//------------------------------//
// Anthesis Of The Black Rose 
// Story: Synthesis of the Atheist 
// by BlackRoseRaven 
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Chapter Seventy Five: Anthesis Of The Black Rose
~BlackRoseRaven

Decretum: it was the same as they all remembered it. A world where the sky was a poisonous and eternal red that didn't seem to come from any visible source of light, like the world was lit up by its own hellish aura of malevolence. Like it was a warning to any interlopers, if they somehow managed to look past the black, seemingly-endless wastes and the poisonous atmosphere of this broken world.
Scrivener and Luna sat back in the mire, breathing softly as they looked up at the decayed railbridge nearby. Massive girders and supports still vainly held the structure of concrete and steel high in the air, and a massive pipeline ran along in its shadow, and a little ways away in the distance was what looked like the burnt-out hulk of some kind of ancient... no, neither of them wanted to guess at it. They didn't recognize any of it, and didn't want to recognize any of it, and all any of this really was anymore was a broken husk of a world destroyed by a petulant, self-proclaimed god.
At least we share the same feelings about the Clockwork King. Although I must admit some surprise neither of you are writing me into the same text. Valthrudnir said distastefully, and then there was a mental wince before the Jötnar muttered: I mean, thinking of me as a playing piece from the same set. Oh how I look forwards to escaping this purgatory.
“What are you going to do when you get out of... mind jail?” Scrivener asked quietly, looking up towards the red sky and grimacing as he saw something large and metal flying slowly overhead, but it was too far away to define properly, and didn't seem interested in them. Although it did make him wonder just what other machinations of Valthrudnir might still be trying to continue to accomplish their duties in this dead, hollow world.
There was only silence from Valthrudnir, and the faintest feeling of surprise... and Luna and Scrivener traded looks before both ponies shrugged a little, and then the sapphire mare decided to let the subject drop as she glanced over her shoulder, tempted as she was to provoke the Jötnar. The rest of the group was a short distance away, taking a break, discussing... them, probably... and past them, further south, were the jutting mountains and peaks that surrounded the ruins of this world's Canterlot.
We were fortunate. Or perhaps you ponies are more astute than I dared to hope. The portal placed us much closer to the Chalice than I expected. Valthrudnir said almost abruptly, clearly trying to steer the subject away from the territory it had been slipping into. We can follow the Vena Cava directly to the gorge, and descend into the Undersea. The journey across this desert should only take a day or so at this pace, and once we reach the Undersea, I will instruct you on how to call to the Alpha Wyrm, Nihete. You should be able to handle this one small task.
Scrivener grunted, looking meditatively towards Luna as she glowered at the stallion, or more specifically, at the presence inside the stallion's mind. Then the charcoal stallion sighed and sat back, closing his eyes as he felt the mire almost rippling around himself and Luna, and the mare glanced up at him softly: their bodies both ached, but their wounds had almost entirely healed thanks to being in this world. They really did belong here, twisted as that was...
Luna reached up and squeezed his shoulder gently, and then she looked silently outwards and asked quietly: “Art thou sure that the Alpha Wyrm was not destroyed by Gymbr, Valthrudnir? For we did not see the battle, but we felt the world behind us seem to give way, and the presences fade... although neither myself nor Scrivy dared to look back at that point. We had come too far.”
Valthrudnir only snorted contemptibly, but it was strangely reassuring as he answered distastefully: Do not doubt in my knowledge of my own creations, Valkyrie. Even if Odin did not happen to know every inch of his precious handmaidens from how he apparently craved to witness your flesh so intently, I know what my machines are capable of. The Alpha Wyrm is nearly indestructible: I suspect at most, this false god Gymbr was only able to drive it into a state of dormancy. But we can wake it up, easily.
Scrivener and Luna shared looks, and then the sapphire mare shook her head slowly before muttering: “That time is long since passed, Valthrudnir. We no longer speak of... Odin's... mistake. 'Twas only a mistake now. And his foolishness cost him most dearly.”
Valthrudnir was silent, and Scrivener was admittedly glad for it: he didn't feel like getting punched by Luna today just so she could make a point to the Jötnar. Instead, the two ponies looked at each other, before glancing up as Celestia approached with a small smile, the ivory mare asking quietly: “How are you both holding up? And be honest.”
Scrivener and Luna traded looks, emotions, a few scattered thoughts and physical sensations... and then the sapphire mare nodded with a hesitant smile, glancing up at Celestia. This was enough for the ivory mare, who nodded slowly as her amethyst eyes met Luna's midnight cyan, the two studying each other for a few moments before the ivory mare murmured: “It's funny. We were all so concerned about you, but... myself and Sleipnir seem to be the ones handling this presence the worst. Antares is a little sick to his stomach, but... I think that's more bad memories than anything else.”
Luna nodded a little, looking down as Scrivener glanced up and studied the white winged unicorn for a few moments, watching the way her rainbow mane fluctuated, the faint sparks that sizzled through the ever-flowing locks before he said finally: “You'd never guess how emotional you were feeling though. Hell, I can only tell because right now, my eyes are all... a little funky, I guess.”
He poked at his temple with a lame smile, shifting a bit: it wasn't entirely accurate, but it was true all the same. He was seeing only the faintest of auras, but in this heavy, dark atmosphere, his mind was processing the meaning behind them faster, giving him deeper glimpses into the ponies he looked at, seeing... behind their masks. Scrivener only hoped that he'd get better control over this stupid, useless ability once they found the Alpha Wyrm and he... did whatever the hell he had to do.
Celestia studied them both for a moment, and then she only shook her head slowly before finally sighing softly. Luna and Scrivener both looked up curiously, and the ivory mare focused her gaze on them, leaning forwards and murmuring so no one would overhear: “I'm sorry, but I have to know. I can see that Antares is worried, and from the way he keeps looking at you both... and what we saw, what happened, and... the way you've both been acting... I have to know. Is... is Twilight Sparkle... is she still here? Or is she...”
Scrivener and Luna both traded a look, and then the sapphire mare nodded to the stallion before glancing up and saying quietly: “Celestia, we have not lied to thee, telling thee... we are not sure. I do not know how to answer... I do not... wish to burden or make thee worry without reason...”
“Please. Tell me.” Celestia said gently but firmly, leaning forwards, her wings spreading a little... but it wasn't the moment of barely-repressed intimidation that pushed either of the ponies to answer. It was the desperate plea in her amethyst eyes, and the maternal love and protectiveness she all but radiated; the need to know, for better or worse.
Luna closed her eyes, bowing her head forward and answering after a moment: “She slumbers. We can see her in our minds... but we cannot touch her, cannot... contact her. She cannot hear us, and lays only in... the image is of a glass coffin, Celestia. But neither Scrivener Blooms nor myself can open it. I do not tell thee this to torture thee, but because-”
“Because in your mental world, everything has meaning behind it. Even though it may all seem senseless and jumbled... there's a logic to it.” Celestia replied, nodding slowly and studying them intently. “A glass coffin... and you used the word 'slumbers.' So you're sure that she's... she's still there, at least in part?”
“It is her presence. We are not deluding ourselves.” Luna said almost forcefully, looking up sharply, but Celestia only held up a hoof and smiled faintly, and the sapphire mare sighed as her starry mane sizzled before she dropped her head forwards, mumbling: “I apologize. I would blame the air of this place, or the mire, or the pain, or the ten thousand other things currently wrong with our lives, but I think I shall instead be honest and tell thou that thou art annoying.”
“I know. But it's part of my job as your big sister, Luna.” Celestia said softly after a moment, and Luna sighed again, but smiled up with a strange kind of relief at her sibling, the two studying each other for a few moments before trading slow nods. Then Celestia turned her eyes towards Scrivener, asking thoughtfully again: “A glass coffin... was she holding anything?”
“Uh...” Scrivener blanked, and Luna frowned curiously before she punched the stallion's shoulder lightly, making him wince. “Sorry, sorry, got... was just surprised. No, she wasn't holding anything. No flowers growing around the stand she was on, either.”
“A table, a dais, or something else?” Celestia asked curiously, and Scrivener and Luna both looked dumbly up at the ivory mare, who smiled a little down at them. “I apologize. I... I'm just anxious to help in any way I can. The more I know, the more I might be able to help.”
“What, does thou think that ludicrous key dangling from thy face will magically open the coffin, and permit Twilight to spring from our skulls back into the world?” Luna asked pessimistically, and Celestia sighed... but surprisingly, it turned into a laugh after a moment.
Both ponies looked taken aback, and Celestia gazed back down, her eyes roving fondly from one to the other before she said softly: “The inability you both have to take things seriously used to be one of the most annoying things about you two. One moment we could be talking about something serious and important, something life changing or even life-threatening... and the next, one of you would be making a joke about it, often to the frustration of everyone else in the room. And now... I think it's one of the few things that I honestly look forwards to hearing one of you say, because it's the only thing I trust to let me know you're both going to be okay.”
Scrivener and Luna both gave awkward smiles up at Celestia, and the ivory mare shook her head before she straightened and continued: “I think I should thank you two for that. If you hadn't... done all this for me... I don't think I would have ever been able to loosen up the way I have over the years. To become closer to my old self like I am now... no, better than my old self. Clearer in mind, more like I was when I still had... Frey.”
Luna only blushed a little and shrugged a bit, murmuring softly: “'Tis nothing thou hast to thank us for, Celestia, because 'tis not precisely... something we ever attempted to do. 'Twas just... because Scrivener Blooms and I are idiots, and Sleipnir is an idiot and so... thou wert surrounded by idiots and I suppose that...”
“That is why I came to love an idiot, too.” Celestia said with a small smile, glancing over her shoulder at Discombobulation, who was calmly chatting with Prestige and Antares as Sleipnir laughed now and then and Pinkamena calmly sharpened her axe. “I'm glad you're all idiots, Luna. I hope one day I can learn to be a bit of an idiot too.”
“Oh, thou will never be as fun as Fun Celestia.” Luna scoffed, and Celestia smiled a little more despite herself at this thought, shaking her head slowly before younger sibling looked up at older and said gently: “But thou does not need to be an idiot, either. We love thee... because thou art who thou art. And thou keeps us in line and takes care of us idiots, and can be depended upon to get us all out of trouble when we might very well only make the situation worse.”
Scrivener nodded agreeably, and Celestia laughed quietly and shook her head slowly. There was silence for a few moments, and then the golden-armored winged unicorn finally straightened and said: “When you're ready, come and join us, and we'll get ready to keep moving. I think we've all rested up enough... it's funny. We were all worried about you, but we're the ones who need the rest.”
“Aye. But thou art not... what we are.” Luna replied softly, and Celestia drew a tender gaze over the two before she simply nodded, reaching up to squeeze Scrivener's shoulder reassuringly even as her eyes lingered on Luna's. Then the ivory winged unicorn turned and strode away, and Luna and Scrivener both sighed, half-turned, and leaned back to back against each other, the mare's starry locks flowing over Scrivener's shoulders and twining around his body as the backs of their skulls bumped lightly together. “Damnation.”
“Damnation.” Scrivener echoed, and both ponies nodded in synchronization, the same expression appearing on their features for a moment as they both felt the mire twist a little beneath them, as if in response to their emotions.
They just rested together for a few minutes, letting everything else trickle away, and then they finally picked themselves up once their minds cleared, Scrivener smiling and closing his eyes as Luna's mane twisted and swirled against and around him before rising naturally up through the air, the mare murmuring softly: “Well. At least no matter what, Scrivy, we shall always have each other.”
Scrivener only nodded in agreement, but there was no need for anything else. The two ponies strode over to rejoin the group, and all eyes turned towards them before Pinkamena asked mildly, as she ground her whetstone one final time against the blade of her axe: “So are you losers ready to stop crying and keep moving?”
“Yeah. For a little while, at least.” Scrivener replied with a shrug, and Luna nodded agreeably with a grunt. Pinkamena only rolled her eyes as Sleipnir chuckled and the others looked up, Antares' eyes the faintest bit concerned. But Scrivener smiled a bit, gesturing with his head and cutting off any more possible pokes or questions as he asked: “So should we get going then?”
They were able to get up and get moving quickly, Antares offering to pull one of the wagons and Pinkamena dragging the other despite Sleipnir's protests. Scrivener and Luna strode in the lead, keeping their eyes ahead, memories rising unbidden every now and then in their minds between short bits and pieces of conversation that floated through the group. It was soothing in its own way, giving them something to help distract them all from the inner demons whispering through the hearts and minds of all present.
They marched for a good ten hours before deciding to halt for a rest: even though none of those present really needed to sleep, they were all tired and drained from the constant exposure to the malicious atmosphere of Decretum. Prestige's features looked a little sallow and drawn, even though she was all-but-glowing with a pale radiance; Sleipnir's mane and tail of vines kept twisting on their own, and the gemstones visible inside the thick ivy locks had all turned dead black, even though the stallion himself was continuing to put on his usual cheer and warmth.
The only nearby landmark was a jutting, half-collapsed tower with several torn cables and what looked almost like sludgy webbing hanging from it. After a little bit of coaxing – as in Luna bopped Scrivener with her horn until he agreed to try – Scrivener Blooms attempted to solidify the mire around them into a crystalline sort of plateau they could set up a camp on, and that would hopefully be less volatile for them to rest on than the raw, faintly-warm bog-desert. It was hard to tell if it worked, however: it was at least easier for them to set up a camp on their little hardened platform, but there was still a strange sensation that almost seemed to vibrate up out of the crystalline surface beneath them... and Scrivener winced when Pinkamena leaned down, slowly licked the crystal, and then put it into words best: “Great work, Scrivener. Doesn't feel like some crude poison anymore... feels like a nice, tempting drug to turn all our pain into pleasure.”
Scrivener didn't really like how that made him feel: considering Luna's problems in particular, it made him moody and contemplative and wonder silently how much of this was all his fault, until Luna finally slapped the back of his head and grumbled at him crankily. But she was studying him, too, and he could feel her emotions and hear the faint whispers of her thoughts, heard the question she didn't want to ask... felt her longing to...
He forced those thoughts off. It was a bad way to take things: if they both started to think about Luna's need for the corruption, it would just exacerbate it. And it didn't help that they were walking through a world of dark mire, where she was in constant contact with a form of the poison she found herself craving more and more with each passing moment. But it was getting harder and harder to resist, in spite of the fact that neither wanted to give in, to let that craving take them over because in this world... it would be almost impossible to stop.
While the others settled down to camp in the tents and sleeping bags they had brought along to provide feeble sanctuary from the dark world around them, Scrivener and Luna quietly slipped off together again. They settled down near the Vena Cava, looking up over the partially-collapsed and slumping railway, Scrivener and Luna holding hooves silently as they leaned against each other and just tried to... to pretend everything was okay.
“May I join you?” asked a soft voice, and Luna smiled faintly before she looked over her shoulder, seeing Celestia standing just behind her. Scrivener Blooms looked up in surprise, and then he laughed a little despite himself as Luna sighed, her gaze becoming both thankful and a little irritated: two emotions only Luna could mix so well together.
“Hast thou decreed thyself our guardian angel? For thou hast been spending quite a bit of time lately upon our collective shoulder, Celestia. More than even I am used to, and thou can be frustratingly overprotective of me at times still. Always lecturing me on this or that, as if I am actually capable of learning anything.” Luna said mildly, and Celestia only smiled in return as she stepped forwards and sat down on her sister's other side. “So what is the topic now? Not wandering off alone? No licking the mire or strange machinery? Or perhaps thou just wishes to tell us how stupid we are being. Thou hast done a remarkable job of holding back from lecturing us thus far, I must admit, but 'tis always reassuring when thou reminds us that we are stupid.”
“I don't think this is stupid at all. I think this may be the best possible course of action.” Celestia responded in a soft voice, and Luna and Scrivener both looked up in surprise as Celestia gazed steadily back at the two ponies. “I believe that... you can handle this, Scrivener Blooms. And Luna, I have a theory this might help you as well. It's a foolish, blind hope... but I hope that this changes you just enough, in just the right way, it will...”
Celestia halted, then looked down and laughed a little as both ponies stared at her with surprise. “Cure you? Fix you? I don't think you're sick, any more than I think you're broken. I just think you're... you're in an awful situation and I want to see you better. Able to function without... I... I'm sorry.”
Celestia reached up and scrubbed at her features with a hoof, then smiled faintly as she drew it back, looking at the warm corruption sliding off the appendage, feeling the black streaks of mire she had inadvertently rubbed over her features as she murmured: “It must be the air of this place. Not just the bad memories, but... all the good memories. The passionate memories. It's stirring up parts of me that I usually have under control.”
“Lock and... key?” Luna asked mildly, glancing pointedly towards the ivory mare, and Celestia sighed and shook her head, but looked more amused than exasperated. She returned her amethyst eyes to Luna after a moment, and the sapphire mare gazed up into these before she questioned in a quieter voice: “Thou truly believes this?”
“I do.” the older sister answered without hesitation, and there was another pause, another short moment of silence before Celestia looked down and added softly: “I just wish that I could explain why I do. It's only a feeling, and I know to trust my instincts, but usually there's... some kind of logic behind it. Not just a feeling I can't put into better words than... I just do.”
“Welcome to my world, Celestia.” Luna intoned wryly, and then she paused and seemed to relish these words for a moment. “I have always wanted to say that to thee, but have never truly had the chance. 'Tis a nice feeling. And 'tis nice to hear from thee that thou art... feeling with thy tiny little heart. Perhaps there is room enough in there for Bob to live well after all.”
The ivory winged unicorn only sighed, but she nodded all the same as if in agreement. The three sat together, for a moment all of them only looking down, then slowly letting their eyes raise to gaze at the world around them, taking in how alien and beautiful and wonderful and awful it all was, to all three of these strange ponies.
Finally, Celestia rose her head a bit and asked softly: “So, I'm curious... are you looking forwards to this at all? I wouldn't blame either of you, because... I suppose that I am myself.”
“That's both funny and a little disturbing to hear you admit.” Scrivener said mildly, and Luna nodded meditatively a few times as well before the stallion looked down and shrugged when Celestia turned a curious look towards him. “I guess... in a way I am, yeah. I mean, how could I not be, really? This might be awful but it's also...”
“It does feel like destiny. And it also feels as if... we have reached the point where we must now either achieve victory or lay our heads down in defeat.” Luna said softly, nodding slowly. “But it also feels as if... no matter what happens, the decision will be ours to make as well. That we shall be responsible for our own fate, be it the better or worser. That only we shall be the ones to decide our own destiny, no matter what ills may befall us.”
There was silence for a few moments, and then Celestia nodded slowly before she sighed quietly, bowing her head forwards and murmuring: “I do hope you're right, little sister. Because otherwise, I'm afraid we're heading towards not just fulfilling the destiny written for us by the Norns, but perhaps becoming something even worse.”
Celestia dropped her gaze, and there was silence for a few moments before the mare glanced at the two and said quietly: “I just want you both to know that no matter what, I'm always going to stay beside you. I love you both, much more than I likely should. And I refuse to lose you or give you up.”
Luna and Scrivener both smiled faintly at this, both nodding slowly to the ivory mare, and then the three fell into a quiet lull again, only sitting and gazing off into the distance. There wasn't anything to say, but also no need for them to say anything: just a need for one-another's presence, and the calm that came with it.
They sat together for an hour or so, and then Celestia finally nodded to them silently before she turned and strode back to the campsite. Scrivener and Luna continued to sit and think and just... try to be together, until they heard ponies behind them pulling down the campsite, and the two got to their hooves to turn around and stride back to help. Not just because they were eager to be on their way, but because they needed something to distract them from both the world around them and their own selves.
It only took a few minutes to tear down the camp, and Pinkamena took one wagon and Sleipnir the other, equipment scattered across both. Scrivener and Luna stayed in the lead, striding onwards and now able to see the gorge in the far distance, visible even if it never seemed to get any closer to them: what Valthrudnir had called the Chalice, and Scrivener supposed that was a fitting name as any. Past the massive trench was the Atrium and Cortex, the hollow heart and mind of Decretum, both of which now laid in desolate ruin.
As they strode onwards, they were joined by a pony they hadn't expected: Antares Mīrus, their son. He was silent as he walked between them, looking hesitantly back and forth at his parents before the charcoal stallion smiled faintly and murmured: “Please don't die. And please don't... don't do anything dumb, okay?”
Scrivener and Luna both nodded slowly, and then the older stallion laughed a little before he glanced towards his son, murmuring: “Well, maybe Luna and I shouldn't try and promise the latter. I think, unfortunately, we've already done some pretty dumb stuff. This whole idea is... pretty dumb. But we do promise that... I promise that I'm not going to just give in.”
Antares nodded and lowered his head for a moment, and there was silence before the glossy-black unicorn said quietly, dropping his eyes: “I'm sorry. I love you both, and Twilight too, so much. I'm sorry I've been so stupid and childish.”
“Now cease. Thou art not. Thou art an adult, and thou just wanted equal treatment... although to be fair, thy father and myself both believe thou art far more than our mere equal.” Luna replied quietly, smiling faintly over her shoulder at her son before she shook her head slowly and sighed softly, eyes roving ahead silently. “We love thee, though, Antares. We always shall. Do not ever forget that thou wert our salvation... aye, Innocence is our newfound glory, and Scarlet Sage is a triumph, and a treasure... but never, ever forget Antares, that it was thou who proved to be our beacon of hope.”
Antares shifted lamely at this, laughing awkwardly and nodding a few times before he glanced up almost embarrassedly, mumbling: “I just... I don't feel like I've ever deserved that. Or being called a... a hero.”
There was quiet for a moment, and then Luna looked up in surprise at Scrivener when he gave her a pointed look, before the sapphire mare nodded slowly. Antares didn't seem to notice as his eyes lingered on the ground, resisting the urge to look over his shoulder at Prestige Luster before Scrivener said quietly: “So I guess you understand a little more these days why half my romance is so bleak and scary, huh? But on the bright side... there's always hope. Rose petals as well as thorns.”
Antares was silent for a moment, and then he smiled faintly and nodded once silently, and the group continued onwards. There was little conversation again, only just enough to help keep everyone at ease as they made their way through the wasteland, to distract them from the worst of their own thoughts and fears and worries.
They reached the edge of the Chalice after eight long hours of trekking: a march that left most of them tired and sore, but reinvigorated Luna and Scrivener. The two ponies were anxious to keep going as well, looking down the cliffside with Discombobulation and Celestia on one side, Sleipnir and Pinkamena the other, and Prestige and Antares staying nervously back as the glossy-black unicorn shivered a little now and then at the memories that came back.
Luna and Scrivener glanced back and forth, and then Discombobulation sighed and looked up moodily at the sky, spreading his arms as he asked distastefully: “Really? Are you that intent on creating a dramatic climax, or are we just invoking the 'too lazy to program it' rule, where instead of continuing on with the group the main character and his partner have to face the terrible evil alone?”
Celestia smiled faintly as she bowed her head forwards, and Sleipnir sighed tiredly before he held up a front hoof and admitted quietly: “I do not believe 'twould be very wise for us to continue forwards, much as I also agree with thou, Discombobulation. Aye, this is wicked and unfair. Aye, I desire to support my sister and brother all that I can. But aye, if we follow thee into the poison below... I do not know what will become of us.”
“It's gotten more intense.” murmured Antares quietly, and Luna and Scrivener both glanced silently over their shoulders, as Antares shivered once even as Prestige reassuringly settled a hoof on his shoulder. “Maybe it's because of the years that have passed or... because we tampered with reality here. Or maybe it's just that I have so many bad memories of this place that... I... I don't think...”
“Hey, kid. It's fine.” Pinkamena said quietly but firmly over her shoulder, and Antares looked up in surprise before the demon smiled a little, shaking her head slowly and turning her eyes silently down into the trench. “Remember, I couldn't go down the first time. That reek, that miasma, that... allure. Yeah. We aren't all addicts and poison factories.”
Scrivener laughed faintly as Luna shook her head slowly, and then Celestia closed her eyes and lowered her head before murmuring: “I'll come with you both if you like. I can keep to the air, and... if I concentrate on your presence, I think that I should be alright.”
“No, Celestia. Thou hast more than us to think of. Besides, Sleipnir himself has admitted that he cannot risk to travel with us...” Luna smiled faintly and nudged her older sibling gently, who was gazing down at her with worry in her amethyst eyes. “Fear not. All shall be well. I promise thee this.”
The ivory mare nodded hesitantly after a moment, then lowered her head and sighed quietly. Luna and Scrivener looked back and forth, and then the sapphire mare smiled faintly around at the group, moving her eyes from person-to-person as she spoke: “Take care of my son, Prestige. Bob, ensure that Celestia does not do anything too stupid. Pinkamena, watch out for my brother. Thou art all as family to me... and thou art who I entrust with those most precious to me, who are my kin and kindred. Take care of them, and take care of thyselves.”
Luna looked over at Scrivener, and the stallion sighed before he gestured mildly at her damaged wing, but the sapphire mare only smiled slightly and shrugged easily at this before asking wryly: “And what, pray tell, is life without its risks? Very well, then, Scrivy.”
The sapphire mare leaned towards the stallion as her horn glowed brightly, and he winced before cursing as mire splattered out of his back before a set of powerful, leathery wings tore up out of his body, flapping firmly once and then settling slowly. Scrivener wheezed at this, dropping his head forwards and shaking himself out before the leathery, large black wings stretched out and flexed slowly. “Why don't you just heal your own wing, Luna?”
“Because believe thou me, 'tis far more painful. I may be able to use my polymorphic magic to repair a lost wing, but the agony I endure and the time it takes are both... exceptional.” Luna replied with a shake of her head, grimacing a little before she gestured easily at the stallion. “But come. 'Tis time to take the low road.”
Scrivener smiled despite himself, then he looked back and forth before he felt Luna's firm mental nudge, and the stallion sighed before simply flinging himself forwards and into open space. A moment later, Luna dove after him, colliding with his back and wrapping her forelegs tightly around his neck as he simply dropped into the gorge, his wings giving a pulse before they spread and he twisted into a spiral that slowed his descent, gliding smoothly down into the darkness of the trench, where the poisonous red light couldn't reach.
Little-by-little he descended, Luna closing her eyes as she buried her face against the back of his neck, holding tightly onto him and pushing her body down against his as he felt their hearts thudding in time. The stallion grimaced a little at the feeling of the unnatural wings, even as they flexed and carried them both into the depths of the trench with surprising ease.
Neither of them had wanted to say goodbye: it was easier this way, even though they were both tempted to look up and see if they were still being watched from above. But neither dared to look back... it would feel too much like admitting how scared they were, admitting there was a chance that... they wouldn't be returning.
It took almost ten minutes of descent for them to reach the bottom, and Scrivener shivered as his hooves touched down on crystalline corruption that immediately sent thrills of pleasure and excitement through his body, mixed with a terrible, awful hunger. No... more than hunger: desire, lust, wanting.
Luna slipped off his back, and the feeling became tenfold times stronger, both ponies dropping forwards and shivering from the sensation. They fought it as the black sea of crystal trembled, a sonorous humming filling the air and Luna's mouth watering as her starry locks swirled and twisted like a storm, and her soulstone horn began to glow and vibrate with pure, undeniable pleasure.
They both clenched their eyes shut as Luna fought with every piece of her being against the feelings, and Scrivener lowered his head forwards, groaning quietly as his body flexed, his frame almost convulsed, his leathery wings shivering before they melted away into mire like burning wax. The sapphire mare gasped as her working wing spread and shuddered, her hooves trembled against the ground, her eyes opened wide... and then both ponies froze as the pleasure and hum faded as quickly as it had come, and instead they were both left standing upon a sea of obsidian gemstone that seemed to pulse with not just anticipation, but... loyalty.
“It tested us.” Scrivener whispered, and then he shivered slowly as he looked down at the crystal, Luna's eyes following the stallion's down as the question whispered through her mind as well, but Scrivener was the one to voice it: “Is... is it alive?”
They both flinched in surprise as they heard an actual answer from behind them, a voice saying irritably: “It's funny how you plebeians believe that if something lives, it must be sentient. Believe me when I say that finding life in any world is easy: finding actual intellect is a far more complex task.”
Valthrudnir was calmly standing behind them, both ponies staring with disbelief that only grew all the further when Nightmare Moon strode out of the darkness behind the Jötnar, smiling lovingly at them as the mare said kindly: “Reality is thin here, and all this energy in the air tremendous. It lets what is in your mind bleed into existence...”
“So you're not really here... it's just... another trick of the corruption.” Scrivener murmured after a moment, studying Nightmare Moon uneasily, and the immense, scarred mare nodded calmly and smiled lovingly to the stallion. He gave Luna an uneasy look, but the sapphire mare only shook her own head, lowering her eyes and shivering in distaste as she closed them for a moment, then sighed and turned her attention back towards Scrivener Blooms.
But before she could say anything, she found herself staring in disbelief at the stallion, as Scrivener rose his own head and gazed back blankly. They looked the same way they did in their subconscious in one-another's vision, even if the moment Scrivener reached up and touched his own features, he couldn't feel horn or scale, or even like his hoof had snapped apart into a claw. Another trick of their eyes, making them see what wasn't really there... or maybe rather, what really existed beneath all the masks and armor and everything else they hid their true faces behind.
“Yes, this is all very fascinating, Nihete, a true demonstration of a complex psychology burdened by tremendous self-image and emotional issues. Shall we cease wasting our precious time and instead focus on completing the task we came here to do now?” Valthrudnir asked in a distasteful voice, and Scrivener and Luna both smiled wryly up at the Jötnar before the dragon grimaced a little as his eyes flicked almost nervously past the two ponies. “It occurs to me only now that I have actually been forced to place my faith in two dull and dun-colored misfits, who are now going to attempt to make contact with the first and most successful Tyrant Wyrm I created. In Ymir's name, what nonsense have I been reduced to?”
Scrivener and Luna both only shrugged and turned, instinctively beginning to stride into the darkness, both trying to ignore the way the crystal seemed to radiate a fascinating, blue light around them. Valthrudnir followed slowly, his hands in his pockets, and Nightmare Moon strode alongside him with a calm smile, the enormous and terrible entity of passion asking softly: “If desperation and necessity make best friends of the worst of enemies, shouldn't you be grateful for this?”
The Jötnar only made a sound of disgust, then he looked up and gestured moodily with one hand, saying dryly: “If the worst of suffering gives us a false sense of greater satisfaction with our lives after we have pushed through that pain, we should not clamor to suffer agony every day to teach us gratitude. That's pointless. Happiness too is pointless, as a matter of fact, and any other emotion that does not help push any being towards their greatest potential. Although pitiably, I understand that you creatures and your mortal friends have so little distance to go before you peak, you may as well try and focus on just being delighted, drooling masses feeling like you've achieved something from your waste of time amidst the piles of your own sewage.”
“We get it, you're better than us.” Scrivener said sourly, glancing over his shoulder before he turned his eyes back ahead, asking after a moment: “So are we just going to keep walking until we come across this thing, or what?”
Valthrudnir only shook his head with a tired sigh, but he became a little more serious as he replied quietly: “No, we shall ask the Alpha Wyrm to come to us. You speak the language of the Wyrms, can interact with them. I will... offer the assistance I can deign to waste upon a plebeian like yourself, and amplify your call and authority. I am confident that the Alpha Wyrm will not attack us.”
“So this Alpha Wyrm... 'tis the Broodmother of Broodmothers?” Luna asked after a moment as Scrivener nodded hesitantly and turned his eyes ahead, feeling a nervous shiver run down his spine.
The Jötnar only gave a sardonic smile at this, shaking his head slowly again. “Of course you would think that, Valkyrie, with your female superiority... such an irony that you, just like every other handmaiden of Odin, desires and hungers for control, for a strong master.”
“The submissive controls the agenda.” Nightmare Moon countered calmly, turning her smile towards Valthrudnir. “And do not forget that we desire to control, as well as be controlled: but why are you attempting such a translucent provocation, Valthrudnir?”
Valthrudnir didn't reply, only grumbling and glancing away before Scrivener murmured: “You're scared. And that seems to be what you do when you get scared, you try to piss people off. It's horrible how much like me that is.”
The Jötnar looked sourly at Scrivener's back, but he only shook his head once more before frowning a little and turning his amber eyes down to the obsidian crystal beneath his loafers, murmuring: “A tremor.”
Scrivener frowned at this, but then realized he could feel it too... except it didn't feel like a tremor to him: it felt like breathing. Like the crystal was ever-so-slightly rippling with the breaths of something hidden beneath these frozen waves, before he glanced up apprehensively as Valthrudnir instructed: “Begin calling out. You do not need to use the Black Verses or even speak, but call out with your mind. Your thoughts echo on a wavelength that the Alpha Wyrm will be able to detect, thanks to my influence and your previous contact with one of their kind.”
“Sweet Luna, we shall amplify Scrivener's power and thoughts, spread the message throughout the Undersea.” Nightmare Moon said gently, and the sapphire mare grimaced and nodded hesitantly before the dark entity smiled softly. “Good. We are indomitable together, and we shall conquer even this with ease. Have faith, my beloved.”
The two ponies looked over their shoulders for a moment, then both nodded a little before turning their eyes back forwards, out over the seemingly-endless sea. They breathed softly in and out, and then Scrivener rose his head, whispering quietly in the language of the Wyrms as Luna's horn lit up with dark sapphire radiance: “Your master calls to you, First One. Come to me.”
The crystallized sea of corruption trembled around them, faint ripples passing through the dark floor around them before thin waves of crystal twisted upwards, freezing and curling into new and strange positions. The ponies looked back and forth as the images of Valthrudnir and Nightmare Moon both distorted, then solidified and became almost real again as the Jötnar grimaced and muttered: “To think that a Replicant apart from Thesis would be able to speak of the Void without repercussion...”
“I don't know about that... the Black Verses don't seem to agree all that well with me.” Scrivener muttered, and then he shivered a little, licking his dry lips before looking ahead as the glow faded around Luna's horn, then he began to stride slowly forwards on instinct with Luna beside him, neither even entirely knowing why they were doing what they were doing as Valthrudnir and Nightmare Moon followed behind them.
They walked for maybe ten minutes before another ripple, another breath, passed through the ocean of crystal around them. Both Luna and Scrivener traded uneasy looks again as they felt a wave of something pass over them: a miasma that threatened to suffocate them both with how powerful and malicious it was, tempered by the faintest whisper of memory.
For a few moments the four halted, Nightmare Moon looking up almost eagerly as Valthrudnir gazed back and forth uneasily, and Scrivener and Luna only trembled and stared ahead as the darkness rippled. There was silence for a few moments, and then Scrivener finally shook himself out before he murmured: “We're getting closer.”
“Our progress is insignificant: what matters is that the Alpha Wyrm is drawing closer to us.” Valthrudnir replied quietly, and all eyes turned towards the dragon as he pulled his hands out of his pockets and nervously played at one of his rings, amber gaze focused straight ahead. “I dislike saying what should already be obvious, but when the Alpha Wyrm rises, you must speak to it. You must ask for access to its Kundalini, then make contact with it. A mix of my powers and your instincts will do the rest. Is that clear, N... Scrivener Blooms?”
The charcoal stallion looked ahead and swallowed thickly, and then Nightmare Moon slipped forwards and whispered lovingly to Luna: “And you must not resist. You must pull in all that energy, evolve and grow alongside our treasured husband. He shall change outside, and you shall change inside, but we must not fear what we will become: rather, we must embrace it. For that is the only way we may conquer ourselves, Luna Brynhild.”
Luna nodded silently, then reached up and silently touched her black pearl, murmuring: “I shall not fear. We are not weak creatures, Nightmare Moon... we are stronger than most dare to credit us for.”
“I know. And that is why I have faith in you both.” Nightmare Moon replied tenderly, and then she drew a hoof slowly down Luna's back, and the sapphire mare shuddered as she felt the contact, like it was a real thing touching her and not some primal entity of emotion and passion restrained to the darkest reaches of her mind.
They strode onwards, and the sea of darkness around them rumbled and seemed almost to breathe, rippling here and there and pulsing with a growing heat and excitement beneath their hooves. They were drawn onwards by instinct, and sensations they both found difficult to describe, that were hard perhaps to even properly feel: all they knew was that for better or worse, they had to keep moving. Valthrudnir, Nightmare Moon, Decretum itself all wanted them to keep moving forwards, and undeniably, so did the ponies themselves.
Neither pony was aware of how much time passed as the world around them rippled with a strange eagerness, the air as still as baited breath. All they knew was that all they could do was keep moving forwards, and face whatever was waiting for them up ahead.
Scrivener Blooms could feel it now: a thrumming, a tremble that twisted through his mind, a mix of sound and raw fury. The Alpha Wyrm was rising, responding to their approach, coming closer and closer as the sea of crystalline mire around them rumbled and crackled, flowed upwards like water before petrifying in strange and unnatural shapes. Luna could feel it too, especially in her horn of soulstone: it was like a mix of heat and vibration, of sound and memory, things that had nothing and everything to do with each other.
They both thought they were ready for anything that could happen, which was likely in part why they were both shocked when the sea of crystallized mire all-but-exploded in front of them and a massive, snarling, mottled golden-scaled head rose up only a dozen or so feet away in a hail of gemstone fragments, its sapphire eyes blazing. Its features looked strangely uneven, like two broken halves that had been badly glued together, and part of its crown of horns was nothing more than shattered and gnarled stumps.
Claws ripped out of the ground on either side of the ponies as its back curled and arched, several sludge-covered, massive and metal pistons clanking brokenly to either side of its spine, as ripped cables crackled and bled still-fresh, black blood. It was immense and terrible and somehow magnificent as it leaned over them, Scrivener trembling as he stared up at this thing, afraid... but not for any sane reason. He had no fear of this monster itself, or what it could do to him: he was afraid of what he was going to do to it, and what he was going to become.
The monster leaned down over them, and Luna and Scrivener stared back up at it as it loomed down and snarled before opening its jaws, roaring out raw force and toxic mist. The wave washed over both Luna and Scrivener, sending them staggering backwards and erasing the images of both Nightmare Moon and Valthrudnir before the monster's maw snapped forwards-
“Stop!” Scrivener shouted almost desperately, and to his shock the Alpha Wyrm halted immediately, its eyes flashing. There was no surprise from the beast, no denial, no attempt to fight: but this monstrous creature was nothing more than a savage machine, lacking intelligence, creativity, guile... everything but the instinct to kill.
Scrivener stared at it as Luna bit her lip, then looked almost pleadingly over at the stallion. He swallowed thickly, breathing hard as he rose his head, staring up at this glorious and hideous behemoth, and then he whispered in that dark and seductive language: “I need access to your Kundalini.”
The monster rumbled as it shifted, pulling itself a little further out of the crystalline ocean it had burrowed up from the depths of, and then without hesitation it reached its own malformed, massive claws upwards and slammed them home into its own chest. Black blood splattered out as it dug its digits in as deep as possible, before its head slowly rose high as it yanked slowly to either side, and Scrivener stared with a mix of horror and loathing and amazement as scale and bone and what looked like a layer of metal plating all slowly tore apart to reveal the massive core of the Tyrant Wyrm.
It settled itself forwards, still holding its bisected chest open like doors, and Scrivener gazed in horror and nauseating anticipation at the massive red eye staring out at him with its single slitted pupil, terrible veins of blue pulsing through the thick orb. And not just thick and almost-eagerly twitching stalks of flesh surrounded this awful eye, but there were dozens... hundreds... of smaller eyes scattered around it like staring tumors, all of them focusing down on Scrivener Blooms as the stallion whimpered in the back of his throat.
He felt himself almost being pushed forwards, as the Alpha Wyrm watched him: without interest, without curiosity, without hate. And those countless eyes all twitched and shuddered as the Kundalini at the center of it all stared into his very soul, and Scrivener trembled and began to shake his head weakly even as he staggered towards the creature, whispering in a trembling voice: “No... n-no... no, oh Horses of Heaven d-d-don't let me become... this...”
He stumbled over a piece of crystal jutting up from the ground and almost fell, then pushed himself slowly up, gazing at the massive core only a few feet away now as the crystalline corruption around melted and shifted and merged into one ramping platform. He breathed hard in and out, then he shook his head weakly again as black tears flowed down his cheeks, one hoof clicking apart into a claw as he slowly reached up to touch that massive eye.
It felt sick, and warm, and worst of all familiar, as Scrivener Blooms clenched his eyes shut for a moment, feeling a strange sensation run down his foreleg, a feeling of electricity and heat bubbling through his body before his eyes widened in horror as he felt the terrible thing ripple, and Scrivener felt his claw dragged forwards into the Tyrant Wyrm's core as it shone with ill ivory light. He shouted a denial, shaking his head wildly as his eyes bulged, trying with all his might to yank away, but it dragged him inexorably forwards as Luna leapt towards him... but fell short as her soulstone horn began to glow brightly, feeling like claws were pinning her as a voice silkily whispered in her ear: “It's all for the best.”
“No!” But her denial was too little, too late, as Scrivener was swallowed up in the white light the Alpha Wyrm's entire core was now glowing with, like a beacon, like a miniature, terrible sun. And she felt it, both the pain and pleasure, the fear and that incomparable surge of adrenaline that made her want to scream for more, the horror and the hatred and the betrayal and the thrill, god, the thrill!
Luna and Scrivener both arched their backs, mouths opening wide, eyes staring into blinding light as they mirrored each other without seeing each other... and then a moment later, both ponies convulsed, clenching their eyes shut before staring forwards as if they were one entity as they heard the sound of shattering glass.
An image formed in the darkness, of a smashed glass coffin laying broken and empty... and then, slowly, a winged unicorn touched gently down in front of this, her features unblemished by stitching, her smile soft and her eyes tender as she gazed towards them... into them both. Scrivener and Luna both breathed hard in and out, their eyes locked with this beautiful mare as a thousand sensations ran through their bodies, but all of it drowned out by the sight of her, awake, alive, before she whispered: “I promise I'm going to always be with you. I'm too weak to reconstitute right now... to even stay by your sides as a Pale... but I'm still here, and I'll still be with you. And I can still help.”
Twilight closed her eyes, bowing her head forwards as her horn glowed for a moment, and Luna and Scrivener felt everything else vanish from their bodies, felt themselves lock into place in their own minds as they both stood in swirling darkness, side-by-side, gazing silently at the winged unicorn. She rose her head and looked back at them, smiling softly and saying quietly: “I love you both. Always and forever, together, right?”
She reached up, and a collar formed around her neck before her hoof tapped against this gently: her Promise. Scrivener and Luna both reached up to touch their own, and then Twilight smiled a little, murmuring: “I'll give you both all the strength I can spare, whenever I can. But you two have to keep your own word to me, and survive. And staying alive is only the smallest part of that.”
Scrivener and Luna both bowed their heads, then nodded silently in perfect time, both looking up, neither needing to speak... and then Twilight Sparkle was gone. Everything was gone, and Luna blinked slowly a few times before she groaned quietly and shifted uneasily, wings flapping slowly before both furled at her sides as she picked herself slowly up.
Luna frowned at the crystalline ground, first seeing what was different right beneath her: it had gone from looking like mashed-together gemstone to one perfect, smooth surface... except for the immense, frozen-forever ripples here and there. Then she looked stupidly over her shoulder, spreading her wings and flapping them both firmly, before giving a short, surprised laugh at the fact that her lost wing had healed completely.
She grinned widely, then turned her eyes forwards as her mane swirled backwards... and then her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened, stunned into silence for a moment. The Alpha Wyrm had become nothing more than a massive statue of marble, its eyes empty hollows, exposed metal and machinery slowly calcifying where it hadn't already melted into rust.
The sapphire mare drew her eyes slowly over this towering monolith, and then her eyes widened before she stumbled forwards, calling almost desperately as she gazed into the massive hollow of its chest: “Scrivy! Scrivener Blooms! Scrivener Blooms, damnation, respond to me!”
She reached the edge of the hollow, staring inside... and then sighing softly in relief as she saw the charcoal stallion slowly picking himself up. She frowned worriedly at him, hurrying forwards and studying him uneasily, but Scrivener only rubbed slowly at his head before he groaned and rolled his shoulders slowly, eyes blinking blearily as he mumbled: “Is anything different?”
“I...” Luna frowned, leaning back and forth before she hesitantly shook her head, murmuring: “I do not see any real changes to thee...”
Scrivener grimaced, and then he flexed slowly as his head swam before he closed his eyes and murmured: “Dammit. I feel... drunk. No, not with power, Luna.”
“Shut up, Scrivener Blooms, thou stupid idiot.” Luna bopped him firmly with her horn, and the stallion winced but then blinked in surprise as they both felt the sizzle it made on contact with him. Their eyes met, and they studied one-another for a few moments before the stallion sighed and nodded, but then quickly held up a front claw, murmuring: “Wait.”
He paused, winced at the fact both his hooves had already unfolded on their own, then cleared his throat and shook his head out before saying finally: “Let me see if I can do it on my own. Well. Sort of. You know what I mean.”
Luna nodded, giving the stallion an amused look: he wanted to see if he could draw on her magic by himself, see if it would give him that same twitch without her needing to do anything. The sapphire mare stepped backwards, and Scrivener strode by, eager to get out of the cage formed by the Alpha Wyrm's corpse. He breathed slowly as he tried to shake his body out a little, feeling strange chills and shivers race through his body, mind sizzling strangely with thoughts he couldn't quite identify. He closed his eyes... then gritted his teeth and cursed as something larger ran through him, staggering and grabbing at his breast as his heart flexed instead of beat, his eyes bulging before he cried out as he stomped a claw down... and stared in horror as it bulged and grew, his coat dividing rapidly into scales that spread in a ripple over his flesh.
The stallion staggered back and forth, his eyes beginning to glow, his back arching as agony shot through him. Black blood sprayed upwards as pistons of bone tore out of his back, and horns tore through his white mane as his ivory locks scattered in every direction in a second spurt of dark mire.
His tail burst apart as it lengthened into something larger and reptilian, his rear hooves snapping and twisting themselves into new, more-dangerous claws as reptilian jaws stretched wide, screaming in agony as he fell forwards, breathing out a gasp of thick mist. His eyes snapped open, terrible light shining out of them as his body wrenched and twisted itself, bones rearranging and muscle rapidly building and expanding, the pain almost unbearable before he arched his back and roared.
All around him, dark mire exploded upwards from the ground in a tremendous wave, shattering through the crystalline surface of the Undersea as Luna staggered backwards in horror, eyes wide as her body trembled with the same pain, gasping for breath as her heart stuttered in her chest. But just as the wave began to crash down, it froze, turning to solid crystal and leaving a thin curtain between her and Scrivener Blooms, and she trembled as she heard the faint sound of whimpering beyond the barrier.
For a moment, Luna only stared... then she gritted her teeth and snapped her horn forwards, and the curtain of crystallized mire in front of her shattered like glass. It made the creature on the other side flinch, then half-turn away with a curse before Scrivener's voice whispered from it: “D-Dammit, Luna, I... I wasn't ready.”
“Scrivy...” Luna softened, then smiled faintly before whispering: “Thou had best not be crying, Scrivener Blooms. I shall have to pummel thee if thou art, thou... great and stupid... creature. Thy first act as a Tyrant Wyrm cannot be to cry.”
Scrivener laughed faintly at this, shaking his head slowly before he stood up on all fours, his large, strong body flexing as the pistons pumped slowly on his back, before he turned quietly around and sat back. And Luna was surprised by what she saw, studying him silently as he looked back at her: it was nothing like they had imagined. He looked nothing like the Tyrant Scrivener all-but-prophesied from Because Love Conquers All.
For one thing, there was his size: he was larger, but perhaps only twice the size of Sleipnir or Celestia, and his frame wasn't as bulky as other Wyrms, but lither: his limbs seemed a little longer as well, not built quite as low to the ground as his vicious brethren. He had only four horns that all pointed backwards, two near the top and two on either side of his skull, and his features were scaled, but still more equine than they were draconic.
Luna strode forwards and reached up to gently touch the softer, almost stark-white underbelly of the male, and then the armor-like, almost crystalline black scales that covered the rest of his form. The two smiled at each other after a moment, studying one-another silently, and then Scrivener reached one dexterous claw up to grasp her head gently, half-covering her face with his large palm and making the mare sigh quietly before she said wryly: “I can still pummel thee, I shall have thou know.”
“Yeah. I do.” Scrivener looked down at her, and Luna smiled up at him, meeting his eyes and silently thankful for this last difference she saw: he had irises. They had turned almost as black and dark as his pupils, but they were still irises, and not backed only by unholy light but natural white sclera. The two looked at each other, and then the stallion cleared his throat and added: “Guess you were wrong about me having wings, too.”
“Thou probably did that thyself. I do not know how, but I blame thee all the same for it. 'Tis thy own damn fault, Scrivener Blooms.” Luna grumbled, glowering at the stallion, and Scrivener laughed despite himself and shook his head slowly before he let go of her, settling his claw to the ground as they studied each other silently.
Her eyes roved downwards, to where Scrivener's collar was still locked around the base of his neck. She had the platinum collar augmented a little to ensure that it would expand a bit with Scrivener's body, due to her fondness for polymorphing him, and she had never been more glad for that than she was now. She also felt almost... disappointed, to be entirely honest, and Scrivener smiled faintly at her as he sensed these thoughts.
But he agreed with her, too, she felt, as she studied the gemstone inset into the front of Scrivener's collar. After all, they had been expecting him to become some fearsome, enormous Tyrant Wyrm that they already had some idea about... instead, he had become this... well, it was sleek, and she thought he was a little more handsome, but it wasn't like anything they had thought would happen.
Maybe that just went to show how selfish they both were, though, as Scrivener looked over his shoulder at the silent, dead statue of the Alpha Wyrm. He sighed and began to shake his head slowly, opening his mouth, but Luna suddenly glanced up at him and said: “Nay, Scrivy. Instead of returning to the others, let us tarry for a moment. Andlitstingar... does thou remember how 'twas not brought back with us? Oh, how foolish and vile we must have become for me to not care for that the moment we were awakened... and... well...”
“I guess I'm kind of curious to see the place we... we died and were reborn at, too.” Scrivener murmured, and then he hesitated before turning around with a slight smile, gesturing at his back with one claw. “Go ahead. I'll give you a ride.”
Luna smiled slightly at him, warming visibly before she nodded firmly and leapt upwards, flapping her wings only once before she landed on his broad back between the tall, pointed pistons of bone. She paused and reached down to poke one of these, and Scrivener flexed absently, making it pump and spark. “Hey, that feels weird.”
“Thou art weird.” Luna replied quickly, and Scrivener sighed and dropped his head forwards as the mare grinned, then leaned forwards thoughtfully. “Damnation, without thy pretty mane I have nothing to hold onto whilst I ride thee...”
Scrivener groaned at this, then he looked forwards before lunging suddenly into a sprint, and Luna yelped before wildly grabbing at him with one hoof and snagging the back of Scrivener's collar, clutching into it like the edge of a saddle before she grinned in surprise and leaned forwards, mane and tail sparking as Scrivener shot past the Alpha Wyrm's corpse and continued along the smooth Undersea. His own eyes were wide with shock at how fast they were moving, and the male couldn't help but laugh after a moment as loped forwards, shouting in disbelief: “I... I'm not even running that hard, I...”
“Then run hard, Scrivener Blooms! Run hard!” Luna encouraged, leaning forwards with a grin as she held tight to the platinum collar with both hooves, and Scrivener's grin stretched wider before he nodded firmly and flung himself into a full-out dash, putting his newfound strength to the test.
He didn't tire even after twenty minutes of fast sprinting, and his amazement and pleasure was matched only by Luna's excitement: but soon enough, they both felt their emotions fading into something quieter as Scrivener's pace slowed. Not because he was tired, but because of a strange feeling that washed over them both, and a faint effulgence now calling to them silently.
Scrivener's steps slowed as he approached, passing between massive, fallen steel beams and chunks of rubble and twists of frozen mire. The light was being cast from scattered fragments of glowing crystals trapped beneath the black sea... shining all the brighter because where the light emanated from, some tremendous force had clearly long ago ripped its way up from the darkness, leaving an ugly wound behind.
Luna and Scrivener studied this silently... and then the stallion winced as he saw glowing images of two grinning and selfish monsters yanking themselves up out of this gaping hole before the vision faded as quickly as it had come. He shivered uneasily once, then shook his head as Luna murmured quietly: “Aye. Foul and vile monsters were once trapped here... but thankfully, they no longer roam with... with 'freedom.'”
The sapphire mare shook her head with disgust, then leaned quickly forwards past Scrivener and spat into the hole, before muttering: “And may they never experience such awful freedom again. Scrivy, does thou see Andlitstingar anywhere? Damnation, a Valkyrie's spear is a part of her... 'tis like I am looking for my soul!”
Scrivener closed his eyes in thought, then he anchored himself into position, digging his claws lightly into the mire and feeling it pulsing, responding to him. Luna frowned at this, a shiver running through her body as she leaned forwards over his shoulder, feeling the same sensations before her eyes widened as her horn glowed faintly, whispering: “Wait... wait, through the mire... thou art...”
Scrivener Blooms gritted his sharp teeth, then he sharply rose one claw in a quick gesture, and there was a splatter of mire before a thin geyser of black ooze burst up out of the poison. A moment later, something larger was propelled into his claw, and the stallion seized on this before he blinked in dumb surprise and slowly held the cylindrical object up.
It looked almost like a small baton or rod, but Luna's eyes gleamed... and with only a single pulse from her horn, the telescopic spear expanded to its full, nine foot length, diamond-like tip gleaming. The Tyrant Wyrm whistled at this before Luna rose her horn proudly, and Andlitstingar rose out of his grip to float in the air above the sapphire mare.
She gazed up at this, her Valkyrie weapon, the piece of her soul that not even Prúðbikkja could replace, and then she grinned slowly before her eyes flashed. There was no disappointment any longer, no complaining or whining, no fear of what they had become... only determination, and remembering her promise to herself, to Scrivener Blooms, to Twilight Sparkle.
“No matter what we are faced with, we will overcome. We are strong, Scrivy... I am a Valkyrie, and thou art a Clockwork Pony, aye... but all the more a hero for it.” Luna said quietly, reaching down and silently touching between the Wyrm's horns, and Scrivener blushed a little as he glanced up at her as the mare leaned down over him. “Now, back, Scrivener Blooms. 'Tis time for us to show our family that we have not failed.
“And soon, not even Thesis will be able to stand against our might.”