Chapter 27: A Good Mare Goes to War
Seven days. Seven days had passed since the skies above Ponyville opened and closed in a violent maelstrom of obsidian stone and ruby energy. Seven days, yet those seven days were filled with busy minds and marching hooves. It was not everyday that an entirely new species dropped by, and only a spitting distance away from the capital.
Six days. Six days had passed since the discovery that not one, but two aliens walked Equestrian soil. One, a lonely miner and craftsman so far away from home. One, a monstrously tall and skeletal-thin shadow that could not stand the sight of another creature seeing its eyes, lest it be provoked into a berserker rage. And, unknown to all, a monster older than the very ground under their feet had come. Upon the eve of that day, a portal had been forced open. A conduit between realms and worlds had been procured, and out came a beast far more ancient and vile than the worst monsters that walked the Everfree Forest.
It was such an easy feat for the leviathan to change forms and hide. It wasn’t even a challenge. It didn’t even require conscious thought. The monster simply willed it to happen and it did. There was little that the creature desired he could do that he wasn’t capable of. For the moment, however, his mortal form glided across the shining capital of the pony nation.
It could learn plenty from the cities great civilizations built. Canterlot itself was a jewel to behold by anyone’s standard. Its glittering walls were composed of solid rock without curve or crevasse. Mountainous pillars carved from the very earth pierced the sky, hubristic pillars of vanity and declarations of master craftsman.
Great towers of ivory adorned the castle itself. It was a structure built to house the finest of lords and masters, kings and emperors, gods and devils. The wide walls were plastered with masterwork craftsmanship, from tapestries swallowing entire walls to urns crafted from precious metals with engravings the width of a hair.
In a room that could swallow most domiciles with its expansive girth, across a tongue of red silk weaved across the great seas, lay a throne carved from solid gold. On that pedestal, the lives of millions were protected, subjected, and soothed. Upon that throne, kin goddesses ruled
Ah, Canterlot. The Shining Capital. The City of the Rising Sun. Mountain of the Earth.
So why were its residents so... disgusting?
Era’doth glided across the polished castle stones in the midst of a fog of inky darkness. The Void Fog, as that pathetic flesh bag entitled it, was more than just a shadow lurking in the darkest depths of the Overworld, it was him. It was his raw essence, his majesty, magnificence, and knowledge. The obsidian cloak more than just ensnared and protected him from harm, it was a simple extension of himself. The filth that surrounded him that had the gall to call itself life couldn’t fathom how such an artless ability could be a natural extension of a mortal form. He existed. The Void Fog existed. It and he were separate, but conjoined. One, but one of many. Neither could escape, however. Binding the Fog, binding the god, were several lengths of chains made of light. Great spikes pierced his skin, forcibly binding the chains to his detestable mortal body. Eons of thrashing and clawing, building his strength only to have it dissipate against the constrictions were all for nothing. He could not escape the magic restricting his power. That was, of course, why he was there. Just a little longer...
...Just how did the construct link to his mind? Interesting mystery to be sure...
“I can’t believe they got that alien thing so easily,” one Royal Guardpony told his comrade. The pair were standing at attention in the great halls in Canterlot Castle. Although few nobles and workers ventured so deep within the walls, and even fewer civilians, it was not just cause to drop their guard so easily. Nevertheless, the biped gliding towards them with a billowing cloud of shadow in its wake did not disturb them in the slightest. The sound of rattling chains echoed like some deathly phantasm, but the sound failed to alert the pair.
“Hardly. The thing was only a punk. I heard it got taken down by only one pony. Can you believe that shit?”
“You’re pulling my leg.”
“I swear!”
Era’doth’s face remained expressionless. They were nothing. Less than nothing. The concept of an absolute void required more contemplation than the waste of life that stood before him. He simply willed himself to not be seen by the two mortals and he wasn’t.
Disgusting, vapid wastes of carbon. All of them.
The Void Fog snuffed out the candles and torches lining the walls, pulling the two out of their animated discussion.
“Huh. Draft?”
“This deep in the castle? Not likely. Plus, I felt nothing.”
“You wouldn’t feel your wife sucking you off if she didn’t use smoke signals.”
Era’doth glided past the pair. The Void Fog curled around the two, its vaporous, opaque cloud gently sliding around and through their bodies. The pair shivered.
“Maybe you’re right about the draft.”
“Right?” The other made a complex motion with his hooves to ward off evil. “Felt like somethin’ just walked on my grave.”
Such small minds. They couldn’t even begin to fathom his existence, his glory. He was an entity beyond the scope of simple life forms. Their knowledge of the normal was so razor thin, it was laughable. They couldn’t understand life in its smallest degree, so how could they possibly know about a god such as him? The maggots and corpses of animals lay long forgotten beneath the cold stones of Canterlot Castle. Grease floated in their guts, the last remains of once vibrant life. They slew monsters by the thousands in order to make room for themselves. Eggs? Chicken? These creatures consumed their surroundings like a plague, a thoughtless construct of meat and bone that only knew how to devour its environment in order to survive. Mastery of magic? They knew nothing. Sooner or later, their powers would consume and scrape the world clean to stave off the inevitable destruction looming over them. A coward fights death. A fool ignores it.
Era’doth couldn’t help but be impressed. Some called him a monster, but the ponies... they were truly something rotten. He was surprised these creatures didn’t just kill themselves out of the sheer horror of it all.
His body glided slowly down the wide halls. He was now so deep in the castle that the torches were not lit. That small detail did not bother him in the slightest. He didn’t need light to see. He didn’t even need eyes to see. The world around him was painted in such vividity and splendor that human or pony eyes could never hope to quantify or understand. The raw power that flowed through the universe, the gravitational constants and coded universal laws were simple tools for the god.
Despite his sight beyond sight, there was a blinding shroud across his gaze. One above him several levels, and another to his back, many leagues away. Celestia and Luna, they called them. Physical goddesses. Most that obtained that title from the worms worshipping the ground they walked on didn’t deserve such a title. But these two... they were different. The creatures were just candles compared to his own soul, a great, blazing inferno. It was like comparing night and day. He was beyond them, a creature so different that comparisons would mean nothing.
But those two...
He felt them as soon as he entered this new realm. In a mountain piercing a thunderous sky, inside a cave lined with scattered gems and precious stones, he entered the world through a portal of his own creation. His true body, expansive as it was incomprehensible to mortals, forced its way through. Sending that shadow, that weak-willed biped first was only a test to see if it could work. Than once again near the Shining Capitol with a lone creeper. It would do him no good to harm himself and come prematurely; he needed to know his portals could work across realms, not just worlds.
Through the haze of a new world, he felt them. One as brilliant and blinding as a star. One as dark and sly as the blackest vacuum of space. They were like him, or as close to his kind as the world would allow. The haze of ignorance and weakness did not shackle them. Under ordinary circumstances, Era’doth might wish to convene with a fellow god. It was not to be, however. They were guardians of a great treasure, one that he needed. They would stop him, and he knew it.
As much as he hated restricting himself, it was a necessity. He couldn’t kill the creature the Seal of Harmony was bound to without suspiciously drawing upon too much power and alerting an alicorn. His true form was strange and frightening to them and would draw attention. Unwanted attention. If the ponies were all he needed to face, the situation would not require such discretion, but the alicorns were strong. They may not be able to kill him, or maybe even wound him, but they would certainly restrict him. Such bothersome entities were best avoided, as undesirable as it was. He had taken great care to avoid the their attention, to keep them in the dark as long as possible. The Endermen had been proven surprisingly effective in that regard. Curious... why did it enter after he forced the miner construct through the Nether Portal? Whatever the reason, he did not care. His thoughts were on on his fleshy mortal body. It was a necessity as well. Despite it being bound in the same luminescent chains as his perfect, immortal body, the smaller, more compact body was easier to use in such a restrictive environment. Suppressing his true body and wearing the form of a humanoid was better to blend in. His real body tended to drive most mortals insane with the cognitive dissonance. Not that he cared.
Enemies... They would burn with the rest of them.
His goal was close; he could feel it. His sight beyond sight told him that. Heralded by clanking irons, he glided forward on the ephemeral fog. A great chamber lay before him, but that was not what he was there for. On the far end of the room was a single door, behind which lay his prize: a Seal of Harmony, an object capable of recursive magical cell dispersion. It was a single battery with six points of focus that amplified one magical charge to incalculable strength. The mortals likely did not have any idea the kind of power such a tool was capable of. With it, a coward could become a king. A king could become a god.
And an imprisoned god could finally shatter the curse the prevented him from harnessing his full power. Oh, the siren call to be free... To finally be able to explore the heavens once again, to traverse the boundaries of reality and thought with only the desires and will of the god of creation to drive him. All that separated him from the chamber was a simple door, which he phased through without a thought.
The chains rattled once again as he glided forward. No creatures guarded the room, not that they would be any more distracting than a speck of dust. The construct was far away, as was one of the alicorns. The other was far above him in the castle. It was a simple task of opening the door, destroying whatever wards protected the seal, and claiming his prize. The spikes drove into his flesh, ever present reminders of the spells binding him. Such seals on his own power were impossible to break on his own. He needed help, and that was what the Seal of Harmony as for. It took so long to search realms and worlds for a possible means of breaking the seals, and now he was mere inches from his prize.
The Void Fog billowed around Era’doth, even as the chains constricted it towards his body. As predicted, alarm spells were instantly raised upon detecting the foreign magic. Such simple spells were easy to overcome. He didn’t even need to place a counter spell, only overwhelm them with the sheer volume of magic from his own internal stores. The first layer of spells on the chamber shattered.
These alicorns were not so easy beaten. As the first wave fell, a second took its place in an instant. He could see the magic coursing through the chamber. Each spell was fed separately, providing a modular strength to them. More power for each spell made them difficult to brute force open. The second layer was still much too weak to pose a challenge. He was a god! Did they honestly suspect such pitiful wards to be able to stop him so easily?
With all his might, he thrust his own power at the wards. The world around him shifted under the intensity of such strength and the second wave shattered as easily as the first. Before his eyes sprung up a third layer of seals and a second alarm spell. He crushed that one as easily as the first, but his magical momentum halted. The third wave buckled under his might, but held.
So... they weren’t so worthless after all. Someone was capable of designing respectable defensive shielding.
Bones shifted, flesh burst. In less than the time than it took for a neuron to gather an electrical charge, the bipedal body exploded into ash. A great behemoth stood in its place, the same colossus that had forced its way into Equestria six days prior. It was impossible to completely describe the beast in conventional terms. It was a jumbled collection of exposed flesh, limbs, sinew, and tissue, all lined with black pustules and hardened scales that shone with every hue of the rainbow.
The beast launched itself at the chamber. The room warped under the magical strain. Bonds of matter shifted and rearranged in the monsters attempt to destroy the irritating barriers placed to protect Equestria’s sacred treasure. Tendrils of magic, billions of them, wove and wound their way into the third wave of wards and ripped them to pieces.
An alarm spell sprung from the fourth layer and was promptly destroyed. Than another. Than another. Rather than a barrier, an endless stream of alert spells materialized one right after the other in a neverending cycle. The beast lashed out at the chamber, shattering the wall’s detailed masonry and ornate stonework. It did not wish to be discovered, so disabling the alert spells was a priority... but there were no more barriers surrounding the chamber.
With a victorious howl, the beast swept a collection of limbs to tear open the door. The alert spells slipped through his net, but that was the plan. If he could just open the door –
A pulse of magic propelled Era’doth away from the chamber. A trap within a trap. The barrier was back at full strength, and now others were aware he was near. He could feel the magic and life shifting like some great war machine. The alicorn knew he was near, as well as the little flesh bags that worshipped it. Upon being discovered, he felt the distinct urge to slaughter the maggots approaching him until he had time to rework and refocus his strength into destroying the remaining wards.
The monster’s senses flared once more. The Equestrian god was rapidly approaching. The urge to kill the weak god was strong, but it was not time. Not yet, but that didn’t mean Era’doth the Destroyer would leave without impressing the error of facing him.
Masses of sticky flesh coated with vile, acidic sludge contracted and heaved. Once more, Era’doth bellowed a challenge to the creatures. Let them know the grave mistake of interfering with a god. Let them know every ounce of pain and anguish involved with magical chains digging into his flesh for eons without end. Every iota of pain and frustration fed the roar. The world heaved with his torment, glass and stone burst beneath his rage.
It was a promise, a declaration of intent and annihilation.
I will not fall, it said.
Look upon me and despair.
Celestia entered the shattered remains of a once glorious antechamber for the Elements of Harmony. It was... completely unrecognizable. The ornate stone pillars that held up the high ceiling, the stained glass windows detailing Equestria’s greatest moments and fallen foes, and the polished stone floor leading to an enchanted cell containing one of Equestria’s greatest treasures all had one thing in common: they were no more.
The entire room had been turned to glass...
The shattered pillars and damaged ceiling had rained tiny daggers on the floor. The particulates had been cleared away before her majesty entered, but that did not reduce the awful shock of what had occurred. In mere moments, an entire room at the very heart of her country had been completely destroyed, and there wasn’t a single sign of the intruder. There was no demand for power or land, no declaration of war, or even a stated desire to watch Equestria burn. There was nothing but wanton devastation.
Celestia could see into the lower levels; two solid feet of solid rock and metal instantly turned into transparent glass. Incredible, and terrifying.
Celestia walked forward into one of her favorite hallways. The pennants,flags and hanging plants were all transfigured into glass, at least those that remained. Ponies bowed as she passed, most carrying the same look of blank shock. Their precious capital city had been violated. Most ponies were simple curators there only few cleaning up the sizable mess. Glass shards lay everywhere, and it took several unicorns working in tandem in order to pick up the dust and minute pieces. The rest were magi or guards, there for protection and investigating what had only just occurred.
There was one saving grace, however. If an intruder was this deep into the castle, he or she must be after only one thing, and they fortunately did not get it. In the center of a glass crater, a large stone cube sealed by a single sliding door. Some of the outer finery and stonework had been transformed into glass, but the room was structurally sound, and sealed. The wall behind the chamber had been smashed to pieces, revealing another room in Castle Canterlot. That, too had been transformed thoroughly into glass, while the center of the devastation, the Chamber of the Elements, lay in that tiny crater. The chamber listed to one side dangerously in the hole, but there was nopony inside to worry about.
Thank the heavens...
“Princess,” court mage Shooting Star approached the monarch and bowed.
“What happened?” Celestia demanded. Her voice was carefully smooth and steady, but that only emphasized the tension it carried.
“I...” Star laughed tiredly. “Where to begin? Somepony, or something, penetrated Canterlot defense and Castle Canterlot security without tripping any alarms or being seen by anypony.”
Celestia continued walking. Star smoothed her Council of Magic cloak and followed in step. “The Elements of Harmony are the assumed target. As the chamber is still intact, the intruder failed to retrieve them before alarms and reinforcements were raised. How the intruder escaped remains a mystery. How they entered remains a mystery. We detected no magic of any kind, at least none that we recognize. We even searched for traces of the Miner and the Farlander, but turned up with nothing. Who or whatever did this is very resourceful, and terrifyingly powerful.” As if by fate, Celestia’s hoof clacked against the stone-turned-glass floor and splintered it. A dozen images of an alicorn and a sky blue unicorn stared back at them.
“After Discord escaped, I reinforced the enchantments upon the Elements of Harmony so that only myself or my sister could open the door.”
“Not to question your abilities, Highness, but if the intruder had a few more minutes, they may have succeeded.” Ponies, both cleaners and Royal Guardponies by the dozens, all gave the listing chamber worried glances. “Who – what could have done this? Discord?”
“Discord is safely locked away in the Canterlot Gardens,” Celestia reaffirmed. “Assurances of his imprisonment was one of my first goals once word of this disaster reached my ears. This is some new foe.” Celestia’s eyes were drawn to a pair of Royal Guardponies being examined by a field medic near the fissure between the damaged wall.
“These two were closest on scene,” Star said, “and were stationed down the hallway. They claim to have seen and heard nothing until their eardrums ruptured by the sound. As described by them by parchment and ink and as half the castle will attest, it was and I quote “the most god-awful roar, the likes of which Equestria has never heard.” We’re not quite sure if the sound was a threat or some form of communication. Luckily, we had some magi in rooms in the upper levels with quick wits who managed to record certain fractions of the noise. Analysis is still ongoing, but it crossed several wavelengths. It certainly wasn’t natural.”
Celestia nodded and looked surveyed her subjects. The nagging tension building in their heads was compounding slowly, building to greater and greater peeks ever since the first portal opened one week ago. “It tears at my heart to see my subjects and lands hurt so grievously when Canterlot should be named firmly our home. We shouldn’t need to fear the dark like this...”
Celestia sighed. Since she spoke, guards, cleaners, and magi alike ceased their tasks and looked upon their ruler. They were watching, waiting for the decision to be handed down. When evil sought the hearts of the good, it was then a ruler must rise.
“Send word to General Tempest, Shooting Star. Mobilize the Royal Guard. If Equestria must face the horrors of war, it will not face it like a cowardly foal. Let this destroyer know we do not bow to the will of tyrants and monsters.” Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “Equestria will prepare for battle.”
Cadance stood in the throne room nervously. There was nopony there, except for a few regulatory guards and a court mage, but, until somepony approached her, she was required to do nothing.
“Court mage, as soon as any discoveries as to the source of the disturbance, I would very much wish to be informed.”
The mage bowed in acknowledgement. “Yes, Highness. If you wish, I could send a courier to your private quarters. Open court is no longer open at this time.”
That would be preferable. Auntie Celestia was originally supposed to be the one holding court, but she had left in a flash. Cadance could feel the pull of some foreign spellflash burst in front of her face. Cadance recognized an alarm spell, followed by the most horrid, reverberating cry she had ever heard. Ponies shouted in pain and covered their sensitive ears. Celestia acted fast, warding the throne room to ward the sound, but it had died within moments.
Cadance did not like to be told to stay behind for her own safety, but she grudgingly did so. Holding court was a simple job, but very dull. Cadance chided herself, for she took a perverse pleasure at not having to meet with ponies due to the recent attack. The guilt was fleeting, however. Sleep had been evasive once more, no doubt from the stress of recent events. Although the capture and cooperation of one creature was a boon, that did not stop the headaches, nausea, and today’s urge to wake up and empty her stomach.
“That would be most appreciated, magi. Have the news sent to my quarters and Captain Armor as soon as possible.”
The magi bowed in acquiescence. “You two shall be the first to know, Highness.”
Cadance rose and walked down the steps and carpet. Butterscotch rose to follow, but Cadance waved her off. “I will be fine; take your break early Butterscotch.” The maid’s face lit up in delight and she nodded enthusiastically. Cadance chuckled.
The walk back to her room was uneventful, but tense. What few ponies that remained in the wide halls looked to the floor and over their shoulders with a fearful looks. She couldn’t blame them; even she felt a slight chill over her shoulder.
In fact... the stones were cold. Freezing cold. Bone-chillingly cold. Cadance sighed and her breath frosted in the air. Tiny hairs on the tip of her muzzle crystallized with frozen air. That feeling hadn’t diminished. What only moments ago was a twitch in the back of her skull become an unbearable, oppressive cloud. Blackness clouded the edge of her eyes. Something was there. Something –
Nothing. Cadance whirled around. Nothing was there, The chill that had only just frozen her soul had transformed into the pleasant warmth the pervaded the castle. She could have sworn - sensed - something behind her...
“Get a hold of yourself, Cadance.” She would have bet her monthly stipend on it, but there was nothing. Just nothing...
Cadance entered her quarters with her head over her shoulder. Her quarters were as comforting and pleasant as ever. The bed and floors were cleaned and cleared of whatever meager mess she may have caused. Mornings were never a good time for her.
Cadance was beginning to regret sending Butterscotch away. “You’re not a filly anymore,” she told herself. She needed a bath, but she was old enough to perform such a simple task on her own. First, she needed to remove her finery. Approaching the vanity, she latched onto her necklace with her magic, before biting back a scream.
There was... something in the reflection of her mirror. Lodged in an unnaturally dark corner of her room, a pair of blazing white eyes met hers. She could not see its body in the darkness, but the eyes were very high for a pony, almost as tall as Celestia. It tilted its head to the side, its face masked by shadows.
Cadance whirled around to face the intruder, only it was gone. Cadance’s magic lit up and grabbed a hold of the rope that would ring the bell that would summon the maids and guards... but it was gone. Another sliver of magic shot out to the door, test the ancient brass handle. Still locked. The windows were, too; Cadance liked her privacy when she retired to her quarters.
Still grasping the rope, Cadance made several slow, hesitant steps into her room. She was afraid, but curiosity mingled with the fear into an intoxicating cocktail. The tiny clip-clop of her hooves was muted against the soft carpet, but her rapidly beating heart thudded like thunderclaps.
Stop, her mind told her. Not safe. Not smart. Danger. Run.
Cadance stopped walking. She was next to her bed, halfway between the shadowy corner and the door leading to safety. Investigate, or flee?
Clang!
Cadance tugged the rope and teleported outside her room. Whatever it was, if it was even still in there, she wanted no part of it. The rustling of armor, maids, and flash of teleporting unicorns quickly filled the hallway, but it was no use; the room was already empty by the time the entered. Unicorn horns flashed with light, receding all the hidden shadows that dwelt within.
The monster was gone, and its attack thwarted. But unknown to Cadance and Celestia, a new plan was in motion, for Cadance had just given it the means to take the Elements once and for all.
Minecraft/MLP:FIM crossover.
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Edited by: Material Defender, Cor Thunder