Chapter Forty Eight: Vicious
~BlackRoseRaven
Nightmare Night was always an enormous celebration in Ponyville: Luna often grumbled it was the only good thing that had come from Nightmare Moon, but often claimed that the original celebration was really all her idea, not something Celestia had come up with after a few years of her being gone in order to help the story of Nightmare Moon become more myth than reality. Luna was currently making up all kinds of stories about this as she sat in the library with friends and family the afternoon before festivities really got started, her nose twitching away as she gesticulated vividly.
Sleipnir and Aphrodisia were both staring up at her with childlike belief in their eyes, and Pinkamena had her head in one hoof, absently flicking candies from the pile in front of her at Scrivener every now and then. The stallion was mostly ignoring these as he and Celestia drank cups of tea and talked quietly about plans for the night, while Twilight Sparkle only smiled happily over the table, rubbing a hoof slowly at her stomach, which had begun to bulge slightly outwards. Hopefully a good sign, even if it was surprisingly early.
Abaddon and Ratatoskr were both present as well, chasing each other around the table and the library with all manner of squeaks and chirps from them, but they weren't a distraction to any of the group. And there was the sense that they were maybe being watched by other eyes, but no one pointed it out: whether it was Bob or shy and curious demons, today was the one day where having that sensation of something invisible watching and listening in only added to the thrills and the fun of the coming celebration.
Then Luna suddenly huffed and picked up one of the chocolates in front of her with telekinesis, drawing it back... then pausing and only peering up at it before hurriedly unwrapping it, letting the chocolate itself drop in her mouth, and flinging the wrapper at Scrivener Blooms. It bounced off his face and fell in his cup of tea, and then stallion sighed tiredly before he picked up a spoon to try and scoop the foil out, as Luna complained: “Thou art not listening to my true story of how I saved Equestria from ten thousand demons by mine own hoof and the powers of candy!”
“Nightmare Night actually came about while there were still worshipers of Nightmare Moon. They believed that a ritual of sacrifice might encourage demons and Nightmares to assist them in freeing their mistress. But the annual sacrifices were halted by the Seventh Sun Division, in the years before the Equestrian Military was... reformatted.” Celestia said calmly, sipping slowly at her tea, and Luna glared at her older sibling furiously before the ivory winged unicorn added, giving a slight smile: “But don't worry Luna. It's very true that without you, Nightmare Night wouldn't exist at all, after all.”
The sapphire mare looked a little placated, grumbling a bit and nodding before Aphrodisia sat up and chirped: “And besides, Aunt Brynhild, Mommy says that ever since you came back Nightmare Night's gotten a thousand times better, and it got a thousand times better after that after you built this whole Equestria with your own two hooves!”
“Aye. Aye, I did do that, didn't I?” Luna said thoughtfully after a moment, now smiling to herself and nodding firmly a few times, and Sleipnir clapped childishly for her as Pinkamena blew her curtain of mane back with a roll of her eyes, while Scrivener and Celestia simply traded amused looks. Luna huffed at them, then turned her eyes to Twilight, asking grumpily: “Well, thou knows that I am responsible for all that is good in the universe, does thou not?”
“I know that's a trick question by now, Luna. You'd much prefer to be responsible for everything that's bad, after all.” Twilight replied with a slight smile, and Luna laughed but looked oddly-delighted by this response all the same, eyes glittering as she grinned widely over at the Lich.
Pinkamena snorted in amusement, and then the demon glanced towards Scrivener, asking mildly: “So are you happy or sad that you're being replaced by Stitches over there?”
“Happy. Less bruises.” Scrivener replied mildly, gesturing absently at himself, and the demon grunted before looking mildly over at Sleipnir when the enormous stallion laughed and shook his head, grinning widely as he leaned over the table.
“Oh, now both of thee are just being silly! The bruises that come from love are not to be ashamed of... why, 'tis not like my little sister mistreats her gorgeous mares. But 'twould be a far greater insult if this handsome stallion bore no marks of the labors my sister puts him through... imagine, my phoenix, if we did not on occasion make one-another bleed while in the midst of training! Thou would string me up by my stallionhood...” Sleipnir paused, then waggled his eyebrows over at her with a lecherous grin. “Although I must say, 'twould likely make a rather delightful game between us. Thou always tickles me in the right way that makes even pain a pleasure. And 'tis not like I lack any strength even in that most important of muscles, so-”
“Okay Slippers, if you don't shut up about your colt-parts I'm going to have to break your jaw. Besides, you ain't the biggest I've ever seen.” Pinkamena replied rudely, and Sleipnir looked offended before the mare added mildly: “And you ain't the best I've ever had, either.”
“Oh, oh, oh! Oh, harpy!” Sleipnir huffed, rearing back as Aphrodisia and Luna both giggled madly and Celestia simply sighed. “How dare thee! I shall sweep thee off thine hooves, right now if I must, and tickle thee until thou squeals differently!”
Pinkamena grinned and leaned forwards, opening her mouth to reply with some challenge, but thankfully she was cut off as Twilight asked quickly: “So where exactly are Antares and the others? I mean, he's still coming out tonight, right?”
Luna nodded after a moment, but she seemed to dim a little as Scrivener gazed softly over at his wife. “Aye, he... he is. But I think Antares will be spending the time with his own friends, in... a different fashion than us, I think. We shall all attend the play together, but whilst I desire to do the candy gathering as always, Antares prefers to spend the evening at the tavern.”
Pinkamena grunted, and Celestia smiled a little over at Luna, but the sapphire mare only shook her head fiercely and muttered: “It is fine, he is a grown adult. He has promised to dress in costume, at least, and he and his friends will join us for the annual play... 'tis in the town square, aye?”
“Mostly foals this time, except for the mares playing Nightmare Moon and myself.” Celestia said softly, and then she smiled a little. “Although I do like that they've changed my name to 'Sol' in the play. Getting a little distance from that old myth... it's admittedly nice. Even if I know that you and Equestria have every right to remind me of... old aches and wrongs.”
There was silence for a moment, and then Pinkamena said mildly: “And look at Princess Sunshine, trying to steal the show again and make it all about her. Real goddamn bad habit you got there, you know. Narcissism really ain't that cute.”
Celestia only looked mildly over at the demon, but Luna grumbled and rose her front hooves, flailing them as she shook her head violently. “Enough, enough, enough! Aye, let us simply... try and move forwards, 'tis no point in crying over what is and what is not. Besides, Aphrodisia, thou art still coming with us on the candy hunt, art thou not?”
“Yeah, of course! So's Pinkie, and Mommy and Daddy and Tender Trust and Fluttershy and stuff, right?” Aphrodisia looked up with a smile towards her mother, and Pinkamena nodded with an almost-tender look towards her daughter, who bounced a little in her seat. “Oh, and is it true that Morning Glory and Burning Desire are both going to be here?”
“'Tis just so, aye. There are many gathered to celebrate... this is much to be happy about.” Luna said after a moment, nodding firmly once as she smiled a little wider, then she glanced back and forth over the table and added curiously: “So do all of thee have thy costumes ready?”
“Of course, sister!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, sitting up and knocking a hoof against the table as he winked. “And I shall have thee know, this year I intend to greatly outdo last year's costume, difficult as it shall be to find something more-the-fitting than Nightmare Moon.”
“Yes, well, Nightmare Moon did not like thy costume, as I recall.” Luna paused and grinned wryly, tilting her head slightly. “'Tis probably part of why I enjoyed it so much. But very good. Off with all thee, then, my family, get thyselves dressed, then meet back here. Soon the festivities will begin and I plan to drown myself in chocolate and candy.”
Pinkamena grunted and shoved away from the table, and Aphrodisia chirped a goodbye and waved quickly to them before leaping after her mother happily. Sleipnir lingered only a moment longer, smiling a little over his shoulder at his wife and child, and then he turned his eyes back over the table and said softly: “A little separation now and then... 'tis a good thing, little sister. 'Twill make the heart grow fonder, and it much the harder to take what one has for granted, thou shall see. Fear not, Luna. All shall be well.”
“Aye. I shall trust in thy wisdom as best I can, brother.” Luna replied with a nod and a faint smile, and Sleipnir nodded firmly back before he turned and strode towards the door, letting himself out. Luna sighed a little, then looked moodily around the table before asking Celestia finally: “So Aphrodisia, then...”
“Will be leaving to live with Burning Desire in a few weeks' time. Maybe sooner, depending on how things go... Sleipnir's hurting a little.” Celestia smiled a bit. “I think what worries him is that Aphrodisia is going to go from behaving like a little girl to behaving like a sultry Lust demon the next time they meet... but...”
“Apps is Apps.” Twilight said softly , and she sat forwards a bit, nodding a little with a small smile. “I don't think anything's going to change that much, and Burning Desire isn't the kind of demon to try and make a pony change, anyway. He'll be good to her, and he'll be able to help her take care of herself, and the urges that come with that territory... and maybe with Morning Glory around, Apps can spend more time learning how to control her Wrath heritage, too.”
“The child carries the sins of her parents on her shoulders... Pinkamena's fury, and Sleipnir's craving for the physical. But she has both her parent's virtues, as well, and those far outweigh her sins. Aye, she will be fine.” Luna smiled after a moment, then strode over to sit down beside Scrivener, reaching into the pile of candy Pinkamena had left at her spot of the table and tossing a few into her mouth. “We do well enough, do we not?”
Scrivener nodded, and Celestia laughed quietly before the sapphire mare added huffily: “Oh, I was not talking to thee at all, Celestia. Thou and thy kind, the stuffy and boring and evil, do not do well. Are not permitted to do well. Go sit in the corner, stuffy Celestia. 'Tis my night to celebrate, after all, it is not Celestia Day again.”
“If I have to sit in the corner, Luna, you won't get to see my costume.” Celestia remarked, and Luna huffed at this, then nodded grouchily as Celestia smiled despite herself, before adding softly: “And try not to worry about Antares. He just wants to spend time with his friends, that's all... in a few years, though, I'm sure he'll be back to wanting to go candy gathering with you.”
Luna nodded moodily after a few moments, and then she looked mildly over at Scrivener Blooms, who stared back at her before he began to shake his head violently. But when she glared insistently at him, he sighed tiredly and slumped, muttering: “This is the worst idea ever, Luna. I want you to know that.”
“Shut up.” was Luna's only response, and the stallion nodded grudgingly as he slipped out of his chair. Both Celestia and Twilight watched as Scrivener grouchily strode away from the table, then turned around in the middle of the library as Luna's horn began to glow. The stallion was bathed in the same aura, and he winced as his body rippled before groaning a little as he felt parts of his body beginning to reshape themselves, cursing under his breath even as Luna grumbled: “Oh, do not be such a big baby, Scrivy!”
There was a splattering sound as the polymorph transformed Scrivener's body... but as always happened these days, the mire half-interfered by the way it reacted to the magic, almost like it was trying to make the transformations on its own. And a moment later, Scrivener slumped with a gasp as Twilight and Celestia both stared at him, a long, reptilian tail snapping back and forth behind the stallion... except he no longer looked like a stallion, but a Tyrant Wyrm.
His mane had fallen away, leaving six large horns standing out of his skull in almost a crown, and bone pistons pumped over his back; his coat was scaly, and he had not hooves, but claws... of course, these days that wasn't really that big a surprise, though.
There was silence for a few moments, and then Scrivener looked up, blinking his chestnut eyes a few times before he reached up and rubbed absently over his skull, muttering: “My mane better not be gone forever, Luna. I'll seriously kill you.”
“Oh shut up, Scrivy. And look at the mess thou hast made!” Luna retorted, pointing at the splatters of corruption all over the library floor, and the black-scaled now Tyrant Wyrm glared at Luna before the sapphire mare turned a cheerful grin up to Celestia. “So, what does thou think?”
Celestia sipped slowly, meditatively at her tea, then calmly put it down and tented her front hooves together for a moment, looking down at Luna as Luna grinned brightly up at her. They simply looked at each other for a few moments, and then the larger mare said pleasantly: “You know, it would be very easy for me to send you back to the moon, Luna. Very easy.”
“Oh, it would not. And even if thou did I would just come back, I am no psychotic Nightmare Moon any longer.” Luna said huffily, and then she pointed over at Twilight several times, as the Lich looked sourly at the sapphire mare. “And Twilight would have to come with me, too!”
“It's not another dimension, Luna, it's the moon. Twilight would be just fine, assuming she never had to return to her phylactery for any reason.” Celestia replied dryly, and Luna huffed again before the ivory mare sighed and turned her eyes towards Scrivener, as he awkwardly held up a claw, one of the puddles of corruption slowly evaporating as the Tyrant Wyrm shaped stallion concentrated on it. “It's okay, Scrivener, I can get that.”
“No, no. Luna made the mess, so I have to clean it up. That's... how it always works.” Scrivener said mildly, and Luna threw up her hooves in disgust before the stallion questioned dryly, looking up moodily: “Does that mean you'd like to do the dishes tonight, dear?”
“What? No! I baked fudge all by myself today, 'twas enough damned work on the day that is supposed to be my celebration!” Luna retorted, and when Twilight gave her an amused look, the sapphire mare mumbled: “Okay, thou... helped perhaps a little. But the Manticore's share of the work belongs to me, forget that not!”
“We'll see if you still feel that way after you eat some of it.” Scrivener muttered, as he turned his attention to evaporating another puddle of corruption, and Luna looked grumpy but seemed to half-agree all the same, nodding a little bit. Then Scrivener paused, hesitantly looking up as he asked lamely: “I'm not going to have to maintain this shape all night, right? My body always feels... boily... when you do polymorphs on me these days.”
“Boily.” Luna repeated as she favored Scrivener with a mild look, and the stallion nodded lamely once before the sapphire mare huffed: “Well, now I may make thee wear that shape the entire night. What better way to deal with that feeling of boilyness?”
Scrivener mumbled dejectedly to himself, and then Luna paused before her horn began to glow brightly again. She closed her eyes and tilted her head calmly back, and her mane sparked once before her entire body began to glow: and a moment later, it was no longer Luna seated at the table, but enormous and terrible Nightmare Moon... and not the Nightmare Moon of the past, but the entity of dark passion of the present, complete with her scars, and illusions of torture instruments standing all out along the mare's back.
Luna shivered once, but then quickly dismissed the chill it gave her as she cracked her neck, glancing absently down at her collar: that hadn't changed, and that she wouldn't change. For some reason, Nightmare Moon's collar of steel roses always made her feel... unwell. She didn't know why, and furthermore, didn't want to know why: some stones were better left unturned, some sleeping dragons not kicked.
Instead, she turned her eyes to Celestia and Twilight, both of whom were looking at her softly. “Now, Twilight Sparkle does not need much in the way of a costume, we have agreed, mostly because she is in a more fragile state right now and I wish not to risk stressing her body with a polymorph. Celestia, on the other hoof, I demand thou to go and change into thy costume.”
“Alright, sister. I'll be back in a few minutes.” Celestia said softly, but she lingered to study Luna for a moment longer before nodding once and turning, heading calmly back towards her room.
Scrivener turned his attention to the last puddle... then winced as Abaddon leapt up onto his shoulder and scrambled hurriedly over him before Ratatoskr leapt up along his body, the two tiny creatures chattering gleefully away as they chased each other over his bulky frame. Luna and Twilight both laughed and watched as Scrivener flailed a little at the air, and then Abaddon leapt up onto the Tyrant Wyrm shaped male's head before the squirrel flung itself forwards and managed to tackle the pseudodragon, sending them both to the floor with squeaks.
“Celestia, thy lovechild with Bob is beating up Scrivener's baby!” Luna called loudly, and Scrivener rolled his eyes before he glanced down: but the two pets were already up on their feet, shaking themselves briskly out and chirping at each other amiably enough. Then Scrivener scowled at Luna's giggles, as she said cheerfully: “Now it really does look like thou birthed him, Scrivener Blooms. See, thou art a mare after all!”
Twilight covered her own muzzle to try and repress a smile at the sour look Scrivener favored Luna with, and then he sighed and turned his eyes down to Abaddon as the pseudodragon chirped up at him. “Great. So that makes me your mommy after all, Abaddon.”
The pseudodragon seemed to nod in agreement, then leapt up and clung to Scrivener's face for a moment as the Tyrant Wyrm shaped stallion wrinkled his muzzle a bit, before the tiny, almost lookalike Abaddon managed to scurry over Scrivener's head to his back. The stallion sighed a little, but then glanced up as there was a knock at the library door.
He shrugged and approached to pull it open, and then he reared back slightly in surprise at the sight of Ersatz Major. The unicorn gazed up at him with equal surprise, but she quickly hid it behind her plastic smile, and he studied her almost warily: she was wearing her usual assortment of clothing, but her shawl and skirt were both stitched with constellations and lunar symbols. And she had some bizarre black mask covering her face, with a bird-like beak that covered the upper part of her muzzle and wide, large wings out to either side. Feathers of all shape and size curled out in a thick border around her head, hiding her horn completely from view, and her mane glittered with tiny stars that were almost as bright as the rhinestones set all along the strange party mask she was wearing.
She looked more like she was ready to attend some fancy gala ceremony than the exciting but casual Ponyville celebrations, and they stared at each other for a few moments before Abaddon finally ran up the back of Scrivener's neck, then peered over his head at her and chirped quietly. Ersatz started slightly at this, and then she gave a hesitant smile, asking awkwardly: “Scrivener... may I come in?”
“I... yes, yeah. Twilight, Luna, our uh... guest... is here.” Scrivener said finally, stepping backwards, and Ersatz smiled as she entered the library. Luna glared at her, and Ersatz winced and faltered slightly at the sight of Luna, but Twilight forced a small smile and a wave as the stallion said lamely: “We're... just getting ready for Nightmare Night. Celestia is here too. I forget, Ersatz, uh... have you met Celestia?”
“No, I haven't had the pleasure yet.” Ersatz said softly, and there was a long, awkward silence before the mare cleared her throat and looked slowly back and forth. “I see that... you and Luna prepare quite a bit for this event though, Scrivener Blooms.”
“We all do, actually... it's a night to let go of everything, and in a way, to say thank you to the forces that help protect us here.” Celestia's voice came calmly down the corridor, and she strode back into the room a moment later, rolling her head on her shoulders as a mane of blonde flames burned and rippled around her features, a golden collar locked around her neck and a smooth, featureless mask of the same aureate metal floating beside her. The other ponies all stared in surprise, but Celestia only smiled slightly as she glanced over herself, remarking softly: “I'm no good with larger polymorphs, but... a few cosmetic changes I can manage and maintain. And I thought you could do with the reminder that... no matter what, we're always beside you, little sister.”
Luna smiled faintly over at her sibling, then she cleared her throat and shook her head quickly before mumbling: “Well, thou did not have to dress up as Whore Celestia just to prove that, but... 'tis... 'tis a very nice thought, all the same. Ersatz Major, this is my big sister, the Baroness Celestia. She is creepily obsessed with a version of herself from a very silly story, as thou can see.”
“Because Love Conquers All. Yes, I read it.” Ersatz said quietly, and only Celestia didn't seem entirely surprised, as the now fiery-maned mare settled her mask calmly over her features before striding into the room and looking curiously down at Ersatz Major. Scrivener had his own eyes locked on his cousin, and the unicorn smiled up at him after a moment, saying softly: “It wasn't very hard, Scrivener Blooms. I've been in this library several times before. I've seen almost every place in Ponyville that you mention in your stories, as a matter of fact...”
“So you must have read the book while I left Spike or someone else in charge of the library, since I keep a copy of Because Love Conquers All on the shelves.” Celestia said after a moment of consideration, and Ersatz Major gave a soft smile and nodded. “How long have you known about Scrivener, Ersatz? You must have been preparing for this for a long time...”
“I have been. I think it's fortune, or fate, that favored me... that gave me the one way I could hurt you, that drew the world's attention to you... and let me play off that. My articles about you would have been useless if you weren't such a big name, after all.” Ersatz said quietly, and Scrivener smiled faintly at the irony of this before the mare gazed quietly towards Twilight Sparkle. “Is it true you're pregnant, Twilight Sparkle?”
The violet winged unicorn simply nodded, and there was silence for a few moments before Ersatz gave a small smile. “Congratulations, then. I don't know what else to say, but I see that... whether my cousin deserves you or not... like Luna, you've thrown your lot in with him. Strange. A little disturbing. And it makes me... ache. But all the same... congratulations.”
Twilight nodded awkwardly, and there was silence for a few moments before Scrivener turned his eyes towards Luna lamely, and the polymorphed mare gave a sigh before saying finally: “Ersatz, shortly our friends will begin to join us. Please do not antagonize them. We will be going out to collect candy and see the foals in costume, and I plan to enjoy myself tonight, but thou must stay barnacled to Scrivener or Twilight Sparkle or... well, I suppose Celestia has enough self-control not to smack thee, does thou not, big sister?”
“I would be very interested in speaking with you actually, Ersatz. No, just talking... I promise not to try and influence your opinions, if you promise not to try and change my own.” Celestia said in those eloquent tones that Luna always envied, and Ersatz Major smiled and bowed her head politely.
“And after the candy gathering, we'll watch the play, won't we?”Ersatz asked, and when Luna and Scrivener both looked at her with surprise again, she only smiled once more. “I like to keep track of things, as I've said before. The fastest way to conquer your enemy is to first understand them... but one day I hope we'll be family. Not enemies.”
“You are family, Ersatz.” Scrivener said quietly, and then he shook his head before glancing up as the library door was pushed open, and Fluttershy and Tender Trust entered with smiles, then curious looks towards the unicorn guest. “But here, let me start introducing you to our friends. Hopefully you'll see soon that... well... this is where I belong now. That Luna and I got here on our own hooves.”
But Ersatz only smiled in her strange way, with a glimmer of zealous determination lurking beneath the honest joy in her eyes at the introductions to friend and family that followed.
Luna, even in the shape of enormous and terrible and monstrous Nightmare Moon, looked disconsolate as she, Twilight Sparkle, and Scrivener sat together near the front of the crowd gathered in the town square. Celestia was somewhere behind them with Discombobulation, and Ersatz Major was at Scrivener's other side, but politely remaining quiet.
Many of their friends and family were around, but every now and then, eyes looked at Luna, who looked like... like a big, sad, wet cat, Scrivener thought, as he gave her a soft look. Yes, the play was wonderful, and yes, it had been a great night of scaring ponies and gathering candy, and there would be much more of that yet to come as the night grew darker and the demons got to be more bold with their pranks and tricks and games... but Antares hadn't shown up.
Scarlet Sage kept giving her mother awkward looks from where she was sitting with Apple Bloom, but Luna only looked sullen, not even taking enjoyment in the costumes of the two anymore: the lesbian couple had cleverly dressed themselves up as stallions, Apple Bloom's outfit complete with leather vest and scruffy beard and mustache. It had sent Luna into a laughing fit the first time she'd seen them, and had continued to do so for most of the night, but now...
Scrivener shook his head a little, gazing up at the stage as the play came to its conclusion with a blare of brassy, badly-tuned instruments that startled the pseudodragon on his shoulder a little, and Luna only slumped and murmured over the sound of applause: “He promised, Scrivy. He promised he would be here.”
“It... Avalon probably challenged him to a drinking contest and drank him under the table. Right?” Scrivener looked almost pleadingly over his shoulder at Applejack and Rainbow Dash as the applause died down: Applejack was wearing Rainbow's old, beaten-up Shadowbolt costume – if only to stop him from wearing it for the billionth year in a row – and Rainbow was dressed up with leather wings and covered in phosphorescent dye, so he glowed an odd, pale green.
“Hey, it ain't Ava's-” Applejack punched Rainbow in the shoulder firmly, and the Pegasus winced, then caught on, nodding hurriedly. “Yeah, they probably just lost track of time, you know how kids are. And Ava's got my constitution, so she's uh... probably making sure Antares is okay, that's all.”
“Right.” Luna said drolly, as the crowd began to break up, and then she sighed and dropped her head forwards, muttering: “I asked him to be here, Scrivy.”
Scrivener smiled faintly, reaching up and rubbing her back soothingly, and Applejack softened before saying softly: “Now hey there, Luna. Now you remember when we were still both new to this, how me and you would trade advice every now and then, compete over how great our kids were? Now you and I both know kids make mistakes... we all make mistakes. Antares is just tryin' to find his freedom. It was tough as hell watching Avalon finding her own way, to stop... giving her a curfew every night and expecting her to tell us when she went anywhere, but... you'll see. It evens out.”
Luna nodded a little, and Twilight added softly: “Besides, maybe it's something else, Luna. He's always been so responsible, so good with ponies.”
The mare in the form of Nightmare Moon grumbled as she looked back and forth, then turned her eyes back up towards the stage as it began to empty. She shook her head out after a moment, then glanced towards Scarlet Sage as the mare approached and added: “And you know I'm gonna kill him when I see him, Mom.”
“Aye, that makes me feel only a little better, though.” Luna remarked, and then she sighed and looked grumpily over her shoulder at Celestia and Discombobulation. The Draconequus was dressed up in ripped clothes with smears of dried blood over them, and his prosthetic arm ended not in a hand, but instead a chainsaw harnessed and bolted to his wrist. “Look at them. Happy. Ersatz, go and make Celestia unhappy. Thou makes everypony unhappy. Thou art a happiness killer.”
“I appreciate being included, Luna.” Ersatz said softly, and Scrivener smiled despite himself as Luna huffed and looked moodily forwards up at the stage again. And then the mare's eyes widened in shock, freezing in place as Scrivener stared at her for a moment before looking up as well, and none of them heard the next words that Ersatz spoke, all their attention focused instead on the pony standing calmly on the lip of the wooden stage.
Thesis stood in the bright light still shining down over the platform, illuminating the strange, mechanical parts over his back as he gazed down at them with something horribly-akin to tenderness. Scrivener and Luna could only stare, neither knowing what to say, what to do, how the hell he had even gotten in here without anyone the wiser. Even amongst the freaks and spirits, the demons and the dead, the Clockwork Pony stood out with how... synthetic he was.
Slowly, other ponies strode up beside Luna and Scrivener and Twilight, as the Lich trembled in her cloak and hugged her stomach protectively, and Celestia calmly stepped forwards to push Ersatz Major carefully backwards. And it was like this knot of ponies looking up at their foe was outside of reality: all around them, other costumed ponies, foals and adults both, were chatting, and running back and forth, and buying food at the stands or playing games set up around the edges of the square or just minding their own business...
“What a strange celebration this is... we didn't have Nightmare Night, where I come from.” Thesis said softly, looking back and forth before he smiled and leaned forwards, asking kindly: “Would you like a few more hours, to enjoy the rest of this celebration? I didn't realize I was interrupting... we can all leave together after that.”
“We have no intention of going anywhere with thou, Thesis.” Luna snarled, and Thesis leaned back and frowned at this before the Nightmare Moon shaped winged unicorn leaned forwards as her eyes glowed with fury. “How dare thee interrupt my most sacred, my most beloved of nights, how dare thee come and tell us thou art going to spirit us away... where? Whence? Why?”
Thesis laughed quietly at this, shaking his head and raising a hoof as he said softly: “I'm sorry. I'm... I'm excited. It's making my heartrate increase, my nerves pulse a little faster, the chemicals and neurons in my brain sizzle. I'm feeling happiness, triggered by a sensation of... coming completion. You see, I've finished my project. Thankfully, even though... much was lost with the destruction of my mobile research post... we were able to extract the necessary important data and proteins from Psukhikos herself. She will need time to recover, of course, but... it provided just enough for me to finish building the work on my project. On our project, brother and sister: now I need you two to come with me... so I can be complete, and you can be rewarded.”
“Are you really so deluded that you think you can just sweep in here after everything that's happened, tell us 'hey this was all a big misunderstanding,' and ferry us off like nothing ever happened?” Scrivener asked with disbelief, and when Thesis frowned like he didn't understand, the Tyrant Wyrm shaped stallion snarled and shook his head firmly. “No way. We're not going anywhere, Thesis. And it sounds like even if... whatever you've been trying to build has been finished, you still need Luna and me for some reason, and there's no way we're about to help you!”
Thesis looked strangely hurt at this, frowning still as if he didn't understand what was going on as others joined the group. Morning Glory strode slowly over to them, a cold grin over her metal-masked face as Burning Desire frowned uneasily up at the creature on the stage. Nightmares flickered into being around the area, as Sleipnir, Pinkamena, and Aphrodisia strode up to the back of the group, their costumes already shed apart from the smears of makeup here and there over their bodies.
“Evacuate this area, my servants.” Luna said quietly, as she flicked her horn, and as the Nightmares turned to quickly do so, Scrivener and Luna returned to their normal shapes, the stallion cursing as a bit of black mire bled out of his body with the painful, quick transformation. “I will invite thou to leave, Thesis, and not return. We will hunt thee and thine down at a later date.”
“I can't do that, Valkyrie.” Thesis replied softly, and then he calmly stomped one hoof, and Kismet appeared behind him in a whisper of black smoke, the death entity standing silently in the middle of the stage. In spite of his silver mask, he seemed... disappointed, as Thesis said quietly: “They will not listen to reason. They will not come with me, Kismet, so we must do this the hard way.”
“This is foolishness, Thesis. Negotiate with them, tell them about what you're doing... show them you're willing to listen to them and mean no harm. All you're doing is worsening this entire situation.” Kismet said quietly, and Thesis glared over his shoulder at the death entity in response, even as the Great Reaper almost pleaded: “You claim to want reason and peace. Can't you see what you're instead behaving like is a child willing to throw temper tantrums until he gets his way?”
“Enough! I will be complete!” Thesis shouted suddenly, half-turning with a furious snarl. “And you will obey me, Kismet, I am your superior officer and I will tolerate disrespect and failure from you no more than I will tolerate it from anyone else! You get no special treatment just for being my friend!”
Thesis shivered, then cursed and dropped his head forwards before he turned slowly back around, calming himself as he murmured: “I apologize. It was... it was a bad reaction of chemicals, and the training programmed into me. Of course I respect your opinion and your wisdom, but this discussion is over. I need... I need...”
Thesis shook his head out slowly, then he looked calmly out over the group of ponies in front of him, breathing slowly before Celestia stepped forwards and said tactfully: “My sister and my brother spoke out of anger earlier, Thesis... while I'm not making any promises, perhaps you could tell us more about your machine and your project... then maybe we will be able to confront this situation a bit more logically, and explore the possibility of meeting somewhere on neutral ground. No one has to get hurt. We don't have to start a war, or continue one.”
Luna grimaced and shifted, but Thesis only chuckled quietly, looking down silently before he murmured: “You're very sly, Celestia, just like Mother. Intelligence is everything, isn't it? No, I'd rather not jeopardize my projects that way. All I'll let you know is that Luna and Scrivener are essential... and I will do anything it takes to get them. But I won't hurt anyone who doesn't get in my way.”
“Well if you want them, you better be prepared to go through us, you plastic-faced son of a bitch.” Pinkamena said sharply as she strode forwards and shoved her way out in front of the group, glaring up at him, and Thesis frowned down at the demon. “You show up here on the one night of the year I might actually get to enjoy myself, and now you want to drag two of the only ponies I like in this whole cruddy country away, and make it sound like we should be saying 'thank you' for the 'favor.' Well, come on down here if you're so tough, and I'll show you how we Wrath demons like to thank self-righteous little bastards like you.”
“Demons, yes. You have your army, but I have mine, too.” Thesis said quietly, and then his eyes hardened as he leaned forwards and ordered calmly: “Lay down on your stomachs, and put your hooves on your heads, all of you. This is your only warning. But if you continue to resist, continue to threaten and antagonize me... then I will not hesitate to use and authorize lethal force. Luna Brynhild, Scrivener Blooms, I need you both to come with me now, one way or another. I will not wait any longer, or put up with any further insult. I will do whatever is necessary to gain completion.”
Scrivener and Luna looked up almost incredulously, and Pinkamena snarled and leaned forwards, eyes blazing, as the other ponies in the gathered crowd readied themselves, and Thesis gritted his teeth at this response, his eyes blazing before he growled through grit teeth: “Fine then. We'll do this the hard way.”
And like that, Thesis was gone from the stage and instead in front of Luna and Scrivener, both of them unable to even cry out in shock or pain as his front hooves slammed into their chests, knocking them rocketing backwards through the group and sending their own allies sprawling in all directions. Then Thesis was gone again, dropping out of thin air on top of Scrivener and crushing him to the floor of the square, before the Replicant stallion vanished even as Luna convulsed in midair... a moment before Thesis' hoof caught her by the scalp and he slammed her head-first down into the ground with enough force to knock her senseless.
Thesis stood calmly over Luna, his eyes narrowed and cold, his hoof pushing down against her forehead as all eyes turned towards him in shock, before both Celestia and Sleipnir bolted forwards. But then Celestia's eyes widened, and she skidded to a halt as she swung her horn forwards, creating a golden shield of light that a reaper's scythe buried into just a moment later as the grim specter appeared in front of her.
Sleipnir, meanwhile, grinned wryly and skidded to a halt as Kismet appeared in front of him as more reapers filled the area. The enormous earth pony and the death entity faced each other for a moment, the Great Reaper with wand in hand, Sleipnir with his head raised proudly, and then Kismet crossed his arm over his chest and bowed politely, saying softly: “Forgive me for what I must do.”
“Meet me with honor, and I will have nothing to forgive thee for, but rather thou shall receive my thanks for the experience.” Sleipnir replied cordially, bowing deeply back and exposing the back of his neck to the death entity, and Kismet seemed to smile before they both straightened, and Sleipnir shouted as he broke into a sprint: “Fortune favor thee!”
The enormous earth pony lunged forwards as Kismet snapped his wand up, unleashing a blue fireball, but the stallion smashed this away with one hoof like it was only a thrown ball before he grinned when Kismet's wand snapped upwards and sent a crescent blade of electricity straight at him. But Sleipnir's other hoof lashed forwards, punching straight through this, and he winced only slightly when lightning tore over his body before his now-electrically-charged hoof smashed straight into Kismet's chest, knocking the death entity skidding backwards with a grunt of shock.
Sleipnir landed and leapt forwards, but Kismet was fast enough to snap his wand upwards, the earth in front of the stallion exploding upwards in a curving wall of spikes that Sleipnir rammed uselessly into. He grunted and stumbled, then gritted his teeth as he slammed a hoof firmly into the base of one, shattering it and knocking it up into the air before the stallion struck the bottom of it squarely with his other front hoof, launching the spike at the death entity.
Kismet quickly swept upwards with his wand, and the spike was deflected just past his shoulder, tearing a hole through his robes that bled smoke for a moment before sealing itself. Then Sleipnir stomped both hooves savagely down into the earth in front of him, shattering the ground around the spikes and knocking the curved blades off rock upwards before he launched them one after the other at the death entity with rapid swings of his front hooves.
Kismet was driven back by the barrage, surprised by the power of the enormous earth pony as he worked desperately to deflect and parry the attacks... but all of the ponies were strong, stronger than he'd believed. Even as reapers swarmed down, both ponies and demons fought back savagely, some working to hold off the attackers while others like Morning Glory and Burning Desire fought fiercely towards where Scrivener and Luna were laying.
Thesis had rotted the ground around Luna into black mire that was beginning to cocoon her, the dark stuff spreading slowly through the square as Scrivener felt his senses slowly returning... before his eyes widened and a single trail of the mire from Thesis touched his foreleg, and he jolted awake at the sensation that ran through him. Familiarity, and something else... and on instinct, Scrivener shoved his hoof down against this thin, bubbling trail, and his eyes gave a faint, sharp pulse-
Spikes of mire tore up around Thesis, hammering into him and knocking him staggering with a shout of surprise as he was almost sent off his hooves. He half-spun towards Scrivener with a snarl, and then looked up with a curse as he saw Celestia blast a reaper into pieces with a golden fireball, the scythe exploding along with the specter before he cursed under his breath and slammed his hooves into the ground, hissing in the language of the Wyrms: “Rise, pawns, rise!”
The ground in front of Thesis rotted in an almost perfect circle and began to spin like a vortex, and Scrivener cursed as he pulled himself to his hooves. At the same time, Luna's eyes snapped open before she snarled at the bonds of mire around her, beginning to struggle fiercely... and then both ponies stared in shock as a mire beast ripped out of the whirlpool of mire, followed by another, and another, the monsters immediately roaring and charging straight past Scrivener Blooms and towards their already-embattled friends and family.
And then Thesis turned, yanking himself away from the whirlpool even as it continued to vomit out monsters, and the Clockwork Pony rose a hoof as he glared down at Luna, clearly ready to deal a knockout blow that would likely also steal Scrivener's senses again. But before Thesis could strike, a firebird crashed into his face and launched off it with a blast of intensely-bright flame, and instead the Replicant staggered backwards with a cry of shock before Morning Glory's voice snarled: “Get out of my way, pathetic little worms!”
Two mire beasts were blown into chunks of black ooze with shrieks as the behemoth charged forwards, her horn glowing brightly and her chains poised at the ready around her. She ran straight past Luna as Thesis looked up in surprise, then snarled and reached up just as Morning Glory lunged, tackling him backwards as they locked in a fierce grapple.
He skidded a good ten feet or so before managing to lock his rear hooves against the ground, pushing back against the Destroyer as she bore down on him with all her strength and weight, her hooves shoving into his shoulder, her horn and eyes glowing as her golden mane flared backwards. She radiated power and energy and excitement, and Thesis cursed in surprise as he was actually forced back another inch, as she snarled down at him: “What's wrong? Am I too much for a little puppet like you? Have you grown too used to ambushing these weak little foals?”
Thesis glared up at her, a snarl spreading over his face as he pushed back... and then Morning Glory snapped her horn upwards, her grin growing wider before her entire body burst into golden flames, and Thesis hissed in shock and pain as he lost his focus for a moment. A moment that Morning Glory used to shove further forwards, half-trapping his forelegs as she shoved her hooves into the base of his neck, crushing down on throat and collarbone at once.
She leaned forwards, her metallic body glowing as she held him at bay, while Burning Desire transformed from a firebird back into a stallion. He snapped his horn to the side, and bright red flame burst to life over the mire, turning the muck brittle and allowing Luna to smash her way up out of it as Scrivener ran towards the vortex that was still vomiting the mire beasts out of it.
He skidded to a halt, slamming his front claws down into the mire and simply letting his instincts take over, and the vortex shuddered violently just as another mire beast began to emerge. The monster growled as it launched upwards... but it turned to a scream a moment before the portal exploded like a geyser, disintegrating the beast that had half-torn up out of it and knocking Scrivener sprawling backwards, covered in black ooze, as Luna and Burning Desire both winced away from the dark torrent.
But the vortex was now nothing more than an inky, slimy hole in the ground, and Thesis snarled as his attention was drawn towards this even as he was forced back another step, before he looked up at the Destroyer, baring his steel teeth. “I will not tolerate this mockery!”
There was a sound of grinding metal before the metallic pistons on Thesis' back spun, then pumped a single time as electricity shocked over his spine. The Clockwork Pony roared as the Destroyer's eyes widened in surprise, a moment before Thesis threw her savagely backwards, breaking the grapple before he jumped forwards and slammed a hoof into Morning Glory's knee.
She was knocked to a crouch before a savage blow smashed into the side of her neck, and her head snapped forwards with a gargle even as her chains shot down, two snaring around Thesis' forelegs. But the Replicant only lunged backwards and yanked hard on both chains, dragging the mare forwards before he spun around and yanked her upwards on an arc with a roar, his muscles flexing with power as the pistons over his back pumped slowly but inexorably, and the metallic demon was hauled into the air and over his head before she was slammed down, face first, into the square.
The entire world seemed to shake with her impact, and Burning Desire shouted in denial as he charged forwards, but Thesis spun around, ripping both of the chains still around his forelegs apart into shards of metal and shrapnel before one of his hooves slammed into Burning Desire's face and launched him bonelessly backwards. Luna and Scrivener both shouted in denial, charging forwards as others looked up at the cry and renewed their efforts to drive off the attackers so they could concentrate on the Clockwork Pony...
Rainbow Dash slammed into a reaper's face, knocking its head back, and the specter shot up after the stallion with a swing of its scythe... only for Rainbow to narrowly dodge, then drop like a cannonball, slamming the polearm out of the reaper's claws, launching it straight down to the ground as the reaper fell out of the air like a stone. Weapon and so-called master both hit the earth at almost the same time, bouncing in opposite directions before the creature lunged desperately for the polearm, but Applejack slipped between the two and slammed her rear hooves into the specter's masked features, knocking it flopping backwards before she scooped the scythe up in her front legs and swung it hard towards Apple Bloom as the younger sibling kicked backwards at the same moment.
The weapon was snapped off at the neck by the force of the mare's kick, and the reaper shrieked before exploding into smoke and broken silver, and Rainbow Dash grinned for a moment from the air before he winced when a reaper shot in towards him with a vicious swing. He narrowly avoided being clipped by the deadly weapon, while two mire beasts lunged towards the Apple Family on the ground, drawing their attention away.
Applejack ducked under a pounce from one beast and slammed both her rear hooves up into its stomach, knocking it flopping away with a yelp, while Apple Bloom slammed a front hoof directly into the face of the other when it tried to attack, knocking it down with a hiss before she simply crushed its head with a second attack. Then she looked up sharply as she saw a reaper sweeping down towards Scarlet Sage, who was a good thirty feet away and trying to urge Twilight out of the fray-
Scarlet Sage's eyes flashed as she caught a mental warning from Apple Bloom, like a blare of a siren in her mind, and the Pegasus spun around and flicked her wounded foreleg out, sending a splatter of blood over the reaper's mask before she launched herself upwards with a flap of her wings, the scythe whickering by just beneath her rear hooves. Her eyes glowed brightly, and the blood over the reaper's features lit up with the same hue for a moment before bursting into red flames, driving the creature backwards.
Twilight snarled and snapped her horn forwards, and a blade of white light shot through the air and sliced the scythe of the specter neatly into two halves the reaper bursting apart before the Lich winced and staggered as a throb of pain tore through her body. A mire beast shot towards her, but in a moment of fury, Twilight bared her fangs and slashed her horn through the air towards it with no spell in mind, only rage... and the monster simply exploded as she shouted to Scarlet Sage: “I won't leave Scrivy and Luna behind!”
Scarlet Sage looked towards her parents, but then her attention was drawn by a tremendous bang and a shockwave of force that stumbled all present. It came from the embattled death entity and Sleipnir, the two skidding apart as Kismet breathed hard in and out, his mask dented, one of his antlers shattered, and black smoke leaking up out of several large rips in his robes before he calmly held his broken wand up in front of his face and murmured: “I've traveled through countless worlds for many eons, and never have I lost so many wands over so short a time.”
“Well, I do apologize, but we are a hardy people. Such fiddle-sticks are better saved for the stage than the battlefield.” Sleipnir replied with a smile, despite the fact half his features were covered in thick, ugly burns and several large chunks of his mane had rotted away, and one of his front legs hung limp and useless at his side, twisted terribly. And yet still he continued to smile despite the pain making his body tremble, as he asked gently: “Wouldst thou like to retire?”
“I think we are still evenly matched.” Kismet tossed the wanda way, then created a ball of black flames in his hand, and the two looked at each other for a moment before Sleipnir suddenly leapt forwards, and Kismet retaliated by throwing the sphere of dark fire in a quick underhand.
Sleipnir dropped his head low as he caught himself on his working foreleg with a gasp, bowing beneath the black fireball as it shot past, and then he shoved himself back upright and launched himself forwards with his hind legs in a wild leap. Kismet winced, forced to swing his metal fist outwards in a wild punch... but Sleipnir lashed his head straight down into this, and with a loud crunch, Kismet's wrist snapped and he was knocked staggering backwards even as Sleipnir crashed down on three limbs with a bloody forehead and a cracked skull.
But the enormous earth pony was grinning widely, looking up at Kismet as the death entity's shoulders slumped, the light in his eyes flickering before the two traded a short nod. Then Kismet stepped backwards and vanished from existence, and Sleipnir smiled... then looked up in dull surprise as a reaper appeared in front of him and cocked its scythe back-
A mire beast slammed like a cannonball into the reaper with a yelp, and Pinkamena roared in an outraged voice as her eyes glowed brightly and she bared her fangs in a snarl: “Scum! Stay the hell away from him, you-”
A reaper's scythe slammed into her chest, and Pinkamena gargled blood before the scythe started to glow... but then the demon reached up and seized into the neck of the pole, a savage grin spreading over her features as she looked up with glowing eyes, rasping: “Yeah. You guys want to piss me off, I get it now.”
Her features became skeletal as her teeth and jaw enlarged, her body flexing, then bulging as her skin became rubbery. The scythe shuddered violently, the pole warping and cracking in the reaper's grip as it struggled to hold on, while Pinkamena's eyes turned into red-rimmed pits of blue hellfire, and ashen-feathered wings ripped out of her back as she slowly yanked the scythe blade deeper into her chest, blood dribbling out of the wound as she hissed: “You think your stupid little toys can hurt me?”
She yanked the scythe out of her chest, then simply snapped it off at the neck to destroy both it and its master in a burst of black smog before turning and roaring furiously at a mire beast charging at her. The slimy creature stumbled in mid-charge from the sheer force of sound before the Devourer leapt forwards and bit savagely into its throat, then yanked to the side. It dissolved into goo the moment its neck snapped, flooding her jaws with the corruption, and she swallowed it down eagerly before licking the black smears around her lips. “Not as good as good ol' Scrivy, but it'll do.”
Then her eyes flicked towards Sleipnir, and the Devourer shook her horned head before leaping upwards and flapping her wings firmly, launching herself smoothly through the air to crash down beside her husband. Sleipnir smiled at her as he climbed to his hooves and nodded once to the now-enormous demon, then he absently flicked his head to the side... and without needing to check, Pinkamena kicked both rear hooves savagely backwards into the face of another mire-breast, almost tearing its head off before it collapsed into dark tar.
Celestia cursed as she flicked her horn to the side, and a reaper burst into golden flames with a shriek before both it and its weapon simply dissolved. Then she gritted her teeth and simply charged forwards as her body burst into golden flames, trampling the two mire beasts that attempted to get in her way as she finally broke through the line of reapers and monsters attempting to halt her progress towards her siblings and Thesis. Her horn began to glow as Thesis' eyes swept towards her-
Celestia suddenly halted, her head snapping forwards, her body freezing in place as the golden flames whiffed out around her frame. Her legs trembled as they barely managed to keep her upright, before she slowly looked down, unable to breathe, unable to move, as she saw Thesis right in front of her, his hoof buried through her armor and into her chest. And then he stepped calmly backwards and yanked his hoof back, and there was a blast of red blood as Celestia gasped weakly before collapsing to the side as her featureless mask fell from her face, bouncing across the square as Thesis said quietly: “Don't worry. You won't die. You just won't be getting up for a while, either.”
“Celestia!” Luna shouted desperately, and then she snarled as Scrivener slowly picked himself up, the stallion breathing hard before the sapphire mare snapped as her horn began to glow: “Scrivy, thou... thou must try!”
Morning Glory growled as she picked herself up from nearby, as Burning Desire crawled to his own hooves: Thesis was throwing them around like toys now, and it was all they could do to stand against him. And as Scrivener looked over at Luna, he knew she was right, as he gritted his teeth before saying on instinct: “Boost me!”
Luna nodded sharply, her horn glowing, pouring her energy and strength towards Scrivener as the stallion recalled what had happened with Ersatz, bared his teeth... and then he dropped his head forwards, crying out in pain as the corruption boiled in his veins and his body flexed, before he looked up with a snarl as Luna's added magic energy and the desperation of the situation both worked to stabilize him: this wasn't emotional overload, after all. This was a very direct, sharp hatred, well-earned by an enemy who was-
Thesis appeared right in front of Scrivener, swinging a hoof up... and the stallion caught it in his own claw, crushing down on it as his muscles trembled, and then he grinned viciously as black tears leaked from his eyes, his coat darkening as the bone pistons tore out of his back and his bulk increased. Thesis stared in surprise, and then Scrivener shoved the Replicant backwards... except that was what he was too, wasn't it? That was what they both were... but if I have to be a monster, then I'll be the best and the worst goddamn monster there ever was!
Scrivener snarled as he smashed his other claw down, slamming Thesis to the ground before the Clockwork Pony cursed and flung himself out of the way when Scrivener tried to jump on him, and then the Replicant slammed a hoof into the bulked-up stallion's face, knocking him staggering. Scrivener swung a claw up even as he stumbled, but Thesis blocked it with a foreleg, then seized it and twisted savagely to throw Scrivener down on his side, as the Clockwork Pony's eyes burned with fury and he shouted: “Stop fighting me! You are a peasant, a farmer, a worker! I am the commander and the combat model and I order you to stop!”
Thesis twisted savagely, and Scrivener howled in agony as his foreleg dislocated, Luna staggering in mid run with a curse as her own limb filled with agony; Morning Glory was past her a moment later, though, and the behemoth leapt towards Thesis with a snarl... but the Clockwork Pony only spun around and slammed both rear hooves into her chest, knocking the Destroyer upwards with a gargle before he appeared out of thin air beside her, a hoof smashing through her armory shell and sinking deep into flesh below before he vanished to reappear again on her other side, tearing another hole in her body even as his voice echoed furiously all around them: “I said stop it!”
He appeared above her, seizing the Destroyer by the face and dropping from the air to slam the enormous demon into the ground and leave her laying broken and limp, before the Clockwork Pony spun and almost dismissively slapped Burning Desire away when the fiery stallion leapt at him. Then Thesis cursed in pain as blue fireball struck his face and exploded, staggering backwards as Luna leapt towards him, her horn glowing brightly.
She slashed downwards, and Thesis caught her by the face like she was a child, glaring at her. Scrivener lay nearby, slowly forcing himself to his hooves, but now his own bulk was working against him as his dislocated limb kept him off balance and dragged against the ground. And Luna looked back at Thesis with defiance and anger and hate, before she did the only thing she could do that came to mind at that moment: she spat in his face.
Thesis stared at her, his mouth working slowly... and then he roared in fury and swung his hoof forwards. And there was a sickening, terrible crack, and a blast of blood and fragments of skull, as Luna and Scrivener and Twilight Sparkle all screamed in agony.
Luna's horn hit the ground and bounced several times uselessly over the surface of the square, and the cry of misery and pain that Luna made was indescribable: no single word could cover it. It was no scream or howl or shriek, but something far beyond, as Thesis flung Luna down on her back, leaving her with a gaping, horrible hole in her skull as her mane turned from starlight to blue locks that fell haphazardly around her face.
She convulsed on the ground, and Scrivener gargled in agony as black blood spilled out of a wound in his own skull, flesh and bone torn and leaving the broken base of the horn that had never grown in visible, like a bloody eye. Thesis stepped over him, then slammed a hoof into his face once, twice, thrice, as the fighting stopped and all could only stare as their champions were crushed so easily, by a Clockwork Pony that barely had a mark on him.
Reapers floated silently as Scarlet Sage screamed for the monster to stop, but Thesis simply slammed a hoof down into Scrivener's face again and again, shouting down at him furiously: “You will learn your place! You will fall in line! You, little brother, are supposed to serve me! You are supposed to help me! You will make me complete!”
He drew his hoof back... and Luna flung herself forwards, half-falling over Scrivener and blocking the Clockwork Pony from hitting him again, and Thesis' eyes blazed before he seized her by the mane and yanked her head back. Luna shrieked, but glared at him even through the tears and blood over her face, as he snarled: “And you will learn the same, Valkyrie slave.”
He simply threw her to the side, sending her rolling over the ground, before he leaned down over Scrivener... and the stallion on the ground swung a claw up into Thesis' face, knocking his head to the side and digging several thin gashes in his synthetic flesh. Cuts that quickly healed, but Thesis trembled in fury as Scrivener shoved slowly at the Clockwork Pony with his working foreleg, rasping for breath before he whispered: “I'll never... n-never help you... we'll die before... b-before we help you, you pathetic... you coward...”
“Then die.” Thesis seized Scrivener, yanking him into the air before slamming him savagely down onto his back and drawing his hoof back, and then the Clockwork Pony swung his front hoof towards Scrivener's chest. Hoof tore into soft flesh, snapped bone, ripped into a soft body as easily as it would tear through paper in a fine burst of blood-
Thesis stared in disbelief... and then he yanked his hoof back and staggered backwards, as Scrivener felt warmth trickle down over him. Yes, he felt warmth, and weight... and slowly, he forced his eyes to focus before he trembled as he realized he was staring at the form of a pony laying over his body, breathing unevenly, her mask only half-covering her face and her body broken, her stomach torn wide open and her life essence leaking steadily out over his body.
Ersatz Major trembled, staring over at Luna as tears trickled down her face, still trying to protect Scrivener Blooms with her eviscerated body. And Thesis shook his head slowly before he grasped his skull and whispered: “N-No. I... what... no, you... you upset me. I lost control of my emotions but it wasn't my fault, it was the adrenaline, and the psychological conditioning... it's not... I was programmed to... b-b-but I'm better than this, you... I didn't mean, I wouldn't've, I...”
Thesis looked almost desperately back and forth as he staggered backwards, then grunted and slipped on something as the pistons on his back hissed and ceased to move. And slowly, he looked over his shoulder at the horn laying on the ground, and he almost flung himself away from this as he stared almost desperately at Luna, as she trembled on the ground, staring at him accusingly, hatefully- “N-No! I didn't do this! You made me do this!”
The Clockwork Pony staggered backwards again, looking back and forth before he grabbed at his features, his eyes wide and disbelieving, his rage vanishing into terror. Fear and disbelief at his own actions twisted visibly through the Clockwork Pony, before he looked out over the battleground, at the wounded and the hurt and the corruption, and then he looked back towards Ersatz Major, where she lay, dying, on her cousin. He stared at her, and the mare looked slowly up at him, coughing once as blood bubbled up between her lips, before she whispered: “I used to think... the same way...”
Ersatz coughed again, and Thesis trembled before he whispered: “Y-You... no, this isn't my fault. You fought... you clearly must have... you... got in the way, I told you not to get in the way! Why would a civilian get in the way, I told you all not to get in my way!”
Thesis stepped forwards, snarling in anger, but there was still fear there, too... but even with tears in their eyes, even against impossible odds, friends and family came forwards, positioned themselves between Thesis and the fallen. Thesis looked back and forth in disbelief, mouthing wordlessly, before he leaned forwards and snarled: “I'll kill all of you if you keep resisting!”
“Then do it.” Twilight Sparkle whispered, stepping fearlessly forwards even though her own horn had become cracked and was sparking weakly, blood streaming down from the base of this and out of her torn stitches, as she trembled hard. “You're just another monster. Like Valthrudnir. Like the Tyrant Wyrms. But I'm not afraid. I'll fight you, not just to save the people I care about... but because I can't imagine what a monster like you would do if 'complete' if this is your idea of 'peace' right now.”
“I am not! I am nothing like them!” Thesis shouted almost desperately, and when the other ponies stepped forwards, he staggered backwards, looking back and forth, breathing hard. “I... I would never... I... I never...”
“You took an innocent life today, Thesis. You went against your own word and killed a pony whose only crime was... was caring too much about her family!” Twilight Sparkle snarled, as red-tinged tears streamed down her cheeks. “You were going to kill the ponies you said-”
“S-Stop twisting my words and my actions!” Thesis shouted furiously, but for all his power, his words came out tinny and weak, as he shivered on the spot before looking wildly back and forth, then he suddenly looked up almost pleadingly. “Look, look, I'll... I'll prove that I am peaceful, that I am good, that... that I can fight against the programming and I am not a monster! All forces, retreat, do... do not return to this place! Go!”
Thesis' voice echoed through the night, and the reapers traded silent looks before vanishing from the spot, as the mire-breasts whined and growled, then simply dissolved with sounds like sighs. For a few moments, there was only silence in the air, and then Thesis whispered: “Now come... Luna and Scrivener... it's time to come with me. For the sake of completion. For the sake of peace.”
There was only silence, as Luna trembled on the ground and Scrivener tried to raise a foreleg, breathing unevenly, trying helplessly to lace it around Ersatz before Thesis gave a weak smile, whispering: “It... I didn't... I didn't mean to hurt... anyone... I can fix this...”
Ersatz closed her eyes and smiled weakly on Scrivener's chest, settling into silence, as Sleipnir looked up and shook his head in slow disappointment, and Celestia's eyes fluttered as blood trickled around the hole torn in her armor, ribs dangerously resting against her heart. “I'm... I'm a combat model. I k-knew precisely... what I was doing. None of it was supposed to be lethal. None of it.”
Morning Glory lay unmoving, metal plates hanging loose from her body, her jaw gaping open as blood dripped off her form, looking like a crumpled statue as bruised and bloody Burning Desire clung to his sister's neck and held back his sobs, even as tears spilled down his features. “I am a good person! Please! This was an act of anger! Anger and passion, can't you understand that? I'm trying to help, but you keep pushing me! This is your fault! You cannot blame me for my emotions, my programming!”
Scarlet Sage shook her head slowly as she bled from several large gashes in her body, and Aphrodisia snarled and trembled beside Pinkamena, both demons bruised and battered, Pinkamena still bleeding from the wound in her chest. “Stop staring at me! Get out of my way! I can... I can kill every single one of you if I wanted to, you are nothing to me, nothing, s-shouldn't it say something that I haven't? They... but... they... she... this is... I warned you I would...”
Thesis stared back and forth, the only signs that he had faced battle the blood of other ponies covering his body, as he looked desperately back and forth before he touched his chest and whispered: “How can you look at me, like I'm the villain of this piece? What have I done wrong?”
Twilight Sparkle silently stepped out of the way, once again making Thesis stare the sight of Luna, laying brokenly without her horn, and Scrivener Blooms, barely able to hug Ersatz against his body as she lay like an angel on his chest. Thesis staggered backwards, mouthing wordlessly before he tried to force a weak smile, looking up and whispering: “It's... it's not my fault...”
The only response was silence, and Thesis took a trembling step forwards... but immediately, Twilight was blocking the way again, a snarl on her face, her horn glowing despite the obvious pain the cracked spire caused her. Thesis snarled at her... before an iron hand descended on his shoulder, and he looked up in surprise at Kismet, the death entity gazing down at him with sorrow as he said quietly: “You have enough innocent blood on your hooves today, Thesis. If you take another step forwards... I am afraid that I will be forced to try and stop you. I will fail, but I will try all the same.”
“Kismet... but... you must obey me. You are... we've been together since the beginning, and...” Thesis looked stunned at this, and Kismet simply nodded silently, before the Clockwork Pony shook his head weakly and gave a faint laugh. “I... I see. Very well then... I will...”
He didn't finish his sentence, only shaking his head slowly before he looked up and simply vanished from sight. Kismet stood a moment longer, his gauntlet slowly clenching into a fist that trembled in the air before he relaxed as he bowed his head, and murmured: “My apologies, my friends. I will try to ensure this does not happen again.”
Kismet vanished in a puff of black smoke, and Twilight trembled for a moment before the Lich stumbled hurriedly forwards, picking up Luna's horn. But as she began to stagger back around in a circle, the pain in her body and her spirit finally overtook her overstressed form, and she collapsed forwards on her face as Luna and Scrivener both succumbed to the bittersweet call of darkness.
And on Scrivener's chest, Ersatz Major gave one strange, faint smile, before closing her own eyes and whispering, even as blackness encroached on all her senses: “You were right.”