//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 // Story: Midnight's Shadow: Tainted Legacies // by Ponibius //------------------------------// I slowly awoke to a throbbing headache, coughing the dust out of my throat. My crusted eyes blinked as my blurred vision straightened itself. Groaning, I rolled over to get a good look at my surroundings. All around me was the old cracked stone of a cell; the cell bars were rusted, and the only things adorning the bare stone were an old straw mattress and a bucket. There was no one in sight within the dungeon, and no window to look out of. ‘Twas not a promising scene to awaken to. I reached out for my magic but found it blocked. As I feared would be the case, a suppression ring adorned my horn—and one of high quality, intended for unicorns of my strength. I had prayed that I might be saved from Moonwatch before he managed to steal me away, but that seemed a forlorn hope. Considering what few options remained to me, I mentally called out to Corva. “Corva, canst thou hear me?” Nothing. Additional attempts to call her were met with silence. Either the spirit was still too drained to speak with me or she was being blocked from communicating with me. I was well and truly alone. What made worse was the profound feeling of emptiness permeating within me. I dearly missed the power Corva had given me—disturbingly so, upon reflection. I wondered what effect that power had on me. My ruminations were interrupted when the screech of rusted steel echoed through the dungeon. I found I preferred solitude, for the first person I saw was Moonwatch himself, approaching with a smug smile on his face. Next to him was a warlock I recognized from my previous battle, the short stallion with the perpetually bored expression—Lemon Limelight. While I had not known him then, an examination of the files on Hidden’s followers had quickly enough identified one of his longtime minions. ‘Twas hardly surprising I had not recognized him, as he was far from the most notorious of Hidden’s conspirators, being neither particularly powerful or noteworthy. “Ah good, the Conduit is finally awake.” Moonwatch’s smug smile widened. “I was almost worried my magnificence had put her to sleep for good.” “No risk of that, master,” his compatriot said flatly. I groaned with annoyance as I rubbed the crust from mine eyes. “Could I be put to sleep by that which does not exist?” There was a slight twitch along the edge of his smile. “You are quick to mock me when you are the one imprisoned at our mercy.” “And thou art quick to be offended by a single barb from a supposedly helpless prisoner,” I countered. While I might be imprisoned, I had little tolerance for being tormented by this lowly creature. Moonwatch tsked and shook his hoof. “Waggle your tongue whilst you can, for you will not being doing so for long.” “We shall see.” I sat up, my muscles creaking painfully with the effort, but I tried not to let the stiffness in my body show as I faced the warlocks. “I know thee well, Moonwatch: a barking dog in the service of more intelligent and more powerful ponies, and a mere thug of no great consequence. Which of us dost thou think thy masters value more highly?” Moonwatch’s smile disappeared into a scowl and his horn ignited. He struck me with a spell that sent me to the floor writhing as my whole world became an exploding white flash of pain. “Silence! I am Moonwatch the Undying, one of the greatest magi to ever walk! When we are done, Queen Luna will be so thankful for my accomplishments that she will ask for my hoof in marriage!” I grunted in pain after Moonwatch released his spell, glowering at him. If he thought to cow me with pain then he was to be sorely disappointed. “Thou art a fool to believe thusly.” The idea that someone like Queen Luna, even in her madness, would marry somepony as lowly as Moonwatch was laughable at best. Moonwatch’s horn lit to cast another pain spell, but his compatriot pointedly cleared his throat. “Master, need I remind you that we require her to be whole and healthy? We can hardly proceed if you injure her.” Moonwatch growled from deep within his throat, but the magic around his horn dissipated. “You will not be laughing for long, Conduit. You have a very special place in our plans.” “Aye, far more special than an insignificant nobody like thee,” I spat. Venting my spleen did little to calm my worries to hear the warlocks once again had a plan for me. Was I yet again to be one of their sacrifices? What was behind their obsession with me specifically? Moonwatch spat upon the ground. “You are lucky that you are so important to our plans, elsewise I would teach you a lesson you would not so soon forget.” “Oh aye, attack me while I am imprisoned and wearing a suppression ring,” I mocked. “Truly thou art the most mighty of all warlocks. What is thy next great work? To scare small children, or kick small helpless animals?” Moonwatch snorted and backed away from my cell. “Let us see how barbed your tongue is after you have had time to consider your predicament.” He turned with a great flourish of his cloak. “Lemon, I am going to tell everyone else that we are proceeding as planned. Stay here until I send someone to stand guard over her.” Lemon slightly inclined his head. “Of course, master.” Moonwatch stormed out, instantly improving my day, if only by a small measure. Once he was gone Lemon levitated a plate of vittles and a mug of watered down beer through the bars. “I assume you are hungry? You were unconscious for two days.” My stomach growled at the offering. “Aye, that would be appreciated.” I frowned down at my food, suspicion washing over me. “Presuming it is not poisoned.” Lemon maintained his perfectly even tone as he addressed my suspicions. “We have you trapped in a cell and wearing a suppression ring. If I wanted to harm you, I would not need to bother with poison.” “That much is true.” ‘Twas possible it might still be a trick, but then what could I do even if ‘twas poisoned? There was only so long I could go without food and drink, and they would force me to eat eventually, if only to keep me alive long enough to complete whatever foul plans they had in mind. The same could be said for any poison they wished for me to ingest. Those factors considered, I began eating, if only to harbor my strength. I could not allow myself to fall into despair. If I did so, then the warlocks would win. I needed to think, plan, and gather information. So while I ate, I began to ask Lemon questions. “Where are we?” I asked. “Bulwark Castle,” (1) Lemon answered, more easily than I thought he would. “Not that knowing where you are will do you much good. This place has been long abandoned, and we have placed several wards and illusions over it to prevent discovery. Furthermore, Hidden and the other masters are leading the loyalists on a merry chase across the countryside. We have spent months planning and preparing for the conclave, and I would be very surprised if they came across this place before wasting their time following the several false breadcrumb trails we left for them.” 1. Bulwark Castle was constructed soon after the Fall of Manehattan in order to protect the new capital of the Earth Pony Government, Fillydelphia. Located north of the city, it was intended to watch the main northern road to Manehattan and defend against reiver raids in the countryside and fresh invasions intended to seize more land from the EPG. It ended up being the site of several noteworthy sieges and battles, and while it fell twice and was set to the torch once, it was always recaptured, rebuilt, and expanded upon. It was successful helping to foil multiple attempts to take Fillydelphia, and proved a cornerstone of the city’s defense. But the Liberation of Manehattan and the relocating of the EPG government back to its traditional capital saw the castle lose much of its importance. And over time it was neglected until the EPH officially abandoned the castle as a cost-saving measure. It was considered a ruin by the time Midnight wrote her accounts, though eventually growing interest in the Reiver Wars later on resulted in the castle gaining attention back in the public eye. It has since been rebuilt and turned into a museum. That was not the news I had wished to hear. I hoped that my kidnapping had been a rushed or ill-planned affair, but the opposite seemed true. That made it unlikely Mother or anypony else would be able to easily use magic to discover where I was. If I remembered my maps correctly, we were about a dozen miles north of Fillydelphia, which meant any attempt to find me within the city would be for naught. Add to that the time it would take for anypony to notice I was even missing and that the warlocks had set up distractions for anyone looking for me, and the chances of me being found and rescued in time were not in my favor. To my frustration, I might have even added to mine own troubles, for my discovery of the warlocks in the Fillydelphia militia barracks might well have been just another of their distractions. “And what is to be done with me?” I snorted. “Leaving aside Moonwatch's delusions.” “Unfinished business,” Lemon said. “‘Tis my masters’ intention to turn you into their next Avatar.” That was not welcome news. Being turned into an Avatar had made Bright Charger a monster, and that was not something I wished for myself. Damnation, why were these warlocks so obsessed with me? “Is that what all of this has been about?” I demanded. “Turning me into thy damned Avatar?” Lemon shrugged. “Capturing you and making a new Avatar was but one of our two main goals in coming to Fillydelphia. The other was to seize secret knowledge that Equestria possessed.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Thou refer to the folders stolen from Archmagus Tempus’ office? They held something that interested you?” Lemon nodded. “Specifically, we sought the means by which the loyalists unleashed the firestorm at Maresidian Field. Though incidentally we did find notes for several research projects the archmagi had been studying. Even a perfected version of the Avatar ritual, entertainingly enough.” (2) 2. It should be noted that it’s standard practice in the Magi Order to study any magics they come across, especially any forbidden knowledge warlocks might possess. The purpose of this is to help create counters to any dangerous forms of magic, and perhaps learn new and helpful forms of magic that can be used to benefit ponykind. In the case of the Avatar ritual, given the significant danger it presented and the fact that Hidden’s cult still roamed the world, it only made sense to try and discover any weaknesses in the Avatar itself and understand how they are made. I raised an eyebrow. “For what would you need such knowledge? Do you think to raise back to prominence by blasting armies to cinders?” Lemon shook his head. “Hardly. We have a different purpose for such knowledge.” He leaned against the bars as he continued. “You see, we recently attended High King Severus’ court; war is coming, and he would prepare for it. There are two things his followers fear: the might of Princess Celestia herself, and whatever magic Equestria used to annihilate Steel Striker’s army during the Lunar Rebellion.” So that was at the heart for all of this. Two of Equestria’s enemies had combined forces, or at least were colluding to fulfill their own goals. ‘Twas an unexpected alliance, but stranger things had happened. I put the pieces of the puzzle together for what must be transpiring. “So he promised you rewards if you could counter those threats. First by learning how the firestorm of Maresidian Fields was made, and second by creating an Avatar to act as a counter to Her Highness.” “Exactly,” Lemon said. “And as we learned from studying the ritual used at Maresidian Field, the firestorm is easily countered. It required a near perfect set of circumstances and months of favorable conditions, hardly something that could be replicated at a moment’s notice, especially when the gryphons are unlikely to perpetuate a months-long drought as part of a mad plan to try and flood Canterlot into submission.” Mine eyes narrowed. “And something you will no doubt be telling him.” This was ill news indeed. If the gryphons learned what the warlocks had discovered, they would have fewer reasons not to go to war. Many a lord and knight might have shied away from offering their arms to their king if they had thought only a fiery death awaited them. “He did promise us a great reward if we aided him,” Lemon said. “And more importantly, he offered Hidden the chance to obtain his goal of magical freedom.” “The right to practice the black arts?” I shot back. Lemon shrugged. “Either way, High King Severus said he would consider putting Luna back on her throne if she aided him in his war with Equestria. There was even talk of a marriage alliance and combining their realms into a nation without equal, though how serious either party was about that I cannot say for sure. For all I know they are playing one another. Nightmare Moon to free herself and regain her throne, and Severus to win his war.” “Hence why you desire another Avatar,” I surmised. “An Avatar would be of significant aid in a war against Princess Celestia, and perhaps even a rally point for Equestrians’ discontent with Her Highness. But why me?” “From what I have heard, you are ideally suited for it. I do not know the details of the ritual; that is a secret Hidden, the masters, and Moonwatch hold close to their chests. They see you as the perfect bearer for Nightmare Moon's power, which is why we took such a great risk to capture you. Twice, in fact.” “Thus, their name for me: the Conduit.” I leaned back against the wall of my cell as I digested this information. I had learned much, if not as much as I desired. The warlocks had always called me the Conduit, even back during the Lunar Rebellion. “Is my ... suitability why I was to be sacrificed to the last Avatar?” Lemon snorted. “Hidden had no intention of wasting such a valuable resource as yourself to fuel Bright. She was a broken tool who was falling apart at the seams. Even with the power boost she would have received from sacrificing you, she would not have been a proper match for Celestia. Neigh, the plan was to go ahead and make you the Avatar and win the war decisively.” I frowned at this news. “So ‘twas perfidy then. You were going to betray Bright.” “She was already dead,” Lemon said unapologetically. “Best to invest in the future with a resource that could only be used once. That is what we intend on doing now. Moonwatch is preparing the Avatar ritual even as we speak.” My teeth clenched. ‘Twas possible I was being lied to—either deliberately by Lemon, or by extension through Hidden’s words to him. Being the great deceiver that he was, ‘twould not be at all surprising if he told those warlocks who were unsettled by the idea of sacrificing a child that they were instead giving her the dark blessing of their queen. Though ‘twas also possible that Dusk had been lied to by Hidden about his intentions to save his mother by sacrificing me so that Dusk would aid him in kidnapping me. That was the problem with trying to untangle the motivations of an individual as perfidious as Hidden. No betrayal or lie was too great for him if it accomplished his goals. Whatever the truth might be, it seemed true that ‘twas the warlock’s intention to turn me into their next Avatar. What else could demand the risks that I be taken hostage? The mere risk of Mother’s wrath was enough to scare most from seriously contemplating the idea. Even if I was not to be turned into their next Avatar, then whatever other fate they had for me would not be what I desired. “If ‘tis Moonwatch’s intention to turn me into an Avatar, he is a fool to make an enemy of me,” I declared. “I knew the last Avatar, and she was as much Bright Charger as the Nightmare. She was wholly obsessed with getting revenge for the death of her children, even when it harmed Luna’s goals. Does Moonwatch think I will not have similar tendencies once I am made his Avatar?” Lemon sighed and pushed himself off the bars. “Moonwatch has never been known for his wisdom or forethought. We had to fall back on some contingency plans because of him—‘twas never our plan to set the Archmagus’ tower on fire, for one.” My ears perked. “‘Twas not? Then pray tell, what was your plan?” Lemon walked over to a cask sitting on a table and pulled out a mug he then started to clean. “‘Twas simple enough: we brought Tick Tock into our conspiracy by offering him power and a fresh start as a magus. ‘Twas his task to lower Tempus’ wards, slip a sleeping drought into his nightly drink, and then let us into the tower. From there we would disable Tempus and steal the documents we desired.” “Though surely the documents would be missed if they are so important?” I inquired “Indeed, why we had arranged it to look like there had been a magical accident in his lab that would be blamed on Tick Tock,” Lemon explained. “Sufficient damage would have been done to the tower to explain the destruction of the files. Tick Tock and Tempus would both have their memories of the incident erased, something intended to appear as a side effect of the accident.” “But something went wrong, I surmise?” Lemon nodded as he filled up his mug from the cask. “Daylight was not supposed to be there, and Tick Tock failed to give Tempus the sleeping drought. That left both of them wide awake when we showed up, though we had a contingency in case something like that happened: Moonwatch. He might be a great fool, but he is frightfully powerful.” He was right, as loathe as I was to admit it. “So you managed to disable and capture Daylight and Tempus, and while Daylight being there was a problem, it did not wholly disrupt the plan. What did throw the plan off track was Moonwatch setting the whole tower on fire. Instead of it looking like an accident in which nopony was seriously hurt, a great many ponies assumed a murder had been committed.” “Indeed, which led to you finding us in the city.” Lemon grumbled and took a swig of his drink. “And that only made capturing you all the more complicated. It had been our plan to lay low and wait for an opportunity to present itself, such as you visiting someplace in Fillydelphia.” He had not said so, but I had also just barely escaped the warlocks’ clutches after visiting Archmagus Tempus. If I had but stayed a few minutes longer than I had then I might have been swept up along with the arcane documents they had stolen. ‘Twas hard to say how events would have unfolded if that had happened, but I suspected I would not have liked it. “Thou art quite free with thy tongue,” I observed. “‘Tis somewhat surprising, all things considered.” “I would prefer to make a friend of you before you are given the full power of our queen.” Lemon took my mug and refilled it. “To be quite frank, I wish to live, and I think my chances of doing so will be much better by your side than Moonwatch’s.” He frowned sourly. “Against my wishes, Hidden has made me Moonwatch’s ... handler, as it were. ‘Tis my duty to keep him from doing anything o’erly foolish, as impossible of a task as that can often be. I am also the sixth to be assigned this duty, with all my predecessors having perished. I do not wish to join them, and thus seek alternatives to their fate. Aligning with you, the future Avatar, seems the better alternative. Thus I wish to make a favorable impression of myself.” “Then you are clearly the wiser pony, seeing that life is generally preferable to death.” It did not surprise me that Moonwatch had gotten so many of his followers killed, if not killed them himself. Serving a mad goddess came with great risks, but those risks could not be much worse than the 100% mortality rate Moonwatch’s other handlers had suffered. “At least as long as you have a life worth living.” Lemon shrugged and drank some more. “In truth, I wished I had listened to Mother and stuck with the family bakery.” I tilted my head, now curious what had driven this pony to the black arts and working with the likes of Hidden. “Oh really? Less than enthused with your current life choices?” Lemon’s smile was twinged with sadness as he stared into his cup. “That is putting it mildly. Baking is a simple and boring life, but ‘tis also an honest life. I had my family beside me and I can make a fine pie. But a younger and foolish me desperately dreamed of being a magus, my head swollen with stories of adventures and great deeds by magi wielding great magics. So I joined the Magi Order at the first opportunity.” “But the life of a magus was very different than what thou believed it to be?” “Quite.” Lemon fiddled with his cup as he continued. “Despite my studying and attempts to improve myself, I was of mere average magical ability, possessed little talent for combat magic and lacking contacts amongst the magi due to my common birth. I was destined to be little more than a middling magus of little importance, toiling his life away in some office whilst aiding far more important and powerful magi with their paperwork.” Having heard this type of story before, I was not surprised what transpired. “And the warlocks offered a chance to become much more?” “Yes.” He stroked his cheek, his eyes focusing on something in the past. “Hidden can be a very persuasive stallion for those who have reached their limits. He argued that the laws of magic were preventing us from advancing the magical arts and the pony species as a whole. He said that with the black arts a pony could become something greater, certainly more than a pony who only used prescribed forms of magic.” (3) 3. I would give some references outlining Hidden Fact’s philosophy, but most of Hidden’s writings are quite forbidden due to being filled with knowledge on the dark arts. That, and most of his philosophical writings suffer from the usual problems plaguing many philosophical works: they are long, confusingly written, and uses esoteric or made-up terminology to make arguments. He snorted and spoke in a tone of bitter disappointment. “‘Twas all a lie, of course. Perhaps a self-deluded lie on Hidden's part, but a lie nonetheless. The black arts are forbidden for very good reasons. Mind magic can so easily leave ponies with nothing but broken minds, necromancy offers few benefits that cannot be accomplished by other safer methods, time travel is asking for a great many things to go horribly wrong, and only a fool would sell their soul for power or other trinkets. Probably why Moonwatch did the latter: that lunatic rushed to sell his soul twelve times for power before the demons of the netherworld finally caught on to what he was doing and refused to make any more bargains with him.” I blinked at this news, hardly believing what I just heard. “He did what?! Such a thing is unheard of! Each demon would have a claim on his soul, and when he dies they will fight for every scrap of his being they can get ahold of. His suffering will be legendary. I do not know if I e’en have the words to describe his future torment.” “But first, he has to die,” Lemon pointed out. “As I am sure you noticed, he is rather good at not doing so. A result of our dark lady’s blessings, if he is to believed. We have watched him be mortally wounded so many times that we all take it for granted that ‘tis only a matter of when he will return rather than if.” “Dost thou knowest how he avoids death?” If I knew the exact method by which he came back, then it might be possible to counter it. Alas, Lemon shook his head. “I have my guesses, but I do not know for certain. I suspect some of the masters know, but that is another one of the secrets they are tight-lipped about. Moonwatch is a valuable, if volatile, weapon to them, and you know the value of knowledge.” “That much is true.” I tried not to let my disappointment show. Lemon returned to his drink. “You are lucky in many ways, your current predicament aside; unlike me, you were destined to become a magus. You have the talent for it, and the right connections to go far. I saw your duel with Magus Topaz. You were ... terrifying. It makes ponies like me feel like we are existing in a world filled with titans, and 'tis all we can do to not be crushed 'tween you.” I frowned at his words. “I would not be so certain of that. Many a great magus has fallen to those with no spells of their own.” Lemon chuckled to himself. “True enough, but while someone with nothing more than a dagger could potentially kill an archmagus, ‘tis not a feat I would suggest trying. Neigh, power makes everything much easier, and ‘tis better to have than to be crushed underhoof by another.” He let out a long sigh and leaned against the far wall opposite of me. “I should have joined Ushabti when I had the chance.” I tilted my head. “Ushabti?” Lemon waved dismissively. “A member of our order, or at least he was. He was the leader of those who believed that reform and convincing our fellow magi of the folly of the laws of magic was the right path. But Hidden opposed him, believing that the means justify the ends. In the end, he drove Ushabti out and led us down the path of damnation and treason.” He shook his head. “Rumors says he's in Freeport right now, and I should have followed him there. Even living under the Golden Path (4) has to be better than worrying constantly about whether I am one bad day away from the noose or from getting killed by those around me.” 4. The Golden Path was the ruling faction of Freeport during this time period. They were notable for venerating several spirits of justice and for giving those spirits physical bodies so that they could rule Freeport directly. This ended badly; in a nation that had been ruled by pirate kings, tyrant spellcasters, councils with nefarious intentions, and various types of monsters, the Golden Path created one of the most oppressive regimes in Freeport’s history. This would be quite the achievement if it wasn’t so sad. I sensed an opportunity that I could exploit here, and so seized on it. “Then you regret your actions and wish to start anew?” “More than a little of me does, aye.” Lemon shook his head. “But we cannot change the past, and our decisions bind us.” I moved closer to the bars to better speak with him. “Many would say that it is never too late to reconsider their life choices.” He shot me an unamused glower. “Many would also say I should hang, whatever my regrets or future decisions I would make.” So we came to the most important part of our talk. Lemon’s story made me sympathize with him to a degree, even if he was still a warlock, but I could use this to my advantage. “Perhaps. Though I am sure my mother would not be ungrateful if I were freed. As I would be—I think 'twould be prudent to reward those who save my life, as that encourages others to do so in the future.” Lemon stared at me in thought. “You assume I could get you out of here to start with.” His eyes outlined my cell. “There are several wards and alarms woven into the stone to make sure you stay in there, and that ring on your horn has a tracking spell built into it. Not to mention the others have collected locks of your hair to both track you and hit you with spells if necessary. After that, there are the other warlocks and the spirits and undead they have summoned to contend with. And while Moonwatch is a fool, his power is great and he cares nothing for harming others. Meanwhile, your magic is locked down thanks to that suppression ring, and I am no combat magus. ‘Twould be suicide to break you out.” That was not an optimistic view on matters. But if I could not be broken out and escape from this place then there were other options available to us. “And there are many who are doubtless seeking me out, and would be swift to come if they knew my location. If thou wert to inform them I am here and warn them of the warlock’s defenses, there might even be a reward for thee.” Lemon rubbed his chin. “And what assurances would I have that you would not have me slain out of spite? Or your mother, for that matter? 'Twould be a great risk to try and put my life at your mother's mercy. There is a song for what she did to the House Line, as well as several others who have crossed her.” “Get me a pen and ink and I shall write my promise,” I beckoned. “Promises put to paper are not so easily broken. If I were to break my promise and the document came to light, ‘twould besmirch my word and make ponies wary of trusting me from that point forward.” Lemon stared at me as he considered the proposal, but eventually he went to procure a piece of paper and writing instruments. I was unaccustomed to writing with my mouth, but I managed. Soon I had finished a letter stating that Lemon Limelight was aiding me in escaping from the warlock’s clutches and he was to be treated as an ally, and further added as many details I could considering the limited time I had to work with. Once that was done I gave Lemon the letter, and possibly my last chance to survive this. “Take this to Magus Morning Star,” I instructed him. “She is far more temperate than Mother, and she will listen to thee. What is more, Mother and Shadow will listen to her.” Lemon looked up from the letter to look me in the eye. “And you guarantee that you will argue for all leniency be granted for me? Do you have the influence to have me granted a pardon? Is that within your power?” I decided that honesty was best here, even if ‘twas not exactly what he wanted to hear. Better a bitter truth be swallowed now than for him to feel betrayed later. “I cannot guarantee a full pardon, but aye, I can assure thee of leniency. In addition to my my influence with Mother, I have the ear of Lady Shadow and Princess Celestia. Shadow is always rational, and Celestia has always possessed a merciful heart. Between them I can plead thy case. Some punishment will probably be leveled on thee, but it can be a lighter sentence if thou aidest me. ‘Tis either that or forever live on the run at the tender mercies of Moonwatch.” Lemon stared at the letter long and hard before he sighed and folded it up. “Mayhaps exile would be enough. 'Tis been far too long since I last saw Ushabti. With ticket for a ship and some gold to start a new life... Mayhaps I will do what my mother always wished and go back to baking.” I nodded as I nudged this decision along. “That does seem like a viable choice, and I can see to it that thou receivest enough coin to start anew. I will pay out of my own purse if that is what it takes.” Lemon slipped the letter into a pocket within the depths of his cloak. “I will see what I can do. This might be nothing more than a fool's errand that will only result in a quick and gruesome death for me, but I will try it. It has to be better than this loathsome life I live.” “Thou shalt not be caught,” I assured him. “They will not expect thee to betray them after serving them loyally for over a decade. All thou hast to do is sneak out of the castle and get to Fillydelphia. From there ‘tis a simple task.” “Time will tell.” We then remained in silence until a pair of guards came to relieve Lemon. He departed, leaving me alone to ponder what else I could do to survive. I found that captivity did not suit me. I am not some farmer whose daily life was determined by the flow of the seasons and weather, or an artisan whose business rose and fell depending on how many customers passed by. I was used to being active at all times, be it studying, assisting Mother, going about Canterlot, or a dozen other things. Inside of that cell I simply had nothing to do, and that left me alone with my thoughts. The warlock guards assigned to me would not even have conversation with me. That left me bored—deeply, profoundly bored with nothing to do but think, and think, and think. And that seemed to be the greatest torment of all. There was no escaping my thoughts, my worries, my self-reprimands. Foremost in my thoughts was what the warlocks intended for me. Would there be anything of me left if I was turned into the Avatar? Would I be a mere echo of what I once was, or merely a screaming voice within my own head as my body acted on its own? Though potentially the most terrifying thought was that I would be so warped by the transformation that I would be truly committed to the Nightmare’s cause in mind, body, and soul. What I could do with that kind of power under Queen Luna’s direction... I worried about Stalwart’s fate. Was he dead? Alive? Dying? A great part of me wished to just know the truth. Even if Stalwart were dead I would at least know how I should react. Instead I was in a state of limbo that put me in a constant state of fret and guilt. Was Daylight now free? He must be by now. What was he thinking right then when his sister was missing? Was he trying to find me, or was he being bogged down by the conclave? What about Shadow? Was she being led along a breadcrumb trail far away from me, or perhaps even to a trap? No doubt Hidden would have liked to slay the mare who foiled his plans during the Lunar Rebellion. What was Mother thinking? Was she mad, worried? I wished to see her again, even if she vexed me. There was so much left unsaid ‘tween us, and I did not wish to be turned against her as some monster she would need to put down. I did not wish that fate on anypony. Repeatedly my thoughts turned over the events of the past few days since arriving at the conclave. Every mistake, every alternative path I could have taken ran through my mind in an endless loop. What if I had conducted my investigation in a different manner? What if I had been honest with Shadow from the start, or gotten aid with dealing with Tick Tock and Moonwatch? There were so many ways I could have handled Chivalrous and Topaz differently. Even during the duel I had been foolish. So enthralled was I with the power Corva had given me that I wasted too much of it. My foolishness left me open to being captured by Moonwatch, and led to my current predicament. For how long I was down in that dungeon being tormented by my own thoughts I could not determine. There was no natural light in that dungeon, and the only indicator for how much time might have passed was when they gave me my meals. The only time the tedium was broken was when Moonwatch and some of the other warlocks came down to demand where Lemon had gone. For that I gave them nothing; I suspected they would have done more than given me harsh words were it not for the fact they did not wish to harm me. ‘Twas difficult not to show my relief that Lemon had somehow gotten away from his fellows. But whether he had gotten aid, or if that aid would arrive in time was still unknown to me. ‘Twas merely another thing to worry about. Obsess over. ‘Twas almost a reprieve when I head the door to the dungeon open once again. Nearly anything that saved me from my endless circling thoughts was welcome. A pity that who I saw immediately soured my already sullen mood. Moonwatch beamed as he approached my cell, flanked by a pair of warlocks. One of them I recognized from earlier as Gravekeeper, and the other Last Second, one of the warlocks that had checked on me to make sure I was in good health and fed. Last was an older stallion, his brown coat faded, though his eyes still shined with intelligence and awareness. Moonwatch stopped before my cell to leer at me. “Good news! 'Tis time for your transformation, Conduit.” “Art thou certain thou shouldst not wait for an eclipse, or for the planets to align?” I asked dryly. “There is not the time for that, and 'tis hardly necessary thanks to our preparations.” Moonwarch puffed out his chest. “Not when 'tis I who leads the ritual.” “So 'twill be a miserable failure.” I nodded firmly. “A satisfactory result as far as I am concerned.” Moonwatch’s eyes burned as he tore the cell door off its hinges with enough force to slam it against the far wall. “Out. Soon we will be silencing that tongue of yours, and then I will receive my just reward.” I stepped out of the cell so I could face Moonwatch. During mine incarceration I had come up with a plan, if a desperate one. But my choices were to go for the long odds or do nothing, and I was not about to be turned into an abomination without a fight. I stared him in the eyes and spoke coldly. “Thou wilt indeed receive thy just reward. For thou wilt be granting me almighty power, making me on par with Celestia herself. And thou knowest the first thing that I will do with that power?” I leaned in to speak quietly to the warlock. “I. Will. Kill. Thee.” A confused expression fell over his face, as though he did not understand what I was saying. “That is a lie. Queen Luna would never allow such a thing to happen.” “Do not listen to her,” Gravekeeper warned. “She is desperate and seeks to rattle you.” Moonwatch shot him a glare. “Do not think to tell me what to do, mercenary.” “Dost thou truly believe she values thee o'er me?” I demanded, talking over the others. “Dost thou remember Bright and her mad quest for vengeance in face of all reason and the damage she was doing to Pegasopolis’ cause and that of the queen's? Will I be so different when I become thy Avatar? I hate thee, Moonwatch. From the very depths of my soul. The sight of thee sickens me, and the world will be a better place without thee. I would not trust thee to clean my chamberpot, much less stand by my side in battle. For what reason would I do anything but destroy thee?” “Do not argue with the Conduit, Moonwatch,” Last cautioned. “She is baiting you, do you not see that?” Moonwatch either did not hear his compatriot or ignored him as his teeth clenched. “You cannot kill me. I am Moonwatch the Undying.” “If I cannot kill thee then I will rip thy soul out and drag it down into the deepest, darkest abyss I can find, and trade it away to the foulest being that lives there.” I smiled widely. “I will enjoy that. Immensely. In fact, I will commission a song about it, and then have it played for anyone who would dare cross me. How does the title The Eternal Torment of Moonwatch sound?” Moonwatch’s hoof struck me across the cheek hard enough to slam me up against the bars of the cell, and I tasted blood. The warlock trembled as he glared at me. “How dare you?! I am Queen Luna’s most valuable servant!” I gasped with fake shock. “Thou art Hidden Facts?” Moonwatch’s face contorted with rage, and he raised his hoof to strike me again, but Last caught his hoof. “Moonwatch! That is enough! You cannot harm the Conduit! Know your place and do the ritual.” “We need the Avatar,” Gravekeeper agreed. “Without her we are doomed.” “See what a useful fool thou art, Moonwatch. Not even thine own followers respect thee.” I smirked as I watched Moonwatch and Last glare at one another in a contest of wills. “Be a good little servant and let us move forward so that we can get to the part I will oh so enjoy. I look forward to mine ascension, and thy downfall, fool.” The contorted lines of rage on Moonwatch’s face suddenly smoothed and his horn lit with a baleful red light. “Upon reflection, change of plans.” Moonwatch fired a beam of hellfire right into Last. To the warlock’s credit, he got a shield up in time to block the sudden act of betrayal, and he was blasted into the wall. But Moonwatch kept up the attack until Last’s shield cracked and then broke under the assault. His death was quick but terrible. Gravekeeper’s eyes were wide as he watched Last perish. “What are you—” He didn’t get the chance to finish before Moonwatch went back on the attack with a telekinetic shockwave. Gravekeeper also put a shield, but it too was shattered and he was thrown up into the air and collided with the wall with bone-jarring force. “I have changed my mind,” Moonwatch said with a malevolent smile. “I have judged that the Conduit is unsuitable to carry the power of our great queen, and that we should find someone else to be our Avatar.” During that moment of distraction, I seized my desperate opportunity. My magic may have been locked away, but I was no longer purely restricted to using my magic to defend myself. Stalwart had taught me how to defend myself with my hooves alone, and I put those skills to use. I stepped in and struck Moonwatch’s horn. He was caught completely off-guard by the unexpected attack, and wild sparks of magic shot off from his horn as his magic was disrupted. “Get away from me, you damned bastard!” he cried, staggering away to put distance ‘tween us so his horn could recover. I pressed forward, not giving him any time to recover before striking his horn again. He winced in pain and swung a hoof wildly, it being clear that he had never learned how to throw a proper punch. Taking advantage of his lack of training, I grabbed that wildly swinging leg and put it into a painful lock that tilted him onto an awkward footing. “You little bitch!” With a great heave of his body, he pushed himself against my hold with such force that the crack of his breaking leg snapping echoed through the dungeon. Seemingly impervious to pain, he swiped his good arm at me. I ducked the telegraphed blow, and my hoof shot forward to slam him in the face. There was more cracking of bone as his nose broke, sending him stumbling back. While I was doing well, I knew that ‘twas only a matter of time until the tide of battle turned against me. Moonwatch was clearly immune to pain, his injuries a mere inconvenience, and I had no means by which I could kill or easily disable him. Eventually he would recover enough to let him cast a spell, and then I would be doomed. Thankfully, I had an alternative. I planted another blow on his horn, and then stepped back. “Thine assistance, Gravekeeper!” Gravekeeper had risen back to shaky hooves, and like a good mercenary, struck when an opportunity presented itself. Necromantic energies flowed forth and into Moonwatch. He howled as green fire burst out of his body and consumed him. Soon nothing remained of Moonwatch but bones and his cloak. Gravekeeper gasped and stumbled back until he could use the wall for support, his efforts having exhausted him. “Damnation, what a monster,” Gravekeeper gasped. “My thanks,” I said, and then ran for the exit. “No so fast, Magus.” Gravekeeper snapped out a hoof and a pair of bones landed in front of the dungeon door, and shortly a pair of skeletons formed to block the exit. “I do have a contract to complete.” I sighed as I stared at the door. “Must we?” I had been lucky thus far, with one warlock dead and Moonwatch at least temporarily disabled, but there was still the necromancer to contend with. He seemed tired and injured from the battle, but it seemed unlikely I would be able to cross the room and come to grips with him before he got at least one spell off. And no doubt his skeletons would jump me the second I tried anything. “I was paid a considerable sum to have you obtained and turned into their Avatar,” he pointed out. “‘Tis nothing personal, merely professional.” “And you think he will pay you?” I motioned to the pile of bones that had been Moonwatch. Gravekeeper scoffed. “He will not, but his master will.” It was unlikely I was going to be getting out of this dungeon if the necromancer blocked me, so I decided to put forward the best case I could for him to aid me. “If ‘tis coin that most concerns you, I should point out my mother has access to the royal treasury.” “And you want me to believe Sunbeam, Equestria’s greatest warlock hunter, will pay some necromancer mercenary?” he countered. “For returning her daughter alive and well?” I let that hang in the air before I continued. “She will pay you double Hidden’s offer.” Gravekeeper stroked his cheek as he thought the proposal over. “Tempting. The only question is if your mother is the type to overlook my history, or the type to stab me in the back the second after she gets what she wants.” “It is prudent to reward those who save her daughter,” I argued. “That way others will do so in the future. ‘Tis not as though you are the ringleader of this operation. Clearly you are just someone Hidden hired on with coin for your specialization. If you are no longer a threat to Equestria, and have even proven useful to us, Mother will be inclined to let you go on your way as long as you leave Equestria and do not return. With a chest full of coin, of course.” “That might be, though it might be safer to go ahead and send you back to Hidden,” Gravekeeper said. “I have my doubts.” My mind raced to put together a counterargument. “It was said that time was short just a bit ago, and you needed to rush to complete the Avatar ritual. Am I to imply that my rescue is nearly here?” Gravekeeper’s jaw had squared itself. “That is true.” “And who is left in the castle that can complete the Avatar ritual with Last dead and Moonwatch unwilling to do it?” I asked. “No one,” he growled. “And no doubt you were depending on the Avatar to fight in the upcoming battle,” I surmised. “That means you both lack confidence in defeating my rescuers and doubt your ability to flee. Otherwise you would have crushed whoever is coming, or snuck me away to whatever other sanctuaries you have. Instead you are rushing a dangerous ritual for which you might only have one shot at.” “Your point?” Gravekeeper demanded through clenched teeth. Satisfied that my guesses were correct, I moved to close mine argument. “Your backs are to the wall, doubly so now that you are not all of one mind.” I waved at the corpses on the floor. “To get me to Hidden you have to survive Moonwatch, get past the warlocks, and bypass my rescuers. That leaves you with several ways to die rather spectacularly. Alternatively, we can seek sanctuary with my rescuers, and you will be allowed to go with a healthy amount of gold once the dust settles.” Gravekeeper frowned as he thought my proposal over. The question here was if Gravekeeper was the type of mercenary who valued his professionalism and contracts over his coin purse. He was not. “Alright, sounds good to me. Though the trick is getting you out of here without getting ourselves killed.” “Just act like you are in charge and know what you are doing,” I told him. “If anyone asks, say you are moving me on Moonwatch's orders. He is foolish enough to leave his most valuable prisoner in the care of a mercenary he barely knows.” Gravekeeper grunted. “Could work. Best we move fast, either way. It will not be long before the others wonder what is delaying everything.” “Alright then.” I turned towards the exit, but then a glint of metal among Moonwatch’s bones caught my eye. ‘Twas a ring of keys, one of which looked like ‘twould fit my suppression ring. I reached down to scoop it up, but Gravekeeper's hoof snapped out to throw out another bone. It exploded into another skeleton that blocked me from grabbing the key. I glowered at Gravekeeper. “What are you doing?! I was going to release my horn so that we can better get out of here.” Gravekeeper snorted. “Not a chance. You are far too devious for my liking. With nothing more than your tongue you got us all to turn on one another, resulting in them getting killed and me to agree to free you. I am not about to let you get your magic back. You would abandon me the second it was convenient, and then I am dead.” He pointed to the exit. “Go. No arguing.” I scowled, but there was no more time to plead my case. Not when I was reasonably sure I would not be able to persuade him. To be fair to him, I would not have put my life on the line to save his. We were at best allies of convenience, and nothing more. So I headed out the exit, leaving the keys behind us. Gravekeeper acted like he was leading me along, his trio of skeletons flanking me as we went. ‘Twas not long before we were exiting the keep and entering the courtyard. The sight I witnessed was a welcome one; above us was the dome of a shield, and ‘twas under assault. Pegasi of the Royal Guard flew about collecting clouds to pour lightning into the shield. A rainbow of colors assailed the shield from beyond the wall as a great variety of spells were flung, among them a continual torrent of fire and ice spells I knew well. It seemed that Lemon had accomplished his quest and my rescue had arrived. Gravekeeper examined the scene before us with a deep frown. Warlocks on the wall were returning fire, but ‘twas clear that there were far more magi outside than warlocks to counter them. “It seems your mother has already arrived.” “Then we will have an easy time getting away,” I said. “If we can get past the wall and through the shield we will be saved.” “In case you have not noticed, the gate is guarded.” Gravekeeper nodded at the main gate where a small group of warlocks stood, firing spells down at my rescuers. “The wall is there to hold things out, not keep them in,” I pointed out. “If we can scale the wall and quickly get outside we would be saved.” He shook his head. “And what about the shield? We cannot get past that as long as it is up.” I pressed my lips together as I considered our options. “Then I suppose we will need to improvise.” “Not what I like to hear,” Gravekeeper groused. I scowled at my reluctant companion. “Do you have magics that might aid us? If you have an invisibility spell or a veil we might be able to use to sneak out without being detected, or even lie low until relief arrives, speak.” Gravekeeper let out an annoyed huff. “Neigh, illusions have never been something I have been good at, and my magic is nearly spent after fighting Moonwatch. I used up most of my magic raising undead to try and slow the Royal Guard, but most of them have been destroyed by now.” Mine ear twitched. I was so close to safety, and yet so terribly far. If Gravekeeper would have let me grab the key and free myself then we would have had options to get out of here. But if his magic was as low as he said then ‘twas hardly surprising he feared what I would have done if free to cast spells. He would have been at my mercy, and that is not something a warlock mercenary would enjoy. I tried to focus my thoughts on the practicals instead of what I wished to be. “If you have a better idea...” Gravekeeper’s gaze swept the wall and his lips curled into a grin. “Actually, I do. We can—” I never heard what Gravekeeper’s plan was. A bolt of hellfire streaked from behind us and struck him. He tumbled violently to the ground as sulfuric smoke drifted from his body. He did not move from that spot, his unblinking eyes seeing nothing. Moonwatch emerged from the main keep’s door, rolling his neck as he approached me. Only now he was nearly skeletal, with nearly as his flesh gone as his skin clung to his bones. “I never did like him,” Moonwatch said with utter contempt. “Always looking down on me. Well, he’s going to have to look up at me from six feet under, from now on.” I blinked and my hooves stepped back and away from the warlock on their own accord. Moonwatch had recovered so quickly? “How...?” “Am I still alive?” Moonwatch tilted his head back and laughed. “Do you still not get it? I am Moonwatch the Undying. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can kill me.” He flashed me a malevolent smile as he drew closer. “Stab me, cut me, drown me, set me on fire, freeze me, blow me up—whatever you try, it will not work. I will always come back. I am immortal! Ranked amongst the greatest beings in the world!” I snarled as I faced down my nemesis. My horn was still suppressed, I was surrounded by enemies, and mine only ally was dead. There was nowhere I could run where Moonwatch would not quickly discover me. My options were either fight or give up and die. I chose to fight. Even if ‘twas the last thing I did, I would spit in the eye of my enemy and cause them pain. I owed Stalwart that much. “Let us put that immortality to the test!” I snatched up Gravekeeper’s bag of bones from his corpse and threw it at Moonwatch. He blew the bag apart in midair, and bones flew all about him. While many bones had been destroyed, several more had survived and their magic activated, causing reanimated skeletons to poof into existence all about Moonwatch. But as was usually the case whenever a necromancer lost control of his creations, the skeletons immediately acted erratically. One skelton crashed into the castle wall with enough force to break itself whilst another convulsed and fell to the ground, and yet another stood in place immobile. The rest though, acted much more dangerously and attacked the nearest creature to them: Moonwatch. Moonwatch’s head swiveled as he tried to register this sudden change in fortune. “Wha—” Two of the skeletons jumped on to top of him, nearly bearing him to the ground, and the other two closed on him and swung wildly to hit him multiple times. One slammed blow after blow into Moonwatch’s side while the other struck him across the jaw. I did not waste this invaluable opportunity. I charged forward. ‘Twas possible this was merely suicide, but no less so than doing nothing. Moonwatch blasted apart the skeleton punching at his face, and aimed his horn at the other attacking his flank as I arrived. My hoof lashed out and slapped his horn. His magic was disrupted and the pain caused him to stumble and fall over. As though in a feeding frenzy, the skeletons fell upon him to rain blows on the warlock. Moonwatch howled in rage as he tried to fight them off. I knew that I was merely playing for time. Mere physical blows would not kill whatever Moonwatch was. That is why my eyes flashed when they caught sight of the keychain at Moonwatch’s side. “Fool!” I declared and snatched the keys from him. I fumbled my way through them, if I could but unlock my horn... My heart thumped and my hooves trembled with excitement, and what should have been an simple and easy task seemed to take a small eternity. After what felt like forever I found the key I desired and grabbed it. I turned it so that it would fit into the suppression ring, and moved to use it. A small burst of hellfire struck the key, and painfully blew it from my hooves. I yelped in pain as I instinctively held my hooves to my chest, but what consumed mine attention was the key as it tumbled to the ground. ‘Twas a mangled mess of steel, smoking as it came to rest, and utterly useless to me. Mine eyes widened as they witnessed that I had been defeated. “That is enough!” Moonwatch roared. With a raw blast of telekinetic force, he created a shockwave that blew me and all the skeletons away from him. I was sent painfully tumbling along the ground before I came to a stop. The skeletons in turn were all broken to pieces, their necromantic energy failing without their master to augment them. Moonwatch rose to his hooves, a growl coming from deep within his chest as he glared balefully at me. “Do you honestly think any of this is going to work?! You cannot kill me, but I very much can kill you!” Against my protesting body, I forced myself to my hooves. “E'en if thou couldst manage such a thing, Hidden would destroy thee for it. And I doubt your dark queen would appreciate the act either.” Moonwatch’s face hardened and something unpleasant flashed in his face. “And I am thinking 'tis far past time for the apprentice to become the master. 'Tis been nothing but ten long years of failure. Time for new blood to take over and succeed where the older generation could not.” Despite the mortal peril I was in, a laugh bubbled up from within my chest and burst out. “Thou couldst not manage such a thing in a thousand years!” The corner of my mouth twisted with a smirk. “If thou art so great, then take the ring off my horn and prove thy strength.” Moonwatch let out a bark of a laugh. “I hardly need to prove something I already know.” He glanced to the side where Mother was battering at the shield. “Besides, I must trade blows with your mother once more in short order, and I must save my strength. Oh, I am going to enjoy the look on her face when I drop your corpse in front of her.” Moonwatch’s horn glowed as he prepared one final spell. “Now, be a good little filly and die screaming.” So this was the end. I had rolled the dice against the long odds and had come up tauntingly short. My desperate plan to escape had failed. After all my battles, attempts to improve myself, deals struck and schemes plotted, it had all ended thus. I was helpless before the warlock I despised most, and with nothing more I could do but die. Thanks to the damned suppression ring I could not even spite him with a death curse. ‘Twas unfair, there was so much I wished to do, plans unacted upon, but then did not everyone say that life was terribly unfair? Mine only solace was that Moonwatch would suffer for killing me. Mother, Shadow, Hidden, or possibly even Celestia herself would avenge me. A pity I would not be there to see it. So I stood there, waiting for death, for I would not give Moonwatch the satisfaction of seeing me cower or beg. I had my pride, if nothing else. Moonwatch lined up his horn to fire on me, but I did not die. A great blinding golden light tore the sky asunder, and the great shield protecting the castle shattered. From within the light a beam of painfully bright magic streaked downwards and smote Moonwatch. A hole was burned clean through his chest and he was tossed to the ground. I held a hoof to mine eyes as I blinked against that golden light. From within that light I spotted a shining figure with wings, and I thought Princess Celestia had arrived. My heart swelled as she approached, for I had been saved. My savior landed in front of me, standing ‘tween me and Moonwatch, her horn alight as she stood ready for battle. But as my vision cleared I was surprised by what I saw: instead of the immaculate white coat I had expected, the mare before me was a familiar peach. While not as tall as Celestia herself, she was still taller than any other mare I had seen. But there was still a special something about her that reminded me of Celestia. A force that made her stand out before any other pony around her. “Thou wilt not harm her!” Morning Star roared, her voice bellowing with volume that made the very grass quiver. Mine eyes widened at the sight before me. “M-Morning?! Y-you are an alicorn?!” “Yes. And so much more.” Morning stood with absolute conviction. Despite all rationality telling me it should not be so, I could not deny what mine eyes told me. Before me was Morning, and she had wings. And that was not all—she had a vibrancy she had never possessed for as long as I had known her. Gone were the lines of age and worry that had previously adorned her face, and fat gained from time, a soft lifestyle, and motherhood had been replaced by hard muscle. By all appearances she was now a pony in the prime of her life. Morning’s wings flared out as Moonwatch once again started rising. “Stay behind me, Midnight. I will protect thee from him.” I had so many questions, but I knew now was not the time to ask them. I did as she instructed. All about us the battle became ernest. With the shield down magi exchanged spells directly with the warlocks and spells started falling upon the walls and the warlocks defending them. The pegasi of the Guard were in turn using the last of their lightning clouds to scour the walls before diving in with weapons in hoof. The warlocks did their best to try and beat back these attacks with spells and summoning elements, undead, and creatures both foul and nearly indescribable, but they were badly outnumbered and bested on all sides. ‘Twas not a question of if they would be routed, but when. Though that still left the virtually unkillable Moonwatch before us. The vile warlock stood, the hole in his chest closing as he regenerated his flesh with his magic. “Morning? Is that you? What sort of abomination have you turned yourself into?!” “I am no abomination, but a mare who will not lose anyone else she loves ever again.” Morning threw several cold iron spikes that tore right through Moonwatch’s intercepting shield and into his flesh. Though instead of merely piercing him, his flesh started melting away as though ‘twere candle wax. Then I realized that we were not dealing with a creature of flesh as I originally thought, but instead ectoplasm morphed to look like flesh. What was under that disguise of false flesh was a far more terrifying sight. Before us stood a skeleton, but with a baleful green fire that burned within his chest cavity and skull. Points of green light shone out of Moonwatch’s skull as he glared as us. ‘Twas as I studied him that I realized his true nature: he was a lich. A most foul creature that had partaken of an equally foul ritual exchanging their mortality and flesh for greater arcane might and immortality. As long as a receptacle known as a phylactery survived they would always be able to regenerate a new body, though their profane gifts came at the terrible price of much of what made them mortal: the feeling of the wind for the first day of spring, the taste of their favorite food, the touch of another, all was forever denied to them. All that remained was a terrible intellect increasingly divorced from the world. “Still sore over the death of your husband, Morning?” Moonwatch mocked. “How about you join him?!” He fired a blast of hellfire at Morning, but she had a shield up well before it reached us. The blast harmlessly washed over the shield, leaving us completely unharmed. Morning scoffed. “I mourned Copper. Now it is time to avenge him.” Her eyes narrowed. “I have heard it said thou art undying. Let us put that to the test.” Moonwatch gritted his teeth. “I think you will be disappointed.” His horned glowed brightly as he poured everything into his next spell. Once again calling on the fiendish bargains he made, he sent an unending stream of hellfire at us. Morning's defense was ready and the attack washed over her shield. It did not break, it did not buckle, it did not even crack. It stood like a boulder against a river as the hellfire pounded futility against it. Morning blinked and looked around her dome shield, almost looking surprised at what she was doing as the hellfire poured on and on and on. But it did eventually end. The ground all around us had been torn up by the attack, and the earth hissed with sulfuric smoke. The unnatural fire had even hit the wall behind us, which was red from heat. I could never have hoped to resist such an attack directly with just my own power, but Morning had weathered the firestorm as if it were nothing more than a practice duel with a novice apprentice. Moonwatch stared on with slack-jawed amazement, his horn also red-hot from the magic he had pushed through it. “Thine end is nigh,” Morning declared. She fired a blast of pure concussive force at Moonwatch. He tried to put up a shield, but it was smashed and he was thrown into the air before tumbling back to the ground. Moonwatch stumbled back to his hooves, knitting several bones back together. But his horn was sparking now, a sign that he was nearing the end of his endurance. “Y-you are just an abomination! You cannot be an actual alicorn! Only our lady's blessing can grant such a thing!” He picked up several nearby stones that had fallen from the wall and tossed them at us. ‘Twas as Morning casually swatted aside the stones that I realized the fatal flaw in Moonwatch’s fighting style: he depended entirely on brute force to overwhelm his opponents. All he did was attack again and again and again with one powerful onslaught after another. Against any enemy where that did not work, he was doomed. In addition, his ability to regenerate from any amount of damage he received had made him dangerously reckless. And now he faced an enemy far stronger than him, and Morning was no novice spellcaster. “I am very much an alicorn,” Morning said as she flicked the last of the stones aside. “In a way, I should thank thee for it. 'Twas in researching thy fell rites I uncovered the path to true ascension. And now I shall destroy thee and avenge the fallen!” A ball of crackling light gathered at the tip of her horn, and Moonwatch gathered the last of his magic to launch more hellfire. “You cannot beat me! You cannot slay Moonwatch the Undying!” “I can.” Morning tossed a gem at Moonwatch’s hooves that sucked the fire out of his horn even as he gathered it. “And I have.” She threw another gem and it burst in midair. A red clay-like material appeared and wrapped itself around Moonwatch’s horn, temporarily binding it. Her opponent disabled, she fired a great lightning bolt that nearly blinded me. The roar of the electricity drowned out Moonwatch’s curse as he was disintegrated. I stared at the crater where Moonwatch had been, knowing it was not over. “He will be back. All he needs is time to recover.” “No, he will not.” Morning cast a summoning spell and a strange device popped into existence before her: a glass sphere with a pair of copper bands that divided it into quarters, and bands covered by a series of runes that I only had a cursory knowledge of. She held it up and half the runes lit up with a sharp yellow light. “I made this for Hidden Facts if he ever returned, but it will work just fine on Moonwatch.” She snarled as a wisp of green flame appeared within the glass sphere. She glared at the captured soul of her husband’s murderer. “No escape this time. It is time Moonwatch the Undying met his final end.” I narrowed my eyes at the being who had attempted to sacrifice me better than a decade before, and who had so suddenly returned to torment me for evil ends. While much of the runework on the sphere was beyond me, I knew enough to identify several runes of destruction. “Do it.” The green mote of flame imploded as Morning utterly annihilated Moonwatch the Undying, once and for all.