Celestia watched the glimmering pool conjured by her magic, her face set in a blank stare with only a minor twitch that showed her fear. Reflected on the pool’s surface was her view over her faithful students shoulder, giving her a glimpse of everything Twilight had seen so far. It was an old spell, designed by a crotchety old mare that constantly fretted over her children and wanted to ensure no harm came to them. When Celestia had found out about the mare’s spell she had commended her efforts and maternal love, but she still chided the mare on her behaviour. A mother could love and constantly seek to protect her goals from danger, but constantly hovering over them would damage their trust in her and deny them the independence they required to grow.
It hadn't been an easy decision to cast the spell on her star pupil, and she knew Twilight would be hard pressed to forgive her if she found out about this breach of her privacy, but Celestia’s mind had been made and her rationale for doing so had taken hold. Twilight and her friends had disobeyed her wishes to remain in Ponyville, driven to help their friends. It was an admirable trait, but one that had led to a foolish and rash decision. Though the elements were still in Equestria, their bearers were equally important. They were one of the few ancient lines of defence left for Equestria besides herself.
Her other motivation had been her love for them. She had watched the six grow, mature, and learn over the course of the time they had discovered their roles. That was not to say she did not love all her subjects, but the six stood out. Each of them were like her own children, the source of countless moments of joy, pride and frustration. She wanted to protect them, to teleport leagues away with her personal guard and collect her beloved ones, and ensure they were safe. It was not just because of their importance to Equestria as a whole, but because in her own selfish mind she could not stand the idea of letting them get hurt.
It was that same selfish desire to coddle them that had pushed her to keep watch on their behalf from the day the four students from another world had joined them. While she trusted that they did not actively mean to cause damage to her kingdom, Celestia had the experience of history on her end to know such an event brought out a host of its own problems to be dealt with. She had seen it happen as well, recalling the first and second attacks on Ponyville which were still being dealt with. The amount of requests from the medics society were overwhelming, constantly requesting more doctors to assist with the internal scars to her ponies minds while others dealt with the visible wounds they suffered.
Now she saw its effects on the Griffon Kingdom, through Twilight’s eyes. The suffering that these beings could inflict was immense regardless of their intentions. She knew it to be foolish to assume such efforts were beyond anything capable of thought on her world, she had fought and defeated the likes of Sombra and Tirek who had wanted to enslave her people. It only seemed the propensity for violence was more inherent in the forms of the bipeds, and in such an extreme case could change them physically.
The demons they dealt with were one of the most intense forms of corruption since her sister had fallen to darkness all those centuries ago. A single being, once full of life and love, transformed into a being of such unimaginable violence that its dark presence could be felt through her spell. She had enjoyed Coppa's Company, his boisterous and infectious laugh, his ability to remain steadfast in his beliefs despite overwhelming odds, and the loyalty he shared with his friends. now that was all gone, replaced by malevolence.
“Oh sweet child, what have they done to you?” She whispered to herself before her mouth set in a firm line. She knew what had to happen, she only hoped it wouldn't be too late before her preparations were complete.
*****
Twilight watched in abject fear as Coppa tore through his attackers, his claws rending and tearing with a fluid savagery. Tearing her eyes from the horrid sight and focusing on the task at hand, she drew out her magic around Dante and levitated him to the group just as half a Shrieker landed where he was. She tried her best to be gentle, but the combination of her rattled nerves and adrenaline increased the difficulty of attempting to move her injured friend. Dante in turn bore the brunt of the rough ride as he was deposited next to her.
“Thanks,” he mumbled as he tried to stand. Twilight offered him a shoulder and he took it without complaint, rising on his weakened legs. “Prince, is that entryway our only exit?”
Frostfeather nodded. “It is. The throne room was designed to buy time if the citadel was ever breached.” He gestured towards the gateway where the now demon Coppa had grabbed a griffon’s spear and impaled the unlucky soldier with it. “The only exit is through that or out of the windows. It was created for those with wings in mind.”
Twilight heard Dante curse under his breath. “Ok, keep to the sides. Avoid engaging Coppa, he’s focused on Ravenn and I doubtwe can reach him as he is.” He gestured to the corner of the room just as Coppa roared once more. “Just stay out of the way and if the chance presents itself, run. There's no way we can face either of them right now.”
As if to prove his point, the remaining soldiers and shriekers were thrown back into the throne room, falling to the ground with a thunderous crash. Coppa followed them, stalking through the door, his gaze never leaving Ravenn. The elf watched him, mouth set in a line as he willed two soldiers and a Shrieker to their feet. With a gesture of his hands the minions silently broke into a run, coming at Coppa in three directions with spears and claws aimed at his chest.
The demonic Dwarf seemed to accept the challenge as he charged to meet them. He ducked a spear thrust and planted a foot, spinning to rake his claws across the Griffon’s back. Blood gouted from the unlucky soldier as he fell, the mist of red barely missing Coppa as he pivoted again and brought his gauntleted hand down on the Shrieker, crushing the beasts head and spine. As it rolled back, a spear found purchase and its blade sliced across Coppa’s shoulder. He roared in pain while the griffon poised for another strike, aiming the spear at his exposed back. The pointed tip disappeared as it reached Coppa’s back, it's bladed end replaced by a smouldering tip of wood. The Griffon stared at his weapon, white eyes bulging as it dropped the spear and began to reach for the sword at its side. The blade only began to leave the sheathe before its owner fell to their knees, shuddering as their heart pumped blood into the air through their neck.
Twilight heard Fluttershy and her friends gasp in horror as Coppa then tossed the limp Griffon to the side. Bile rose in her throat and she resisted the twisting of her stomach. Beside her, Irontalon gripped his sword in a shaky claw while his son watched in fear as Ravenn sent the remaining Shriekers and guards to their deaths. “He will slaughter our people,” Irontalon hissed. “He needs to be stopped!”
Oh no… Twilight’s mind races just as Dante and Frostfeather opened their own mouths to protest. She went to activate her own magic to grasp the Griffon king, but he had already begun to move before she could begin the spell.
Dante’s plea and Frostfeather’s cry of concern died in his throat as the king launched himself toward Coppa, wings unfurling and flapping as he raised his sword. A thunderous war cry bellowed from his beak. Coppa’s eyes blazed as his gaze was brought on the group and his mouth morphed into a snarl. He raised his fist, the metal turning from a coal black into a cherry red, as the king folded his wings and dove for him.
“Coppa don't!” Dante yelled out. The dwarf hesitated for a moment, gaze flicking from his attacker to Dante and Twilight. His eyes widened for the briefest moments before a renewed yell tore them from his friends and back to the king of the Griffons.
“Die!”
The sword passed through Coppa’s guard, avoiding the cooling gauntlets as its tip threatened to pierce the stone set in his chest. Coppa gave a strangled cry as he twisted his body, grabbing the king by the wrist and wrenching it to the side. The sword sailed past his chest as Coppa threw his weight to the side and planted his foot. With a grunt he pulled the king forward before he tossed the monarch at a nearby column.
Irontalon cried out in pain as his body slammed and wrapped around the pillar with a sickening crunch. He stayed upright that for a few moments before gravity took hold and pulled him down, allowing him to tumble to the groundin a broken heap. Frostfeather was the first to react, launching himself toward his father. To Twilight’s surprise he passed right by Coppa who looked at him with disinterest. Instead, he returned his hateful gaze towards Ravenn who now stood by the Empress’ corpse.
Twilight let Dante down gently and motioned for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash to stand with him. The Diablon grunted in discomfort, looking at her with worried eyes but reluctantly nodded. He reached in his bag and withdrew a red potion and some bandages which he gave to her with his good arm. Quickly, she and Sam ran to the fallen king, passing Coppa who ignored them as he stepped towards Ravenn. Twilight skidded to a halt behind Frostfeather as he rolled his father onto his back. Irontalon’s wings twisted in unnatural angles and the arm that Coppa had clutched had lost all feather’s leaving only burnt and cracked flesh that oozed blood. She was thankful the king was not conscious to see the extent of his injuries, as the sight would have sent even the hardiest of individuals into shock.
“He’s still breathing!” Frostfeather exclaimed as he raised his head from his father’s breast. Twilight let out a sigh of relief and handed the potion to the prince who poured the liquid onto his father’s arms and some down his throat. The potion seeped into the wound, working its way into the king’s blood while Twilight focused on setting a barrier around them.
“Fluttershy!” Twilight called out and the yellow pegasus poked her head out from behind Sam. Twilight gestured for her to come, only to receive a shake of her friend’s head. A more frantic wave caught Sam’s attention and he quickly grasped his companion, whispering a short apology before running her to the barrier. Twilight let her magic drop for a moment as she pointed towards the king. “Can you stabilize him?”
Fluttershy looked at the monarch uncertainly, chewing on her bottom lip. Twilight could see she was scared, as they all were, but seeing the injured king had started something in her mind. She gingerly pressed her hoof to Irontalon’s neck, her brow furrowing as she checked his pulse “I’ve never helped a Griffon before. The closest animal I’ve ever nursed back to health was an eagle…”
“That's close enough,” Twilight replied as she handed the bandages to Fluttershy. “Please. Just do what you can.”
The pegasus nodded and set about tending to Irontalon, directing Frostfeather to help her remove his armor while Sam and Twilight watched Coppa stop a short distance from Ravenn. The elf still had a smile on his face despite the destruction of his bodyguard. To her, his face resembled someone picking out a choice piece of fruit from a cart, eyes glimmering as they found something that suited their tastes. The methodical way he examined the dwarf, drinking in his features and the power radiating from him told her all she needed to know. In Ravenn’s eyes Coppa was an experiment that had provided an interesting result. Now he was contemplating how far he could push the limits of the breakthrough that stood in front of him.
Ravenn hummed as he placed a finger to his lips. “For one hell bent on killing me earlier, you are showing remarkable restraint right now. Does a part of you still possess rational thought amidst the magic coursing through you? If that is the case then perhaps you do remember the power of my own stone and how futile it is to try and do so.” His smiled broadened as he touched the green stone, gliding a fingernail over its surface. “Though you have me curious. You slaughter my minions but this group? Rather than destroy them, you've left alone to their own devices save for that incident just now. You have the power to do so and even from here I can see the fact that the creature you struck will be hard pressed to recover. So what is stopping you from tearing me apart? A misguided sense of honour? Refusal to attack an enemy you believed to be defeated? What is it?”
Coppa continued to snarl and growl while Ravenn seemed to wait for an answer. Occasionally Coppa would twitch, his eyelid shaking or a hitch in his breathing, but no words. When Ravenn realized an answer would not come, he simply sighed. “Well then, I thought you still had some vocal capacity. Nevertheless, it seems as though I was far too hasty to order your culling. Seeing the effects of implanting the stone has proven quite entertaining and has given me an idea.”
Ravenn gripped the stone around his neck, fingers curling around its exterior. For a moment there was nothing then the stone began to flow, filling his fist with a green light. His free arm blackened and shrivelled, shrinking as bones began to push against the dead skin and muscle. With a sharp tearing noise, the ends of the new bones erupted from the skin and exposed their syringe like forms. Coppa took a step back, his hackles raised as Ravenn held the bony mass up. “You remember this don't you? The things I can do with these.” He smiled as he licked his lips. “Good, then let's see how much power these artifacts truly have.”
He pulled back his arm before stabbing the bones into the Empress’ body. The chitin surrounding the bone spikes fell away, exposing the writing mass of flesh that pulsated around the bone spikes. Ravenn let out a pained groan as the bones drained the Empress’ essence into him.
Twilight felt a cold chill run down her spine as the elf’s skin took on the same dull green that graced the Shriekers. Magic swelled within him, leaking out of every pore as his muscles grew and enlarged erratically. It gave him a lopsided appearance as one arm became far larger than the other which had become more like a spiked mace made of flesh and bone spurs. From his back, two mantis like claws erupted and hung over his shoulders, their sharp ends pointing towards Coppa as Ravenn regarded him with his now deformed face.
“Come then,” he uttered through his twisted teeth, his crazed eyes glimmering. The jewel around his neck had become embedded into his skin and glowed a bright green as he launched himself in the air towards Coppa. “Let us see what these new powers can do!”
Coppa responded, taking to the air with a yell. The two slammed into each other with a thunderous crash, claws and teeth ripping into one another as they fell to the ground. Coppa scratched and clawed at Ravenn, ripping deep gouges in the Elf’s altered body. Blood spilled freely, splattering onto Coppa and the tiled floor as his jaw closed around Ravenn’s shoulder and ripped it apart with a sharp tearing noise. Ravenn cried in pain before the the spiked arms on his back stabbed down, the edges piercing through Coppa’s leg and lower back, drawing a cry of pain from the Dwarf. With a shove of his free hand, Ravenn separated himself from Coppa and tossed him back into the air.
Twilight watched as Coppa twisted in midair and angled himself towards a column. One claw caught the pillar, the metal talons of the gauntlet heating and creating a handhold where there was none. With a twist of his arm, Coppa orientated and braced himself against the column while he drove his other claw into the stone exterior as easily as a knife through butter. Twilight could see molten metal drip from his leg while the hole solidified as flesh and fur returned. Raven was healing as well, the caw and burn marks disappearing as muscle knit itself back together.
She cringed as Coppa launched himself back towards Ravenn with his claws outstretched. A talon soared towards him and Coppa let it glide across his shoulder, opening a long jagged cut to his back before his claw separated it from Ravenn’s back. The dwarf tucked into a roll as he hit the ground and jumped to his feet as his claw swung around and smashed into Ravenn with a viscous backhand. The elf snarled as his ribs gave way beneath the gauntlet and he returned with an overhead swing.
Coppa raised a fist and caught the bony club in his fist. His fingers curled around it, breaking some of the spikes as repeated the same movement he had used on the king and heaved the massive bulk over his shoulder and slammed Ravenn into the ground. The stonework beneath him gave way, forming a crater as Coppa let him go and slammed the heel of his foot into Ravenn’s mouth. Teeth and bone cracked beneath it and Twilight watched as Coppa’s thigh flexed while he ground his foot into the elf’s face before a fist wrapped around his ankle and threw Coppa off.
Coppa landed in a crouch and kicked off as Ravenn jumped to his feet and did the same. Again they threw themselves at each other and Coppa ducked a swing from Ravenn’s bone studded arm meant to take off his head before delivering an earth shattering blow that sent the elf back into the wall. Ravenn had only time to cough up blood before Coppa appeared, his fist drilling into his opponents face. More red sprayed into the air as Coppa continued his onslaught, roaring as he kept smashing his fists into Ravenn with wild abandoned.
Twilight retched in her mouth and swallowed the bitter bile as she maintained her barrier against falling stonework created by the shock of Coppa’s blows. It wasn’t an easy prospect as her mind struggled to concentrate. The intensity and sheer brutality of the fight in front of her had stunned her, and her tired mind was beginning to overload as her natural stimulants wore off. This fight was a concept foreign to her. She had seen guards spar and practice dueling during her time in Canterlot, watched Dante and his team fight against monsters with coordination and precise efforts, and been in her own fights many times. Yet each of those examples had shared a common aspect in that there was skill and planning that went into every move. This fight had none of that. There were no techniques or combat styles, no practiced defenses or expert parries, only the savage strikes and struggles as they swiped at one another. This was not a practiced match or contained battle, this was two animals in a death struggle, lunging and biting whenever they could without relenting.
Yet even a death struggle would have ended quicker than what she was seeing. As each blow landed, she could see Ravenn’s body heal between strikes. The muscles and bone would put themselves back together as Coppa exhausted himself. Then as he cocked his fist back, Ravenn’s ribs exploded outwards and forced Coppa away.
The dwarf grunted as he stepped back, the wounds sealing slowly as he breathed heavily. Twilight could see the difference between the two almost immediately as she watch Coppa sag to a knee. The veins on his body had begun to darken, losing the intense glow that had matched his vicious fury. She looked towards Dante who was staring at Coppa with apparent anguish, as he too came to the same conclusion. Coppa’s own magical presence was fighting against whatever had taken over his body, struggling to keep some part of himself alive. It was the opposite of Ravenn, a practiced magic user, who drew the power to supplement his own. He could twist it and limit the force in ways Coppa could not, ensuring the toll on his body was barely noticeable.
“Is that all you have? How disappointing...” Ravenn said as he got to his feet. The remaining talon on his back shot out, stabbing into bodies of both shriekers and griffons as he passed them. The corpses shrivelled and withered, reduced to dust as they were absorbed into his body. “Perhaps you are just not angry enough.” The muscles tightened as Ravenn grew another few inches wide and his hand shifted into a grotesque claw. The talon that had been cut off by Coppa grew back and waved around before it too began draining corpses. “If that is how it is then listen closely, you poor excuse for an intelligent creature. You cannot stop me. I will subject every single creature on this continent to the same fate as my thralls. I will possess an unlimited source of research subjects on which to test this stone upon, and I will start with your friends after I harvest what I can from your body. I may even start off with those horses and see how far I can alter them. After them it will be your two friends and then i’ll move onto you devil born friend, Dante.”
Twilight could see Coppa go rigid, his body going straight as an arrow as Ravenn stopped speaking. His arms fell limply to the ground with an audible clang. On both knees and with his head hanging forward, he looked like he was in the midst of praying while Ravenn strode towards him. She caught a slight movement of his mouth, the metal jaw shifting as he appeared to say something under his breath. A sharp cry caught her attention and with a turn of her head, she saw Dante clutch his head.
“Coppa, don't do it,” he cried. “Don't give in to it!”
*****
It hurt. Everything hurt. His body, his mind, his entire being radiated pain beyond his wildest imagination as he hung suspended in a void on a metal slab with his hands locked in placed. Something had been placed on his head, forcing him to breathe through his nose as it closed his mouth shut. Fatigue ran rampant through him, and a relentless force kept throwing itself at his mind, attacking and pressuring his defenses.
The area surrounding him was pitch black, devoid of light or any anomaly that would have disturbed the flat plane of inky darkness. Yet he could see himself perfectly clear, his fur the only colour in the oppressive environment. How long he had been there, he was not sure. Time seemed to crawl to a halt since he had passed out in his cell and awoken in this new area.
At the memory of the cell he felt a shortness of breath and a burning sensation in his chest. One hand broke free from its restraint with surprising ease and he cried out in shock as his fingertips came into contact with nothing but a large pocket of air where his sternum should have been. He quickly looked downwards as his eyes registered that despite missing a portion of his bare chest, he saw nothing of his internal organs. Instead his fingers passed through the blackness and as they did so panic and adrenaline began to spike in his brain. He felt his heart begin to hammer in time with his rapid breathing.
Coppa felt his stomach twist and the sense of panic urged him to struggle against his remaining restraint. He hammered his fist into it, buckling the restrain before another blow broke it in half. Without it holding him, he fell from the metal slab onto the solid black surface of the void. Without a second thought he began to rip at the offending item on his head. His fingers grasped at it, feeling the warm metal around his head for any gaps or latches.
Freedom came in the form of nail driven through two hoops in the side of the mask. With a press of his thumb, the nail slid out and the mask fell into two parts at Coppa’s knees. As he coughed and sucked in air he looked it over through tear filled eyes. The mask stared back at him, a metal skull grinning as though it found his panic amusing. He swatted it away and let it clatter to the side as he took in a few more breaths in an attempt to calm his nerves.
“Is anyone out there?!” He yelled between breathes, his voice echoing into the darkness. A hushed whisper of garbled words answered him as multiple voices reached his ear. Their words buzzed around in his head like angry wasps and Coppa clapped his hands over his ears as another ache surfaced in his head.
Defeated…
Hero…
Acharon...
“Stop it,” he yelled out before the soft voices began to shriek.
Save… Them…
Betrayal…
Father dead...
“Shut up!”
Fool…
Execut...tion…
The pit
“Stop it, please,” he repeated. His head throbbed in agony, forcing him into a fetal position as hundreds of angry voices screamed incoherent words at him. He begged and pleaded, promising any task or request he could possibly think of to quiet them. When he closed his eyes images flashed in and out, showing him battlefields and scenes of slaughter he didn't recognize. They were all accompanied by a long figure with dark wings dressed in black robes that hid his face and body. The sight of the battlefield and the bodies of both demon and mortals were appalling, but upon looking on the figure, a seductive calm washed over him.
“You will be my warmaster, my agent of fury. With you at my side, our enemies will cower before us as we scour the earth.”
The words washed over him like a wave of relief, reducing the voices back to hushed whispers. Coppa should have been terrified, but a sense of familiarity turned the rejection on his tongue to nothingness as he let it invade his mind. The figure then began to fade as he found his eyes being gently coaxed open. Standing before him was Ravenn, sporting the same sadistic smile and egotistical glint in his eyes.
Coppa felt something pull at him, it was like the rage the night he had been captured and in the cells of the prison Ravenn had placed him in. The blinding anger that compelled him to violence. There was a rationality to this, a space for a consciousness to direct it, a reasoning within that enticed him to harness the feeling. Something that wanted him to sink into it and use it for his own means. It guided his body for him as he crawled to the mask and picked it up. He tried to resist the temptation but his will was quashed as his fingers touched the smooth surface.
Touch it… Feel the power...
His eyes became transfixed on the mask as it began to glow, taking in an invisible heat source that made it glow as though it were freshly pulled from a forge. The metal, now coloured as bright as the sun, did not burn him and he felt no actual heat come from the mask. Instead it was cold in his palms, sending a pleasant tingle down his spine as it bubbled and melted in his hand. The liquid remains spilled from between his fingers and in its place remained a ruby red crystal in the shape of a spear.
With shaky hands he shifted it and placed it in front of the void in his chest. The stone pulsed and vibrated in his hand as though it knew what was to come. It was eager, he could feel it through some connection and he could almost hear it scream in frustration.
Come little one… Let us free… We will make him pay...
With a grunt and a quick prayer he brought the point into the void. The icy chill exploded throughout his body as the tip sunk into the blackness, it's sharpened edges cutting through the darkness as though it were flesh. The chill was then replaced with a surge of heat and energy that made Coppa scream allowed in agon as his nerves were pushed to their absolute limit. He felt something touch his fingers and in the corner of his eyes he could see hundreds of hands made of thick magma sprouting from the ground and wrapping themselves around him.
The calm remained even throughout the pain, a sense of serenity within the agony as his body and mind were ripped and reformed endlessly. He looked back towards Ravenn and found the robed figure in his place. There was a smile on the figures face that was warm and welcoming.
“Are you ready?”
Coppa nodded and from behind came two massive iron arms that grabbed and lifted him by his shoulders. Coppa’s head snapped back to find a giant metal golem looming over him, the same skeletal mask watching him with flaming eyes. It seemed half finished with pieces of its body missing or half melted, slowly forming to fill the holes. In the centre of its chest, revealing itself as its metal exterior parted to show the flaming void within, was the same spear head shaped stone. The golem groaned, its malformed jaw muttering intelligible words before it placed Coppa within itself. The flames licked at the Dwarf who looked at the robed figure whose smile had yet to falter
“I pity the next soul who becomes the target of your ire, Aedus.”
The calm of his mind shattered and Coppa’s final act as a mortal was to scream as for one final instant he understood the depth of the mistake he had made.
*****
The veins had returned in full, bright orange showing against the black fur on his arms. Ravenn seemed not to notice it as his arm outstretched towards Coppa. Around the two, small pebbles and stones began to shake and wobble away as though some unseen force was pushing against them. Ravenn seemed to finally notice the strange happenings around him and paused for a moment as he turned his head. The air filled with a sharp hum as everything became bathed in a crimson light. Then, as fast as it had come, the noise stopped, replaced by the wet, sharp tearing of metal cutting through flesh.
Ravenn’s head jerked back to Coppa and his eyes saw the smouldering broken stump where Coppa had ripped off his arm. A strangled cry came from his mouth as he stumbled backwards on one foot. Another flash of the claw and another stump appeared below Ravenn’s knee, spouting dark blood in great gouts. With only one leg to stand on, Ravenn kept his pace as he hopped backwards while his arm and leg began to twist and grow against the cauterized wounds. One of his talons searched frantically for a body and then stabbed into the remains of a griffon’s lion like arm before it consumed it. Ravenn’s arm then sprouted anew, mimicking the shape of a lions foreleg. A second later his thigh began to write before it too regrew into a new limb.
Ravenn stumbled backwards too his feet as he retreated from Coppa. The new leg was shorter than his former limb, giving his steps backwards a lopsided gait as his face betrayed the fear he was trying to hide at the sight in front of him.
“What are you?” He demanded. Twilight realized the conflicting presences surrounding Coppa had melded, forming a single entity that had calmed as it pulsed.
Coppa’s mouth opened with a creak as the metal jaw moved. He tilted his head, watching Ravenn with The same disinterest as one staring at a bug. “We... are… Rage. I-I I am…”
Its head jerked to the side as if it had been struck in the face, a slight twitch accompanying it before it glowered at him. “I AM AEDUS.”
Out of everything she had watched Coppa do in his new form, the simple act of speaking three words terrified her the most. The thing had taken Coppa’s voice and added a deep bass to it. The sound of the broken sentence echoing from its mouth were only one part of the reason she was frightening. The thing residing within their friend was intelligent, not a simple minded corruption she had assumed at first glance.
“Whoever you are, you are dead,” Ravenn growled as his face twisted with anger. “This artifact has made invincible, nothing you can do will kill me.”
“Perfect…” It chucked.
With a roar Coppa sprinted towards Ravenn. The elf raised his club like arms to strike Coppa down. The demonic dwarf swayed aside, bring his claws down and slashing bloody ribbons across Ravenn’s ribs. Ravenn roared as crimson washed down his side and he turned to face Coppa.
Before he could recover the dwarf struck again, claws tearing through Ravenn’s midsection and spilling his innards onto the stone floor. Ravenn looked down in shock as he fell to his knees. The claws flexed and Twilight watched as Ravenn weakly raised an arm to defend himself.
The thing in Coppa spared the elf summoner no mercy as he ripped at him faster than the stone could repair the damage. The floor became awash in blood and meat as Ravenn flopped on the ground, half cauterized stumps dumping red around him. The dwarf then straddled the elf’s body, one claw squeezing Ravenn’s head while the other gripped at the stone embedded in his chest.
“This is not yours…” Coppa growled as tips of his claws dug into Ravenn’s chest. Ravenn’s eyes widened and his remaining hand curled into a fist and began striking Coppa’s face. The gauntlet squeezing his head began to glow and Ravenn screamed as his face blistered and cracked, but his fist continued to pound into Coppa’s face. The punches served only to antagonize the demon, like a fly smacking into his face. He growled but did not remove his hands. Instead, as Ravenn’s fist closed in, he turned his head and opened his jaws.
There was a horrible squelching noise as bone and flesh broke between razor sharp fangs. Raven screamed as he looked the ruined and fingerless remains of his lion’s paw. Coppa spat them out, the furred fingers landing near the remains of his ears and tail. At the same time, the gauntlets found purchase and stone came loose from the body that had desperately clung to it.
Ravenn gasped as he shook before he seized. His body seemed to deflate as the source of its power was removed, the greenish skin going gray as his remain flesh quivered and convulsed in his death throes. The sight made Coppa roar in triumph as he threw the stone backwards towards Twilight where it bounced off her shield. With both hands he picked up the still convulsing body and raised it above him before bringing Ravenn’s back onto his knee with a sickening crack.
The elf jerked one final time and the demon looked down on the elf with disgust. With a final breath, the body sagged and went limp at his feet. The demon pushed it aside with a foot before he cast his gaze on the group. The glowering eyes scanned them and he took a step forward with one gauntlet outstretched.
“He is hear. A part of him,” the demon said before his hands shot up to his skull. “Incomplete… Enemy… Stop this…” He muttered in pain. The lines along his body flashed erratically, pulsing like an irregular heartbeat as the aura around him swirled and darkened. “Enemy… friend… Enemy… Destroy… Save… Stop…”
“Coppa!” Twilight heard Dante yell out. Flaming eyes shot up, meeting Dante’s own pleading crimson ones. “I know you're in there. Fight it!”
“He is here… a piece of him...” It whispered before it began to shriek. “No! Stop it. I won't!”
Moe’s own voice joined in. “We need you, don't let that thing control you. Think of everyone back home! Think of your mom, of Ferra! What about Ponyville? The Apples are waiting for you!”
“He’s right partner!” Applejack chimed in as she put on a stoic face. “Yer an Apple whether you like it or not. An’ a Apple doesn't let anyone control em! So quit stalling and get your fanny back he-”
“BE SILENT!” The demon roared before he kept off his feet towards Applejack. He landed in front of the pomy and one hand grabbed her by the shoulder and forced her down. A claw hovered above her face, the tips inches from her face which remained brave in spite of the danger.
“Come on, partner. I know ya got it in you,” she said aloud. The demon growled through its teeth in frustration as its hand refused to move. There was a look of recognition in its eyes, a small part of their Dwarven friend still there. It flickered briefly and they almost breathed a sigh of relief until a loud crackling of energy made it wink out of existence.
Coppa roared and jumped off Applejack as a light filled the room with the brightness of the sun. Chains grew from magic circles surrounding Coppa, wrapping themselves around his body with lengths of polished steel and pinning him to the ground on one knee. He screamed in protest, pulling at his bindings with hate fuelled vigor. The chains responded in kind, tightening and weighting themselves until they would move no longer.
From the light emerged Celestia dressed in segmented armor that covered her from the base of her legs to just beneath her chin. It glittered in the fading light of her teleportation spell, giving the alicorn of the sun an almost heavenly look with her wings outstretched. In one hoof was a spear that glittered and shone along its gold plated hilt. A blade sprouted from the end, topping a sunshaped guard with two feet of polished steel. Behind her was a retinue of thirty palace guards, their golden armor gleaming brightly as they stood at attention in a square six abreast and five ponies deep with their spears at the ready. None seemed to falter at the sight of the chained demon, their stoic faces remaining calm and collected as they stopped behind their leader in unison.
Never before had Twilight seen her mentor dressed in her armor. She knew it existed and many older books had shown the Princess of the sun in her full battle regalia, but none had managed to capture the sheer awe Celestia exuded with it on. She seemed untouchable, like a white and gold statue that shone with a blinding brilliance. It was a welcome sight to see her beckon them all behind her, eyes filled with a motherly warmth as she silently promised to see to their wounds. Twilight swallowed as she took in the sight of her mentor and her bodyguards, soaking in the awe that they exuded. She had heard legend of events long past where Celestia had gone out and defended her nation, but they had all shown a Princess who used her wit and magical might to ensure the prosperity and safety of her people. These had been the tales of Equestria’s history that Twilight knew and the ones that she and any other child had been told as they were put to bed. Never before had there ever been a mention of the Princess possessing a full war panoply. It made Twilight wonder, questioning if that had been another memory forgotten along with the presence of humanity in Equestria.
She watched with a careful eye, drinking in the sight as Celestia stepped forward and lowered her spear towards possessed Coppa who quieted as the demon seemed to recognise the source of the spell that restrained it. For a few moments they examined each other, carefully taking in every feature and probing for a weakness. Had it been anyone other than her mentor Twilight would have expected them to strike at the restrained demon. Celestia was above that and it showed as she lifted her spear and spoke.
“I am Celestia, Princess of the Sun and diarch of the Equestrian Nation. You are in possession of one of my charges and I demand you release him back into my care,” she said loudly with a tone of authority foreign to Twilight. “Failure to do so will see you restrained until another way is found to do so. With or without your compliance.”
The words were simple and straight to the point. Comply or an alternate, and probably intrusive, method would be used instead. Had it been any other species, they would have submitted there to the Alicorn in her glimmering battle regalia, but this was a demon Celestia was speaking to. A creature of dark emotions that sought control wherever it could get it.
“Not strong… incomplete…memories scattered,” it whispered as it relaxed. She could see it look at the chains restraining it, and for a moment another flash of recognition, before it began to scream and roar as it managed to rise to its feet against the weight of the taught chains. “I will not be imprisoned again! He is here! I will find him! I will fulfill my duty!”
“Demon, I command you to let my charge go,” Celestia said, her voice devoid of any warmth, leaving it with an icy edge. “He is not yours. Vacate his body and return to where you came or I will subdue you.”
The demon spat as the chains flexed against him. “You have no power over me. The boy gave himself willingly. His rage is now mine as are his mind and body. Ours is a righteous fury!”
“Vacate and disperse,” Celestia repeated. She lowered her spear until its blade pointed at Coppa. The tip glowed as magic coursed through it. “I will not ask you again.”
“The anger… his anger, it clouds me,” It spoke as the chains around him creaked and strained against Coppa’s altered body. The red miasmatic aura returned and the body swelled slightly, muscles tightening as it pushed against the chains. With a violent jerk of its arms, the demon shattered the chains around it as its aura created a crater beneath its feet. “I will find him! I will find Acharon!”
A lance of light fired from the tip of Celestia’s spear and struck Coppa directly in his chest. The Demon screamed in pain as it was flung back by the force of the spell into the wall. As the beam continued to lance into the possessed body, pressing it against the wall, the Demon brought up a gauntleted hand in front of the beam. With a roar of defiance the other gauntlet was raised and came crashing down into the wall that held it with devastating blow. Ancient masonry cracked and exploded into pieces and without the support, the beam pushed the demon through the exposed hole. The action was sudden and Celestia let out a surprised whinny as she cut the magic flow to her staff off. The beam of light died down, but the effect was already transparent. The demon flew through the air and twisted its body as it fell to the city below. With a triumphant cry it descended to the ground like a screaming red comet.
Gathering by the hole, Twilight and her friends saw only a cloud of dust bloom on the streets below and the demon’s glowing form jumping from building to building. It passed over the rooftops, vaulting along rooftops until it reached the perimeter wall of the city. There it stopped for a moment, a silhouette against the setting sun, before it roared a final time and disappeared over the side with a mighty leap.
Gone from view, Twilight went rigid as she heard her mentor bark an order to her contingent. Wings flapped and five Pegasus guards shot through the opening after the demon. They rose high in the sky, wings flapping as they ascended higher. A few broke off from the main body, banking away to search a wider area. Twilight knew this formation, the squadron would locate and track Coppa, sending messages back regarding his movements. From there it was only a matter of time before they would move to intercept him.
“Twilight,” a soft voice brought her around and white wings embraced her, pulling her to Celestia's barrel. The golden armor had a pleasant warmth to it and Twilight relaxed as her mentor nuzzled the top of her head. “I am so glad you're unharmed. I feared I wouldn't be here in time.”
Twilight relaxed in her mentors grasp and felt tears of relief spill from her eyes. The weight and exhaustion of the past few hours finally settled on her and she found herself sobbing like a small filly. Thedanger, the sights and sounds, all of it overwhelmed her as the mental barrier she had unconsciously erected broke in that moment of peace. Celestia let her pupil vent out her emotions, relishing the notion that her prized student was safe. With one wing still wrapped around the purple unicorn the other gestured to the other Elements of Harmony to join them. They stumbled towards her and she scooped up all of them into her embrace like a mother bird with her young.
Though she wanted to close her eyes and relish in the presence of her ponies, one wary eye was kept on the three individuals that had begun to move towards the exit. She watched as they looked back for a moment, three expressionless faces staring at her and the girls, before they turned and quietly left the room to lick their wounds. She should have stopped them, questioned them about what had happened, but the time was not right. They had been battered and beaten, and any further pressure would break them. For now she would let them rest and heal. When the next chance presented itself she would deal with them.
With that in mind she tightened her wings around her ponies and silently whispered her condolences to them. They all pressed further into her, soaking up the warmth radiating from her. Safe and secure, she beckoned her retuinue and they dispersed quickly in a professional fashion. Some stopped and assisted the fallen king and his son, helping them to the monarch’s bedroom while some went to fetch a doctor. Soon it was only her and the element bearers left in an old destroyed throne room. The fighting had finished and now it would be time to rebuild and celebrate. The journey for the griffons would be hard, but she knew it would be completed eventually, she would ensure it. For now however, she would dote on her favoured ponies. Closing her eyes at last, she only just missed the robed figure and sad smile that slowly began to disappear into the shadows.