Bluebonnet was the first to react, turning around and galloping out of the room. “I’ll get my equipment!” she shouted over her shoulder as she was passing through the door.
With a sigh, Pierce turned around and galloped after her.
Everypony else turned back towards the balcony, looking as if mesmerized at the astronomical phenomenon in front of them.
“A Splice…” gasped Twilight. “How many ponies are there who know how to perform it?”
“You could count them on your hooves,” said Obsidian. He turned towards Maska, who was still standing beside Rarity, awaiting orders. “Tell Guilt that we will be there shortly, as soon as Dr. Bluebonnet retrieves his weapon.”
The changeling looked towards Rarity. After a moment of confusion, she understood her intent and nodded, causing the bug officer to spread her wings, vibrating the membranes in a loud buzz that carried her leader’s orders.
“So, you were right,” said Rainbow Dash, staring at the horizon towards Nevercrest. “It really was about Hate’s power.”
“How do you think she’s doing that?” asked Applejack.
“Well, she’s proven to be quite powerful already, hasn’t she?” replied Rarity. “I doubt she’d have many friends to work with, but with her knowledge of magical devices, she could surely come up with something to give her the extra magic she needed.”
“She could have created some minions to support her with their powers,” said Obsidian. “Either way, all of Equestria might be doomed if she isn’t stopped.”
“We’re ready when Bluebonnet is,” said Dash, looking back towards the door.
Twilight looked at her, then at Obsidian. “Actually…could you girls go ahead and meet Enigma? I need a moment to talk with Obsidian… in private.”
Obsidian raised an eyebrow. The others also looked surprised, but after a couple seconds they nodded in agreement.
“Ok, let’s go then,” said Rainbow, preparing to fly away.
“Let me take you there,” said Rarity. Her magic spread out to envelop her friends, and in a flash everypony disappeared, leaving Twilight alone on the balcony with Obsidian.
“So, what do you want to talk about?” asked Obsidian.
Twilight scratched her hoof against the floor nervously. “It’s…it’s about our mysterious enemy,” she finally said.
Obsidian nodded. “The mysterious Dr. Stone. What about her?”
Twilight didn’t meet his gaze. “Well, since we returned yesterday, we compared what we knew about her, and there are very few ponies with the knowledge and power to manipulate the war to the extent she did.”
Obsidian’s ears turned towards Twilight. “Oh? How much did she do?”
“For starters, she was the one who sent us to Dissonance,” said Twilight. “She made sure the Shattered would make bad decisions, allowing us to survive and grow, while making us face challenges that made us stronger.”
“That sounds… like a very convoluted plan,” said Obsidian.
“If she was with them, she could keep trying for millenia until she got it right,” said Twilight. “But that’s not my point. The point is, I’ve been trying to figure out who she is, and…”
“Aaaand?” asked Obsidian, stepping closer to Twilight.
Twilight still didn’t meet his gaze. “It could be just Deception gone mad… or more mad than she used to be. But I think, there is a possibility… she might be Indicina.”
Obsidian lowered his head level with Twilight’s, and stared at her intensely. “Indicina? Of all ponies, why do you think it’s Indicina?”
Twilight finally met his gaze, although she backed up a little. “It’s a long story. I… don’t have the time to go through the evidence again now, Bluebonnet will be back in a minute. But… I need to know. It’s just a possibility, but if it turns out it is her…”
“You want to know which side I’d take,” said Obsidian.
Twilight swallowed loudly. “Yes.”
Obsidian took a long, slow breath. “You are right to be concerned. I did once say that getting my love back is what I want. I would set the world on fire to do it. But you’re wrong to think Indicina is still alive. She died millennia ago.”
“But what if she didn’t?” asked Twilight. “You were supposed to die millenia ago, and you’re still here.”
Obsidian gave her a bitter smile. “Am I?” He stepped aside and stared over the balcony. “You are defined by the contents of your head, not by the beating of your heart. You’ve watched the visions of the Splice, over and over. You saw me there, didn’t you? A timeless sage, bitter and pragmatic, with violent temper?”
Twilight hesitated. “Well… not exactly…”
Obsidian pivoted on the spot to look back at her. “If I put on a mask, and met my old friends from that time, do you think any of them would recognize Obsidian in the pony I am now?”
“I guess not,” said Twilight. “But you’re still you, aren’t you?”
Obsidian snorted. “You didn’t have the time to look into the past and see more of Indicina. She abhorred violence. It made her sick. She could barely watch me spar. And when she designed the Splice, she didn’t just choose the future Elements for how well they would harmonize, or because positive emotions are easier to keep stable and sane. She truly hoped to make them a force of good in this world. Even as she designed one of the Empire’s deadliest weapons, it was in the hopes of ending the war and bringing peace to ponykind again.”
He started pacing around the balcony, causing Twilight to keep turning towards him. “Which part of that description fits Dr. Stone? Starting a war that tore Equestria apart after a millenium of peace? Unleashing Hate on Canterlot? Perhaps the horde of monsters she let loose upon us in her lab?”
“It fits better with how she acted after you disappeared though,” said Twilight sofly.
“Oh yes, it does. A mad quest for revenge, poisoning the heart of the Emperor against the Shattered, trying to kill the Elements to further frame them. Binding the vast magical power to Hate to make him into a devastating rage monster. The same power that is now being drawn back to Equestria, to be used again in another scheme. That does fit. But that is not Indicina, none of that is.”
Obsidian stopped and looked Twilight in the eyes. She could see the specks of blue light deep within his pupils.
“Indicina is dead, Twilight Sparkle. It doesn’t matter if she burned with the imperial palace or not. She was already dead by then, dead from the day her madness consumed her. Death has done that love apart.”
Silence fell. Twilight didn’t respond, not sure how she could. Obsidian meanwhile seemed done with his rant, just looking at her calmly until the sound of hooves on crystal announced the return of Bluebonnet and Pierce.
***
"Don't you think it's too much?" asked Twilight, as Bluebonnet walked into the room.
The mare was hauling three bags, out of which poked pieces of equipment Twilight couldn't even attempt to name. She also had her goggles on, and behind her walked Pierce, dressed in his reinforced coat and carrying the gun harness with his telekinesis.
"I'm going with," said Bluebonnet, putting the bags more securely on her sides, as Pierce set the gun on the floor. "You may need my help."
"I think we'll manage," said Twilight. "We're going to a battle."
"With the one who started it all," replied Bluebonnet, "The one responsible for what happened to... all of us." Her jaw clenched as she gazed at something only she could see, but then she managed to force herself to fonus on the here and now. "But that's not why I need to go. I'm the only one besides you who knows anything about the Splice. Arrogance couldn't help you in her current state, even if she wanted. So, if anything unexpected happens when you disrupt it, you might need me by your side to figure out a solution in a hurry."
Obsidian approached Bluebonnet, his staff flying under the straps of the gun harness, lifting it into the air. "Your reasoning is sound," he said. "But you surely realise that you are the weakest of us. Depending on the situation, it might prove impossible to keep you alive in a serious battle."
"I'll go with her," said Pierce.
Twilight looked from one pony to the other. "Are you both sure about it?"
Obsidian's expression turned grim, as he faced Pierce. "You're too weak to protect her," he said. "Anything that can get past the Elements won't even slow down for you."
"I've survived so far," said Pierce.
"Barely," replied Obsidian with a scowl.
Pierce did not back down. "Either way, it's my job to protect her."
Obsidian raised an eyebrow. "And who's paying you?"
Pierce looked at him with an unamused expression. "Guilt assigned me as her guard. It is my duty to keep her safe. The rest is not your concern."
Obsidian sighed heavily. "Of course. Guilt made you do it. As if one could change the past. Twilight, will you talk to him?"
Twilight looked closely at Pierce. His coat had some new patches and stitches covering the tears from when he was trapped in a collapsed building. The unicorn's face bore no visible scars, the magic of the Elements having healed him since, smoothening his slate-grey fur. Still, Twilight could remember every cut and bruise she'd seen him suffer.
He looked back at her, stubborn, unflinching.
Twilight broke the gaze. "I... I don't think I will. We're all in this together."
"He'll die if he goes," said Obsidian. "Trust me on that. Every obstacle waiting in your way will be prepared for you six. He won't stand a chance."
"You have no problem with Bluebonnet going though," said Pierce, squinting at Obsidian.
"She's actually useful there," said Obsidian. "You're not."
"Obsidian!" shouted Twilight.
"I'm going," said Pierce. "I don't know what you're planning, but I won't let Bluebonnet be your 'necessary loss.’"
Obsidian's staff dropped the gun on the ground and swung across the room. Pierce didn't flinch as it stopped inches from his face, vibrating with barely stopped momentum.
Obsidian's nostrils flared, pinpricks of blue lights shining angrily in the pupils of his eyes. "You... know nothing of me," he breathed.
Pierce met his gaze. "I know I don't trust you," he said.
Twilight teleported between the two stallions, forcing them both to step back. "Both of you!" she shouted. "Now is not the time."
"There won't be any other time to ensure her safety," protested Pierce.
Bluebonnet sighed. "It's pointless to argue. Until it is finished, nopony is safe either way."
Obsidian turned away, walking in the air as pads of blue light appeared under his hooves to support his steps. His staff withdrew, once again picking up the gun harness and flying after him. "You're right, of course. There is nothing to be gained by arguing here."
He walked over the balcony. "I'll transport the gun to the front gate. I presume you can take care of transporting the others?" he asked over his shoulder.
Twilight suppressed a sigh. "No problem," she said.
Pierce watched Obsidian leave. "I'll keep an eye on him," he said to Twilight. "See that you do too."
Twilight shook her head in frustration. "Believe me, I know what he's capable of. I’ve had to deal with his twisted way of thinking from day one."
She looked over the balcony towards the city gate.
"Let's get it over with."
***
"As you said, we're expected," said Twilight to Obsidian.
They were standing inside a force bubble, on a disc of light, in the air above the approach to the mountain. All except Enigma, who was standing separately, his gun harness and control helmet on. In front and below them the magical blizzard raged, walls of jagged ice crystallizing at the edge of the anomaly.
"It can't stop us, can it?" said Rainbow Dash, looking down at the howling winds.
Obsidian shook his head. "Not at all. It's there to waste our time and resources. Also to keep all the small-time enemies out. There are plenty of ponies who would just freeze to death if they tried to push through this."
"Then let's do it the most efficient way," said Twilight. The barrier surrounding the Elements shifted, creating a round opening on Enigma's side. "Get in," said Twilight. "It will be quickest to fly through it, rather than unravel the whole spell. Our defenses will keep us safe if there are any more surprises," she added, looking towards Obsidian.
Enigma appeared beside Twilight, making sure to stay on the opposite side from Obsidian. Still the earth pony flinched uncomfortably at his presence. The barrier closed, and Twilight directed the bubble down and forward. The exterior of the barrier rippled, shaking off the ice as it tried to solidify into a bubble around them. Nopony could see a thing outside the barrier, but Twilight had no problem navigating; even in the middle of a magical blizzard, the leyline nexus powering it was like a beacon to her senses, an almost palpable feeling of power.
Something jumped from the snow, huge claws made of ice raking against the shield. Twilight expanded the outer layer, ramming into the monster and sending it flying into the swirling snow.
"What was that?" asked Fluttershy, cringing.
"No idea," replied Applejack. "But it can't stop us."
"We're almost there," said Twilight. "Let me land."
The disc touched down, and the sphere expanded, pushing the blizzard away. Soon it spread twenty feet in every direction, the front side revealing a wall of ice in front of them, with a faint outline of a massive gate just visible inside.
"All has been fixed and reinforced, I see," said Obsidian. "I guess it's my turn now, isn't it?"
Enigma stepped forward. "No time for that. Just shield the others."
Obsidian snorted with annoyance, but relented, stepping back and erecting another, smaller barrier to protect everypony else. Enigma stood in front of it and aimed his gun. Lights on his helmet flashed briefly, and then the gun fired, a blinding beam of silver hitting the ice wall.
The ice exploded into head-sized chunks, flying everywhere, some pieces bounding off Obsidian's barrier or flying straight through where Enigma was standing, the stallion winking in and out of position, letting them miss by inches. The gate gave up with a groan and swung inwards, revealing the inside of the cavern.
***
The sanctuary was pitch black. Even as the light of the Elements shone inside, the darkness only relented by a dozen feet or so, like a living creature flinching away from an open flame.
"What in tarnation is this?" asked Applejack, eyeing the fenomenon suspiciously.
"It's some kind of a darkness spell," said Twilight. "It..." She briefly closed her eyes in concentration, "It isn't dangerous by itself."
"It does slow us down though," said Obsidian. "And it makes it hard to use detection spells."
"So, an ambush?" asked Pierce.
And then something stirred in the darkness. There was no roar to herald the monster's attack, not even the rattling of bones that one might expect. Only a movement of air, and a soft hiss, like that of a fireplace being emptied of ash. A charred, reptilian skeleton lurched forward, bits of soot flying around it in a cloud, filling in the shape it had once had.
It struck at Dash, who dodged up just before the black jaws could snap shut around her. Then it went straight at Bluebonnet, who only managed to avoid it thanks to Pierce yanking her aside with his telekinesis. The undead dragon spun in place, swiping its tail across the whole team. Applejack stomped her hooves, and the swipe stopped, colliding with a stone pillar that shot out of the floor.
Twilight fired a beam of magic at the dragon’s head. It struck through a cheek and pierced all the way through, but the undead creature didn’t fall; instantly, the pieces of bone that had gone flying came back, the skull reassembling itself as the shards started falling into place.
There was a flash of silver light as Enigma fired his weapon. The dragon exploded, the bones disintegrating into black ash. “It’s not alive,” said Enigma. “Break the spell, not the body.”
Pierce looked over Bluebonnet, making sure she was alright, then glared at Obsidian. “I told you,” he said.
Obsidian looked over his shoulder. “It’s not over yet.” His staff sprang forward, flying over Pierce’s head, and through a dark cloud that had flown at him from the darkness. The thing lost shape and fled towards the ceiling, a trail of black wings and jaws forming and dissipating.
“Circle!” shouted Twilight, firing her first spell, marking a ring of light around her and her friends. The Elements formed around her, facing outwards, beams of magic shooting out into the darkness, just in time to intercept the oncoming assailants. The black shapes were made of flying soot, fluid and predatory, but all the time slightly equine, hooves and teeth forming as they sprang forward. They collided with hastily erected barriers, and shot left and right, trying to find a way through while dodging the spells aimed at them.
One of them got through and pounced towards Dash, who barely managed to swat it away from her side with her wing. For a moment the monster was buffeting her with black wings of its own, its form an angry black pegasus.
“What are these things!?” shouted Dash as she finally broke free, a blade of red light extending from her wing to bisect the attacker.
"Well, what does it look like to you?" shouted Obsidian back. His staff flew in front of one of the approaching monsters, stabbed into it, and stayed there, glowing a pulsing red as it drained the magic out of it. The apparition struggled and flailed, disintegrating into a cloud of soot as the staff dipped down and tapped on the floor, grounding and dispersing the gathered energy.
Twilight charged a powerful blast of light, and released it in a wave around her, pushing back the unnatural darkness. Green fires erupted from the floor as something reacted violently to the touch of her spell.
Traps? she thought, but focused on maintaining the light, leaving her enemies exposed, blots of blackness against the stark white of her magic.
"Are these... the Wonderbolts?" she stammered. "She made monsters of them?"
Applejack glared at the nearest smoke creature. "Now that's dirty," she said through clenched teeth, biting down on a lasso of orange magic that wrapped tightly around her intangible foe, binding it in a spell that held it unable to escape her.
“Focus!” shouted Enigma. He kept looking around, but did not fire again, only making sure nopony would be blindsided.
Bluebonnet got back to her hooves, and prodded Pierce, nodding towards one of her bags. The unicorn reached with his magic and yanked out a silver device the size of a pomegranate. He looked at her, a question in his eyes, but as she simply nodded in return, he wasted no more time, twisting a small dial on the side of the device and throwing it towards the nearest target.
The silver sphere hummed to life and then erupted with crackling magic, stripping the layers off the monster as it sucked it in piece by piece.
Behind them the other Elements were retaliating as well; with Twilight denying the creatures their cover, Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash started catching them in their spells, and were steadily dragging them down to dispel them, while Fluttershy and Pinkie made sure they wouldn’t be interrupted.
The fight, fierce as it was, barely lasted a minute, with none of the heroes suffering anything more than small scratches. Satisfied that Bluebonnet was in no immediate danger, Pierce turned his gaze towards the edge of Twilight’s light spell, wary of any more surprises that might emerge from the darkness.
Rainbow Dash stared at the black spot on the stone floor in front of her. After a couple seconds, she stomped angrily, swiping through the soot. “That… was vile,” she said through clenched teeth, turning her eyes towards where she knew the inner sanctum to be. “She’ll pay for this.”
“First things first,” said Obsidian, reclaiming his staff. “We still need to get through the cave, and there seem to be some traps left in our way. What is the most efficient way of clearing the path?”
He looked at Twilight when he said that, but it was Enigma who answered his question. “If you don’t have the time to unweave the spells, and just want to brute force through them, using pattern will spare you all the problems with spell on spell interaction. You just need to cover me in case a trap triggers a collapse, or anything else drastic.”
“Okay then,” said Obsidian. “Twilight?”
“Right away,” said Twilight. She stood behind Enigma and formed a curved energy field over him, protecting him from above and from the sides, while leaving the front free for him to shoot through. Behind her, the other Elements formed a wedge, extra layers of shields appearing as they linked their powers together to reinforce Magic. Obsidian, Pierce and Bluebonnet took the last row, taking cover behind them.
Obsidian nodded with satisfaction. “Everything’s ready. You may proceed.”
Applejack gazed at the thick darkness ahead. “Let’s pop this bubble.” She then blinked, realizing something, and turned towards Pinkie Pie. “Everything okay, sugarcube? You’re awfully quiet today.”
Pinkie gave her an aside glance. “No time to quip. Need to stay focused.”
At that, Fluttershy too looked at Pinkie. “Pinkie Pie… is something wrong?”
Before she could get any answer out of her, Enigma fired the pattern gun. The chamber filled with a low buzz. The beam went low, cutting across the ground, the stone floor bursting as the magic in the trap spells exploded from the conflicting energies. Debris rained against the barriers, some getting underneath, forcing Enigma to phase out momentarily to dodge them.
“So… this is the safer way?” asked Rarity, a protective mask of purple energy springing into existence over her face, even though she was safe behind the magic wall.
“A magic-pattern explosion,” replied Bluebonnet. “Much better than whatever these traps were supposed to do.”
Enigma waited calmly for the dust to settle a bit. Once he was sure nothing else would explode, he advanced, the team keeping in step with him. He fired again, turning the beam to sweep an area in front of him, causing more explosions. They were halfway there now, and the magic darkness unravelled completely, exposing the inner sanctum door on the far side.
“Looks like it’s closed,” said Applejack.
“Do you think we should knock?” asked Obsidian. Nopony laughed.
Enigma continued onward, taking cautious steps. “I don’t feel any more magic here,” he said. "The way to the door is clear." He stood facing the door and aimed his gun again, but then paused and gave it a confused look. “Doctor, did you use up any energy from the gun?”
Bluebonnet looked towards him. “No, why?”
Enigma turned. “It should have more power left. It’s like the battery is missing one shot.”
Everypony turned towards Bluebonnet, who just looked toward the gun confusedly. “I don’t know what could’ve happened,” she said. “Can I take a look at it?”
Obsidian snorted in anger, turning on the spot, from Bluebonnet, to Enigma, to the door. “No. I don’t have the time for another mystery now. We need to get through that door. Mrs. Bluebonnet, we need to hurry.”
Bluebonnet froze. “Ah, right. There is a job to do,” she said in a suddenly flat tone. She walked towards Enigma, Obsidian and Pierce following as the girls opened the barrier spells to let them through. Digging through the bag with her mouth, Bluebonnet retrieved a small device, a flat box with a short antenna and a single red button, dropped it on the ground in front of her, and stomped on it hard.
“You let my daughter die,” she said to Enigma.
There was no visible buildup, no buzz of a device charging up. The pattern gun exploded, a ball of silver light expanding around Enigma. Everypony ducked as pieces of shrapnel clattered against the stone walls. As the flash faded, the Shattered was left motionless on the ground, blood seeping from underneath the mess of broken metal tied to his side, the last specks of silver light radiating from underneath his round metal helmet onto his temples.
The Elements gasped. Pierce turned towards Bluebonnet, his eyes wide with shock. “What… what are you doing?”
Bluebonnet turned towards him. There was another device, a round silver ball with a small handle, held in her teeth. “Oh, wait,” she said with her mouth full. “I alsho have…” She looked at him and paused, her unfocused gaze turning to one of confusion. “What?”
Obsidian’s staff flew at her like a javelin, a charge of lightning upon its tip. Pierce saw it in the corner of his eye and leapt to intercept it, but he wasn’t fast enough - the lightning shot forward and struck the scientist, sending her flying towards the wall, where she lay, twitching.
“Obsidian!” growled Pierce, unsheathing his needles.
“I didn’t kill her,” growled back Obsidian, his staff returning to him and hanging in front of his face, ready to block an attack.
“What just happened?” asked Fluttershy. “I didn’t feel any aggression from her…”
“There wasn’t any,” said Obsidian. “She was controlled. A slave, unaware, waiting to do her part, thinking she was loyal, so that Honesty wouldn’t find out.”
Applejack looked at Enigma, then at Bluebonnet. A small tear appeared in her eye. “You said she wasn’t controlled! You checked to make sure!”
Obsidian shook his head. “I said she wasn’t controlled to kill you six. How many other variables was I supposed to dig into her mind for!? Now…” His ears perked up, and his head jerked to the left. “Just great…”
He turned towards Pierce, who was standing over Bluebonnet. “Protect her!” he shouted, and then stomped his hoof, conjuring a curved wall of stone that cut them off the rest of the cave.
Then he turned around, his staff swirling around him threateningly, blue runes aglow. From the wall above the sanctum entry emerged a translucent shape - an empty eyed pegasus clad in ancient armor, a gorget with a glowing red stone visible on his chest. Then a ghostly purple horn broke the surface of the floor like a shark’s fin, and a female unicorn wearing what looked like a reflection of Honesty emerged to charge towards Applejack.
The Elements formed a circle again, each preparing her powers to fight. The spectres kept emerging, four, a dozen, twenty.
“Don’t get separated, girls!” shouted Rainbow Dash, her voice flowing through Loyalty, filling her friends with resolve.
And then she saw a spectre, more solid than others, a white pegasus mare with a stab wound on her chest, and an aurora borealis cutie mark, flying straight at her.
***
The stone walls slammed together with a finality of a closing tomb. Pierce and Bluebonnet were left in total darkness.
Pierce suppressed the instinct to light up his horn. Instead he went low, completely still, listening to Bluebonnet’s breathing. Once he was satisfied that it was stable, he strained his ears in the darkness, wary of any sound that might indicate a threat.
He felt a buildup of power, unmistakable even through the thick stone separating him from the main chamber. The magic washed over him, warm and bright, yet somehow numbing, a spell he instinctively understood as aimed against the restless dead.
Is it over? he thought.
But seconds passed, and nopony opened the improvised barricade. Suddenly the air turned chilly, and Pierce knew what it meant; the Elements had not taken out all the enemies.
The fight must still be on. They won’t channel another blast so they won't tire themselves out before the main battle. The crystals provide plenty of cover from magic, so the enemy can stall, and throw wave after wave…
Something moved in the darkness. Something fast. There was no time for caution - Pierce’s horn lit up, briefly illuminating the target, an empty-eyed pegasus with matted, purple fur. He lunged forward, but the special operative was faster; a single needle flew at the spectre, the inscriptions grooved spirally into the metal glowing bright scarlet as it hit. The creature’s form warped, twisting around the projectile, colors draining from it as its magic was absorbed, until all that was left was a cloud of blackness that collapsed upon itself.
They found us! And we’re cut off from the others!
Pierce retrieved the needle. The inscriptions were still glowing, but not from the magic; as he held it suspended in front of his snout, Pierce could clearly feel the heat radiating from it.
If we’re cut off, and they’re coming for us, we need to hold until the fight is won.
He looked down at Bluebonnet, who let out a barely audible groan. I can’t blink through the wall with her. And I can’t leave her here. I need to-
There was a hint of movement underneath. Pierce stabbed down just as the spectre’s head emerged from the floor. The needle turned white and exploded, sending hot shards flying - Pierce flinched as one grazed against his cheek.
It’s only good for two, he thought, pulling two more inscribed needles from his bandolier. And I have three spellbreakers left. The rest likely won’t hurt them at all.
He looked down at Bluebonnet again. Some of her equipment had spilled to the ground when Obsidian struck her, and was left on the other side of the wall. What was left in her bags…
Pierce sighed in frustration. Nothing here I recognize. Except for grenades. Way too narrow here for these.
Two more creatures sprang at him from the walls. One, a ragged earth pony, in battered armor - the needle hit it straight in the empty eye socket, stopping it dead in its tracks.
The other…
Pierce hesitated, a split second too long. The small green filly ducked underneath the projectile and lunged at him, forcing him into a desperate dodge that bruised his ribs against the cave wall. He yanked the needle back towards her, but not quickly enough - she bounced off the stone wall barring the passage, and disappeared in the rock.
Pierce stepped into the middle of the narrow tunnel, and drew both needles close to himself. His eyes and ears darted left and right, looking for the next threat. He took a deep, deliberate breath, and his eyes narrowed.
“You’re not Tourmaline,” he said. “Her real grave isn’t even here. What are you?”
“And why would that matter?” replied her voice from the wall. “Once we die, space doesn’t matter anymore.”
Another glimpse of green. Pierce launched his projectile, but the enemy was ready. Not the filly shape he expected, this spectre was a female unicorn. She ducked back into solid rock. Then, once the needle bounced off it, she emerged and shot a beam of magic. Pierce wasn’t quite quick enough to dodge it - the spells woven into his duster turned a deadly blast into a glancing hit, but it still ripped through the fabric, exposing the chainmail underneath.
He felt movement behind him. It was too close to dodge, so instead he teleported aside, just enough for the charge to pass through where he had been standing, grabbing the second needle before it could fall to the ground, and ramming in into the attacker - the stallion disappeared, but not before Pierce could catch a glimpse of a familiar, messy, green mane.
“Fish?”
“They’re all here,” said the filly, from somewhere above him. “They’re waiting for you to join them. Like you wanted to. Because you did, didn’t you? Ever since you got those glasses.”
Before he could stop himself, Pierce looked down on his chest, where he knew the half-broken glasses were resting in his pocket - a gift received on the worst day of his life, carried as a reminder of what he had done, and what he had lost.
He looked up, just in time to see movement again, too quick for him to shoot it, but slow enough that he could see an older, chubby stallion, with an 8-ball cutie mark on his rump, disappearing into the wall.
8 Ball? Pierce clenched his teeth. This can’t be real. She’s playing with my head. But that costs her time. If I can hold her off until the girls are done fighting…
“I’m sorry, but I’m past wishing for death,” he said aloud. “Too much depends on me now. Even if I still wanted that, I couldn’t afford to. Thousands of lives depend on me doing my job.”
“Believe a dead pony,” said the filly, “Everypony you’re trying to save would be better off dead. We’ll all be together at last.”
Then suddenly, she was there, standing above Bluebonnet, hoof raised.
Pierce spun to launch a needle at her, but instead followed the momentum into a roll - the unicorn behind him emerged again, and tried to shoot him in the back. Shaking her head sadly, the filly retreated into the rock behind her, before he could get a clear shot. “Don’t you want that?”
Pierce threw a small pellet behind him. It hit the wall and exploded into a sphere of inky smoke. Pierce waited for a second, and then shot a needle through it. The explosion of the overheating spellbreaker told him his ploy had worked - the spectre was not blinded by the smoke, but overestimated its value as cover, leaving the safe cover of the rock for a moment too long.
Pierce sprang back to his hooves, picking up the loose spellbreaker needle, and pulling the last one out of his bandolier.
She had a clear shot at Bluebonnet. Why didn’t she strike? he thought, and the answer instantly became obvious. To keep me trapped. If she dies, I’m free to escape. But while she’s here, she’s my weakness. What is taking the Elements so long?
“Oh, I’d like to see her reunited with her daughter,” he said slowly. “The thing is… death by pattern doesn’t leave ghosts behind. I think I know what you are.”
He inhaled and cleared his mind again, drawing upon his anti-changeling training to calm his emotions. “These visions… your form, you’re pulling it all out of my mind, aren’t you? You’re like that thing that pretended to be Lucky… back when…”
Pierce froze, his eyes widening, as he slowly turned towards the stone barrier blocking his way out.
The filly walked out of the wall, shaking her head. “The Elements don’t know it yet, but the Void Passage is no longer their haven. But that’s not your problem anymore. You see, you weren’t the only one stalling.”
Pierce felt them instantly, all around him, moving through the walls, and the floor. There are too many, he realised with cold clarity. They must have kept away from the blast, and needed time to gather…
He saw them fly at him, some with spears, some with long pegasi hoof blades, or even helmet spikes. He moved like in a dream, lunging forward, dropping the needles to instead use his magic for an extra push, away from the monster wearing Tourmaline’s face, and towards the still form of Bluebonnet on the floor. He felt a metal claw cut across his withers, not physical, but real enough to bring him harm. Then a spear stabbed low, hitting his front leg, just where the metal protection didn’t reach. He tripped and rolled in a controlled fall, coming to a stop within reach of the mare, when three more spectres charged him from the sides.
Can’t take us both, he thought, and focused. Three impacts came, stabbing through his armor and his ribs. There was no miracle this time, no convenient item in his pocket could ever stop all three. Pierce knew he was dead, but held on just long enough to fire off his spell.
In a flash of magic, Bluebonnet disappeared.
***
“That’s the last of them,” said Rainbow Dash, landing her front hooves on a ball of red magic. The barrier popped, and the magic that used to be the creature inside flew out in a splatter of blackness.
Twilight looked around to make sure everypony was okay. The enemy hadn’t been very dangerous. Truth be told, only a few of the spectres could even strain their magical defenses. But the experience of fighting… that used to be the good ponies buried in the sanctuary, some of them wearing familiar faces… None of her friends had shown more than a furrowed brow or a clenched jaw, but she knew them well enough to know that they were all playing tough for each other’s sake; behind the facade, they were all as shaken as she was.
Silently grateful that most of the graves from the last funeral were empty, sparing her the pain of facing her actual family in a deadly fight, Twilight scanned the area around her. Almost instantly she noticed a detail that didn’t fit the scene.
Bluebonnet was unconscious on the floor, on their side of the wall.
Twilight rushed to her and swiped a simple spell across her body. “She’s alive. Why is she here?” She raised her eyes upon the stone wall cutting off a part of the cavern.
“Pierce is dead,” said Pinkie Pie in an empty voice, coming to a stop next to her.
Obsidian stomped his hooves, and the wall folded, sinking back into the floor. There was an inert body covered in multiple wounds slumped to the ground on the other side.
“They got him,” said Obsidian. “I told him he’d die if he came here with us.”
“He must have sent her through the wall,” said Applejack, “and got stuck there himself. You trapped him there!” she finished, glaring angrily at Obsidian.
“He had his priorities, and I have mine,” replied Obsidian. “You’d rather split your attention in battle to protect two ponies when-”
There was a loud buzz from the other side of the door, and the crystals in the walls glowed brighter. Everypony looked towards the inner sanctum.
“I would,” said Applejack. “We will talk about it, when we’re done. This isn’t finished.”
Obsidian snorted. “Put her in cocoon spell then, and let’s hurry. I’ll see if I can open that door.”
He turned away and approached the inner sanctum entrance, his staff floating in front of him, the runes changing colors as he got closer. Focused, he took a slow step after step, pushing through what suddenly appeared like a three dimensional web of ghostly strings in front of the arch, bending and reshaping around the tip of Obsidian’s weapon.
Behind him, Fluttershy and Applejack stood over Bluebonnet, strands of orange and pink extending from their foci. The magic intertwined and wrapped around the unconscious mare, covering her like a warm blanket.
“We’re so sorry for what happened,” whispered Fluttershy. “Please, try to sleep for a bit. We’ll be back for you.”
They then turned and trotted away, joining their friends as they formed a line behind Obsidian. The stallion was nearly at the door. “Get ready now,” said Obsidian. The Elements focused.
The tip of the staff touched the door, and the magic barrier collapsed, the spell exploding to the sides like a breaking membrane, sending arcs of lightning crawling over the surrounding walls. The double door broke off its hinges, and fell inside the chamber.
Without hesitation, Obsidian rushed in, the Elements advancing behind him.
The inside of the sanctum was alight with spiralling magical currents. The old statues were still there, but the whole room was covered with pieces of arcane machinery, cables and metal prongs surrounding a large magic circle in the middle of the floor.
In the center of the circle, there stood Dr. Stone, her eyes glowing soft blue, her mane and tail floating in the ethereal winds. She lowered her head looking towards the Elements.
“Together now!” shouted Obsidian, stepping out of the line of fire.
Twilight could feel the power surrounding her, circling from the leyline, through the machinery, into Stone, and from her into the circle, and up into the enormous spell. There was a lot of magic there, but not as much as the six of them could muster.
“You’ll pay for what you did!” she heard Rainbow Dash say.
Six gems blazed with light, throwing kaleidoscopic reflexes all over the chamber. Twilight felt the power flowing into her, and knew her own eyes glowed white as she started rising into the air. A rainbow of six colors shot through the room straight at Dr. Stone, and the scientist smiled.
What?
Obsidian’s staff flew in front of the blast, turned, and struck the array surrounding the circle, slotting itself into an empty socket at the front. It caught the Elements’ spell like a lightning rod, grounding it into the circle.
Twilight tried to stop her magic, but found out she couldn’t - like a fighter who over-extends only to get pulled off balance, she found that the Elements’ weren’t being resisted, but pulled in, their magic sucked in to power the ritual. Glancing aside, she could see her friends, just as confused, struggling to break free.
Dr. Stone started flowing up, the power growing into a halo around her. Then her fur caught fire, and the body disintegrated, turning into ash in a blink. Beneath there was a ghostly shape of pale blue, tall and slender, with a heavy mane and a long, silver horn.
“Indicina!” gasped Twilight. “So, I was right. But…” She couldn’t turn her head, but managed to twist it enough to look towards Obsidian. “Obsidian… why are you doing this!?”
Obsidian turned away from her. He didn’t raise his voice, but his magic made it echo over the raging wind. “To be reunited with my love.”
“But…” Twilight’s confusion only increased. “She’s standing right here… that doesn’t make sense!”
In response Obsidian blackened. His body flaked away and fell into nothing, revealing a dark blue earth pony shape made of solid magic. He walked into the circle, and as the two spirits touched each other, they melted and merged together. The single entity turned around, speaking in two voices.
“No she isn’t. I told you so many times, Twilight. Indicina is long dead. And so is Obsidian.”
The Elements stared at what unfolded in front of their eyes.
“But if she’s not Indicina,” started Fluttershy, “then who is your lost love?”