature that cares little even for her own child, but she will all the same doubtlessly attempt to stop you.”

“Let her.” Luna grinned over her shoulder, shaking herself firmly out before she glanced over at Scrivener Blooms, then she leaned over to kiss his cheek quietly, and the stallion smiled a bit despite himself before the mare turned her eyes ahead, murmuring: “'Tis time for us to go.”

Scrivener nodded, and then he stepped forwards and wedged his claws into the narrow space between the armored doors, slowly beginning to yank one to the side as Luna seized the other once there was enough space, hauling it slowly open as well before slipping nervously into the opening, both worrying for a moment that they were going to end up squashed between the foot-thick metal.

But they remained powerless and open, and the two ponies took only a moment before they turned ahead, leaving Kismet behind. The death entity only rested calmly back despite the spear buried through his chest, however, studying this intently before his eyes seemed to lighten slightly, his head raising as he said with a strange serenity in his voice: “Allahu Akbar.”

Luna felt a strange tingle in her horn, and then she smiled slightly before murmuring quietly in response: “Mikill Alföður.”

Scrivener glanced over at her as they strode down the short corridor towards a large shutter, both of them feeling a strange flutter through their bodies. But before either could speak, there was a loud beeping before the shutter in front of them rose to reveal thick iron bars blocking their way ahead.

Past these, they could see a large, half-circular room, doorways leading off to either side and a large monitor hanging from the roof in front of the rounded wall across from them. This was blank, but only for a few moments before the image of Celestia's face appeared over it... no, not Celestia. Hecate. “Oh look. You're alive.”

Her voice sounded fuzzy, echoing out of a speaker in the ceiling, and Luna glared before she slammed a hoof against the bars, saying disgustedly: “Do not make me tear these down, creature. I am sure that thou knows I am well capable of doing so. And I also demand that if thou art truly looking for a beating, thou art at least polite enough to come out and receive it!”

“Shut up.” Hecate said moodily, and Luna glared... then cursed and staggered backwards with a wince when the bars became electrified, the sallow features of the electric-maned mare twisting with a nasty grin. “That hurt? Just a taste of what you're going to get if you try and force your way in here... yes, yes, Thesis, I hear you, stop screaming like a toddler.”

Hecate muttered to herself, leaning back and glancing away, and a loud buzzing filled the air as Luna and Scrivener both frowned before they watched with surprise as a crystalline sphere flew into view on the other side of the bars. For a few moments, it floated, and then it sparked violently before it became hidden inside a floating image of Thesis' upper body. It looked like enormous cables were sticking out of his back, and the Replicant's projection glared at them before he shouted in a voice riddled with static: “All this pain, all this suffering could have been avoided! You have killed my entire family, destroyed my friends... all I wanted was your help!”

“I am not in the mood for conversation with thee, Thesis. Now we have come for one thing alone: thy sordid head.” Luna growled, leaning forwards as her eyes flashed. “Cease hiding in thy castle and behind the skirts of Mommy, or we shall be forced to trample her upon the path to reaching thee. Does thou understand?”

“How dare you... how dare you!” Thesis shouted furiously, his image distorting further with his anger before he slammed a hoof loudly against something, but neither of the ponies could tell what he hit. “This makes no rational sense! What do you seek to accomplish? All I seek is... is completion, to be finished, why do you both seem to think-”

“What thou seems to seek is to become some... some kind of all-powerful god! Whether or not thou seeks peace or anything else, thou seems to think that genocide is an acceptable means to get there, that the lives of others are an acceptable cost! They are never an acceptable cost, and mark my words, Thesis, I shall not let thee turn thyself into some... some self-declared deity!” Luna snarled, leaning forwards, and Scrivener nodded in agreement, eyes cold as they both studied the image.

Thesis stared at them, then he shook his head slowly as he leaned back, looking almost disappointed as he whispered: “And how can you believe such... such ridiculous assumptions? How can you even believe in fairy tales like 'gods?'”

“Well, you know. Having fought and killed a Jötnar before, and Luna being a Valkyrie and all and the whole... Valhalla thing...” Scrivener gestured absently at the sapphire mare, looking moodily through the bars. “We're pretty sure there's such a thing as 'gods,' even if they don't meet the usual pony's view of so-called divine entities.”

Thesis laughed harshly at this, shaking his head slowly and looking down with disgust. “Pathetic. Infantile, even... 'god,' there is no such thing as 'god,' be it some master of all reality or beings above us. There is nothing above us. There is no such thing as 'magic,' and no real heaven or hell, and nothing to fear or look forwards to. There's only existence... and the Void.”

Scrivener and Luna both stared in disbelief at the Replicant as he shook his head again, then looked up at them with contempt. “Do you really believe that Kismet or the reapers are 'grim reapers,' a concept of Death-made-real? Do you think that you are an angel, Luna Brynhild, or that Freya was or is a goddess? Do you really believe in magic, or that there is some 'magical force' in the sky looking out for all of us, that helps or hinders us as it pleases?

“No. There is not. There are only particles, and atoms, moving as they must. There are only chemical reactions and biological imperatives and evolution and hard, cold fact and science, and I'm sorry, but I will not indulge your stupid, weak-kneed fantasies that Valhalla and Helheim are really Heaven and Hell, for nice people to be rewarded and bad people to be punished.” Thesis continued with disgust, shaking his head slowly. “What you call 'magic' is not true magic. It is merely a response generated by chemical chain reactions and the manipulation of electrons through the conduction and ionization of electrical bioenergy.

“Spirits and ghosts? Spiritual energy is nothing beyond explanation. They are a phenomenon that occurs when the electrical bio-net we call the soul leaves the physical shell of the body behind without losing its stability or charge, which is why they generate electromagnetic distortion and how they can freely form themselves. Living energy. Easily, logically explainable.” The Replicant was almost raging, his eyes glowing furiously, his body trembling. “Heaven and Hell? Different worlds, that's all, with a high enough energy content to naturally restore stability and create an illusion of physicality in the 'spirits' drawn there.

“And gods? They are not gods. They are merely organic beings who have mocked us all since they first managed to hide the true causes of their existence, parading around as if 'special,' but their powers stem from their genetics just as our own do, and they are nothing but the sum of their experiences and molecules that make them up! There is no such thing as magic! There are no such thing as gods! And when the string of electrical data we call our 'soul' finally gives out, when we see past the illusion created by Valhalla and Helheim, there is nothing but the black, dark Void where we all become nothing but energy to be redistributed throughout our universe!”

Thesis breathed hard in and out, trembling before he looked up and whispered: “And that is why I must know completion. Life has only the meaning we foolishly attribute to it. There is no punishment in Hell and no reward in Heaven. There is only emptiness when we die, so I will do anything I must to become complete. My conscience, my so-called... emotions? They are only chemical reactions and neural responses derived from ancient and unnecessary social instincts. I've learned to override them. Because we're all nothing but meat and chemicals anyway. There is no difference between me, you, or the fly crawling on the wall. We are all worthless. But I can at least still be complete.”

Scrivener and Luna both studied the holographic image slowly... and then the sapphire mare closed her eyes and shook her head, murmuring quietly: “Once, my heart was filled with anger for thee, Thesis. Anger, and hatred... now... now, 'tis pity.”

“We're going to kill you, Thesis. Because you need to be put down, before you hurt us or yourself any more.” Scrivener said quietly, looking across at him silently, and the image of the Replicant mouthed wordlessly before Scrivener Blooms smiled faintly. “Oh no, believe me. I agree with most of what you say. But what I don't agree is that's what makes life worthless. That's what gives life meaning, because it means that you, and me, and everyone else... we're free to make whatever the hell we want with our lives. And it's funny, because... you think living life alone is the smart and easy thing to do, but... the problem is there's no one worse to try and live alone with than yourself.”

Luna laughed quietly at this, nodding in wry agreement before Thesis snarled and leaned forwards, saying disgustedly: “I thought so much better of you both. But all you've taught me is that extending a hoof of friendship to strangers results only in losing everything you care about! You ignorant, pathetic little plebeians, you-”

Then the image sparked out, the orb floating in the air for a moment before it suddenly buzzed off as Hecate sighed loudly from the monitor, leaning forwards and saying disgustedly: “Great. Now you've gone and made him cry. Thanks so much for making sure I get to have another migraine today dealing with Thesis' whining.”

There was a pause, and then electricity sparked over the bars in front of them before they slid suddenly up into the ceiling, and Hecate looked at them coldly from the monitor as she added in a softer, more dangerous voice: “But if you want to make it up to me, why don't you put your hooves where your mouth is? I'll be waiting to tune you both up.”

The monitor flickered off, and Luna and Scrivener traded looks before nodding firmly to one-another, turning their eyes forwards and stepping forwards, ready to fight their way through whatever was waiting for them ahead to reach Thesis, and stop him from becoming complete.

Author's Note:

Vs. Kismet [Final]: Kamelot - Memento Mori

Comments

[BlackRoseRaven]

2499545

"Bring me a taco! Hehe. Tacos rule."
But I will actually try and post the last few chapters when I wake up. I should have enough time in the morning and I figure. I've been posting for like forty days now, let's get the damn thing done.
I'm not sure myself who'll end up as Overseer. Morning Glory is a possibility, or someone/something else. Usually I find out things myself as the story rolls along.
And yeah. Antares kinds of ends up with things piled on, and that looming sense of... reduxing Decretum doesn't help. He's still got a lot of learning to do, though... but he is growing up, at least a little. I'm looking forwards to really writing him as an.. .adult, so to speak, since he hasn't yet reached that full level of maturity yet. And he and Prestige have... a lot to overcome, but. I think it'll be interesting as the circumstances grow and develop.
Calling for help would require Luna and Scrivener to be smart and not so stubborn, though: there's also the problem of the poison air and atmosphere. Either way, now it's time to run the final gauntlet, and hopefully it'll prove exciting to the end.

[Skydrake]

2502894

True, I guess Luna's and Scrivy's stubbornness and self-destructive streak would pay a large role in them not bothering with reinforcements. I guess they have no less growing up to do than Antares - one of the issues with how Decretum turned out was them going solo after all, which is why Antares was being taught to rely on his friends more ... guess Luna and Scrivy haven't quite grasped that lesson yet.

Speaking of Luna and Scrivy though, I quite enjoyed their battle against Kismet - I have always found the reaper to be an interesting character and the way he has the whole 'death' motif going for him. The bell is a pretty badass and thematic weapon as well (and it's use as a melee weapon hilarious) - if Kismet was less honorable, he could have easily won by simply not telling them what the 12th toll would have done as they would not have sought to attack it. I have to wonder how he ended up as Thesis' servant in the first place - the 'companionship' is obviously not of his choosing, and one has to wonder how Thesis managed to attract and bind something like Kismet.

Though the big question now is whether leaving him alive is going to save them or bite them in the rear in the end. I doubt whether Luna and Scrivy can handle Kismet sneaking up on them in the middle of another 'boss' fight (Which obviously begs the question of why aren't the big bads simply mobbing Luna and Scrivy, but instead meeting them one by one?) and his ability to help them is obviously limited at best. Though if they manage to skin Thesis alive before Kismet recovers, he may well end up as their way off this rock now that they lost the flare. Perhaps speed up Twilight's recovery as well.

Speaking of Twilight, it's nice to see her up and about and helping the two along as much as her power allows. Though I have to wonder how she knows how to navigate the stronghold ... is she spending most of her time snooping around in spirit form and 'scouting' ahead while Luna and Scrivy are otherwise occupied, then guiding them depending on what she finds? (Crackpot theory: might also be Wisdom's spirit ... this is the world that the original Hexad originated from, no?)

And Evil Celestia ... color me caught off-guard with that one, I hadn't even considered the possibility of Thesis' mommy being around. I mean, didn't Valthrundir basically wipe out the world before starting to use it as his garbage dump? Though I'm certainly looking towards the fight and what she is capable of ... I imagine she has been 'modified' as well.

And on another note, I'm looking towards Morning Glory attempting to keep Subterra in line (if you end up going with her as the Overseer). I can all but imagine it devolving in to some sort of demon politics with all the big names vying for the position and trying to upstage one another to prove their worth and be acknowledged by Luna/Scrivy/Celestia/Twilight ... whether it would end up working or not. Selene was pretty much untouchable after all, one of a kind and above what any demon could ever hope to be, thus I doubt anyone ever thought of trying to upstage her. With your run of the mill demon at the helm on the other hoof (and who knows how well the different types of demon get along), I could imagine some squabbling over the position. Or maybe not and word from Luna would be enough to get everyone to fall in line.