Fide ducked a bolt of dark energy, the mare pirouetting midair and delivering a magic-infused blow of her own to the ethereal unicorn in front of her.
His form the size of an Ursa Major, Wire Strip laughed as the Shadow King’s magic flowed through his body. They had finally located the slippery creature, teleporting the King and his host to a deep underground cavern, the blueish-grey stone lit by only luminescent moss and the flashes of magic.
The walls were already pockmarked with melted impacts, the past thirty minutes of fighting having yielded little but annoyance.
Clari sent a whip of energy slashing towards Shadow-Wire, neatly lopping off one of his limbs.
Wire just laughed, the appendage growing with a blast of sparks as it backhanded the mare into the wall.
“I think we need a new strategy, Clari,” Fide growled. While they had contained the King, their efforts to harm him beyond superficial damage were minimal. “Even the leyline strikes aren’t working.”
Her sister took a choked breath, Fide knowing what her words implied.
Everything we thought about balance, about not interfering. We thought it would give us an edge here. But…
The two looked at each other, nodding once. Darting to either side of the King, they each sent a river of leyline energy coursing up and over the monstrous figure. Yanked to the ground, Wire let out a snarl as a spike of magic gathered in front of his face.
“That won’t work,” he sneered, struggling at the bonds as leyline energy poured into the pointed form aimed at him.
Regardless, Fide dashed over to the semi-solid projectile, kicking it towards Wire’s face.
With a thud, the magical icicle slammed into Wire’s forehead, burying itself almost completely into his figure. He let out a genuine shriek of pain, head tossing as shadowy tendrils tore it free.
“You witch. That hurt!” he spat.
“I think we know how to get him now,” Fide said with a smile,
Ducking more shadowy blasts, the two sisters conjured up another set of leyline bonds. Even as one was batted away, another surged up from the rocky floor towards him. With a bound, Wire’s form ducked and shrank, a powerful blast of energy punching into the rock and tearing open the magical shield that kept him contained.
“NO! Don’t let him through!” Fide cried out, a blast of energy only making Wire stagger. He ducked a strike from Clari, launching himself towards the portal.
The world froze.
“My turn.”
Both Fide and Clari were slowed, their forms feeling as if they were surrounded in molasses. Abruptly finding himself back at the opposite end of the cavern, the Shadow-King and Wire looked at the newcomer in clear hatred.
Walking through a glowing hole in the wall, Discord snapped his claws, the cave abruptly spinning around as it was yanked away from Equestria to parts unknown.
“Discord?! We have this handled!” Fide growled, the Draconequus looking at her curiously. There was no mirth in his gaze, no levity or cheer. It actually shook the mare seeing him so serious.
“No, you don’t. Not completely,” he stated flatly. “Those strikes will only dispel his form for a while, a hundred years at most. And he almost got away again.”
“Then we’ll find a way to make it permanent!” Clari called out, “we have to finish this! We need to! We’ll keep hunting until-”
“Sorry, ladies. You two don’t get the easy way out,” Discord said almost sadly, looking to the two ethereal mares. “This is in my stage now. And this charlatan is mine.”
“You impudent pebble!” the Shadow-King roared, Wire slamming his hoof down onto Discord and making the stone underneath shatter.
Calmly walking out of the door that opened on the side of Wire’s hoof, the Draconequus shook his head as the unicorn took a slow step back.
“You don’t get it, do you?” he asked softly, golden sparks beginning to fly from his claws. “You had your chance to get to me, to be in a position with leverage. You have nothing now.”
“No! Discord, this has to be us!” Clari called out again, the mare appearing to be near tears.
“But it won’t be,” Discord stated. “You all got the balance thing wrong. You missed the point.”
“What would you know about balance?” Fide asked, noticing how Wire and the Shadow King were not attacking, only listening cautiously.
“Chaos and Harmony. I would know best about balance, after all. I thoroughly enjoy disrupting it,” Discord said, the briefest smile on his face before it faded. “And now you have to earn back the trust and goodwill of some ponies the hard way,” he said, eyes flickering to the ground for a moment. “There’s no easy redemption for all of this.”
The Chaos God’s eyes then hardened as he looked towards the two Sisters.
“You lost your chance at an easy fix when you used mortals to do your dirty work, when you were willing to let Fluttershy and others die for your ‘balance.’ You don’t get any more say in this.”
“Oh, but ‘this’ has been fun,” Wire mused, despite being clearly on edge, “and all thanks to your magic, Draconequus.”
Clari and Fide found themselves encased in a magical bubble, the shield sparking as it moved them to the side.
“Yes. My magic that you stole,” Discord growled, walking towards Wire Strip, the pony’s form now normal sized. “That you hurt ponies with, killed creatures with. But that’s not even the worst of it. I could overlook world domination; I tried it a few times.”
The cavern abruptly vanished, stars and comets zipping by the four individuals as they were whisked into an endless expanse. Discord’s form ballooned until it towered over the three creatures.
“You tried to kill her,” Discord growled, his voice the sound of a thousand cracking worlds. Planetary bodies swirled around his claws, the God of Chaos’s eyes a bright red. Wire Strip’s form was bound with bright crimson chains, the Shadow King unable to do anything but coexist with his host as a galaxy swirled below them.
“The one pony who I care most about in this infinite universe. You sent assassins to her. You used Her to leverage me. You dared to step foot in her home, all to get to ME!?”
Hundreds of suns now circled the bound creature, Discord gesturing towards him with a set of claws.
“Any last words, parasite? I’ve said what I wanted to say.”
Wire Strip laughed. Discord actually paused, eyes widening curiously at the odd display.
“Then go ahead and kill me! See how long it takes for me to return. You can’t kill a Shadow in this realm, let alone keep its host dead for long.”
Discord grinned; it was not a pleasant sight.
“I’m so glad you mentioned that.”
With a gesture, Onyx appeared next to Wire. At first glance it was the same creature. On closer inspection, the eyes were dead, soulless.
At the sight, either Wire or the King was clued in onto Discord’s plan as they struggled against the chains, the Draconequus then pausing.
“Only one last question. Who’s idea was it?” he said calmly, the cosmos slowing for a moment. “Who thought going after the pony I love was a good idea?”
Still defiant, Wire snarled with his filed-down teeth bared.
“That was the Shadow. But I came up with the creative ways to make her scream!”
His words didn’t seem to phase Discord, the God of Chaos simply nodding.
“Good to know.”
Faster than could be tracked, Discord reached down and plunged his clawed hand into Wire’s body, claws yanking out a black, writhing mass. With a casual toss, he sent it hurtling into the copy of Onyx, a waiting shell.
Wire abruptly crumbled to his knees, the pony now more guarded than fearful.
“You…you dare put me in this pathetic form!?” The Shadow-King screamed, Onyx’s form contorting. “You can’t-”
The Shadow let out a shriek, the hybrid body’s limbs abruptly being lopped off by a large cleaver that spun through the air.
“Interesting thing about Onyx. He existed in a strange limbo. An odd existence which can affect both sides of the barrier,” Discord mused, “That shell will hold you for long enough. I’m going to send you back now. But I don’t think you’ll last long in that condition. Such a handicap carries over. And I know your brethren are hungry.”
The last thing the Shadow-King was able to utter was a defiant, rage-filed scream before vanishing into a whirlpool of magic.
As the world began to take shape once again, Discord sent Fide and Clari on their way, the sisters appearing in Canterlot. Discord’s eyes narrowed as his view was adjusted.
In the Limbo realm, he could just make out the agonizing screams of a former-king as fellow Shadow Creatures tore him apart to satisfy their ever-present hunger.
“Long live the king,” Discord muttered.
Celestia and Luna stared at the defiant unicorn bound in crimson chains before them. A simple note was hung on his metal-encased horn.
‘The Shadow-King has been dealt with. His death will throw Limbo into chaos for at least a millennia.
If you do not promptly deal with this one in a suitable manner, I will.
-Discord.’
Beep
Beep
Beep
Toxic was really tired of hearing that noise.
Letting out a groan, the stallion forced his eyes open. At least it was a familiar sight; the Last Light medical wing.
Again.
What happen-
The memories came rushing back, Toxic immediately drawing a sharp breath.
Wire Strip. He was the host. And he…
Toxic didn’t remember much after he saw Varti nearly cut the corrupted pony in half. Oddly, the stallion felt good.
Really good.
There was an odd bracelet on his left forelimb; some sort of magical surge monitor. Then again, if he was alive and unscathed, the amount of magic needed would have been colossal.
Two creatures came in. The first was a nurse who disconnected the IV.
The second creature made the scenery simply fade away, no words being said.
Gelliana wrapped Toxic up in a tight hug, the gryphoness bawling into his shoulder as he rocked her back and forth. After a long, long while, the stallion pulled back to look at her, an odd nervousness surrounding his gryphoness.
“Gells, I’m ok. I’m not entirely sure how though,” he admitted.
The nervous look intensified, alarm bells starting to clang in Toxic’s mind.
“It’s been two weeks. I didn’t know if you were going to wake up,” she whispered, Toxic giving her another firm hug.
“Two weeks? Stars above,” he muttered. “Well, I most certainly did. How in the world did they heal me? That poison…”
At that, Gelliana shook her head. Helping him off the bed, the two of them made their way to a couch still within the privacy of the room. She pulled back, sitting down in front of Toxic and not meeting his gaze.
“We found a spell that would do it,” she said shakily. The gryphoness managed to look up despite her beak and shoulders quivering. “Clari, Fide, Celestia…they saw it as the only way. They had the ascension spell you were afraid of, but I kept my promise, Toxic. I kept it.”
A bit of relief flooded Toxic’s frame at that. Then why was she so nervous?
“I said I’d try to stop them if they used it. So, they didn’t,” she said. Tears now began to stream down her cheeks, the gryphoness looking at the floor.
“But I couldn’t lose you. Nothing else would have worked. S-so they modified the spell to be slightly different,” she explained, barely containing full-blown sobs at this point.
“I p-promised to not let you be alone forever. I promised. I kept that p-promise,” she now looked up, barely able to see the shocked stallion through the tears.
“S-so I had them use it on b-both of u-us,” Gelliana stuttered, now staring back at the floor fearfully. Her sides shook with sobs, the gryphoness shaking her head.
“A-and they said they can use it again. F-for each of u-us. In c-case you h-hate me!” Gelliana bawled. “If y-you hate me for i-it, you n-never have to s-see me again. T-they can cast the spell on s-s-someone else. Someone e-else to be w-with you forever!”
Her tears dripping onto the floor, the gryphoness was the picture of misery, only able to get a few more words out.
“I’m s-sorry. I c-couldn’t s-stand to lose y-you!”
Toxic momentarily stunned. Not just from the weight of what Gelliana had told him, but by what she had expected from him.
Does she truly think I would hate her?
Reaching over with a hoof, Toxic gently rest it on her shoulder, the gesture making Gelliana look up as tears streamed down her face. He couldn’t stand to see her so utterly miserable.
“I don’t want to be with anyone else,” he whispered, her eyes widening in shock “You did all of that for me? To keep that promise?” Toxic now reached up to rest a hoof against her cheek.
Gelliana managed to nod, tears still streaming down her cheeks as she pressed against his hoof. Toxic gently pulled her into a long, passionate kiss. On breaking the gesture, he barely moved, instead resting his own cheek firmly against the gryphoness. Toxic hugged her close rocking the gryphoness back and forth. His own eyes were shining with tears, but not out blind rage or fear.
“I could never hate you. Never,” he said firmly. “Not in a thousand years, and I’ll set an alarm to remind me to tell you that.”
Gelliana let out a choked laugh, still trying to reign in the tears.
“Thank you, Gells. Thank you so much. I didn’t think-,” he paused, pulling back slightly to hold one of her clawed hands with a hoof. Toxic still was having trouble comprehending it all. “You care that much? To be…?”
The question didn’t need to be finished. Gelliana simply nodded with a loving smile, trying to wipe her tears on a free forelimb. She couldn’t say anything, her sides still shaking. Instead, she reached over and gently ran a set of claws through the fur on the stallion’s chest, the familiar, hopeful spark now reigniting in her eyes.
“Thank you, Gells,” Toxic said. He’d ponder the implications later, but for now, there was a more pressing matter. He pulled her into another hug, simply reveling in the soft touch of her feathers against his chest as they sat on the hospital couch.
She’s willing to never age just to keep her promise. To make sure I’m not alone.
He hugged her all the tighter at that thought. The stallion’s heart felt like it was going to burst. It was too much.
“I love you, Gelliana. That hasn’t changed, and that never will,” he said softly. His sides began to shake as the full realization came crashing down.
She had chosen this. Chosen him.
“Thank you so much for saving me,” Toxic choked out, Gelliana’s grip tightening around him, the stallion burying himself into her feathers as she held him close.
His words triggered another onslaught of tears from the gryphoness, but this time they weren’t of fear or grief, only loving empathy. She knew fully well ‘saving’ held two meanings.
“I’ll always choose you, Toxic,” her voice was a whisper, but the words may as well have been shouted from the heavens.
Gelliana had chosen to be with him. Not for a day, or a year, or even a decade. She had given up a normal life just to be with him.
He couldn’t help but bawl into her shoulder, the overwhelmed stallion struggling to process it all. Gelliana rocked him back and forth lovingly, her chest rising and falling against his.
Years of fears, of yearnings, of utter sorrow all began to finally drain out, the first genuine moment where the poisonous thoughts began to be torn away. One of the foundational pillars in Toxic’s mind had been destroyed, the thought upon so much pain had sprouted. For a brief moment, the stallion was back where his journey had started. Crying out in the collapsed laboratory as a young colt, he had begged for help that never arrived.
But now someone had chosen him. Someone had…
A single thought made Toxic sob even harder, Gelliana running her claws through his mane. He would tell her this, of course. But the realization was too much to take in.
Someone chose to save me.