Twilight skidded painfully on the ground, clutching at her leg where her enemy's sword had cut her. Fallen charged her but Cadence swooped in to save her, the oncoming slash missing by inches. Twilight teleported them further from Fallen, to get them some breathing room.
But Twilight could tell the effort was getting to her. To both of them. With the injuries they both kept receiving, Cadence kept having to repeatedly cast healing spells. Even with their staffs, there was only so much they could take.
"Oh no you don't, get that look off your face." Even now, Cadence kept a smile. "We're going to be alright, Twilight."
"No, we're not!" she cried. "We can't keep this up with just the two of us, Cadence! We need help!"
The words had barely left her lips when the sky above began to darken, right where they were fighting. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, but the two princesses knew this wasn't a bad sign. Not for them, at any rate.
Bolts of lightning shot past them while they swerved aside. Fallen only just conjured Gluttony to absorb their energy, but something else shot towards him too. Something blue, with scythes glinting in starlight and a slightly singed but still working wing.
"Wretched cur!" Luna shrieked, forcing Fallen back with the force of her strike. "You shall pay for your transgressions!"
Her twin scythes came at Fallen in a flurry of strikes. She was relentless, never leaving time between one attack and the next. Even Fallen looked to be having trouble keeping up with her. Then he used Sloth to phase through her strikes and put some distance between them. Twilight tensed when the Beast of Envy suddenly took its place. Before Luna could pull away, its power was already influencing her.
"No… no, I will not…!" Her eyes flashed green and they found Cadence and Twilight.
With a mindless shriek, she charged them along with Fallen. He went for Cadence, while Luna made for Twilight.
"Luna, stop!" Twilight teleported away. "You're being controlled! It's me, Twilight!"
Luna's response was to snarl and hurl her scythes at Twilight. They whirled around like boomerangs, forcing her to duck or block as their wielder charged. She slammed her forehooves into Twilight, the scythes coming back around to slice right at her neck.
Making a mental note to apologise to Luna later, Twilight hit her with a tickling spell. She released Twilight, laughing uncontrollably and letting Twilight duck under the scythes. That wouldn't stop her long, she was already overcoming it. But all the spells Twilight could think of needed concentration and time, which she didn't have.
A cry of pain made her look. Cadence was struggling to hold her ground against Fallen. She'd turned her body to crystal with her staff, but he was easily countering her attacks and even chipping her crystal coating.
Twilight shot a spell that made him falter in his strikes, then erected a wall of earth between them to give Cadence a moment to break away. She beckoned her sister-in-law over hurriedly.
"Quick, love spell, Luna!"
Cadence nodded. "Cover me for a moment!"
She closed her eyes to begin the spell, just as Fallen turned the earth wall into boiling tar with Greed and sent it at them in a flume. Twilight created an umbrella barrier to divert it, then projected a shield just in time to stop Fallen's strike. It still caused the barrier to crack and his next one shattered it.
Just when she was starting to feel like she couldn't manage much more, a wave of energy washed over Twilight. At the same time, her mind became flooded with thoughts of those she loved. Dusk was at the forefront, but so were all of her friends and family. It gave her some extra energy to create another barrier, one that was strengthened by the same pony who gave that energy.
"Thanks Cadence," she said.
"It looked like you could use it and it's given me a boost too," she replied. She called over her shoulder, "Back with us, Auntie Luna?"
"Most certainly!" declared the Night Princess. She soared over their barrier, her horn glowing. "Stars rain down on you, Soul!"
At her command, the night sky appeared above her head and meteors hurtled out. Fallen was forced to either fly out of their way or use Greed to turn them into something harmless. Fields of snow, as it happened. Or he'd switch to Wrath to blast them apart.
By this point, Twilight had had plenty of time to observe the way Fallen used the Beast's powers. What she'd seen had confirmed what Celestia had told them. Not only did the abilities of each Beast not respond immediately and automatically in response to a threat, which meant that Fallen had to consciously activate each one, but there was never more than one Beast visible at any given moment.
"Remember, he can only use them one at a time!" Twilight reminded her allies. "That's how we get him! We have to coordinate our attacks and target his weaknesses!"
Suddenly, the skies above gave way to a ray of dazzling sunshine. Twilight became aware of wings behind them and she beamed at the sight.
"Sorry I'm late, everypony," said Celestia. "I had to take a few moments. My head was killing me."
"Celestia…" Fallen gazed at her quietly for a long moment. "At last, it has come to this."
"It didn't have to. It still doesn't," she replied. "This is your last chance, Fallen Soul: lay down your weapon, give up the Alicorn Amulet and surrender."
"Even now, thou seeks to delude thyself with visions of mercy and grace," he responded. "I have made my choice. I am driven by my conviction, without guilt or regret. Canst thou say the same?"
"If that is so…" Celestia's gaze hardened. "Then feel the power… of the SUN!"
At her command, a flare of light shone behind her. Fallen recoiled from it and she dashed in, Solar Flare brandished and ready. She caught him on the shoulder, the axe head of the halberd stopped by his armour. It buckled slightly when she tried to drive it further, but he slammed his elbow down to push it away. She brought the end of the handle to strike his helmet with the momentum and he blocked the overhead swing when it came around.
Luna flanked around him, her scythes angled for the back of his neck. Fallen tilted his head forward so they slid across the armour there and struck Luna with a kick. His Amulet started to glow but Celestia cut it short with another strike. Luna quickly recovered and joined in, her scythes coming down on his sides that he shot down to avoid.
The royal sisters were a sight to behold, fighting together. When Celestia thrust with her halberd, Luna's scythes were at Fallen's throat when he deflected it. When Luna locked his blade with her scythes, Celestia was there to stab through the opening created. When Fallen tried to pull back and gain distance, Luna cut off his escape while Celestia struck with her halberd and a hoof across his chest and face.
But Fallen was still holding his own. His armour and skill let him match his two opponents almost equally. Their combined strength was formidable but so was his defence.
Twilight and Cadence exchanged a look. They'd taken the moment the sisters brought them to recover a little more strength. But they were done watching now. Staffs glowing, they soared towards the fray.
Cadence summoned a circle of crystals around Fallen while Twilight fired a beam of magic at them. The beam was reflected around them, concentrated towards the centre from multiple points. She could see burns on Fallen's armour where they struck.
Celestia and Luna took advantage of the opening this created. Solar Flare managed a cut on an exposed part of Fallen's leg. Waning Crescent found purchase on Fallen's side while Waxing Crescent slashed his other leg. Blood trickling from the strikes, Fallen managed to break away and fly down but the princesses weren't going to let him get away.
Cadence summoned a large crystal spike from the ground, Fallen stopping only just short of it. Twilight fired another concentrated beam that held him in place while Celestia and Luna called upon the bodies they commanded. Pillars of fire and showers of meteors rained down upon Fallen, obscuring him from view in a bestial roar of flame and rock.
"Ha! We have him now!" cheered Luna. "Even he would be hard pressed to withstand that!"
"Don't relent!" Celestia commanded. "He could still be using the Beast's power to protect himself!"
"But only Sloth or Gluttony," noted Twilight. "He can't use any of the others if one is still in use!"
"And we've seen even he needs a moment of concentration to use them," added Cadence. "We can use that against him, overwhelm him now we're all here!"
"It's not just that," added Twilight. "I think he's also limited to how long he can use them for or else why not use Sloth to make himself untouchable forever or Wrath to bombard us until we're destroyed?"
"You might be right, both of you." Celestia considered for a moment. "I can keep him confined with these pillars. Can the three of you get in close?"
"I will do it, sister," said Luna. "He will feel the bite of my blades!"
"Good. Use the dark to mask your approach. Twilight, Cadence, keep his attention on you. Give Luna time to get close. Do what must be done."
Both the younger alicorns nodded. Luna's horn glowed, bringing forth the night sky while the sun continued to shine overhead. It rained down fire from above while Luna became formless, starry smoke.
Spreading their wings, Cadence and Twilight soared towards Fallen, using Sloth to make himself intangible. But he was moving out of the barrier where the pillars confined him to. She watched until Sloth started to fade away, then struck.
Twilight blasted a beam of pure magical energy at Fallen, forcing him to halt. She gathered nearby clouds to her, freezing them to ice and sending them at him in massive chunks. He either split them with his sword or used Greed to turn them into water.
She could see him warming up Wrath to fire but a beam struck him, forming a crystal cluster around one of his wings. Cadence concentrated the beam, causing more crystal to spread across his body. He tried cutting at it with his sword, but Twilight used the crystal to cast a tethering spell on it. She tied it to another cluster that Cadence conjured on the ground.
"Enough of this!" snapped Fallen.
He summoned Wrath to destroy the cluster on the ground, then used Greed to turn the one on his wing into mud. He flexed his wing to fleck it off him, but he was back to earth again.
Before he could take off, Twilight commanded the earth around his hooves to take hold of him. Cadence reinforced it with crystal, making him falter in his take off. He struggled for a moment, summoned Greed again to turn them into something else.
He did this, just as Twilight saw smoky starlight darting right toward him.
Luna's first strike got him right on part of his leg that had been exposed by the parasprites earlier. When he buckled, she got him across the chest. He was still reeling from this blow when she drove her second scythe into his chest again.
He just managed to lift his head when Luna kicked him. Hard. It sent him sprawling across the ground, blood trailing behind him.
"Yes!" cheered Twilight. "Luna, you did it!"
"Don't celebrate yet, Twilight Sparkle," she replied. "We must secure him and quickly before he recovers."
Twilight was about to respond when she suddenly screamed. Something white hot struck her in the back, burning the part of her armour it hit. She heard Luna and Cadence calling her name while she fell, crashing to the ground right next to… to…
To Celestia. Her white fur, stained red. Her teeth, gritted from pain. Lying right where Fallen was meant to be.
"Twilight…" she murmured. "Help… help me…"
"But I… I-I don't understand." Twilight shook her head, reaching to her mentor. "H-How are you here? Fallen, he…"
She looked back into the sky where Celestia was supposed to be, sending down pillars of fire. Except she wasn't there. Fallen was, firing beams of Wrath's rage instead. Luna and Cadence looked haggard as they flew to avoid them. His attack stopped when they looked to Twilight and by the looks of horror on their faces, they were seeing what she did.
She recalled the sounds of the meteors and the fire pillars earlier. The roaring she thought she'd heard beneath it all. Pride and its ability to create illusions for those who heard its cry…
"SISTER!" Luna landed next to her with a crash, cradling Celestia's head in her forelegs. "No, no, please! I'm sorry, I didn't… I thought you were…"
"I-I've got her." Cadence touched down, looking just as shaken while she performed a healing spell. "She'll be o-okay, she will."
Twilight couldn't tell if Cadence was saying this to Luna or herself. Either way, it did nothing to quell the Night Princess's growing anger.
"YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" she bellowed at Fallen.
"Yet I am not the one responsible for striking her down," he returned. "Like old times, is it not, Luna?"
With a roar of anger, she pelted towards Fallen before either of them could stop her. Twilight tried to flap her wings but they were in too much pain and Cadence was still healing both her and Celestia. All they could do was watch.
This didn't seem to deter Luna. Once more, her strikes were a whirlwind. Twilight half expected Fallen to be cut into pieces.
But even from here Twilight could see there wasn't the same coordination as before. Luna was enraged and it disrupted her form. Fallen blocked or deflected them. Waiting for just the right moment to counter.
It came. He blocked one scythe with his armoured leg. He deflected the other with his blade. He quickly drew it back and thrust it into Luna's chest, driving between the plates of her armour. She cried out, then again when he slashed across her face.
"Luna! NO!"
Fighting through her pain, Twilight managed to catch her in her aura during her fall. She lowered her gently down where they were, next to her sister. Cadence immediately started tending to her too, but she was already pushing her limits. Even her staff seemed to radiate more feebly than before.
"A pity." Fallen touched down before them, regarding the scene. "Thou didst provide a worthy contest, truly. Thy battle was valiant and well fought. But now, it ends…"
Wrath appeared behind him. Twilight could feel those hate filled eyes on her. On all of them. It almost seemed to smile as it opened its maw to prepare another devastating blast…
The cold, mechanical eye still watched unseen, taking in every detail…
Samore had to appreciate the irony of her current situation. Safeguarded, by the very individual her mother had plotted to control and take possession of. Still, she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Or pony, for that matter.
Shining Armour kept silent vigil on the door ahead of them. He had moved her to the deepest part of the castle that was still intact. An organ stood behind them, which Celestia told them could be used to operate the various secret passages around the castle. But since there was no way of knowing exactly which passages were controlled by which keys and with no time to properly decipher it, they'd decided to leave it alone. Pinkie Pie had been rather disappointed by this.
She could hear the sounds of battle echoing from further inside the castle. It was strange. She was quick to dismiss the ponies and their allies. They had no real cohesion. Yet they'd somehow come together. Despite their differences, their grievances, they were able to put them aside and stand as one.
Her mind went to Fluttershy. She witnessed the pain she'd been through. She could feel her heartache. Yet despite all that, she had spoken to Samore as an equal would. As a friend would…
She had felt a warmth in her, in that moment. It was brief, fleeting. It wasn't like when she fed or when Lust managed to creep in. It was different. It came back when she thought of Fluttershy, of Gilda, the idea of having ice cream with both of them. Such a simple thing and yet…
Her ears picked up movement. Shining tensed, readying his axe. He wordlessly told Samore to stay hidden and she obeyed. Though it went against every instinct, he turned his back to her and kept his eyes on the door.
"Who goes there?" he called out.
"Me, i-it's me!" Fluttershy answered. She peered around a moment later. "I just came to check on the princess."
Shining glanced at Samore. At first, a little smile came to her face. Then, she frowned. His eyes turned back to Fluttershy. He had to be sure. Fortunately, they had a way to tell.
"Snuggle," he said simply.
"Huh?" Now, she frowned as she stepped closer. "Shining Armour, now isn't the time for that. I need make sure Samore isn't-"
She was cut off when Shining shot off a spell. One meant to capture 'her' but she reacted astonishingly quickly, darting to the side and zipping towards him. A hoof dagger flashed that he blocked with his shield but the changeling still pushed against it. He was stronger than he looked.
"I'm going to enjoy this, Armour!" he hissed. "You'll pay for what happened at Canterlot!"
"Hey, that was my wedding!" he retorted. "Don't get snippy because you weren't invited!"
The changeling snaked a leg around his shield, kicking Shining's prosthetic. It was enough to dislodge it and make him fall. The changeling's dagger followed suit, cutting at Shining's foreleg between the plates.
He pushed past the pain, summoning his prosthetic with his aura. It smacked the changeling across the face and Shining forced him back with an axe swing, using his shield to prop himself up.
"Commander Sting!" barked Samore. "Stand down, now!"
"Your highness?" He faltered for a moment, giving Shining a chance to fix his replacement leg back on. "I-I don't understand. I'm here to take you away, to save you!"
She scoffed. "You? You, who have doomed not only our people but all beings of this world in allying yourself with that monster?"
"It was for our people, highness! For your mother!" he argued. "The princesses, they needed to pay for the death of your mother! All these blasted ponies need to pay for what they've done to us!"
"You're a short-sighted fool!" she snapped. "We need to move beyond such things or something worse than our grudges will be the end of us. And that was not a request, but an order: stand down and surrender. I can see to it you are not harmed."
Sting's mouth hung open slightly. He looked at her, then at Shining, still tensed and ready. He made a few sounds in his throat. He trembled slightly.
"They've… they've tricked you," he murmured. "Tricked you somehow. But it's fine. It'll be fine. I'll just have to dispatch this one and then I'll take you away. You'll be safe, with me. Safe forever."
He brandished his dagger again, flaring his wings. Shining stood ready, axe and shield aloft.
But just as Sting pounced, a purple orb stopped him in his tracks. He tried to struggle against it, but couldn't break free.
"Shining Armour!" Fluttershy stood in the doorway, aiming the bracelet he'd made for her. "Quick, while I've got him here!"
Shining went to cast the spell, then hesitated. Might as well be thorough.
"Snuggle," he said to her.
"Bunny," she replied at once.
Sharing a smirk with the Pegasus, he cast his own shield spell on Sting. It was a smaller version of the one he'd used to guard Canterlot during the wedding. When Fluttershy cut off her shield, his remained and as Sting did within it, struggling futilely inside.
He met her part way and she used her healing necklace to tend the cuts on his leg.
"Gotta admit, wasn't sure about that code phrase," he said to her. "But I can't deny when something works."
"Very true," she giggled. She flicked off flecks of green goo from her bracelets. "Thank you again for these. He trapped me before, but your spell worked to free me, just like you said it would."
"I mean, I like to think I know what I'm talking about when it comes to protecting something," he shrugged. "I'm just glad the plan to lure him out worked. Well done, Fluttershy."
"I wasn't going to let him trick us twice," she said, glaring at Sting. "Not like last time. Are you alright, Samore?"
The princess nodded. "Quite well. Shining was quite effective at guarding me. Are… are you well, Fluttershy?"
"I'll be alright," she answered. "I'm glad you're still safe. Thank you for trusting us, Samore."
There was that tender warmth again. It was enough to make Samore return her smile.
"Thank you for trusting me," said Samore sincerely. "You'd best return to help your friends. I don't believe the commander is going anywhere."
"He won't be hurt, will he?" asked Fluttershy of Shining.
"He'll be fine. He can still breathe and he's not getting out of this," he replied. "I'll make sure of it."
"Even after all he's done to you, you still show him kindness," noted Samore.
"That's not really why I asked. I want him to be alright by the end of this, so I can let him know just how much hurt he's caused. To all of my friends and to me."
The way she said this sent a chill down both Shining's and Samore's backs. Fluttershy didn't seem to notice, taking a breath and leaving the organ room.
"Remind me to never cross her," said Samore.
"You and me both," nodded Shining.
Even with her usual empathy towards living creatures, Fluttershy couldn't help but feel a hint of satisfaction at having caught Sting. As they had planned, she'd watched and waited while everypony else engaged the others. She'd spotted Sting, disguising himself and hiding away, then made her move. She'd still gotten a fright when he caught her on the way to Samore, but she'd managed to break free and beat him.
She couldn't wait to tell Ray all about it. She knew he'd probably find it funny. Hopefully, he'd be proud of her.
She passed down the Hall of Hooves and ignored the flitter of fear when she saw a wall had been broken. A long set of spiral stairs marked the way back up to the top. The sounds of fighting were getting louder. Fighting her instincts to find somewhere to hide and pressed on. Fighting meant ponies were getting hurt, including her friends. She wasn't going to be weak and helpless. Not this time.
She yelped when the stair suddenly became a slide and flew up to stop herself falling. She had to do the same again when somepony slid down past her. With a yelp, she realised it was Osteo. The Earth pony looked exhausted. Had he climbed all the way up, only to be sent back down again?
"Very... very good...!" he panted. "Trying... to wear me down. This only... emboldens me further! I will... overcome!" His eyes found Fluttershy. "You... the caretaker of the Wrath host."
"I-I'm not his caretaker," she responded, trying to sound brave. "I'm... I'm his marefriend a-and you don't scare me."
"Your words betray you," he noted. "But one who would be so near such a pony must have some strength. Show it to me now!"
He suddenly shot up, galloping for her. She fumbled with her magic bracelet, intending to cast a shield to stop him but he was coming too fast. She shrieked, trying to give herself some distance.
"Fluttershy, look out!"
For the third time, she flew upward in time for somepony to slide beneath her. Or somebuffalo. Strongheart let out a throaty roar and smacked Osteo with her mace while she slid, slamming him into a wall.
"Applejack is hurt, she's at the top of the stairs," Strongheart told her. "She needs you, quickly!"
"O-On it!" she replied. "Thank you!"
Strongheart nodded and charged Osteo, who cracked his jaw back into place, meeting her in battle with a grin. Tearing herself from it, Fluttershy hurried up to find her friend clutching a leg, bent out of shape.
"Oh goodness! Here." She cast a healing beam on Applejack and it went back into place. "Are you okay?"
"Better now. Thanks, Fluttershy," she said. She hefted her hammer and approached the stairs. "Ya'd best stay on the move. Other folks might need yer help too."
She nodded. "I'll do my best. Applejack? Be careful."
The farm pony smiled and nodded. She slid down the stairs, picking up speed on the way. She glanced to see Strongheart at the bottom, flipping and kicking over Osteo. So much for keeping their distance and using the traps of this place against him. They'd need to try and break away when they had the chance. Even with their weapons, those bones of his way were tougher than they had any right to be. Even now, she could see him shrugging off strikes from Strongheart's mace like they were only fly bites.
She managed to come down behind him, jumping off at the last moment to crack him on the back of the head with her hammer. He yelled, but it was in joy. Elation.
"Yes, yes! This is wonderful!" he cheered. Cracks came from the back of his head as whatever was broken knitted back together. "I hope this fight never ends!"
"But it will, Osteo!" replied Strongheart. "Either you beat us or we beat you!"
He stamped his hoof. "Then so be it! In the world to come, it will be a battle without end, as it was always meant to be!"
Applejack took a glance at Strongheart. They needed to get away from him, go back to their original plan. The buffalo's eyes flickered to a wall with a tapestry on it. Applejack recalled it would lead them back up top. They just needed to get close enough to it.
"Is that what yer messed up creed tries ta teach folk?" Applejack asked, trying to keep his attention on them. "Yer 'Way of the Beast'? We know about yer freaky lil' cult, Osteo. What's left of it, anyway."
For a moment, Osteo paused. His expression fell to one of pure neutrality. "And what of it? I care not for your ridicule. The Way is all there is in this world, all there will ever be."
"What about family? Your home, your friends?" Strongheart inquired. "Even a misplaced faith such as yours must have spurred on some sense of union and comradery in your fellows. What of the ponies who taught you to think this way, who shared these beliefs with you?"
"Weaklings and hypocrites, all of them," Osteo answered coldly. "My fellow acolytes were all frail and frightened creatures, eager for power yet unwilling to give anything of themselves to receive it. My elders were quick to preach the value of strength over all else, yet even quicker to claim that their age and experience alone gave them the right to lead. All of them were weak. I was not. That is why I am the only one of them still alive today."
Applejack and Strongheart both froze. They stared at Osteo with a new degree of wariness, even revulsion.
"The hay is that supposed ta mean?" Applejack began carefully. "Don't… don't tell me that ya-"
"I did what I was taught to do. What was necessary for my own continued growth and survival." Osteo huffed. "That is what none of them understood, yet which speaks to me clearly. The true meaning of the Way, of life and our world, is battle! To claw ever upwards, seek ever greater heights, until you can climb no more! I will fight on forever in the new world, until I at last find the one who is able to best me!"
"And what if that don't happen?" demanded Applejack. "What if the fights are all over and there's nopony left ta fight? What if it's just you, all on yer own with nopony ta finish ya off? What then?"
"It will happen. It must!" he insisted. "It's the way of things, all things! The weak perish and the strong thrive. What else is there?"
Strongheart snorted whilst slowly backing up with Applejack. "You speak of violence without end, mindless destruction of bodies and lives. It's easy to destroy something, but creating and maintaining something is far greater and more challenging."
Osteo paused for a moment. "It doesn't matter. The end of things is inevitable. Why fight to preserve what will only be taken later?"
"It's 'cause things don't last ferever that makes 'em worth fightin' fer," argued Applejack. They were almost there. Just a little closer. "Otherwise, what's the point in even fightin', if it's gonna be over anyway? What's the point in anythin'?"
That made Osteo stop in his advance. His grin faded and a frown took its place. Were they actually getting through to him?
"She's right. Those small things of fleeting importance make life worth living, Osteo," went on Strongheart. "The connections we make with one another. Those things are made far more precious by the fact that they may not last forever, but for as long as we hold them dear. If you can't see that, then I'm truly sorry for you."
Osteo's frown held. He cast his eyes down to his hooves.
"If that is so..." he murmured. "Then let us test the convictions our beliefs hold in what is to come."
He tensed, ready to leap. They pressed up against the wall. Hoping she'd remembered right, Applejack kicked a bit of stone and they were whisked away. Her stomach rushed into her throat as they tumbled up and around before being deposited on-
"Whoa nelly!" She stopped herself falling off the edge of the castle's outside. She caught Strongheart at the same time. "I gotcha!"
"Thank you, Applejack," she breathed, her legs trembling. "I'm ashamed to say that I'm... not the best with heights."
"Don't worry 'bout it. We just need ta move along, nice and- LOOK OUT!"
They ducked under two magical blasts that singed the wall behind them. They could see the one firing them, though she and the buffalo weren't his targets. They just happened to be flying with their backs to the castle to dodge them.
"Ya mind takin' that elsewhere! Uh-oh, time ta go," she added when Osteo joined them on the ledge and took after them.
In the sky, Rainbow and Gilda heard Applejack's yell. They had a quick look to see her and Strongheart edging along with Osteo in pursuit.
"I'll get those two down!" yelled Gilda. "You handle bone boy!"
"Got it!" Rainbow dipped under more blasts, making for Osteo.
She soared up under him, knocking him off the ledge into the air. She waited for him to fall, then kicked him through a broken window. That was about all she had time to do before she was dodging weapons fire again from Edge. She hurried to meet up with Gilda, now re-joining her.
"Alright, they're back on solid ground!" she reported as they flew through the gorge surrounding the castle. "Still got this guy though!"
"Like I didn't know that!"
Another shot whizzed over her head and hit the wall of the gorge. It caused a crack to form. Rainbow took a moment to judge. The cave that hid the Tree was on the other side of the gorge, so...
"Hey G!" she called. "What say we swap out heavy metal for rock n' roll?"
Gilda caught her meaning and grinned. "Hey, tin can! That all you got?"
Edge's response came in the form of more blaster fire. They strafed along the side of the gorge, more cracks webbing along its face. A rather large chunk looked about ready to fall away.
They split up in the air, forking around Edge to divert his fire. He kept them both in his sights while they moved but settled on Rainbow. She had to veer away when she got closer, but it brought enough time for Gilda to come at him from behind. She whacked him with her spear, then Rainbow rammed into him. He smacked into the cliff-face. It jolted, but didn't quite break away.
"This oughta do it!"
Gilda opened her beak and let out a deafening lion's roar. It not only shook-up Edge a little, but it caused the chunk of gorge to break away completely. Even in the air, they could feel it rumbling as it split off onto Edge, crushing him beneath its weight.
The two flyers cheered and were about to hoof-bump when it gradually slowed down. It stopped in mid-air, glowing with an aura like when unicorns levitated stuff. Edge's jets burned furiously while he hefted the chunk of rock above his head, using a levitation beam from one of his gauntlets.
"You've gotta be kidding me," they both groaned.
To show them that he wasn't kidding at all, Edge heaved and hefted the whole thing at them. Though they managed to fly out of its way, it crashed into the plateau where the castle stood, causing the whole thing to shake and more parts to fall away.
The impact threw the fighters above it off-balance. Zecora, Pinkie, Snick and Slash wobbled where they stood before falling through the roof into the castle below. The twins used their grapple lines to swing down whilst Pinkie whipped out a parachute whilst carrying Zecora in her forelegs.
"It's at times like this, Pinkie, I appreciate your penchant for peculiarity," said Zecora.
"It's what I do best!" she replied as they touched the ground. "Uh-oh, here they come!"
The twins landed deftly and were already running at them. Zecora blocked their strikes while Pinkie brought around her cannon. She fired, forcing Snick to retreat. Pinkie focused on her while Zecora danced with her sister.
"Girls!" The voice came from Selena, who hurried to them looking worried. "I need to take my potion, quickly!"
The twins immediately broke off and formed protectively around Selena. She looked to be fumbling beneath the robe she wore for something.
"Guys, quick!" Spike was hurrying over now with Rarity. They both were covered in cuts and bruises. "We need to stop her, fast!"
Zecora quickly looked at Pinkie. She didn't know what kind of potion the thestral wanted to drink, but she didn't imagine it was for anything good. If she had managed to do this to Spike and Rarity in a two-on-one fight, it was far beyond the natural abilities of a thestral. They couldn't risk her taking it.
"Pinkie, cover fire!" she commanded. "We must stop this before it becomes dire!"
Pinkie saluted and started blazing away with her cannon whilst Zecora went to flank around the left. Spike took the right, each of them taking a twin. Selena glanced up, taking out a bottle of some kind. She hissed and took off just before Rarity reached her, slicing her retreating leg with her bladed fan.
"Oh no, you don't!" Pinkie yelled.
She loaded the bolas she'd been given into the barrel of her cannon, took aim and fired. They spun through the air, coiling around her legs and tying them up. The bottle was dropped from her hooves and fell to the ground. With a yell, Selena strained and snapped the ropes binding her but not before the bottle smashed on the ground.
"No!" Selena hurried back to ground, staring at the mess and glared at Pinkie. "Do you have any idea what you've... what you've...!"
She suddenly doubled over, a strangled yell escaping her throat. She writhed around, sweat pouring down her face and throwing her head back with pained cries. Rarity started forward but yelped when she heard Selena's bones start to crack. She seemed to be getting bigger... no, not seemed. She was. Even those fighting stopped to see what was unfolding.
The six of them watched in morbid terror as her wings expanded, her legs stretched and her claws lengthened. Her back was hunching, the size of her ears and nostrils growing too. Her fangs became like daggers, the light from her eyes fading to be replaced with feral, monstrous hunger.
She shook off the tatters of her robes and something fell with a glass tinkle. A belt of some kind, with more potions like the one they'd just prevented her from drinking. But they didn't have time to process this. Selena had sighted Spike, eyes locked on him like a predatory beast.
"Selena, no!" he cried. "I don't know what's happening to you, but this isn't you!"
Her ears flickered at the sound of his voice. He thought he saw her eyes widen slightly. But even so, she leaped towards him with a speed he didn't expect.
"Spikey, look out!"
Rarity shoved him out of the way and Selena pinned her to the ground. She tried to bring her fan blade around, but it was swept aside by her claw before Selena's head darted straight for Rarity's neck. She screamed as the fangs pierced it.
"NO!"
Spike pounced from the ground, shoving her off Rarity and carrying her away.
"RARITY!" Spike held her close. Her blood was already soaking his claws. "Rarity? Rarity!"
"Spike… Spikey…"
Her voice was weak, shaking. She let out a trembling gasp, her hoof pressing where Selena's fangs tore part of her flesh. Her breathing was getting weaker with every second that passed.