"Damn it all!" I roared as we sped on foot and hoof along the valley. "I told him this place was too obvious!"
Jury galloped up next to me. "Maybe it was just a coincidence? " I scowled down at her and then back at the smoke rising from the horizon where our flying machine had crashed.
"Coincidence. Right," I growled. "Starlight Glimmer and the Pillars AND the Elements ALL just happened to be in Hollow Shades when we returned." I enunciated my words with a flourish.
I squawked and stumbled but caught myself. "And I'll bet Starlight was just taking potshots at pigeons and happened to hit the blades keeping our aircraft afloat, too!"
Jury humphed and stuck her nose in the air. "What I'm saying is maybe they were heading this way anyway and they're gonna pass right over-" Just then, a multicolored light exploded up out of the ground at the center of the ruined settlement. "Oh."
I clenched my teeth and hissed a breath. "Damn it, I put too much effort into you. I'm not giving up now!" I drew my blasting talisman and flipped on my shield talisman before speeding on.
We reached the edge of a deep pit out of which the light was beaming. And down in a chamber at the bottom, I could see the Elements and the Pillars combining their completely unfair high-powered magic tools to drive Stygian back into Limbo.
I took a breath and then leaped down. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" The group jolted and looked up at me, weakening their spell and allowing Stygian to push his way back out.
"It's him!" Mistmane cried. I aimed my charm down at them.
Starlight charged her horn. "I got him! Focus on the Shadow!" She fired a beam which smashed into my own, but then she teleported up and blasted me from near-point blank. My shield lit up and absorbed the blast, but the force still knocked me off course, and I was sent harmlessly bouncing away, cursing all the while.
Though initially surprised by the barrier, she recovered and warped after me just as I clamored to my feet and took another shot at her. She parried the blast out of the air and fired another at me, which again was absorbed by my shield. She furrowed her brow and studied the effect closely. Just beyond her, I could see the combined powers of harmony going to work again.
I growled and took aim at her. "I spent too much time and effort letting him out! You're not sending him back."
She grimaced and lit up her horn. "What the heck are you so buddy-buddy with the Pony of Shadows anyway? In case you haven't noticed, Eddy, it's a LITERAL monster!" She snorted. "I know you got that whole 'infinite power from darkness' idea, but do you really think it's going to cooperate?"
"He's not an 'it' and he's not a 'monster,'" I spat. "You'd know that if you actually read between the lines in all the legends about those old bastards."
"Edward! Stop!" I flinched and looked up at the scrawny unicorn currently galloping towards us.
"Stygian? Wha-" I looked past him to see the shadow creature currently getting blasted into Limbo and then back at him. "How.."
He panted and stepped between Starlight and me. "Edward, just stop! It's over." I scowled but before I could retort there was a boom and a squeal, heralding another rainbow blast that filled the whole chamber. When my sight returned, the portal to Limbo was gone, and so was the Pony of Shadows.
I looked between Stygian and the place where the shadow had been in bewilderment. "What.. the hell just.. How?"
"We freed him!" I frowned as Twilight and the Pillars came trotting up. "We pulled him out of the darkness he'd been living in for all this time. He's free."
I scoffed and aimed my talisman at her. "You mean you neutered him. Took away his power. Made him weak," I waved Stygian to my side. "Don't worry, I can fix this. We can still make this work."
He blinked and looked at me with a frown. "Make what work?" The entire line-up of Equestrian defenders was now present and glaring at me.
I groaned. "What we talked about after I freed you," I swept my arm out at him. "Remaking this world how we want it. And most importantly?"
I clenched my fist and bared my teeth. "Justice. Recognition for your works and mine," I looked him in the eyes. "What we both deserve." He furrowed his brow as we held each other's gaze.
"No."
I tilted my head slightly. "Excuse me?"
"Excuse me, too!" Jury chirped as she delicately slipped around the Elements and scurried to my side. My attention remained firmly on Stygian, though she looked up at me. "What'd I miss?"
Stygian took a breath and nodded. "It's over Edward. I.. I'm done."
My arm went slack and my jaw hung open. "What do you mean you're done?"
Starswirl took a step forward with a determined glare. "He means-" I blasted the ground right at his feet, causing him to yell and jump back.
"I mean I've chosen to let go of my resentment, Edward," he gave me a sad smile. "I'm choosing to forgive and move on." I glared hard at him as he turned and walked to Starswirl's side.
He sighed and nodded at me. "And I think you should, too." I think I felt one of my teeth crack from how hard I clenched them, and my fist was definitely quivering.
"He's right, Eddy," Twilight said, taking a step closer and fixing me with a serious look. "Nothing's happened that can't be fixed if you give us a chance to help." I clenched my talisman so hard, I felt the gem crack.
"Please. Just come home." She gave me that sad frown. The one she must've known ate at me.
In that moment, I thanked God for my glasses, which were too dark for her to see through.
I smiled and adjusted my glasses. "Sorry! Terribly preoccupied now that Starlight's wrecked my flying machine," I leaned in at the hips. "Have to look into getting a new one."
Her ears folded back. "Eddy, please.." Her friends shared a look and began to advance on us.
I leaned back and tossed my crackling talisman in the air a few times. "I think I'll call the new one 'Integrity!'" I snapped my fingers at her, causing her to flinch. "In honor of the fact that I can't be bought." Before anyone could make a move, I slammed my talisman gem-first on the ground. The explosion that followed provided perfect cover for Jury and me to escape.
I leered down at the guard to my left who was carrying the pony weapon I'd produced on his back. "How's it feel?"
He glanced up at me and hummed. "Kinda doesn't. It's pretty light."
"Excellent."
He scoffed. "What's excellent about it? It ain't gonna hit too hard if it ain't got no heft."
I rolled my eyes. "It fires magic, you idiot."
He blanched and considered the weapon. "Oh."
"OH," I mocked. "Honestly! I can't imagine how you'd all fare if Twilight hadn't involved me."
He scowled. "We woulda found a way."
"Does that way involve waiting for an alicorn or instant win magic to take care of the problem for you?"
He scrunched his muzzle and his eyes darted. "No! We probably would've-"
Just then, as we approached the door to the room Twilight asked us to bring the device, I heard something. "Hush."
"Don't tell me to-" I slapped my hand over his muzzle and listened.
It was Twilight. "- really trying - nopony else - just wish -" I scowled and crept up to the door and peeked in. She was talking to Starlight, which was a shock already, but she looked even worse than she did this morning. Positively miserable, in fact.
Even this close, their conversation was quiet. Starlight nodded at something Twilight said and then hugged her.
"I hope so, too," she said aloud.
"What's going on?" I flinched and looked down at the guard who was peeking in with me.
Rolling my eyes, I pushed the door open. "I brought the prototype." The instant she laid eyes on me, Twilight changed.
"Great!" She cheered with a bright smile. "Let's see it!" I raised an eyebrow and then leered at Starlight, who smirked back at me.
"Hey, Eddy."
"Bedlam."
"Nah. Let's see your new toy!" I grumbled but waved the guard forward.
"Keep in mind, per your instructions, it can't fire as there are no gems involved. Only fake ones matching the size and weight of the real thing."
The pair hummed and took the weapon from the guard, who bowed to Twilight, and then stepped away. Twilight turned it over in her magic. "So the real thing just charges air with a momentum spell?"
"Correct," I replied. Starlight nodded and peeked down the barrel.
"If I got this right, there'll be one, two.. ten momentum gems casting the spell, right?"
"Also, correct."
She whistled. "That'll hit pretty hard!" She pulled it and looked it up and down. "How're ponies supposed to use it?"
I stepped forward and pointed at the back end. "It sits on the shoulder like you saw the guard carrying it. That bit there flips out and can be pulled with a forehoof. That's the firing mechanism."
"Clever~" Starlight nodded with a smile. "So what're you gonna make when the Legion's beaten?"
I jolted. "What?"
She smiled at me. "Y'know! Once we've beaten Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy," she tilted her head. "What're you gonna make then?"
"Hey, that's a good question!" Twilight added. "You said you wanted to keep building things, but didn't say what those things were."
I dumbly rolled my hand in thought. "I- Well!" I clapped. "If it's permitted, I'd like to rebuild my animunculi."
Twilight hummed. "We might be able to make that work," she frowned at me. "But only a couple and without any weapons."
"Not even as guards?"
Starlight shook her head. "She already has guards. But you know what'd be great?" She pointed her hoof. "Something to help fix up any damage the Legion does! Like a construction golem or something!"
"That'd be great! And you've made plenty of those before!" Twilight added.
I forced a laugh. "Yeah! I sure did! So hey! Let's stay focused shall we?" I tapped on the pony-gun. "Now that the Pillars are out hunting, who knows how long until go time?" They flinched and shared a look before nodding.
Twilight glared at the weapon lying on the floor and wiped her eyes with a wing. "I don't think it worked, Starlight."
Starlight wrapped her in a hug. "Maybe not initially! But in time, giving him positive outlets to consider will make him think twice about the bad ones!" She turned Twilight's head to meet her eyes and smiled. "It's like the Tree of Harmony. Plant the seeds." She rolled her hoof at Twilight.
Twilight sniffled and took a breath. "Then watch them grow," she clenched her eyes and hummed for a moment before smiling at Starlight.
"And hey, let's think of it like this!" She nudged Twilight. "He hasn't tried to rebuild the Killer Six! I'd call that progress!" Twilight went wide-eyed and shuddered.
"That's definitely true."
"Gilda was right. This is horrible," Twilight moaned as she looked over the valley.
Rainbow snarled and stamped the ground. "When I get my hooves on him."
Fluttershy whimpered and shielded her eyes. "Why would he do this?"
"Raw materials," Starlight groused.
"Horrid," Rarity spat.
"Those poor griffins!" Pinkie squealed. Applejack was the only one who remained silent, taking in the sight with barely contained indignation.
The entire land around Griffinstone was alive with the movement of the clanking and squealing animunculi Bedlam was so proud of, in all shapes and sizes. Some were humanoid, but there were also large drones and moving wagons hauling debris and gems out of the vast quarry that had been dug all around the griffin capital.
The city itself was untouched, and in a certain light, it looked better than it had in some years. Houses were repaired and reinforced, roads were spotless, and even though it was the middle of the night the whole place was illuminated thanks to a network of street lights. However, the patrols of machines and storm beasts, looming guard towers, and high wire fencing surrounding the whole place likely canceled any improvements Bedlam had made.
To say nothing of the large smoking factory towards the far end of the city and the tall, blinking, heavily guarded tower sticking up out of it. So heavily guarded by flying machines, in fact, it was obviously the brain of the operation.
Twilight pointed a hoof at the tower. "He must be controlling all these through that thing!"
"Right! All those other times he had to be pretty close to keep them this organized, but look at how spread out they are and how many there are!" Starlight added. As the girls considered all the machines, they were suddenly under a heavy spotlight. Looking up in shock, they saw a large flying griffin-shaped animunculus descending upon them with the spotlight beaming out of its eyes.
It clicked, whined, and then spoke. [You are in violation of curfew and have been reported to the Administrator. Return to your homes immediately.]
I hurled the stone into the lake with all my might. It sailed for a good bit before finally splashing.
"Nice one!" Jury chirped before picking one up in her magic and shooting it like a bullet. I whistled at the sight and nodded at her in approval, but she gave me a frown. "So, you're not even going to make talismans?"
"Nuh-uh, don't want to risk it," I sighed and sat down against the tree we were in the shade of. "She told Twilight she was going to try and find a way for me to get licensed or something, but until then I just.. Need to do nothing, I guess."
I tapped the back of my head against the tree. "So what else is new?"
Jury tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
I grimaced and rolled my hand out for a moment as I worked up the will to speak. "I.." I sighed hard. "I never really did anything, you know?" I fixed her with a weary look.
"Went to college, got my degree, and tried to.. Do something," I folded my arms and stared at the sky. "Wound up just stuck cleaning windows at a shitty middle school."
"You went to college?"
I nodded and sighed. "Yeah, computer science for all the good it did me," I grunted and grabbed another stone. "Dad said 'Pick sumfin ya like Ned! You'll never work a day in your life! He Hyuk!'" I flung the stone into the water.
"You got that fucking right. Acted like it was my fault nothing ever came of it," I grit my teeth and sighed. "'How's the job search, ya freeloader? Aw, I'm just joshin' Neddy!' Well, guess it ain't a joke no more, Dad."
A few minutes of silence passed between us before Jury said anything. "I don't think the princess thinks you're a freeloader."
I hummed and locked my hands behind my head. "Doesn't matter what she thinks. It's a fact. No job. No prospects. Nothing," I grimaced and sighed. "And I go and scream at her idol right in front of her."
"You were upset! I'm sure she gets that."
"Maybe, but if she doesn't then I don't want to be any more of a problem for her, which is why I'm sticking by Celestia's order," I met Jury's grumpy frown with a smile and scratched her ear. "You and she are just about the only good thing going for me. I'll miss you both when-"
"Eddy!" I looked up and saw Twilight flying towards us. As I stood up she came to a hover right in front of me. "Celestia's back! She says she needs to speak to you." I flinched.
"Is she-"
Twilight shook her head. "No, she's not upset! She just said to come get you. It's important, apparently."
Twilight was crying. Not outright sobbing, but she had a hoof over her mouth and tears were flowing freely. All while she kept her gaze locked on me.
"Edward?" I looked up at Celestia from my seat.
"Yeah?"
"Did you hear what I said?"
I looked at my hands and gestured. "Yeah, you can't teleport to a place with no magic, since you can't sense it. And even if you could, the spell would probably explode worse than the one that brought me here cause of magical atmospheric differences. So it'd kill me, and probably half of whatever city I landed in if I even made it to earth."
Twilight whimpered and clenched her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Eddy."
"It's fine. Can't be helped."
Celestia frowned. "Edward, I-" she sighed. "I need to know that you understand the situation."
I met her eyes and shrugged. "I can't go home. I get it. I'm here for the rest of my life," I shook my head and laughed. "Sorry Twilight. Look's like I gotta mooch off you for-"
"NO!" She screamed and tackled me in a hug. "Don't you dare! Don't you even... No."
I snorted and wrestled my arm free to hug her back. "Alright, alright." She squeezed me tight and I sighed before looking up at Celestia with a smile. "Thanks for trying. Genuinely."
It took a few knocks, but finally Jury opened her door. She blinked and looked up at me, bleary-eyed. "Eddy?" She yawned. "It's two in the morning, what's going on?"
I leaned against her door-frame and looked down the road, wide-eyed. I took a breath through my mouth and ran my hand down my face then looked at it. It was still quivering.
"Couldn't sleep. Thinking too much," I replied.
"About what?"
I clicked my teeth and hummed before looking down at her with a smile. "You wanna build something?"