//------------------------------// // The Legendary Kira Perfecta // Story: Night Patrol 2: Awakening // by Foxgear //------------------------------// Night Patrol 2 Awakening Chapter 69 By Foxgear Kira Perfecta Shiroyama proclaimed goddess of Nippon, the Great Mother, and the world’s deadliest grandma. Gazed at the sprawling coastline from her throne aboard the Emerald Cutter. Before her red gaze was the vast lands of Equestria. Home to the sister nations of Canterlot and Evernight. The countries of her two most beloved friends, Luna and Celestia. In her claws was the hastily sent message from Queen Cadence, Celestia’s and Luna’s niece by strange family ties. It was weird that the pink Queen was neither rulers’ child, thus not either’s niece, but at this point, what did it matter? Queen Cadence sent a message asking for aid, or more specifically, to be alert for some unknown danger. Unfortunately, immediately after reading the news, the sky turned red/purple, all gemcom communications became static and magical means of long-form communication were nulled. There were also worldwide monster horde attacks with the unicorns aiding them—standard end of the world stuff. In response to Cadence’s request, Kira took Nippon’s first fleet with a sizable force to investigate this disturbance personally. Unfortunately, during the three-day journey, her fleet experienced many monster attacks. From the sky came hordes of harpies, strange winged creatures with the face of a pony, wings in place of their forelegs, and the lower body of various birds of prey. They were also all mares. The species was indeed a mystery. Their marauding attacking pestered them for a day and a half. The flying beasts having the gull to attack her ships only a few miles from her own coastline. Anti-flyer, AF, gem blasters reduced their numbers until they were far enough out to sea. The harpies had no choice but to break off their raid. They would have fallen into the ocean to their deaths with no place to land had they continued. So, they weren’t completely mindless. Naturally, being aboard flying airships, Kira, like many would assume the threat of sea monsters, was null and void. That was on a typical day, of course. But, unfortunately, the days have been anything but ordinary since the sky turned red. Sea Serpents, the dragons of the water, could apparently float in the sky as well as the water. The serpents shooting out of the water like arrows, their blue scales shining in the permeant evening/dawn. The bottom defenses of most if not all Airships were weak. Mostly because putting stuff down there made landing harder. So, Kiri and some of her other clan members eagerly took to the defense and wiped out the monsters. This pattern continued for the rest of their journey over the ocean. Deep-sea creatures, such as Krakens, Nessie’s, and various others that should know better to attack so far outside of their domain, still tried. As if driven by some psychotic force. Whatever the case, they were a minor annoyance in the grand scheme. As the fleet made their approach to Canterlot, Kira suddenly ordered them to turn towards Evernight. Now she wasn’t playing favorites… ok, she was. But she wasn’t just playing favorites. They had no intel on what was going on in Equestria. And if it so happened that Canterlot was conquered (Again), she’d instead establish a base in Evernight if possible. She hoped Celestia didn’t think too ill of her, but she doubted that Evernight, even if attacked, could be wholly occupied. Thus, at her word, the fleet turned to Evernight. The remnants of the Everfree forest came into view as the city of Night Port appeared on the horizon. Stationing the fleet within bombarding range, Kira took a spyglass to observe the city. It was quiet. Far too quiet, if you asked her. She ordered for the deployment of a significant number of her soldiers. Over five hundred, of the two thousand she brought along. Among them would be herself, Kiri, Kaki, her sisters, Hazel Thunder, and High Octane. They would all approach the shore on the Destroyer: Yuki. The small ship would act as their fortress as they examined the city properly. “Something happened here,” Stated Hazel as they walked from the docks to the town square. Many of the buildings sustained damage with clear signs of a fire breaking out, and nearly half of the main street was blackened timber. Kira silently took in the sight of a discarded child’s plushie. The plushie was that off a Night Patroller. With little regard for how it looked, she picked the stuffed toy off the ground and stuffed it into her bag. She was sure the child was missing it, and she’d give it back if she could. “Look for survivors.” The order almost didn’t need to be said, but it made her feel better. As if speaking it aloud would assure they would find something. “Lady Kira,” Hazel spoke softly as they wandered through the city’s streets. “Don’t you find it strange there are no bodies? Of any kind?” “I don’t remember saying it wasn’t,” Was her subdued reply. But, of course, it was strange! How could it not be? The crows don’t work that fast. Leaving the task of searching the rubble to the younger ponies. Kira approached the edge of the city limits, looking down the long rail line the looped around the entire forest. Wondering where the train was. She didn’t expect it to still be operational but wondered if it was stuck in some other town or if it managed to cart the civilians off to safety. “Great Mother! We’ve found something!” There was a commotion now. One of the units found something in the rubble. Like little kids fighting for their mother’s attention, they begged her over. Kiri called for them to hush as she examined the remains, dragged from a burned-out building. “An Alicorn?” Kira uttered aloud, fiddling with the charred black bones of the body. The body wasn’t completely burned up. Most of the outer layer of flesh was merely charred black. The feathers and flesh of the wings were burned clean off, leaving only blackened bone behind. The body also had a half-burned skull with a unicorn horn. By the bulk, it was most likely a stallion. The number of known living male alicorns was zero. So, Kira wasn’t betting on this being Celestia’s secret brother or boyfriend. It was puzzling, though. Charging her eyes with magic, Kira’s world turned to shades of gray. The pulse of her own heartbeat appeared as a pulsing blue wave over the gray tone environment. With her X-ray vision, she could see the bright red light of everyponies organs. She could also see their weak spots and injuries. And she could also see the dead Alicorn Stallion’s insides. Now she was no doctor, but Kira’s carved up enough bodies to know what was what. And this thing wasn’t an alicorn, at least not a true one. Her only comparison was to Vulcan, from the end of the Crystal war, but it was all she had. The main tip-off was the bone structure. This Stallion’s bones were far too thin for an alicorn. Also, there was something weird about the way the wings were attached. It might have just been because the body was so damaged, but the placement of the wings wasn’t entirely correct. They didn’t seem natural, more like they were shoved into the body and glued on. But that was only speculation. What wasn’t was the pony’s armor. It was clearly Equestrian, but the emblem, which should have been the sun, was an eight-point star. What was the reason behind this? Was there a coup? The idea was hard to imagine. Celestia’s ponies loved her to the point of being cultish. Not that Kira was in a place to talk. Still, this could be a case of brainwashing and some sort of alchemy. Kira experienced both, but that didn’t narrow down her list of enemies. Mostly because she didn’t know who to put on the list that wasn’t already dead. “Let’s move onto the forest. We’ll follow the tracks to the castle. Kiri, have the units disembark and set up a base camp here.” It would be faster to fly the airships over the forest, but that would leave the vast majority of her units trapped on their ships. If one were to be taken down, it wouldn’t just be the crews that suffered. Thousands of lives could be lost in a blink if she wasn’t careful, and with the situation, unknown, careful was all she could be. “Kiri,” Kira called for her grandson while watching the Nippon forces deploy. The stalwart young Stallion was right at attention, waiting for her command. “Pick a reliable pony to oversee the establishment of a base here. I want to advance with a light unit within the hour. Only ponies capable of flight are allowed. Keep the number to less than fifty, please.” Everypony was bound to volunteer, but Kira needed a mobile unit. So flying was essential. “Hazel, Octane, as you two are not of my army, you are free to act as you please.” She told the young monster ponies. They would have followed along anyway, so she might as well invite them. “We will company you, ma’am! We want to see HQ for ourselves anyway.” Hazel sounded off while saluting. In one hour, Kira found herself a reliable mobile unit comprised almost entirely of Nippon Rinin. By the white coloring, many were of her clan too, which was expected. Her family was rather talented. There were even some Miko, who removed their heavy robes and stood in line with the warriors. They could fight if needed, but they were primarily supporting roles, medics, and such. The Sakura sisters were all a part of the unit as well. Kaki, Sakura, and Momo stood at the front. Momo weighed down with some sort of heavy gear. Kiri was, of course, part of the unit, second in command; in fact, and Hazel and High Octane were along for the ride, so fifty-two total ponies. Fifty-three, including herself. Raising her claw, Kira gave the order to move out, “Samurai of Nippon! Advance!” They traveled fast. Even with a group of fifty-three, Kira was happy about their time. Following the train tracks gave them a clear path to follow, and it would let them take stock of the other towns on the way to Night Haven. Evernight’s capital. From Night Port, her group passed into Night Hallow. It was the third-largest city in Evernight, acting as an overflow for Night Haven. A suburb, basically. Many ponies would live in Hallow and take the train to Haven for their work. Unfortunately, Night Hallow was in even worse shape than Night Port. Night Port at least still looked like a town. Ruined, but you could still tell something was there. Night Hallow was barely some brick walls and timber. It was completely burned to the ground. The charred remains of the city were a devastating sight to see with almost nothing left, and unlike with Night Port, they found plenty of bodies. Kira found something that made her blood chill. A blackened gold gauntlet in the center of town. Glove’s Gauntlet. “Gloves…” There was evidence of Glove’s signature attack all over. The cobblestone road was plowed with foot-deep trenches from Glove’s attack. The bigger holes were probably made after he lost his gauntlet. “Lady Kira,” Hazel said, trotting up. “We’ve confirmed there are more of those… Lesser Alicorns and many Night Patrollers.” The Monster Pony trailed off; it was understandable why. These were her friends. “Umm… sorry, I’m losing my train of thought…ah….” “It must have been a hell of a battle,” Kira interrupted. “They were clearly outnumbered. That was always a chronic problem with Night Patrol, never enough talent to meet demand. Still, look at them all. It must have been a hundred to ten. I’m sure Luna and Sixes would be proud. There are even monsters in the mix.” Kira didn’t look to see if her words were a comfort to Hazel. It might be cold of her, but she was used to this. Not by choice, mind you, but she couldn’t let her old wiry heart break before the others. She was the leader. “Why don’t you hang onto this. I’m sure Gloves will want this back when we find him.” She said, passing the charred gauntlet to Hazel. “You really think he’s alive?” “Unless he was completely vaporized, I fail to see his shrimpy frame anywhere.” Of course, the joke was in poor taste, but it was the only way to stay sane. Leaving the horror of Night Hallow behind, Kira and the others pushed on to Night Haven. Once again, they were flying along the train tracks, quickly approaching the city proper. The castle rising over the forest in the distance. (Almost there…) “Lady Kira!” Kiri suddenly shouted and then pushed her! Kiri pushed her! That was outrageous for him to do without reason, and his reason was a magical slash that just about took her head! (I didn’t sense it at all.) Rolling with the tackle, Kira drew her swords after freeing herself from Kiri’s embrace. She didn’t wait for pleasantries with the enemy. Instead, letting lose a wind-infused slash that cut a new path through the forest. There were screams and a lot of blood, but they might as well be background noise to that impish cackle. “Fun! Fun! Fun! You look so fun! Baba!” A short, filly giggled gleefully. At this distance, Kira could only make out the twin red horns growing from her head and the club and spear in her… claws? (An Oni-Rinin? Does such a thing exist?) Unfortunately, Kira didn’t get time to debate the strange pony hybrid. The little yellow devil was on her! (She’s so fast!) Kanabo met Katana in a legendary clash that shook the leaves of the trees. Kira felt her foreleg go numb from just blocking the attack! “Little shit!” Eyes glowing red, she looked at the world in gray and red as the devilish Oni-Rinin dashed about, Kira following the red pulsations of her heartbeat. “Is she… flying?” Blazing fiery wings sprung from the banana-colored filly’s back as she flew at record-breaking speeds. Kira unfurled her six wings in response and gave chase, but a mob of living Lesser Alicorns barred her path! “Protect, Lady Ibaraki!” They chanted. In response, her soldiers shouted, “Protect lady Kira!” A melee ensued between the two factions. “Hazel, Octane, with me!” Kira barked at the younger monster ponies, cutting through the horde of mobs like a protagonist in one of those new-fangled video games her grandkids were gushing about. Ok, she played them too, but so did Luna. “Hazel, clear a path!” “Roger! I’ve been waiting for this!” With a grin and yellow thunder, Hazel summoned a spearhead-shaped gem from her saddlebag. Giving it some charge and then a spin! “Gungnir!” Like a shot from a cannon, Hazel blew a hole through the enemy ranks, and the trio passed through after Ibaraki, who was clearly and deliberately leading them away from the fight. She wanted them all to herself. Kira’s theory was proven true when they found Ibaraki waiting by a large boulder. With that same devilish grin on her face. “Hehehe, fun, fun! You’re so much fun for an Obaba! But I guess I’m older than you? You just look it better! HEHEHE!” Ibaraki found her own joke funnier than it was. What wasn’t funny was how she stood bipedal, wielding her Kanabo in her right claw and her Banner Spear in the other. Written in Nippon on the banner was “Mother of Oni.” Kira rose to bipedal, feeling much more comfortable fighting this way, after her adventures in Sunset Shimmer’s world. “I suppose I need to explain….” “Shut the fuck up,” Cut in Kira, pointing her sword at Ibaraki. “I don’t need to know your motives or your story. You’ve hurt my friends, my comrades. That is all I need to know.” Ibaraki merely shrugged, “You’re much too hot-blooded, Baba. All that stress can’t be good for you, like that little colt with the weird red claw. He was so stressed out, but he was fun to fight! He was all Vroom! Boom! AHHH! Yah know?” “Gloves?” “I guess that was his name,” Ibaraki replied, tapping her chin. “He wasn’t that much fun, so I didn’t bother remembering his name.” Kira moved to strike, but High Octane rocketed in front of her, blocking the incoming attack from the Oni-Rinin’s club! “Oh! You look fun!” Ibaraki gushed. “And you look cute too! Little Rock pony!” “Grr,” Octane didn’t bother with words, instead used the vents on his body to propel himself forward. Or he tried too. Ibaraki dug into the ground with her hind claws and… didn’t move. “Lady Kira!” Hazel shouted, getting in front of the white rinin. “Please don’t waste your strength on this little wretch! Leave her to us!” Kira was about to retort but held back. Instead, sheathed her swords. They were right. This Ibaraki was a lousy opponent for her. There was no doubt she could waste the little grinning devil, but that would be it. She’d use up all her strength on this banana Oni. It would be wiser to save her power for the true mastermind. Something about Ibaraki irritated Kira, which is why she impulsively dismissed the enemy’s chance to give away their plans. As villains seem to do. But know she deprived herself of that information, for what? Then there was the fact she was having trouble sensing Ibaraki’s attacks. And struggling to keep up. In her base form. That felt like a necessary cavoite. She could win, but the effort wasn’t worth the trouble. Not right now. “I’ll leave it to you two then.” Hazel’s gaze darted from Ibaraki to Kira’s disappearing back. Cautiously she moved in the path of Kira’s departure in case the yellow Oni-Pony gave chase. However, this seemed to be unnecessary as Ibaraki was giving Hazel an almost lecherous grin. Perhaps it wasn’t that nefarious. Instead, it was like a child eyeing a new piece of candy at the store. The brazen desire to have the shiny new object was as innocent as it was selfish. “Hmm, the Oba was fun. Definitely more fun than you two, but I doubt she’d take me seriously, right? I can’t blame her; my appearance is certainly unnerving for a pony like her. If only I gained more height from my ascension, but sadly I didn’t. Not even after absorbing half of my children and the bones of that dragonlord. Still, can you two bring yourselves to hurt this precious little face?” Ibaraki made funny faces with her cheeks, indeed the act of a child amused by its own humor, yet the shift in the Alirin’s tone was unnerving. The childish voice was gone, replace with a deeper, more mature voice. Like a teenager in puberty, it was still raspy, but it’s lost all trace of the cutesy aspect. That Hazel suspected was a charade. “You’re more intelligent than you let on,” The Monster Pony stated. High Octane nodded sightly as the two of them approached the Alirin from either side. “What’s your game?” “Oh? You’re actually interested? Well, too bad! I don’t really have any grand goals like the others. I wasn’t even really paying attention when Minerva and Morrigan were bickering. I just want to wake up my little sister and have fun. Self-indulge in my own pleasures spread a little wickedness and put down some divine retribution.” Octane snorted, “So, you’re just a mad pony.” “Not as mad as some others, but I was often accused of being a bit of a berserker, ruining my clan because I dotted on my little sister and ignored my duties was my mother’s greatest fear, and it did happen. Not that I care. Forcing me to do something I don’t want is stupid, right? So why would I care if I’m forced to do it? I’d rather brush Shuten’s mane and spoiler her.” Ibaraki closed her eyes, her toothy smirk widening. “Now, are we going to talk or fight? Come on, I know you’re positioning for a pincer attack. Just do it already!” Perhaps foolishly, the two Monster ponies charged as intended from both sides. Yellow lightning sparked from Hazel’s horn while High Octane erupted, blowing flames from his back and forelegs like rocket thrusters. “Hah! Still too slow and too weak!” Ibaraki mocked Octane, halting his attack once more. Even with the extra speed, he could barely budge her. The force of his attack being stopped created gusts that rustled the leaves on the trees and broke the sound barrier. He broke away while Hazel tried to slash with her mana horn, Ibaraki parring with her spear banner, dancing nimbly away on her hindlegs. “You two can do this, right?” Ibaraki taunted, standing on one leg. “Come on, walk like monkeys! It’s much more fun!” She declared, spinning her banner with her claws. With a grunt, High Octane rose to bipedal, making an imposing figure. Then, breaking into a sprint, he charged once more, charging up his right arm with max force! Fire exploded across his rocky skin, not that he could feel it. Octane was about to connect when another hulking figure appeared behind Ibaraki, a beast of a pony, wielding a giant hammer. Bulwark Bulldrake. Platinum De Belle’s husband. He was in rough shape. The thick armor he usually wore was a broken mess, his bulky frame exposed for all the world to see. One of the curved bull horns that gave him his name was broken, his face covered in blood. He let out a loud bellowing bovine-like roar as he brought his hammer down. Ibaraki raised her Kanabo and blocked the hammer strike that could have dented the hull of a battleship, cold. Then, with her spear, Ibaraki thrust at him, and Octane found himself flying away from the Alirin. Hazel screaming. “Gungnir!” Barely reached his ears when a flash of golden light engulfed the small clearing. And a counter roar of, “Sogen-Bi!” The last thing Octane saw was a giant red claw reaching out to grab him and the words, “I haven’t had enough fun yet.” Whispered into his mind. --break Kira made for the castle with thoughts of doubt plaguing her along the way. Should she have left Ibaraki to Hazel and Octane? Hard to say. It would be dishonorable to them to turn back, yet did she really care about such things? She’d rather have them alive. On the other hoof, she couldn’t let her old soft heart dictate her actions. “Lady Kira!” Kiri and the Sakura sisters flew up beside her. “We’re here to escort you?” “What of the others? You didn’t leave them to fend for themselves to protect me, did you?” “Gintoki is in command. Besides, they will fight better knowing you have us with you.” Kiri said, which made sense to her. She certainly felt more at ease with her grandchildren in view. It was easier to protect them that way. “Alright, the castle is in sight, be ready.” The five rinin dived towards Evernight Castle; it was a heart-breaking sight to see its dismal state. Again, Kira was reminded of the Griffon War. Walls were caved in, towers blown to bits, and bodies littered the ground. Once more, more of the enemy lay on the floor than Night Patrollers, but there were still many ponies she knew slain on the floor. Wordlessly Kira glided towards the roof landing. Her plan was to search the castle. There were secret spots survivors could be holed up in. However unlikely it was. By the smell alone, more than a day’s past since the battle took place. Kira didn’t lament their arrival time. They got here as fast as they could. There was no getting around it, so thinking about it wouldn’t help. “Somepony fancied themselves swordpony,” Kiri stated, inspecting one of the bodies laid against a chopper. The pony dressed as a pilot was nearly split in two, a horrible gash dividing his body from his shoulder to his groin. Unfortunately, the helicopter wasn’t much better. It was broken much like its operator, like a pie with a missing piece. The pilot wasn’t the only one with such a wound. A good number of ponies featured the same thing—single fatal injuries from a bladed weapon, and a big one at that. “Should we start searching the castle?” Kaki asked, apprehensive about approaching the darkened stairwell. There was no telling what manner of creature could be lurking in the shadows. “No need,” Kira assured her, activating her killer’s eyes. After that, the world became shades of gray and white, the red pulsing of everyponies heartbeat acting as a radar. Kira looked through the entire castle, all the way down to the deepest level. She saw nothing. No pulses of a hiding pony. Just silence. To be sure, she let her own heart beat faster, creating red sonar waves in her vision. This was a technique that took years to develop. Much like a sub-sonar, her heartbeat would resonate and reveal any heartbeats. From experience, she found out there were certain things her essential sonar vision couldn’t detect. Something like a pony deliberately breathing so slow, their heart barely beats. The one three floors down was a great example. She saw the red silhouette in the world of gray, and then a flash of blue came at her! “Everypony, move!” Kira barked as the roof split open. Instantly her swords were in her claws, but rather than facing the newly created ravine, Kira spun around. Just in time to block the massive glowing great sword. Wielded by a pony that could only be described as death itself. Its face was that of a bleached skull. Blazing azure flames billowed from its blackened eye sockets. Two curved horns pointed at her while the pony’s cape blew in the wind, with draconic wings spread wide. “A bicorn?” Kira blurted out, surprised to see such a creature here. “Or maybe not…” She added while backstepping. The Bicorn, much like the Oni-pony before, was bipedal, making it another type of Rinin that she’s never seen before. The Bicorn grabbed the hilt of its sword, wielding the weapon with its claws rather than magic. Kira blocked with one blade and thrust with the other. The Bicorn expertly sidestepped, slashed, and thrust, and then backed off when she spat lightning at him. Kiri flanked to keep up the pressure, using his white mist to perform a Great Slash. Yet unlike when he cut down Sombra’s Son, Scath, the Nippon Prince was uncertain of the results. He inspected his sword, finding the finely crafted blade chipped. The Bicorn, now well out of sword range, let out a joyful laugh as the Sakura sisters surrounded him. “What a marvelous display! Truly a pony worthy of being my prey. And not just one, but two! Morrigan undersold you, my friends.” The Bicorn make a sweeping gesture that Kira recognized as a traditional Saddle Arabian greeting. “I am Hassan I Sabbah, the First. I am also known as the old Stallion of the mountain. Father of the Bicorns, Alirin of Justice, Terror and Death and Slayer of Dragonlord Azazel.” “Alirin?” Kira remembered the other one, Ibaraki, saying the same thing. “So, you’re an Alicorn Rinin?” “Something to that effect, though Alirin Lord is my full classification, that gets too wordy. I’ve been seeking an opponent to test my new might since my victory and absorption of my old enemy, Azazel.” “So, you’re like me, but you used a dragonlord as your alchemy materials? That’s interesting.” Kira’s grip tightened on her hilts. Combining the two most powerful creatures on the planet, how was that fair? “So, are you the leader of…whatever this is?” Hassan shook his head, “I’m merely a servant, humbly fulfilling my mission. Though I led once, I prefer to be in the field rather than behind it. If you wish to meet the masterminds, those two bickering sisters, they are in Canterlot. You will have to face me first.” “Lady Kira, leave this to us,” Kiri stated, drawing his other sword. This was feeling familiar. “Kaki!” “Got it!” The eldest Sakura sister replied, unsheathing her own sword. Sakura and Momo also drew their weapons. Sakura drew a katana, and Momo had a wrench and a grenade. “What?” Momo asked defensively at her sisters’ stares. “I forgot my sword! Ok? Besides, I’m not in the dojo every day like you two! I’m a mechanic!” “I’m beginning to question my own logic in bringing you,” Kaki sighed. All three sisters were a part of the military, and it did make sense to bring Momo to deal with equipment repairs, but bringing her as a field engineer might have been ill-advised. Kira, meanwhile, while not liking the leaving idea any more than last time. Trusted Kiri and the others to deal with Hassan. However, flying to Canterlot by herself wasn’t feasible. “Momo, come here. I’ll need your assistance.” “Of course, Lady Kira!” Momo nearly bounced over to her, and surprisingly Hassan was ok with this little bit of banter. Was he plotting something or just chivalrous? Either way, Kira kept her eye on him. “How can I be of service?” “Flying to Canterlot would tax me too greatly. I require you to find and operate a vehicle to bring me there.” “On it! Follow me!” Kiri stayed on guard as Kira took Momo from the battlefield, perhaps sparing the weakest Sakura sister/his sister-in-law from a grizzly fate. “I’m surprised you’re letting this just happen,” Kiri said to Hassan. The skull-faced pony seemed unperturbed by the shift in opponents. “I was excited about that old mare, but you, a young stallion, have just as much potential. I will whet my appetite with you before continuing on to my main course.” Hassan readied his sword, as did Kiri and the sisters. “Do not think three on one is to your advantage, young… Kiri, was it?” “Kiri Perfecta Shiroyama.” “How polite, but enough pleasantries, if you were smart, you would have sent all three of those pink fillies with your dear Lady Kira. For you see…” Hassan suddenly disappeared in a fog of black smoke. Kiri, in turn, vanished via a white mist, the two materializing in front of Sakura and Kaki, both sisters, skilled swordponies in their own right, were taken entirely by surprise. “They are mere burdens in this battle.” “Why you!” “Kaki, stay back!” Kiri deflected Hassan’s lightning-fast strikes, barely managing to block the blow that would have severed his beloved’s head from her body. Hassan, noticing this, chuckled, “I see the look of a stallion with something to lose. Good, very good, let’s up the ante.” The Bicorn’s horns flashed, creating two black chokers of smoke around the two mares. “Assassination Hex: Hanging Pony. For every breath they draw, my noose will tighten and tightened until they either choke or lose their heads. Most don’t last ten minutes.” Rather than lose his cool, Kiri unleashed a tremendous amount of white mist from his mouth, creating a thick electrocharged fog over the castle’s roof. Every enhancement rune on his body activated, white lightning sparking off his body like a thunderstorm. “Impressive, but…” Hassan didn’t get to finish. He backstepped, barely dodging Kiri’s instant strike, but that wasn’t enough. Bolts of white lightning pursued in the wake of the attack, forcing Hassan to turn into black smoke. An average pony might be worried, but he was positively exulted! So happy the young Stallion was meeting his expectations. “Now, this will be fun! I think I can be a little serious now.” Materializing, Hassan brought his blazing azure sword down when something blindsided him. It was a massive plume of burning hot smoke. He scoffed, back clawing the offending cloud away. “You’re still here? You’re not a very good sport. Or perhaps you have a death wish?” Kiri and the Sakura sisters looked surprised by the new arrival; Smokey Haze, the Squad B Monster Pony, was worse for wear. His face a bloody mess, and perhaps most shocking of all, was his missing left foreleg. “Hgh… grr… don’t count us out just yet!” Smokey growled. “Night Patrol isn’t for pushovers!” From over the walls edge, the forest, and sky, battered and wounded Night Patrollers emerged. “You fools have more vigor than I anticipated,” Hassan praised, brandishing his sword to the crowd. “To think so many of you survived after my intervention. Your defense during the siege was truly admirable, but a true warrior knows when they are defeated. You only march to your deaths.” Smokey spat, “Send a thousand, ten thousand, or a hundred thousand of those stitched of freaks or a hundred more of yourself. THIS IS OUR HOME! And we will protect it! Lord Kiri! Are you with us?” “As if you need to ask!” Kiri enchanted his sword with white lightning. Sakura and Kaki spat pink fire upon their own blades. Every Rinin’s chest ballooned, every pony with a gem blaster took aim, those without produced grenades or the rubble at their feet. “Let em’ have it!” Fire, smoke, lightning, explosions, and everything else the brave ponies of Night Patrol had to throw, was thrown. Hassan let out a deep chuckle of pure bliss as he faced the oncoming onslaught. “Look upon me and know death!” The castle was barely out of view, the highest peaks scarcely visible over the treetops when they exploded! Secondary explosions followed from the forest, catching fire, filling the dreary sky with thick black smoke. From her position atop a LAT-35 or whatever Momo called it, it was all babel to her. Kira watched the fiery scene as a full-scale battle erupted with the whinnying roars of the rinin echoing through the trees. Kira wondered once more if moving on was the right move. By the battle signs, a fierce fight, not an outright war, was breaking out. The fleet was bound to notice the chaos and could send reinforcements, which gave her some relief. The feeling of staying and fighting lingered, as did the fatigue she’s already accumulated. Kira rubbed her aching leg muscles, strained from merely blocking Hassan’s strike. This wasn’t even a case of her not taking him seriously. It was just her being old. The expectation of her defeating the mysterious big bad only added to her anxiety; everypony believed she could do it. Dusk’s prophecies only added to the hype and the world-crushing pressure on her back. Why did so many expect so much from her? She wasn’t some infallible being. She was only her. Why couldn’t they see her for the tired old mare she really was? All Kira wanted to do was play with her grandkids, drink some sake, and maybe spar here and there. (Why do I doubt myself now? Is it because of their raw strength? Have I found my match?) Kira knew she hit her ceiling long ago. Nevertheless, she kept in shape, sharpened her skills, and dabbled in some new ones out of fun. That didn’t change the fact her body grew weaker. She felt more so now than ever before. She was propped up, lorded, and praised as being so powerful. And she tried to live up to that image, but she was still mortal. Even if she was called a goddess. Taking a deep calming breath, Kira lazily watched the passing of Ponyville, the town seemingly empty. She wondered what became of the ponies were. Those delightfully silly ponies. Like Applejack the Nineth and her family. Allure’s descendants? Twilight’s other friends? When she looked towards the Apple’s farm, it seemed untouched, as if the destruction surrounding it was repelled by a strange barrier. It was probably just happenchance. Perhaps the farm was left undamaged because it was a valuable resource? Their enemies still needed food. Towns could be rebuilt; the farmland was much more fragile. “At least they’re not salting the earth,” Kira mumbled as Ponyville disappeared in the distance. Her transport certainly was fast. And surprisingly smooth, even for riding on the back. The tank was so stable she took the chance to inspect her swords and repair any nicks. The mundane action proved to be very calming. “We’re here, Lady Kira,” Momo announced, bringing the tank to a stop. Canterlot lay not far, barely a ten-minute flight. “Should I get closer?” “No, this is fine; you can go look for survivors or go join your sisters. Though the battle might be over by now. If you want to do the smart thing, you’ll return to Night Port, but that’s only my suggestion.” Kira asserted, gliding off the tank. “But then you’ll be alone….” “It’s better this way,” Kira chuckled, resigned to the winds of fate. “I’ve gained too much in my long life. I’ve gained so much love and cherished ponies, my family, and all of Nippon. I’ve become scared of losing it, me whose name means killer has become afraid of being killed.” “Lady… Kira?” Momo cocked her head confused. “What… I don’t understand….” Kira merely patted the Sakura triplet on the head, “That’s fine, child. You will, one day. Now run along. This place will not be safe for you.” Momo, hesitantly, yet obediently started the tank once more and left. To where Kira didn’t know, to her sisters, to safety, to find others needing saving? Any of them were good options to the elder rinin. Exhaling deeply, Kira looked upon the purple haze covering Canterlot. It was a vile evil-looking fog. Perhaps it symbolled her doom? Yet, unlike on the way here, she wasn’t scared anymore. The worry of losing her loved ones was missed placed. It wasn’t she who would be losing them. It would be they who would be losing her. “It was going to happen one day. I’m going to die. I knew that.” So, if that was the case, then the only thing to do, was to ensure her loved ones had a future. Even if she wasn’t there to see it. Kira suddenly felt much lighter. Happy even. This would be her gift to them. “I’m not planning to die, but if it happens, let it be for a better future. Right, Dusk?” Prepared, Kira summoned the Artifact Eight Virtues, tapped her trump card, the Azure Amulet, and spread her wings. “I’m Killing Perfection, my talent is killing! So let me do what I am meant to do!” In a white streak of blinding speed, Kira flew for Canterlot and breached the city’s purple fog. Minerva stiffened upon her throne, a chill running up her body; it was an involuntary action that even she. The Mother of Unicorns and Alicorn of Magic couldn’t suppress. “She’s here,” Minerva announced to the only other occupant of the throne room. Her dreaded sister, Morrigan, looked too happy about the arrival of Kira Perfecta for Minerva. However, Morrigan, gleefully staring into her crystal ball, did little to alleviate her twin sister’s distrust. Not that the raven like Alirin seemed to care, perhaps too caught up in her machinations to even put up a front. “Yes, yes, right on schedule. Now, if only Viride would stop playing with that little worm.” “His name is Gloves,” Minerva rebuked with venom. “She, no, all of you are forbidden from killing him or any of the others I’ve listed.” Morrigan eyed her sister disgustedly, “You sure like tying our hooves, dear sister. But, may I remind you, these… rinin are resisting us most fiercely. Not that Ibaraki and Hassan seem to mind. Those two meat brains probably love the idea of such strong opponents being around. I only see rebels to my… your cause.” “What a slippery tongue you have there, Morrigan, but I dare you to tell Hassan he’s a meathead to his face.” “Another time, but even if I did, I’m sure he’d be a gentle colt about it. Ah, she’s here.” No later than Morrigan spoke those words, Kira, in all her glory, stood before them. Bursting through the throne doors. She looked at Minerva upon the throne and Morrigan lurking in the shadows. The white Rinin’s eyes darted upwards. Perhaps she found Luna and Cadence? Minerva could believe it. “Kira,” Minerva said cordially, stepping down from the throne. “How nice to see you, old friend. I’m sure your….” “VeeVee, I’m somewhat surprised.” Minerva paused, taken aback by Kira’s quick deduction of her identity. But, of course, they interacted in the past. She’d been a medic; she’s treated everyponies wounds at least once. Still, Minerva didn’t believe her, and Kira had been close enough for her to outright guess her identity. Especially when she’s in a completely different body. “How’d you know?” Minerva inquired playfully. It was a vain hope, but perhaps she could get Kira to see her sides of things. Granted, after what she did to Evernight, she kept her bids low. “The rhythm of your heart is the same. Every pony’s heart beats at a different tempo. One’s emotional state can change the pace, but it’s always the same beat.” Minerva, upon hearing this, was eternally grateful that Kira never met her when she was Vi Violetblood. Then, her soul jumping scheme would have been found out. “You’ve always been different, you know that? I know you have the label of Monster Pony, but even among them, you are different, Kira. I’ve always wondered what sets you apart.” “I do not worry about trivial things like that.” “But you did find Hoofenstien’s lab notes in Maredor. I know there was some stuff about Fury in there, but what about you?” Kira shrugged, “Nothing interesting. It doesn’t change anything about me.” (So, she does know.) Kira had a thousand years to peer over those notes. Of all the Rinin, she probably knew herself the best. Kira had her own diagram, what the doctors wanted to achieve in creating her, and what she could achieve by learning her blueprints. “You may not find it interesting, but I do. So tell me, what did the doctors put together to make you? What manner of creature did they blend to make the greatest Rinin alive?” Kira turned her blade, so it was facing flat at Minerva, “Something ridiculous.” White lightning flashed across the throne room, prompting Minerva to dodge and call upon her weapons of choice. A rune engraved staff and a gladius. Far in the back, Morrigan held her own wand, a wicked-looking thing made of burned wood and fixed with the skull of a crow monster with rubies in the eye sockets. Her sister chanted out a string of support magic, Minerva feeling lighter and more focused as she rushed Kira. It was a battle against two legends, and Minerva was confident in her skills and power, yet when she blocked Kira’s first bone-rattling strike and then her second. The Alirin’s confidence was cast into doubt. As a result, the Alirin of Magic found herself struggling and then losing when Kira used her extra limbs to punch and rake her barrel. “You…” Minerva didn’t have the chance to banter. Instead, Kira pressed her attack, sending bolts of lightning with every swing of her Katana. The electricity traveled through the steel Gladius making Minerva’s foreleg go numb. Next came a lightning breath, but a shield courtesy of Morrigan blocked the attack. This gave Minerva a chance to breathe. She only got a single breath, though. Kira slammed her swords back into their sheaths, coiling her body into a dynamic stance, and then took a single step forward, and then there was a blur of movement. “Great Slash,” Were the words Minerva heard after a geyser of blood sprouted from her shoulder. Behind her, Morrigan was making a fuss as the same attack also wounded her somehow. As she watched the shattered remains of her sister’s shield hurl through the air. Minerva felt something land on her head, prompting her to look up. The ceiling was split in half. And it wasn’t just the ceiling. The very ground beneath Minerva’s feet gave way. Forcing the Alirins to take to the air. “What the hell is happening?” Her usually soft-spoken sister cried as they regrouped. Kira remained rooted as rubble began to fall from the ceiling. Her jade-tinted blades smoking. Raising her sword once more, Kira charged it with lightning and let loose another slash. This time the Alirins were able to see it. The wide arc of lightning that grew by the second, and it was coming right for them! “Dive!” Morrigan followed her instructions, just in time for the horizontal plane of the castle to be severed. The support pillars in the throne room all began to crumble, causing the building to shake violently. “Luna and Cadence are still in here, you lunatic!” “I’m aware,” Kira replied with her eyes glowing. She knew exactly where the two Alicorns were. “They are safe, but you’re not.” Coiling her body again, Kira drew both swords this time, “Greater Slash! Canyon Cleaver!” Kira became a spinning ball of blades and death, flying at the Alirin like a pinball. Morrigan threw up shield after shield to stop her advance, and each was cleaved through like it wasn’t even there. Minerva did a quick chant firing a concentrated beam of magic from her staff. Even this did little if anything to slow Kira. “Fuck! Zil, come to me!” Calling on her hound, Minerva breathed a sigh of relief when Zil, forcibly summoned. Managed to block Kira’s attack with her rapiers. The Daughter of Sombra was about as happy as expected. “Holy fucking Celestia! What’s this horseshit!” Zil cursed in the manner of her in-laws. She had just made it back home only to be called again! Even worse, she was face to face with the one who killed her brother, Erebus! Instead of flames of revenge, she only felt the chill of fear. “You fucking bitch! You were going to sacrifice me, weren’t you!” Zil’s ire wasn’t at her brother’s killer, but her own ‘master’ who clearly threw her to the wolves this time and didn’t even have the decently to deny it. “That’s our bargain, my little Cu.” Zil could only growl in reply and then eeped! When Kira suddenly switched up her attack, bear-hugging the Dark Princess and then suplex her into the floor. From the dust, Kira emerged, her artifact, the Eight Virtues floating around her. When Morrigan tried to blindside her with a spell, one of the eight floating orbs blocked the attack. When Hassan appeared behind her, an orb stopped him too. Blocking his swing. “I knew you’d be fun, Obaba!” Ibaraki cackled. The banana-colored Alirin was sporting some singed and ruffled clothing but didn’t look any worse for wear. Hassan, too appeared to be in good health, despite having faced Kiri of all ponies. “What happened to them?” Kira asked in a low voice, glaring hard at the late arrivals. “I beat them to bloody pulps!” “They faced their ends honorably.” Kira clenched her eyes tight, pain filling her chest, her old heart aching. Thinking of all those youngsters, her grandchildren, her students. White steam billowed from her scales as she rose to bipedal—lightning arcing off her body as she began to shine. Two of the Virtues laid themselves beneath her feet, creating clouds for her to walk on. Another two she grasped in her extra forelegs. Finally, the Azure amulet began to shine, her silver man taking on an ethereal appearance. With unsurpassed rage, Kira glared at the ponies surrounding her and said, “I’m going to eviscerate you.” Before the Alirin’s could blink, Ibaraki went from smiling cockily to bisected! Her body scattered across the crumbling floor in a display of gore that made the hardiest warriors sick in the stomach. Hassan faired a little better, blocking Kira’s first pass on instinct alone, but lost a foreleg on the second, a wing on the third, and then was grabbed by the neck, and his face ground against the wall in a very Sixes like move. Tossing the broken Bicorn horn aside, Kira set her sights on the sisters once more. However, after a few steps, pain spread through her body. Kira extracted Ibaraki’s Spear Banner with a hiss, glaring at the half-regenerated pile of flesh. Hassan was in a similar state. “Don’t think killing us will be so easy! We’re gods compared to you!” Ibaraki spat as muscle tissue and skin formed over her skull. The way they healed was very similar to Fierce Fury. Bits of flame traveled over their broken bodies, leaving new skin in its wake. Kira merely grinned, “I guess I finally have a worthy opponent then. But, of course, you’re not my first immortals either.” Then, pulling her hair sticks free, Kira threw the silver sticks into Ibaraki’s regenerating throat and let loose a flying thunder slash at Hassan to keep him down. Next, she intercepted Minerva by cutting off her forelegs and then threw her Watashe into Morrigan’s heart. Another route of pain exploded in her side, finding Zil’s parrying knife. With intense glowing eyes, she stared down the ex-princess. “Do you want to die?” Zil patted her chest as if Kira was grasping her very heart. “No… Ma’am…” She croaked out. Then, one of the Eight Virtues glowed, blasting Zil with its magical light. “Then leave!” Kira roared, completely ignoring the ex-princess, who stood shell shocked as the curse binding her was suddenly shattered. Then, Zil teleported to Kira’s side, picking up her rapier, retrieving her parrying knife, and standing at the Nippon Goddess’s side. “I told you to leave. You’ll die here, stupid child.” “I have my own principles!” Zil yelled, though her legs were shaking. Her gaze on Minerva and her rapidly healing legs and the face that once belonged to her aunt. Someday it would be her sister’s turn. “I have ponies I wish to protect!” “Don’t pretend to be so high and mighty, Zil! You’re Nothing! Nothing! A worthless little worm! What good do you think you can achieve here!” Minerva raved, glaring hard at the unicorn. Zil’s lips trembled, but her weapons remained at ready. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Kira laid a wing on her back. “Do your best, child of Sombra.” The eldest daughter of King Sombra nodded respectfully at her brother’s killer. “I’ll take the brat!” Zil declared, leaping for Ibaraki. She tackled the barely regenerated Alirin and teleported her who knows where. Leaving Kira with at least one less opponent for the moment. “You know there’s no hope of the brat winning, right? You know that, Kira. Zil can’t beat her.” Minerva stated as a matter of fact. However, the white rinin didn’t rebuke her, knowing it was true. “It doesn’t have to be this way, Kira.” “VeeVee,” Kira whispered coldly. “Stop pleading for your life.” “Pleading… if this is about Hassan killing….” “I know what happens on the battlefield. I always fear for my family whenever they join me. I’ve grown to expect it, but…” Kira trailed off, a single tear falling. “I will never forgive their killers, even if it was honorable or not! NO PONY! BE THEY, GOD OR DEVIL! KILLS MY FAMILY AND ESCAPES MY WRATH!” Minerva felt genuine fear for the first time since she lay dying in the rubble of Rainbow Factory. Kira’s power continued to grow. The clouds at her feet roared with thunder and flashed with lightning. A strange wind surrounded the Rinin. Wind so dense that it shrugged off Morrigan’s spells and repelled Hassan’s strikes. It was like a Tempest. Minerva began to laugh madly, “That’s it! So that’s what he did! I can’t believe I didn’t notice sooner! That bloody bastard! I thought Rainbow Dash and Daring were suspicious, but they were just afterthoughts, weren’t they! You! Hoofenstien made you from Tempest’s remains! You’re practically her reincarnation!” Instead of retorting, Kira let loose a gale so powerful it blew over the throne room walls. Then, in a streak of light, Kira reclaimed her Watashi, splitting Morrigan’s head in two and then the rest of her and then fired lightning to try and destroy the Alirin for good. But Minerva interrupted, leaving enough of her sister to put back together. Hassan, wholly healed, bit into her back. So, Kira stabbed him in the eye and fired a lightning bolt from her sword, blowing off his head. Then stabbed Minerva in the throat! “You can’t win! I read Fierce Fury’s file! So we’ll just keep healing and healing, and so long as Luna and Cadence are here, you’re limited to these small attacks!” Minerva rasped through the wound in her neck. Kira beheaded her to see if that would work, but her sword stopped halfway, stuck in the purple Alirin’s neck bones. Clicking her tongue, Kira ripped her sword free, frowning at the chipped and worn state of her precious sword. She’s never had to use them this heavily before, so the edge was dulling. Kira pulled back her sword to strike but found her grip lax. Kira blinked, half of her vision suddenly going black as her right front foreleg suddenly drifted farther away. (What…) Kira craned her neck to see Morrigan breathing black fire and her severed smoking stub. Her severed foreleg was tossed aside and destroyed and her Katana shattered by an angry Minerva. Before Kira could wrap her head around what happened, Hassan cut off her left middle leg. Then, in a rage, she jabbed her claws into his eye sockets and slit his throat with her other sword. (This isn’t working.) Kira hissed, cauterizing her left leg. She’s killed everypony here three times over. But, unfortunately, she wasn’t doing enough damage. If they were similar to Fierce Fury, regenerating only worked so long as they had magic to burn, and they were burning through magic like a forest fire. There were some differences from Fury, though, Kira noted. Fury turned to ash before he regenerated. Minerva and the regeneration of the others were much more graphic and slower. They didn’t just burst into ashes. Instead, their bodies were like magnets pulling themselves back together. She was causing massive amounts of damage and trauma that would have Fury playing possum. The Alirin’s mana reserves must be much more extensive than Kira could even fathom. Perhaps it was merely a matter of not causing enough damage? Like, say obliterating them entirely? That was an option if Luna and Cadence weren’t above her. But, of course, given her injuries, performing those techniques wasn’t going to be easy. Exhaustion and blood loss didn’t help either. Realizing the futileness of continuing, Kira changed objectives, but’s she’d need some time. So, gathering the wind in her palms, she created dense spheres of white plasma. “Recover from this!” With incredible speed, Kira delivered her first two attacks to Hassan and Morrigan. She then performed a Greater Slash on Minerva, turning all three Alirin’s to mincemeat. In seconds the diced flesh was already pulling itself back together. Kira took her blade and cut a hole into the ceiling, gunning for Luna and Cadence’s room as fast as she could. But, when she got there, she froze at the scene before her. “What are you doing here?” She asked the pony who had not been there a second before. The pony turned towards her, a small mirror attached to a chain swinging from her claws. A bright blue vortex behind her. “I’m here to help.” Minerva shook herself like a dog, her brain still rebooting from being put back together for the twentieth time. This power was incredible! It was the power she’s craved since she lost it in the Alicorn Wars. She’s always been envious of Fury’s ability, and now she had it for herself! Or at least some variant of it. Maybe she shouldn’t have skimped on the Phoniex eggs, but who just has a thousand eggs on hoof? Let alone four thousand? Don’t call her cheap for only gathering four hundred! She might not have followed Hoofenstien’s notes strictly, but there was a huge coffee stain on the page! She got what she wanted! And yet, this lesser Hyperengeration was not without its limits. She stared at her shaking claw, felt the wheezing in her lungs. By most metrics, they might as well be immortal, but that was far from the truth. Their bodies couldn’t perfectly rebuild every time, and that was in severe cases. Kira was obliterating them several times in a single minute! Also, she didn’t know for sure, but Fierce Fury probably didn’t have phantom pains. The others were fairing even worse than her. Hassan lost more than half of his impressive muscle mass. Morrigan was laughing insanely on the ground. Already more unstable than before. But that was just on the surface. They could be suffering like she was. One of her lungs hadn’t grown back this time. Her nervous system was also wired backward. When she wanted to move her right, her left moved, and vice versa. “Viride… get back here….” She whispered, sending a psychic message to the green Alirin. “We can’t let Kira… get Luna and Cadence out of here. If they’re… ‘wheeze’… gone… she has no reason to hold back anymore….” In great pain, the trio followed Kira’s trail through the ceiling. Ibaraki, in much better health, rejoined the group with a satisfied grin. No doubt she toyed with Zil until the very end. “What’d you do to her?” Minerva asked curiously. Ibaraki’s grin widened to insane proportions, “I ate her.” Mentally jotting down that Ibaraki was going back into crystal later, Minerva led the way to Luna and Cadence’s chambers. Unfortunately, putting them both in the same room backfired. She should have separated them, so Kira couldn’t snatch them both up at once! “Come on! She can’t teleport. She’ll be weighted down now!” They emerged at the top of the castle. Kira struck like an assassin, striking each of them with a glowing white blade. Yet, the attack wasn’t painful. It barely left a mark! Meanwhile, Kira was panting up a storm, the attack seemingly draining her. “Where are they? Where are Luna and Cadence? What did you do with them?” Kira smiled, “I did nothing. They were gone when I entered their room. Strange things like that happen in this world. Speaking of worlds… you know of that other one, the one little Sunny is in, right? Or maybe you don’t? You were never involved with that stuff. I like it there, it’s so peaceful. It’s inhabited by strange hairless monkeys, but their form isn’t all that bad.” The four-ancient reborn Alicorns were clearly confused. “What’s your point?” “Well, I learned a lot there.” Kira continued slowly dragging her sword through the air. A strange space anomaly took place; a white crack formed in the wake of Kira’s blade. “They understand their world so much more than we do. I took an interest in their sciences and applied it here. For example, do you know what happens when you split atoms? Don’t worry, I’ll show you.” The white crack suddenly expanded as if breaking apart reality itself, traveling in all cardinal directions, and the sky and deep into the earth. The damage stretched far across the land, almost halfway to Ponyville. “Eternal Scar…” Kira’s blade shattered, dozens, hundreds, thousands of brilliant bright spheres of light began expanding all at once. Minerva barely felt the heat before realizing she was burning, her body becoming ash before her very eyes. The last thing she saw was Kira’s peaceful smile before the white rinin’s body vanished. When Minerva awoke, she found herself covered in ash, her body once again reformed. But something wasn’t right. She was still in pain. “Heal…” She cast a spell to suppress the pain, only for it to grow more intense. Blood exploded from her body. Even as the wound closed, another opened up. She gasped for air, but each breath made her lungs burn. Behind her, Minerva could hear the screams of the others. The Alirin of magic rolled over, looking up at the ash-filled sky. She blinked, not believing what she was seeing. The crystal catacombs, Old Canterlot. Was above her. Minerva flew into the sky in a shell-shocked state, coming out of the catacombs, and finding… Nothing. The entire mountain was gone! More than that! The land was scarred beyond repair as if a planet-sized claw scooped out a piece of the continent of Equestria. The trench ran as deep as the catacombs in every direction. Kira had blown up a mountain! No, she slashed a new canyon into existence! Minerva couldn’t believe her eyes; Kira was indeed a legend fit for the hall of the alicorns of old. While lost in her amazement, something hit the ground. Debris? That wasn’t surprising. Parts of Mount Canterlot were sure to be coming back down soon. They should probably think about getting out of here… that was an Alicorn Amulet. Minerva realized with horror. Another thunk! There was another. THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! Alicorn Amulets were raining down from the sky! And worse! They were glowing. The shining gems began flying in every direction with tail streaks of every color. Some planted themselves in corpses, others fled further, where ever they went, they were looking for one thing. A vessel. “No! NO! NO! Why are there so many? Why?” Minerva quickly answered her own question. Canterlot had been the sight of the last battle with Solaris. So, of course, the vast majority of Amulets would be here! They were probably hidden in the crystals in the catacombs. Sealing them away. Thanks to Kira’s last attack, they all absorbed enough energy to activate. The Alicorn war was about to restart. Corpses from the ruins of Canterlot began to rise. The bodies were so mangled from the explosion that they were unrecognizable, with mostly skeletons remaining. Yet, the gems happily seated themselves into the rib’s cages of the ghouls, new flesh growing as the Alicorn was brought back from crystal. The first to form was a gray Alicorn, she knew as Hermes, Alicorn of Speed. He wasn’t well. His bright eyes were whited out, and his neck was off, most likely broken. Moreover, he was drooling a lot. He was a Zombie. “AGHAH!” Hermes, along with many others, rushed her, Hassan, and Ibaraki. It was hard to tell, but every Alicorn attacking had been on Gaia’s side of the war. Some showed more intelligence, but most were shadows of themselves. And then, “Queen Minerva!” A big red Alicorn crashed in front of her, tossing her attackers away. It was Mars! “Let’s finish this war!” He laughed heartily, joining into the fray. Mars apparently didn’t find his opponents’ or allies’ behavior strange. For her part, Minera could only weep internally. This isn’t what she had wanted. Reliving this hell was the last thing she ever wanted to see again. Her own tribe killing each other again. “Kira… why…” She didn’t get to despair long, for another familiar voice roared over the raging battle. Its source was the bright orange streak that came from Ponyville. She could only guess who the vessel was and which Alicorn just returned. “MINERVA!” The Alirin of Magic grit her teeth, “Gaia.” She spat at the Mother of Earth Ponies; her vessel was that of Applejack the Ninth. “You’ll regret choosing that one.” And so, the battle that was put on pause nearly three thousand years ago resumed. “Luna… Princess Luna? Um… Grandma Luna?” A timid voice called out for her; it was one she recognized readily. “Sunset… Shimmer…” Luna said softly, her eyes fluttering open. The first thing she noticed was the knotty oak ceiling and the strange shape of her body. The room was vaguely familiar. It was one she’s been in before during her visits. She was in Mac and Adagio Apple’s house. It always took some adjusting, but she had a feel for this form at least. Carefully she pulled her arm from under the blanket and wiggled the wormy appendages. Fingers. She had fingers. This was indeed the world on the other side of the mirror. “How… How did I get here? Why am I in this world, Sunny?” She asked her adoptive granddaughter/grandniece. Luna tried to get up but was quickly held down by Sunset. “That might not be a good idea… you’ve just… well how to explain this… you pulled a sleeping beauty.” “I did what?” She had no idea what otherworld fairy tale Sunset was going on about, but she did feel immense pain in her lower half. Patting down her smooth stomach, Luna was suddenly reminded that she had been pregnant the last time she was awake. And her human teats felt… heavier. They did seem more prominent. A sharp cry suddenly broke her musing. Adagio Apple, this world’s Big Mac’s wife, came in rocking a bundle of blankets, containing a child Luna knew couldn’t be the otherworldly couples. The child had a midnight blue skin tone, very much like her, and just a truffle of orange hair, like Sixes. Its form was that of this world, a human, but she could recognize her own offspring in any dimension. “There, there, little guy! See mommy’s finally awake, so you can stop trying to SUCK me!” Adagio abashedly thrust the child into Luna’s unprepared embrace. The Royal sister scrambling to properly hold the child, sighing when she successfully mimicked Adagio. She then stared, uncertain what to do while her child grabbed at the gown she was robed in. This caused Adagio to huff, “Oh, for Pete’s sake! Whip them out already! He’s hungry!” The siren-mother proceeded to half disrobe her, allowing the newborn to suckle. “God, didn’t you have kids... like a thousand times already?” Luna closed her eyes as her child took his fill. “I understood my own anatomy then. But, I am unfamiliar with the human way of child feeding. Also, it’s strange for my udders to be… so high up. How’d you get used to this?” Adagio hooked her thumbs into her jeans, “I’m on kid number four honey, I have to be used to this. Also, can you give this little guy a name? Otherwise, he’ll be stuck with Boy.” “I suppose… wait, how long have I been asleep?” Adagio and Sunset looked beside themselves. “Since you gave birth or since you got here? Cause there are two different answers.” “Both,” Luna demanded. “Alright, this is going to take some math. Ponies usually take eleven to twelve months; humans take about nine… so six… seven months? The days kind of blended together. Also, we better get a bag of gold or something, because we paid for your hospital stay! Mac probably won’t insist, but you don’t have insurance. Well, the you here does, but that would have made things really complicated. It also might be fraud… anyway. Give Boy a name because we’ve been calling him like nine different things for the last two months.” “I’ve been asleep for two months!” “Nine in total, but yes, you’ve been asleep for two months even after giving birth. We really thought you were going to wake up too. You screamed enough to wake the dead.” Adagio twirled her finger in the air. “Anyway, name, now, we’ll get to the other stuff after. But I need to get Nyx off my fucking ass about Boy’s name.” “Templar,” Luna answered while helping Templar move to her other teat. “His name is Templar.” Sunset clapped her hands in joy, “That’s really similar to my dad’s name, Crusader. Hi, little uncle Templar!” She cooed, prompting a laugh from the baby. Luna smiled softly at her child, “Yes… Sixes and I decided on the name, if we had a girl, we would have named her Templara, Lara for short.” The room fell silent, safe for Templar’s suckling. “Now… how did I get here? Where is Cadence? Is she here as well?” “Cadence is fine,” Adagio answered readily. “She woke before you did. Her baby is fine too. She named her Mi Amore Nonet if you’re curious. It’s a girl if I wasn’t clear. So we have Cadence at your counterpart’s home. Of course, Feri wasn’t happy, but when is he ever these days. Cadence wasn’t happy when we dyed her hair in her sleep either, but what can you do? As for how you got here… Sunset?” “Well,” Sunset ran her fingers through her red and gold hair. “Those two will have to explain that part.” In the doorway of the room stood two vaguely familiar faces. Had Luna not seen Kira’s human form, it would have been harder to guess who the younger white girl was, but the family resemblance was easy. It was Saki. In this world, she just looked like a more youthful, shorter Kira. Same pale skin and silver hair. Beside her was someone she’s known for a long time but rarely got a chance to see. The woman was older, tawny-skinned, with black hair and black eyes. She wore a tan Patrollers jacket with the infinity symbol on the shoulder. It was Dusk. “I thought you were locked in the Cosmic Realm for a hundred years? How are you here?” Dusk laughed, “About that… I am currently still there, I mean, but I’m also here. Look, you can’t be the Alicorn of Time if you don’t know how to bend the rules. And the rules say nothing about vacationing in alternate dimensions. So I can’t go to Equestria, but I can still interact in this world. That said, what age was I when we last spoke?” Luna rubbed her temple, “I don’t know, that was five years ago for me. I don’t even think you even said exactly. Just you were younger than Celestia, but maybe a little younger than me. So what does it matter?” The Time Alicorn stroke her chin, seemingly pondering something, muttering, “So it’s that timeline.” Under her breath before giving a peppy smile. “I guess it doesn’t, right? Anyway, my past? Or maybe another me arranged this backup plan if any of the top ten worst futures were on the verge of happening. That Dusk instructed Saki to… um… gods, I get so confused with all this information. Saki, just explain what’s happening, please?” Saki bowed respectfully, kneeling on the floor before Luna’s bed in an eastern style. “Lady Dusk gifted a hand mirror that functions similarly to Starswirl’s Portal Mirror, only much more compact and with a few extra features. That said, it is limited to only this world in specific periods. It also changes the time ratio between the two worlds. As for Equestria, this is what I know….” The Runaway Princess detailed her arrival in Canterlot and of the fierce battle Kira was engaged in. Detailing Minerva’s rise, and the resurrections of the multiple alicorns, and their ascendency to Alirin via their defeats of the Dragonlords. Mournfully, Saki stated that it was very likely, Kira perished in the battle. “Ah, I know which timeline you’re talking about now,” Dusk nodded, all knowingly because she was. However, her cheerful smile soon faded when she looked upon Luna and her babe. “Yes, I know what will happen, so Luna, if you had the chance to save Sixes from dying, would you… “Yes!” “Wait, wait,” Dusk said quickly. “You can save Sixes, but Templar will have to stay here. You can’t bring a child to a warzone, you know?” The new mother smiled sadly at her suckling child, “I suppose your right there. But, still, it’s should be a simple matter. Can you watch Templar for a bit, Adagio? I’ll ask my counterpart if it’s not. Or Sunset, you’re of age now. So you can care for him for a short while, right?” Suddenly the room became tense as everyone looked away. “What? What is it?” Luna demanded. Saki answered reluctantly. “The hand mirror I used to bring us here changes the ratio for time passed between our worlds. Originally hundreds of years passed, then decades, years, and finally, a day for day. But now, for every hour passed in Equestria, a month passes here. Lady Dusk had to make this change. Otherwise, it would have been too late. So, once you go back and the portal closes, there’s no telling how much time will pass by the time you come back to get Templar.” “Surely there’s something you can do, right Dusk?” Luna inquired hopefully. The Alicorn of Time smiled sadly, patting Luna’s hand. “I’m sorry. I’ve bent things as much as I can, but time is… inflexible. It doesn’t like to be altered. This was the best I can do. As long as you leave something here to connect the two worlds, you can return, but I can’t promise how much time passes. I’m not all-powerful, in Equestria or here. Even less so here. Once you go, a day, a month, a year, or decades could pass when you reconnect the worlds. You have to choose, save Sixes and save Equestria or raise Templar yourself in peace here.” “Saki brought this up. Mac and I are willing to adopt him until you can come back.” Adagio offered with a half-smile. “We have four already. So what’s a fifth, right?” “Yeah,” Luna said softly, staring at her adorable newborn. “Can I… have some time to myself?” The others said it was no problem and filed out the room, leaving Luna alone with Templar. With watery eyes, she held the child close to her chest. “I love you so much. I want you to know that I love you… and I’m sorry.”