Fragments of the once pristine and beautiful moon slowly drifted and scattered in the sky above. A red haze filtered through the surrounding atmosphere, causing the calming night to take on more of a sinister air. All was silent as a scene that even the most demented souls of Tartarus could not fathom continued to drift apart in the sky above… and floating in the center of that devastation was Absolution.
The massive godly being simply hovered in place and sneered down upon the world of Equus, his gaze fixated on the shocked faces of his daughters. He eyed them curiously for a few moments before his expression turned a little more amused. Absolution’s attention eventually landed on Celestia and a short chuckle rumbled through the air. “My, my, dear child… it seems you’ve grown a little since I last laid eyes upon you. How curious that you’ve become so much stronger.”
Absolution’s fiery gaze drifted over to Luna and a slight frown took over his face, a clear indication that he was not impressed by her lack of power. Just as he was about to speak, his eyes lowered further as the form of an unknown black Alicorn stood up in front of his daughters. Absolution’s brow furrowed as he looked upon the strange new addition before a sinister grin spread across his face, glowing like the maw that would lead you strait to hell itself. “Ah~… the little misplaced human that entered into a binding contract with poor little Abyss,” he said as he placed his hands on his hips.
Celestia and Luna’s eyes widened in shock and slight fear as they looked to Mathew. If Absolution knew about him then things were about to become very dangerous. Even Twilight knew that things were about to get heated and she started going through a list of spells that she could use to get everypony to safety, or to possibly engage in combat. She was unsure of her combat potential against the likes of Absolution, but it was something to consider if the situation called for it. Twilight’s gaze turned down to Mathew as she waited for him to give her the word. The rest of the Elements of Harmony simply stayed stock still, none of them able to comprehend exactly what they should be doing.
Mathew, on the other hoof, simply glared up at Absolution. He knows about us, Nightmare…
“That much is painfully evident, Mathew. How should we proceed? We used up a considerable portion of our magic in helping Celestia obtain her power.”
I don’t know… but I doubt he’s going to let any of us escape. Even if we did manage to get to safety, he’s probably prepared to destroy this whole planet if he wanted. We might not have any choice in the matter… and neither of us know if he has any weaknesses.
Nightmare sighed, knowing that Mathew had a very valid point. Absolution was there for whatever reason, and there was nothing that could be done to stop him should he wish to act. The fact that he had simply continued to watch them meant that Absolution had a reason for permitting their existence. “Mathew… I believe this is a trap. He wants something…”
Mathew sighed silently as he held his gaze with the mighty god high above. Yeah… let’s see if we can get him talking first… maybe Discord was wrong and we can come to some kind of agreement with this guy.
“Absolution! Why are you here?” Mathew asked loudly.
Absolution’s grin widened a touch and he crossed his arms. “I’m here to retrieve my children. I’ve missed them terribly.” The grin on his face melted into a bemused smirk.
Luna looked up to Absolution and bristled slightly. The mere fact that he had just treated the question as a joke did not go over well with her in the slightest.
Meanwhile, Celestia’s eyes started to seep a faint golden magic as her blood boiled. She took a large step forward, only stopping when Mathew’s large wing shot out in front of her, his gaze still fixed to the massive pain in his side up above. Celestia did not let her voice be stopped, however. “You utterly insufferable creature – how dare you mock us so openly! If you truly cared for us you would never have done the heinous acts you commited in the past!”
Absolution cocked his brow curiously and gave a small shrug. “I suppose you have a point, my daughter. Honestly I had lost interest in this side of the cosmos a long time ago. It wasn’t until I felt a peculiar increase in power some time back that I became intrigued again. As embarrassing as it may be for me, it took me nearly two years to remember what the power reminded me of.” Absolution’s sinister grin returned with a vengeance and his eyes flashed with power, illuminating the world briefly.
“It’s a shame that the Life Giver was felled so easily. At least she managed to pass on her powers to you, little Celestia. I must admit that you’ve really grown into a promising young goddess. Luna, on the other hand…" Absolution said as he flicked a mild look of pity to the lunar princess. “She’s a little too much like her mother; sadly capable of being an utter disappointment when I expected more from her. Then again, maybe I can provide her the proper guidance and she can become just as powerful as her elder sister. If not, I can find it in my heart to forgive her,” he finished with a sage-like nod.
Celestia’s mane erupted into flames as her eyes became pools of raw white power. “How dare you!” she bellowed.
“ENOUGH!” Mathew yelled, loud enough to shake the ground. His wings flared out fully and he glared at Absolution. “Quit goading her on! What kind of father do you think you are?”
Absolution’s grin vanished and he returned Mathew’s glare as energy crackled around his chest and down his arms. “And just what do you think a father should be, human? Enlighten me on how your ignorant and biased outlook blinds you to the truth. After all, you believe that I should be something based on what you’ve been conditioned to feel, so surely you are in the right,” he said before a cruel smirk crossed over his features. “You humans really are such stupid creatures. With your short life-spans, you try to push everything around you to bend to your own morals and beliefs. I’ve spent many years watching your kind grow like a plague across that little mud ball you call your home. Even when your kind were merely primitive little apes you forced other beings into submission. As you evolved you started to believe that you did it out of the need for survival… when in reality you’re nothing more than an aggressive mutation that has spread through death and domination of all other life forms. Why, even you have taken advantage of that violent nature and gained a feeling of satisfaction through killing another defenseless animal.”
A few of the others gasped at those words, turning their gazes to Mathew. Celestia’s ears folded back and her rage subsided as she turned a questioning gaze to him. Luna simply glanced to Mathew before turning a hateful glare back up to Absolution. Silence filled the air as Mathew seethed at the god, until Applejack took a tentative step closer to Mathew.
“Is that what ya meant… back when ya said there were things that you felt we shouldn’t know because it didn’t belong in our world?” Applejack asked.
Mathew grit his teeth as his chest tightened. Without even looking to see if she was watching him, Mathew nodded once. “Yes… humans are capable of such violence that I felt it would be the worst thing I could do to share that knowledge with you ponies. If you knew what some of the humans back on Earth had done… I don’t think you’d see any of the good that the rest of them are able to do – and do – for the rest of my world.”
Absolution chuckled. “Ah, and there’s the justification for your race’s actions. Just because some of them are bad apples doesn’t mean the rest of the crop should be thrown out. In any case, I do believe that I’ve wasted enough time and you’ve begun to bore me.” The god’s glowing gaze drifted back to Celestia and Luna. “Time to come with me, my daughters. The cosmos await you.”
Celestia and Luna both took a step away from Absolution, with Luna shaking her head firmly. “We will not go with you, Absolution.” Celestia declared.
Absolution sighed and shook his head, his expression actually turning sad. “Is that your final answer? It’s not as though you’ll never see this world again. I promise to allow it to continue to exist if you come along obediently…”
Both sisters reaffirmed their stern glares and shook their heads. Absolution crossed his arms and tilted his head, closing his eyes as he thought. A few tense minutes passed in complete silence before his glowing yellow eyes slowly opened and Absolution shrugged. “Then I suppose I’ll have to force you to follow me. And as punishment, this world will end.”
Diplomacy has failed, we’re going for the kill, Nightmare!
Mathew’s wings pumped powerfully, sending him soaring through the air. Utilizing a spell to increase his momentum, Mathew shot through the sky like a missile. As he moved he charged his horn, preparing for the only attack he could think of that might harm the god. Absolution simply watched with a distinct lack of amusement as the black Alicorn rose up to meet him. Celestia and Luna could only stare as Mathew flew up and out of their reach and Twilight sputtered in disbelief while her friends all watched in growing horror. Rainbow Dash flexed her wings and prepared to launch after Mathew, but Rarity’s magic reached out and held her in place. Time seemed to slow, as if the world had sucked in a deep breath and held it.
Mathew’s spell reached the critical point just before a nearly blinding and massive beam of bright blue magic fired from his horn. The world was lit up as if the sun had come out and everything that saw it had to squint or look away as the line of light shot through the sky toward Absolution. The menacing god merely lifted his hand as the beam of magic neared him. Mathew’s magic slammed into Absolution’s extended arm and the night sky was engulfed in the light of the largest explosion anypony had ever witnessed. Though difficult for her to accomplish, Celestia managed to see through the blinding flash and her jaw dropped at the display of might. The solar princess had no doubt in her mind that if that beam had been directed at their planet… it would have been no better off than the moon.
Mathew spread his wings and slowed his ascent as he gauged the possibility of Absolution’s possible survival. He had put everything he had into that attack, banking on it being powerful enough to more than harm the god, especially with the core of the beam containing at least half of what his body could handle of Nightmare’s power.
The only warning that Mathew received, before a large beam of blood red energy slammed into him, was the slight shift in the wind. Mathew didn’t even have time to scream as his wings were ripped apart and the beam slammed him into the side of a high plateau a few miles away.
Celestia lost her breath and the color drained from her face as the beam engulfed Mathew.
Luna screamed Mathew’s name in terror.
Twilight’s legs trembled as she watched the beam take Mathew’s form out of her field of view.
Rarity’s magical grasp over Rainbow died as she lost her ability to comprehend what had just happened and the cyan pegasus blinked once before she bolted in the direction of where Mathew had landed.
Applejack’s legs gave out and her rump collided with the ground as tears started to pool in her eyes.
Pinkie Pie’s mane lost all of its life and she grit her teeth as she fought back tears and Fluttershy stood completely still as shock took hold of all her faculties.
Twilight was the first one to start thinking rationally once the sound of the explosion reached her. Her head quickly swiveled around, taking in the situation that was clearly not anywhere as good as it should have been. Everypony was stunned and rooted in place. Twilight’s eyes darted up and she spotted Absolution, his one arm extended out toward where he had shot down Mathew. His other arm was nothing more than a malformed nub, but upon closer inspection, Twilight could tell that the arm was slowly regenerating. Then it occurred to her! Mathew could regenerate too!
Lavender magic surged forth and surrounded the princesses and her friends as Twilight prepared a teleportation spell. She closed her eyes and put all of her focus on locating Mathew’s magical signature. Not too far off she could feel a weakened field of magic that she knew belonged to Mathew. Without wasting a second more, Twilight’s horn flashed as she activated the spell and she teleported everypony to the base of the plateau.
Everypony blinked a few times as they regained their senses. Twilight looked up to the massive crater that now decorated the side of the huge rise of earth and sediment. The moment she located the epicenter of the blast zone her heart sank. Where she had hoped to find Mathew… only a smoking field of scorched earth greeted her.
“No…” Luna whispered as her flank dropped to the ground. Celestia looked to her sister with a great sadness in her heart, but she noticed the wide eyes that Luna had and she followed her sister’s stare to the very center of the crater. Celestia’s eyes shot open as she, too, spotted it. There, half buried in the smoking hole was the gentle glimmer of a pale blue crystal. Mathew had been completely obliterated… the only thing left of him was Nightmare’s core.
Hope quickly vanished from within Celestia’s chest. There was no way that anything could come back from something like that… was there?