Chapter Fifteen: Crossing The Bifrost
~BlackRoseRaven
They were on their way through the mountainous region near Canterlot’s ruins when the sun began to rise, and the Nightmares and other creatures made themselves scarce… but over the long, long journey – and with the few breaks they had taken – Scrivener had been able to analyze the shadowy creatures. It held a deep fascination for him: evil and good, after all, described flawed concepts he could no longer put stock or belief into, and darkness seemed like it was all too necessary after witnessing what could happen in the absence of it.
Furthermore, some of the creatures had proven useful: desperate, furious Velites had staged an attack against them, likely only seeing Luna and Scrivener with how well the other entities cloaked themselves in shadows… and fearless of the Pales behind them, the skeletons had sent down a Velite Drake. Luna had blown this to pieces, but it had been enough of a distraction for the rest of the Velites to draw in close, attempting to pincer them… only to be torn apart by shadows that lashed back and forth through their brittle bodies, driving the rest of the group into a panic and sending the undead scurrying away in terror as shadowy Nightmares flickered into visibility around the two surprised ponies.
Four Nightmares and three demons: that was what had decided to follow them, and Luna was having particular trouble getting over the fact that of all the strange and thought-mythical creatures they had encountered, it was the horses of hell that were now eagerly trying to align themselves with them. Nightmares, after all, were capricious, envious, manipulative and cowardly; they preferred to operate by grouping together and hiding beneath a strong leader, making willing servants… but usually only so long as they were given generous pay for their services and didn’t have to perform any tasks that were too daunting.
And Scrivy knew that the idea of Nightmare servants tickled Luna’s sense of irony: Nightmare Moon, with Nightmare thralls… it would be just like in the nastier legends about her. Such creatures would be useful in mapping out the Looking Glass World and working towards discovering its secrets as well, and as even Celestia had once said, even demons could be compelled to serve a purpose or ideal… but what concerned both of the ponies was the cost and consequences of agreeing to such actions when they were already dark creatures paying a heavy price for the powers they handled.
But when daybreak suddenly came on, without a word, the shadowy entities had made themselves scarce, fleeing the coming light… and Luna grumbled under her breath as they walked onwards through the cracked and rocky path cutting through the mountains, the vast parade of Pales behind them gleaming beneath the light of poisoned, unnatural dawn. “I am frustrated, Scrivener Blooms. The world is too complicated. Make the world less complicated, do it now.”
“Okay, how about this, then? We’ve been traveling for fifteen hours since we picked up the convoy of Nightmares, and with the corruption rain rejuvenating us, the night seeming to calm and strengthen us, and the fact that both of us pushed hard simply so we wouldn’t look bad in front of half a dozen demon rejects, we’re have maybe three hours to go before we reach our destination.” Scrivener said mildly, and Luna perked her head up at this in half-surprise, looking back and forth as she judged their position… then grinned slightly as her eyes flicked back to Scrivener, sparkling with delight.
“See! Thou can speak and bring about happiness. ‘Tis a rare occasion, but a most worthy and wonderful one too.” Luna said warmly, and Scrivener laughed as he shook his head, the winged unicorn smiling a bit as she glanced upwards and along the sheer walls of the jagged cliffs to either side of them, murmuring quietly: “Aye, perhaps… there is still hope indeed, one way or the other. In any event, we had best stop for a moment and compose a letter to Pinkamena and Pollen, letting them know to meet us shortly at the bridge site.”
Scrivener smiled a little despite himself as he nodded slowly, and they halted for a few minutes: just long enough for him to write a few sentences onto the parchment, then toss it to Luna, and she had caught it with telekinesis before the aura around the letter had built up… then burst into blue flames that had whisked off into the sky as she murmured: “Yes, it is sent and done… and I grow eager now, Scrivy, for what lays ahead. I have more than hope… I have faith in our future.”
They pressed onwards after that; and the hike through the canyons and half-collapsed gorges, even at their brisk march, felt strangely comfortable. The weather was calm, the sky above was clear and dawn was seeming to last forever, painting the sky beautiful, brilliant gold instead of weathered purple or bloody crimson. It was almost enough to make them forget that the apocalypse had come and gone, that they were perhaps the only two survivors of its awful monstrosity.
Nothing attacked them in the mountains, despite it being Velite and Nibelung territory: the worst event was passing carefully by the body of a dead dragon, several crushed Nibelung warriors nearby, and a single wounded dwarf gasping quietly as he sat shivering and holding his wounded side, resting with his back against the stomach of the corrupted, scarred dragon, an axe buried in the hideous reptile’s chest beside him. He looked up tiredly as Luna and Scrivener paused, his vision blurring as he shivered and whispered: “Death is… fancy-corn?”
“Not today, dwarf.” Luna muttered, and then she rose her hoof and slammed it firmly into the wolf-pig’s skull, knocking it unconscious with a gargle before she leaned down with a mutter, her horn glowing faintly before the Nibelung’s wound resonated with the same light, and slowly stitched itself closed beneath his russet leather, the creature’s shivers dying down as it relaxed visibly. “Tell me I am too kind, Scrivener Blooms.”
“Or perhaps too cruel.” Scrivy remarked gently, and Luna looked up thoughtfully over her shoulder at this as the glow faded out from around her horn… then she smiled faintly and nodded firmly once in agreement before the two continued onwards, past the battle site and continuing on their journey through the rocky, frost-speckled mountain wastes.
They emerged from the mountains unscathed… and with their goal in sight, hurried onwards with the Pales cantering behind them, the mass of spirits seeming to pick up on the excitement of the two as the Khlōros continued to hum its haunting melody. Scrivener and Luna barely paid attention to the snowy tundra around them as they ran across the barren land, the glowing golden sky seeming to pulse overhead with anticipation as they headed towards the long-prepared zone where the Bifrost could be summoned.
And they were both delighted to see that not only had puppet-bodied Pinkamena and Pollen arrived with the armored wagon, which was glinting with composite-painted gemstone armor and looked like it was even better prepared than either pony had expected it to be, Pinkamena was already sweeping away the snow and frost from the ground to reveal an immense stone platform covered with a circle of complex runes, left here for them by Odin eight or so years ago.
It was a channeling altar for the Bifrost Bridge, which, once charged by Luna’s magic, would allow them to summon the rainbow road and travel to Looking Glass World… or, ever since Luna had learned to meddle with the coordinates of the path once used by gods, to several other layers of reality. Scrivener found it ridiculous and entertaining all at once… Luna, on the other hand, merely accepted it as part of things in her inimitable way and delighted in using it for her own selfish ends… and the only reason Odin put up with it, the earth pony was sure, was because between ‘vacations’ Luna was damned dedicated to her work.
Pinkamena glanced moodily up from the platform, striding over the imbedded gemstones that filled the center of the runic circle with the shapes of constellations and coordinates, as she said grouchily: “Turn that goddamn thing off. I might only be half-Pale but it still sounds like a whole opera of angels is howling their stupid praises in my ears.”
“I like how that upsets you so much.” Scrivener remarked dryly to the half-demon, and Pinkamena growled at him before the earth pony rose a hoof to Pollen as the Velite nervously stepped forwards. “Did you two bring Discombobulation along?”
“I ain’t an idiot.” Pinkamena said moodily as she stormed towards the carriage, and then she leaned up and knocked grouchily on the gemstone-armored wall of it, adding grumpily: “This thing should be plenty sturdy, I modified your crappy designs a little to make sure it would hold together while we cross. I guess I’m abandoning my body, though, aren’t I?”
“Yes, Pinkamena. Thy company was very welcome, and it was wonderful to have thee at our side… but now thou must join thy other friends and sister in Looking Glass World.” Luna said softly, and the half-demon shifted awkwardly before the puppet dropped onto its haunches, gemstone eyes glowing as the wooden frame rattled a bit, and the winged unicorn smiled despite herself as she said softly: “We won’t forget thee, Pinkamena. And worry not, ‘twill not be long before we are all reunited in any event… this world is not going to last much longer, one way or the other.”
“Shut up.” Pinkamena said sourly, and then she sighed and grumbled under her breath before she reached up and grasped her marionette head, twisting it firmly to the side. It clicked loudly, and Luna smiled as Pollen gaped in shock, watching as the half-demon easily unscrewed her own puppet head from her shoulders before tossing it towards Scrivener, who caught it with a grunt before the rest of the puppet simply collapsed as the half-demon Pale rose up from the vessel, then grimaced and wrapped her forelegs around her head as she glared pointedly at the Khlōros.
Scrivener only laughed, however, then he easily held the head out to Luna, and the winged unicorn smiled as she tilted her horn towards it: a moment later, the marionette head clicked several times as it glowed softly, the gemstone eyes spinning and several hidden panels moving and shifting before the top of the skull sprung open. It was a complex puzzle box… and Scrivener gazed quietly in at the three slowly-pulsing, ivory cards that sat inside of it before he nodded firmly once, glancing towards Luna and murmuring: “That’s everything.”
He reached up and hurriedly closed the box: looking at the cards made him feel… strange right now. After all, they had come from Valthrudnir, and all the Jötnar’s essence existed inside those three glowing rectangles… and with them, the ability to make three wishes, grant three miracles, and they could be anything, anything…
Scrivener was snapped out of his reverie by Luna gently lifting the box-head from his grips with telekinesis, and he looked dumbly up at her as she passed this over to Pollen, instructing kindly: “Please place this in the back of the wagon, preferably near the center. ‘Tis very important that it is not damaged, is this understood?”
“I got it!” Pollen replied with an awkward smile, nodding as she caught the box, then hurried awkwardly with it around the wagon’s rear… and Scrivener blushed a bit as he looked towards Luna, but she only gave her head a quick shake as the two studied one another, emotions and reassurances swirling between them before the winged unicorn finally nodded with a grunt.
“Then we are ready, as well. I shall charge the base, and prepare the Bifrost.” Luna strode forwards, then paused and glanced over her shoulder with a bit of a smile, saying quietly: “But I could use thy help, Scrivener Blooms, as always. Do not be so shy, I prefer thee rude and obnoxious, poet.”
“You’re… rude and obnoxious.” Scrivener mumbled, and Luna only gave him an amused look before she sat down and turned to face the stone platform, and Scrivener rolled his eyes as he sat beside her, the two lowering their heads forwards as blue light began to spill along Luna’s horn, as he felt their hearts beginning to beat in time as her mane swirled backwards and his muscles tensed and flexed, both leaning down and clenching their eyelids tight in the same expression of effort…
It was like lifting a physical weight, as their backs arched and they rose their heads in time, as their hearts thudded in their chests and they breathed roughly for air, limbs trembling as hooves dug firmly into the ground. The glow over Luna’s horn built and built, lightning crackling not only through her mane, but energy sparking in arcs around Scrivy’s body as he added his concentration and strength to hers and felt the recoil of the ancient magic twisting along his frame, helping to absorb some of the strain of the complex spell as he and Luna both began to murmur not magic, but meditation, trying to boost their focus further as bodies flexed and around them, dust and powder burst upwards as electricity crackled along the ground around the two.
And then their eyes snapped open, both arching their backs and raising themselves in a movement that could only be described as sinuous, forelegs half-lifting off the earth as Luna’s eyes glowed white and the aura around her horn built higher, and Scrivener’s irises darkened as his pupils expanded, jaw falling open as he stared at a fantastic vision above, as he saw space beyond space, stars beyond stars…
The stony platform crackled with energy, the runes lighting up one after the other before a maelstrom of multicolored light twisted in a circle over it, and lights of blue fire shot back and forth between the gemstones and made the constellations glow brightly. Waves of force burst of the platform, knocking both Luna and Scrivener sprawling, and the Khlōros sparked violently around the earth pony’s neck… not breaking, but instead absorbing the energy, growing stronger, louder, even as there was a massive, crackling peal of thunder before a tornado of white fire erupted upwards from the stone platform.
Pollen shrieked as she staggered backwards, and even Pinkamena winced away from the cylinder of ivory flames before it twisted violently, arching forwards and across the sky as the air rippled around it before reality shattered like nothing more than cheap glass, shards of the sky falling through thin air and dissipating into dust.
The rip in reality widened, becoming almost perfectly circular as the tornado of flames spun into this, whirling violently before it burst suddenly apart… and in the wake of the ivory fire, left behind a rainbow that looked like it was made from solid crystal, sparkling and burning with clear flames that licked along the edges of the arched bridge. It was an incredible sight… and Scrivener Blooms and Luna both stared in relief at it before slowly pushing themselves up to their hooves as the winged unicorn breathed hard and the Velite gaped, whispering: “I’ve… I never imagined magic could… I…”
“Thou gazes upon the Bifrost… and I have just enough magic left to guide the lost souls onto and across this bridge.” Luna said quietly, grinning a bit as she pushed herself carefully back to her hooves as Scrivener climbed to his own, head thudding and looking at her with relief as a faint white light began to shimmer over the tip of Luna’s horn, coalescing into a sphere of ivory. The winged unicorn gazed warmly towards Scrivener as the male looked back at her with relief, while Pinkamena floated moodily and Pollen only spluttered and stared from the ponies to the Bifrost and back again. “Come, daydreamer, turn off thy collar. ‘Tis time to go.”
Scrivener smiled a bit and nodded slowly, reaching up hesitantly to touch the Khlōros, stroking over it gently before he shook his head and carefully reached back to the clasp, popping it open and pulling it carefully from his neck. The moment the clasp was opened, the collar hissed softly, the melody dying out as steam rose up from it… but still, the Pales lingered, staring towards the Bifrost. The energy in the air, the sense of being able to move on, pulled at the instincts of every nearby spirit… even Pinkamena, who kept shooting nervous looks towards the rainbow bridge. But unless guided, few would dare to cross it, which was where Luna came in.
With her horn glowing with what she called the ‘torch of souls,’ the Pales would obey her, following her… and once enough Pales began to follow her onto the bridge, others would naturally fall in behind the rest of the herd. And once they passed through the rip in reality above, there was no turning back: only charging forwards and hoping for the best as they ran through a vortex of light and sound and emotion to the world that waited beyond…
The earth pony smiled a bit as he slipped the Khlōros carefully back into his satchel pack: it wouldn’t be damaged by passing over the Bifrost, but it wouldn’t work either, and the Pales responded better, more intuitively, when they could feel Luna’s presence leading them up the Bifrost. Perhaps it was because with her magic, they felt they were being led by someone who was alive, and they could feel her emotions, her hopes, her positivity.
She began to turn, perhaps to begin leading them forwards, perhaps to shout at Pollen, Scrivener feeling the order forming in her mind for him to go and get the wagon… but then she caught sight of a Pale in the corner of her eye, cocking her head curiously as it began to stride towards the Bifrost, passing calmly by the gnarled wreckage of a wagon that had failed to survive more than a trip to Looking Glass World and back. It was rare, but some Pales decided to try and cross the Bifrost on their own before the others, perhaps drawn by the lure of a new world, a new adventure, or hope that they were going to anywhere apart from the ruinous wasteland they had all been trapped in… but as Scrivener turned to look himself, his eyes widened and a chill shot through his system as he recognized the shape of the Pegasus all too well, and Luna snarled as she caught Scrivener’s emotions, shouting immediately: “Thou art not welcome in the next world, return to Helheim where thou belongs, Sol Seraph!”
And slowly, the Pale halted before turning towards them, the Pale’s eyes terrible and malevolent as she faced them as coldly as she ever had in life. As Scrivener stared at her, colors filtered in over the ghost: her coat was blonde, her mane and tail blood-red, the former stylized into a single large bang that fell over one side of her face and a waterfall that swept to the side and spilled down over one shoulder. Her features were cruel, attractive perhaps, but less than beautiful… and her scarlet eyes calculating, looking down at them with disdain even now, even long after she had died.
She surveyed them calmly: while the other Pales still only stared at Luna and at the Bifrost, entranced to a point by both her spell and the strange bridge, Sol Seraph seemed to be able to ignore both these things clearer than Pinkamena. But the focused mind of the cruel Pegasus had always been what had made her so difficult and dangerous an opponent: as the mark of Tyr upon her flank testified to, she was not just a predator and hunter, but a strategist who knew there was more to the dance of battle than raw power… and Scrivener stepped forwards, teeth grit, as Luna bowed her head and shouted: “Leave now, wander this hell of predators thou deserves, or be destroyed!”
Sol Seraph, however, only grinned coldly in response, and then she slowly reached her right, scarred foreleg up and drew it slowly across her throat in obvious threat and challenge before pointing her hoof at them… and Scrivener winced before he glanced with surprise at Luna as the winged unicorn said quietly: “Thou can defeat her alone, Scrivener Blooms. She is only a shadow of her former self… her blows will lack strength. I must maintain this spell, and cannot risk her disrupting it… then Pales will begin to wander away. And the Bifrost holds gamely… but thou has a window of perhaps ten minutes to drive the abomination away or kill her.”
“Great.” Scrivener grimaced, glancing at Luna with a wince… and then he sighed as he felt an additional mental warning, and he closed his eyes. While Luna couldn’t concentrate enough to focus her magic into a second spell as she maintained the draw over the Pales, Scrivener was still able to use his own focus and concentration and draw on her magic… and he leaned towards her as he felt Luna’s magic twist through his body, sparking in his chest and then making his hooves hum as they burst into blue flames. “How’s this?”
“Excellent.” Luna smiled slightly as Scrivener stepped slowly forwards, and the winged unicorn slid backwards as Pollen nervously strode over to stand by the winged unicorn and Pinkamena snarled, baring her sharp teeth towards the Pegasus as Luna added aside to her in a low voice: “Should things become difficult, half-demon…”
“Thanks, Luna.” Scrivy said sourly over his shoulder as he stepped towards Sol Seraph, but he grimaced, knowing it was better to be safe than sorry all the same… especially since using even such a relatively-small spell as he had to let him make contact with a spirit form like a Pale was enough to make his body ache. Not to mention the march we did, and the drain from activating the Bifrost… can’t let Sol Seraph cross, and can’t let her slow us down… “Back off, Sol Seraph. Last warning.”
The Pegasus, however, only narrowed her eyes, licking her lips slowly… and Scrivener winced a bit: in life, Sol Seraph had taken a beating that would have killed a minotaur before kicking his flank like he was a child, and even if Pales were so ephemeral their hardest blows didn’t usually hurt a whole lot, the Pegasus was-
Gone. She had vanished from the spot, and Scrivener stared stupidly into blank space as his hooves burned with eldritch flames… before his head snapped to the side, saliva flying from his stupefied jaws as Sol Seraph blinked into existence beside him, her hoof already smashing across his jaw before an elbow caught the top of his muzzle, sending him half-bowing forwards. Then a vicious salvo of blows rattled down into his face, her hooves striking back and forth against his eyes and cheeks in savage jabs and hooks as Scrivener yelled wordlessly and scurried hurriedly backwards as his glasses were knocked flying from his features.
He gasped hard, straightening and glaring in shock more than pain despite the faint bruising over his features: her blows were definitely muffled, but they still were contacting with enough force to hurt. Either Sol Seraph was concentrating so hard she was making herself more physical somehow, or the Pegasus was simply that good at what she did and that savagely-determined to kill him that it was lending extra strength to every hit, the earth pony rubbing a hoof across his face and ignoring the ethereal flames that licked harmlessly at his features as he snarled: “Alright, come and get me, volk!”
The Pegasus Pale lunged forwards at this, flickering in Scrivener’s vision as he concentrated on her, part of him wanting to shout the Black Verses at her and obliterate her but the other part wanting to beat her fair-and-square as possible: to prove that he wasn’t just prey to this ghost of a predator, to show Sol Seraph that even a monster like her could be defeated by a poet like him… and he lunged forwards at the last moment, slamming his hoof into her face and knocking her skidding backwards in shock as the Pale’s features flashed solid before Scrivy pounced towards her and slammed both hooves onto her skull, knocking her head lashing downwards before he attempted to ram a straight punch into her muzzle.
She slipped elegantly to the side, however, adjusting with supernatural speed to the fact that he could strike her as she brought up her front legs, twining them with Scrivener’s before twisting hard and throwing the earth pony to the ground, and he gargled in surprise before she spun around, yanking his foreleg with her as she slammed a rear hoof down into his kidney, making him twitch and curse in pain as she twisted his upper limb around, likely meaning to snap it. Before she could, however, he half-rolled… and ethereal as she was, Sol Seraph was yanked through the air and slammed into the ground herself, but the spirit only passed uselessly into the earth even as Scrivener leapt up to his hooves… before cursing in pain and frustration as Sol Seraph half-tore out of the ground and slammed a volley of blows into his stomach before twisting upwards, yanking her ghostly form completely out of the earth and kicking both rear hooves into the male’s crotch.
He staggered backwards as Luna groaned and dropped her head forwards, grinding her teeth loudly as her eyes bulged… and Scrivener, meanwhile, wheezed slowly as Sol Seraph blinked out of existence beneath him… only to reappear above him, dropping onto his back and slamming her hooves down to knock him flat before she grabbed him by the neck, likely meaning to snap it.
Scrivy automatically rolled again, and Sol Seraph threw herself off him, the Pale snarling as she aggressively lunged… and this time, the earth pony leapt up and met her, knocking her forelegs wide and attempting to strike her with his shoulder: it wouldn’t hurt her as much as being struck by his hooves, but if she was physical enough to hit him, he could still physically knock her back. The Pegasus, however, had apparently long learned the abilities that came with being a ghost, and flickered out of existence before reappearing at Scrivener’s side a second later and slamming her hoof into his kidney, only to vanish again and slam another into his face.
She blinked back and forth around him, laying vicious blows into the earth pony that made him stagger back and forth, the pony unable to do anything but take the hail of savage attacks before she appeared directly in front of him, seizing him by the head with both hooves and bringing her head back… and Scrivener slammed both his flaming hooves upwards as she began to swing her head down, catching her under the jaw in a lucky blow that sent the Pale flopping onto her back as cracks of light spread through the phantom’s skull before she crashed to the ground, form flickering violently for a few moments as Scrivy half-fell back onto his haunches, breathing hard. A bit of blood was dripping from one nostril and his split lip, and his eye was swollen from the repeated blows against it… but Sol Seraph, even as she slowly sat up, was far worse off from the cracks that had radiated through her jawline and up the side of her skull.
She snarled in fury, even as a single piece of her face fell off like broken glass, misty essence pouring up out of the wound like smoke for a moment… and then she slowly cracked her neck, and Scrivener grimaced as he began to haul himself to his hooves, saying disgustedly: “Just get out of here, Sol Seraph. Because if there’s a death beyond death, I can assure you you’re going to a hell beyond hell.”
Sol Seraph’s eyes flashed, and then she lunged towards him as Scrivener leaned forwards… before blinking out of existence and instead reappearing in front of Luna, the winged unicorn looking surprised before a hoof slammed into her stomach. She leaned forwards, gargling in shock, her horn flickering before she snarled and threw herself backwards, struggling to maintain the link even as rage burned in her eyes… and Scrivener cursed under his breath, charging towards them even as he felt Luna’s pain ripping through his body, making him panic.
And, expecting this, Sol Seraph vanished again even as Pinkamena lunged for her and Pollen only stared in aghast horror, and the Pegasus reappeared beside Scrivener, reaching a front limb calmly out and clotheslining him as he tried to run towards Luna, the male’s momentum making him rear back and the vicious Pale using that to almost lift him off his hooves as his body skidded forwards but his head snapped back before she slammed him viciously down onto his spine. The blow hurt a lot worse than when her hooves had been pummeling him from the solidity of the rocky ground, and Scrivener snarled as he swung wildly out at her, but she danced away even as he began to haul himself to his hooves, anger starting to take over-
Sol Seraph shoved one foreleg into the ground, using it as an axle as she twisted her body and scissored her hind legs towards the earth pony before snapping them tightly around his neck, and Scrivener gargled in shock before Sol Seraph shoved hard off the earth and corkscrewed her body elegantly, yanking Scrivener off his own hooves and once more slamming him down onto his back as she landed on her own. The shock made him gasp… before Scrivy wheezed as Sol Seraph’s rear limbs tightened around his throat, beginning to throttle him as she sat up on her haunches and slammed her front hooves in a steady, hard rhythm down into Scrivener’s features as if she was working with a training dummy.
Scrivy grabbed helplessly at her hind legs, but they were locked too tightly around his throat, letting him wheeze the faintest gasps of air into his lungs solely because the Pale was still only semisolid, even with her unmatched viciousness and skill and the psychopathic desire to kill and destroy that powered her blows. And worse, his pain was affecting Luna, making her hiss as she half-staggered towards them, her horn flickering as she fought to concentrate and Pinkamena snarled, lunging into the fray… but even though she offered a momentary distraction, Sol simply leaned backwards and slammed a hoof into the half-demon’s features as she shot past, knocking her spiraling off-course.
The Pegasus Pale leaned back forwards as she brought a hoof down in a hammer blow… and Scrivener managed to block this with one of his front limbs, grunting in pain at the surprising strength of the attack before he shoved his rear hooves against the ground and launched himself backwards… and as he’d hoped, Sol Seraph was carried back a foot or so by the shove with him before she simply blinked out of existence again. Scrivener crashed onto his back, skidding painfully over a decayed wheel of a broken wagon and cursing in pain as one of his hooves hit what felt like an axle, before Sol Seraph reappeared and landed on his stomach, straddling him with a snarl as she brought a hoof back.
Scrivener winced, then reached up and barely managed to catch her hoof against one of his own as his other scraped against something… and then the earth pony managed to grasp it enough to swing it wildly upwards in a single vicious lash, catching the other side of Sol Seraph’s face, and the look of shock on the Pegasus’s features as she was knocked flying backwards almost made the whole beating worthwhile as Scrivener scrambled up to his hooves and glanced down at the iron bar he had managed to seize from amidst the wreckage.
The Pegasus Pale snarled, not realizing how badly she had been injured as she leapt forwards despite the cracks that now radiated through both sides of her face… and Scrivy slammed the iron bar down between her ears, shattering the ghostly crown of her skull and knocking Sol Seraph flat on her stomach. She twitched once, and the earth pony glared down at her as the ghost looked stupidly up even as steam and mist began to rise from her body before he spat to the side, shaking his head in disgust as Luna gave a sigh of relief from across the battlefield.
“Know your prey, right?” Scrivener asked distastefully as he held up the iron bar, and the Pale snarled up at him… but then only shivered, unable to pull itself up to its hooves even as the glow died out from around Scrivy’s own. “Demons, ghosts, and a few other supernatural entities seem to have a little problem with iron. Iron chains bind them, iron weapons… even improvised… can hit them as hard as if they were still physical. Now get out of here, Sol Seraph. Don’t make me kill you.”
Sol Seraph stared up at him… and then she slowly, sickeningly grinned as she half-rose herself, glaring up at him with a challenge in her eyes as he glared back down at her. She flickered, and a moment later, he was looking at her as if she was still a physical Pegasus, still alive but her features dripping with blood, as her eyes burned with contempt for him… and when her mouth moved, he could hear her speaking, could hear the disgust in her voice as she whispered: “You worthless prey-pony slave-hoof. Offering me mercy? Offering me a chance to leave? You can’t stand the thought of staining your precious hooves with my already-dead blood, is that it? You coward. You weakling. I have failed myself today worse than any member of my family ever has, including my useless, worthless daughter Fluttershy, by losing to such a pathetic excuse for a stallion in combat, but you? You bring new meaning to the word ‘failure…’”
Scrivener snarled, clenching his jaws, his eyes almost glowing as a shiver ran through his body… and then Sol Seraph looked up at him and licked her lips slowly, grinning wider, not speaking but challenging him with his eyes as she flickered from Pale to Pegasus she had once been. They looked at one another in the awful silence… and then she snorted in disgust and began to look away, and Scrivener yelled wordlessly before he slammed the iron bar savagely down in her skull, crushing her down into the ground before he lashed it into the Pale again and again even as she burst upwards into nothing but a swirl of fog.
The iron bar cracked the rocky earth as it slammed against it, and Scrivener half-fell forwards as it vibrated free from his grip, catching himself on one hoof with a curse under his breath as the last of the essence of the shattered Pegasus Pale floated up around him… and a shiver tore through his spine as he looked up with tears in his eyes, half-horrified… and half-wishing he could have hurt her more before her spirit had shattered. It made him feel sick to his stomach, but part of him even wished she was still alive so he could rip, tear, kill her all over again… and then he clenched his eyes shut as a presence stroked down his spine, shivering as Pinkamena looked at him with strange compassion in her glowing eyes and Luna hurriedly approached, embracing him fiercely around the neck and whispering: “Cease, daydreamer, cease. ‘Tis… alright. Come now, we have more urgent matters to attend to, in any event…”
Scrivener nodded, breathing hard as he pushed against her for a moment… and then he drew back and shook his head quickly, muttering: “Alright, alright… I know you’re right Luna. Let’s… let’s get out of here, then.”
He stopped, then looked nervously over his shoulder towards the Pales, feeling suddenly self-conscious… but the ghosts were still either staring at the Bifrost, or gazing towards Luna and her glowing horn, and she smiled faintly as she said quietly: “Hurry to the wagon. Pinkamena, please assist him, thou may not be able to pull it but I know thou can manipulate physical objects all the same.”
The half-demon gave her a sour look, but nodded all the same as she floated towards the carriage… and Scrivener hesitated only a moment longer as Luna gave him a quietly-imploring look. “Go on now, Scrivener Blooms. We must hurry; self-loathing can wait until later.”
The earth pony nodded, knowing she was right as he gave an awkward smile to her before hurrying towards the carriage, even as a shiver ran down his spine. But her support meant worlds to him, and it helped him focus as he approached the armored wagon and smiled a bit as Pinkamena lifted the straps and attached the harness, before he winced as the thick cabling squeezed painfully into his body. “Hey! Tight!”
Pinkamena only rolled her eyes at this, however, and the earth pony glanced towards Luna as she surveyed the gathered Pales. Then he winced again when something nudged him firmly in his sore side, and he half-turned to glower at Pinkamena as she gestured for him to move forwards.
The earth pony grumbled before he did so, and the carriage rumbled behind him as he pulled it several paces before halting and glancing absently over his shoulder as Pinkamena flitted around him and then nodded firmly once to indicate all the straps were in place and the harness was fine. Scrivener rolled his shoulders slowly, glancing at this with a grimace: not rope, not vines, but insulated and jacketed steel cable, painful to pull – and more painful if the rubber-cloth jackets around the metal rope was eaten through – but also necessary. Normal rope would quickly snap, and vines would deteriorate away to ash from the frenetic energies: the thick cabling was all that could be counted on to hold for at least one trip over the Bifrost.
Pollen nervously strode up beside Scrivy, looking at him anxiously, and the male gave an awkward smile to the Velite before he said softly: “Just keep moving, okay? Even if it starts to hurt like hell, it’s like running over hot coals. Keep your hooves moving forwards, and when you come out the other side, you’ll be fine… but if you stop, you’re going to get burned.”
“Okay, I’ll… okay. Are you okay?” Pollen glanced at him apprehensively, and Scrivener nodded awkwardly even as he reached up… then grimaced a bit as he glanced towards the broken, twisted wreck of his glasses on the ground. That was another pair lost… and then he shook his head and instead smiled a bit when Pollen glanced at his satchel bag. “Will that be okay?”
“Probably, yeah. It’s weird… if I was carrying my armor in a wagon, it would probably be eaten up by the Bifrost, but when Luna and I are actually wearing our armor across the rainbow bridge, it doesn’t take nearly as much damage. Luna says it’s because… our natural energies bar the Bifrost’s or something, I don’t really… know or remember.” Scrivener finally said, shrugging a bit, and the skeleton nodded a few times as she reached up and rubbed nervously at her skull. “Alright. Luna’s ready.”
The winged unicorn was striding towards them, now that she had managed to give the horde of Pales a quick look-over and assessed there were no other visible threats or unwelcome guests. She smiled a little to Scrivener as she walked to the foot of the rainbow bridge, the winged unicorn leaning forwards as she glanced over it before leaning forwards and resting a hoof against the ramp… and immediately, energy sparked up along her body, making her grit her teeth even as her horn glowed brighter, a distinct tingling filling her form as she turned her head and shouted clearly: “And now, to a new home, a new chance at life, a new rebirth! Fear not what is to come… only look ahead, and keep thy heads high and proud!”
With that, Luna turned, leaning forwards with her teeth grit before she charged up the ramp… and behind her, Scrivener grunted as he almost lunged into his own run, Pollen stumbling to the side in surprise as Pinkamena dropped to the ground to run alongside him, looking both scared and exhilarated all at once as the half-demon Pale grinned. The arched ramp looked almost impossible to climb, especially with a wagon dragging behind him… but the moment Scrivy’s hooves touched the rainbow road, it was like he was magnetized to it and energized by it, running up the rainbow as easily as if he was a train that was smoothly sliding along the rails, Pinkamena wincing beside him as her body became more physical and the Velite that followed awkwardly along the wide rainbow road beside the carriage shivering in surprise as an outline of a mare sparked into being around her own body.
Luna had paused at the top of the Bifrost, near where reality had shattered… and she couldn’t help but smile over her shoulder as she watched with pride as Scrivener Blooms hauled the wagon along the rainbow bridge, and behind him, the Pales had begun to follow, striding towards the base of the bridge. And as their ethereal hooves made contact with the fiery rainbow, their bodies seemed to solidify, a sense of self seemed to return to them, and they were compelled to push forwards as other Pales were drawn forwards not just by Luna’s glowing horn, but by the strange magnificence and the growing draw of the Bifrost bridge.
Finally, the winged unicorn turned as Scrivener drew close, her hooves grinding against the crystalline surface of the Bifrost before she lunged headlong into the glowing light, and the earth pony followed after her only a moment later, his body filling with indescribable sensations as energy burned and sparked around his frame, as they ran through a rip in reality along a bridge of multicolored light and into a tunnel of swirling, impossible-to-describe dimensions, shapes and wild twists of color bursting into being around them as the clear flames over the bridge burned high around them. Luna ran ahead, Scrivener only a few feet behind as the wagon he was pulling felt as light as a feather now, even as it became to steam and smolder from the arcs of electricity and raw energy bursting along the silver-painted gemstone armor that encased it.
On one side, Pinkamena breathed hard, her eyes wide and her mane blowing back as if in a fierce wind, almost physical but with streaks of back twisting through her body as her hooves beat against the surface of the bridge… and on the other, Pollen winced as shocks of energy burned over her rune-covered bones, the ivory composition of her body beginning to char as steam rose up from her, but the distinct image of the mare she had once been flickering violently in and out of sight over her Velite frame every few seconds as she cried out wordlessly in disbelief and amazement more than actual pain.
Behind them, the Pales thundered over the Bifrost, all of their shapes made almost real, almost physical, as Scrivener threw his head back with a raw shout of what felt almost like elation, the energy thrumming through his body, the feeling of running not over, but literally through some kind of line of pure power, of pure energy, enough to drive even the lurking corruption in his mind back as Luna grinned widely ahead of him. The winged unicorn’s eyes were glowing bright and her mane was sparking with electricity and blue fire, the starry constellations throughout it glowing and pulsing with a life of their own as her horn glowed brightly: not with any distinct magic any longer, but instead only with the raw, potent energies of the rainbow road.
Scrivener could feel his leathery wings stretching and flapping behind him before he arched his back, yet managed to keep his pace without staggering as a sharp pain ran through his body… and a moment later, the wings burst apart into ashes as the Bifrost’s powerful energy current dispelled the polymorph effect. Several more plates of his armor popped off at the same time, and ahead of him, one of Luna’s shoulder pauldrons steamed before snapping loose, but Scrivener only ducked as it flew back through the air, looking ahead almost eagerly, feeling a rush of daredevil adrenaline as he wondered not with fear, but with excitement if they would be able to make the other end of the Bifrost before the energies took a further toll on their equipment.
Pollen squeaked as several of her ribs snapped suddenly off, looking down in shock as steam burst up from her body before she half-staggered… but then gamely threw herself forwards, continuing to run with a shrill giggle. And on the other side, Pinkamena was almost crying even as her teeth gleamed in a wide, bright grin, her red-rimmed eyes glowing as the half-demon flickered violently, appearing as a Pale, her mortal mare self, and a strange and almost-shapeless entity with severed wings in a wild roil.
And then Luna looked up as golden light shone over them, gazing at a gaping, spiraling vortex of gold and white light that the bridge fed into, and she grinned in relief as she shouted: “Onwards, onwards, onwards and through, without fear!”
Scrivener roared in agreement, wordless, voice strong, energy surging along his frame as Pinkamena gave her own fierce yell and Pollen laughed, light glowing brightly out of the sockets of the skeleton as the Pales behind them stampeded with equal eagerness… and the four ahead of the herd plunged through the vortex, Luna laughing even as the world seemed to spin for a moment before they were crashing down the other side of the rainbow arch, light glowing around them and blinding them for a moment as they sped down the ramping bridge to the green grasses below, the winged unicorn not slowing her pace as she sped from overpass of fiery multicolored light to soft and warm field, throwing her head back with another wordless shout of victory that startled a flock of birds scattering into the blameless, cloudless blue sky above.
Scrivener Blooms followed her with less grace, several of the cables on the harness snapping and steel cabling screaming against his armor as he staggered off the ramp and lunged forwards to keep his balance, making it halfway across the field before half-falling forwards and skidding forwards with a wince as the wagon lurched threateningly behind him before one of the wheels caught in a rut, a few gemstones flying loose to patter against his back… but it was much better than the entire wagon rolling over him, as he wheezed in relief. And then Pollen flopped down beside him, the skeleton smoldering faintly as the light flickered in her sockets, wheezing for air as if she still had lungs before finally mumbling: “If I had skin, it would likely be on fire right now.”
Pinkamena flickered a few times as she skidded to a halt herself, the half-demon staring back and forth in surprise as Luna turned around with a grin, the winged unicorn panting a bit from both exertion and exhilaration as her muscles trembled and her body flexed, before she winked at the shape of the half-demon Pale as it settled back into misty ethereality, saying easily: “What did thou expect, wicked creature? More Helheim, more darkness, more depravity? Nay, not so… ‘tis Equestria. ‘Tis a reflection, aye, but ‘tis also Equestria.”
And Luna smiled as she closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on face: not hostile like the sun of their ravaged home, but comforting and gentle. The sky above was a sea of azure clarity and the ground beneath their feet was soft and fertile and a mix of verdant, rich soil and lush green grasses. Trees grew here and there, and to the east rose the mighty and gorgeous version of this world’s Everfree Forest, filled with beautiful and fascinating fauna and flora. It was a world that was next to paradise… and as Luna’s eyes opened, she gazed with affection towards the Pales that stepped off the Bifrost and wandered slowly through the field, watching as the mass congregation of spirits continued to pour down the rainbow bridge.
The specters of ponies looked back and forth as if in awe, still energized from passing through the Bifrost as they seemed to study where they were: it was impossible to know what they thought, however, and many of them were already wandering slowly off, drawn by some supernatural instinct to find a place that would remind them most of their former home. It was amazing the way the Pales seemed to eventually recognize they were in a version of Equestria, and the way they would make a beeline for the places that most-resembled what had been important to them in their original layer of the worlds… and Scrivener Blooms smiled faintly as he slowly picked himself up, wincing a bit as he loosened the harness against his scratched and slightly-charred armor as he said quietly: “But is it really so incredible, so hard to believe? Maybe a lot of them think this is paradise… and they automatically assume there must be a place here that reminds them of where they were happiest, or what held the most value to them. And a tireless Pale can probably travel across this country in a single day, since it never has to rest, never has to slow down, and they don’t seem to notice the journey… only when they reach the journey’s end.”
Luna looked thoughtfully at Scrivener Blooms at this, and then she returned her eyes to the Bifrost, watching the waterfall of ghosts pouring along the rainbow bridge, murmuring quietly as the earth pony approached her slowly: “Perhaps thou art correct, my beloved Scrivener Blooms… just as the Pales seem to naturally find one-another when they can, they group together as if to avoid loneliness. They even interact with things around them when their focus sharpens… aye, Scrivy. But it does not matter. What matters is that… look. We have done it. We have brought them across the Bifrost… and now, we can rest for a time before returning to the crumbling world and gathering the last Pales we can find and attending to the last tasks we must, but… finally, I feel as if we have made a difference.”
“We have, Luna. We have.” Scrivener said gently, gazing towards her with a smile… and Luna looked warmly back at him, leaning over and nuzzling the side of the male’s neck affectionately before she impulsively hugged him, and the earth pony laughed as their scoured armor ground together and a few pieces of brittle metal fell off their forms. “We’re going to have to leave our homes here, though, miss snail.”
“Oh shush, Scrivener Blooms. Besides, as comfortable and fulfilling as mine armor is, thou art my true home.” Luna smiled at him warmly, meeting his eyes as they drew back a bit… and then she shook her head before gazing towards Pollen as the Velite managed to push herself up to her hooves, then winced when one of her forelegs fell off, sitting back on bony haunches to awkwardly rub at this joint. “Art thou alright? Thy bones look scorched.”
Pollen nodded after a moment, smiling embarrassedly as she picked up her foreleg and attempted to lock it back into place, but it only resulted in several parts of the bone crumbling and breaking away, and she sighed a bit before saying awkwardly: “I just… am going to need… a few new pieces and stuff.”
“I am sure the Nibelung will be able to assist thee in one form or another, they regularly hunt and capture wild animals in the area. We shall take thee to them shortly, I only wish to ensure the rest of the congregation makes it across the Bifrost before it shatters.” Luna replied quietly, and the Velite rubbed awkwardly at the underside of her jaw… then flinched when this fell loose, hurriedly snapping it back into place as the winged unicorn snorted in entertainment. “I am glad thou art still… I suppose ‘twould be rude to say alive, but still… not-dead.”
“Thanks.” Pollen mumbled, seeming a little embarrassed as Scrivener gave Luna a curious look, and she nodded firmly before the earth pony made his way to the wagon, Pollen turning to watch curiously as the male walked around to the rear and carefully levered open the tightly-shut door, wincing a bit as a few more gemstones fell off… but the carriage had held up incredibly well, all things considered, and even the heavy wheels seemed to have only melted slightly from passing over the Bifrost.
Scrivener Blooms dug in the back of the wagon for a few moments, then gently lifted a bottle free from where it was sandwiched between a nest of cloaks and pillows… and inside, Discombobulation looked a little less than thrilled, the Draconequus laying flat on his back in an empty bottle, a bit pale and ragged. Scrivener winced a bit, but as he sat back, Discombobulation moodily looked up… then sat up in surprise, gazing back and forth through the glass walls of his safe prison as the earth pony smiled a bit. “Welcome to Looking Glass Equestria, Bob. It looks a little nicer than the wasteland we just left.”
He paused, then carefully picked the bottle up with his mouth and gave a cursory glance over the contents inside the wagon: here and there, it looked almost as if some of the cloth cushioning had been charred, but that seemed to be the worst of the damage, and Scrivener was relieved. Furthermore, he could feel Luna’s own relief as the winged unicorn strode through the field, half-ignoring the herd of Pales as they walked past and she gazed warmly over the Bifrost’s arch, calling easily: “The last of the wayward souls seem to be making their way down, Scrivy… ‘tis difficult, with the way they pass through one-another so easily, but this eager mob of ghosts has spread far and wide already and ‘tis like being in a sea of living lost clouds.”
Scrivener grunted at this comparison: he was trying not to look at the horde of spirits around them as they wandered and stared through the field. His gaze roved towards the Bifrost as he carefully set Discombobulation’s vial down on the grass, the Draconequus continuing to stare around in amazement as the male smiled a bit at what Luna had said. “I hate how good your instincts are.”
“I know, I know, but thou art jealous of me for many reasons, Scrivener Blooms, and while ‘tis understandable, thou should not feel the need to compete with me. Thou art a plenty pretty mare as it is.” Luna replied kindly, and Scrivy laughed a bit despite himself as Luna smiled as well, looking warmly over at him for a moment; here, in this beautiful Eden, after running through the invigorating Bifrost, even the cynical earth pony found it difficult to be anything but positive and hopeful. “Aye, but I feel the Bifrost beginning to weaken now as well, ‘twill not be long before-”
And then Luna’s words caught in her throat as she looked up and watched as the black shapes of the strange, dark specters burst through the vortex, nimbly darting back and forth between the Pales still charging down the bridge, moving with much greater speed and precision as they leapt down onto the field. There were more than a dozen of them, a herd of shadowy shapes all their own, and Luna and Scrivener both set themselves as the winged unicorn snarled: “How dare thee invade Looking Glass World! Creatures of speed and shadow or not, do not think I will permit thee to invade this place!”
The dark equines only surveyed them readily, however, leaning forwards almost eagerly before one stepped out ahead of the others… and then it reared back and whinnied loudly as it gestured firmly with a hoof to one side, and the herd of dark specters followed the clear instruction, turning and breaking into a run in indicated direction. And before Luna could even leap in front of the shadows, their bodies faded out of existence, turning invisible even if the beats of their hooves could still be heard… before the remaining specter, the seeming-leader, beckoned slowly at them before it turned and shot suddenly off through the field in the opposite direction, and Luna’s eyes blazed with fury at the challenge.
She immediately leapt after it, and Scrivener cursed as he immediately ran after her, leaving the Pales, gaping Pollen, and snarling Pinkamena alone in the field with Discombobulation as he stared dumbly out of his vial. And even though Scrivy was fast, and Luna was faster, the shadowy specter moved with not only incredible speed but as if it was somehow familiar with the Looking Glass World’s wild terrain, twisting around trees, springing over fallen logs, jumping past rocks and bushes as Luna shouted indignant curses and Scrivener scrambled after her, mimicking the winged unicorn’s movements through instinct and luck more than anything else.
The dark shape led them on a chase towards the Everfree Forest, and Luna snarled as it leapt onto a natural path it seemed to somehow recognize, the creature shooting along this before the winged unicorn snapped her horn upwards, and brambles and nettles exploded upwards in a wall between two trees, the dark shape skidding violently and seeming surprised before it plowed into this, the creature physical enough to be stopped by the netting of thorny vines. It whinnied in frustration… then yelped in pain when Luna crashed into it, tackling the back of the black shade through the thick plant netting and crashing to the ground, skidding firmly for several more feet into an ugly, weedy clearing, the winged unicorn pinning the dark equine down on its stomach as she shouted furiously at its back: “Now reveal thyself and thine goals, specter! And thou had best hope thine pack of fools has not gone far if thou cannot give me a good reason for this intrusion!”
The dark shape wheezed beneath her, and then it flickered suddenly out of existence, Luna grunting in surprise as she fell flat on her stomach, and Scrivener Blooms winced before he hurried forwards beside her as the winged unicorn glared ahead as the dark specter reappeared at the other side of the field, facing towards them. It looked at them moodily, then reached a hoof up as if imploring them to wait a moment… and Luna’s eyes narrowed darkly as it turned around and half-dragged itself into the cover of the thick bushes for a moment.
They rustled loudly before there was a crackle and a burst of smoke… and then the bushes rustled again before a figure pushed through them: with her distinctive black stripes through her otherwise ivory coat, tall, two-tone Mohawk, and the golden bangles around one foreleg and matching hoops that surrounded her neck and hung from her ears, it was clear who they were facing… and Luna and Scrivener could only gape as Zecora glared at them with her blue-green eyes, saying flatly: “I hope you know you almost broke my back, did I ever give you the reason to make such an attack?”
Luna spluttered for a moment as Scrivener leaned dumbly forwards, looking over the zebra: from the swirling spiral mark on her flank to her sharp, pretty features and aged, wise eyes, it was clearly her… and then Scrivy winced as Luna’s eye twitched and her teeth ground together, head jerking slightly as he felt her confusion, frustration, and fury, and then she leaned forwards and shouted in a raw burst of sound: “And exactly why were thou parading around as a dark specter, foul and evil and mischievous… manipulator!”
“I manipulated no one, this much is true, I never got the chance to reveal myself to you.” Zecora argued… then winced a bit at the horrible look Luna gave her as Scrivener carefully rubbed down the winged unicorn’s spine, feeling her fury and frustration bubbling higher: it was only relief and dumb surprise that was currently keeping Luna from attacking the zebra, friend or not, and pummeling her into the ground, and Zecora seemed to recognize this as she cleared her throat and added hurriedly: “It was old magic from my tribe that let me take this disguise, along with those others from home who were talented and wise; in order to survive in that world we had to play make-believe, cloaking ourselves in darkness deeper than Nightmare Night’s eve.”
“And what, thou can… transform into that at will? And that pack, those are others like thee, shamans, magicians, zebras of thine tribe?” Luna asked in a stunned voice, and Zecora hesitated before the winged unicorn leaned forwards and gritted teeth that looked unnaturally sharp. “I do not understand!”
“Then I shall explain in a hurry, Luna of the Night, with you I certainly do not wish to fight.” Zecora replied with a wince, holding up a hoof, and the winged unicorn ground her teeth together as Scrivener only leaned dumbly back. “They are the survivors of what has laid our world to rest, who came from my homeland – far away – when it was put to Hell’s rigged test. They mixed up a potion as the shadows began to spread, and I performed the same ceremony as my heart ached with dread. I could feel the Black Wolves coming after the red sky’s eclipse, I knew from the mourning of nature something had gone terribly amiss.
“Drinking down the potion let my form become that of a ghost’s, now it was the intangible that hid the physical beneath smoky host’s.” Zecora hesitated for a moment, looking apprehensively at Luna as the winged unicorn leaned backwards, and then the zebra sighed and rubbed at her face, muttering: “And I suppose that since I’ve come this far I might as well say, I and the shamans have been doing the same job as you two, okay? It was supposed to be secret but I see that will not do, as I have no wish to be pummeled by you.
“As a shadow I was able to flit back and forth as I pleased, but in returning to my homeland I was far from relieved. Equestria fell first, but my country was far from last: we knew that to save our people we had to act fast. We hurried to our temples and other safe places, mixed potions, prayed for luck, and put on our best faces; we knew the world would fall from the visions the spirits said, and I only hoped that my instincts were right and you two wouldn’t be left dead.”
“So thou… what, prophesied this? Thou speaks with spirits and ghosts and gods, as well as performs such alchemy and magic as to veil thyself in the form of a spirit?” Luna looked incredulous, and then her eyes narrowed dangerously as she leaned forwards, asking coldly: “Then why did thou not tell us, or warn us?”
“How can I warn you of bad feelings I only feared might occur? Luna and Scrivener Blooms, I did not know about that fearsome wolf cur!” Zecora argued, looking almost hurt as she shook her head quickly. “I may be able to divine the near future’s events, but always it must be taken with a grain of salt and common sense; had I know that the world was truly on the path to death, I assure you I would have done far more than wait with baited breath!”
She halted, then leaned forwards and added quietly: “Will it help if I give you my heartfelt apology? I know you and Scrivener both have suffered enough to fill an anthology. Maybe the rest of my story will help you understand, I at least have tried hard to do the best for our united land.”
She stopped, then shook her head and murmured softly: “I could not save the ponies of Equestria at all… panic set in and they were all looking for a brawl. Any stranger who was different they lashed out at, not understand that if anything would weaken us it was exactly that. That is why I began mixing my potions and using the shadow-body brew, and I think you understand at least that this is true: I had to go where I could be of most use, and back to my home was obvious to deduce.
“Yes, like I said before, we had a similar thought: we would save all the souls we could and bring them to a sanctified spot. We did not think the world would suffer such devastation, that we would come to depend on the spirit potion to keep us from annihilation.” Zecora shook her head slowly, and then she glanced up apprehensively over Luna and Scrivener Blooms. “We only started to hope that our work had not been in vain, when you two returned to our world via the rainbow lane.”
“Then why did thou and thy kind not help us? In fact, thou even challenged us, to… stupid races that thou… cheating…” Luna ground her teeth together, but Scrivener relaxed a little as the winged unicorn dropped her head forwards and sulked, her rage dying down as suddenly as it had come as sparks traveled through her ephemeral mane and she muttered: “And souls. I saw a dozen, perhaps, of those shadowy specters. Thy country must be tiny.”
Zecora, however, only sighed at this, but she looked a little relieved all the same at the fact that Luna’s rage had faded as she responded gently: “When we understood what was coming, Luna of the Night, my people responded with courage despite their fright. While the warriors of the tribe fought against the hellish invaders, it gave us the time to place many of our people’s souls to sleep in containers. These vessels are carried by several of the other spirit-forms you saw, and now are being carried to where they can be freed without being swallowed up by evil’s maw. They will be spirits without bodies, Pales much like these here… I only hope you have a means to restore all we hold dear.”
Luna smiled wryly at this, and Scrivener Blooms shrugged a bit before he replied quietly: “We hope so. And ponies and zebras, well… we’re all the same really, right? But I have to admit I still wonder why you didn’t try and contact us…”
The zebra fidgeted a bit at this, but when Luna picked herself moodily up with a glower, she answered finally: “In order to keep in my ghostly form I had to drink the potion every few days or more… I was worried letting my body return would be a choice most poor. Every now and then my overzealous friends tried to give you a sign, but every time it only led into a game of mischief more by accident than design. One of the downsides to becoming a spirit’s shape and body, is that the inner self becomes outer and our judgment tends to be rocky.”
“So… you were afraid that losing your spirit form in that world would lead to you getting preyed on by either the corruption or demons or something… and yet in spirit form, you and your friends apparently put competition above telling us clearly what was going on.” Scrivener said finally, and Zecora looked at him awkwardly as Luna gave her a flat look. “We survived for nine years without being ghosts, you know…”
“When you put it like that it admittedly sounds bad, and there’s a difference between you and Luna and everypony else I might add.” Zecora said quietly, leaning towards them and looking pointedly at the two. “You two have become warriors who are fueled by the dark, and even though I know living in Helheim was no walk in the park, you could not be poisoned as severely by the corrupt world’s essence… I, on the other hand, may not have been able to resist its putrescence. I was… afraid that if I gave it a chance, it would get inside… and everything I am, that poison would deride.”
She quieted, glancing down… and Scrivener softened a bit as he lowered his head and even Luna seemed to loosen a little as the male closed his eyes and said softly: “I understand. I’m sorry, Zecora, I was just surprised. But if anypony can understand the fear of… losing yourself, well. It’s me and Luna. But that’s why your hut was always stocked then, isn’t it?”
Zecora nodded at this, smiling a bit as she said quietly: “My kin and I spent much of our time searching near and far, high and low, always gathering more ingredients to keep our bodies gone and our shadow-forms on show. We wanted to cross into this world once we understood what you were doing with the Pales… but keeping up to you two was more difficult than sleeping upon a bed of nails.”
“The trick is to spread yourself out evenly.” Scrivener replied dryly, and Zecora gave him a sour look as Luna muttered and leaned against the male, the earth pony wrapping a foreleg around her as an awkward silence spilled out around them. Finally, Luna looked up at him and he gazed back into her eyes, the two trading thoughts and emotions before they both looked towards Zecora as the earth pony said softly: “Well, I guess we’re both a little peeved, but… it’s good to see you all the same.”
“As I am relieved to see you both alive and breathing, and I understand if you are both seething.” Zecora bowed her head forwards courteously, adding kindly: “Please know that I want to offer all the help I am able, and I would enjoy very much to hear your side of this fable.”
Scrivener smiled despite himself, but Luna only huffed, replying grouchily: “Well, then that can wait. First, thou shalt come along with us to meet the Nibelung and other denizens of this place… aye, Odin thought it wise to bring Nibelung here to do these tasks for us, while I still think the God of Wisdom is mad for hiring such creatures as laborers.” Luna grumbled under her breath as the zebra frowned, but nodded a bit as Luna turned around and added distastefully: “And thou should not have fled from us, or sent thy pack upon its merry way without telling us what was going on, shaman or… prophetess or… whatever thou art.”
Zecora shrugged awkwardly at this, saying finally: “I recognized this world from the moment I set my hoof upon the field, my instincts told me that it was like a copy of our home before to Hell it did yield. Of course I understand that this cannot be entirely correct, but it is close enough to the truth of this realm, I suspect… it is no wonder that this place you were so eager to protect.”
“That answers not my question.” Luna grumbled, and Scrivy smiled a bit despite himself as electricity sparked through the winged unicorn’s mane, Zecora grimacing a little as they worked their way through the wilderness back towards the field. “Speak not in riddles. Thy rhymes are vexing enough.”
“Now, Luna, I think you’re just being mean… I think even Scrivener Blooms would agree you’re being a bit obscene.” Zecora began, and when Luna shot her a curdling glare, the zebra sighed a little and added embarrassedly: “And I suppose that I forget you are even older than I… no matter how much you may act young and wry.
“And that has much to do with why I chose the path I tried… I figured you would tire out your rage if I exhausted you with a game of seek-and-hide.” She paused, then added moodily: “It always seemed to work for my brethren when you gave them chase, but I did not think to take into account your protectiveness of this place.”
“Aye, the shadows were annoying to chase but they seemed to be no great threat. On the other hand, when thou and thy kind invaded our world here, it seemed like less a game or distraction.” Luna muttered, and she sighed a bit, saying grouchily: “And the creature yet seeks to make me the villain, Scrivener Blooms, can you believe her?”
“You do make a good villain, Luna, you have to admit that.” Scrivener replied mildly as Zecora gave another sigh, and the winged unicorn mumbled a little as she glared moodily back and forth as they emerged into the field: it was now empty except for the wagon and Pollen, who was awkwardly sitting on bony haunches and examining the bottle with Discombobulation inside it, and the Velite looked up with relief… then flinched in surprise and accidentally kicked the bottle over when she saw the zebra, Discombobulation flailing wildly as he was knocked flying inside the vial.
Luna, however, only sniffed disdainfully before she flicked her horn upwards, and Pollen winced a bit as the bottle floated into the air and over to Luna, hovering silently beside her as Bob visibly grumbled to himself as he brushed himself off and sat moodily up. “Bob, Pollen, this is Zecora. I do not know her plans for this world, but in case thou sees her around, I wished to introduce all thee to one-another so there are no misunderstandings. Zecora, this is Discombobulation, and Pollen. He prefers to be referred to as a female even though I have told them all repeatedly that Velites are all male.”
“I. I was a mare when I was alive. Why are you being mean again?” Pollen asked awkwardly, and Luna glared at her, the skeleton wincing a bit before she grabbed at her broken shoulder joint with a mumble. “Please don’t look at me so hard. I’m already falling apart enough as it is.”
Luna gave an exasperated sigh at this, while Zecora leaned forwards with interest as Discombobulation sulked and leaned back against the bottle, looking grouchily out at the zebra. “I did not expect you to have such exotic friends… a Velite and a Draconequus, both of whom you seem ready to defend.”
“Aye, I am, if necessary.” Luna replied quietly, nodding firmly as she leaned back a bit and smiled a little as the vial floated beside her head, Discombobulation tilting his head towards her curiously. “Pollen was merely a victim… and Discombobulation fought as ally beside us, and gave his life for us. He was a friend to us. I do not abandon my friends, ever.”
The zebra smiled a bit at this, and there was silence for a moment as Discombobulation pretended to wipe a tear away, which made Luna sigh and then briskly shake the bottle, the Draconequus clawing at the glass as she added flatly: “But I shall not hesitate to smite thee either, Bob, think not that thou art safe from a pummeling if thou brings it upon thyself. I still beat Scrivener Blooms on a regular basis, and he is of more importance to me than my own self these days.”
“She’s mean.” Scrivener added supportively, and Luna gave him a half-tired, half-entertained look before the earth pony shrugged and smiled a bit. “Would you rather I tried to tell them you were all bark and no bite?”
“Nay, my teeth speak plenty for themselves in that regard.” Luna retorted, and then she grinned widely, her teeth a deathtrap of sharp, inwards-curving fangs. “Would thou like to test it?”
“If I may interrupt you two and your lover’s quarrel, I’ll be glad to tell you my future plans upon this world.” Zecora said quickly, and both the ponies look at her before the winged unicorn grumbled a bit and nodded, and the zebra said quietly: “I intend to rebuild my home in the forest that seems to resemble Everfree, and once that is done I will be glad to lend all the help I can to thee. My brethren will let me know when they have found a safe place for the souls of the tribe… but I find that I like the pony-folk, and by them I wish to abide. So I am glad to offer the help I can in any way, shape or form… assuming your allies take kindly to my presence here becoming a norm.”
Luna looked meditatively at the zebra for a few moments, and then she nodded slowly and glanced at Scrivener Blooms as the earth pony shrugged a bit. Then the winged unicorn looked at Discombobulation as he calmly rested back in his floating vial, and the Draconequus simply gave her a shrug as if in response, mimicking Scrivener almost perfectly. “Very well then. Perhaps thou can help take care of Pollen and Discombobulation, and aid in keeping Pinkamena entertained… although somehow I think the half-demon will find plenty to feed upon in the weak minds of the laboring Nibelung.”
She grumbled under her breath, then shook her head before turning and saying briskly: “Come then. Scrivener Blooms, attend to the wagon… Pollen, can thou walk, or would thou prefer to ride in the crowded innards with Bob?”
Pollen looked surprised at this consideration, but before she could speak, Zecora said kindly: “Don’t worry about being a nuisance, poor once-was-a-mare… even with you resting in the back, Scrivener Blooms and I can pull that wagon as if it weighed only a hair.”
“I… thanks.” Pollen said finally, smiling faintly as she nodded slowly, and then she flinched a bit as the bottle holding Discombobulation floated over to her before jamming itself lightly into her eye socket, the Velite looking a little less-than-thrilled before he sighed and mumbled: “I guess I’ll just. Go ahead and take this then too.”
She twitched her head a bit to the side as the Draconequus winced and rattled a bit inside the bottle, then he dropped grumpily to his hindquarters as Pollen carefully made her way around the back of the wagon, Luna calling easily: “If thou must, break thyself into pieces! We can always put thee back together later!”
Pollen mumbled a bit in response as she reached the rear of the wagon and awkwardly hoisted herself in, and Scrivener gave the winged unicorn a flat look as she shrugged absently, then glanced towards Zecora with a nod of approval as the zebra and earth pony both walked towards the damaged harness. “But this is good, at least. Shall I mend the lines?”
“No, these cables shall be fine. They are not damaged overly much, and will hold if we move with a gentle touch.” Zecora replied, and Luna looked almost offended at the fact that the zebra had managed to rhyme off her as Scrivener only grinned and shook his head. Then Luna grumbled under her breath as she strode towards them, flicking her horn as the two began to fiddle with the lines and harness, and the thick cables snapped upwards and wrapped around the two as they glowed sapphire, knotting together here and there as Zecora winced and Scrivener let out a wheeze as steel wire ground loudly against his armor. “Luna, please be careful dear! You’re going to constrict us like a python I fear!”
“Oh, silly me. Well, blame it all on… glee.” Luna retorted grumpily, and Scrivener looked away as Zecora shot her a dry look. “Touchy, I see? ‘Tis not thine… uh… tree.”
Scrivener slowly reached up and dropped his head against a hoof as Zecora now only stared at the winged unicorn, and then Luna grumbled again before she strode forwards, calling irritably: “In any event, let us make haste to Ponyville. I wish to consult the Nibelung and possibly to pummel them and anything else that upsets me.”
“Your wife is of a dangerous sort, and seems to prefer using violence to answer a retort.” Zecora remarked to Scrivy, and the earth pony shrugged a bit as the two started forwards, the carriage rumbling behind them as a few more loose gemstones fell away from it, but thankfully it otherwise moved well as the zebra smiled a bit towards the earth pony. “I have to admit it feels good to be back in my body, as after a time being a spirit felt quite gaudy.”
“How the hell do you do that? I hate rhyming. I can barely manage a single couplet and yet here you are, talking in them, and so far I’ve only heard you resort to a half-rhyme once or twice.” Scrivener said finally, and the zebra laughed as she grinned at him with entertainment. “At least my poems would sound happier if they rhymed.”
“Yes, but they would still be about death and fire. Making them bouncy would not change their ire.” Zecora pointed out, and Scrivy grunted in agreement as they continued onwards. And as they followed behind the winged unicorn through the beautiful, luscious world, it felt for a little while like despite all that had happened, there was more than hope for the future now… there was almost a promise that everything was going to work out okay.