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// I can barely believe it 
// Story: Being Different Isn't So Bad 
// by Dr Equinox 
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Hello again, sorry for the wait. Right now there is a bunch of family issues  going on; people moving out, people moving in, etc. A whole debacle of shit that has really gotten my attention. Sorry about that.
Besides the trouble of real life, I have just thought of something that could be an interesting factor in this story, so that is what this chapter is about. Hope you like it! (It also might make me change the rating on this story as well.)

*WARNING THIS CHAPTER HAS SOME GRAPHIC SCENES, JUST LETTING YOU KNOW.*




"Go forth my Spawn! Tear their city asunder and end this forever!"

There I stood, clad from head to toe in a sickly green armor, at the last resort of the resistance. The Crystal Empire. Over the course of the years it changed from a tourist attraction to a safe haven for all who sought to defy my reign. It was all a foolish endeavor, only preventing the inevitable. They would bow down to me, one way or another.

As my crystal constructs ran forth to meet the crystal ponies barricade I found myself gaining an amused smirk at the irony of the situation. The very reason I had an army of constructs was here before me, taking a final stand. It was almost saddening to know they would be obliterated, but it was inevitable. Their end would come swiftly.

*BWONG*

Ooooooooor they would choose to die slowly. A massive pink dome appeared around the entirety of the city, shielding them from my attacking forces. Hmm, so he's still kicking eh? Good. Gives me a chance to show off. I walked forward, hands behind my back and a smirk adorning my face.

'Do you honestly think this will stop me?'

I could feel the defiance at his end of the mental communication. Ever since I had found that I could invade peoples minds quelling the rebellion became much much easier. In fact, it was exactly how I planned to get the information I needed out of him. Not yet though, it has to be face to face. Adds to the overwhelming power I posses. 

Once I reached the shield I slowly took of my gloves and placed my hand against the pink mass. Despite the freezing temperatures that surrounded us it was warm and it radiated that warmth very well, even as it began to get covered in snow. When my hands connected I felt the familiar tug at the back of my mind. The pull that got me this far. It was a strange sensation, filling me up when used, making me feel full even as I continued to use it. It always added to a seemingly endless space, a storage of sorts.

For magic.

Stealing magic from the world wasn't the same as an individual, though traces of ambient energies were always there. This vault was no different. I could tell it was his, I had stolen some before. It felt customary to test though, so I gave a quick pull, snatching some for myself and sensing the portion be replaced almost instantly. After ingesting it I could confirm my suspicions. It was definitely him. He was going all out too, not stopping for a moment. True, I could just attack his mind and force him to drop the shield but where's the fun in that?

I attacked a series of locations simultaneously with just enough force to get noticed over and over again. No attack hit the same place twice, always moving from spot to spot. I felt his anger through the connection and smiled. He was so easy to mess with. After messing with him for a few minutes, the guards inside the defense growing very tense, I gave the command to converge on one location, any inclination of a smile wiped away by concentration. I made the attacks into a giant thriving mass that covered nearly half the dome before causing cracks to spread in a web like fashion. He was straining himself but it would prove worthless. As I neared total destruction of the barrier I shot a message against the connection, making sure it gave him one hell of a headache before he could understand it. As the shield began to disperse, my army sprinting forward, I stood walked calmly behind them, stone faced. From the extreme emotions I felt in my head I knew he read the message.

'Do you think this is pain? No, this in not pain. Once I have you all in my grasp, once you are on your knees before me, then I will show you pain.'





It has been three grueling hours. For them at least. As I walk up the final steps, backed by my personal sentinels, I hear the anxious breathing of an ambush party. Hmm, how quaint. Even after the majority of their force has been defeated they refuse to surrender. One thing I admire about them honestly. They're tenacious and strong willed, usually not wanting to give up very easily. Well, I speak of their armies mostly. I personally have only experienced a handful of brave citizens. I could tell I was dealing with a mixture of the two when I reach the main floor.

A war cry was heard as the group of  anthropomorphic ponies  jumped down in an attempt to kill me. I simply stood there, gazing straight ahead. When the first one neared you could hear him get impaled on a Sentinel constructs arm, the beings able to shift their body to their whim. The second one was grasped by her neck and slammed into the ground, her end coming to her underneath the foot of a Sentinel. Another was speared through the head, so on and so forth. They dwindled down until they were nothing but a pile of corpses consisting of around ten. So this was their attempt to finish me off? Assassination by a bunch a group of hastily made trainees? Pathetic. 

We continued onward until we hit another roadblock. This time it was the two doors that led into the throne room. There was a considerable amount of magic reinforcing them.

'I grow tired of this.'

Conjuring up a blast I aimed at the center of the door and fired. It made a large dent, but began to fix itself immediately. Alright. Fine. 

"I gave you plenty of chances at surrender you know. Any malicious actions now just reflect your decision." I say as I place my hands upon the door, immediately stealing any and all energies present. There was a meager amount of resistance that I overwhelmed easily. The door way caved in on itself as I tapped into the object itself, twisting it into unnatural angles until it finally fell. I stepped forward into the room only to have a blast of blue (cyan maybe?) magic directed at me, easily being blocked by my hands.

"Ah, I'm surprised to see you still awake Cadenza. I thought having a child would take the fight out of you!" I taunt as I trek forward, pushing against the beam of magic.

"Well don't you worry dearie, I've got your nap right here!" I yell as my own beam is unleashed through my hands, forcing hers back until I could see a clear view of her struggling face, the husband not far behind in a daze. I kept forward until I was right in front of her, still fighting against me. I simply grab her horn and begin to rob her of her magic, causing her to scream out in agony. The process was far from painless.

"...n-no...stop..." And there was the man of the hour. As I stood there nicking his wife's very life essence he laid next to us, utterly drained from my antics during our three hour battle. His body was spent but still he persisted, attempting to stand and failing as he stares at me with the upmost hatred in his eyes. There was something else there though, an acceptance of sorts. It was small but it was growing. It was defeat.

Smiling I released the torment I set up the princess and left her to fall to the floor, beaten. I then walked over to the last male royal and picked him up by his neck, a Sentinel coming up behind him and grabbing a hold of his arms. As I released him he suddenly snapped his head towards me and fired a bolt straight at my face, taking me by surprise. It hit me right in the eye and I could feel the burn as it melted away a vital organ. Luckily with the amount of regeneration magic I've gained it would grow back but it would still be some time before it was perfect. 

As I steadied myself I looked up to see my Sentinel had morphed his arms into a chokehold of sorts while also detaining his arms. That little ... he was smiling. It was a weak and broken one but it was there. He enjoyed the fact that he got a hit in. He even gave a dry chuckle, making me start to laugh as well. It quickly turned into unstable giggle fits and I motioned for the Sentinel to lower his prisoners head. I grasped his shoulders, staring into his eyes as I laughed. Then, quick as lightning, my hand lunged for his horn 

...and crushed it.

He gave out a scream of pain I didn't think anyone capable of as I continued to laugh.

'This little insect thought he could scar me and just get away with it? Well, I think he's learned that you don't mess with me...'

".. right little fella? I'm right aren't I? You wouldn't do that again would you? Oh? Still screaming? Hmm. That's about right."

He continued screaming until he couldn't do anything but whimper. He even cried a bit. Understandable I suppose, but it was his fault either way. I dismissed the remaining sentinels except for one, to hold up the princess as well. I walked up to Armor and gave him a tiny little shock, enough to wake him up. He did so, albeit with more screaming. After giving him a few slaps to make sure, I grabbed his face and forced to look at me.

"You know what I want. It's that easy. As soon as you tell me where she is I will let you and your wife go as far away as you like. Now why don't you be a good little soldier and tell me." All I got for my efforts were a glare. I sighed.

"You know I can get it from you anyways. I've done it before and I will do it again. Now come on, tell me. Please." Still nothing.

"I'm trying to be nice here." He attempted to spit blood at me but I caught it in a field and forced it back down his throat, making him cough.

"This is your final chance. If you don't tell me where it is I'll pry around in that little mind so much that death will feel like a curtsy."
 Still nothing, though the glare got more defiant.

"Hmmph. Let it be know that it was YOU who caused this Captain..." I announce as I motion the princess forward.

"wh-what are you..." I can hear his confusion as I take off my helmet.

"...that this is entirely your fault...."

"...no... please no... not her!" His sputtering falls on deaf ears however.

"and that you could have saved her from such a fate." I hover my hands over her temples and close my eyes, focusing.

"Please, I tell you everything, just don't do it! Not her!"

"You know what I do to people and yet you refused to cooperate. Now you must face the consequences.."

His desperate cries continued as white ethereal tendrils sprouted from my hand and shot towards her head. Once they connected a flurry of memories flew into my head. A whole other life flashed before my eyes. I could see her first words, learning to walk, going to school, meeting friends, continuing on into adulthood where she reconnected with an old flame, married him, and had learned of their immanent child. She was not yet born. As I sifted through the memories I came to a conclusion. 

It wasn't there.

Quite a shame really. I kind of liked her. Unfortunate casualties of war I suppose. As I severed the connection I awoke to sobbing. Looking down at my handy work I grimaced. Her body had completely crystalized, clean and pristine. Except for some abnormalities near the stomach, such as small extra limbs. 

'So that's what pregnancy does to the crystallization process.' 

As I stood up and faced my other prisoner I saw him just ... give up. He didn't fight against the restraints or yell out or anything. He just sat there, crying in defeat. I approached him and immediately went for his memories. Not much seemed out of place... Aha, there it is. The last meeting of siblings. They told me exactly where I need to go. Excellent. I exited his mind to find him crystalized as well.

"Alright boys, were done here. Leave them together and lets go."

Once I exited the chambers I set off towards the balcony, looking off in the distance. It was somewhat strange to feel the way I do. It's that feeling you get after doing a year long project and finalizing it before the deadline. Your excited and unsure at the same time. I was so close to finishing this! Ending this foolish rebellion once and for all. But before I go and end this there's a pressing matter I need to attend to.

I headed down to the ground floor of the castle, looking for the artifact. There it was. Sitting in its perch, floating as per usual. Completely unaware of the power it would give me. I grabbed it and fiercely dug into those reserves, grabbing hold of all that I could before it started to resist me. No such thing happened though and it gave me what remained of its power freely. I guess that's what happens when your power source dies out. Hmm.

'Whatever, its affects are all that matter.' 

I sat down there and closed my eyes, spreading my consciousness outward. I scoured the globe for that one tiny spot. It took me all until  what would have been night to find her. She was fast asleep, which gave me an opening. I gladly accepted such an open invitation and flew straight into her dream.

Whatever she was dreaming about was suddenly replaced with darkness. She stood there, scared. Alone. The very. last. Alicorn. It was finally time. She looked all around, not noticing my shadowy form slowly rise behind her. When she did however, she came face to face with me. Neither of us moved a muscle. There was complete and utter silence. She stood in shock as I gave her an inhuman smile.

'I found you.'





I shot up in my bed, sweating fracking cannonballs as I panted.

'What happened... why did I... oh no...'

I could barely even think as I held my face in my hands. What I had just witnessed... It should have never happened. That wasn't me. It couldn't be. There was no way.

"I-I- oh shit man. What the hell..."

I got up and walked out of the house, falling into a kneel on the trail leading up to the house.

"I cant... I don't know. I... oh my god. Why did that ha-... I cant. I just cant."

I stood in that things shoes. I knew what it was doing, I was doing what it was doing! I couldn't control it. It just happened. I tried to stop it but... I was like an outside in my own body. Who... no.

What was that?