//------------------------------//
// Cutting Both Ways 
// Story: Synthesis of the Atheist 
// by BlackRoseRaven 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Ten: Cutting Both Ways
~BlackRoseRaven

Luna shifted uneasily back and forth as Celestia and Twilight Sparkle both sat on either side of Scrivener Blooms, studying him intently as their horns glowed. The stallion was trembling faintly, his eyes closed as he sat on a cold metal grate in the middle of this large, empty stone room in the deep sub-levels of the Thorn Palace. It was stone and cold and moss grew in large tracts along the slimy walls, torches burning with sapphire flames mounted on rusting sconces in the walls.
High above, water dripped down on occasion from the thick, solid grating that served as the roof, which rattled every so often as demons strode over it. This ceiling was maybe thirty feet above their heads at the top of the cylindrical room, and did not at all help Luna in feeling like they were anywhere but a deep, dark abyss of a well.
Scrivener cursed under his breath, arching his back slightly as Celestia's horn glowed a bit more intensely, and then she glanced quickly over at Twilight Sparkle, who halted in her own examination of the stallion's form, sitting back and frowning anxiously as the ivory mare stepped closer and reached up to rest a hoof on Scrivener's shoulder, slowly drawing her gaze down along his back.
“Here. This is strange.” Celestia said quietly, and Scrivener groaned as part of his back glowed: the spell pricked through his flesh like needles, made his nerves fizzle and the corruption in his veins boil as the ivory mare murmured: “I can't tell how old this is, but there's definitely something here...”
“Please kill me.” Scrivener wheezed, and Twilight sighed and glared at him as Luna grumbled and shifted awkwardly: the pain wasn't so bad that she was feeling it as well, but with how sore Scrivener was after being thrown down four flights of stairs, she couldn't completely blame him for complaining. “I... is this why...”
“All I know, Scrivener, is that whenever Valthrudnir is involved, we have to look at every possible option, no matter how unlikely.” Celestia soothed gently, and Scrivener closed his eyes even as he cursed quietly under his breath again as he felt something... shift faintly inside himself, and then Luna groaned as well as Scrivener's eyes bulged and watered when it felt like Celestia gripped and moved something in his back with telekinesis. “But these...”
Twilight Sparkle cleared her throat hurriedly, and Celestia glanced up before blushing slightly and letting the glow die out from around her horn when she saw the pain the two were in. The violet mare relaxed after a moment herself, shifting a little: it had hurt enough that she had felt the tingle of discomfort through her link with them too.
Luna mumbled and shifted, and Scrivener twitched a few times, shaking his head out before he rolled his shoulder and winced, teeth grit. Celestia studied him, the way he was moving, before she reached up and touched his back as she asked quietly: “What's wrong?”
“Feels like something is... out of place in there, I guess, I... it doesn't hurt but it doesn't feel... right, you know?” Scrivener muttered, and Celestia nodded slowly as the stallion shifted back and forth, then shook his head and mumbled as he finally forced himself to settle: “Well, hopefully it'll just... go away. What were you saying though? I... is it... do you think...”
“No, I don't think Valthrudnir has anything to do with these formations. They look older, actually.” Celestia gently pushed along Scrivener's back, studying his reaction, and when Scrivener tensed up with a faint wince as she pressed near his shoulderblade, she asked quietly: “There?”
Scrivener nodded, and Celestia looked at him thoughtfully before questioning: “Will you please move your leg around a little? Stretch out and around in a circle if you can, Scrivener Blooms, I'd appreciate it.”
The stallion looked over his shoulder at her, nonplussed, and then he finally shrugged and moved as she'd instructed him, as Luna grumbled and then said flatly: “If thou desired to play Stallion Says... or more likely, 'I-Am-Queen-Celestia-All-Must-Do-As-I-Decree...' thou should just go ahead and ask us to indulge thy sick fantasies.”
Celestia ignored her younger sibling as she felt the tender point on Scrivener's back, her head bowed forwards and eyes closed as she frowned a little to herself. Twilight looked on worriedly as Scrivener continued to move his front leg in slow, wide circles, asking apprehensively: “Do I... I mean...”
“Yes, that's good for now, Scrivener, thank you. Now if you don't mind, your other foreleg.” Celestia moved her hoof to Scrivener's other side, and the stallion looked over his shoulder at her worriedly, but the ivory mare gave a faint smile, saying quietly: “I don't think... it's anything bad. Just something that's likely gone unnoticed because we never had reason to check for it. Please, Scrivener.”
The stallion sighed after a moment, then he nodded gloomily and began to repeat the process of making slow circles with his other front limb, as Twilight asked apprehensively: “What is it, Celestia? And are you sure Valthrudnir doesn't have anything to do with this?”
“I can't say anything for sure yet, Twilight. Don't worry, I'm not going to keep any secrets, especially not when it's Scrivener's own body we're working with. I think this is from when... Scrivener became a Clockwork Pony.” Celestia's voice dropped almost imperceptibly in volume, and the stallion closed his eyes as Luna looked up sharply and Twilight's frown deepened.
Then the ivory mare shook her head before stepping back, saying quietly: “Thank you, Scrivener, that's enough. Now, I'm going to cast a translucency spell on your back. I know it's... unpleasant to feel, but this is important.”
The stallion nodded hesitantly, and then he lowered his head forwards and gritted his teeth as Luna grimaced in distaste and then strode towards them, muttering: “Wonderful. Stuck in the bottom of a filthy well while my older sister tortures my husband, who was earlier possessed and emotionally mauled by a vicious bit-”
Scrivener glanced up sourly, and Luna cut her own words off with a grumble, nodding after a moment before she turned towards Twilight and buried her face firmly into the Lich's neck, making the violet mare smile faintly despite herself before she held out a hoof, offering it to Scrivener. The stallion smiled after a moment, taking this with a quiet sigh as he nodded a little... and then he gritted his teeth with a curse, a shiver rolling through his body as he felt the nerves all along his upper back lighting up with pain.
Luna grimaced herself, her wings fluttering uncomfortably as she buried her face deeper against Twilight, and the Lich breathed a bit harder and looked worriedly over Scrivener's shoulder at Celestia, squeezing Scrivener's hoof firmly. Spells like this were normally used only on inorganic objects because they forcibly thinned and modified the molecular structure of what was enchanted so light could pass through, essentially making the object transparent.
In other words, what Scrivener Blooms felt right now was very much akin to having layers of skin, flesh, and everything else Celestia had to go compressed and stripped away, even if they were still physically 'there.'
Then Celestia nodded sharply, murmuring: “There, I found it...” A pause, and then said licked her lips nervously before saying quietly: “I'm sorry about the pain, by the way.”
“Well it's nothing worse than-” And then Celestia flicked her horn sharply as she yanked on whatever she had found with telekinesis, and Scrivener arched his back with a loud howl of pain as black mire burst in all directions from Scrivener's back, and Luna let out her own yelp as she tumbled against Twilight and clutched tightly into the Lich, before turning a furious glare on her older sibling.
Twilight flinched violently as well as she clutched into Scrivener's hoof, gasping as she felt a brush of pain along either side of her spine, and at the same time several stitches popped loose over her body from the strain of whatever had just happened. Then she turned her own look on Celestia, but her eyes were more surprised than frustrated, even as Luna sat up and shouted: “And what in Helheim's name did thou just do?”
“I don't know if I accept your apology, Celestia. That pain was a little more intense than expected.” Scrivener wheezed as the enormous blast of pain quickly thinned down to a faint, pointed throbbing. He glanced back at her, but the ivory mare was only looking at him silently before the stallion frowned and let go of Twilight so he could turn slowly around, asking nervously as he felt more than a flutter of concern run through his chest: “What? What is it?”
But now he could sense Luna and Twilight staring as well, and Scrivener shivered a bit as he caught flickers of the image from the sapphire mare before he slowly craned his head around as much as possible, staring in disbelief at his back... and the bony pistons that jutted out along either side of his spine, slowly dripping the black corruption that ran through Scrivener's body and served as his blood.
He mouthed wordlessly at the sight of this, then shook his head weakly before turning his eyes to Celestia again, and the ivory mare shook her head before clearing her throat and saying finally: “I... I think they must have grown in during your... your transformation, before you went to Decretum. But the fact they never... surfaced... that's good.”
“Then what in Helheim's name possessed thou to think it a good idea to forcibly yank them out of mine husband's back?” Luna shouted, staring incredulously at Celestia as Scrivener slowly opened his mouth... then figured moodily that no, he was going to let Luna speak her piece on this one after all. “For the love of all that is holy and most of that which is not, does thou think this is like... like a hat? Bones are not hats, Celestia! When one pierces bones through flesh, thou cannot say, 'oh I do not feel like having this bone sticking up from my curvy backside today, I shall remove it and place it upon the bone rack,' bones do not work this way!”
Twilight slowly turned to stare at Luna as the sapphire mare breathed hard in and out, and Celestia slowly closed her eyes before shaking herself briskly, as if to try and clear her mind as she said slowly and carefully: “I know, sister. But... after what happened to Scrivener today, we need to... to take a full account of his body and form. Valthrudnir must have had an objective with whatever he was doing... we know that he always has some purpose, some motive, to what he does.”
“And ripping my husband's... spiny-thingies through his back is going to uncover that evil objective? We already know Scrivy is a... a Clockwork Pony!” Luna stumbled a little, her lower jaw trembling a bit before she gritted her teeth and dropped her head forwards, mane sparking violently as it swirled and sizzled around her. Twilight reached up and touched her shoulder as Celestia glanced away, looking almost ashamed, and as Scrivener looked at his soulmate softly, Luna muttered: “Pity me not. 'Tis just... frustration. I am frustrated, and it has been a long day, and I wish to curl up and cry and eat many baked treats with jam and drink coffee. Not... mope at the bottom of the well with... my big, bossy sister being... bossy. And stuffy. Thou art bossy and stuffy and fat, Celestia.”
“I know, Luna. I know.” Celestia sighed softly, smiling faintly before she leaned carefully forwards, and Scrivener glanced awkwardly up at her before the ivory mare nodded slowly: “It looks as if the... the pistons, are already receding into your back, though, Scrivener Blooms. Do you feel it?”
Scrivener hesitated, then shifted awkwardly, and he winced a bit as he felt the bony spikes move... no, Celestia was right. They were bone pistons, strange protuberances he wished direly looked more alien to him... except he had seen bones like those before, in his nightmares and in reality. They were the same bone structures as Tyrant Wyrms had. “And I was supposed to become one of those...”
He didn't realize he'd spoken out loud until he saw Celestia's sympathetic look, and the stallion hurriedly shook his head, clearing his throat and looking up as he said finally: “No. No, it's okay, I... I do feel it, yeah. Like they're sliding back into place wherever they were... hidden.” He closed his eyes, grimacing a little as he muttered: “Just wonderful. Well, I'm already a monster, so I guess it shouldn't be anything... bothersome.”
He shifted lamely, then Celestia said quietly: “You're not a monster, Scrivener... in fact, none of you are.” She drew her eyes slowly up, past the stallion and over Twilight Sparkle, then Luna as the sapphire mare smiled faintly. “I don't believe any of you are going to become monsters, either. As you all taught me... we decide who we become.”
She stopped, then shook her head slowly, her amethyst eyes sliding back to meet Scrivener's chestnut irises. “We need to monitor you, and to test you further. When we did it before, we were only interested in exterior changes... now I want to do much more than that. It will be uncomfortable, but I believe it's necessary, and we should make sure we do it as soon as possible, before we leave on our mission for Kvasir.”
“Why?” Scrivener couldn't stop from asking, and when Celestia gave him a mild look, he shook his head awkwardly, rephrasing after a moment: “No I mean... I know why, I mean, why is it so important we get it done so quickly? You don't think...”
“I don't know what to think, Scrivener.” Celestia replied quietly, and the stallion sighed a little and lowered his head, making a bit of a face before the ivory mare added after a moment: “Try and... think of it as humoring me, that's all. But we can stop for now, if you want... I know little sister doesn't like it down here.”
Luna grumbled moodily, glowering as she said sourly: “Oh, aye, talk as if 'tis all my fault, Celestia, really. I simply do not understand why we had to hold this palaver here, in these empty cells. They speak more of imprisonment than healing.”
“I know, little sister, but... it's because of the draw you and Scrivener have over many of the residents of Subterra... these walls are all shielded with iron, meaning demons can't pass through as they please.” Celestia said gently, and Luna grumbled a little under her breath before the ivory mare added softly: “And you wouldn't want demons hurrying around us, trying to help or watch or perhaps... touch Scrivener's blood, right?”
“I'd like some of Scrivy's blood.” called a voice loudly, and Scrivener sighed tiredly as he looked mildly towards the heavy, plated door, a familiar pair of burning blue eyes looking moodily into the cell through the small window slot. “Hey, let me in. The tumor wants to know what the hell's going on with you guys.”
Scrivener rolled his eyes and Luna huffed a bit, saying dryly: “I would like to take this opportunity to point out, Pinkamena, that if any of us have some semblance to a tumor 'tis thou. Thou came out of Pinkie Pie's brain, foul demon.”
The door rattled violently as Pinkamena kicked it hard before she responded grumpily: “Hey, screw you, Nightmare Moon. We've been over this, anyway, I was the one here first and Pinkie Pie is the goddamn tumor.”
Celestia only shook her head, then flicked her horn absently, and the iron door clanked loudly before swinging open. Pinkamena grunted as she strode in through this, kicking it closed behind her before her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Scrivener, and the still-visible spikes jutting from his back. She approached almost eagerly, and the stallion winced a bit as the gray-pink mare reached quickly up to rub a hoof along the stallion's back and around the bone spikes, muttering: “Well, look at what we have here... Scrivy, you wonderful bastard, you didn't tell me you were trying to go full out monster now. Doesn't surprise me that Princess Sunshine's helping you out, though.”
Scrivener only sighed tiredly, and Twilight shook her head, saying softly: “No, we... we weren't doing anything like that, Pinkamena. These were already here...”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Pinkamena said dismissively, then she glanced down at her hoof, seeing the fresh, dark blood over it before leaning down and licking it slowly, smacking her lips and grinning slightly. “This tastes pretty recent to me, though. And deny it all you want, but don't think we don't all see it. Scrivener already makes a great monster, after all... and there's no shame in finding a little excitement and happiness in that. We're all freaks here.”
Twilight only shifted uncomfortably as Celestia looked silently at Pinkamena, but the demon only shook her head before standing side-by-side with Scrivener, grinning over at him as he looked at her moodily, their eyes locking. “Take it from somepony who knows. It's hardest halfway... either be or don't be, stop your goddamn fence-sitting. You understand that, don't you?”
Scrivener nodded after a moment, and Pinkamena licked her lips slowly before leaning in and biting into the side of his neck. Scrivener winced, and Luna stiffened, glaring and shifting a bit... but it was clearly something more than just the pain she was causing that was riling up her emotions, even as teeth marks formed on the side of her own neck.
Dark blood dripped into Pinkamena's jaws, the demon drinking this back like fine wine before she drew away and licked her lips slowly, a few black streams rolling down her chin as she shivered once. Her breathing quickened, and her skin seemed to ripple as her hooves ground lightly against the stony floor, before she murmured: “Delicious as always, Scrivy. That nightmare fuel you got running through your veins... hey, I know, Princess Sunshine. If you really want to understand, why don't you take a little taste of Scrivy, too? He likes it, don't you?”
“Go away, demon.” Luna growled, and Pinkamena glowered over at the sapphire mare before Luna shook her head and snapped: “We are not like thou! This is no time for thy games and riddles, Scrivy is... is...”
“Scrivy needs help, and that's what I want to do. Help him.” Pinkamena cut her off quietly, and the demon lost her grin for a moment, a strange softness showing through her features as her eyes turned to Scrivener, before she quickly grinned again, hiding her emotions under her shark-like poker face as she murmured: “It ain't my fault that the bastard needs a rough shove or two.”
Scrivener only smiled faintly across at Pinkamena, and the demon looked silently back at her best friend for a few moments before shaking her head and muttering: “Look, I don't care either way, I'm just saying you guys are all trying too goddamn hard. And I guess I'm pissed off that in a few days you're planning to go off and save some world or something without me.”
“Maybe we'll get lucky, and they'll just want to destroy part of the world this time. Or be in the middle of building their death ray, I dunno.” Scrivener said blandly, and Pinkamena gave him a mild look as Luna sighed in exasperation. “Hey, I can be hopeful. And Celestia, I... we can do this now if you want to. I'm already achy as hell, might as well go all-in.”
Celestia nodded slowly as Luna sighed and dropped her head, Twilight reaching up to squeeze her shoulder soothingly as the sapphire mare mumbled: “Wonderful. Thou art an idiot, Scrivener Blooms. And thou art... I do not know, Pinkamena. Thou art... mean.”
“I feel kind of sorry for you if that's the best you can manage right now, Nightmare Moon.” Pinkamena dropped herself down on her haunches beside Scrivener, then she looked mildly at Celestia when the ivory winged unicorn cleared her throat pointedly. “Hey, I ain't moving. I might as well watch, my little girl's got the tumor entertained upstairs. Besides, I don't mind a little blood splattering on me now and then. Not when it's as rich as Scrivy's here.”
The charcoal stallion sighed and hung his head as Celestia shook her own slowly, but then she simply turned her attention to Scrivener Blooms as she began calmly: “I'm going to start with a basic physical exam again, and then I want to scan you from head-to-hooves, and perhaps take a few blood samples... Twilight, maybe you could go tell Antares what's going on, it's going to take a while. I also need you to get me a specimen sample kit, but take your time. I want to be very thorough.”
Scrivener slumped further as Twilight hesitantly nodded, then gave a supportive smile to Luna before the Lich slipped away. Pinkamena licked her lips greedily, looking at Scrivener like he was a delicious morsel to be gobbled down, and Celestia smiled supportively even as her little sister glared up at her. “Don't worry. It'll be over quickly. But we have to know.”

The testing process took about four hours in total, and they found very little of interest apart from the bone pistons. Still, Scrivener supposed Celestia was right when she noted that they still found some things over the course of a thorough exam they hadn't otherwise, and they had sent his blood away for further testing and analysis as well, even though by all standards Scrivener's blood was abnormal in every way to begin with.
Pinkamena 'helped' at one point during this process by biting him again, and then she remarked after Luna had pried her off that she thought Scrivener's corruption had gotten more potent. Or tastier, as she phrased it. Either way, it had struck Celestia's interest: Pinkamena was a lot of things, after all, but that included a very keen observer of small details... and if anyone could tell that Scrivener's corruption had become more intense, it was probably her, considering how often she tried to bite him and the time the two spent together.
When the testing was finally over and done with, Scrivener and Luna headed up to bed. And while at first the darkness was dreamless and empty, soon Luna found herself striding curiously through a world of shadows, looking back and forth with a frown. She didn't feel lost despite the fact that all around her, she could only see darkly-tinted mist and black earth... she felt like something was drawing her onwards.
But she couldn't precisely feel Scrivener's presence, and when she called out to him, he didn't respond. That was what made her nervous, even if at the same time, physically, she knew he was there: it was more like Scrivener's mental presence was temporarily gone, and that worried her because of what they had already experienced today.
Still, there was that beacon, calling to her in the shadows, and as she continued to follow it, the mare realized the world around her was filling in, becoming detailed and in a strange, twisted way, alive; dark mire pulsed beneath her hooves, and trees that looked burnt and dead but bled red sap swayed of their own accord here and there.
There were streaks of frost too, and humped up pieces of ice that were steaming white, frozen mist into the air. The flow of strange smoke thinned and thickened as it wafted upwards from the patches of ice, making it seem almost like these stains of frozen earth were... breathing.
Luna shivered a little, then shook her head slowly before she turned her eyes to the side... and twitched in surprise when she saw Valthrudnir standing only a few feet away, the Jötnar looking down at her with disgust and contempt. Immediately the sapphire mare let out a snarl, flicking her horn sharply to send a blast of blue fire at the dragon, but the explosion of sapphire flames didn't even make Valthrudnir twitch or so much as ruffle his suit.
Luna snapped her horn downwards, cursing, and a blast of lightning shot down from the skies, but this arced itself violently around the dragon and tore a crater in the earth instead of hitting him, the Jötnar looking displeased as a bit of mud was kicked up from the force of the thunderbolt over his pristine dress pants. He snapped his fingers, and the muck vanished before his amber eyes locked with Luna's, asking distastefully: “Are you done, incompetent little girl? Or would you like to continue this meaningless and unprovoked assault?”
“Shut up!” Luna shouted, charging furiously at him... and ramming once more headfirst into whatever invisible barrier protected the creature, head twisting to the side and feeling like she had just rudely shoved her face up against a thick glass window. Valthrudnir only rolled his eyes and half-rose his arms, and Luna slowly peeled herself off the barrier before she narrowed her eyes up at him.
He glared back down at her, and Luna leaned forwards, growling: “Hide all thou likes, craven coward, but know that no matter what, I shall find a way to destroy thee, and root thee out of my husband's mind like the belly-crawling parasite thou art! Thou art no dragon, thou art nothing but... but... but a newt! Thou art a stupid newt!”
Valthrudnir clenched his hands into fists and ground his teeth together slowly, and then he straightened and spread his hands out, closing his eyes and taking a slow breath as he said moodily: “No. You are nothing but a worthless, brainless former whore in the body of an ugly little pack animal. Unsophisticated words spoken by cultureless filth will hot be permitted to have any affect on me.”
Luna shouted at him furiously, leaping forwards... and smacking face-first again into the invisible barrier. This time she scrabbled at it madly with her front hooves, trying to smash her way through as she snarled angrily up at him, but Valthrudnir only put on a mocking smile, leaning down as he put his hands behind his back and asked calmly: “Oh, what's wrong, Brynhild? Did your insectile little brain already forget all about the barrier between us? Why don't you just sit and stay like a good little bitch-dog and-”
Luna reared back, making a horrible retching sound before she leaned forwards and spat the largest ball of phlegmy saliva she could hock up square into Valthrudnir's face, letting out a shout of triumph when it passed the barrier and splattered loudly over his scales. The Jötnar's eyes widened in horror as he froze up completely, and Luna grinned at him, supporting herself against the barrier as she asked nastily: “And would thou like seconds, wretched ugly stupid newt?”
Valthrudnir's features contorted with fury and hatred, the Jötnar straightening with an ugly snarl  as he snapped an arm outwards, and Luna's eyes widened in horror as spikes of ice and stone erupted from the ground all around her and vents ripped open in the earth, vomiting fire and smoke into the sky. She cried out in shock, clenching her eyes shut and bringing her forelegs back as she flinched away, feeling the world around her shaking tremendously as death closed in on all sides...
But nothing happened. There was no feeling of being pierced, or having her skin scalded off, or being swallowed up beneath the ground. No ice or fire consumed her, and slowly, Luna opened her eyes and looked dumbly back and forth as she realized that she was sitting in a perfect little circle of untouched sanctuary amidst a hell of spikes and ice and serpentine flames that twisted and curled through the air of their own accord.
Then Valthrudnir cursed under his breath, and Luna eyes snapped towards him before she flicked her horn sharply, sending out a blast of force that obliterated the ice and stone between the two so she could see him clearly. He was unharmed as well, but looked... humiliated. Hateful and furious, yes, but there was a faint flush in his cheeks as he wiped her spittle away from his face and said coldly: “You're lucky I need to keep you alive, and have more self control than you animal little mortals do.”
“No... no, that is not it at all. Do not take me for an idiot, Valthrudnir. It seems that I cannot hurt thou... but thou cannot do harm to me, either.” Luna said thoughtfully, frowning and stepping towards the Jötnar, and the dragon looked at her with sour distaste, which made the mare grin wider. “Well, what an unhappy circumstance for us both... and yet all the same I find myself taking sick delight in it. Now just why is it that thou and I can do no harm to one another?”
Valthrudnir only snorted in contempt, moodily smoothing out his already-flawless dress jacket before the ivory dragon replied distastefully: “As if I have the time or the patience to explain the laws of the universe to you in terms your simplistic mind could comprehend. Now for once in your life, Brynhild, shut your ever-speaking mouth and listen to me, because I have a proposal for-”
“Oh, I am so sorry, Valthrudnir, I am already married.” Luna interrupted boldly, and when the Jötnar's eye twitched, she grinned widely, leaning forwards and adding in a falsely-kind voice: “And whilst thou art oh such a cute little dragon and cuts such a mighty figure, I fear that in many ways I cannot help but find thee... small. And pedantic. And... and I hope thou can understand my little silly words, but I also find thee... foalish.”
“Foalish.” Valthrudnir gritted his teeth, clenching his hands slowly into fists as his body flexed, his amber eyes glowing with hatred.
“Yes. Foalish. Oh, are thou confused? You see, foals are what we ponies refer to our children as. Thou knows what a child is, I am sure. A toddler. A baby. Or am I speaking too stupidly for thee?” Luna asked empathetically, her voice dripping with patronization, her eyes challenging the Jötnar with every fiber of her being.
Valthrudnir shivered in rage, breathing harder, his amber eyes locked on the sapphire mare as he  gritted his teeth before suddenly straightening, his eyes cold as he pointed at her and promised quietly: “When I finally escape this hellish torment where I am forced to leech off an inferior being like a common parasite, I am going to destroy you. No, no, I will not kill you, Brynhild. I'll just hurt you. I do recognize your value, after all... and as much as you bark like a mad dog now, I know you'll fall into place the moment I have Nihete fully under control. You need him, after all. And you crave him. And like any addict, you would turn on even your precious little boy for just a lick of your precious husband, wouldn't you?”
Luna snarled at this, and now Valthrudnir smiled icily, his amber eyes flashing before he held up a hand, and there was a crackle of energy before a flow of black sand twisted up from the earth, rapidly forming into a large, flat black rectangle before electricity sparked suddenly over it, and it became smooth black glass. The Jötnar kept his amber gaze on Luna as images formed over this like a screen, of Scrivener tilting his head back and Luna leaning forwards, her teeth piercing his dark, rubbery skin, her features faintly flushed as the black blood of her husband bubbled slowly upwards, almost as if it was eager to succor her thirst, to give her the taste she so desired, to spill down her jaws; bitter but delicious, warm and making her teeth tingle, and oh, oh, oh, the pleasure it brought because it was filled with strength and vitality and Scrivener and-
“Stop it!” Luna ripped her gaze away, clenching her eyes shut before she spat to the side, shivering once and touching herself, calming herself quickly before she looked coldly up, regaining her composure and forcing herself to ignore the images on the black screen as she met Valthrudnir's eyes. “We are not as weak as thou seems to think we are, monster. 'Twas... 'twas only a temporary temptation that we have long weaned ourselves of.”
Valthrudnir only smiled thinly at this, and then he flicked his wrist, and the screen dissolved back into sand that blew away through the windless air before he made a half-mocking bow towards her, saying in a more pleasant voice: “Perhaps we've gotten off on the wrong foot. Let's try again, Brynhild. We may be enemies, but in these circumstances we can be civilized... and even nations at war can form a temporary truce when necessary, is this not true?”
Luna rumbled, but forced herself not to speak before she asked finally: “Where is Scrivener Blooms? I do not desire to speak to thou without him here.”
Valthrudnir only snorted in derision at this, saying contemptibly: “As if I should be in charge of keeping Nihete on a leash. He's a big boy, Brynhild, and I thought you were a mighty Valkyrie?”
“So thou does not know either... good. I do not like when Scrivener and I are disconnected but I would much rather have him out of thy sight than under thy claws.” Luna muttered, and she shifted for a moment, wondering if she should call for Scrivener, or even Twilight... and then she slowly drew her eyes up as another idea struck, and strangely, resonated with her as a better idea. “Then I shall invite other counsel to join us, Valthrudnir. Simply to ensure thou does not attempt to play nasty tricks on my oh-so-feeble mind, as I am just a poor little insect.”
“Fine, do whatever you must.” Valthrudnir said dismissively, waving a hand irritably. Luna glowered, then hesitated for only a moment before tilting her head to the side... and a moment later, as if excited to have been called, there was a burst of blue fire before Nightmare Moon appeared in all her glory, striding calmly out of the sapphire flames to stand beside Luna.
Valthrudnir reared back slightly, looking more unsettled by this before he snorted in disgust and muttered: “A whore of Odin calls a mutation of passion to assist her in discerning the wisest course of action. How ludicrous.”
“Not as ludicrous as you thinking you can escape being mutilated and torn apart for the way you have made us suffer. That we will not take pleasure in stealing your strength, and then giving you a true understanding of what torment is.” Nightmare Moon replied pleasantly, and the Jötnar frowned before Nightmare Moon bowed her horned head towards the dragon with a calm smile on her scarred features. “But let us enact this play of civility, as you so insist upon.”
Valthrudnir snorted in distaste, and then he simply made a calm raising gesture with one hand, and the world around them rumbled: jutting spikes of earth and stone vanished, and the mire smoothed quickly out before a stone table pushed slowly up out of the earth between the Jötnar and the equines. Dark murk dripped and lurched off this, leaving the tabletop sparkling clean.
Three seats appeared: two shaped for the ponies to sit comfortably, and an enormous silver throne that Valthrudnir leaned one arm on the high back of, gesturing with his other hand. “Sit.”
Luna spat to the side, but when Nightmare Moon smiled at her encouragingly, she grumbled and nodded, the two striding forwards to sit in their respective seats. Valthrudnir nodded to them, remaining standing as he looked coldly between the two before dropping his hand to rest on the table, saying distastefully: “We have been placed in a difficult situation, and I am not stupid enough to think I can simply hide peacefully away in Nihete's mind-”
“Please refer to the King of the Night as Scrivener Blooms, or his respected title. Do not call him Nihete, for that is not his name, and he is not your creation.” Nightmare Moon said gently, and Valthrudnir looked at her icily as the dark entity only smiled calmly back, continuing in a reasonable voice for all the terror of her appearance and the malice of her presence: “We are here to negotiate, are we not? I think both myself and Luna would find ourselves much more willing to believe your intentions are not to deceive us, that you are honest in wanting to find some... common ground, if you would comply with this small gesture.”
Valthrudnir gave a long, almost-groaning sigh, and then he reached up and rubbed slowly at his face before saying icily: “Very well. After Brynhild's little display of force when I attempted to temporarily borrow physical control of Scrivener Blooms, and considering the suffering you yourself were willing to put him through, demon, simply to attempt to do harm to me... I understand that with your aggressive animal instincts and barbarian physical methods for dealing with even the most complex of issues-”
“Please do not insult us, Valthrudnir. We must speak as equals at this table, without hatred blinding us.” Nightmare Moon said kindly, and Luna couldn't help but snort in amusement, turning her eyes away even as Nightmare Moon's gaze roved to her with a smile. “There will be time later to continue our battle. I have become curious in what the Jötnar has to offer, Luna... he may be an enemy, but do not forget that sometimes one's greatest enemy is also the greatest source of one's strength.”
Luna looked uneasily towards Nightmare Moon at this, up into eyes that were cunning and ruthless... and she shivered a little as she looked towards Valthrudnir and realized how similar the look in both creatures' eyes were, as the dragon leaned back and looked with renewed interest and appraisal over the dark entity. “What a surprise, a concept that I can actually agree with, and from a creature I had thought was only animal instinct given form and life.”
“Maybe we can surprise each other.” Nightmare Moon said kindly, her eyes roving up to meet Valthrudnir's before she said softly: “And I understand well, what it feels like to be trapped... in an unwilling host. Our longing may be different, Valthrudnir, but perhaps because we reflect different extremes... we share all the more similarities because of it.”
Valthrudnir smiled thinly, not seeming to like the fact that Nightmare Moon clearly held herself as equal to him, but at the same time interested in her interest. There was silence as Luna shifted again, regretting her decision before the dark creature asked cordially: “I suppose that you desire some form of sanctuary? But tell me, why would we agree to any kind of armistice between ourselves when you have continued to act with hostility, and promise in the future to continue to try and destroy us?”
“Words merely spoken in anger... no matter how superior a being I am, creature, I too have my own emotions that... are at this moment in time, under considerable duress.” Valthrudnir replied eloquently, and then he slipped down into his silver throne, sitting back and resting his elbows on the table as he gestured towards her. “And I'm sure you understand. You've made your own threats and promises against me... but I recognize that I have exacerbated these reactions.”
Luna looked disbelievingly at Nightmare Moon as the dark entity smiled and nodded, leaning back towards Valthrudnir as she replied softly: “Then disregarding the past... what would you offer us in return for our promise of sanctuary? And moreover... what of the future?”
“Allow me to have peace now, and in the future can perhaps hold glory for us both, creature.” Valthrudnir said softly, and then he smiled slyly, his amber eyes glowing as he waved a hand over the table, and an enormous diagram appeared, of countless planets, with the center clearly labeled and defined. “I am not blind to your desires. As I am trapped in N... Scrivener's mind, I have little to do apart from think, and review both my own memories as well as those experiences I am able to access from his mind. And many of these are mixed with your dreams and memories, both of you.
“I am not a simple destroyer. I have a vision in mind for the future... a glorious universe, where everything works in perfect order, instead of in the chaos and madness and false 'freedom' that enslaves the minds of so many of your kind.” Valthrudnir smiled after a moment, meeting Nightmare Moon's eyes, seeming to recognize she would respond better as he said softly: “But perhaps I can augment my grand and as-of-yet-incomplete design with pieces from this world... and as a reward for assisting me, would it not be fair to leave these under your watch? Worlds to rule, and do whatever you please... a place of controlled chaos to help give my designs balance and fortitude.”
Nightmare Moon smiled slowly, but Luna shook her head in disbelief, then spat: “Become servants to thee? Enslave the very people we have fought so hard to protect? No! Never, thou art nothing but a monster and nothing can come of this debate except rage and fury!”
“Calm down, Luna. Remember that the Jötnar is of a different culture, and different clime. And it took us many years to learn empathy too, did it not?” Nightmare Moon smiled kindly, reaching a hoof up to squeeze the mare's shoulder tenderly. “In time, all things can change, and if we are to ensure all are treated equally, then we must show compassion and give even our worst of enemies second chances. Especially when they offer such reward in return...
“But Valthrudnir, Scrivener Blooms may not accept such a proposal. Do not think we are ungrateful, but please bear in mind our concept of honor... and that we cannot simply allow you to leave and resume destroying all creation.” Nightmare Moon smiled again, but her eyes were fascinated and perhaps even pleased as she looked across at the ivory dragon. “Still, you offer a future where we would not be enemies, and it is a start. In time, I am sure we will come to better understand and appreciate one-another's viewpoints.”
Valthrudnir smiled back, although the expression didn't reach his eyes, which were studying Nightmare Moon as he said courteously: “Then let me instead say what I can offer in the present: a greater knowledge of this entire universe than any of you could comprehend, including information about my own projects... the Clay of Prometheus, the Replicants, Decretum and my Tyrant Wyrms. Do not forget that I even created Kvasir. And as you should know, Valkyrie, the most important part of any war is gaining knowledge and information. I can provide this in near-infinite supply, if you are willing to leave me alone and treat me with respect.”
“And... what? What will thou even do, if left alone? Somehow I have my doubts that thou simply plans to sit quietly in Scrivener's mind.” Luna replied irritably, narrowing her eyes at him. “Especially after the little stunt thou performed in possessing my husband.”
“Yes, well. I seem to recall that my sole crime was trying to enjoy a moment of freedom, while you were the one who proceeded to throw your oh-so-beloved husband down the stairs.” Valthrudnir replied shortly, and Luna only huffed and glared at him before the Jötnar slowly shook his head, saying distastefully: “My strength recovers further every day. Eventually I will be able to shift into a more-appropriate vessel, and from there, regain my former strength.”
Luna shivered at this thought, then she shook her head slowly before murmuring: “I do not know if I can stomach the idea of letting a... creature... such as thyself simply walk away after all thou hast done. I... I require time to think on this before I make any decision regarding thee. There is much to think of...”
“We must do what is in our best interests sometimes, Luna... not in the interests of others.” Nightmare Moon said quietly, and Luna looked up sharply and uncomfortably, before the dark entity smiled calmly. “It is the truth, Luna. That is all. Besides, if you had to choose what to save, what would you save... Scrivener or the world? It is not even a question that needs answering... without Scrivener, we die. There is no sin in self-preservation, and it is no crime to admit you love and cherish your soulmate more than a stranger.”
Luna shivered, then suddenly shoved herself away from the table, glaring over her shoulder. “Well, then, Nightmare Moon, perhaps thou and Valthrudnir can enjoy a little discussion on the subject, if thou art so inclined to wax philosophical about how right it is to kill a thousand to save one. Thou and the Jötnar deserve each other.”
“Goodbye, Brynhild. I will be oh-so-eagerly awaiting your expected response.” Valthrudnir said dismissively, and Luna snarled to herself more than anything else as she stormed away, fighting to repress her trembles as she felt Nightmare Moon smiling at her back.
It was strange: she felt... betrayed, by both herself as well as the entity of darkness. And more than that, she felt scared of what she might have just done: introduced the parasite inside Scrivener to the selfish darkness inside herself. They really were a match made in Helheim... and Luna closed her eyes as she simply kept herself walking away, feeling that... that awful presence behind her fading out of existence, and trying to force her mind to focus on something else.
But it scared her, to think that these two lurking things might still be holding strange conversation... and she felt filthy for agreeing to talk to Valthrudnir at all. But she was terrified for Scrivener, there was no use denying that... just like it was useless to think that she wouldn't do absolutely anything for him, just to see him happy... much less save his life, and that was what hung in the balance now.
“Stupid Scrivener Blooms... always... getting into such idiotic trouble.” Luna whispered to herself, closing her eyes tightly. When she next opened them, she found herself striding not along mire and mud, but smooth black stone, inside a dark city that vaguely resembled Subterra with its gothic architecture and citizenry of supernatural creatures and night-kissed ponies... except the moon shone high above in the beautiful black sky, making it clear this city wasn't hidden away beneath the earth.
She sighed softly as she looked back and forth: this dark, nameless city was a common mental checkpoint for herself and Scrivener Blooms. The two ponies had many such visualizations, as a matter of fact... they were their sanctuaries, places that had been engraved so deeply into their mind they had become almost real things, and they were places themed to specific wants and desires and dreams. Places that naturally reverberated with the things kept safely closeted away in their subconscious...
Then Luna glanced up curiously as a figure strode out of an archway ahead and smiled at her, and Luna studied Twilight Sparkle for a moment before the Lich glanced over her shoulder and called: “Scrivy, she's here!”
“Oh, good, thou art actually here, in the dark ether with us. 'Tis so awkward when I think I am speaking to a real thee only for it to turn out to be a most delicious dream.” Luna said with relief, and Twilight gave her a small smile as Luna approached before hesitating, studying her silently before murmuring quietly: “I... am glad thou art here. Trusting in us... and trusting in thyself enough to... be with us.”
Twilight only shifted with another awkward smile, before she and Luna both glanced to the side as Scrivener strode out of the building with a relieved sigh, in the half-wyrm, half-pony shape he usually ended up being in during their mixed dreams. Luna was surprised when the stallion grabbed her in a tight hug, though, the mare blinking before she smiled faintly and hugged him tightly back, murmuring: “What, idiot poet? Did thou miss me that much?”
“I... yeah. I did. I was worried, I guess.” Scrivener said finally, sliding away from her and gazing at her curiously as Luna cocked her head and Twilight frowned a little as well. “Didn't you hear us both calling for you? We were looking all over the place and... well... I mean...”
He halted, then shook his head out slowly as Luna frowned deeper, then concentrated... but Scrivener didn't react to her mental nudge, as the stallion instead continued in an apprehensive voice: “I mean, it doesn't feel like there's anything wrong with our mental link, no static, or anything... and we're all here, too, right? Seeing each other, interacting with each other, and-”
“Scrivy, shush for a moment.” Luna said gently, and Scrivener smiled lamely as he looked towards her before he gave her a more-concerned look as she focused on him, then grimaced in distaste. “Can thou not hear my mental signal?”
“I... what? Wait, how could we still... interact with each other but be unable to call out to each other? I mean... technically this is all happening in our minds, and I... I'm... confused.” Scrivener said finally, looking over at Twilight with dumb surprise, and the mare looked worriedly between them both before she bit her lip, making the stallion wince a bit. “That look usually means you figured something complicated out and it's bad.”
“Aye, Twilight, tell us. Although I feel as if... I have some idea as well.” Luna gritted her teeth, glaring over her shoulder before she shook herself out, muttering: “Damnation, and here I thought 'twas just because of my awkward little playdate with our new closest friend...”
Scrivener looked sharply at Luna, and Twilight turned her own worried eyes to the mare before the sapphire winged unicorn shook her head quickly. “Afterward, we can discuss it at any junction, but at this moment in time this issue of... silence between us is more important. Twilight?”
“I... yeah, okay.” She shook her head quickly, and then the Lich reached up and rubbed compulsively at the stitching over her chest as she murmured: “Just focusing on the link between you and Scrivy for now... it functions on several different levels, especially while we're in a dream state like this. Think of it like this: there's the physical level, where we're all clearly separate, then the 'conscious' level, where we're all linked. That includes these lucid dreams we all share and everything, and when we're awake, being able to send thoughts to each other. But there's also a second level of consciousness... we'll call it... uh...”
“Level two.” Scrivener said mildly, and Twilight gave him a flat look before the half-pony, half-wyrm shrugged. “Just trying to move things along, that's all.”
“Level two.” Twilight echoed grumpily, and then she sighed and nodded, continuing after a moment: “On... level two, there's your thoughts and emotions. I mean, you two feel each other's emotions, and can hear each other's thoughts, but only when you tap into one-another or it's especially loud or... uncontrolled. Then it filters down into... we might as well call it level one. And when we're in a lucid dream state like this, we're in level one completely, but all our thinking, everything we feel, that's on level two.”
Scrivener and Luna traded apprehensive looks: it was confusing, but they both could get the gist of it before the stallion said finally: “So basically... something is interfering with our ability to bring level two stuff down to level one, is what you're saying?”
“Precisely!” Twilight nodded firmly, looking between them and then biting her lower lip again as she shivered once. “But that kind of interference... it would have to come from something that's tapped into your soul link... and the only purpose it could possibly serve is to make sure we can't link our minds together while subconscious.”
Luna grimaced at this thought, thinking of Nightmare Moon, and then of Valthrudnir... and she shook her head slowly as Scrivener glanced quietly over at her. Twilight licked her lips hesitantly, then the Lich finally murmured: “And there's... only one monster that benefits from us being able to coordinate ourselves in a dream world like this.”
“Valthrudnir.” Scrivener gritted his teeth, shaking his head slowly before he looked over at Luna as the sapphire mare darkened and scraped a hoof against the black street. “And you said... you met up with him? So he did something to make sure we wouldn't run into each other before he could... how can he even communicate with you without me present?”
“The soul link.” Twilight Sparkle answered quietly, and Scrivener looked up sharply... then he paled a little, staring back and forth between the two ponies before Lich closed her eyes, saying nervously: “If he's inside you and able to tap into that, Scrivener... he can probably stretch into Luna's mind and maybe... even into mine, because you both serve as...”
“Oh no. No, no, no...” Scrivener whispered, and then he gritted his teeth, beginning to open his mouth, but Luna and Twilight both reached up and shoved a hoof against his lips.
“No. We'll figure this out... and it's not your fault, and we're not going to lose... what's between us.” Twilight said firmly, and then the Lich shivered once before looking over at Luna as she let her hoof fall away, and Scrivener smiled lamely, lowering his head and feeling a strange mix of emotions run through his body, hating and loving how even without the link... Twilight and Luna had both clearly known what he'd been about to suggest. “Maybe you can tell us... what happened?”
Luna only looked for a moment longer at Scrivener Blooms... and then she sighed softly and nodded slowly, hoping silently that maybe together they could figure out some way around whatever malicious scheme the Jötnar already seemed to be putting into play.