//------------------------------// // Chapter 25: A Light in the Darkness // Story: Chaotic Harmony // by shirotora //------------------------------// August 10, Pain That was my world. A deep searing pain. Like I was being crushed and torn apart at the same time. A mortal body was never meant to hold the power of a goddess. I would have thought I was dieing if I could think at all, but there was no thought. There was only pain. I roared out in agony as the merger settled. A column of solar fire erupted from me as I spread my wings and rose to meet my enemy. My fur glowed, even my black stripes seamed to radiate light. I had a golden mane that flowed like Celestia's, and a horn protruded from my forehead. “So you were freed.” said Chronos, “And now you've merged with my daughter. Well, this just got fun. Do I call you Shirotora, or Celestia?” In a voice that echoed with both our voices, “We are Ra.” I drew Piercing Light and charged. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- The black monstrosity laughed at Rainbow Dash as she screamed in his grasp. He flung her into the air and opened his massive jaw. Twilight stared on, unable to help. As the terrified pegasus descended to her death, the dragons face was met with a gigantic metal fist. Another metal hand catching Dash. Twilight's expression turned from fear to shock as she recognized the machine. Its human-like design, the wings, the head modeled after a samurai’s helmet, and the '01' insignia... it was a gundam. She would watch the Gundam Wing with Rainbow Dash and Jynx, but to actually see one was something completely different. It flew to the tower and laid Dash beside Twilight. “Take care of her, Twi.” said a voice from the machine. “Jynx?” Twilight said. “You wanted to know what I was working on... well now you know.” said Jynx and rocketed toward the dragon. Twilight quickly started casting a healing spell to keep Dash from bleeding to death. Rainbow gave a weak laugh, “It would've been twenty percent cooler if it was Death Scythe.” and passed out. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- In a matter of moments black creatures of all shapes and sizes were terrorizing Ponyville. They were content with tormenting the ponies for the time being. Only a couple of ponies had been killed. Mr. and Mrs. Cake tried to get away but found themselves cornered by three of the creatures. They were toying with them nicking and cutting them with their claws, before reaching up to finally end it. The bakers closed their eyes and embraced each other one last time before the end. The end did indeed come, but for the beasts as each of their hearts were pierced by wooden bolts. The pair opened their eyes again to see Applejack holding two small crossbows and Big Mac with a heavy crossbow. AJ pressed her weapons against her sides where a reloader rested, and Big Mac pumped his to chamber a new projectile. The pair rampaged through the streets sending bolt after deadly accurate bolt into the dark things. Big Mac fired the last round from his drum and pulled it out. Before he could put a fresh one in a large demon rose up behind him. He turned just to see it lung at him... and fall dead with a black figure on its back holding a short sword in its mouth. “Mephisto?” AJ's eyes were wide as the big black dog threw his blade up with a flourish and caught in again with a Pinkie grin before running of to tackle another, “That is the strangest dawg Ah have ever seen.” --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- The force of our collision sent a shockwave that cracked stone. My sword meeting his horn, we stared each other down. “I must admit. I only thought you would interfere with my renewal. I didn't think you would be a nuisance now.” said Chronos. I glared at him silently. Boring into him with my eyes. I drove my knee into his ribs sending him several feet away before he caught himself. His horn sprang to life as he launched pitch black orbs of energy at me. My horn glowed in response as I returned fire with golden blasts of my own. Most missed or struck his bolts. I got a few hits in, but he got more than a few. He was still a bit stronger than me. The fucking pain. I didn't know how long I could hold the fusion. It felt like my skull was burning, and it was only getting worse. It was killing my focus. The distraction was all he needed. I barely moved in time to prevent his horn from entering my heart, but still not enough to save my left shoulder. He left himself open. I raised my sword aiming to stab his stomach but only hitting his flank. I pushed him away as he pushed me. And again the volley of dark bolts starts. I dodged and parried them all. He was obviously a long range combatant. So I could think of only one solution. Charge him. Apparently he had a similar thought because he came charging at me. I poured as much energy as I could into the blade until it literally glowed with power. Katana and horn collided, and both cracked under the pressure. The resulting explosion flung us away from each other. I slammed into a wall... shortly followed by Celestia. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Damn it Jynx thought to herself as she punched the dragon off her arm, If only I had a few more days I’d have the beam sword ready, and this would be over. As it was, she had the particle cannon, but it only had charge for one shot. If she's going to use it she had to make it count. She put her shield between herself and the torrent of fire racing toward her, At least the shield is holding up. it was designed to repel dragon fire. After all what else would something that size need a shield for in Equestria. She aimed the right hand at the beast and launched a bolas at it, tangling it up. OK so that wasn't in the one from the show, but this was made to fight giant monsters not mobile suits. It didn't hold the dragon for long, but it gave Jynx enough of an opening to give the thing a gash on its side with the sharp edge of the shield. It billowed out a roar of pain and raked its claw across the machines head tearing a gaping hole in it and sending her flying. “You piece of shit!” she yelled at it, “That's going to take days to fix!” She got to her feet only to be tackled by the beast. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Mephisto were killing the void demons left, right, front, and back, but still they kept coming. The ponies had long ran out of bolts and were now wielding swords of their own. The abominations attacked mindlessly, throwing themselves at the fighters. The three were getting tired fast. Big Mac over extended and got a claw across the face for it. He yelled in pain and clutched his bleeding eye. “Big Mac!” AJ cut down the demon and grabbed him up, “We gotta retreat fer now!” She pulled the work pony into an alley with Mephisto covering them. AJ was impressed by the hound-lab. She wondered if Winona could be taught to fight like that, but didn't think so. Mephisto was from the same world as Shiro so of course he was different. In the narrow alley way the hoard was easier to deal with. AJ smiled as she thought of one of her favorite movies. She couldn't resist. She yelled, “THIS. IS. EQUESTRIA!!!” and gave a mighty buck right to the chest of the first demon. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Twilight was beside Rainbow Dash's unconscious body. She knew that with her wings tossed into the forest there was no way to heal the pegasus. Her high flying friend was grounded. “OK, its ready” said Vinyl. “Remember, Vinyl, you can tell nopony about what you see here.” Twilight reminded the DJ. “Hey when DJ Pon-3 makes a promise, it's kept.” Vinyl replied, “I'm ready when you are.” Twilight nodded to Fluttershy who nodded back nervously. The timid mare closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again her pupils were slitted. Her wings popped open revealing that they had grown and had hooks at the wrist joint. On her face and sides her fur was being replaced by gold scales. Her fore hooves were replaced by claws. Even Twilight was in awe at the transformation. Fluttershy never showed anypony this not even her closest friends. She only did it because the song she was going to use was a powerful one and her pony vocal cords couldn't produce the sounds needed. Vinyl's crimson eyes peeked over her glasses, “Awesome, you gotta do that at a party or something.” Fluttershy shrank away, “Don't you think I’m scarey?” “No way. You're awesome.” Vinyl said as she floated the mic to the dragon-pony. Twilight released her developing alicorn power. Her mane flowing like her mothers, but with dark blue orange and gold. The color of the sunset. She turned her magic on the DJ booth supercharging it. DJ Pon-3 gave a wicked grin and yelled, “HIT THAT SHIT!” and pumped the volume to max. Fluttershy then began a deep, powerful ballad that was, thanks to Twilight's magic, projected across Equestria. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- AJ, and Mephisto were at their limit, leaning against each other for support. The demons knew they were all but helpless, and slowly advanced. “Well, Mephisto, Ah really wish Ah had gotten to know yah a bit better. Yah really are the weirdest dawg Ah have ever met.” AJ said and got a tired bark in return. They resigned themselves to their fates only to hear a beautifully chilling melody wash over them. It tingled the two but the demons were in agony. They held their ears but it was useless. They began dissolving right before the pony and dog. Before long the town was empty of the invaders. AJ quickly grabbed her husband and ran out of the alley towards the hospital. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- As soon as the song started the dragon wailed in pain. “So I was right you're not a normal dragon.” Jynx said. It laughed, “I am Nidhogg, the Malice Striker. Chronos promised me and my clan this world if we purge it of all life. Your song is powerful, but I am an arch demon. It will take more than music to defeat me” He charged the pony-made gundam, but was stopped in his tracks. Ropes of magic wrapping him. Confused, Jynx looked for the cause only to a blue coated silver maned unicorn in the tower behind her. “Trixie, you really are great and powerful.” Jynx said. She turned back to the monster in front of her and drew her cannon. The beast roared only to have the barrel shoved in its mouth. “Never piss off a pregnant chick.” Nidhogg's head was erased in a flash of magically charged particles. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- I was still on the ground. My broken sword at my side. The burning in my head still present but duller. “You. Fool.” Chronos got to his hooves shaking like a leaf, his horn lodged in a wall some distance away, “You. Can't. Beat. Me. I am a god. I will recover, and when I do I will make you watch as I personally kill everypony you love.” He shouldn't have said that. I rose to my feet and stared at him with am icy gaze. I was going to kill him one way or another. He began backing away from me, trying to get away. He didn't get far. A familiar figure stood in his way. Discord. “You.” said the prince, “You killed my ponies, tricked me into making him a monster, and you hurt my love's sister.” This was not the Discord from the show, nor the one I met months ago. This was the Discord that stood against an army so long ago. He shot out wrapping the alicorn with his three limbs keeping balance on his tail. He yelled out to me, “Strike now! With all you have. Don't worry about me, I’ll be fine.” He was lying. The power need to kill Chronos would kill him, too, and he knew it. I nodded my head, and held up my paws. I gathered all I could of my energy in one massive chaos fire ball. Every. Last. Drop. This was going to kill me, but I couldn't let a monster like him live. I felt the same kind of pain as when I fused with Celestia, a burning in my head, but it wasn't as bad. “I AM THE KING!!!” Chronos cried out. I condensed the fire to the size of a baseball and replied, “No! You are a tyrant.” I charged at him. I'm sorry Jynx, but I'm going to be breaking my promise to you I thought to myself, I hope you'll forgive me some day. I plunged the concentrated fire into his chest, “Sic semper tyrannis.”