//------------------------------//
// XXIX - City of Mare 
// Story: Pony Fantasy V: Exodus of the Void 
// by GMBlackjack 
//------------------------------//

The Vlerryn flew over to the desert, dumping Rarity unceremoniously on the ground. She stood up, looking back at Trotton. She didn’t make a comment about being dropped out of the sky. She just stared in disbelief.

“Trotton… It’s… gone…”

“Exdeath.” Rainbow Dash growled. “He did that.”

Rarity twitched. “I… I… I am going to kill him. That’s it. There’s nothing else to it. He’s dead.”

Fluttershy sighed. “Rarity…”

Rarity kept her expression emotionless. “I know Fluttershy. But that was my home. I knew everypony there. I saw them most of my life. They’re all just gone now.”

“The city saved some of them…” Fluttershy tried.

“But not all.” She said. “Not all.”

Applejack paled. “Oh no. What about Applebloom? Big Mac?”

“The market hasn’t even been touched by the Void.” Discord said, looking through balloon binoculars. “They’re fine.”

Marble made a mhm noise. Applejack sighed in relief. 

The Vlerryn finally finished landing, and the entrance hatch popped open. “MOM!” Lyra yelled, leaping out and hugging Twilight. “YOU HAVE WINGS.”

Twilight chuckled. “Yeah, I do. Long story.”

Bon Bon poked her head out of the Vlerryn. “Hey as much as I hate to break up this reunion, this is sandworm territory. At least I think it is. Everyone aboard, we’ll try to fit you all here. Even you… amalgamation.”

“Oh I’m touched.” Discord said. “I got a big word assigned to me.” Marble rolled her eyes. Everyone packed themselves into the Vlerryn, and it took off towards the City of Man. 

It landed much the same way it did before - but the city looked different than when the last saw it. Buildings were still ruined and large chunks of the structure were damaged, but most of it seemed operational. And there were lots of ponies trotting around, inhabiting the place. It was once more a full city.

“WELCOME!” Lyra boomed. “TO THE CITY OF MARE!”

“We are not calling it that.” Bon Bon said.

“I call it that.” Lyra retorted. “So I’ll reject your reality and substitute my own. Shoo be do.”

Bon Bon groaned and facehooved. Twilight looked around, her eyes sparkling. “Lyra! I love what you’ve done with the place! It looks so full of life! I take it you got the generators running again?”

“Yep! It only took me, the Earth Crystal, and Odin working for a full day to get them functional, but here it is!”

Fluttershy blinked. “Odin?”

“Human eidolon spirit we found in the basement. He’s been most helpful.” Lyra blinked. “Wait… Where’s Pinkie?”

Fluttershy looked at the ground. “…She’s gone. Exdeath got her.”

Lyra and Bon Bon stopped in their tracks. 

“I am sorry to hear that.” A new voice said, male. An armored humanoid walked into their field of view. “I was hoping to meet her. I am Odin.”

Fluttershy smiled. “Eidolon right? Do we have to fight you?”

“No.” Odin said. “I’ve discovered how to break the rules.”

Fluttershy summoned Carbuncle. “Lucky dog you.”

“Ah! Carbuncle! Thought I’d never see you again!”

“The rest of the gang’s all here.” Carbuncle said. “You’re the last one.”

Odin raised an eyebrow. “Oh? I guess everything really is coming together then.” He took a knee to Fluttershy. “My lady Fluttershy, I pledge myself, my blade, and my honor to you and your friends. Use us well.” 

He glowed for a moment and went into Fluttershy to rejoin his old companions.

“He’s got a lot of stories.” Lyra said. “Perhaps you should ask him for some. Apparently he used to be part of a group of human adventurers back when there was only one world.”

Discord groaned. “Oh. Them. I hate them.”

“Huh?” Fluttershy asked.

“They were the group that sealed me away the first time. Screw them.”

“Wonder why he didn’t comment on you…” Twilight said.

Discord shrugged. “I dunno. Doesn’t matter. We’re here! The time has come to figure out what the flipping heck we are going to do!”

Lyra nodded. “Well… Let’s get ourselves a room to talk with the Earth Crystal. Then we can figure this out.”

—

A hologram representing the Earth Crystal floated in the center of the room. To one side stood the five Warriors of Light, to the other Discord, Marble, Lyra, and Bon Bon. Fluttershy had summoned Carbuncle and Odin to the table as well.

<The Void has been released.> The Earth Crystal stated. <To those who don’t know, the Void is an ancient power that was used by those in ancient times to wreak great destruction and havoc. It is a representation of desolation, of the progress to nothingness. It was the counterpoint to us Crystals - we made things, it destroyed them. It became too strong in ancient years, and we were forced to split the worlds and seal it away. This… this was so long ago I had thought it was impossible for anyone to know about it. But apparently Exdeath was from the Otherworld, and therefore had information I didn’t about the matter. Had I known, perhaps I could have taken other action. And without my physical form, I cannot even attempt to counteract the Void’s power.>

Twilight frowned. “How did you stop it at Trotton?”

<I did nothing. The City of Man was designed to explicitly combat the constant destruction the Void produced with unique technology and magic that bent spacetime. Though back then, the destruction was temporary - the Void spheres would always dissipate eventually. Now there is nothing holding them back.>

Discord grunted. “Great. Just wonderful. The world will eventually fall to nothingness because of these expanding Void spheres. Worse than just a dead world. No world at all. Just the icing on the cake isn’t it?”

Twilight nodded. “How can we fight it?”

<With the magic of this city, we can safely enter the Void and take the fight to Exdeath, who is presumably at the center of the Interdimensional Rift the Void resides in. We kill him and the connection to the Void will be severed. However… it is not so simple as that.”

“How did I know you were going to say that?” Applejack said. 

Carbuncle sighed. “Killing Exdeath won’t stop the Void. It will keep growing on its own, engulfing the world. We’ll need to find a way to take control of the Void, and without a Crystal I don’t know how to do that.”

“Not to mention the fact that the Void is filled with soulless abominations.” Odin added. “I do not think we have the firepower to blast our way through all of them.”

“Then…” Rarity said, smiling. “We need to recruit an army. Or armies. Surely Limestone and the Hoofington army is around somewhere. Chrysalis owes us a favor as well…”

“That’s a start.” Odin said. “We also need to empower you five, the Warriors of Light. You are what remains of the Crystals. You will have to be what deposes Exdeath.”

Carbuncle nodded. “To do that, we-“

“Oh sure.” Discord said. “Just tell them where all the sealed super weapons are! Trust them not to blow the planet up themselves!”

Carbuncle sighed. “We need to, if we are to have any chance of fighting our way into the Void. We are Eidolons now, Discord, we cannot wield the power anymore. We are but a legend’s memory. The current legends need it now.”

Discord huffed. “Fine then. Guess what this means little ponies! Prepare to get access to some of the most devastating spells and artifacts of all time!” He waved his hand. “And lucky lucky Rarity’s going to get a fun one.”

“What?” Rarity said, blinking. “What?”

Discord smiled. “You have no idea the power you are being given. There are four powers those ‘humans’ are thinking of. The magics Holy and Flare. The ancient eidolon Phoenix that predates time itself. The legendary sword Excalibur.”

“Legendary sword Excalibur?” Applejack questioned.

“For the love of.. Yes the sword is legendary. It’s even named Excalibur! It’s exactly what it says on the tin!” 

<We need to recruit armies and give you the power to defeat Exdeath in his newfound power.> The Earth Crystal spoke. <This will be more difficult than when the last heroes helped us seal the rift. You will not have the physical Crystals to back you, and you will be facing off against an intelligence rather than an impersonal Void.>

Twilight frowned. “We’re willing to do it. But what I don’t know is how are we going to take control of the Void away form Exdeath once he’s gone?”

<…I do not know. But once Exdeath is killed, the Void’s progress cannot be made to increase any further. It will buy us time to discover a solution.>

“I… don’t like that.” Rainbow Dash said. “Going in with only half the solution?”

“It is what we need to do.” Carbuncle stated. “I am sorry.”

“We’ll need to split up.” Rarity said. “Gather everything as quickly as possible with as few wasted resources as possible. Gather armies and these special artifacts. Time is of the essence.”

Everyone present nodded. 

<We must not delay further. Exdeath presumably does not know the locations of the artifacts, but if he sucks them into the Void by mere chance they will be lost. Let us go forth!>

Discord, the Earth Crystal, and the summons began to detail where exactly the magics were held… And it was decided who would go where and at what time. 

They had to hurry.

—

Exdeath sat at the center of the Void, atop a crystal floating in the midst of stars. He put his hands on the panel in front of him, feeling the Void itself.

It was largely overwhelming… He couldn’t see all of it…

“Show me the reality…” He said. “Show me the truth. Show me what is and what isn’t…”