Synthesis of the Atheist

by BlackRoseRaven


A Small Glimpse Of Hope

Chapter Fifty: A Small Glimpse Of Hope
~BlackRoseRaven

A week passed, most of which Antares Mīrus spent stressed, keeping a bit of distance from his friends, and awake. Antares had never been awake for more than ninety hours straight before, and it played hell on his mind and his concentration, but he was determined not to let anyone down this time, and equally determined to live up to what was expected of him.
Celestia eventually cajoled Antares into taking a three hour nap, and it helped the stallion reset his mind and senses a little. He understood he was maybe being a bit silly, with keeping his constant vigil from the Thorn Palace and personally dealing with several reports about suspicious activity sighted in the Canterlot area that all turned out to be nothing. But he'd much rather look a little crazy instead of look like an idiot and a failure for letting something slip, and allowing the enemy to attack.
There was one brief moment of action in Ponyville: a Marsh Drake attacked one of the gates and chased the Nibelung guards all the way across the village, but Nirvana and the Phooka managed to subdue it, and Fluttershy had taken it in to the animal care center. Antares had hurried to Ponyville to review the situation, but it had all been under control, and the reptile hadn't been tampered with by anything. It had just been hungry and desperate, and now was grouchily locked up in one of the corrals until the Phooka had enough time to lead it back towards the swamplands where they nested.
Meadowlark was pining a little for Antares, and Avalon was cranky she had been asked to stay in Ponyville, but she was smart enough not to complain to a twitchy, frustrated-looking Antares that was trying to learn how to handle a thousand things at once. He'd never realized how much his parents and family had all been responsible for: diplomacy, keeping ponies safe, checking the defenses, occasionally training the Starlit Knights, managing and coordinating platoons and patrols, keeping an eye on the Everfree Forest, and a whole bevy of other things.
And in Subterra, Selene was currently playing nursemaid to Twilight Sparkle, so demons kept coming up to Antares, asking him to resolve this dispute or deal with that decision, asking for favors or giving him advice or trying to butter him up. It was frustrating, and he didn't really know how the hell to handle it. Now he suddenly understood why his parents had built their home in the middle of nowhere, and how living in 'exile' could prove to be a very welcome vacation after all this.
He also tried to stop in and visit his parents when he could... but they were sleeping a lot, and he didn't want to disturb him. Twilight was still upset with him, and he understood that: he knew she expected much better from him, and it probably hurt her even more than it had his other parents... that she might think it was some failing on her part to raise him while she'd been taking care of him. And she was simply... more emotional right now, and Antares was awkward around her because of her pregnancy, and... well, he was doing a really crappy job of being a good son.
His relief when Celestia finally told him calmly that Sleipnir would be taking over duties in Ponyville was unbelievable, and only equal to the joy he felt when Celestia added she would be finishing up her work at the Royal Court in the afternoon, so he could go and get some rest. Antares was more than happy to do just that, and he retreated to his room in the Thorn Palace to flop down on the bed and fall asleep without even bothering to close his bedroom door.
When he woke up, almost twenty hours had passed, and the first thing he saw was Selene, the Nephilim smiling at him calmly from the doorway before she said in her soft, flowing tones: “Morning Glory has successfully returned from her mission. Your parents are already here... you should join us out at my reflecting pool, Antares.”
Antares began to open his mouth... and then the image of Selene vanished, and he realized she had never been there at all. For a moment, the unicorn stared, and then he shook his head hurriedly before springing to his hooves, running quickly through the corridors of the Thorn Palace.
He hurried out the doors and across the bridge, smiling warmly as he gazed with relief: not only at the sight of Luna and Scrivener, both standing with only a little support from Twilight Sparkle and Celestia, but also at Morning Glory and the four other figures with her.
Antares paused, then frowned slightly in surprise at this: Burning Desire, Pinkamena, Hevatica... and the fourth he didn't recognize, but his parents were staring at her with disbelief as she shivered weakly on the ground, streaked with blood and dirt and ash. Selene was also smiling calmly at this mare, before the Nephilim looked slowly up and murmured softly: “Antares Mīrus. Come and join us. See the miracle granted to us with this great success.”
The glossy black unicorn smiled lamely over at his parents, but none of them even looked at him, and he frowned in surprise as he approached before turning his eyes back towards the dirty mare. She was breathing hard in and out, a unicorn from her tall, proud horn... and he frowned curiously as he noted there was a trail of strange runes forming several rings around it, and it was an unnatural gold that didn't match the rest of her body. He also noted that while all the demons had signs of combat, only Burning Desire looked truly exhausted, pale and trembling... but he was grinning widely all the same despite how out of energy he seemed.
Then the mare looked up through her tattered mane, trembling, and Antares' jaw dropped as he saw her face, saw her eyes, saw her identity. He stuttered stupidly, then looked back and forth before staring at her again, whispering: “E-Ersatz Major?”
Despite the grime, the now-complete horn standing out of her forehead, and the cutie mark of a pony's head in black profile with a fiery red mane on her filth-stained flank, there was no other pony it could be. And like hearing her name had woken her up out of a nightmare, she blinked rapidly before looking back and forth, shaking her head out before her eyes drew towards Scrivener, and she whispered: “N-No... no... this... this can't be real, unless... oh, oh where...”
“Shush now, shush now, Ersatz... it's okay.” Burning Desire said soothingly, and then he coughed a few times and leaned against Morning Glory... but even in his state of shock, Antares couldn't help but notice that while Morning Glory shrugged him off, she also reached up a hoof to steady her brother, maybe even looked at him concern for a fleeting moment before it returned to her usual moody expression. Burning Desire only smiled wryly, though, turning his eyes from Ersatz – who was still staring at Scrivener – to the charcoal stallion and gaping Luna, as the Passion murmured: “We were a little late, I fear... poor... poor thing had already been... well, you don't want to know what they do to such sweet fillies down there. I have to say though, it's a funny kind of relief to see that Helheim hasn't changed all that much since I was exiled...”
“You... I... you went to... I...” Antares mouthed wordlessly as Celestia smiled faintly and closed her eyes, and Twilight only gazed with gratitude and warmth at Burning Desire and the other demons. And Scrivener Blooms, meanwhile, traded a look with Luna before he gave a faint laugh and stepped forwards, then hesitated for a moment before gently, carefully reaching down and touching Ersatz's shoulder, as if he was afraid the softest touch would break her.
She looked up at him silently, and he gazed down at her before carefully grasping her shoulders and pulling the dark-green unicorn up to her hooves, and Ersatz continued to stare at him wordlessly before he gently, carefully hugged her up against his chest, closing his eyes and murmuring: “Welcome back, Ersatz. Welcome to the family.”
Luna stepped suddenly forwards as well, hugging the unicorn fiercely, and Ersatz flinched before blinking slowly and whispering: “But... but just what is going on? I thought... I... I remember...”
“Well, why don't you guys all go sit down on your fat flanks and talk about it? Me, I have some more important things to do.” Pinkamena said rudely, reaching up and adjusting the heavy axe on her back, and then she grumbled and turned away, rolling her shoulders against her cracked armor before bursting apart into dark smoke that twisted quickly out of sight.
Morning Glory rolled her own eyes as Hevatica sighed, and then Ersatz trembled, staring back and forth before almost whimpering again: “But... what... what's happening?”
“Okay, it's alright.” Burning Desire soothed, and then he coughed a few times before smiling faintly and shaking his head when Twilight looked at him worriedly. “Oh no, no, I'm... I'm fine. But perhaps we could sit down, and... my sister can tell you what happened. And oh, by the way, Celestia, before any of us forget...”
He glanced over his shoulder at Hevatica, who nodded with a calm smile and stepped forwards, shrugging off two saddlebags and dropping them to the ground. They both fell open, their contents spilling out over the ground, and Antares tilted his head with surprise at what was revealed.
Bright, gleaming blue crystal shone over the ground: Antares would have thought it was sapphire or maybe lapis lazuli, but the material was too glassy and lustrous, clear enough to see through and yet reflective enough that Antares could see the faces of the ponies around him in one of the larger shards of gemstone.
“Soulstone, straight from the sewers of Helheim.” Morning Glory said quietly, and Antares stared in shock as the others only looked calmly up towards the Destroyer, as she continued calmly: “Naturally occurring, not synthetically produced... so to speak. We would have been faster returning, but Burning Desire insisted we stop in at Duke Magister's cemetery.”
“Yes, it's all my fault.” Burning muttered, and then he winced when Morning Glory turned a sour look on him. “Sorry, sorry. Can we please sit down now? We have a story to tell.”
Selene only smiled kindly, her horn giving a short pulse as she rose her head slightly: after only a moment, several Nightmare attendants appeared, and the Nephilim instructed kindly: “Retrieve comforts for our weary travelers, and our dedicated, compassionate masters.”
The Nightmares were quick to go about their business, returning not just with cushions, but a blanket they wrapped almost tenderly around Ersatz as well as food and water. Ersatz Major only sat and stared around in bewilderment at where she was, trembling, while Hevatica and the Nightmares gathered up the harvested soulstone to bring down into Subterra's depths for safekeeping, and Celestia surprisingly excused herself to begin work on whatever she had in mind.
Morning Glory turned her eyes automatically to Luna when Celestia left, and the sapphire mare nodded after a moment, unable to stop herself from looking again at where Ersatz was trembling and curled up in a blanket, breathing unevenly. The Destroyer took a few seconds to study the ponies around her, then traded a single look with Burning Desire before beginning to speak.
Selene had been the one to calmly make the suggestion to Celestia to use blood quartz: it was a dangerous route to take, but easy enough to manufacture. The sacrifices could come from imprisoned enemies that were locked away in Subterra or Canterlot: even a few mortals would provide more than enough quartz for Celestia to begin work on an amplification device for their magic, so they could repair the base of Luna's horn and then reattach her horn properly.
Celestia refused to resort to blood quartz unless necessary, but she had been desperate, and Selene had brought up another type of gemstone that was greedily mined in Helheim by demons: soulstone. It was formed by pressure and pure energy in Helheim, and could only be found in places where time and space had warped and twisted on itself: not even the demons knew how it was actually formed or what it really was, although many of the theories were... unpleasant.
Soulstone had a multitude of uses, but most importantly, it magnified and channeled spiritual energies, just like blood quartz did. Celestia had been hesitant to agree, but Morning Glory had overheard and volunteered herself to lead the operation... and Burning Desire had noted that if Ersatz Major had fallen to Helheim, they could rescue her spirit as well. She had been filled with guilt and suffering and pain, after all... those things often did not constitute a happy ending in Valhalla, and even her sacrifice had been tinged by selfish motives, despite being an act of good.
Pinkamena had also been more than willing to go, and Hevatica had hesitantly offered her own aid, despite the fact she would be seen as nothing more than food by many of the demons of Helheim. But they had all been willing, and they had all been prepared for what they were getting into, and Celestia had thought that if there was ever a time to take a risk, it was now.
Morning Glory had been easily able to rip open a portal to Helheim, and lead the group straight through and into her old home... now nothing more than a stripped-bare cavern, gathering dust and long-plundered by other demons. Not that Morning Glory cared all that much, and they had left a few scraps of old clothing and other odds and ends, and even the craftiest demons had apparently been unable to crack open Morning Glory's safe... of course, the ashes and charred bones around the ominous-looking vault door in the ground had probably dissuaded plenty from bothering to even try.
The vault still had its contents, but Morning Glory only took a few things: charms for the other demons to hide their energy signatures and prevent them from being tracked or recognized as 'blasphemers,' or demons outside of Helheim's laws. And with that, they had walked out into the icy tundra, to try and find a single damned soul amongst Helheim's sprawling, almost-infinite wastes.
Information wasn't cheap in Hell, but on the other hoof you could buy knowledge of just about anything if you knew the right claws to grease. Or, in Morning Glory's case, the right rat-demon to intimidate and threaten, after she smashed the doors of a luxurious mansion in, and even after several centuries of being gone, the demon guards on duty ran away, screaming about the Warlord being back.
The informant she'd brought them to was an old understudy of Cupidus', who very quickly sent a courier to get a list of souls recently fallen to Helheim. He had then been 'encouraged' to tell them the location of the nearest source of soulstone: Morning Glory wanted to attack a mine or raw materials storehouse, as a refinery or other source would likely be too well defended for their ragtag group to have much luck.
Instead, he gave them another demon's name, a lieutenant at the mines in the southern wastes. They were saved trying to make conversation by the messenger returning, and he had handed over the list so Morning Glory could scan through: while only certain 'fortunate' souls were assigned specific guards or disciplinarians, the Archives kept track of every mortal that fell to Helheim. It was said that Hel was always watching and plotting, after all, keeping an eye on every little detail of every slice of Helheim, safe in her deep, deep frozen cocoon beyond time and space, below all the slices of Hell, all the layers of reality, maybe even past the universe itself.
Ersatz Major had been listed among the other damned souls – both thankfully and not – as 'outlaw.' The word didn't identify a criminal in Helheim, but rather denoted a soul that was literally outside of law: they had no rights, no privileges, and were left to wander in misery, to be tortured or punished or abused by any demon that came across them, until they were killed, enslaved, or started to transform into a demon themselves.
Ersatz would essentially wake up wherever she 'fell,' with only the knowledge that she was dead. She would know nothing of Helheim's countless laws, strange etiquette, or the mix of barbarianism and civility that formed its clashing, often-vicious culture. And if they didn't find her quickly, she would almost doubtlessly end up in servitude to some higher tier demon or worse.
But souls tended to fall far from demonic settlements, as if the fates that were enjoyed giving them some false chance at finding a safe haven even in Helheim to start their new... existence. And there were safe havens: small communities of lost ones and damned souls that were guarded by benevolent demons, demon lords that brought the damned into 'Orphanages' and 'Schools' where they could be taught and protected, and all other manner of altruism even in the very heart of darkness.
As luck would have it, though, they found out quickly that the Plains of Sorrow, where Ersatz had fallen, was instead infested with Harvesters. Constructs used to snatch up minor demons and lost souls and drag them off for enslavement. Faced with little other choice, Burning Desire, Pinkamena, and Hevatica allowed themselves to be snatched up by the malicious golems, while Morning Glory stayed impatiently back, since she was both too large and emanated far too much malice for the Harvesters to even approach her.
The Harvesters had carried the demons to a warehouse... except instead of being filled with crates and supplies, it was filled with weaker demons and damned souls in cages. They were being watched over by other golems, and from the demons wandering around with clipboards and treating even the most pathetic of screaming, pleading souls like they were nothing more than stock, they were clearly doing the bidding of some particularly-nasty Greed slave-master, who probably sold these victims off at auction to the highest bidder.
The cages were iron, and would be difficult for the demons to break through: the Harvesters themselves were rusty steel and bone, and the demon slavers were clearly reliant on having the constructs do all the hard work for them. These factors combined to make Burning Desire sigh and nod, and Pinkamena had grinned and grabbed her axe on her back: a moment later, she was no longer inside the cage belly of the Harvester, and instead was getting to indulge a particularly-nasty desire she'd always had: to test her might against born and bred demons on their own home turf.
The fight was a disappointment for Pinkamena: she gathered only a few wounds, with the nastiest being a large iron bar stabbed through her body that she simply tore out. Meanwhile, dozens of constructs lay in ruin, demons were either fled or laying broken on the ground, and the warehouse was on fire thanks to Burning Desire sending up a flare that had let Morning Glory portal herself right to their location. With a little encouragement, they had gotten her to help open the cages and free the slaves, and Burning Desire and Hevatica had both managed to reason with her and Pinkamena's half-insane desire to hang around to wait and see if any nastier demons would show up.
Ersatz Major hadn't been at the warehouse, which meant her soul had almost immediately been swept up after falling to Helheim. She had either been harvested and sold off, or some demon had taking a liking to her and taken her as a personal slave. Either way, it was going to make her much harder to find... but Burning Desire was strangely determined to make good on this, and Pinkamena had agreed, and that was more than enough to get Morning Glory to promise they would continue looking.
In the meantime, they had turned their attention to tracking down the lieutenant their informant had mentioned, which hadn't been hard. The hard part had been when they ended up getting ambushed by Wrath demons and a bounty hunter that had been tipped off about the presence of blasphemers in Helheim. The Archives would pay a vast tribute to anyone who could turn in any rogue demons like Pinkamena or wild demons like Hevatica, dead or alive: they had treasures of every shape and size, to tempt any demon's desires.
So the bounty hunter had been willing to tangle with a Destroyer, thinking his Wrath mercenaries would hold her off long enough for him to collect Pinkamena and Hevatica. A stupid mistake: they left him alive but dismembered, proving that blasphemers could be crueler than natural demons, and were just as willing to take advantage of the fact that in Helheim, it was excruciatingly difficult to die. Although die he eventually would... but only if he was lucky would he bleed to death before another demon got its claws on him.
They had eventually tracked down the lieutenant, and gotten information on the security at the mines. Then Morning Glory had torn off his head with her bare hooves, much to her brother's horror. Even Pinkamena had seemed a little surprised, but Morning Glory had only muttered that it was necessary now: they couldn't afford to let another demon survive and possibly tip off more mercenaries, the mining operation, or worst of all, the Inquisitors that acted like Helheim's law enforcers, powerful demons that worked directly under the Archives' authority.
The soulstone mine was fortified, but was in a relatively-large area of gravitational and temporal distortion. In the mortal world, such a flux of time and space would cause mass panic, and any mortals caught inside it would probably end up with their organs rearranged if they spent too long in the area. Not to mention the insanity that would doubtlessly occur as their minds melted down trying to make sense of the way light, sound, and distance had just lost pretty much all solid physical meaning, and now changed and transformed seemingly based on however the hell they all pleased. But in Hell, it was almost celebrated, and demons would gladly plunge into the danger zone... or rather, shove their despondent lackeys into the danger area to do the work for them.
In the demon world, this kind of time flux came and went, often creating deposits of rare minerals. Smaller fluxes were usually captured and the area sealed completely off by demons, who would guard it for however many days – or even centuries – it took for the flux to destabilize and vanish, leaving behind whatever damage the loss of all acceptable physics had caused and the condensed soulstone and other transmogrified materials. Larger fluxes like this one, however, couldn't simply be cordoned off and contained, so instead encampments were set up literally inside the flux, and mining operations began immediately. Few demon lords were willing to lose even a shard of soulstone to some lucky thief that managed to sneak in, after all.
The mines weren't like mines in the mortal world: deep pits were dug quickly, and any soulstone found was extracted, but then the broken chunks of rock and natural crystal and everything apart from any rare materials found was all poured back into the pit, and it was left alone for a few days before they excavated it again, in the hopes that some of that rock had been imbued with the energies necessary to turn it to soulstone. It was simple work, but dangerous... with plenty of danger added by the fact that inside a reality flux like this, someone could suddenly find themselves teleported ten feet away... whether that was ten feet into the air, over the ground, into the rock itself... or most disgusting and often destructive of all, into another person. And it all happened according to pure wild luck.
Within a flux, magic rarely worked properly as well, and it was impossible to predict what could happen from... well... anything. A flux could be completely benign, causing maybe only a few strange changes in time and gravity, and then simply fading out of existence. Or a flux could seem almost purposefully-malevolent, constantly teleporting objects around, seeming to reverse time when workers had just reached the bottom of a shaft, so it was suddenly full of rock again and looked untouched, and in rare cases even turning powerful demons into statues of blood quartz.
But all the same, Morning Glory was determined to test their luck: the mine would be well-guarded, but the flux would be distracting and confusing even for the most dedicated demons. They would be undetectable until it was too late, and the soulstone would be easy to spot: perhaps because it was created by the flux, it was one of the few materials that wasn't affected by the flux, so it would be stored and guarded in a soulstone-lined vault until a group of large and very scary demons came to transport it to their master. Or at least, that had been the way it had worked when Morning Glory had overseen one of these operations under Cupidus.
Thankfully for her, the setup was almost the same: even more to their fortune, they were able to spot the retrieval team heading calmly into the flux. Six large, scary Wrath demons, the kind that would give even Morning Glory trouble in a straight-up brawl... but she had been the Warlord of Cupidus for more reasons than just her brute strength.
The escort returned, two of the massive, bull-like demons carrying the chest between themselves, and Morning Glory had calmly strode out in front of them. The demons had immediately prepared themselves for a fight, but Morning Glory simply held up a foreleg she'd carved a set of runes over, asking coldly: “Do you dare challenge the authority of the Archives?”
This had confused them: they might be powerful and terrifying to most demons, but they also weren't very bright, and all they knew was that any demon who pretended to have even the meanest association with the Archive when they didn't was dragged off by Inquisitors and put through decades of torment if... or rather, when they were caught. The idea that someone would lie about it was hard to fathom, let alone the idea someone would dare display the sigil so brazenly... and moreover, this was a Destroyer, an almost-legendary First Tier demon...
“There are reports of blasphemers among us. A flux would provide the safety they need... turn over your cargo and form a line.” Morning Glory had instructed. The Wrath demons hadn't been precisely willing to cooperate, so she had then located the largest, meanest-looking one, and slapped him across the face. And before shock could become rage, she had threatened: “Turn your eyes down and obey my orders, or I will have the Inquisitors rip your guts out of your stomach and feed them to you coil-by-coil.”
They had complied: the thought of doing anything else was madness, and if she was lying, the Archives would send the Inquisitors to deal with her, and they would inflict worse punishments than anything even they could dream up. Morning Glory, however, hadn't been concerned with this: they were close enough to the flux that the scholars and ever-watchful eyes of the Archive wouldn't be able to see them clearly, so they wouldn't be able to lock on to her and have her hunted down by their all-powerful enforcers of Helheim's laws and Hel's corrupt rule.
The vault had been filled with plenty of soulstone, and Morning Glory had flicked her mane to make it waft upwards, sending out a single golden flash of light. Burning Desire, in his firebird form, had quickly swooped through the skies, while Morning Glory had strode back in front of the line of demons and gotten their attention. She made a show of calmly studying them while Burning Desire's tiny firebird claws grasped the vault, and his form had glowed with light as he'd carefully hefted it into the air, resisting the urge to wheeze for breath while the Destroyer lectured and scolded the Wrath demons to keep their attention on her.
Then, when Burning had finally managed to fly high enough, the Destroyer had given a cold smile and added: “By the way. It seems as if your cargo has been taken by the flux. You should go and retrieve it, younglings.”
The Wrath demons had been shocked at this, and immediately hurried back towards the encampment, none of the smart enough to realize that the vault had likely been flux-proofed. Nor had any of them had noticed when Burning Desire and the vault had both fallen from the sky, and Morning Glory had absently caught them both with her chains, remarking calmly: “Now we wait for their short tempers to kick in.”
She was right: the encampment erupted into chaos. Six large and terrifying demons or not, the encampment was likely made of overstressed Wrath guards, slaves and servants pushed very close to the breaking point, and overseers that were trying to force almost-sentient, often-malicious chaos into cooperating while they ran an incredibly dangerous and complex mining operation. And since the escorts had just lost their shipment, and in all likelihood would be severely punished by whatever master they had for failing to turn up with any soulstone, they probably thought punching the laboring demons until they got more soulstone was their best possible option.
After all, demon lords tended to punish whoever failed to provide, and rewarded whoever managed to do their jobs: even if the Wrath escorts destroyed the mine in their rampage, they would still be rewarded if they returned to their demon lord with soulstone... and then the survivors of the attack at the mines would be punished if they failed to continue to produce at the same productivity. Helheim was crueler than dog-eat-dog: it usually praised whoever could be the most vicious, sadistic cannibal, which was just the way Hel wanted it.
Morning Glory had waited the battle out, and when the Wrath escorts had returned, there were only four left, all of them wounded but looking victorious, carrying several bundles of soulstone. Then the Destroyer stepped into their path at the edge of the flux, with Pinkamena and Burning Desire on either side of her, and the joy of the demons had faded quickly away into understanding that came just a little too late.
They had retrieved the soulstone from the demons and added it to the supply in the vault, and then Morning Glory had insisted on finishing off the encampment, and there was no arguing with the bloodlust in her eyes. There had only been a few demons left, though, and a hoof full of slaves that cowered and cried until Hevatica and Burning Desire freed them... but they did catch one interesting lead from the administrator of the mines.
Most of these slaves came from the Harvesters that         gathered their victims from the Plains of Sorrow: the demon lord who owned the mines had an agreement with the Greed devil that ran the slavery ring, protection and political assistance in return for first and free pick of whatever servants that the Harvesters gathered. It gave them a place to look for Ersatz... and after Burning had made some smart-ass comment about his sister's need to kill things being useful once again, and she had smacked him around a little, they left the flux – thankfully intact – with a few more pieces of soulstone, and returned to Morning Glory's abandoned home.
They loosely planned, rested, and gathered information to prepare for an attack on the home of a demon lord. What they hoped would be a quick sneak-in, sneak-out... and instead became a massacre. It seemed that the Greed demon Morning Glory had interrogated at the start of their journey had tracked down Ersatz first, and warned the demon lord of a possible attack on his home... then given much more detailed information in exchange for a few treasures and property rights.
They walked into an ambush of bodyguards, two Inquisitors, and the demon lord himself: this was no mincing Greed, no Glutton, no resplendent master of Lust or Sloth, either, but a Pride demon. And Pride demons always sought to be the very best at what they did. And under normal circumstances, even Morning Glory would have wanted a fight on more even ground against something  like a Vizier of Crows.
He commanded his troops almost effortlessly as he dueled Morning Glory: once a unicorn, now looking something more like a fallen angel with his black wings and the ashen trail he left behind, he canceled her light magic out with dark, poisonous energies while his troops simply swarmed the others. But Pride was his strength, and Pride was his weakness and his madness: Morning Glory couldn't protect the rest of her team while fighting this creature at the same time, so instead she let him drive her backwards right into an Inquisitor, who swung at her... and as expected, the demon lord unleashed a volley of insults and spells at the Inquisitor that had dared attack his prey, roaring to the effect of: “She is mine to kill, not yours!”
But Morning Glory withdrew with a grin: law-bound, the Inquisitor shouted back: “You have attacked a member of the Archives! You will stand down and surrender immediately, or by Hel's authority you will be forced to submit!”
“How dare you speak to me that way in my own home? How dare you threaten me! Kill the Archive scum! We'll blame the blasphemers!” And with that, the battle devolved into a free-for-all, as Morning Glory slipped back to smash up the forces hedging in her allies... and then, the moment after the Vizier of Crows roared his triumph as he cut down the Inquisitor, the Destroyer leapt forwards and ripped her hoof through his chest and up out of his back.
When the demon lord fell, gargling and broken, his forces broke and fled, leaving only a bloody, bruised and beaten Inquisitor that had both armor and magical protection shattered. It started to threaten them, but was silenced by Pinkamena's axe cutting its head almost in half before the Devourer remarked: “Things down here are a lot more fun than I remember them being.”
They had searched the mansion, and eventually found Ersatz Major in one of the harem rooms. Her horn was missing entirely, and she had been even more bruised and bloody than she was now, and... abused. She was chained to the wall, and some of the succubi had actually tried to stop them from freeing her, but Morning Glory had scared them quickly away. But both she and Burning had also noted that in one of Ersatz's ears had been a ring, with a code of runes marking her as nothing more than property, likely registered to the demon lord they had just killed... and now inherited by whoever the Pride demon's heir was.
But there was one loophole around this law, as long as Ersatz was sane enough to make the decision still, despite the hollowness in her eyes, the way she stared around as if she didn't entirely understand who they were or where she was. Burning Desire created a contract with a gentle smile to her, and whispered: “I'll grant you one wish, okay? Wish for your freedom from here, Ersatz, and spill your blood on this contract... I'll help you. I'll heal you. And you're going to promise your soul to me, and your loyalty... but I'll be gentle with it, and I'll give it right back. Right as soon as we're out of this place. Trust me... you remember me, don't you? You want to leave here, yes?”
Ersatz had only stared for the longest time, but finally she had nodded, and held out a foreleg when Pinkamena held out of her axe blade... but the act of granting her wish had drained both her and Burning Desire. Morning Glory and Pinkamena had carried them, and they had retreated back to Morning Glory's lair... but met up with one final problem that had been waiting for them at Morning Glory's home.
A demon was waiting for them. Whatever it was, it had clearly once been a pony from its upper body, despite the cluster of six tiny, black dot eyes around its seductive, large blue irises, and the large fangs that were half-hidden in its pleasant, polite smile. A silky mane spilled down over its porcelain upper form, its forelimbs coyly crossed over its breast that ended in curled pincers instead of hooves; but any beauty, whether it was purely aesthetic or otherwise, was swallowed up by the eight hair black spider legs stretching out of the spider-like cephalothorax its upper body extended from, and the massive, bulbous abdomen that bulged and pulsated slowly behind it, covered with barbed, metallic hairs that were mostly black.. apart from the crimson pattern of an hourglass over its underbelly.
But this Black Widow greeted them calmly enough, smiling cordially at them, and Morning Glory only stopped herself from attacking the cunning Envy demon because it was wearing a flowing black cloak that had the Archive's sigil as its clasp, made from blood quartz. This was either a High Inquisitor or some other important Archive dignitary... and unless they wanted to risk starting a war with Helheim that would follow them up to the surface world... they had to listen.
As it turned out, the Widow was an ambassador, sent by curious Hel. Hel knew many things, after all, had been watching their world for a long time. As a matter of fact, Valthrudnir was an old friend of hers, but the Black Widow herself had been very careful to enunciate this word to make it clear they had likely been anything but. Now Hel was curious precisely why four free demons had come down to Helheim... it couldn't be for something as unimportant as a single mortal's soul. Neither Freya nor Brynhild could be that interested in the life of a spectacularly-unimportant mortal.
Morning Glory had been honest, or at least as honest as she dared to be: Ersatz Major had been secondary, retrieving soulstone had been their first concern. The Widow had smiled at this, clearly appreciating the Destroyer's forwardness, and to Morning Glory's surprise, she had said gently: “Then leave with the blessing of Queen Hel. The last thing she desires is to start a quarrel with the Valkyries who destroyed such a powerful force as Valthrudnir. It would serve no one's interests.”
The demons had looked uneasily at each other, and Morning Glory hadn't been able to resist asking why. Why they were being allowed to leave, why Hel wasn't trying to crush them out of existence as 'blasphemers,' why the Goddess of Helheim had apparently just sat back and watched them, likely from the start, and the Widow had only laughed.
Her response had been surprisingly honest, but perhaps... implied something a little more worrisome. That Helheim was run through fear and tyranny because that was what was necessary to keep them in line, but Hel adored Subterra. Hel thought what Luna was doing, making the darkness so much more necessity, was wonderful. Hel, as a matter of fact, badly, badly, badly wanted to meet Luna Brynhild, and have a nice little chat with her, and the Valkyrie Celestia Freya too. So the last thing Hel wanted to do was start a silly fight over some pieces of rock with demons who were clearly of great value to Brynhild and her compatriots. Besides, they had done her a favor, really: weeded out two demons who had proven too weak and stupid to be Inquisitors after all, and killed off a demon lord who had dared to defy the Archives. They had caused some chaos, intimidated some demons, maybe brought about a smidgen of destruction or so, but Hel was a big fan of all those things.
Then the Black Widow had added kindly, holding out one foreleg and almost mockingly sincere: “But we do have to try and obey the laws here, all the same, unfortunately. We do all have to live according to the same rules... so I'm going to have to ask you to turn over that lost one there. Oh, we'll find a nice place for her, don't you worry... if she's special to Brynhild, she'll be special here, too. But I'm not permitted to let you leave with what isn't yours.”
Burning Desire had been the one to chuckle weakly at this, however, and Pinkamena had stepped aside to show off the mark on Ersatz's flank: how her cutie mark had changed to Burning's profile. The Widow had frozen in place, and then, for a moment, snarled with rage, and Morning had set herself... but the Widow had hurriedly regained her composure, cleared her throat, and said softly: “How clever. I am sure that Hel will... approve. Please excuse me.”
The Widow had left, the demons had gathered up the materials... and in the here and present, Morning Glory finished calmly: “And we have returned with the mission a success. It was not nearly as difficult as I imagined it would be.”
Luna and Scrivener traded looks, and Twilight laughed faintly, shaking her head slowly before she murmured: “That's... that's incredible. Burning, I... thank you. I can't begin to express what this means to all of us...”
“Well, that's the wonderful part, violet. You don't have to, because I didn't just do it for all of you... I did it for myself, too. It's nice to feel like I'm doing something good with my powers... nicer still to have such a pretty mare owe me her life.” Burning Desire smiled faintly, but as he shook his head out, he visibly recovered a little more, before gazing softly over at Ersatz and adding gently: “Speaking of which. Do you remember what I said about your contract?”
“Not really.” Ersatz whispered, and Burning chuckled quietly... then winced and yelped when a blast of energy sizzled over his horn, his eyes watering as Morning Glory looked at him with concern and Twilight, Scrivener and Luna all gazed towards him with the same worried expression. “Burning? Are... are you...”
“Perfectly...” Burning winced as there was another blast of what looked like recoil down his horn, despite the fact he wasn't concentrating any magic. “Fine! It's just... that I haven't honored your contract in full yet... so...” Another zap, this one making him flinch visibly. “Oh Helheim! No, n-nothing to worry about, just... have to hold on a little longer...”
Morning Glory sighed as Ersatz leaned forwards with concern, while Luna blinked in surprise and reared back slightly. “Wait, thou art going to purposefully-”
“Well, you know. If I don't...” Burning Desire flinched, then cursed several times in clear pain, grinding his teeth together as he reached up and rubbed slowly at his horn. “I don't fulfill my exact obligations... then... my earnings are null and...” Another curse of pain as electricity sizzled over his horn, the runes pulsing almost sickeningly. “Null and void. Otherwise... if I let her... ow, dammit! If I let her out by any other means, she... reverts to being... owned by Helheim thanks to that nasty charm the Pride demon put on her, but t-this way she... oh hell!”
Burning Desire groaned, grabbing at his face as he fell over on his side, and Scrivener winced before Ersatz leaned forwards, trembling and shaking her head wildly as she burst out: “No, stop! Just... please, you don't owe me anything, and I... I'll go back to Helheim! You have no reason to suffer for me...”
“Now what kind of stallion needs a reason to... show off for a p-pretty mare?” Burning Desire asked with a weak grin, even as blood began to run slowly from one of his ears, before he cursed under his breath as his fiery mane flared up and his horn crackled violently again. “That's sweet of you, Miss Ersatz, but... I think you spent too little time in Hell, or you're a far better pony than I t-took you for at first... knowing what I know about Helheim, that's... that's...”
Burning Desire cut himself off with a groan of pain, dropping his head forwards and clenching his eyes shut as his horn began to glow, and Ersatz almost flung herself forwards... but Scrivener winced and caught her by the shoulder, pulling her quickly back as the fiery stallion shivered in pain, whispering: “This way... t-this way is...”
Then Burning Desire flexed before he dropped his head forwards, crying out in pain as his horn gave a bright flash and a pulse of energy, fiery mane and tail both flaring up before he simply collapsed with a groan of pain. Ersatz shouted his name, tearing away from Scrivener and leaping over to the stallion as Morning Glory looked silently down at her collapsed brother, but Selene said softly: “He will be fine. What a funny thought, not holding up his end of the bargain simply to avoid a trifle over ownership rights... as if we would allow any demon to whisk you away, Ersatz Major...”
Slowly, Selene drew her galactic eyes upwards to Ersatz, who trembled and drew instinctively back from the Nephilim before she turned her eyes back down to Burning Desire. She looked almost desperately over her shoulder at Scrivener and Luna, but it was Twilight who spoke, saying quietly: “He'll be fine in a few days. He's just... very drained. Punishment for not fulfilling a contract specifically is voiding payment on that side, giving up all the energy attained from it and everything else used as payment, as well as a slice of a demon's own spirit. It'll heal, but... it'll take time. And he won't be able to make another contract for... for a few years.”
“As in a century, at least. My brother is stupid.” Morning Glory muttered, and then she looked moodily up at Ersatz Major, adding quietly: “He must enjoy your company. You would do well to remember the gifts you have received, and that your behavior as a mortal sent you falling to Helheim... out of shame, self-loathing, and the suffering you caused others. You reek of Pride, but your eyes are full of longing. Beware, Ersatz Major: those who hold their heads too high get their necks broken.”
Ersatz shifted uneasily, and there was silence for a moment before two chains twisted out of Morning Glory's back and grasped Burning Desire. They slowly twined around him, seeming almost to cradle him for a moment, and then the Wrath demon shook her head and carefully hefted him, placing the demon across her broad back as she muttered: “I'll take him back to his ridiculous palace and see to my brother's health.”
Luna, Scrivener, and Twilight all nodded, while Ersatz only continued to look worried and Selene simply smiled calmly. Morning Glory grunted and excused herself, carrying the fiery stallion away, and Ersatz looked up with a tremble before asking quietly: “Why? Why would we do that for me? Why am I even here after... I spent my life... destroying other ponies' lives because my own family was lost and... I was too foolish to...”
Ersatz trembled, looking over at Scrivener, and the stallion laughed faintly as he reached up and touched her shoulder, murmuring: “Because, Ersatz. Because... we... we are family. Because we couldn't save your life but maybe we can still save... you.”
There was silence for a few moments, and then Ersatz nodded once and looked down, before Selene said softly: “You are filthy, and tired. Mother, Father... I shall take this odd creature and attend to her needs. A bath, an explanation, and then rest. May I?”
Scrivener and Luna looked at Ersatz, who trembled a little, then nodded slowly. She climbed carefully to her hooves, shrugging off her blanket before looking uneasily up at her horn, then turning her eyes back towards Scrivener Blooms. He smiled at her after a moment, and she studied him before looking away and asking finally: “May we... speak later? I still... I don't entirely know...”
“We will, we definitely will, Ersatz. Don't worry about that. Just go... rest for now. It sounds like you've had a hard trip.” Scrivener replied quietly, and Ersatz nodded slowly. She looked almost fearfully at Selene as the Nephilim slowly stood atop her reflecting pool, but followed all the same when the entity strode away with her strange smile on her face and galactic eyes focused forwards.
There was silence for a few moments, as Scrivener sat back and Luna and Twilight turned their own eyes down. Antares only continued to stare at them, with amazement and disbelief, almost forgotten at the side of the pyramid... but then he cleared his throat hesitantly before asking finally: “So... if... I mean, Burning was able to restore Ersatz's horn, Mom. Why couldn't...”
“We have already discussed this, have we not?” Luna asked tiredly, but she softened a little as she turned her eyes towards Antares, who gave a lame smile to his parents, none of whom he was yet on very good ground with right now. “Ersatz's horn was... not truly restored. 'Tis probably strong and she is in all likelihood capable of magic, aye, but 'tis not a true horn. And furthermore, the damned base in mine skull is cracked and damaged, and... the base does not often heal properly, and is extremely resistant to magic thanks be to the fact that 'tis where the spirit gathers, where magic begins.”
She looked down, shaking her head slowly. “I do not know if... my horn can be reattached, even by a miracle. Its lines were severed and now are disarrayed and frayed, the base is broken, my skull heals around a ring implanted beneath this silly patch on my face and I feel as if I have... lost my third eye. I can no longer feel...”
Luna shivered once and looked down, and Twilight Sparkle looked silently at the mare as Scrivener reached up and rubbed soothingly along Luna's back, and Antares turned his eyes down and murmured an apology. He hesitated, then sighed quietly and turned, slinking away and feeling ashamed of himself: another stupid, childish question later, and all he'd managed to do was upset his mother, yet again, and probably ruin all the progress he'd tried to make towards showing he wasn't a child...
Twilight looked up after Antares, softening and wanting to call out... but then the Lich only sighed and turned her eyes quietly back to Luna instead, as the sapphire mare shook her head quickly and murmured: “No, no. I... I require time to think. Celestia must be building some sort of amplifier... perhaps we should go and speak to her. Celestia always knows something...”
Scrivener began to nod... and then instead he winced a little, rubbing awkwardly at his features with a grimace as Valthrudnir said softly: Soulstone... interesting. I have an experiment for you, Nihete. One that you should be able to carry out with ease...
The stallion looked up with a grimace, but he felt his body already being pulled in one direction, and it took a surprising amount of energy to resist the Jötnar's mental push before he asked in a mutter: “What... why the hell would I ever just agree to follow one of your ideas, Valthrudnir...”
Both Luna and Twilight looked sharply at Scrivener, and from the way they both tensed up, he knew they could feel it too: that skin-crawling sensation of being dragged down one particular path, that sense of needles in the mind trying to push them towards something. But to Scrivener's surprise, Valthrudnir retorted not just with exasperation and irritation, but with an actual answer: Because don't you think that over the countless years I've lived, learning how to better adapt and modify you little ponies for my own purposes, I would know how to at least forge a replacement horn? Shall I access your memories and bring up the fact that Beauty's horn was, in fact, a crystalline amplifier?
Scrivener gritted his teeth... and then he blinked in surprise as the sensation of being pulled on became a gentler nudging as Valthrudnir's voice continued in calmer, more cajoling tones: Can you afford to not listen to me when I make you an offer like this? Neither you nor I are in any position where it would be prudent to interfere with one-another... and the Valkyrie is... I recognize her... necessity. If it will soothe you, though, why don't you locate the other Valkyrie and have her assist?
Scrivener shifted uneasily, but when he turned his eyes towards Luna and Twilight, they both hesitantly nodded before Luna sighed quietly, glancing up silently towards her missing horn and cerulean bangs. “Aye. I do not trust the Jötnar... but I will trust Celestia's judgment, and that the Frost Giant is not so arrogant to believe tampering with us for his own designs would be intelligent at this course. Not... not with what Thesis has proven he is.”
There was silence, and then the three turned, silently allowing the Jötnar's pull to guide them onwards, as Valthrudnir took the time to explain calmly: The soulstone will be key in this... even by my standards, that is an appreciable material. Perhaps not as appreciable as gianttooth, but it is a better means to the end that we are going to attempt to achieve. Lich-
“Twilight Sparkle.” growled Luna, and then the sapphire mare added in a colder voice: “And I do not appreciate the fact that thou hast apparently decided that 'tis all well and good to force thy way into our soul-link so thou may whisper thy poisonous words into all our minds.”
Oh please, don't worry your pretty little head, quadruped. Valthrudnir said irritably, and Scrivener thought he caught a quick vision of the dragon rolling his amber eyes with a look of contempt. You strive to plug your little mind into Nihete's every time I so much as utter a single word to him, and you call me 'liar' and 'manipulator' when I speak to him alone. Now that I have gone to the generous lengths of better-fastening the loose wires between your mostly-empty brains, you eagerly go ahead and prove that philistines like yourself leave no good deed unpunished. And you wonder why I think so little of you... little ponies.
“Can we please concentrate on what we're doing? What we're supposed to do?” Twilight asked almost desperately, and the others grumbled a little before the Lich added hesitantly: “Valthrudnir, I... I will help you but... please, can we... try and get along?”
Valthrudnir grunted moodily in their minds, and there was silence for a little while as they made their way through the halls: whether the Jötnar was still guiding them, or their own instincts, it was hard to say. All Scrivener knew was that they were gradually making their way towards the one place Celestia would likely be, strange as it was that they all felt so sure of their guess.
They eventually entered the little sanctuary hidden away deep beneath the pyramid, where the Pool of Tears was and Twilight regularly did her larger operations. And Celestia was indeed here, working at a cleared off metal table and glancing up at them with surprise, putting down a piece of soulstone she had half-shaped into an oval as she asked curiously: “What are you all doing here? Do you need my help with something?”
“Sort of.” Scrivener looked at Luna, but she looked pointedly back at him, and the stallion sighed tiredly as he felt a mental kick from Valthrudnir, wincing a little even as Luna growled moodily. Then the charcoal stallion grumbled a little before saying finally: “Valthrudnir says he can help. He seems to be telling the truth because he even suggested you help out too, or keep watch at least. He wants... some of the soulstone, though. He says we can make Luna... a temporary horn.”
Or one that's better in some respects, Nihete, but we'll see. Valthrudnir said calmly, and Scrivener grimaced a bit at this before the Jötnar seemed to smile even as Celestia seemed to stare measuringly straight through Scrivener, like she was gazing at that awful thing locked away inside him. I am neither 'awful' nor 'locked away,' Nihete... but yes, I think she sees me. And I already know that she agrees... how could she not? I'm telling the truth.
There was silence for a few moments, and then Celestia closed her eyes and asked quietly: “What is required, then? What precisely does he want? I thought myself of making Luna a horn from soulstone, but... placing it into her broken base...”
The base will not prove... excuse me, Nihete, I'm going to borrow you for a moment. Valthrudnir grumbled, and Scrivener felt a bright pain flare in his mind, and flashes of light blurred his vision as he cried out in surprise, grabbing at his head as his hooves unfolded into claws, Luna and Twilight looking at him with shock as his eyes clenched shut... and then, as suddenly as he had cried out, he was calm, and silent, and a slow smile spread over his features before amber eyes opened, and Valthrudnir said in his cultured, smooth tones from the stallion's mouth: “Much better. Now don't worry, I... strongly dislike this filthy quadrupedal body, and the overall lack of hygiene and capability Nihete possesses, but it's easier for now if I speak for myself. Nihete agrees.”
“No my husband does not. Get out.” Luna snarled furiously, her eyes blazing as she leaned forwards, and Twilight and Celestia both set themselves as well as the sapphire mare rose her head high, her eyes almost glowing with fury. “If thou thinks I will simply stand by-”
“What can you do against me right now, Brynhild?” Valthrudnir asked almost curiously, and Luna snarled furiously before twitching and wincing, and the Jötnar smiled through Scrivener's mouth. “Precisely. A unicorn's horn is hooked into the mind and draws strength from the spirit. This is partly why your animal emotions have such an effect on your magic, amplifying or negating the effects of your own spellwork when your emotions are permitted to run rampant. Without your horn, those emotional signals are following a road to nowhere that does nothing more than create electrical output in your frayed nerve-endings, interpreted by your idiot bodies as 'pain.'”
Luna snarled... and then twitched again as another flare of pain ran through her mind, cursing and trembling as she felt her energies naturally building... but Valthrudnir was right. That energy trying to build up was hitting a dead end and creating what felt distinctly like magical recoil, except for the fact it was hammering through her own brain instead of tickling over the horn that... she didn't have.
She cursed quietly and forced herself to relax, before Valthrudnir turned his eyes back towards Celestia as he held up one of Scrivener's claws in a peaceful gesture when the rainbow-maned mare gave him a cold look. “There's no need for threats or violence. Five minutes, that is all I ask... and likely all I can comfortably maintain my control over Nihete's body for, in any event. Will you at least offer me your attention while I explain what need to be gathered?”
“Speak.” Celestia said quietly, and Valthrudnir's eyes darkened slightly as he visibly bit back a retort, but then simply nodded moodily.
“Of course.” the Jötnar said distastefully, and then he took a moment to close his eyes and think before instructing: “First a horn must be shaped out of soulstone. I will also require a container... I suppose with how far behind you are in terms of technology, I should request a cauldron and a large wooden spoon instead of a hazardous materials vat or chemical mixer. Fill this with organic material, preferably dead flesh, or if this is beyond the stomachs of you ponies, plant matter will suffice. It will synthesize into a stronger, more-potent form of the Clay of Prometheus. I also require a blood donation, a piece of the Lich's horn, and of course Brynhild's horn and the blood mixture it rests in.”
There was silence, and then, to Luna's surprise, Celestia's only question was: “Is there anything else you require? And I take it you desire Valkyrie blood?”
Valthrudnir smiled after a moment at this, saying quietly: “If the Nephilim can be convinced to aid... and I know that she can... her own blood would add a great amount of potency to the mixture. No, Nihete and... Twilight Sparkle... will be able to provide the rest of the resources necessary, Freya.”
Celestia was silent for a few moments, her amethyst eyes studying Valthrudnir's amber eyes before she leaned forwards and said softly: “For your sake, I hope this isn't a trick of any kind. If you harm even a hair on my sister's head, I will drag you out of Scrivener's body kicking and screaming if I have to, and eradicate every last trace of you. Do you understand?”
“As clearly as I understand that you will do anything for your family, Freya... which is not perhaps the greatest sign of intellect, but I suppose loyalty is an... interesting quality, at least.” Valthrudnir responded with a calm smile, and then he closed his eyes, slowly rubbing his thumb and foreclaw together as he added softly: “Your defense reveals your vulnerabilities, Valkyrie. You should keep that in mind for our future debates.”
Then the stallion's head bowed forwards, and he flinched as he grabbed at his features before cursing under his breath and slumping, breathing hard in and out and blinking a few times before Scrivener Blooms' chestnut eyes fluttered open and he shook his head slowly, mumbling: “Dammit. When the hell did I turn into a freaking puppet?”
“It's alright, Scrivener Blooms. It won't be forever... I promise you all that.” Celestia said quietly, and the three ponies looked up and across at the winged unicorn for a moment before the ivory mare gave a small smile. “Excuse me. I'm going to gather up the requested materials, and then I'll come and help with synthesizing the horn. I think... we should try and listen to Valthrudnir on this subject.”
Scrivener shifted uneasily even as Valthrudnir seemed to laugh quietly inside his mind, before he heard the dragon's silky voice say: See? Even the Queen of the Valkyries recognizes my superiority. But the gods never did dare attack us outright... they always relied on child's tricks and lies to fight.
The stallion felt static nip through his mind, and he shook his head quickly as his head throbbed: Valthrudnir's abuse of power was starting to make his brain hurt, like Valthrudnir's incessant chatter – among other things – was beginning to create a mental pressure on his brain that made it hard to concentrate on anything. And then he winced a bit and looked up in surprise as Twilight gently touched his shoulder, the mare asking quietly: “Are you okay?”
Scrivener smiled faintly and nodded a little over to her, and then Luna said suddenly but softly: “Twilight... thou... thou does not have to offer up thy horn to me... thou hast already been so hurt, and-”
“No, no. Mine regenerates... yours doesn't.” Twilight replied softly, and then she smiled a little before closing her eyes, bowing her head forwards. Her horn began to steam faintly, as a single black ring started to slowly form near the center of it... and then a moment later, the top half of her horn simply fell off, leaving a blackened stump behind that continued to smoke faintly as Twilight carefully caught the section of alicorn in her hooves, looking up and saying softly: “I hope that's enough.”
More than enough. Valthrudnir sounded delighted... and yet at the same time, uncertain, uneasy, maybe even a little confused, as he murmured in a voice almost too soft to hear: But why did she give it up with such ease, and nothing promised in return...
“Because that's what friends do for each other. Because we're family, and I trust them... and I'm going to try and trust you, because we have to work together.” Twilight answered quietly, and Valthrudnir was stunned into silence by this response, as the Lich looked up with a small smile. And Scrivener and Luna both only smiled faintly in return, at this pony who had quieted even a Jötnar with her kindness and her love for the two ponies she cared for and freely offered half her horn, and all of her heart and soul to them.