The air had become frigid and stale, every breath the ponies drew felt like tacks trickling down their throats. They had run hard and fast to put distance between them and the Storm, but found that they had reached the end of the world. This had once been the Planes of Chiaroscuro, an ethereal pool in which the Eternal Masters would observe all walks of life within other realms, but it had been shattered my Zenith’s mighty hammer to keep Nadir from using it to travel to other worlds. What remained was a breathtaking view of shattered silver glass that hung frozen within the blackness as far as any eye could see.
The Twins had led everypony to a small outcropping on the edge of the world. There everypony hid, trying to catch their breath from the sprint to reach this place ahead of the Storm. It proved very difficult for the Twins to catch their breaths, doing their best to take small breaths of air, as each one fueled their fire brighter and brighter. It was important that they stayed hidden now as the Storm would be looking for any shred of light.
Cupping his claws around his mouth, Spike began to quietly shout. “There’s no place left for us to go.”
“There are other tunnels to take, but many of them would lead back towards the Storm.” Wick whispered.
“Then there’s only one thing left to do.” Pyre said.
“What would that be?” Wick asked.
“I’ll draw off the Storm, once it’s distracted, you will get everypony as far away from here as you possibly can.”
Wick swiped his hoof at the idea. “Not happening.”
Pyre took a firm grip of Wick’s arm, pulling him closer to speak with him. “Our time is short and our options limited. We cannot allow it claim both of us and every pony will need you to guide them back through the tunnels.”
Wick proceeded to headbutt his brother rather harshly, knocking him on his flank, and dazing him slightly.
“I left my brother to die once, and I will not make that same mistake again.”
“No pony is leaving any pony.” Twilight hissed at them.
“I can feel the warmth of your light. Your racing hearts are like drums beating against my ears. It’s almost deafening.”
Violent winds blew through the tunnel, spraying sand out into the abyss as every pony shielded themselves from it. Even with its booming voice, the Storm seemed very close now.
“I have faced Void Walkers , Arcana, flame ponies, and what you would perceive to be gods. What trite hope do you have in stopping what is to come? There will be no rock, no crevasse, where I cannot find you. Your world will be brought low, your skies empty of all light, and everyone you know will beg for death before the end.”
Pyre moved closer to Twilight and the others.
“We’re running out of time.” Pyre whispered. “The Storm is only after us, if it catches the rest of you…”
“We’ll draw it off. Long enough for the rest of you to make a run for it. Better to wander the tunnels then be caught by the Storm.” Wick said.
“I already told you, no pony is leaving any-”
“None of you will be leaving this place.”
Every pony had fallen silent. Not daring to breathe another word.
“Don’t stop your whispering now. It amuses me. Your fear lingers upon every word.”
Wick smiled encouragingly at his brother, knowing that they would be seeing this through to the end, and it only steeled Pyre’s resolve.
“Just promise us one thing, Ms. Sparkle. Get Smolder out of here.” Pyre requested.
“And let him know that we are proud to have been his brothers.” Wick added.
“Brothers?”
There was nothing for it. Twilight nor Rarity could hold the Twins back with their magic, let alone hold onto them to keep them here. Wick and Pyre raced off back into the tunnels leaving them in darkness, watching their flames grow further and further away.
“Twilight? What are we going to do?” Fluttershy asked.
“We’re not going to let what little Smolder have left be taken by this Storm.” Twilight said confidently.
From the soft glow of Rarity’s and Twilight’s magic began to brim from their horns. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Spike looked ready to go after them.
Wick and Pyre had blazed into their Flash Step, trying to put as much distance as they could from the other ponies and lure the Storm away. Their only problem was that they had no idea where the Storm was within the tunnels.
“Tell me, lords of light, what did the flame pony I devoured mean to you?”
The Twins galloped harder, their anger pushing them well beyond their means as the thoughts of their mother drifted into their minds. Being abandoned by her had scarred them deeply, but every memory that came before had been filled with such love. It tore at them to no end.
“What does your brother’s life mean to you?”
Pyre and Wick slowed their charge, a gallop becoming a trot, before stopping altogether. Their flames danced between one another, their rage mounting as the light they cast illuminated the tunnel.
Several yards back, from a tunnel they had barreled passed, Null stepped out into their light. His shredded husk body peeling from him, drifting about him, as pieces of his being hung in place.
“What do your lives mean to you?”
The Twins turned to face the Dark King Null, the clouds of the Storm were present just under the surface of his husk like skin, but the air trembled from its force. The fire from the Twins scorched the tunnel around them, their light beckoning Null to challenge them. Null paced towards them, pieces of his body tearing themselves away, fluttering into the shadows that danced from the Twins flames.
Together, Wick and Pyre unleashed a blast of fire that consumed the tunnel and barreled its way towards Null. The Storm exploded from his body to meet their fire as the impact shattered the earth around them.
The wretched Echoes that hounded their every step swarmed the tunnels like water through streams. Mira could not take them through traditional routes, in fear of being overwhelmed once more by these nightmarish creatures, therefore, she had to take an alternate path. One which Smolder has carried her through earlier, a tunnel that would lead back to the Forgotten City.
Every pony made haste through the tunnel. Mira had told them of her intentions of taking a longer route to avoid the Echoes, but none could bare the thought of losing even a minute with the Storm chasing after their friends. Mira had been offered to ride upon Princess Celestia’s back, to which she did not hesitate to accept. Her power had not yet recovered, she would not even have half her strength even when her wounds had completely healed, there was no more light she could take. At least not one she would accept.
“So where are heading again?” Applejack asked.
“It’s a city so vast that it would take several of your weeks to reach the other side. We’ve come to call it the Forgotten City.” Mira replied.
“Was it always called that?” Daring Do asked.
“It had another name, it was in the language of my kin, it would only sound like gibberish to you, but in your tongue it would loosely translate to something like ‘eternal sand.’”
“Well why do you call it the Forgotten City then?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“What else would you call a city that is nearly deserted?”
“Nearly?” Princess Celestia questioned.
“After the Storm razed half the city, it brought with it the abominations we had cast out that had been created by Nadir. Most of them took up refuge in the ruined city, picking off those that could not fight or fend for themselves. The last of the Void Walkers now reside their, hiding and waiting, for the darkness to claim them.” Mira told them.
There was an uncomfortable silence that had fallen over the group. It mostly stemmed from the thoughts of running off to face even more monsters. After facing the giant squid, which they later learned was named Kana, they were not particularly excited about what else lurked within this world.
“The most vile and cruelest of abominations have been killed already. Hoopoe was devoured by Apep and then in turn destroyed by Smolder and I.” Mira added.
“A hippo and a what now?” Applejack asked in confusion.
“Hoopoe was a giant raven that soared through the skies picking off light wherever it may find it. Apep was a enormous snake that devoured light as well.”
“Now that would have been cool to see.” Rainbow Dash remarked.
“They killed a lot of my friends.” Mira mumbled hatefully. “But I got to avenge them when crushed Apep with my bare hands.”
Every pony felt uneasy at Mira’s tone. It was easy to see that she had some very strong feelings about these creatures, but it also seemed that she took a sick pleasure in the revenge that she was able to extract from it. She had called herself a monster, while she may not have looked it, they were beginning to see that this darkness had begun to change her into the very thing she wanted to destroy.
Up ahead, every pony found that the tunnel had come to an abrupt end as the path had been blocked by a slew of rocks and debris. Mira floated off from Celestia’s back, beginning to clear away the rocks by hand. It was clear that Mira was not herself yet, her ability to fly seemed to come and go as she struggled keep herself aloft. There was still a rather nasty scar on her back, as well several minor cuts across her body, but she seemed to work through the pain trying to clear the rocks with what little magic she had available in her state.
Princess Celestia approached the mass of rocks, using her magic she was able to clear a large portion of it away with a single blast. Mira simply pointed at more of the debris that still blocked the path for Princess Celestia to clear and did so without question.
With the removal of a large stone the entire wall of rocks suddenly collapsed, sliding over one another before revealing a large opening in the ceiling above. Mira waved her hand to the others to follow, putting a finger to her lips to warn them to be quiet.
Rainbow Dash and Daring Do helped lift Applejack from the tunnel, having followed Princess Celestia and Mira up into the Forgotten City. The area had been recently devastated, not that it seemed to make much of a difference, although the surrounding scorch marks had proven that Smolder or perhaps some flame pony had been here.
“Looks like something big went down here.” Daring Do observed. “Was this the Mad King’s doing?”
“No, this was Smolder.” Mira replied.
Princess Celestia joined the others in inspecting the ruins of the battlefield, noticing the high intensity scorch marks that had melted the stone buildings. The molten stone had formed horizontal stalagmites pointing away from the initial blast. It was clear to her that Smolder’s power had increased significantly, but how was another matter.
“It would seem that Smolder has developed quite a bit.” Princess Celestia remarked. “Am I to assume this was your doing?”
Mira could sense that Princess Celestia was fishing for some answers. “Smolder is now like you, with a horn, an Alicorn or whatever.”
“How did he manage that?” Daring Do asked in surprise.
“Smolder’s power had been repressed for quite sometime, most of it stemmed from his own mental blocks from ever becoming like his father. You cannot grow if you cannot accept who you are.”
“I know of flame pony fire, this is not some mere expression of power, this is controlled by magic and it burns fiercer than normal fire.” Princess Celestia stated.
“Smolder can use magic now?” Applejack asked.
“A type of magic.” Mira said flatly.
“Black magic?” Princess Celestia questioned her.
Mira narrowed her eyes to her. “What of it?”
“Black magic is dangerous and unpredictable. It draws on too many dark feelings and demands too high a price for its power.” Princess Celestia scolded her. “How could you teach Smolder such an incredibly dangerous thing?”
“Flame ponis are remarkably resilient to the tolls that shadow magic can have, their flames are more than enough to pay the cost of many spells, and by their nature they are in more control of their emotions than most. Your light magic is a death sentence around here and insignificant when compared to raw power shadow magic can be.” Mira snapped back.
“Insignificant? Light magic feeds off of everything that is good. It is more accessible and quantifiably stronger as it requires less toll on the user. In fact, your black magic cannot even produce a single spell without requiring an absorbent amount of that casters physical strength. Truth be told, your black magic is simply from a bygone age of reckless and unrefined use of magic. It’s barbaric.”
“Perhaps you’d like to put your magic where your horn is, missy.” Mira hissed at her.
“I can see that it has already proven to do wonders for you.” Princess Celestia snapped back.
Princess Celestia and Mira were staring one another down, neither wishing to admit that that the other was right even in the slightest. It was true that black magic was not something for a novice, or even an experienced wizard, should be attempting, but a flame pony seemed like a perfect candidate for such a field.
“Your magic has brought nothing but misery and death.”
This new voice had drifted in from the shadows of the ruined buildings surrounding them. A lone Void Walker stepped out into the light that was being cast by Princess Celestia’s horn, as did several more from other parts of the ruined area. The Void Walkers were tall, nearly head height with Princess Celestia, their long cloaks covered every inch of their body, save for the yellow piercing of their eyes from beneath their hoods.
“We mean you no harm.” Princess Celestia stated.
“Except that they already sold you out to Null to save themselves.” Mira hissed at them.
The Void Walkers stepped forward, even with their faces covered by their hoods it was easy to see that they looked tired and defeated.
“What other choice did we have? There are so few of a us now, so many have died because you and the Storm you brought.” The Void Walker questioned.
“You brought?” Daring Do asked.
“Null brought the Storm!” Mira shouted in anger.
“And it was you who saved Null. All this was because you allowed it to live. If it had died that day, there would be no Storm, there would not have been so much death, and you would not have become a monster.”
Mira shrieked at the Void Walkers, lunging towards them with her hands out as if to strangle them, but Princess Celestia was quick to hold her back with her magic.
“There was another pony like you, one of fire, we warned her to kill the Aracana before it killed her, but she would not heed our warning. Now it is dead and the Arcana still lives.”
“I must decline to this.” Princess Celestia stated simply.
“If we had been wiser, we would have ignored this Arcana’s plea and killed the creature instead of banishing it. Do not make our mistake of trusting this Arcana, for it has thrown itself in with the Storm.”
“You banished it?” Daring Do asked.
“The Valley of Shadows had once been the home of our Eternal Masters, it was a beautiful place that looked of the divine and otherworldly. During the fallout of Nadir’s betrayal, his abominations were cast out from our kingdom and sent there. The ones that had escaped, the ones we could not kill, were to live out the rest of eternity in darkness, but we had underestimated Null. It brought back a Storm of unlike any we had ever seen, destroyed this very city, and consumed us.”
“You sent an innocent creature into that darkness alone!” Mira shouted.
“We would have sent this creature to meet its maker if not for your weak words of pity. It has only proven to be a curse upon this world. The Last of the Arcana indeed, the only creature the Storm will not destroy.”
“It won’t destroy, Mira?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“It was spared by her mercy and now the Storm allows her to live in return. Monsters do kill other monsters.”
“You had him in chains! That metal helmet to hide his face because you couldn’t bear to look him in the eye when you spoke of killing him! He was born of the very light of Azimuth, but he didn’t even have a name yet and you called him nothing!” Mira cried.
“It was nothing. Just a mistake. Just like you were. Azimuth did not live to see her last creation become the very instrument of our demise, promising us that you would save us from Nadir’s horrors. You have only brought us ruin and death.”
Black fire surged from the markings upon Mira’s arms, breaking free of Princess Celestia’s hold and shrieking aloud her rage at these Void Walkers. With a swipe of her arm, Mira created a ribbon on dark energy that struck the majority of Void Walkers, knocking them to the ground.
“You were wrong! All of you were wrong!” Mira shrieked at them. “You deserve everything that has happened to you! You all deserve to die for what you did to him!”
Mira soared towards the Void Walkers, watching them crawl away from her mounting fury.
“Your names say it all! Void Walkers! A void that sits right where your heart should be! I have spent all these years trying to save you, trying to undo what Null has done, having to live day after day feeling your cold stares upon me, having to hear the word monster be thrown at me like knives, and allowing me to think that this was somehow my fault! This Storm was born from your own hatred! From the feelings Null was forced to endure because you couldn’t see the son of Nadir sitting on the throne of Naught!”
Mira towered over the toppled Void Walkers, what energy she had left flourished in a blaze of black fire from her body as she raised her hand to strike them again. The Void Walkers coward before her, shielding themselves from Mira’s rage.
Applejack made a move to step in, but Princess Celestia touched her shoulder signaling her to hold off.
Mira’s hand wavered, unable to bring it down upon the Void Walkers, visibly struggling with her choice. The black fire from Mira subsided, her energy having been spent caused her to fall to the sand from exhaustion.
The Void Walkers backed away from Mira, having seen her restraint from harming them further, as they quickly picked themselves up, hurrying off into the ruins of the Forgotten City.
“You couldn’t bring yourself to hurt them, could you?” Princess Celestia asked.
Mira’s breathing was labored, mostly from the overuse of her limited powers, but also from the emotional weight she was carrying.
“There’s been enough death in this city to echo for eternity.” MIra replied.
“What stopped you?” Applejack asked.
Mira gripped the sand tightly, feeling herself choke out the words. “I was forgiven.”
It came out like a whimper, as if it were a fresh wound being tended. Every pony could only guess that Smolder had been the one to forgive her, for everything she tried to do him, and it was apparent that it had changed her.
“So I guess… I have to learn to forgive them too.”
“Is she going be okay, Princess Celestia?” Daring Do asked in a whisper.
“It would seem Mira has taught Smolder to become stronger, in the hopes that it would be enough to stop the Storm, but I feel that Smolder has taught her something as well.” Princess Celestia said.
“What would that be?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“That there is a power greater than the Storm, a power greater than fire, a power to reach a pony through simple acts of kindness and love. Whether Smolder knows it or not, he has saved Mira from becoming that monster she believes herself to be, and now she is starting to realize that herself.”
The ruined fields of Oroborus had been swept clean of all it’s black sand. Jutted stone of earth and rock speared towards the darkened sky, a quaking of the world was beginning to disturb the area. The Storm erupted from the earth like a spout and spilling out into the sky. Two small flames fell from from the swirling clouds of the Storm, having been thrown from its emergence.
Wick and Pyre crashed to the earth below, tumbling over and over again. Slamming against rock and stone alike before coming a rest several yards out.
Null emerged from the base of the Storm. With him the clouds of the Storm teamed from the husk body, spewing lightning and groaning thunder with every step.
Wick forced himself to his hooves, placing himself in front of his brother who was slow to stand.
“To your hooves, brother.” Wick said.
Pyre raised himself from the ground, flaring his mane, trying to fight through the pain he was feeling.
“Call to him.” Null commanded.
Wick and Pyre remained silent. Glaring at him with all their fury. Their flames dancing between one another.
“Then your anguished cries will summon him.”
Null’s arm reaches out towards them. The Storm swirled in through his back and out through his palm in a cyclone towards the Twins. Together the Twins leapt aside, both igniting into their flash step and racing along the outside of the Storm’s reach.
A blast of fire from Wick surged towards Null who whimsically swatted it aside with his free hand. With a second gesture, Null raised his hand towards Wick as the ground beneath him was suddenly thrown into the air. The sheer force of how fast the ground beneath Wick had begun to move had him flat against the ground before feeling the earth reach its peak height before falling back towards the fields.
Pyre charged Null, whipping his mane to and fro, creating whips of fire that sliced through the air. The flames ripped through Null, having done little to harm him. Sliding in close, Pyre struck at Null’s leg before bucking him in the chest and following it up with a sudden blast of fire that engulfed him completely.
Through the flames Null’s hand reached taking a firm hold of Pyre’s face. Lifting him into the air with ease, Null began to tighten his grip with the flailing Pyre attempting to break free.
The falling debris Null had magically severed from the land had crashed back down sending shockwaves for miles. In a flash Wick was already racing his way towards Null, preparing to collide with him.
Null lifted his arm once more, this time the Storm came barreling up through the ground beneath Wick and was completely engulfed by it. Dropping Pyre from his grasp, Null shot out a kick that sent Pyre flying into the Storm and colliding with his brother. The two were knocked from the Storm, bouncing away, having been outmatched in both power and speed.
Wick rolled over in the sand, body spotted with razor thin cuts. “We’re out of practice.”
“Is that what you call getting our flanks handed to us?” Pyre asked.
“It’s only the first round, brother, now we get serious.”
Pyre forced a laugh. “Have you discovered a weakness yet?”
“I’m working on it.”
Pyre and Wick got to their hooves. Battered, but not beaten. Null waited patiently for them, knowing that their escape was impossible, and that the eventuality of Smolder’s appearance would be inevitable.
“I know what it’s like to lose, to fight so desperately for life. You see beings for what they truly are when faced with death.” Null said.
Flaring their manes again, Wick and Pyre readied themselves for their next bout.
“Your mother died a coward.”
Wick and Pyre roared in anger, their fire fueled by their hatred, and charged Null. With a single chop of his arm, Null brought the Storm down upon them like a sword, cleaving the ground in two. The impact had thrown dirt and sand alike high into the sky, creating a sizeable cloud of dust that drifted over the fields.
A fiery hoof flew through the thick cloud of dust, striking Null hard in the face, the sound of cracking could be heard from his already webbed helmet. Just as quickly as it had came, the flame pony disappeared into the cloud once more. A strike from the back had Null staggering forward, and before he was able to turn around his attacker was gone. A forceful tackle hit Null from the side, driving him into the dirt. Teeth had bitten down into Null’s leg, pulling him across the ground before being flung off through the air and connecting with the sudden impact of two hooves in the chest. Null collapsed to the ground, but the Storm exploded from his body in every direction with great force, throwing the cloud of dust away.
Wick and Pyre shielded themselves from the dirt and sand, trying to withstand the winds being thrown by the Storm.
“We destroy the host and the Storm will fall with it.” Wick stated.
“Well, brother dear, any suggestions on how we go about doing that?” Pyre asked.
“The best way we can do this is by separating the two somehow.”
The Storm retreated back into Null as he rose to his feet. Taking heavy steps towards the Twins, his pace slowly quickening, before breaking out into a full sprint. Wick was first to move against him, releasing a blast of fire, but watched as the Storm struck the ground and pushed Null from the flames. Null’s fist struck Wick hard across the face, knocking him from his hooves and sending him tumbling away. Pyre lashed out against Null, driving his hooves hard into his chest, but felt the Storm explode from his torso. It drove Pyre back, trying to flare his fire hot enough to keep the Storm from consuming him.
“Time is irrelevant here. I have been forced to feel the passage of time. Through hunger. Through pain. I can remember well. Every moment.” Null said.
The Storm retreated from Pyre, forming itself around Null who marched towards him. Moving his arms around, creating complicated patterns in the air, the lightning from the Storm surged to Null’s hands. With a thrust of his arm the lightning struck out at Pyre, who only just avoided the attack by means of his flash step. The lightning struck the ground, exploding with dark energy.
“I’ve waited this long, another smattering of moments is nothing compared to what I will become. Unrivaled. Unrestricted. A god.”
With a flourish of his arm, the lightning from Null’s hands struck out in countless directions with no target in mind. Wick had recovered from his blow, finding Pyre rushing towards him already in flash step. Engulfing himself in flames, the Twins paired up, feeding off each other’s power to avoid the random bolts of lightning that struck around them.
“I will not be denied my destiny!”
Null’s hand struck the ground, the lightning striking skyward as the Storm exploded from him like a ripple the size of a tsunami. The impact of the Storm swept the Twins from their hooves, a shower of lightning struck down upon them before exploding in its dark energy and sending them sailing from the blast.
Wick and Pyre fell to the ground, viciously bouncing off the ground before landing hard next to one another. The Storm retreated back to Null, silently awaiting their next attempt to attack him.
“Not really how I was expecting to die, brother, to an oversized beehive.” Wick mumbled.
“How did you see yourself dying then, brother mine?” Pyre asked.
“Not here.”
Dredging themselves up from the ground, the Twins once more facing Null.
“Your deaths will pave the way to my return. There will be no comfort in the infinite oblivion that you’re about to embark on.” Null stated.
Even beaten and battered the Twins smirked at Null’s declaration.
“I don’t think it knows whom it’s dealing with brother.” Wick remarked.
“Perhaps it needs to be educated?” Pyre offered.
The flames of the Twins once more consumed each other, although the intensity of their fire was mounting, eyes burning red, as the ground beneath them began to melt into molten rock. Heat from their fire distorted the air around them, a deep roar of their raging flames echoed across the fields, but the Dark King found little to fear.
“It was said that twins flame ponies only emerge when the life giving flame burns too hot for a single soul to handle. That their power would have no equal.” Pyre explained.
“We are the first born sons of the Mad King. Our destiny was to rule, to lead our flame ponies into the next age, and restore the pride of our kingdom.” Wick continued.
“Fate has decided to put us on another path, one that will not have us falling here, but princes we yet remain. It is our sworn duty to protect our kingdom, our flame ponies, and our king, from the very ilk that crawls out from the shadows.” Pyre said.
“So you’re not a king or a god, you’re just parasite, and you will learn to fear our flames.” Wick said.
Null struck his arms down to his sides, his husk like skin shaping into large lances, sizzling with smoldering embers. Like the wings the Storm erupted from Null’s back, screeching and groaning in its hunger for their light.
“I do not fear fire.” Null replied.
Crouching low, Null leveled his lance covered arms at the Twins, preparing to run them through.
“I feast upon it.” Null hissed.
With tremendous speed, Null lunged at them, the Storm giving him flight, and all the force needed to skewer them. Together, the Twins let loose a blast of fire that rivaled that of an Elder Dragon, illuminating the dark world of the Naught for a few brief moments. Consumed by their fire, Null was being driven back, struggling to fight through the flames, and being forced to take steps to gain ground.
Already weakened from their bouts earlier, the Twins were tiring quickly from their attack. Wick and Pyre cried out with the roar of their flames, giving it everything they had to win this engagement. Null’s lances had been burned away, being forced back inch by inch as legions of his husk hide were being sheared away by the flames. The Storm twisted and shrieked in the flames, unable to overcome their light or withstand it. With an agonizing cry, the Dark King cried out in anger and pain before being blasted back by the Twins attack. The flames of the Twins were snuffed out like a candle in the wind, they fell to the ground with not but smoldering ashes lining their manes and hooves.
The fields of Oroborus had a smoldering scar of molten rock strewn across its plains. At the end of it was Null. Once more the Dark King rose to his feet, revealing that he missing entire left arm and half his torso, but the husk of his hide was not reforming his missing limb. The Storm exploded from Null’s missing arm, snaking its way across the fields, his body no longer able to contain it fully.
Null reared back his head, screeching into the darkness, rage having consumed him and fueling the Storm. From his missing arm the Storm erupted hard against the ground, propelling Null high into the air and arcing across the fields towards the Twins. Arching his body, Null swung the Storm up over him and angled it down towards the Twins.
Wick looked towards Pyre, seeing him unable to even lift his head from his exhaustion, and found himself in similar straits. With the Storm bearing down upon them, Wick slid his hoof towards Pyre’s, having been through everything together, he felt that it would only be right for them to be together at the end. Pyre reached out, taking his brother’s hoof, giving him a smile at the idea of it. What neither of them had expected was a third fiery hoof being placed over both of theirs.
The Storm impacted a sudden explosion of fire, one that burned the Storm away, and caused Null to withdraw from his attack. Dropping to the field with the Storm lessening his impact, Null lifted his gaze to a dome of fire that now consumed the Twins. In a flourish the flames parted in all directions, revealing a familiar yet smaller flame pony before him.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Smolder. We meet again at last.” Null said.
Smolder’s flames poured from him, streaming into the Twins, rekindling their fire, but his fire continued to mount. His eyes began to blaze a fiery red, the cracks in his hide flared the festering fire that raged within him, and tips of his wings started to drip molten fire from his silent rage. This Dark King had incurred the wrath of a now mad King.