//------------------------------// // Chapter 20: Requiem // Story: Gods and Monsters // by Revel Montaro //------------------------------// “Flurry Heart, awaken.” Flurry stirred from her slumber. She had not had any dreams. In fact, if she really thought about it, she could not remember the last time she had had any good dreams. Maybe Luna had been messing with her from the other side. Regardless, the rest had been revitalizing and her body felt less fatigued. Flurry blinked the blurriness from her eyes and gasped at the sight of Aethon. “What happened to you?” “My attempt at distracting the Crystal Empire forces was both successful and unsuccessful. Sunset Shimmer and her allies are stronger than I anticipated. I barely escaped.” “Dammit,” Flurry cursed, dropping down from the cloud to inspect the bruises and wounds more closely. None looked life threatening. “Do you need me to heal these? They look like stab wounds.” “I will live. They will close completely in a few hours. However, we face a new problem.” “What’s that?” The problem is the same, but it is more pressing now. While your escape is guaranteed they know Aethon is free and will no doubt move to block the rest of us from being released. There is no way to know how much Mother has told them. If she is helping, even indirectly, then the cause may already be lost. “But that’s not fair! You are my friends and you were wrongly imprisoned. There has to be something I can do.” Yeah, Scylla, I don’t wanna give up either! Well, unless any of you know another way to access the cell monoliths that are sitting at the remaining three corners of the cardinal diamond while all the while being hunted by not only Celestia’s monstrous offspring, but the armies of Equestria, I’m open to ideas. Otherwise, sooner or later, it will come to a bloody battle and they will have no choice, but to slay you, Flurry. Flurry stumbled back, her heart beating faster, legs suddenly feeling weak. Would Auntie Twilight really order her soldiers to try and kill her? Would her mother? She had fought along side so many of the guard when they rotated their tours in Ponyville. Most were good ponies who just wanted to protect... just like her father. “No, they… I mean… sure Sunset would try, but Mom would never do it… I don’t think my aunt would. It’s just… there has to be another way.” There are only two ways for us to be free. With your help from the outside and by Celestia’s… Flurry felt her friend pause, even Aethon arched an eyebrow. Unless… “Unless?” We could POSSIBLY break free on our own if Celestia was sufficiently weakened enough. Our prisons are tied to her life, but I know you do not wish to kill her. However, when she was injured, we felt some of the wards weaken. If you were to simply hurt her more, we might be able to do the rest. “Okay, I can see that, but that means going after her in Canterlot. I don’t know… I mean if I was sneaky, maybe I could get close enough, but after everything that’s happened. I doubt she has less than a full company around her at all times plus Aunt Twilight, who is an endless well of magical power.” Then you need two things. More power and a distraction. A similar tactic to what Aethon attempted in the empire, but with both of you dividing their forces and their attention. Yes, brother, that could work. But only if Flurry is willing to consent. She must be willing. She must ask for my help. Flurry Heart closed her eyes and sighed. They were her friends, they had been with her longer than any of her other friends, helping her, guiding her, keeping her company. No pony or other creature understood her like they did… not even Thicket, her best friend. If a few stupid guards got in the way, they would be swept aside. And if Twilight interfered, well, she would have to be swept aside as well. Besides, there was nothing she could do to Celestia that a good doctor couldn’t fix afterwards. She was Celestia after all. Immortal Goddess of the Sun. “Okay. Let’s do this. Give me what I need to succeed.” As you wish. Close your eyes. This will take a few hours to complete. ---------- Twilight Sparkle, current sole ruler of the land of Equestria was frozen in place with disbelief and utter shock. Standing before her was the alicorn Princess of Friendship, Flurry Heart, her beloved niece. Only it was not the sweet, if occasionally mischievous, foal she had watched grow, or the mouthy and rebellious teenager, or even the powerful and aggressive mare warrior she had grown into. No, what stood before Twilight was a monster wearing her niece’s body and it had come for her friend and mentor’s head. Even still, Twilight was paralyzed. Flurry’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the white alicorn who had been thrown to the other side of the dining hall with all the other occupants. Celestia was still shaking her head and the ringing of the explosion out of her ears. She was disoriented and practically defenseless. Flurry’s horn took on a dark blue and black glow as she prepared to fire. “Flurry!” The ashen alicorn paused, she knew that voice. “Flurry, it’s me, Thicket, please, don’t do this! We’re friends, good, close friends, so trust me when I say this is not you!” Flurry blinked twice, and her eyes were suddenly blue and normal again, brimming with tears about to fall. There was a quiver in her stance and her horn glow faltered. “T-Thicket?” Sunset Shimmer launched herself at the black obsidian-clad alicorn with a ferocious scream. The collision sent a shockwave though the already trashed room. Both alicorns smashed through the remaining stone guardrail to the garden below. The swift attack broke the stunned stillness of the room. Luna summoned her armor and retrieved her axe once more as she had in the Crystal Empire. The dark alicorn pointed at her sister and said with a growl under her breath, “Private Dew Drop! Get her to safety!” Luna then launched herself through the broken windows with her own battle cry. Twilight finally recovered and scrambled back to her hooves as well. “Isa! Go with Dew Drop and take Celestia to the vaults. It’s the most secure room in the palace!” “I am not a delicate flower that needs to be ushered from danger!” Celestia snapped. Her defiance was short lived when Twilight turned to look at her mentor, with burning fury in her eyes, face fur matted from falling tears. “I can’t protect you, and Sunset, AND ALL OF CANTERLOT AT THE SAME TIME! So, help me, help you, and go hide where they can’t find you, please!” “I…” Celestia fumbled, her ethereal mane losing some of magical waves. “I understand. Just… just protect the ones we love, Twilight, please.” “With my life, if I have to.” “Please, don’t let it come to that, Your Highness,” said Isabella, ushering Celestia to the door while their enemies were distracted. The griffon and thestral nodded to one another and took up position on either side of Celestia. Sunset and Flurry hit the ground with Sunset’s hooves on Flurry’s face. Upon impact, the obsidian helmet fractured and crumbled away in chunks, leaving a few deep cuts and scratches on Flurry's head. “Turnabout’s a bitch, ain’t it?” Flurry scurried away from Sunset and wiped the dirt and blood away, eyes once again red and glowing. “This is not going to go the way you think it will.” “Why not? I already kicked your plump ass once.” “Because this time, I’m not alone.” Sunset cried out as the fiery energy blast struck her side and sent her rolling. Aethon laughed and fired again, but his blast was deflected by Luna’s axe. She scowled and slowly shook her head before firing a horn blast of her own to keep the red alicorn at bay. Twilight landed across from Flurry Heart and reached out to her niece. “Please, Flurry, it’s Auntie Twily. I could see it in your eyes, you are not okay with this. You know this is wrong, fight them!” “You’re wrong about that one, Auntie, I AM okay with this. You could have named me your equal decades ago, but instead you snubbed me, Luna snubbed me, Celestia snubbed me! You all feared my power, feared what I could accomplish without you. And what did you do instead? You welcomed a monster into your home and worse yet, called her your best friend! So yeah, I took the power that was offered to me and as soon as Celestia is dealt with my friends and I crush your little regime and we will rule this entire world. We’ll make it just the way it should be. Nice and orderly. It will be marvelous.” Twilight lit her horn and stood her ground despite the tears that threatened to fall again. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t let you do that, Flurry, I’m sorry.” As soon as Flurry unleashed a torrent of power from her horn blast Twilight met it with her own. The over wash of burning magical energy set the grass and nearby shrubs from the maze garden on fire. Twilight was trying to not only meet the powerful blast, but also direct the excess energy away from the palace and herself while Flurry was just pouring on the power. Twilight felt herself buckling under the strain. Aethon waited for Luna to charge, summoning his blades. With a glance to the battle happening below he pointed with a hoof. Luna, against her better judgment, glanced as well and saw Twilight about to fall to her knees. On instinct, Luna sent her axe whirling towards the battle below. If she struck the focal point where their energies were competing it would disengage the two of them without permanently hurting them. Flurry spotted the axe coming towards her and panicked. Flurry teleported out from the dueling locked horn blasts. She landed behind Twilight just as the axe slammed into the ground. Twilight gasped and stumbled back. Flurry sneered at Twilight's exposed flank and suppressed the desire to land a critical blow, choosing instead to focus on her goal. Without a word, she teleported again. Luna turned her head back to Aethon and silently cursed her poor decision as the red blades closed on her faster than she could move. Before the blades could bite into fur and flesh, Sunset wrapped her forelegs around her aunt and teleported them both to the ground next to Twilight. Luna let out the breath she had been holding and smiled at Sunset, recalling her axe once more to her side. Sunset also held up her sword in a telekinetic field. “Three on one again, pal. Except this time I’m ready for you and Twilight is a bigger powerhouse than Cadence on a bad day. Trust me, this won’t end well for you.” “Hmm, perhaps you are correct. However, I have no intention of being cornered by you like I did in the empire. Congratulations, I respect your combined power enough to not fight you arrogantly.” “Press him, do not let him recover,” said Luna, beginning to weave a complex containment spell with her horn. Aethon fired a simple horn blast at Luna that Sunset deflected with her sword, then another at Twilight that she blocked as well. Sunset growled, her eyes beginning to glow teal again. “You’re not touching a single hair on them, not as long as I live.” “A bold declaration. Do you feel the same level of commitment to all your little ponies, princess?” Aethon rose higher. “Let’s find out!” The red alicorn dodged Luna’s cage spell as it tried to fall on him and then rolled, flapping his wings. He flew over the castle and continued towards Canterlot proper again. “He’s attacking the city again!” shouted Twilight. “He is attempting to draw us away from the castle and Celestia,” Luna added with a growl. Sunset looked around, her eyes going wide. “Where’s Flurry Heart? Where did she go?!” Sunset moved to return to the castle. “Sunset, hold!” Luna called out. “It will take all three of us to contain that creature. With Twilight, I am certain we three can stop him, but without you, I lack said certainty.” “But Flurry is hunting Celestia!” Sunset expression changed from anger to panic. She knew the risk, she knew that other ponies would be burned to ash, but… Sunset glanced into the broken dining hall and barely above a whisper croaked, “Mom.” “Sunset, beloved niece, my sister is not helpless, but many innocents are. Even talented mage unicorns cannot stand against Aethon's alicorn level power, you know this. We must go. We must stop him because no pony else can.” Twilight flew up and hovered up next to Sunset. They stared into each other’s eyes, both begging silently to one another for this to not be happening, that this terrible choice did not need to be made. Sunset glanced back to the castle then to Twilight, her eyes beginning to well up with angry tears. Twilight extended a hoof to Sunset and the goldenrod alicorn shook with barely contained fury, grinding her teeth so hard she felt like they might crack. Sunset screamed her frustration in the only way she knew she could. “FUCK!” Without anything else to add, the three alicorns flapped their great wings and pursued. ---------- Isabella Windsong had now faithfully served as Princess Twilight’s personal assistant for fifteen years. The chocolate brown and black griffon had graduated from the School of Friendship as the valedictorian of her class and fell in love with Equestria. Sure, there were days she missed her old friends and family back in Griffonstone, but the sheer variety of life that Equestria offered, she loved it all. When Isabella had heard that the old personal assistant of Twilight’s was planning to retire, she quickly familiarized herself with everything she could in regards to the princess along with any and all things the job would entail. While the pool line of candidates had been longer than the first day of Ponyville Cider Season, Isabella had not been worried. Her confidence, her raw knowledge, and her abilities won her the day and she never regretted a minute of it. As the griffon proverb went: The hardest fights guarantee the most satisfying of victories. In fact, once she had secured the job as personal assistant, Isabella had immersed herself in more information to further skills. Including learning about all the secret back passages and hallways throughout the castle. The hallway they were currently speed walking through was an excellent shortcut to both the throne room and the entrance of the treasury vault. “Wouldn’t it be faster to teleport to the room we need?” Isabella scoffed. “In case you forgot or are simply not aware of it, private, the entire castle is equipped with teleport interdiction crystals. While they won’t prevent an alicorn from teleporting around they require a great deal of power to overcome them. Teleporting herself and us would be highly taxing. Secondly, the treasure vault itself has additional layers of security and defensive wards that even Celestia would not be able to break easily, since she was the pony who set them up to begin with.” “Both are true. Though, in spite of your insinuation, I could probably manage the teleport if needed.” Dew Drop was about to comment further when the entire passage rumbled, dust and debris breaking loose. The thestral twisted her sensitive ears and listened, her superior low light eyes going wide a second later. Dew shoved Celestia forward into Isabella just before the wall imploded and large chunks of stone and masonry fell on the thestral guard. Celestia reached out for the guard, but Isabella pulled the alicorn back and put herself between Celestia and the attacker who was standing in the dusty smoke. Glowing red eyes locked onto Celestia like heat seekers. “RUN!” Isabella shouted shoving at Celestia with both her claws. Flurry’s horn began to glow, but she hissed and the spell faltered when something sharp and painful struck her hindleg. Looking back, Flurry found a small rune etched throwing knife buried in her flesh. Red eyes narrowed at the mostly trapped thestral who had managed to lose a single blade. Dew Drop growled and flashed her fangs in defiance as Flurry’s horn took on a sickly, dark blackish blue-green color. Celestia wrapped her forehooves around Isabella and teleported away before being forced to bear witness to the atrocity. Isabella and Celestia were now standing in the entryway atrium, Celestia was breathing hard, but only partly because of the teleport. “I… I should have stopped her. I… I let her kill one of my ponies,” Celestia choked and shuddered on a breath. “Stars above, I failed them both.” “She gave her life for you, don’t waste her sacrifice on this. We can honor and grieve later.” Isabella scanned the surrounding. “Do you think you can teleport us to the great hall? Then we just have to run through the memories wing to the vault entrance.” Celestia composed herself, nodding twice. She pulled Isabella close and teleported again. When they exited the teleport Celestia stumbled and blinked the spots from her eyes, the interdiction crystals that were carefully placed up along the walls as part of the décor were glowing and smoking. Isabella held up a claw and scanned the area. After a moment of nothing she began to walk towards the vault. Amazingly, the two solar guards who were usually stationed there were still standing vigilant. “Miss Windsong!” the one guard called out. “We haven’t received any updates on the explosions and no pony at dispatch is answering our calls.” “That’s bad. It means they may have hit the barracks command and control station to sow confusion. I don’t want to even imagine the damage and casualties that are happening outside. Something to deal with later. For now, we need access to the vault. On Princess Twilight’s order, Celestia is to be hunker down and…” Isabella trailed off. The door to the vault exploded outwards striking both guards and bouncing past Celestia and Isabella. The two looked back in shock as Flurry stepped out of the most secure room in the palace. “You think I don’t know the lockdown procedures that Twilight wrote? She made me recite them by memory backwards and forward and then write them out in triplicate! Ever since your health started getting worse a few years ago she knew you would not be able to stand and fight for long and planned for something like this. Of course, most of the defenses were designed against magic attacks, not brute strength. A hole is a hole, after all.” “We need to run, fly, anything!” Isabella hissed, looking to her right. “When I give the signal, smash out one of the stained glass windows and fly. Find Sunset and Twilight, I'll delay her.” Celestia gazed down at the two unmoving guards that Flurry Heart just stepped over, blood pooling on the floor from their crushed helmets. Celestia instantly felt her exhaustion and fear dissipate, replaced with a burning anger. Anger at all the death, all the destruction, but most of all, at the creatures that her mother refused to help stop that were now using Flurry Heart like a puppet on a string. Isabella slowly reached back under her wings when one of the windows shattered inward and Flurry was knocked back and pressed against the wall by massive tendrils of vines. The leafy green ropes began wrapping around the corrupted alicorn as she struggled against the weight and strength of the magically augmented plants. Isabella and Celestia balked and stared as another set of vines deposited the deer prince to the floor who had been casually riding on top of the wave. “I’m sorry, Flurry, I truly am,” said Thicket with sorrow in his tear filled eyes, “but you must be stopped. You have hurt ponies and friends… you have taken life. I love you, my beautiful friend, but I will not stand by while monsters blacken your heart and soul.” Flurry struggled against the bonds until finally getting her head to face towards the deer prince. Celestia, however caught the glint of something in her fellow alicorn’s eyes and quickly pulled Thicket towards her with magic just as the vines withered and dried then crumbled to blackened fragments. Thicket could only look on in horror. “You… you poisoned my growths with dark magic?!” “Stop getting in the way and I won’t have to kill you too.” Thicket growled and puffed out his chest, lowering his head slightly so that his antlers were poised for attack. “I would rather die fighting for a loved one than let you continue down this path. If my blood is needed for you to break free from their grip, then so be it.” Flurry’s malevolent grin vanished and she stumbled, her forehooves gripping the sides of her head, eyes squeezed tight. Her sonic scream sent Thicket stumbling back into Celestia as the remaining stained glass windows shattered and bits of ceiling masonry broke free. When the disorientation cleared, Thicket, Celestia, and Isabella could see the fear in Flurry Heart’s wide and crying blue eyes. Before Celestia could stop him, Thicket approached his friend. Gently, he placed a slightly shaking hoof against her face. “Run,” Flurry Heart whispered. Thicket glanced back at Celestia, eyes begging her to do something. “Flurry, I won’t leave you like this.” “I… CAN’T… STOP… AAAAAUUUUGHHHH!!!!” Raw, unfocused energy erupted from Flurry's horn, throwing Thicket against the wall hard enough to crack the stone, knocking the deer prince unconscious. Celestia grabbed Isabella again and teleported. Isabella stumbled away from the white alicorn and nearly stepped in the tranquility stream that flowed through and around the throne room. The griffon looked back and growled. “You can’t keep doing that!” Celestia collapsed onto the steps before the thrones. She looked up at now Twilight’s throne and the smaller one to her right that was soon to be officially her daughter’s throne. “Little sun,” she whispered, closing her eyes for a moment and holding onto a mental image of her filly daughter smiling warmly at her. A wonderful, summer afternoon in the garden and a bucket of ice cream to share between them. Simple. Carefree. A life time ago. Everything her heart every wanted in a single moment of fleeting bliss. “Why here? If you were going to teleport again you should have sent us outside the castle. We could have flown down the mountain, hidden in the Everfree, anywhere else but here!” “Flurry Heart, or the creatures controlling her will come for me again and again and again. However, she is still in there. You saw it as well as I. They do not have complete control and she is fighting back. Prince Thicket was able to break through even if only momentarily. Maybe, just maybe with the right words I can get through to her too.” “Are you insane?! She… it, they, want you dead! Thicket is her best friend and she threw him into a wall! I can only pray that she does not kill him where he fell.” “She won’t,” Celestia said, slowly rising back to her hooves. “She will come for me and here I will stand and here I will break through to her.” “I am trying to not be hysterical or disrespectful to the Goddess of the Sun, but HOW in the name of the ancestors do you see that working?! What could you possibly say to her that would get through to her?!” Celestia grimaced. “You must swear you will never repeat what you are about to hear to Sunset or Twilight, for the good of all.” “I don’t like this already, but fine, I swear. What is your plan?” “I’m going to tell her exactly what she wants to hear and then I’m going to talk her down. Once she is where I need her to be, I will have just enough power left to subdue her.” Celestia sighed, looking up at the thrones once more. “This is my last play. I’m too tired and too old to keep running.” “Fine, but I’m not.” Isabella reached under her wings again and drew a SunLight crystal from a pocket in her formal vest. The crystal vibrated a few times before an angry mare shouted into the other end of the connection. “Kind of busy!” “Get your orange flank and any troops you can spare to the throne room right now or we are all going to die!” ---------- Sunset screamed in frustration as Aethon dodged her attack again. There were three of them against one of him, but he was not standing his ground and fighting them like he had in the empire. Instead, the red alicorn would strike the city, teleport, strike again. Each time they caught up to him or tried to pin him down he would move again. Sunset knew he was toying with them, stringing them along, but it did not matter if they could not catch him or keep him from lashing out with blades and horn blasts. “Twilight!” Sunset shouted. “We need a better plan!” Twilight had been thinking the exact same thing and was ready to try a new tactic. “Shining Armor once cast a shield large enough to protect the entire mountainside from changelings. I could try reversing the matrix and close the bubble around him instead of trying to repel, but I can’t do it alone. Somepony will need to stay near him to keep him from teleporting or flying away and another will have to help me power the spell.” “Fly thee to the Fountains of Heroes square. Tis the closest to the center of Canterlot that one can get,” said Luna with a growl under her breath. I will give chase to thy quarry and drive him back towards thee. Thou will tighten thy noose.” The three alicorns nodded and Luna launched herself back into the air with her glowing axe in tow. Twilight was about to teleport when Sunset shook her head and took flight. “Save your power, Cadence and I tried to power a defensive shield around the empire and that son of a bitch shattered it like glass. We’re going to need every drop of mana we can squeeze out and a prayer to hold him. I hope you remember your brother’s best shields because nothing less will do.” Twilight’s eyes hardened with determination. She wiped the tear that escaped away. No more ponies or other creatures were going to die today at the hooves of that monster. “Anything my brother could do I can do better.” Sunset smirked as she landed next to the central fountain. “That’s more like the Twilight Sparkle I know.” The Fountains of Heroes square was as blatant as it sounded. The large, open mall had a central fountain surrounded by four smaller ones, each aligned to the cardinal directions. The central fountain was a celebration of the new cosmopolitan Equestria with the base figures being statues of a yak, a griffon, a reformed changeling, a hippogriff, a dragon, a deer, and an eagle. Rising from the middle of the circle of figures and forming the second tier were three ponies, each a member of the three tribes, and at the top tier was a six pointed star from which the water spouted and rained down upon the sculpture that was enchanted so that it would never wear down by water erosion. Some found the sculpture endearing and unifying, others thought that the tier tower structure with the ‘ponies above the other races’ elitist. That was art in a nutshell. Every creature saw something different and had an opinion. The other four fountains were less controversial and had singular figures who served Equestria in some great capacity and warranted such honors such as Star Swirl the Bearded, Captain Celaeno, and Starlight Glimmer. The one on the south side of the square had originally been of Spike, but Discord had replaced it with one of himself during one of his “Discord Day” shenanigans and Spike had shrugged and told Twilight he could have it. Especially since there was already a larger than life statue of him in the Crystal Empire. Twilight took a deep breath and calmed her mind and emotions. When she opened her eyes again, Sunset was standing before her, ready to begin. The two alicorns stepped closer to one another and Twilight bowed slightly so that her horn tip could touch Sunset’s. "Take as much power as you need, Twily." "Just follow my lead. Keep your mind's eye on me and adjust to my flow." The magenta and red mana auras mingled and shot forth to the sky just above the buildings. The mixed magic quickly spread out like a pool of expanding water on a smooth surface. Both Sunset and Twilight closed their eyes and sensed one another through their magic. If the situation was not so dire Twilight would have enjoyed the sensation of combining her magic with Sunset's more. Similar to when Sunset had helped guide Twilight into the dreamscape, two magic users working in tandem to power a single spell was a trusting and intimate experience. Aethon twisted away from Luna again and fired back at the dark alicorn. She easily blocked the bolt with the flat of her axe sending the beam harmlessly into the sky. Luna’s twisted snarl changed the moment she saw the magical shield pass beneath them to cover the entire city and a bit more beyond the mountain summit. She pulled her axe back and began to hover. Aethon narrowed his eyes at the sudden change in demeanor. “And now we draw this travesty to a close, vile coward who would rather burn the helpless than face a true warrior.” Aethon turned and saw the spreading shield, his features twisting to one of offended disgust. “No pathetic shield crafted by false gods can stop me.” His horn took on its familiar orange and black glow as he attempted to craft a powerful shield breaker spell again. Luna had no plans to give him such time. Indigo blue magic shot from her horn and struck Aethon on the end of his own horn shattering his spell crafting. The gathered energy exploded in his face sending him careening and finally bouncing painfully across the shield. In the distance, Twilight and Sunset both grunted from the impact but held their concentration. Twilight could feel their foe on her shield and curled her lip in an un-Twilight-like sneer. “This ends now.” Sunset felt Twilight pulling the shield in like a cinch bag draw tie around the red alicorn and she fed more power to Twilight to close it faster. Now it was up to Luna to keep him from escaping. The moment Aethon hit the shield Luna dispelled her axe and focused all her power on creating an interdiction field over the other alicorn. It had to be small and tight and at least ten times more powerful than the passive crystals that lined the halls of the castle. Luna’s eyes took on a burning white glow and she weaved her spell with deadly practiced precision, the invisible top of the shield clamped down on her enemy before he could counter her efforts. Once Aethon realized what was happening he screamed in defiance and smashed into the top of the shield, but bounced off. ---------- Celestia did not flinch when the thick wooden doors to the throne room were blown away to splinters. Given the events of the day she had expected no less. Isabella was standing ten feet before Celestia and had moved to shield her face, but none of the flaming debris had touched her as it had bounced off a shimmering golden barrier that had surrounded them both. The griffon let out a sigh and composed herself, taking a defensive stance and waited for whatever the white alicorn planned to do next while being prepared for her on contingency. “Princess Flurry Heart. I know you can hear me.” “Of course, I can hear you, you old nag. I’m right here.” Celestia shook her head. “I do not believe you. I do not believe you are my grandniece. You are the puppet master who has manipulated her into horrific decisions because you have always been there whispering in her mind. Just like you did to my sister all those years ago.” The creature before them stopped in front of the scowling griffon, sadistic glee that did not belong on Flurry Heart’s beautiful face. “Oh, she’s here, Celestia, but you are correct, she is not the one in charge right now. That stupid deer shook loose the subtle bond I had so a more direct approach was necessary." Celestia’s face remained neutral as if she were staring down a particularly troublesome Canterlot noble. “I thought as much. But I have to wonder? How much control do you have and how would she react if she knew you had her on a leash like a pet? Since you know Flurry as well as I do, that question is rhetorical. You see, I may not be as powerful as I once was, but I can still speak and I often know just what to say. Hard earned experience dealing with spoiled little ponies just like you.” Flurry’s red serpent eyes narrowed. “And what do you know of me, sister?” “I know you are children of Aine, Mother Creation, just as I am. I know you and your siblings came before me and by that logic you have a legitimate claim to the throne of Equestria. Since I believe in proper procedures such as the line of succession and the right of seniority, I am willing to forsake both Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle and revoke their titles and positions for you and your siblings. More so than that, I am willing to endorse and support your rule if you are willing do so peacefully. After which, if they choose to contest, which they no doubt will, I will banish Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer from Equestria.” “Is that so?” Celestia nodded. “It is, you have my word. Is that not what you want? The freedom to travel the world again and reshape it as you see fit?" Flurry Heart, blinked, but made no move to attack or disengage. "Very well, I will sweeten the deal. I will fly to your prisons and free you myself. This is all so long as long as you swear to not slaughter my little ponies and the many other innocent creatures of Equestria and the world as a whole. Afterwards, you may even do with me as you wish. I will gladly forfeit my life for all of theirs.” Isabella glanced back at Celestia her jaw hanging open. Even with fair warning, she could hardly believe the words coming out of Celestia’s mouth. Slowly, as to not draw attention to herself, Isabella reached under her wings for two items she had stored in hidden scabbards. Celestia was giving the monsters the world on a platter, but in her opinion, whoever was controlling Flurry did not look convinced. Their expression closer resembled a cat toying with a mouse right before the kill. Isabella closed her eyes a moment and said a silent prayer of forgiveness to her friends, family, and honored ancestors. She had sworn an oath to Princess Twilight and to Equestria, an oath that demanded she put the citizens before herself against all enemies. Foreign or domestic. “It’s an interesting offer, but I do not believe you and judging by Flurry’s memories, neither does she.” One of the little known facts of her position as the personal assistant to Princess Twilight was that Isabella was not only the first line of defense against pushy nobles and mountains of paperwork, but also the last line of defense should all the guards and other defenses fall. Isabella had spent just as much time training in close quarters combat fighting and griffon style brawling as she had in learning the ins and out of high court politics. Flurry Heart’s horn lit up and Isabella reacted. Each claw gripped the handle of a hidden dualist dagger. The black, runic etched blades flashed with stored power and deflected the incoming blast that would have been fatal to any living creature. Isabella wasted no time charging and dodging additional horn blasts, darting back and forth, forcing the once pink alicorn to backpedal towards the entrance. The ‘mage killer’ blades were able to block incoming attacks as well as carve deep gashes in the defense shields Flurry tried to erect. With another lighting quick parry, Isabella closed the distance, finally jumping up with a flap of her wings and brought the daggers down towards the base of Flurry’s neck. However, just before they could bite into flesh Isabella felt her forward momentum stop, her entire body trapped in a stasis field of telekinetic energy except her daggers which were immune. “You really didn’t think that one through, did you?” “Please don’t!” cried Celestia. The monster wearing Flurry’s face grinned. “Don’t what? Do this?” With a few subtle power changes the daggers fell from Isabella’s claws as all the bones in her talons broke, the joints of her wrists, elbows, and shoulders twisted until they were retched from their sockets with sickening ease. Isabella screamed and then screamed again when next her wings were crushed and also torn from their sockets, hanging limp by flesh and torn connective tissue. “FLURRY HEART YOU MUST STOP THIS, PLEASE! YOU MUST FIGHT BACK!” With one final audible crack, the ashen alicorn dropped the griffon to the ground unceremoniously into a heap. Isabella’s eyes were as wide as saucers and her body racked with so much pain that how she was still conscious was more a curse than a blessing. She tried to lift herself but could only turn her head. “I… can’t… my… legs… I…” she choked on her own words and convulsed, going into full body shock. Celestia had watched in horror as the monsters casually broke most of the bones including the spine of the best griffon she had ever known. With hard earned discipline, she steeled her aching heart and cooled her anger. She had only one card left to play and set in motion her last, desperate effort. “Princess Flurry Heart! Remember your mother and father! Remember their love for you and all they taught you on how to defend your mind and body from attacks! You are the strongest alicorn in the world, prove it and fight back!” The murderous smile on Flurry’s face faltered and Celestia’s heart skipped a beat. “Yes! Remember them! Captain Shining Armor was my captain and one of the strongest ponies in the world. Even Twilight Sparkle could not break all his shields! Fortify your mind like he taught you! Fill your heart with love and kindness like your mother showed you and push back the darkness!” “I… no… how… you little brat! You asked for this power! You… cannot… say no now!”’ Celestia watched as Flurry heart’s body shook violently as if trying to stand against a raging white rapid river yet holding her ground. Slowly, her body began to take on the light pinkish color she was born with. She fell back on her haunches and gripped her head with her forehooves, the obsidian armor crumbling away. Flurry’s eyes were alternating between blue and red each time she blinked, tears streaming from them and a trickle of blood dripping from her nostrils. Celestia approached slowly, keep her voice calm and quiet. “Fight them, Flurry, fight them with all your heart. I know you can do it. I believe in you.” Flurry clenched her teeth and screamed. “GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!” Isabella watched, unable to move as the pink alicorn thrashed about. She tried to speak, but the words were trapped in her ruined throat as Flurry’s horn began to glow. Light blue energy burst free and blew a massive hole through the ceiling of the throne room. Celestia stopped her advance and gasped, losing her concentration on the complex sleep spell she had been formulating. The destruction causing her mind to flashback to the attack on Canterlot by Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow. Celestia shook her head and created a quick defensive shield above them, the heavy debris falling to the sides away from the room’s three occupants. Her eyes were on the ceiling and not watching Flurry or where her horn was pointed. Flurry Heart’s eyes flashed red one more time, her horn taking on a bluish black glow. With a final scream that sounded like more than one voice, a tight beam of dark energy poured forth. Flurry Heart collapsed and panted. Celestia stumbled back as something struck her. Strangely, it only hurt for a second. Slowly, she looked down and examined herself and found a hole on her chest, the entry wound nearly perfectly round, about the size of a golden bit with black charring forming a ring around where she had been struck. Celestia tried to turn her head to see if there was an exit wound when her legs gave out. It was then she suddenly realized she could not breathe. It was strange, Celestia’s mind thought, for some reason she could not hear her own heartbeat in her ears. That had never happened before. With a shaky hoof and wide tear streaked eyes, she reached out towards the other alicorn. “Flurry.” Flurry Heart blinked the spots from her eyes. Somepony had just called her name. Oh, sweet merciful Celestia, did she have a headache. Once her blue eyes came back into focus Flurry Heart looked up and found Celestia on the ground reaching for her. Her mane was flat and no longer waving and she looked pale, paler than usual. It was at that moment she spotted the hole in Celestia’s chest and the pool of blood forming under her. “No… nononononononono on please no.” Unable to stand, Flurry crawled to take Celestia’s extended hoof and pulled the alabaster alicorn into her lap. Reaching deep inside, Flurry Heart tried to summon a healing spell, fueling the magic with her own lifeforce to boost her critically low mana reserves. Light blue magic engulfed the gasping Celestia, but the wound was not closing. “This can’t be happening!” Celestia tried to speak, but no words would come out. She tried and tried, but stumbled and without a whimper or final decree the Goddess of the Sun went still as the world went dark. “Celestia? P, p, princess?” No response came, her body was no longer shaking, her chest no longer rising. Flurry clenched Celestia tighter and wailed to the heavens. Sunset Shimmer felt her heart stop for a good four or five beats. There was a stabbing sensation inside and an overwhelming sense of dread and loss passed through every cell in her body. Sunset stumbled back, all her concentration on helping maintain the shield was lost. “Sunset! I can’t…” Twilight trailed off when she looked at Sunset’s face and then felt a stabbing sensation in her own heart. The bright magenta shield that had been closing around Aethon shattered a moment later. Luna gasped as the lower shield failed then felt her own magic give out. Something had happened. Something that sent shockwaves through the very mana veins of the world and the planet if not the very heavens themselves had cried out in anguish. Luna’s eyes searched about, but soon returned to the red alicorn who flexed his wings as the bonds fell away. Aethon looked towards the smoking castle and flashed a toothy smile. “It is done.” He teleported away in a ball of flame. Sunset, Twilight, and Luna exchanged silent gazes then all three teleported to the castle. When Sunset’s hooves hit the carpet of the hall leading to the throne she galloped with complete abandon, ignoring Twilight’s call to wait or be careful. She did not care if it was a trap. Her heart was crying out and she had to know if it was as she feared. The double doors to the throne room had been blown away and Sunset came to a skidding stop gasping at the destruction. All the stained glass windows were blown out, much of the stone was marred with scorch marks, and there was a massive hole in the high ceiling above. Her teal eyes finally locked on the two figures at the base of the throne dais all the background sounds becoming like a buzzing white noise in her ears. Sunset knew she heard Twilight scream Isabella’s name and went rushing off somewhere just outside her peripheral vision. Slowly, Sunset continued to walk forward, her heart pounding like a drum, throat dry, eyes on the brink of falling tears. Surely, her eyes were deceiving her. It was an illusion… a dream… a nightmare. Oh, stars above, please let this be a bad dream. She stopped and stared down. Celestia was half on the ground, half pulled up into Flurry Heart’s lap with the younger alicorn’s forelegs wrapped around her, cradling Celestia’s head. Her mane, which had turned all gray some time ago, was no longer flowing on its own. Though her face seemed at ease as if sleeping, Sunset could tell she was not breathing, part of her once pristine white coat was stained with blood and some blackening around a chest wound. Flurry Heart, from what Sunset could see, was no longer augmented with her nightmare powers or armor. Her wings were limp and splayed about while she continued to cry, tears having soaked part of Celestia’s fur. When she finally took notice of Sunset she looked up and light blue eyes that were bloodshot from weeping were begging for the entire scene to not be real either. Celestia, former Princess of Equestria and Goddess of the Sun was dead. “I…” Flurry choked out, “I tried to heal her… I tried… I tried… I…” Sunset clenched her eyes shut as her breathing quickened and body began to shake. Her wings extended, teeth gnashed together and tears forced their way through the shut lids. Sunset knew Luna was off to her right somewhere, some part of her consciousness had heard her aunt gasp and stumble, falling to her knees in disbelief. Twilight… Twilight was still somewhere else. Not that it mattered. Nothing mattered. Isabella wept and shook as she tried to lift a talon to Twilight, but her limbs would not respond. “I’m sorry, princess, I’m so, so sorry. I couldn’t stop her. I tried… I… I can’t feel my legs… I can’t move at all!” “Shhh, it’s okay, Isa,” Twilight wept, stroking the griffon’s face, wiping the tears away including her own that fell. Twilight’s horn lit as she tried to heal her friend, but could do little more than offer relief from the pain. Twilight was no surgeon and lacked the fine, precise control of a medical professional. Fixing object did not require worrying about putting everything back precisely were it came from. The walls could feel no pain as they were reassembled and plastered. Bodies were difficult and delicate and the bodily damage to Isabella was some of the worst Twilight had ever seen to a living creature. I can’t fix this! Twilight looked up and found Luna on her knees, staring on in catatonic shock and Sunset, Sunset was beginning to shake and her wings had just caught fire. It was then that Twilight finally took notice of Flurry Heart and the unmoving form of Celestia whom she was holding. All the pieces fell into place at once and the puzzle spelled disaster of apocalyptic proportions. “Kill me.” Sunset Shimmer’s eyes opened, the sclera gone completely black and her irises glowing red. She looked down at Flurry Heart and the light pink alicorn looked up to meet those demonic eyes. Flurry Heart shuddered and then screamed, “KILL ME!” Sunset’s goldenrod fur had begun to turn crimson and she squeezed her eyes shut once more, her heart going to war with her mind and soul, horn beginning to take on a dark red, almost black glow. Flurry was saying something, but all Sunset could hear was her mother’s voice. All the memories both good and bad, all playing out like an old movie reel in her head. Carefully, Twilight set Isabella’s head back down and stood, slowly, methodically beginning to approach Sunset and Flurry Heart. Her niece had just begged for death and Sunset was on the edge of unhinged, she could see it, feel the temperature in the throne room begin to spike drastically. She had to get control, had to talk everypony back down from the edges they were all standing on. “I was tricked. I believed them when they said they were my friends and I believed them when they told me they did not have to kill her. I was a fool and now she’s dead because of me! Do us both a favor and be the monster I said you were and just end this! Please!” Twilight waited for a moment, frantically trying to think of something, anything to say, but no great speeches or quotes or anything really was going to make this better. Twilight knew how she would feel if it was her mother. It did not matter, speculations and what if’s were useless. All that mattered was that no pony else needed to die. Twilight took a deep breath, calmed her ragged emotions as best she could, and with as little quake in her voice as she could muster said a single word. “Sunny.” Sunset Shimmer gasped as if she had been drowning. Her teal eyes, now back to normal, flew open. That single word, said by that voice was like a life preserver on a black ocean of sorrow. Her wings stopped burning and the red left her coat. Sunset dropped to her knees and launched herself at Flurry Heart, pulling the alicorn and her mother into a tight hug. She squeezed them both to the point it hurt, but did not stop. Sunset shuddered with sobs and screamed. Tears poured from her eyes and she continued to scream until her voice was ragged and then screamed some more. Heaven and Hell, where ever they may be, would know her anguish. Tempest Fury had arrived with a squad of troops on the throne balcony observation level just as Sunset began screaming. A quick scan of the room told her the fight was over and they had arrived far too late. The captain’s green eyes welled up, but she fought to control herself, thankful her helmet obscured the view from her subordinates. Fog Gauge came to a stop next to Luna with his own squad of troops and took off his helmet, unceremoniously dropping it to the ground with a clanging thud. Gone was the stoic calm, and small dimpled smile. Replaced by narrow yellow eyes filled with tears and righteous rage. Before he could inquire to the tragic series of events, a sound echoed through the damaged cavernous hall. Laughter. Cold, dark, maniacal laughter. A fireball materialized just above Twilight’s throne and Aethon emerged, hovering with a sadistic smile, fangs on full pearly display. “Do not weep, children. She will not be traveling to Elysium alone.” Sunset unwrapped herself from Flurry and rose slowly. Once again, her wings were on fire, but then changed from fire to a steady, pure golden light. The aura spread to surround her entire body as her mane and tail began to wave. Sunset’s glowing teal eyes locked upon the red alicorn and a sword was pulled from the ether by her golden glowing horn. The handle guard appeared unchanged from when she had summoned her sword before, but the blade no longer appeared to be made of metal and was instead also made of a beam of golden light. “You’re right, because I’m going to fucking kill you.” Sunset launched into the air, loosing a deafening battle cry. ---------- South of Equestria, past the badlands, was a volcanic mountain range that stretched to the ocean that few had the courage or desire to explore. Technically, the land was part of the Dragon Lands territory, but that particular range was avoided and left unclaimed. One mountain in particular with a constant bubbling caldera was avoided by all. Many dragons over the centuries had considered claiming the mountain and the strange island in the middle of the lava pool as their own, but each time they settled in they would begin to hear whispers. In the center of the island was a imposing black monolith prism, or had been for as long as any dragon could remember, but now only crumbling pieces remained. West of Equestria was a bank of clouds that hung just offshore and never moved or dissipated. The clouds were thick and all but impenetrable. Pegesi of old had noted it on ancient charts in old Pegasopolis, but none had dared to explore the bank beyond distant observation of the anomaly because surveyors claimed they could hear laughing when they got too close. Had any souls been observing the clouds they would have see pieces of rock fall to the ocean below along with a larger object that resembled a body. East of Equestria, but not quite to Zebrica, was an island with a single tall mountain of impenetrable granite rising from the ocean. Sailors had called it ‘The Demon’s Tooth’ because of its unnaturally perfect shape and complete lack of beachhead or other point of landing. Had they had the ability to peer inside the solid rock they would have found there was a singular object buried in the center. The mountain shook violently, finally splitting and crumbling to the sea and a cloud of midnight blue stardust rose from the remains and flew off towards Canterlot. ---------- Aethon summoned his blades to meet Sunset’s ferocious strike and was driven back as her light sword shattered his weapons. He pushed her back with a powerful flap of his wings and the two scowled at one another. His attention was diverted for a second as Tempest barked orders at her squad of guards to load mage killer arrows and fire at will. Aethon teleported to dodge the incoming volley. Twilight ran over to her niece and shook her. “Flurry! You have to get up!” Flurry Heart looked up at Twilight then downcast her eyes again and squeezed Celestia tighter. Aethon rematerialized on the floor and had only a moment of rest before more arrows, this time from Gauge’s squad fired at him. One caught the red alicorn in the flank causing his teleport to fail and he stumbled. Luna brought her axe down just barely missing her target, slicing through some of his mane as the weapon buried itself half way into the floor. Aethon’s horn began to glow again with an attack when Sunset struck his horn with her glowing sword, cutting the protrusion in half. Aethon cried out in pain as the red piece fell to the floor. She raised the blade to cleave his head from his neck when the entire castle shook beneath their hooves. Aethon grinned and flew out of attack range. “They’re here.” Tempest’s six guards each reloaded their crossbows and prepared to fire again when a glowing cloud with a serpent’s head burst through the wall and passed through the heads of the lined up soldiers. Each screamed as the cloud passed from one guard to another. Tempest hesitated for only a second before jumping from the balcony and crashing down onto a magic pillow she had conjured to break her fall. When she tore off her helmet and looked back up the guards had all gone silent as they lay atop one another unmoving with empty eye sockets and their tongues hanging out. The cloud circled around Aethon several times, healing his wounds and fixing his horn before reshaping itself into a large equine body. Luna dropped her axe as she stared in horror at a black alicorn with turquois serpent eyes, toothy fanged grin, and forked tongue. Her midnight stardust mane was cut extremely short and clung to her neck like a helmet and two long, braided tails swished like a set of whips or snakes behind her. Her grin grew wider as she spotted Luna's expression. “Hello, Pet.” “Scylla… no…” Luna stumbled back, barely able to keep her legs from going out. Gauge growled at his thestrals and pointed at the enemy alicorns. “Don’t just stand there gawking! Fire your arrows!” The water from the tranquility stream that circulated throughout the edges of the throne room rose up and impaled the six thestrals with crossbows, turning the water spears they were being held on red. Once they stopped moving the water receded and reformed to an aquamarine colored alicorn who walked over the bodies without a second glance. His slicked back, seaweed green mane clung to his fur and the expression he flashed to Gauge was one of sheer boredom. The throne room shook again and the floor broke away as a hole opened and out sprang a large pink alicorn with frizzy pink mane and tail and pinkish-red eyes. Her expression was one of homicidal glee as she bounced past all the bodies while giggling. Twilight’s jaw was hanging open. The resemblance was far too close for comfort. “P, Pinkie?!” “Nope!” replied the new alicorn, her voice deeper than Pinkie Pie’s, but still, strangely, just as bubbly. “But I do know who you are talking about. She was one our first experiments to see if we could send power of influence through dreams over a newborn foal! But, I maaaaaay have put a liiiiiittle too much of my own influence into her. Hehe! Every time we tried to convince her to do our bidding, she just started to giggle.” Aethon groaned and rolled his eyes. “Kookie, she said we were kookie voices in her head. Such a waste of power and potential.” Aethon shook his head, taking in the sight of his brother and sisters, all together again. “Welcome back.” “Good to be back,” Balius commented, taking a moment to survey their surroundings and who was left standing. “Shall we finish this little exchange so that we can get to the business of remaking this world? I doubt Mother will wait on the sidelines much longer.” “You lied to me.” The four alicorns turned their attention to Flurry Heart, still desperately clenching Celestia to her chest. “You said you were my friends, you said you only needed to hurt her enough to get free. But it wasn’t true, was it? You wanted her dead and used me to do it.” Balius shrugged. “Yes, we did. If you had been stronger, we would have had you break us out one at a time, but it was clear you would not have done so, not fast enough at least.” Sunset Shimmer had slowly worked her way over to Twilight while still keeping an eye on their four enemies. Flurry was dangerously too close to the four immortals to try and attack now, Luna was barely holding together and Tempest and Gauge were now reeling at losing so many guards so quickly. Sunset was trying to think of a way for the situation to be worse, but was hitting rock bottom. “Twilight, gather the others and teleport away as far as you can. Keep teleporting and running until you can’t go any farther.” Twilight hissed back at Sunset, her voice an octave too high even as a whisper. “And what about you?! You couldn’t take on one by yourself let alone four.” Sunset didn’t turn to the other princess. “They killed my mother. I’m not going down without at least taking one of these blank flanked abominations with me.” “Blank flanked abominations? How rude. Do you even understand what your precious cutie marks actually are?” Both Twilight and Sunset turned to Balius who stepped past Flurry without a second glance. His leg casually kicked a dead thestral, but he paid the dead no mind. “No matter. You know, we really don’t have to fight like uncivilized barbarians, Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset scowled at him, horn taking on a brighter golden glow. There was something about the way the male alicorn talked and carried himself that reminded Sunset of the slimeball motorcycle dealer she had sold Midnight to and that just rubbed her all sorts of wrong ways. “Suck my hairy clit, douche canoe.” The clicking ‘tisk’ sound he made with his teeth only made her dislike him more. “Sunset, we didn’t kill Celestia out of retribution or hate, it was just a matter of necessity. Mother tied our prison locks to her life force. If there is any pony you should direct your anger towards it’s her. She created this world as an experiment to see what were the extents of her powers. And here’s a fun little fact that I KNOW she didn’t tell any of you. The world that you see, all that you have ever known, this was not her first attempt. No, that one failed, so she wiped it all out and started over. “She tried again with us helping cultivate the life so she could attempt to hold back the darkness this time. Later, she used the stars as a shield, once again, with our help. And we did a superb job if I may say so, but she wanted perfection and that’s just not possible, not when there are more forces at work in the universe besides just her. Where she saw life and harmony, other aspects saw an opportunity to sow death and chaos. But rather than start over again she locked us away when things didn’t go according to her plan. Is it any wonder we were angry?” “Because now all of you have souls and that was far too precious to wipe away once more,” Scylla added with a tone of disgust. “Why bother telling us this?” asked Twilight. “You are just going to kill the world no matter how hard we resist you.” “Well, see that’s the thing, we don’t need to kill all of you. We just want to start over part way and remake the world by our designs, not hers. And of course to do this we will need to have access to the Well of Souls.” Balius cocked his head while he examined Twilight. “You have no idea what I am talking about, do you? Just like your cutie marks, you don’t know what a soul really is. Long explanation short, they are tied together, one in the same and they are powerful.” “Enough talk!” shouted Aethon, his blades reforming. “They won’t help us, and Mother only created other alicorns to oppose and replace us. They must be eliminated.” Balius shrugged. “Well, bloodlust aside, he’s not wrong. So…” Balius, Epona, and Scylla took flight and gave their brother room. Aethon was grinning as he approached the group. Sunset raised her sword defensively, refusing to back down, standing to Twilight’s left while Luna, who had regained most of her composure, stood on the right. Tempest had taken position as rear guard with her horn glowing brightly. Aethon licked his lips, trying to decide who to kill first. Wait, where did the thestral go? The throne room became instantly hazed by fog so thick one could barely see their hoof before their face. Twilight used the distraction to teleport Flurry, Celestia, and Isabella next to her. She had no plans to leave Sunset to die, but at least she could get the others to safety. However, when Twilight attempted to teleport the other’s to outside the castle she was hit with an overwhelming sense of vertigo that nearly made her vomit. She stumbled and groaned. It felt just like… “Twilight, get out of here!” shouted Sunset. “I can’t! They dropped an interdiction cage on top of us!” The Athanatoi flapped their wings in unison and the fog was gathered and blown out through the hole in the ceiling. Aethon was about to gloat when a sharp pointed quarter staff stabbed down from the shadows through his back and out his chest. Holding onto the staff was Captain Fog Gauge snarling with his fangs bared. Sunset’s eyes met with those of her captain’s and she knew there was not a moment to lose. She fired her horn at the other three alicorns and charged Aethon with her sword raised high. Somehow, despite a wound that would have been fatal to any other pony, he was still flapping his wings, staying airborne. Gauge let go of his staff and attached two blades to his foreleg gauntlets in an attempt to slit the red alicorn’s throat. Aethon roared, his entire body burst into flames. Sunset took the brunt of the blast, shielding the others on the ground from the over wash. She was thrown back into Twilight, but her eyes went wide at the sound of a blood curdling, painful scream that echoed off the remaining walls right before a burned body fell to the ground in a lump. “NOOOO!” Tempest scrambled past the princesses and scooped the smoking body up into her lap. “FOG! Oh, merciful Celestia, no!” Tempest put an ear to his chest and listened as his heart beat erratically, his breathing sickly wet and wheezing. “Captain Gauge, you look at me right now, soldier!” Nearly all of Gauge’s fur was burned away and much of the naked skin was blistered and red, other parts charred to black. His wings were gone as were his mane and tail. Slowly, one cloudy, yellow eye opened and he choked trying to speak. “Foggy? Shhhh, I know, don’t try to speak. It’s okay, I’m here, I’ve got you.” Tempest held him close as he convulsed, tears streaming down her face. “You damn fool, you loyal damned fool.” Never before had Twilight seen Tempest Fury cry in front of others. Even at her own mother’s funeral she held it in until she was alone. The sight finally broke Twilight as all hope drained from the purple alicorn. Scylla pulled the staff from her brother and quickly healed the wound. “A few seconds, that’s all he bought you. Pathetic mortals.” Scylla’s horn lit up. Then Aethon’s, Balius’s, and Epona’s. “Goodbye, false gods.” The remaining roof of the throne room sheered away. The four Athanatoi were pulled together against their will, their eyes wide with fear, anger, defiance, and confusion. They gathered their bearings and tried to fight back when a black void opened and sucked the four of them through. The void sealed and the sound of rushing vacuum died away. When Sunset and Twilight opened their eyes again a tall, black and white alicorn with a black diamond pattern in the middle of her face was staring down at them. Her expression one of smoldering anger and disappointment. Sunset was about to speak when Aine’s horn lit brilliant white, blinding the room. Then, a feeling of falling as the world went black.