Chapter Eighteen: Strategic Withdrawal
~BlackRoseRaven
Thankfully, the underground caverns had proven fairly easy to escape: there had been a large-enough hole in the ceiling for Luna and Scrivener to fly up to after the mare polymorphed a set of wings onto the stallion, and then they had simply placed themselves back-to-back once the passage had begun to grow narrow, pressing firmly against each other as they'd walked slowly up the walls of the tunnel.
It was funny, but that part of the journey had been almost relaxing... then again, anything Scrivener and Luna did together tended to feel... well... the stallion didn't know how to phrase it, really. Things just always felt a world better when he and Luna were doing something together. Fighting, playing, anything and everything... it was always easier when they were working with each other. Even the worst things became almost enjoyable when they did it as one.
They had eventually emerged out through an open stone well and into the desert: whether it was supposed to serve as a secret entrance or had really once helped supply water, neither Scrivener nor Luna knew or cared. The sapphire mare had been right though: they had come out at the mountainside's back.
Neither pony was surprised when Twilight's spirit had sparked into existence nearby, looking at them with both worry and relief: with her physical body gone, she was little more than a Pale, but still able to sense their emotions, find them wherever they were, and communicate with them... although it was a little tougher. They both smiled at her, both embarrassed and concerned for her, but Twilight had shaken her head and instead turned, the spirit striding quietly through the desert and leading them on a narrow path around the mountains.
They found Antares at the bottom of the pass, the young stallion splattered with mire, covered in bruises, his armor broken... but still alive. And Luna had hugged him fiercely, making her son groan in pain and twitch a little, then half-smile in relief before looking up as the mare said quietly: “'Tis time to withdraw. We must hurry back across the desert, as quickly as possible.”
Antares had only nodded, and Luna and Scrivener had both smiled faintly before the spirit of Twilight mouthed something to the stallion, who nodded quickly as well. Twilight had vanished, and Antares had looked up nervously before his father explained quietly: “Twilight has to be a little more careful like this, but she's not rooted to any single place like your normal Pale is. She's going to warn Celestia, then find a place to safely hole up. We... we won't be able to get her a new body in this layer, but her spirit can still help.”
Antares nodded again silently, and then the three ponies had looked uneasily over their shoulders at the fortress before turning and beginning to stride away. And Luna hated it: hated putting her back to the enemy, hated retreating, hated knowing that even if they had managed to do some damage, none of it was likely permanent. The chance of a monster like Cheshire being dead in the cave-in, after all, was minimal... and she was almost afraid to ask what had happened between Antares and the Replicant that had attacked him.
They walked onwards through the desert in silence, and when Antares began to falter, without hesitation his parents gently picked him up and set him on Scrivener's back. And the young stallion looked embarrassed, but at the same time didn't struggle or resist, only smiling faintly as he rested quietly on his father's broad back as fatigue and pain wrestled each other in his body for dominance.
The glossy-black unicorn hesitated, then he said finally, closing his eyes: “I'm sorry. I... I panicked when I fought Protelea. I got myself hurt instead of wearing her down, and only won by a fluke more than anything else.”
“Feat not, my son. 'Tis not so different from the story we could tell thee about Cheshire.” Luna responded quietly, and then she sighed and shook her head slowly. “We may look the better, Antares, but I believe that first we were the worse.”
Antares nodded a little, resting silently over his father's back for a few moments. Finally, he shifted a little, before asking in a quiet voice, unable to help himself and knowing that he had to try and find out sooner or later: “What... what happened? And are we going to be...”
“No, no. Do not worry, I do not believe we are going to be pursued or ambushed... although all the same I do not believe that 'twould be wise to linger and tempt the Fates.” Luna paused, then added in a mutter: “Even if I have already bested them upon more than one occasion.”
Antares smiled a little, and Scrivener shifted his son carefully into a more comfortable position, before both stallions looked towards the mare as she sighed softly. “I do not know where to begin. What, or even how to explain. For there are things as thy mother I direly wish to hide from thee, my son, to not appear... blemished. To continue to seem in thy eyes something worthy even when I am not.”
“Mom...” Antares shook his head, sitting up a little before he smiled faintly, saying softly: “You and Dad... you're both important to me. More important than I think you guys really understand sometimes... I admire you more than a grown-up kid should admire his parents, I think.”
He stopped, then shook his head slowly as they continued onwards, the young stallion closing his eyes. Their pace was steady and strong, keeping to a straight course... and while there were no landmarks pointing the way back to Appleloosa, the stars above seemed to be guiding them onwards, glowing brighter in a trail leading to the horizon. And around them, the night felt thick, the air was deep and dark... but it was like it was protecting them. Even though they were from another layer of reality, it was like the night itself still responded to his parents.
How could he not admire that? How could he not admire that his parents had faced those terrible things without flinching, brought darkness against darkness, and if not won, still escaped from such an awful threat? And even though he could sense some strange sense of shame and pain in them both, they also mastered themselves: he knew every instinct in his mother's being screamed for her to turn around and charge back at that castle, after all, and his father...
Antares shivered a little, and Scrivener looked over his shoulder, asking quietly: “Hey, are you okay? We can stop if you want, Luna can try and heal you.”
“No, no... as it is, you're doing more than you should for me, Dad.” Antares smiled a little, trying to shift... but then he groaned in pain, getting a worried look from both his parents again before he shook his head and asked quietly: “And you guys never told me what happened.”
“Well, for one thing, Scrivener Blooms and Twilight Sparkle pulled a most heinous stunt.” Luna muttered, and she glowered over at the stallion as he sighed a little. “Well, aye, I recognize that it saved our lives. But thou shall get a pummeling later, Scrivener Blooms. And Twilight Sparkle a spanking.”
“You're just jealous that Twilight gave me head and not you.” Scrivener said before he could stop himself, and when Luna slowly turned to glare at him, the stallion added seriously: “Well, I guess she gave Cheshire head, too. Before she exploded.”
Antares mouthed wordlessly, staring down at his father, as Luna slowly closed her eyes and dropped her head forwards as they continued across the tundra, and Scrivener grinned awkwardly before the sapphire mare glared at him. And then Antares stared as the mare whined: “Why in the name of Asgard does thou always manage to get all the good jokes?”
Scrivener only shrugged and looked forwards, and Luna shook her head and laughed despite herself as Antares stared incredulously down at his parents before spluttering: “But M-Mom is... I mean, Twilight is... you... I... you...”
“Sometimes when something bad happens... it's better to laugh about it instead of taking it too seriously. No matter how serious it is.” Scrivener smiled a little over at Luna, saying softly: “A certain troublemaking sister and her even-worse brother taught me that. And Twilight... Twilight is okay, Antares. She's going to hurt for a while, but right now she's only going to hurt because she's going to forget how much she helps out, just by being here for us. That there's more to why we care about her than because she's a powerful Lich. Yes, it sucks that now we won't have her fighting beside us... but I'm happy she'll still be there, in one way or another, beside us.”
Antares nodded uneasily, shifting a bit on his father's back, and Luna glanced up at him with a small smile. “Besides, both Twilight and your father deserve... some mockery for their stupidity. And to be honest, so do I. We were badly beaten by... by a great mad fool, whilst it spat poetry and fairy tales.”
She sighed a little, looking down and nodding moodily, and Antares hesitated before the winged unicorn said quietly: “But our foes... they must have a weakness of some kind, that we need to exploit. And how I wish that Sleipnir was here Antares... he, I, thy father and Celestia... now that would be a match for these accused scum that have stolen a temporary victory for themselves!”
“We don't even know that much about our enemies yet, Luna. We need to be careful.” Scrivener was smiling a little all the same though, looking forwards as the mare grunted, before the stallion glanced up and added quietly: “Go ahead and sleep if you can. You look like you could use it. Besides, Celestia is going to want to debrief us all when we reach Appleloosa.”
“I know.” Antares stopped, looking down for a moment before he asked quietly: “Did we lose this fight?”
“Yes.” Luna said simply, looking up, and Scrivener's smile faded as Antares looked silently at his mother, before tilting his head in surprise when she smiled and looked over at him. “But thou cannot win every battle, every war, Antares. And nor should thou want to. We have gathered much intelligence about the enemy, and when next we attack the enemy... we shall not do so lightly. We shall not underestimate them, and furthermore, I doubt they will have their pet Kismet to help them out. Even a Great Reaper will not find it easy to escape the ice.”
Antares nodded slowly, and then he let himself relax a bit, closing his eyes even as he shifted and shivered uneasily... but soon, he was in a deep, dreamless sleep. And when next he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find that he was no longer on his father's back, but laying in a comfortable cot, with a sheet pulled up over his body.
He sat slowly up, and smiled faintly as he saw Meadowlark was half-slumped over the bed, dozing quietly. His eyes roved slowly around the room as he realized he must be out at Braeburn's ranch... before blinking in surprise as his eyes settled on the sight of his armor. It had been completely repaired and polished to a shine, and the stallion could barely believe it before he winced a bit and reached up to touch his chest with a curse.
Bandaging had been wrapped around his body, and he looked nervously down at this before Meadowlark said softly: “Don't worry, Mir. It's just to help with the burns.”
“Meadow...” Antares looked up with a smile as the Pegasus sat slowly up and yawned, and the stallion blushed a bit before he asked quickly: “Is everything okay here? Nothing happened, you're all okay?”
“Yeah, we're all okay.” Meadow replied softly, and then she shook her head as she gazed at him with a quiet laugh. “You should be more worried about yourself, though... you were in bad shape when you got back here. I had to flush your bloodstream... I'm just glad Celestia seems to know almost everything about everything.”
“Not nearly, but I've had many years to live and study everything that's taken my interest in this world. And I've always been blessed with a good memory.” came Celestia's voice, and the mare knocked politely once at the door before pushing it gently open. Her golden armor gleamed over her body, and Antares looked at this nervously... but the ivory mare only smiled softly, shaking her head and saying gently: “It's alright. I suppose... this just feels very natural to me these days. That, and I want to stay ready, just in case.”
Antares nodded awkwardly, and then he cleared his throat, beginning to sit up... but Meadowlark reached out and gently took one of his front hooves, and Celestia said soothingly: “No, relax. And we're family, Antares... you are not my soldier, but my nephew. I want to know what happened, but only if you're feeling okay.”
“Was I really that bad?” Antares asked nervously, looking up with a wince, and Celestia nodded slowly, the stallion frowning a bit before he reached up and rubbed slowly at his forehead. “I feel... I feel pretty good now, though. And I mean, I didn't feel awful before...”
“You had parasites spreading through your bloodstream, sapping nutrients from your body.” Celestia said quietly, and Antares looked up with a wince, shivering a little. “It's alright. Meadowlark and I were able to clean the infestation from your body. The worst you have to worry about now are the burns you sustained, but Meadowlark already applied a salve. Take an hour or two more to rest, we'll need you on your hooves and at your best for tonight.”
“Tonight?” Antares looked up in surprise, and Meadowlark looked up curiously as well as Celestia nodded calmly. The stallion stared at her, able to clearly see what the mare had in mind as his mouth worked slowly before he asked almost disbelievingly: “Are... are you sure about that, Celestia? I... I mean... not that I doubt you or anything, but... I mean...”
“Yes. From the information your parents have already told me and that... Twilight... shared with me...” Celestia took a moment to breathe slowly, and then she looked calmly up as her amethyst eyes burned with determination and her Valkyrie spirit. “We're faced with aggressive and extremely dangerous opponents. We've rarely fought Clockwork Ponies in a unit, and never anything on this scale. But from what their apparent leader, Thesis, revealed, they've been building something that's nearing completion. Thesis also claimed to be a military unit, Scrivener mentioned...”
“Yes, he was...” Antares frowned, looking down and shivering once as he shook his head slowly. But when he realized Celestia was silently asking him to go ahead, he closed his eyes and murmured: “He was intelligent, and he was confident. But he didn't... he didn't understand us. We frustrated him, and he didn't like at all being insulted. He was calm and maybe even compassionate, but he had a lot of pride, but a broken sense of self, too. He's trying to free himself from his past, I think.”
Celestia nodded slowly, and Meadowlark squeezed Antares' front hoof gently, the stallion smiling a little over at her before she asked quietly: “Can you tell us about Protelea?”
Antares shivered violently, and when Celestia frowned worriedly and Meadowlark leaned in towards him, he sighed and shook his head. “It's okay. I just... don't know how to talk about her. She was like some kind of... bug queen. But not like... Chrysalis. More like what Chrysalis became, on a smaller scale, Griselda.”
He shook his head slowly, looking down and rubbing silently at his face before swallowing thickly, blocking out the memories of Cancer even as he heard the chuckling of the destruction entity in his mind, and then he gave a faint smile as he returned his eyes to the two mares. “Sorry. Just... bad memories. You never really get over some things, do you?”
“They say time heals all wounds, Antares, and I believe that... the problem is that most of us don't live long enough for those wounds to finish healing.” Celestia said softly, and Antares nodded a few times before the mare asked quietly: “Let's start with her personality. Was she like Thesis?”
“No, no... not at all. She was... a parasite.” Antares shivered, shaking his head slowly. “She could have killed me. She easily could have killed me. But she didn't want to just kill me... she wanted to hurt me. She wanted to make me afraid of her first, and she wanted to watch me suffering. I think she took pleasure in it.”
Celestia nodded slowly, and when she gestured at the stallion with a hoof, he nodded and continued quietly: “She controlled bugs. She... she was full of them. And she spat acid and was... just... evil. But...” He shifted uneasily, then plunged ahead: “You know how the mire responds to Dad? Well, I... I was panicking, and I thought I could maybe get back inside the fortress to get away from her. Stupid idea, of course, running through a big open yard, and she got me from above. But the mire... it didn't just protect me, it didn't seem like it responded at all to her. In fact, she didn't try to make contact with it at all...when she landed, it was more so she could pin me than she wanted to try and draw energy from it. Something tells me it has something to do with what Thesis mentioned, that they were all incomplete.”
Celestia frowned at this, rubbing slowly at her features as she murmured: “But Scrivener and Luna told me that Cheshire was filled with the mire... how did you drive her off?”
“I shot a blast of purifying flame literally down her throat after getting soaked in mire.” Antares replied with a wry smile, and Celestia gave him a slight smile. “Her bugs couldn't chew through all the muck covering me, so I just ignored what she threw at me and kept blasting her until she ran away.”
“Interesting.” Celestia rubbed at the underside of her muzzle slowly before she said finally: “We still have two Replicants to analyze, but this is a good start. And if Thesis is trying to create something, he'll undoubtedly want to defend it as effectively as possible. If the death entity is still trapped in Helheim, I suspect he'll send Cheshire out to attack us on the field while he fortifies his position around whatever it is he's building.”
Antares nodded, and then Celestia reached up and touched his shoulder gently. “Get some rest, Antares. I'll come back in an hour to check on you, and then you can help with my strategy and preparation. The ponies of this layer insist on coming too, and I'm in no position to refuse their offer. They can at least provide us cover and watch our backs.”
“All hooves on deck?” Antares asked, and Celestia nodded, the stallion smiling a little before he settled back in bed as Meadowlark gazed up softly. “Alright. I think... I think they deserve the chance. That, and we don't entirely know what might be waiting for us, right?”
Celestia smiled and nodded, and then she gave Meadowlark a soft look before turning and striding back through the doorway. The Pegasus watched her leave, then she hesitated only a moment before quietly slipping up onto the bed, and Antares gazed at her as she slipped over him before leaning down and kissing him softly.
He smiled as his eyes slipped closed, kissing her slowly in return before she drew back a bit and closed her eyes, burying her head against his chest. His forelegs wrapped around her as he held her against him, both breathing slowly before the mare murmured: “I'm going to be watching you the whole time, Mir. And if you get hurt again, I'm never going to let you live it down.”
“I know.” Antares said softly, opening his eyes and gazing at the Pegasus with a faint smile, and then he kissed her forehead gently as he hugged her fiercely against his body, rubbing a hoof silently along her back and keeping her comfortable and close.
Neither Scrivener nor Luna liked what they had to do, but they were both here, doing it anyway. They were only both relieved by the fact that Twilight Sparkle was with them as well as they stood in a mental world of ice and mire.
There were no longer just alien, warped trees here, but now several large stone, windowless towers, solid pipes, and strange, clanking machinery. In the far distance, Scrivener could see some strange, skeletal tower that was rumbling and clicking away, smoke boiling up towards the black sky above as discordant rumbles echoed around them.
Scrivener was in his strange half-pony, half-wyrm shape, and Luna was muttering moodily to herself, her eyes unnaturally dark. Twilight Sparkle looked like her old Lich self, and she smiled faintly between the two before asking quietly: “You really don't mind, right?”
“No, Twilight, 'tis fine. 'Tis more than fine.” Luna said empathetically, and Scrivener smiled a little as he reached out and gently touched the Lich's shoulder. “We... we appreciate thou being here. And again, I and Scrivy are both... sorry for...”
“No, no. Cheshire was...” Twilight shivered a little, and then she looked down and murmured: “It's just a shell, anyway, I can build a new one. It'll hurt, and it'll take a while, but until then my spirit's in no danger, not with you both so willing to let me share your bodies, too. I just have to be careful not to get... too comfortable.”
She blushed a little, but both ponies only smiled faintly at her, before leaning in from either side and both kissing either cheek at once, and Twilight sighed tiredly even as her blush deepened, mumbling: “I hate it when you do that.”
“Oh thou does not.” Luna scoffed, and Twilight laughed despite herself before the winged unicorn grimaced and looked moodily upwards as footsteps crunched over ice and Valthrudnir strode calmly around one of the strange stone towers. “It took thee long enough to appear, foul monster.”
“Be silent, Valkyrie. You pathetic little plebeians should be honored that I agreed to offer my vast intellect at all. I am no little dog to be called at will, after all... not like any of you prancing little pets, always so eager for a treat from your masters.” Valthrudnir retorted irritably, and Scrivener sighed as Luna glared and Twilight shifted uneasily, not even knowing how to respond.
“Can we skip the pissing-each-other-off contest today? I know it's really weird for me to ask but...” Scrivener stopped, then he grimaced a little and added moodily as the Jötnar looked at him distastefully: “Look, I felt how uncomfortable you were when we met Thesis-”
“The only thing uncomfortable is how hollow and miserable it is, trapped inside this pathetic realm of linked mind and soul. Not a single scrap of worthy knowledge to be found, nothing to aid in my research or even hold my interest, and the only visitors I have are rude little ponies who are little more than grunting savages.” Valthrudnir said irritably, and Scrivener glowered as Luna snarled and Twilight gritted her own teeth, forcing herself to take a breath. “Do not imply that you understand in the slightest anything about myself or my emotions. I am a complex beyond-deity called a 'Frost Giant' by your ignorant tribes. You are nothing more than quadrupedal plants.”
“Plants! Plants!” Luna snarled furiously, stomping her hooves angrily before she ran towards Valthrudnir, even as both Twilight and Scrivener shouted at her, and then the sapphire mare plowed loudly into the invisible barrier protecting the dragon as he looked meditatively down at her and slowly polished his claws against his dress jacket.
Luna grumbled and peeled herself off the forcefield, shaking her head out before glowering up at the Jötnar, and Valthrudnir looked back down at her distastefully. “I take back what I said before. Plants, at least, can display some level of intelligence.”
Luna shouted angrily and wordlessly up at him, hammering her hooves violently against the unseen barrier, and Scrivener winced as he felt a faint pulse of pain through his head as the air rippled strangely. Then, slowly, the sapphire mare forced herself to draw backwards, breathing hard and looking furiously up at the dragon as he smiled contemptibly down at her. “There, crawl back to your pimp, little prostitute.”
“Will you just stop it? Please, just stop it!” Twilight shouted suddenly, looking up angrily, and Valthrudnir glanced up with surprise and distaste at the Lich as she leaned forwards and snapped: “All you're proving is that you're a pedantic jerk, not a genius! If you were really so smart, you'd stop picking fights with all of us for five minutes! Did it never occur to you that if you did help us, we might actually be thankful? Are you really too... either too dumb or too disillusioned by whatever made you into such a bastard that you can't fathom we might actually consider not treating you like a parasite if you just... just helped us? Just... just help us. Please.”
Scrivener looked silently over at Twilight, and Luna gazed over shoulder quietly before she sighed softly and strode towards the violet mare, as Scrivener wrapped a foreleg around the Lich protectively. Twilight immediately dropped her head, trembling a little as she half-pushed herself against him, and relaxed further when Luna joined her side.
Valthrudnir snorted in contempt, but his amber eyes flicked away before he reached into his suit jacket and pulled loose a deck of cards. He calmly, slowly began to shuffle these, still looking off into the distance; as he shuffled the cards, however, he visibly lost some of his moodiness, expression slowly turning almost thoughtful before he said softly: “I never considered this outcome, if you desire me to be entirely honest. The Replicant Project was not... as effective as I had hoped, and I experienced more failures than I did successes overall. Not that it's entirely a surprise, of course, since I was working on trying to create superiority in inferior materials, and all I had to assist with my project were a handful of decaying homunculi.
“The one Thesis called Cheshire was the first Replicant. In many ways, he laid the groundwork for my later designs.” Valthrudnir drew a card off the top of the pile, studying it thoughtfully. “After all, those insects that I repurposed into servants of Decretum were powerful, but adept only at whatever particular purpose they were given. And they had too many flaws and failings... even the Hexad were flawed enough to frustrate me despite their successes in the past.”
The Jötnar halted, then he calmly went back to shuffling his cards, continuing: “The Tyrant Wyrms, of course, were a near-perfect design. Powerful, autonomous delivery systems for my Clay of Prometheus, effectively poisoning and reshaping entire ecosystems to become more suitable for my purposes. And as I began to improve upon their design, I turned my focus to using them: they lacked subtlety and intellect, but they were powerful and fearless, and the Black Verses were capable of wiping out entire armies.”
Valthrudnir smiled coldly, then he riffled the cards in his hands before sweeping a dozen cards off the top of the pile, fanning them out as he said softly: “But they could not serve any purpose except to destroy and guardian. They were powerful, but possessed very simple drives and little logic-solving ability.”
He paused, then invited: “Choose a card, each of you, little ponies. We'll play a game of probabilities and intuition, and I'll tell you your futures.”
“Can't you just... tell us about the cuckoos, please? We don't want to play your games or listen to what a genius you are.” Scrivener said tiredly, but Valthrudnir only snorted distastefully before the stallion sighed and exchanged a moody look with the mares beside him. “Great. I want the one in the middle. Exact middle.”
“Second from the right.” Luna added grumpily, and then she grimaced as Twilight approached the dragon apprehensively and looked slowly over the cards.
Valthrudnir looked down at her as the Lich looked up, and then she reached carefully up and pointed at one card in particular, wincing as she tapped her hoof accidentally into the invisible barrier around the Jötnar. And then Valthrudnir's amber eyes gleamed before he simply shuffled the cards back into the pile, and all three ponies glared up at him.
“Interesting. The exercise, of course, had nothing to do with the cards themselves, but your actions.” Valthrudnir straightened, and then the deck simply vanished before he laced his fingers together in front of himself, still looking pleased with himself before he suddenly turned his almost-predatory gaze down on Twilight Sparkle. “You, Lich... you truly do fit in with these other two greedy little insects.”
“Somehow I doubt you're complimenting us, so I'll just skip to telling you to shut the hell up.” Scrivener said moodily, and Luna growled in agreement as Valthrudnir looked up with a cold smile. “Great. You know what, forget it. Luna, Twilight, let's just go.”
“Thesis is a military design, but he didn't tell you the whole truth.” Valthrudnir said calmly as the ponies began to turn away, and Scrivener gritted his teeth, then sighed and looked over his shoulder as Luna growled to herself and Twilight hesitantly turned towards the Jötnar. “Most Replicants were created by modifying a preexisting host, just as I created 'Clockwork Ponies,' as you call them. Thesis, however, is an artificial life form. He was synthesized.”
“You... made him? Like a homunculus, inside one of your test tubes?” Scrivener asked, wincing, and his feeling of foreboding only worsened when Valthrudnir gave a quiet laugh, the smile on his face not just patronizing, but like he was just waiting to tell the punchline of some grand joke. “What? What is it?”
“No, not at all. He was artificially created, but it was inside a willing mother. He was born a baby foal, like any other, who I studied intensively as he grew, and strengthened through... shall we say... 'positive' experimentation, after performing many 'negative' experiments on Cheshire.” Valthrudnir phrased, and the ponies shuddered violently, staring with disbelief at the Jötnar as he smiled calmly, his amber eyes glinting. “You think I was playing god? Tampering with the laws of life? I am beyond any 'god,' as we have discussed already, thus the laws of life are mine to dictate as I please, and besides... Thesis proved to be exceptional, even by my standards. He fit perfectly into the role I devised for him, and for the first time, I had created a life form whose intelligence I could actually appreciate.”
“But he's nothing like you. Nothing like Decretum...” Scrivener whispered, shaking his head in disbelief, and Valthrudnir only laughed quietly. “What? What?”
“Of course. But I have visited many different layers, and conquered them not just at my leisure, but by a variety of methods. Using brute force alone is a fool's play, although there is something very soothing about crushing you insects beneath my heel.” Valthrudnir smiled, then he turned around and calmly rose a hand, and the world rumbled before a massive screen of ice rose slowly up out of the ground. All eyes turned to this, and Valthrudnir laughed quietly before he said softly: “Some layers give me other opportunities to exploit, after all.”
The wall of ice rippled, and then an image appeared over it... and all three ponies stared in horror and disbelief at the sight of a radiant, happy Celestia cradling a beautiful baby colt in her forelegs... and standing beside her, one hand on her shoulder and a calm, cultured smile on his face, was Valthrudnir himself. “Yes, this... this was a delicious victory that occurred shortly after I was forced to abandon Decretum, and it helped soothe my frustrations. I very quickly understood this was not the core world, but... I suppose I stayed to indulge my curiosity, and I am glad I did. It led to many important discoveries... and of course, it was an amusing distraction to play make-believe beside you pathetic little ponies for a little while. I used my period as adviser to Princess Celestia to research you ponies in great detail.”
“You... manipulated her into...” Twilight shivered, staring weakly up at Valthrudnir, who only turned his cold, confident smile over the three staring, horrified equines.
“Oh, I did far more than that, little puzzle-piece pony. I did not sully myself with physical intimacy with such an unwashed and unworthy quadruped, but I did all the same give her the blessing of using some of my own essence to create Thesis.” Valthrudnir looked calmly down at his own claws, a self-satisfied smile on his face as his eyes flicked up after a moment to study their reactions, before he asked almost mockingly: “What? Don't you think I can be generous as well?”
“I... I...” Scrivener didn't even know what to say, breathing unevenly in and out before he shook his head and turned away with a curse, and a moment later static sizzled through his mind as he heard the cold, cruel laughter of the dragon. Then he was back in reality, stumbling hurriedly towards the doorway leading out of the empty bedroom he and Luna had taken over for this attempt to get any information they could on their enemy.
And what they had learned... it was both nothing useful, and everything they'd needed to know, as the stallion staggered into the hallway as nausea tore through him, hearing Luna hurrying after him. But he didn't stop until he plowed right into Celestia, falling back on his ass with a grunt and looking up at her almost blankly.
Then Luna ran into his back and tripped over him, and the two fell in a sprawled heap together with a series of yells and curses. They shoved and flailed at one-another, and then both ponies looked up as Celestia sighed before asking quietly: “I take it things didn't go very well then, did they?”
“Not very.” Scrivener mumbled after a moment, and Luna gave a moody growl in agreement before the two ponies traded a look, then both clambered up to their hooves and glanced up with the same desolate expression on their faces at Celestia.
The ivory mare looked down at them, watching how they moved unconsciously in time together, and then she smiled a little and said quietly: “You're mirroring. It must have been particularly upsetting to you both, then.”
“Oh, aye. But I think thou might understand. Valthrudnir claims that Thesis was mixed together like a homunculus inside the womb of another Princess Celestia, and 'tis made with his own essence.” Luna said blandly, and Scrivener dropped his face in a hoof as Celestia's expression froze on her face, only staring down at her younger sibling. “So excuse Scrivener and I if we both feel the need to go and vomit outside.”
Celestia closed her eyes, and then she cursed under her breath before frowning at the ponies, and they both winced before she sighed and shook her head, visibly fighting down the urge to question them further. Instead, she tried to change the subject, asking finally: “How is Twilight Sparkle doing? A Lich's spirit does not usually inhabit its own phylactery for extended periods of time.”
“Aye, but the phylacteries are also usually not alive and connected at the soul.” Luna replied ironically, and then she smiled a little and shook her head, murmuring: “Fear not, Celestia, Twilight shall not lose herself inside us. Her spiritual essence has rapidly regenerated by connecting to us, all she requires now is a body.”
“Good.” Celestia said quietly, and then she hesitated for a moment before sighing a little, closing her eyes and murmuring: “Tell Twilight to try and stay close, and inhabit objects that aren't going to be involved heavily in the battle.”
“Aye, we know.” Luna smiled and reached up to tap the black pearl inset in her ivy collar. “We have chosen my collar as her temporary home. 'Twill be safe for her to use as a point of rest, and 'tis unlikely to be damaged. Her spirit can hide within it when she does not desire to wander as a Pale, and 'twill give her a connection to myself and Scrivener without keeping herself too long inside us, and tempting the possibility of becoming... permanently trapped in our bodies, instead of able to take on her own.”
“Good.” Celestia nodded slowly, and she studied the two ponies for a few moments before shaking her head a little and asking quietly: “You were unsuccessful in finding any further information?”
Luna grunted and glowered a little, and Celestia smiled a bit, holding up a hoof. “I'm sorry. I'm just anxious... and I suppose what you just told me rattled me a little as well, more than I would like to admit. Which I think was your intention, Luna, so perhaps you should be proud of yourself instead of angry at me.”
Luna nodded thoughtfully after a moment at this, then she grunted and glanced over at Scrivener, who met her eyes and traded emotions and thoughts back and forth with her before the sapphire mare sighed a little. Celestia frowned at this, tilting her head, and both ponies looked up at her before the sapphire mare said quietly: “'Tis just a hunch, Celestia, but... both of us fear that this attack will not go well. No, neither of us desire for it to be called off... only to be careful.”
Celestia nodded slowly, looking down at her sister and hearing beneath her words as she said quietly: “We will be. Let's go and get everyone ready, Luna, it's almost time for us to march.”
“No, no. First Scrivener and I are going to step outside for a moment and... take a breath.” Luna answered, glancing over at the stallion, and Scrivener hesitated only for a moment before nodding slowly in agreement. Celestia gazed at them softly, and Luna glared back up at her sibling after a moment, muttering: “Oh, we do not need thy pity, great and wicked dragon-slayer. Although it sounds like in some other layer, thou wert more of a dragon-layer.”
The ivory mare slowly closed her eyes, and Scrivener gave Luna an almost-disbelieving look as the sapphire winged unicorn looked proud of herself, shaking herself out before nodding firmly. “Come, Scrivy. Out to gaze upon the evening's radiance for a moment, and catch our breath.”
Scrivener looked awkwardly and apologetically up at Celestia, but she only sighed, smiled a little, and finally nodded briefly back, and the two ponies strode past and into Braeburn's crowded kitchen. Not with people, but with all kinds of boxes of rations, munitions, and other things that had been both taken apart and put together.
Almost everypony was around at the front of the ranch, where Apple Bloom was helping teach the ponies that were determined to help out how to handle the gear she had put together for them. So Scrivener and Luna strode around to the back, sitting side-by-side near the rear wall, gazing down into a section of wild apple trees that had spread out past the field. A little bit of chaos, amongst all the order, where a few buffalo were harvesting the wild apples.
“I've never seen buffalo before.” Scrivener said softly, and Luna glanced at him curiously, tilting her head. “I mean, I'm sure you have. You've been all over the place. But it's funny, to see... another culture. A culture... I guess we didn't save back home.”
“We could only save those we could find, Scrivener Blooms. And even then, we could only save those who responded to the Khlōros, or to us, and agreed to our guidance. And think not that we only saved ponies... thou saw the ghosts of griffin and deer and other creature alike, didst thou not?” Luna leaned towards him pointedly, and Scrivener nodded hesitantly after a moment. “It... thou cannot blame ourselves for it. Especially because thou always does this awful thing where somehow 'tis all thy fault and yet none of mine, even thou I am the Valkyrie and thou art only my immodest sidekick.”
“Thanks, Luna. You always know just what to say.” Scrivener said dryly, and the sapphire mare only smiled and shrugged a little before both ponies looked slowly up into the twilit sky. Scrivener felt a twist run through his mind, and he and Luna traded a look before they both smiled as Twilight's voice echoed quietly over their thoughts: You've always done more than anyone could ever expect of you. Don't blame yourselves.
“Alright, Twilight. Alright. But I will have thee know, Celestia is getting jealous. Although I admittedly enjoy it. I enjoy it greatly.” Luna said kindly, gazing up towards the sky before she sighed softly, adding in a murmur: “And Twilight... do not fear for... what the Jötnar says or does, or... well, anything else. I... oh, damnation, I do not know what to say.”
She looked moodily over at Scrivener, who shrugged awkwardly before gazing up at the darkening sky, muttering: “Don't look at me, Luna, I think I used all my brains up on that smart-ass remark about Twilight's head.”
Luna nodded thoughtfully after a moment, and then they fell into comfortable silence for a few moments before the sapphire mare closed her eyes as she felt Twilight's spirit slide its way silently into the black pearl in her collar, the gemstone shimmering strangely. When Twilight's spirit spent too long outside of a container, her essence began to lose its cohesion: part of being a Lich meant that she couldn't simply project her spiritual essence at will. She could maintain it for long periods of time, perhaps, but it was uncomfortable for her, and eventually it would weaken her... at first temporarily, then permanently. And none of them wanted to test if it could become fatal.
But anything physical Twilight's spirit could anchor to would protect her, as long as it wasn't damaged. And the closer to her phylactery – or in this case, her living anchors – the stronger she would remain while lacking her own body. Plus Luna thought it was a strangely-romantic notion that Twilight was taking up residence in the Promise Scrivener Blooms had given her so many, many years ago now.
They made their way around to the front of the ranch and surveyed the ponies there: Scarlet Sage was already in armor, as was Apple Bloom, and both ponies were calmly helping Applejack, Braeburn, and Big Mac all work with the rifles that the earth pony had put together. Shining Armor and Rainbow Dash were both paying sharp attention to Celestia as she explained something, while Tex was just gazing grumpily away, glaring almost spitefully at where Meadowlark was helping Antares check over his armor. And Princess Luna was worriedly sitting a little apart, hurriedly writing a quick letter.
The two ponies approached the Princess of the Night, and the mare glanced up in surprise before giving an awkward smile, bowing her head to them and saying embarrassedly: “You startled me... I mean... I'm sorry. I'm... I don't know what I should be doing.”
“Art thou coming with us?” Luna Brynhild inquired, and when the princess nodded, the warrior mare grunted. “Then if thou art writing a letter to thy sister, thou art doing the right thing. She must know what is going on.”
The Princess of the Night glanced up in surprise, and Luna Brynhild smiled a little after a moment, shaking her head slowly before saying quietly: “There is a chance, my friend... my twin, in this world... that thou may be hurt, or even killed. Thy sister must know this, and more importantly than because of duty or obligation or because of what would happen to the country without thee, because she deserves to know. Even if it means that later thou will have to put up with a lecture.”
Luna Brynhild gazed softly over at her own older sibling, who glanced up with a small smile without ceasing to speak to Shining, Rainbow, and Tex. Then the sapphire mare cleared her throat before nodding firmly and looking across at the mare who was the same as her in many ways, physically... but was so much quieter, and gentler, and...stuffier, but perhaps not in a bad way, nay. “So inform thy sister. If thou does, then thou may come with us, and I shall even give thee armor, and perhaps a weapon if I can find one within the hour that would suit thee. And then if we are victorious, afterwards I promise thee...” Brynhild grinned widely, leaning in and winking slowly as Princess Luna stared at her. “Then we may celebrate in a way thou does not have to tell thy sister about at all... but I am sure thou will be sorely tempted to brag about all the same.”
With that, Luna flicked her mane and turned to stride quickly back towards the house, and Scrivener sighed even as the sapphire mare called to Celestia: “I require weapons, Celestia! And loathe as I am, they shall have to be thy blades!”
Celestia winced visibly at this, opening her mouth... and then only slumping when Luna butted the door open and strode calmly into the house, the mare sighing tiredly even as Shining Armor asked hesitantly: “But... Brynhild is a great warrior, right?”
“Brynhild is a spearfighter. Swords, on the other hoof, well...” Celestia shifted a little, shaking her head slowly as she looked over her shoulder at Tyrfing. “Let's just say that swords do not suit my sister's preferred method of combat.”
“Well, Meadow and I made lots of medicine, anyway, at least it'll be put to use.” Scarlet Sage said tiredly, and then she winced at the grin on Apple Bloom's face. “Uh... no. You better not be thinking what I think you're thinking.”
Celestia looked apprehensively up as the engineer only grinned wider... and when Luna returned in full armor with Scrivener Blooms, Apple Bloom quickly made a beeline for her, saying mildly: “I got something you might be interested in, Luna. Why don't you take a look at what I'm offering before you take Celestia's swords? I mean... you don't wanna owe Celestia a favor or nothing, right?”
Luna looked thoughtful at this, then she reached up and patted her polished breastplate, saying moodily: “Thou may have a point, Apple Bloom, much as I do not want to admit it. Aye, I would even be forced to thank her for repairing mine and Scrivener's armor, if only she had not once more tightened the plates too much!”
The mare almost shouted the last few words, glaring over at Celestia, who sighed and shook her head in exasperation before Luna sniffed a little, and then cocked her head curiously when the earth pony mare in front of her winked and gestured easily for her to follow as she spun around. “Well come right on over here, I got a little something just for you that I cooked up out of some old gun parts they had around here. Cowlick's gonna kick my flank later for this, but hey, we're family, right? Sometimes you break a rule or two for family.”
Luna trotted quickly over to where Scarlet Sage was looking morbidly at her partner beside a weapon box, as Apple Bloom hummed to herself and dug inside the box before extracting a large, rust-colored weapon. Luna's eyes widened slowly at the sight of it: it had a heavy, fortified stock that looked like it could easily bludgeon someone's brains out on its own, a barrel that was only half the length of the rifles that most of the ponies were using, and a metal support bar that was fitted under the barrel to the wide, hoof-fitting handle. And at the end of the weapon, a long, dangerous blade gleamed, fused into the underside of the support bar.
“What is that?” Luna marveled, taking the gun with telekinesis as she turned it slowly back and forth, her eyes staring at the long, knife-like blade with fascination.
“That's called a bayonet. Anything that gets close, you stab 'em with it.” Apple Bloom replied cheerfully, and Scarlet Sage slapped her forehead before the engineer continued, poking the top of the weapon: “I rearranged the loading system, so you shove the bullets into here. She's prone to jamming 'cause she's just a prototype, though, so I wouldn't try to reload her too much in a tight situation. But this stock, and that support bar? It looks like horseapples but it's sturdy as hell, so if someone takes a swing at you and you can get that in the way, it'll stop it without damaging the barrel none.”
“I dunno what I'm calling her yet, but I figured I'd let you figure that out if you want to give her a field test for me. You know, see how she handles against some real tough enemies... think of it like... a gun meets a javelin or something.” Apple Bloom said positively, although most of the ponies from their layer were now staring at her with horror, while Luna gazed over the weapon with childlike enthusiasm, nodding violently. “Excellent! Now, she-”
“She, 'tis no she! Look at this mighty stinger, 'tis most definitely a he!” Luna proclaimed as she thrust the bayonet into the sky, and Apple Bloom snorted laughter before Luna's eyes brightened. “Yes, that is his name! He is Sting, what does thou think, Scrivener Blooms? I now have a Sting, to stab and shoot things with at once! Is this not wonderful?”
“This... this is very not wonderful.” Scrivener mumbled, sitting with his face in his front hooves before he looked up grumpily as he felt a metal hand on his shoulder. He was both surprised and not to see Discombobulation, as he asked mildly: “And where have you been?”
“Avoiding the crowds. Avoiding.. that.” the Draconequus replied mildly, gesturing at the giggling sapphire mare that was turning the weapon back and forth in front of her, while Apple Bloom went back to trying to explain precisely how the gun worked. Then Discombobulation paused before glancing over at Scrivener, saying wryly: “Don't worry, by the way. Either it'll glow blue when there's goblins around, or it'll sing you a song about a desert rose. Which would be rather appropriate, considering you and the... well. The desert.”
Scrivener sighed tiredly at this, rubbing slowly at his face before Celestia cleared her throat, and the Draconequus winced and awkwardly looked over his shoulder at her, the two studying each other for a moment before the mare asked quietly: “Will you be fighting alongside us?”
“Well, if you can call what I do fighting, then yes. And I'll certain try to be alongside you, but sometimes I may be in front, other times I may be behind. Who knows, maybe I'll even end up above or below. But physics, you know. It's all very relative.” Discombobulation replied cordially, bowing politely after a moment, and Celestia smiled despite herself. “I'll be around, shall we put it that way? I'm just not sure whether that means I'll be a sphere, or just... here and there and everywhere, like Mr. Blue Sky or the oxygen in the air.”
“Ha, rhyme.” Scrivener said before he could stop himself, and the Draconequus gave him a mild look as a few other ponies turned their own stares on the glossy-black stallion, and he cleared his throat awkwardly before Luna strode over to him and whacked him between the ears with the rifle.
It almost knocked him flat, and the mare wobbled a little on her own hooves as she giggled, telekinetic grip stuttering around Sting before she managed to regain it around the weapon. Then she quickly lifted it back into the air, nodding firmly once and looking thoughtfully up at the weapon as Scrivener muttered and rubbed at his head slowly. “Well, if 'tis solid enough to almost rupture even the poet's mighty skull, then this shall make for a fine instrument of war indeed. Thou hast many thanks, Apple Bloom... and Celestia, it seems I shan't need thy swords after all.”
Celestia couldn't seem to decide whether she should look relieved or not, as Apple Bloom grinned and said easily: “Okay, then come over here, Luna, I'll give you a bandolier of ammo and you and I can go over how to reload this thing again.”
“Aye, yes, yes. Boring but necessary, I understand.” Luna replied mildly, and then she turned and strode toward the earth pony engineer with a smile, her eyes gleaming as the gun floated along beside her. And Scrivener Blooms could feel it as clearly as she did: it was almost time to step into the fray again, and this time they would be prepared for what they were getting into... and they weren't going to let this opportunity to put a stop to the Replicants slip away again.