//------------------------------// // Chapter 19: Continuity // Story: Fallout: Equestria - Change // by MetalGearSamus //------------------------------// “Dash her friend or Dash the drug?” A breeze whistled above me. The crater I stood in held the air stagnant; a pocket of warmth under the bitter cold. Yet even here my breath blew out fog. It puffed into the air, fading as it sank to the ground. The pegasus in front of me let out pitifully small wisps. The water condensed on the twisted metal and plastic near her mouth, hydrating the stained blood that coated the inside of her helmet. “What did you say?” I asked Pitch after I had started to understand her words. “It’s fucking Rainbow Dash!” Pitch squealed in elation. “In the flesh!” “Wait... Rainbow Dash?” Somehow, Pitch’s swearing was the part my mind had first struggled to comprehend. “Like, the Rainbow Dash?” What d’ya mean ‘Rainbow Dash’? “Yes! Isn’t it obvious? Her classic armor, her Cutie Mark, it’s all spot on! This is Rainbow Dash!” I glanced at her haunches. I could just barely make out the edge of the cloud and rainbow-bolt symbol through the ruin of her suit. I frowned. Out of curiosity I triggered my magic. The disguise worked this time; I was Rainbow Dash. I dropped it a moment later. Above me the wind dropped to nothing, then reversed, flowing south. Worker? Is everything alright? I think... I think she’s right, Midnight, I replied. I can disguise as her now... “What the fuck. Pitch?” I gave her a baffled look. “Oh, like I’m supposed to know how she’s here?” The ghoul pouted defiantly. “We can ask her all about the how and why later. Right now she’s clearly injured, help me carry her!” I stood for a moment, disconnected from my body. Rainbow Dash gave a weak cough, which turned into a painful hack. More blood trickled out of her mouth. I felt a jolt in Pitch’s gut, and crouched down beside her automatically. I used my magic to help pitch heave Rainbow Dash over my back. I felt a mix of relief, confusion, and frustration from Hairpins. Worker, Rainbow Dash would be hundreds of years old... is she a ghoul? No. She’s beat up, but alive. Maybe a relative? I shook my head. It’s the same Cutie Mark. I can disguise as her now. I couldn’t before. And Pitch recognizes her armor. It must be. Pitch nodded vigorously in agreement. Anyway, Midnight, Hairpins, how far are you? We’re still on the stairs. There’s too fuckin’ many of ‘em! An’ what th’ hell happened anyhow? One secon’ we’re arguing, th’ next ah’m wakin’ up in a puddle a’ melted ice! An’ another Ministry Mare turns up alive? I don’t... wait Worker, why did you fly away as soon as Hairpins disappeared? How did you know we were so close to the top? What were they talking about? I sensed confusion reverberating through the three of us. Pitch was off in her own mind, at once ecstatic and worried about her idol crashing in from the sky. Midnight, I ran down to check on Hairpins as soon as we saw she was missing. You ran away from me, remember? And Hairpins, what argument? We weren’t even talking about much when you fell behind. I... well, I don’t know. I’m having trouble remembering, exactly. I just thought... I felt like you had left me for some reason, Midnight stated. Ah... hell, ah can’t recall neither. Pitch walked beside me, helping to support Rainbow’s weight. I picked up the Heart with magic and shoved it into my saddlebag. It didn’t fit in all the way, but it was secure enough for the moment. We trotted slowly toward one of the castle’s legs at the edge of the impact crater. It was the safest place to be, Pitch knew, if the tower were to collapse. I shivered as we entered the cooler air. We can work out the details later. Let’s just meet up first, I decided. Pitch and I have enough to worry about right now. Let me know if you need anything. Got it, Midnight replied curtly. We set Rainbow Dash down against the edge of the northmost leg. I glanced at the surrounding city. The water had stopped flowing for the most part. The ice blocks that had filled the street were now corpses, lying as dark shadows in the pools of water. Many were near enough that I could see the faded colors of their coats. I turned back to Rainbow Dash. Her breathing was ragged and pained, but steady. Pitch fiddled with her armor while I retrieved the healing potions I had in my bags. She pressed on something, and a small panel popped open near Rainbow Dash’s underbelly. Pitch frowned. “What is it?” “Her meds. There should be an entire suite of medications in here, but all the dispensers are empty... what the hell was she doing? It says these were deployed only a few minutes ago... strange...” “Pitch. She’s supposed to be dead,” I stated. “How can you say that a few missing healing potions is ‘strange’ in this situation? How is she here? Alive?” “Hold on... let me check... oh. Oh! Oh no. Oh...” Her thoughts were moving too fast for me to track, and she was too focused for me to pry very deep into her mind. I felt curiosity, then fear, then elation. Then she turned to me. “Are the potions ready?” I levitated them to her, and she began pouring them into Rainbow’s most grievous wounds. She saved the last vial for her mouth, pouring it slowly in. Pitch nodded as Rainbow swallowed automatically. “Good, good...” I saw gashes closing, and a hint of feather regrowth. Her internal injuries must have been extensive for so many potions to have so little an effect. I could do nothing but stare as Pitch worked. I found myself shaking. Not because of the cold, but because of the energy still left within me. I wanted to move, or to fly, but there was nothing to do. I looked out at the city again. The noon light filled the streets with low shadows, turning the water into a dark covering. Already it was beginning to re-freeze; I saw patches gleam and glint both near and far. I sighed. My body was too energized; I felt myself getting frustrated by the relative inaction. “Pitch...?” “Sorry, Worker. I... I think I understand the what, but not the why or how of this situation. And...” She put a hoof to her mouth to suppress a giggle. “Oh, I—I still can’t believe this. Rainbow Dash... in the flesh!” “Pitch.” I did not share her excitement, and seeing her act so giddy when Midnight and Hairpins were still in danger left a sour taste in my mouth. “Oh, right. Well, first off: all her drugs are depleted. Dash, buck, heal meds, blood pressure regulators... the whole cocktail. And according to the logs in her suit’s med file, they were injected at roughly the same time. Now, that sort of thing would kill a normal pony, but the Ministry Mares were not normal even before the war. So she’s relatively stable for the moment; her wounds are closing and her heart rate is steady. Whatever trauma caused those wounds, it seems like her automated systems were just enough to keep her alive.” “That’s... great, I guess,” I said. “But I was more asking about how she is here at all? Y’know, two-hundred years after she should have died?” “Well, this is, by all conceivable scenarios, impossible,” Pitch admitted. “A-as far as I was concerned Rainbow Dash was supposed to have died the day the bombs fell, just like all the other ministry mares... her friends. But, as seems to be the case with those mares, she is actually alive somehow—according to your magic (which was indeterminate earlier)—so this must be the real Rainbow Dash. Another important detail: Mrs. Dash, despite her extensive injuries, looks no older than the last time I saw her on a war-time poster, and unless she became a particularly lazy ghoul, I doubt she was hanging around in the clouds all these years waiting for such an un-opportune moment as this to make her dramatically unconscious return. Also, she was clearly in a fight with someone recently, just look at her injuries—” “Okay... so she was in a bad fight, is here now, and not a ghoul... that means...?” “Have you heard of the Sonic Rainboom?” I had, in fact, when I’d overheard Pitch and Midnight talking one day as we had been sailing, but I wasn’t sure how it was relevant. “It was what happened when Rainbow Dash broke the sound barrier. She was an incredible battle asset during the war. If she was able to break the sound barrier with stunning regularity years before the war’s technological renaissance, then there’s no telling what she would be capable of at her peak, augmented with a personal suit of armor.” “Pitch, where is this going—?” “Oh, Worker, you need to read more science fiction! Anyway, Rainbow Dash was famous for never needing combat drugs and disavowing any kind of enhancements, so clearly she was in a tight spot if she broke down and took everything. And you’ve seen first hand what a Ministry Mare is capable of when ‘enhanced.’ Remember Pinkie Pie?” I blinked. “The memory orb? When she caused an explosion by moving so fast?” “Yes. And she wasn’t even known for her speed. Rainbow Dash’s talent was the Sonic Rainboom. Put her into overclock with adrenaline, then give her an overdose of Dash, Buck, and every other drug in her suit and... well, I’m not a physicist, but I’ve read enough books in these last two centuries to have crazy ideas, and my idea is this: Rainbow Dash, clearly, flew fast enough to break the light barrier and travel forward in time to now. That is how she got here. I’m not sure what she was trying to accomplish, but she’s here now, and whomever she was fighting is long gone.” I blinked. “You’re saying she time traveled?” “Yes, she time traveled!” Pitch nearly jumped with excitement. “Rainbow Dash took some Dash and broke the laws of physics!” I blinked again. “Okay.” “That’s it? Just ‘okay?’ We’ve just learned that time travel is possible! And that Rainbow Dash is here, alive! Right in front of us!” Around us the wind died down. I heard a distant creaking of stone and metal, and prayed that it did not come from the structure above me. I paced back and forth, unable to stand still any longer. I felt confusion from Pitch. Above me I sensed a mild anxiety from Midnight, but Hairpins was still calm. I took a deep breath in, and the faint smell of rot hit my nostrils. “I’m... glad you’re happy,” I said diplomatically. “But right now, my concern is keeping everyone from my time safe. We... look, we have the Crystal Heart, we know Chrysalis is around somewhere. She might still be friendly, she might not. We need to be prepared for anything. And since, apparently, the Heart has been here this whole time, we need to figure out what the heck those other crystals she’s been collecting are—” The corpses in the water raised their heads and stared directly at me. I froze, choking on my terror. Pitch swiveled around and shrieked, shriveling up against the ground. A grotesque groan rose from the city around us, turning into a wheezing, wet roar. The corpses jerked as one. Some staggered up and shambled forward, others could only crawl, but all that I could see around me were moving. And heading straight for us. They cried a white ooze as the matter of their eyes dripped down their faces. —fuck—what—? “Run.” It was the only coherent thought in my mind. “Pitch, run!” Not without her— She tore her vision away from the oncoming monstrosities, but only moved closer to Rainbow Dash, blathering nonsense. I stared for half a second before helping her to pick up the injured mare. My ears filled with the shuffled of hooves and the scrape of bone on stone. I managed to shove Rainbow Dash onto Pitch’s back and then made for the stairs at the bottom of the castle leg. Already corpses were nearing us. I tugged at Pitch with my magic, urging her forward. She moved up the stairs just as the corpses began converging on us. I hovered, moving backwards behind Pitch, charging up the magic in my horn. The dead ponies made no sound. They did not let out any more moans or cry or even breath; the sound of their splashing filled the air, but nothing else. The first one set foot on the bottom step. I sent a beam of light through its face. It staggered back, but did not fall. It took another step forward, just as a second joined it. I sent a flurry of bolts through the both, pushing as much energy through my horn as I could as fast as possible. Only after I severed their legs did they stop advancing, and only because the wiggling of their stumps was not enough to surmount the stairway. I dashed up to Pitch, and urged her to keep moving. What the fuck is this? Worker, what’s wrong? Worker? Midnight’s worry had been tugging on my mind since that first spike of horror, but only now could I spare a thought for her. The crystal ponies... they’re zombies. They’ve all turned to zombies! No, Pitch interjected. I could sense her panic had receded to a manageable level. Her mind was clicking back into problem-solving mode. Zombies die when you take out the brain. Zombies and ghouls do not spontaneously animate after centuries of being dead... this is... I don’t know... I felt fear from Midnight and Hairpins. I tried not to mix our emotions too strongly and risk overwhelming one or all of us. Are you inside yet? I asked. Can you start work on a barricade somewhere? We’re still on the stairs—oh shit. What? What is it!? For a brief moment I saw through Midnight’s eyes: she was still on the stairway, the opening to the castle still several flights below her. The mist which had blinded us earlier had dissipated, revealing the ground far below. I saw, as Midnight did, a mass of writhing color splayed across the city. The horde of corpses was moving as one toward the tower, spiraling inward like water draining into a basin. We gasped; I felt her frozen in fear. Worker? Can you see this? Yes. I... Our minds must be getting used to each other. The Hive was much the same. We shared thoughts and visions alike. You can always kick me out if you want. Ah c’n see th’ benefit, but please don’t do that t’ me without warning. More importantly... are those things all coming fer us? What the fuck is happenin’? Yes... I don’t know... hold on... I drew my attention back to my own body. Pitch and I stared at the castle's central staircase. It was partially mangled and barely connected in a few places, but its main supports looked to still be intact. I looked up and saw more of the damage Rainbow Dash had caused during her descent. We could make it to the second floor, maybe. After that it was hard to judge. A huge hole was in the floor in front of us, and below it I could see the crater. Already corpses were swarming down there. “What caused this?” Pitch wondered. “What’s animating them?” I heard more corpses approaching from behind us. I turned and sent another barrage of lasers, this time aiming for their legs. My aim was not good; it took far too many shots to disable the three that were approaching. And already more were spilling in from all three entrances. We were about to be overwhelmed. We’ll figure it out later. Move! Pitch was already climbing the stairs by the time I was done with the first trio. I leapt to her side and hovered in the air, pulling Rainbow Dash off of her back so she could move faster. I was partially successful. We had not had time to remove her old enclave armor, so she was too heavy for me to carry alone, but even with just my slight support Pitch was able to move faster. “ I’ll have you know I can run and think at the same time!” Pitch shouted. “We’ve just walked into so many mysteries...” We came to a gap in the stairs, and had to slow as we skirted the last few bits of metal and stone that were still available to step on. Behind us the horde surged forward. The corpses ran up the stairs with no regard for safety, still eerily silent but for the clattering of their hooves. My heart pounded in my ears as we paused to surmount a small gap. Jump on three. One-two-three! Another gap. And then we were on the second floor. Another giant hole greeted us. I let out a sigh and glanced back, ready to fire more laser bolts. The corpses were near. I saw several had splayed themselves over the gaps in the stairway, making themselves bridges for their fellows. They moved side-by-side up the stairs, coming in lines of three. They were not moving mindlessly. They were an army. A well-coordinated, unspeaking, dead army. A black gulf of terror opened below me, but I clamped down on it before I could panic. Cut them off! I nodded in agreement a moment before firing more lasers. I aimed for the stairs themselves, burning away more stone and steel to widen the final gap between us and the monsters. I did not hold back my power. The energy that filled me was potent: already I could feel it rotting away at me. The hate Cadence had left in me would have to be purged, one way or another, and so I unleashed its heat on the path before me. Molten rock and steel dripped away as I kept up my barrage, firing over and over until the gap had grown as wide as two ponies. There was no way to bridge it now. The horde stopped before us a moment later, unable to cross. I panted in the silence. After only a moment they moved again. A few of those farther back started to climb on the backs of those in front of them. I frowned, confused. My eyes widened as more began to clamber on top of others. They were trying to stack themselves high enough to lean over. I took a step back and began firing at the corpses nearest to the ground. I managed to sever a few limbs, and the burgeoning tower toppled into empty space. A series of wet splats echoed back up. But the horde did not relent in their efforts. I had to keep firing. If I stopped, they might get some across— “Worker!” I saw, through Pitch, a white figure falling from above us. It was headed right for me. I dodged aside at the last moment, then had to dodge again as a second figure nearly landed on top of me. The corpses of the royal guards from the floor above rose. I could tell their limbs had broken in several places from the fall, but that did not stop them from lunging at me. I flew into the air and blasted the one closest to me in the face. It staggered back, and another four shots took off its forelegs. I turned to help Pitch, but she had already bucked the second guard into the hole in the floor. They’re too coordinated, I thought even as I turned my attention back to the stairs. The corpses had managed to stack themselves high enough, and they toppled over, extending hooves to grasp at the threshold of the second floor. I sent another volley, but it only dislodged a single pony. The corpse-bridge held itself together, and the army rushed forward. We did not have time to move. I couldn’t hope to take them all out, I simply didn’t have the right aim— Fuckin’ let me—! I sensed Hairpins’ intention and the push of her mind. I relented without pause, and felt my eyes move by a will not my own. I channeled my magic, and my laser bolt struck true. Three more times I felt my aim shift, focus, and three times I channeled a shot. Bullseyes! Hairpins’ joy surged in tandem with my relief and gratitude. The precision shots had cut through the limbs of the corpses holding onto the bridge’s edge. The whole amalgamation fell down before the first wave could make it across. The sound of their impacts made my stomach churn. Thank you, Hairpins, I thought. No problem. Jus’ glad ah could actually do it. Ah’d no idea if it’d work ‘er not. What, exactly, did you do? Pitch inquired. She aimed for me, I explained. I don’t actually know if we did such things much in the Hive. If anything Chrysalis took control from us when she wanted, but otherwise we all stuck to our default roles. I stared at the corpses across from me, finally taking a moment to breathe. They tried once more to start their bridge, but after another volley of lasers they gave up. They stood, staring at nothing with their destroyed eyes, eerily still. They act like they’re a hivemind, I stated. But I don’t sense anything from them. They’re just like the Windigos. Is this what happens if you’re frozen by a Windigo for too long? Midnight wondered. There was nothing like this in anything I read... I shook my head, agreeing with Pitch’s intuition. They’re highly coordinated, and intelligent enough to problem solve, but somehow I can’t actually sense any minds there... it’s like... it’s like they’re controlled by an overmind, but only an overmind. The amount of concentration that would take... the amount of power... who is doing this? I sensed movement; Midnight had glanced something from her peripheral. My attention was suddenly split between my own body and hers. She was on the stairs, looking up. Hairpins was in front of her. Their attention had been drawn to the figure that had swooped up from below the castle and now stood a few steps above them. I was hit by our collective surprise. It was Chrysalis. But something was wrong. Blood seeped from numerous wounds across her body. Chunks of ice—no! I realized they were crystals. The crystals she had been collecting, whatever they were, seemed to have activated. Shards had embedded themselves into her body, poking out from her sides and neck. They pulsed with green and purple energy, turning her body a pale and sickly blue, as if they were driving the life force from her. Her eyes frothed black and red, a mix of foul magic and burst blood vessels. On her head she wore the crown Midnight had collected; the crystal there was consumed by a dark fog which billowed out around her neck, forming a magnanimous and ethereal mane. Chrysalis? I reached out with my mind. I heard laughter, and some force shoved my probe away. The body of the alicorn took a step toward Hairpins, wings spread. More smoke billowed out from underneath them, mixing with dripping blood. Little ones... give me... the Heart... “Who th’ hell’r you?” Hairpins gasped. This mind was not Chrysalis. Oh shit. I felt Pitch’s eyes widen as the revelation hit her. It’s Sombra. Crystal... Heart... Dark magic burst from Chrysalis/Sombra’s horn, flashing suddenly into the form of a massive curved sword. They brought their head down, and the sword with it, crashing through the steps where Hairpins had been only a moment earlier. Both she and Midnight were already moving backwards by the time the next blow came. I heard stone crack even as I brought my attention briefly to my own body. The corpses were trying to cross again. I blasted them back, and retreated toward the stairs to the next floor. Pitch was already climbing, Rainbow Dash draped over her. I thought Sombra was dead!? Midnight cried out as she ducked under the sweep of his dark blade. I helped channel her magic into a laser blast, but its energy dissipated before even reaching the alicorn’s skin. The crystals embedded in Sombra glowed briefly, absorbing the magic we had just thrown at them. Fear and panic flowed through all of us, and I could not tell from whom it originated. Fools... I felt the voice push into my mind. I tried to reach back into it, but was met by a wall of steel. It was so much more powerful than anything I had felt before. Even Unity lacked the strength to force such a one-way connection. All the stories said he was defeated... he was shattered... into a million pieces... oh no... It was obvious in hindsight; but so was everything. I glanced at the Crystal Heart I carried in my saddlebag. It had never left the Empire. It had never been shattered, or scattered across the land. The storm was held back by its power, even now. The pieces Chrysalis had been collecting were the remains of Sombra, which had now taken over her body that they were all assembled. They had been scattered to stop this from happening, and she had unwittingly undone that last precaution. Anger flashed through us, and sadness from Midnight. If Chrysalis was still in there, locked behind that steel wall, I wanted one last chance to berate her for her stupidity. Had she not researched these crystals? Had she not read the ponies’ history or sought information on what she was collecting? Had she not—? But another part of me wondered, how long had the crystal held sway over her? How long had the pieces of Sombra’s mind been weaving their way into her consciousness? A few details changed, one or two small illusions, and the allure of power would be enough to overlook details like the why and how of the Crystal Heart’s destruction. I had felt the push on my mind of the small statuettes, how the cold feeling sunk into me at night, gave me nightmares. What had their influence been on me, I wondered. What compulsions had they enhanced as I carried them? Corpses spilled over the edge of the stairs. Some made the jump, others fell to the floor below. I fired off more lasers, walking backwards up the stairs. More corpses were still surging into the castle. I saw the pilling up near columns that supported the stairs, building themselves into towers by sheer number. How many did Sombra have control over? How many ponies could live in this city? How many would be coming for us? The grim reality of our situation sunk in. This was not just a fight, this was a siege. And we had no provisions. And they had already breached the gates. Midnight and Hairpins neared the end of the tower stairs. Another blow from Sombra’s greatsword sent cracks through the side of the tower. Shards flew into Midnight’s face, slashing her cheek. I felt the sting on my own. Hairpins, finally on level ground on the ledge before the doorway, aimed her battle saddle at the alicorn. She fired off two shots, but a shield of black magic erupted from the ground around Sombra, and the bullets shattered on impact. “Fuck!” was all she could gasp before ducking back into the chamber below the throne room. Sombra’s sword cut through the hairs of her tail. Midnight was already climbing the stone stairwell, and Hairpins clambered up behind her. I grit my teeth, realizing that it would be impossible for them to outrun an alicorn up stairs. I saw through both mare’s eyes as they looked at each other, having made the same calculation. They could run no further. I froze, desperately trying to give them my wings. But mind-magic could do only so much. Worker, Midnight began, I just want to say— Ya’ll shut up now!! Hairpins whipped around just as Sombra stepped back into view. The fear I felt was somehow absent from her mind. The sword rose again, bristling with magical power. It fell, and Hairpins leapt forward. The blade cut through the air, searing her side. She dove to the floor, twisting as she fell. She landed on her back, underneath the alicorn’s stomach. Using her momentum, she brought her hind legs up and bucked with all her might. Sombra let out a guttural grunt, staggering forward as he tried to shift away from Hairpins. The mare rolled and scrambled to stay underneath her foe. The sword plunged down again, but the moment it took Sombra to aim gave Hairpins time to line up her own attack. She fired twice. Sombra gasped in pain as his rear legs buckled, blood bursting onto the ground behind him. The alicorn flapped his wings, trying to stay upright. Hairpins fired again, into his chest, and he fell back, stumbling out of the doorway, landing awkwardly on his haunches. The magical shield went up again, blocking her last shot. Hairpins charged, crashing through the shield before Sombra had a chance to retaliate. The impact shoved the alicorn back, over the edge of the ledge. Sombra spread his wings to stop his fall, but Hairpins did not let up. Another volley cut through her feathers. A churning cloud of smoke and blood engulfed Sombra as he fell. Relief and awe flooded through me, even as I felt Hairpins grinning in triumph. “Hairpins,” Midnight said, eyes still wide, heart pounding. “Yeah?” “I think I’m in heat now.” The orange mare barked out a laugh as she started up the stairs after Midnight. “Well don’t slip on yer way up.” I breathed a sigh of relief as the two mares fled to safety. In the seconds it had taken to dispatch Sombra's new body, the corpses had overwhelmed the second story. I pumped out as much energy as I could, melting the staircase behind me as I continued to make my way up. Thankfully, this section was less damaged, and Pitch was able to make her way to the third story unaided. I staggered up behind her, my horn hot with energy. I focused all my energy on a weakened section, and managed to carve another molten hole before the corpses could reach us. Again we stood at an impasse. Little ones... give me... the Crystal... “So how the hell do we kill this thing?” Midnight wondered. They had just closed off the secret entrance to the throne room, and paused for a moment to catch their breath. “Because if that action didn’t work...” I shook my head. “I have no idea. Hairpins? Pitch?” Hairpins shrugged. “What about th’ Crystal?” “Can it be used offensively?” I wondered. Without looking back, I tested a small portion of my magic on the crystal. I felt no response, either mentally or physically. Did it have its own magic? Was it simply an amplifier? Would it respond if I put more energy into it? Or did a specific spell activate it? I had too many questions to answer and no time to test... no way to eliminate hypotheses... The professor was stumped. “I... I don’t know. Was there anything in the story?” “They... Celestia and Luna defeated him. It didn’t say how. It seemed like they simply overwhelmed him, but we don’t have their magic. Even if I could absorb enough love to match their power, I don’t know the right spells...” “Maybe Miss Dash’d know?” “I don’t know if she’s in a condition to talk. But we do have a library,” Pitch stated. I glanced back at her, then down at the sea of corpses. “Then get studying. I don’t know how long it’ll take them to overwhelm us.” “I’ll—” Rainbow Dash moaned. It was the first noise she had made since we’d found her. Pitch’s eyes widened. She lowered the pegasus to the ground carefully, and lowered her ears to better hear. “Rainbow Dash?” she whispered. “Can you hear me?” “Clear... Gilda... I’m sorry...” “What is she saying?” “It’s a name... I don’t know. She’s still delirious.” “Gilda,” Rainbow Dash whispered, eyes squeezed shut. “Gilda there’s still time... we can still...” Around me the horde roared. I jumped back, firing a laser without thinking. It went wide, but I followed it up with several more precise shots at the legs of the closet corpses. Thanks, Hairpins. They did not cease their roaring, but they did not try to cross the gap. My shock quickly turned to confusion. “What are they doing?” Pitch and Midnight shouted through the cacophony. A low gurgling noise rose from far below, rising in volume to overwhelm even the roaring of the horde. I stepped to a nearby edge, keeping one eye on the corpses while glancing down. I could not believe what I saw. Water gushed into the castle, pouring upward from the crater far below. It swirled, sweeping up the corpses that teemed through the space below. For a moment my heart leapt; some new force had come to wash away Sombra’s improvised army! But the water was rising. And it did not stop. The corpses did not fight the current. They simply stared up at me, getting close each second. The bodies waiting on the stairs near me laughed. The sound was raspy and grotesque; air forced through the throat both ways by lungs that had long since atrophied into uselessness. I fired more lasers into them, but it was a pointless gesture. Once the water was at our level the chokepoint would be gone. And if the water climbed higher... I looked up. The stairs to the rest of the castle were shattered. The damage caused by Rainbow Dash’s entrance was too extensive. I was the only one who could get any higher. “Worker!” Pitch shouted. “I know,” I said, already backing up to her position. She had made for the library as soon as we’d realized what was happening, dragging Rainbow Dash with her. The doors there could be barricaded, and there was, potentially, enough space to withstand the flooding. It was a faint hope. I had no idea the extent of Sombra’s control over the water, or how much was available, or if he was generating his own somehow. But it would buy us time. “We’re coming Worker,” Midnight said. I felt desperation clawing at her mind. Hairpins had steeled herself. She was entirely focused on getting to the lower floors. The damage up there was even more extensive. I shook my head. “Keep yourself safe; you might need to climb higher. Don’t do anything rash. Please.” The library doors slammed shut behind me, and Pitch shoved the heavy bolts into place. “Why does this place lock from th’ inside?” Hairpins wondered. “For times like this,” Pitch stated. “Ideally you seal yourself with your food, but any sufficiently large space could be used as an inner stronghold when necessary. It’s what castles are for.” I nodded, thankful for the break. I could already hear corpses scratching at the outside, but the water was far away. We had a few minutes of peace. “Gilda... I have to... please...” Rainbow Dash was splayed out below a nearby bookshelf. I felt the flicker of her mind as it struggled to rise from the depths of unconsciousness. Pitch was already crouched near her, whispering in her ear. “Rainbow Dash, can you hear me? Are you alright? I’m a huge fan! Can you hear my voice?” “Pitch,” I said, poking her side. “I’m sorry, but could you help me look for info on the Crystal? We don’t have time to worry about her right now. She’s stable.” “Oh, I know, but... oh, I still can’t really believe it... Rainbow Dash, right in front of me, after all this time...! It’s a miracle.” “It’ll be a miracle if we get out of here alive.” I was already trotting toward the history section where I had first read about Sombra. None of the books I’d gone through had specifics about the Crystal Heart’s power, but there were plenty I had overlooked. I picked out one at random and started reading. The scratching at the door grew to become a continuous rake of bone on metal. “Too slow,” Pitch commented as she joined me. “Here, don’t read each page. Skim the titles, and then look through only the chapters that look promising. Like studying for a final.” “I’ve never studied for anything before,” I muttered. We’re about t’ take our final with th’ Goddesses unless ya’ll step to it! I watched Pitch through her eyes, copying her methodologies. Midnight helped me work, working through one page while I scanned the other. I even felt Hairpins adding her own concentration to the professor; the two could do little else to help us. It sped up the process tremendously. I managed to get through the first book in a little over a minute and a half. The professor was done with two already. Three more books. No information about the Heart’s magic. I heard the first splashes from outside. Pitch flinched. “We can worry about Rainbow later. We need a solution now.” We did not have time to put the books back in their proper place. We were tossing them on the floor behind us as soon as we moved on from them. Pages splayed out on the ground, spines cracking form the impact. The sound of water was steady. And yet still we found nothing. “Try using it,” Pitch demanded, even as she moved to the next book. “Just do this empirically. We don’t have time to look for a theory.” I nodded, already taking the Heart out of my saddlebags. I focused entirely on the crystal this time, probing it with all my mental powers. Nothing. I surrounded it with my magic, trying to push into it like it was a memory orb. Nothing. I fired a weak laser at it. The energy scattered around the surface and dissipated. I tried a stronger laser. Same effect. I tired the most powerful one I could muster. Nothing. Light spells. Levitation. I let Midnight channel a few of the recreational spells she had picked up. No response. “Fuck.” I was not a mage. I knew magic by instinct, and the basic functional spells. None of us had had the opportunity to study its deeper meanings or methods. “Fuck!” Water trickled past my hoof. The noise outside was a grotesque gurgling. Like a bottle being slowly filled with blood and sinew. “Worker.” Pitch was at my side. I shook my head, already knowing what she was going to say. “We’re out of time. There’s nothing here, nothing we can get to quickly at least. I think... I think you should leave me here.” “Pitch—” “I’m already dead. I can survive a flood. And I can hide for as long as I need to. Please, this place is big. I’ll be fine... I just...” “I know. I’ll take care of Rainbow Dash. But help me get her out of her armor first.” The rest did need to be said. I did not bring up the fact that Pitch might be ripped to shreds by Sombra’s horde out of spite, because my staying would not change the situation. Pitch did not need to say that her life was not worth letting Sombra get his hooves on the Heart, for that was obvious. I did not cry that I wanted her alive because she was my friend; I felt her love for me already. “I need...” Rainbow Dash muttered. “I need to clear the skies...” The pegasus pony looked small outside of her armor. The blue mare was light on my back, and it was easy to fly with her, even in my undisguised state. I thanked Pitch for her help. “Go hide somewhere. We still have time before I need to open the doors.” The water did not stop coming. It drained across the floor, dousing the bookshelves that had so long hidden from the withering of time. I regretted moving on from this place so quickly before. So much history would be lost. So much knowledge we would never get back. But I could not let that distract me now. The water felt warm on my hooves, like fresh blood. I shivered. I think, Pitch began, that I have a guess as to why Rainbow Dash is here. She was galloping away, to the opposite side of the caste. She had found a small reading room there, with plenty of bookshelves to barricade and hide behind. You said she time-traveled. I kept my eyes ahead, holding off for as long as I could. I had no idea what to expect outside of that door, but I had no doubt I would have to be fast to get through unscathed. Pitch was as terrified as I was. Her mind was whirring, clinging to the only problem available that she had a chance of figuring out. I knew now we should probably have been thinking about a way out of the situation, but I let her ramble on about Rainbow Dash’s journey. Yes, but why to now? That is the real question. Really, out of every time and place she could have landed, this time is one of the more useless ones. She’s a smart mare, and she always wanted to do what’s right. If she were to travel of her own volition, I think she would have gone to some time before the war to try and stop it. I don’t think she had control over her trajectory. And that means...? Well, she appeared from that huge concentration of energy you pumped into the sky, right? Yes... That detail had not been lost on me, but I had not had time to muse on the connections between the two events. Cadence’s hate, the power I had channeled, Rainbow Dash arriving, and then Sombra’s revival. Too much had happened too fast. I think... I think that is what summoned her. When she broke through the light barrier, that would have released a huge amount of energy. If she had no target... well, I don’t know how much you know about magnets— Absolutely nothing. —but, one enormous energy event might act as a pole to another. Or maybe, somehow, the explosions connected, making a bridge? Or.. I don’t know. I don’t know why here, why now. Rainbow Dash, what was she trying to do? Clear the skies? She wouldn’t need to fly faster than reality for that... would she lose control? Maybe there’s no reason. Maybe... oh, maybe it’s all for nothing... oh Rainbow, why...? Stop, I told her. Focus on now. We can get through this. Then we can worry about the why. I steeled myself. I could not afford to wait any longer. I could not indulge Pitch in her desperate ravings. I leapt into the air, hovering for a moment. With my magic, I pulled at the lock. The doors burst open. A wave of water and corpses rushed inward. I darted forward, keeping as high as I could. The corpses had stacked themselves against the door, and as they collapsed forward a few managed to vault toward me. Two got close enough to be threatening, and I shot them down. Behind me I heard bookshelves topple and water splash in every direction. Below me the horde moaned and water gurgled. I was back in the central space in an instant. The water level held steady, having risen to cover the third floor. Corpses were still clogging the waves, bobbing or trying to climb up the walls and stairs. It looked almost mindless, but I knew Sombra was simply trying every pathway he could find. The water had surged upward as soon as I had appeared, but it was still slow. I flew upwards, careful to keep Rainbow Dash steady on my back. Midnight and Hairpins had fallen back to the throne room, already thinking of climbing back up the outer stairwell. I saw no other path to safety, but even that would be temporary. We needed a way out. We needed something more. “Gilda...” Rainbow muttered again. “We can... clear the skies... we need to...” “Rainbow Dash,” I said as I swooped toward the massive doors of the throne room. “Can you hear me?” Midnight met me as I landed. Hairpins was pacing near the throne, her mind running through every resource we’d seen in the castle so far. Nothing came to mind. There were no arms here. No siege weapons or further fortifications. “Help me... clear...” “She’s getting more coherent,” I stated. “I don’t understand why she won’t wake.” “Maybe th’ drugs are still workin’? Med potions don’t clear a high,” Hairpins said. “They were designed t’ be used t’gether in battle. Gal’s still crashin’, ah’d bet.” “I still can’t believe it,” Pitch muttered to herself. I still don’t understand... I could hear the water swirling around her. I could feel that she had pressed herself into the farthest corner of the room, under an old desk and chair. I pulled my mind back, not wanting our link to give her position away. Hide yourself, Pitch, I told her. Keep your mind as quiet as you can. I felt her acknowledgement a moment before I heard hooffalls nearing us from the hallway. No— How—? So fast! I turned, but it was too late to shut the doors. A figure stood before us. Not one of the horde, for the water could not have risen so quickly; it was Sombra himself. He grinned a smile full of malice and power, and let the triumph radiate from his mind. His form was that of a pony, clad in black and grey armor. The crown on his head billowed smoke which swept back into an ethereal mane. His body was covered with jagged scars—cracks where the shattered crystals of his form had stitched themselves back together. Silver liquid seeped from those cracks, giving his coat an unusual sheen. His eyes were a mix of purple and green, changing at each line of the cracks that ran through them. He licked his lips, drooling silver and smoke. His horn glowed with power. “What magnanimous gifts you have brought me, little ones. The Crystal Heart, and this relic from Celestia’s fallen kingdom. I will humbly accept these supplications once I ascend to my throne.” Hairpins shot him. The bullets bored into his chest. Smoke, blood, and grey liquid spilled out in long trails behind him. He did not so much as flinch. He threw back his head and laughed. “Oh little one, were I so easy to kill, I would not have required the crude banishment of the Princesses to be dethroned.” More bullets added to the apparent damage, but none of it seemed to faze him as he walked forward. Midnight and I grabbed Rainbow Dash in our magic and hefted her onto my back. Hairpins kept shooting as she moved backwards with us. We hit the lever and flew down the secret stairwell, knowing there was nowhere left to flee to. What do we do? I wondered. Midnight had tears in her eyes. How do we get out of this? The stairs were before us, broken in places by Sombra’s earlier attack, but still climbable. Below us I saw the water flowing through the Empire’s streets, still drawn toward the base of the tower by Sombra’s power. The horde was not yet all inside either, black shapes still moved, some swimming, some simply being carried by the current. All that matter funneled into the castle, steam rising from it with the smell of roasting compost. Ah don’t know if we do, Hairpins stated. We were galloping up the stairs now, buying ourselves as much distance as we could. Sombra’s cackle echoed in the back of our minds. Only one of us c’n fly. I’m not leaving you, I said. I can’t— Ya can. And ya’ will. Hairpins was not mad as she spoke. I knew the memories she carried with her. I felt the sadness of this situation multiplied in her past. My own vision blurred as she kept speaking. It feels good, t’ think we might all die t’gether, die fer the sake of one another. But yer own survival is what’s important. Dying here for us does nothin’. It ain’t yer fault this happened. It ain’t wrong t’ save yer own skin when ya’ can. An’ besides, ya’ c’n carry one other pony, right? Take Midnight an’ go. Find th’ right ponies who c’n help ya’ fix this mess. Midnight could no longer run. We were crying too hard. It’s hard, she told us. It’s really hard. But ya’ll can live with it, and ya’ll got t’ live, if ya can. Who else is gunna remember me, anyhow? Who else is gunna make me a proper grave? I stomped my foot down. “Only if we have to,” I managed to choke out. “Only when there’s no other choice.” Hairpins nodded. “Thanks. Ah appreciate it. Now let’s keep moving.” When we reached the top, the sun had just touched the edge of the clouds. The air was still around us, and the smoke that had billowed up through the gaping hole in the tower was gone. I could see nothing but blackness below, and I heard the faint echoes of splashing and gurgling. I turned away from it. “Well... fuck.” We stood in a triangle, the Crystal Heart and Rainbow Dash between us. The churning agony in my gut told me to act, to do something, but we were out of ideas. None of us had a clue how to activate the Heart. Rainbow still had not stirred. “Do we have any medicine left?” “No. It’s all been either used or broken by this point.” I tried reaching out to Pitch with my mind, but she had cut herself off, or else was too far away. I sighed. With any luck, Sombra would not notice her presence. Out of frustration, I jabbed a hoof into the blue mare’s side. I felt her mind respond at last. “Rainbow Dash?” Midnight whispered into her ear. “Can you hear me?” “Hold on,” I said. “I have an idea.” I took a deep breath, then disguised as Rarity. Sorry, Spike, I thought to myself. The coldness from the statuettes grew stronger in my mind. “Rainbow Dash!” I shouted, jabbing harder this time. “Wake up!” She grunted. I sighed, then gave her a kick to the side. “On your feet, soldier!” “Ah! I’m up, I’m—!” She jolted to her feet, eyes open wide. Whatever dreams or thoughts she may have had vanished in a burst of emotion which suddenly coalesced into a single pulse of awe. She stared, mouth agape, at the sky. “It’s clear...” A wave of joy washed through her, followed by grief. She fell back on her haunches, tears streaming down her cheeks. I drank from the plethora of emotion that came from her, hoping that somehow more power would save me. I felt it begin to cleanse the foul energies that Cadance’s hate had left in me. I sighed. Midnight’s eyebrows rose, and she glanced down at the Heart. Worker— “Rainbow,” I began. “Rainbow Dash, we need your help.” “I can’t believe it worked... I...” She blinked, and slowly looked at me. She blinked again. “Rarity? Where...” She glanced around herself, finally taking in where she was. “Why are we... in the Empire? Who are you two? I was headed to... how long was I—?” Little ones. Give me my Heart. Sombra crested the top of the tower, stepping into view a moment after his demand slammed into our minds. Behind me I heard the water gurgling. Our flight had bought us a minute of rest. I prayed it would be enough. “Sombra!?” Rainbow Dash gasped. “What the hell? Rarity, what’s happe—?” Sombra rushed us, his sword of dark energy emerging from the smoke of his mane. We scattered; Hairpins right, Midnight left, and I backwards. Rainbow jumped into the air on instinct, and the sword cut through the area she had just occupied. Sombra swiveled, bringing the blade down on Midnight. Hairpins and I surged forward in our minds. Midnight rolled, firing a laser as she did so, all the time clutching the Crystal Heart to her chest. The laser burnt through Sombra’s head, and he staggered back. But only a moment later the wound was gone. “Rainbow, grab the Heart!” Without missing a beat, Midnight flung the Heart into the air. She stepped back, erecting a flimsy shield to withstand Sombra’s next strike. It shattered on impact, but it was enough. The blade passed a hair’s length from her nose. Sombra paused in his assault, and looked up. Rainbow Dash had, thankfully, enough of her wits about her to heed our cry. She had the Heart in her arms and was hovering a safe distance away from the tower, watching us with wide eyes. “Go—” I began. “Will you abandon them?” Sombra boomed. “Will you flee, as you did before? Will you let another of your friends die?” He leveled his blade in my direction. I took another step back, and felt that I was at the edge of the hole. The water was very near. Soon the horde would be upon us as well. I’m sorry, Hairpins. Don’t be. Ah’ve made my peace. Ah’m tellin’ ya’ll t’ leave me. She fired another round into Sombra. The beastly king turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised. “Stop fuckin’ with us an’ get it over with, ya’ coward. Ya’ve lost! Dash’s got th’ Heart, an’ you’ll never see it again, so help me Celestia. Ah—” “Silence.” His magic flared as he turned to face Midnight— Water erupted from the hole. I tumbled forward as corpses spilled out and reached for me. I leapt away, regaining my footing, and fired a barrage of lasers into the bodies that crawled toward me. Their skin sloughed off them as they moved, the water having broken the last few barriers that had kept their decay at bay. I saw Hairpins retreat down the stairs, taking pot-shots at Sombra as he pursued her in a reenactment of their earlier chase. I glanced at Midnight— Worker... Worker I need you to listen to me... She was curled up and holding her stomach closed. Blood spread out from around her. “Midnight!” Worker... I need you... to listen... I was at her side, holding her head in my forelegs. I tried to trigger my magic, but I did not know any healing spells. Could I cauterize the wound? Would a laser spell—? Worker. Listen. I’m listening. I held back the flood in my chest. I did not let myself think. I am your friend. I want to thank you, for being my friend. I know you’ve had a very unhappy life. But I want you, now, to be happy. I need you to be happy. Because I’m happy to have known you, and I want you to know this was worth it. Seeing all this... I am happy. And I felt it. I felt her joy, even as her life faded. I felt her focus on the memories that made her happiest; I saw the best times of her life. And I felt where that energy was going. I understood. Thank you, Midnight, I thought, placing my head against hers. I could not stop from sobbing, even as I tried to add to her good feelings. Thank you for being my friend... for showing me it was possible. For accepting me... I... I can’t express how much you mean to me. And the moment I thought it I realized it was true. Midnight, Pitch, and Hairpins. They were my friends. I had learned to understand them, and to value them as who they were, not simply as sources for my feedings. I had not had to think about finding love for a long while now. I had not even had to feed consciously. They gave their love freely, as they had given me their trust. I had found a better way; they had shown me a better way. Midnight had supported me when no one else would; she had defended who I was, and had accepted me for what I was. She had shown me how to live peacefully in a world full of war. Thank you, Midnight, I said one last time. You are my friend, and I love you. I love you too, Worker. I’m glad I got to see all this. I felt my own emotions lift away from me. They floated up, joining with Midnight’s, drawn inexorable to the same place: The Crystal Heart. The vessel was an amplifier. ‘It uplifts the spirits of ponies all across Equestria,’ the book had read. It was no more complex than that. It took love, and made it stronger. It took the energy that made ponies good, and spread it to the world. Sombra appeared before us, face twisted in rage and fear, but it was too late. The Heart was glowing with energy. Rainbow Dash looked on in utter confusion as the glow increased, but she did not loosen her grip. Sombra leapt into the air with a desperate shriek, but the energy from Midnight and I had been enough. For a moment, the Crystal Heart glowed brighter than the sun, then its energies flowed outward, rushing past us in a blinding wall of light. It reminded me of when Chrysalis and her army had been flung from Canterlot, but this time I was not pushed away. I heard a horrible cry, and the sound of glass twisting and shattering. Air rushed by us, stinging my cheeks with cold. A moment later silence reigned. I looked up, still holding Midnight. The corpses around us were still. Sombra was nowhere to be seen, and the Heart glowed gently in Rainbow’s grasp. It worked... Good... I felt her mind fading, felt her emotions flicker, her thoughts become incoherent. I let myself feel grief, then. I wept, clutching her to my chest. The ground shook around us, but I did not react. I heard a cacophony from far below as the water that had been suspended by Sombra’s magic crashed back through the castle. A deep groaning followed, even as the shaking stopped. “Ah... fuck...” I heard Hairpins drawl. The groaning grew louder, and I felt the world move around me. I wept into Midnight’s mane, her blood staining my coat. I did not let go as the tower started to topple. I did not transform as the castle’s legs gave out and we slid off into the air. I did not even think of letting go as we fell. I stayed with Midnight as I felt her mind slip away. I wrapped my mind around her soul, feeling her joy, giving her my own, making sure she did not feel alone as she slipped away into nothing. Then she was gone. Then I let go. Footnote: Level up. New Perk: Hive Mind - When the collective HP of your party drops below 30%, all conscious members of your party (including yourself) roll whenever a check is performed by any member of your party for any reason. The highest roll (after all modifiers) is what is applied to that member’s action. Additionally, your party cannot critically fail any action and gains immunity to critical hits. Death during battle does not invalidate a party member’s contribution to collective HP while that battle is still in progress. (Note: Hive Mind and the perk The Magic of Friendship are mutually exclusive.)