Monsters
By Sharpe Quill
Chapter 9: History
For several moments, Belle wasn't entirely sure what had happened. She didn't feel dead; although, in retrospect, she had no real way of knowing what that felt like. All around her was nothing but darkness.
Then, everything exploded.
Again.
Huh. Apparently it was possible to explode twice...
When her vision cleared, Belle found herself standing in the main room of the Guard House, staring at a very surprised looking Corporal Snowflake, whose head had jerked up from its place on the desk, leaving behind a small puddle of drool as the only evidence of her sleeping.
Belle took a moment to take stock of herself. Her fur felt like she had been standing in front of an economy-sized blow drier for an hour. She could smell singed fur and, looking down, saw several darkened spots on her uncovered forelegs. The spots were smoking slightly. She also felt rather dizzy and plopped onto her haunches.
She looked around to make sure everypony else was alright. Oak and Keen both still stood as they had in the tunnel, poised and defiant in the face of death. They both had singe marks across their fur and barding. A glowing ember was fading from the tip of Keen's mane. They slowly relaxed, looking around them in some confusion. Em and Morning had stumbled and dropped to their haunches when they had reappeared, also with burned spots in their fur and on their armor. Em shivered slightly. Both soon began to get back to their hooves somewhat unsteadily. They were all alive and relatively unharmed.
All, that is, except for one. In the middle of their group, smoke rising from her fur, lay the young unicorn who had saved them all. She wasn't moving.
"Twilight!" Belle exclaimed, and immediately moved to kneel beside her, nuzzling her gently but insistently. Twilight didn't respond. "Call for a doctor!" Belle snapped. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Snowflake dash out of the door.
"Come on, Twilight," Belle said urgently. It looked like Twilight was alive; at least, she was breathing, although rather shallowly. The remaining guard ponies looked on with worry. Em hurried off after a moment to get some water, a towel, and their first aid kit.
Belle's mind raced like it never had before. What should she do? She didn't know what was wrong with the unicorn. There were no visible wounds outside of the superficial singeing; but they all had that and nopony else seemed the worse for wear.
Em came back quickly, levitating a bowl of warm water and two towels to the floor beside them. Not knowing what else to do, Belle took one of the towels and dampened it in the water. She then carefully mopped the unicorn's forehead, trying to clean up some of the grime and soot there.
As Belle was working, Twilight suddenly groaned and shifted slightly. There was the sound of several ponies exhaling in relief. Twilight opened her eyes, quickly focusing Belle's face. She smiled weakly and Belle returned it. She suddenly realized that her glasses were on her forehead still. She gave a single, vigorous nod, slipping them back into place. She hoped nopony had noticed the slight redness around them.
"What happened?" Twilight asked, her voice sounding a little hoarse.
"Heh, you saved us, that's what," Belle said. "You managed to teleport us back to the Guard House. I thought we were dead." The image of that... thing coming back from the dead was something that would haunt her nightmares for a long time. For the moment, though, she pushed them out of her mind.
"I did?" Twilight asked with a cough. "All of us? And all the way back to the House?" She chuckled. "Didn't think it would work."
That made Belle pause. "What do you mean? You said before that you could teleport us all."
Twilight, who still hadn't attempted to rise, shook her head. "I meant one at a time. I can teleport myself quite a distance, as long as I can see the destination or have been there before for at least a few minutes. Heck, at home I can teleport all around my library without even noticing. But it gets harder the further the distance, and teleporting more than one pony is incredibly taxing. I've only teleported six ponies once before, and that was only a few feet. To teleport all six of us that far... well, let's just say I'm glad we all made it. And with all our bits intact too." She smiled and laid her head on the floor wearily, the long explanation having apparently drained her.
Well, Belle supposed she was even more fortunate to be alive than she had realized. "But what's wrong with you?" she asked. "Are you alright?"
The young unicorn gave a soft sigh. "I think so," she said, her voice a low whisper now. "I seriously overtaxed my magic there. I've been getting better with more complex and more difficult spells, but I wasn't prepared for that. I doubt I could levitate anything larger than a coffee mug right now. Sorry, I'm afraid I won't be of much use for a little while, I'm going to need to rest." She closed her eyes.
Belle nodded. She rose to her hooves, realizing that there were still four ponies standing around her. She had to be their captain. She glanced at the clock on the wall: 9:40. They had been down there for about two hours. "Alright," she said, putting as much authority in her voice as she could, "I know we're all still a little shocked about what just happened. I think this is officially over our heads. When Corporal Snowflake returns, I'm going to send her with a message to Canterlot; we need help to stop these things. In the meantime, there's work to be done. Constable Morning, I want you to go to the hospital and check on Constable Shining. The doctor recommended that there be a familiar face there when she wakes up. Stay as long as necessary or until I send for you." Morning saluted smartly and trotted away, a pleased smile on his face.
Belle turned to Oak. "Sergeant, I need to talk to the mayor, she needs to know about this. Go bring her here, I want Twilight to be present but I'd rather not move her far unless absolutely necessary." She didn't need to give any further instructions. The stallion saluted, his stoic face grim but determined.
"Corporal," Belle said, turning to Keen, "I want eyes in the sky. If either one of those things comes out, I want to know about it. We might actually have a better chance of subduing it in the open. Do not engage on your own, however." Keen saluted crisply.
Belle blinked. Keen never saluted crisply. She looked closer. His eyes shone with an excitement she had never seen before. This was the kind of action he had been waiting for. She glared at him. ""Do NOT engage on your own," she said emphatically. He smirked but nodded before he turned and trotted out the door.
"Em..." Belle began, but she was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Snowflake, followed immediately by Dr. Crystal.
After a brief explanation, minus the regenerating monster, the doctor knelt beside the prone unicorn and began tending to her. Belle watched the her work for a few moments anxiously before turning to Snowflake. She drew the pegasus aside and explained exactly what had happened in the tunnels.
The pegasus' eyes grew wide as Belle described the way the creature had regenerated before their eyes. "So, once I'm sure Twilight is going to be alright," the captain finished, "I need you to deliver a message to Canterlot, ideally to the princess, but at the very least to the captain of the Royal Guard."
Snowflake looked nervous and more than a little scared, her wings occasionally fluttering uneasily at her side. Belle took notice and placed a reassuring forehoof on her corporal's shoulder. "You can do this, Snowflake. I know you're still tired from last night, and I normally wouldn't ask this, but Canterlot has to be warned. Honestly, I don't know if we can stop these things on our own, we need help. Can you do it?"
Snowflake stiffened, snapping to attention. "You can count on me, ma'am."
Belle nodded. "I knew I could."
She turned her attention back to Twilight. The young mare was standing now, albeit somewhat unsteadily, supported on both sides by Em and Dr. Crystal. Belle approached, shooting the doctor an inquisitive glance. "How is she, doctor?"
"She'll be alright," Dr. Crystal replied, not taking her eyes off of Twilight. "Magical exhaustion, she's going to need to rest for a while, take things easy. Also, she shouldn't use her magic much, preferably not at all, for a while, and even then, nothing too strenuous."
Belle nodded, hiding her disappointment. Twilight was obviously a powerful unicorn, she really could have used her help containing the monsters until help arrived from Canterlot. But at least Twilight would recover. "Very well. Thank you doctor," she said. She turned to Snowflake. "Wait here, Corporal, I'm going to write the message quickly and you can fly it to Canterlot."
Belle began to move towards her office but paused when Twilight's weak voice got her attention. "Address... address it to Princess Celestia. Say that it's... it's the Chimera."
Belle froze, staring back at the young mare. A chimera? What was a chimera? And why was she suddenly so sure about it? Belle wanted answers. Her eyes flicked briefly to Dr. Crystal, who was looking rather confused at the declaration. Twilight looked grim. Belle nodded and continued into her office. Perhaps she might finally get some answers.
********************
About a half hour later, Belle and Em were sitting expectantly next to a cot in the Guard House's back room. Twilight lay on the bed, looking cleaner but still tired. Snowflake had moments ago departed, Belle's urgent message safely in a saddlebag. Dr. Crystal had also departed after giving Em some last minute instructions regarding Twilight's care. Em looked worried, Belle felt conflicted. On the one hoof, she was scared of this new creature, this... chimera as Twilight had called it; on the other hoof, she was glad that Twilight was doing better; on the third hoof, she was anxious about her message.
Canterlot was fairly close by, at least for a pegasus. Snowflake was not a fast flyer. She was agile and nimble, with impressive precision and control, but her speed was lacking. She had tried out for the Best Young Flier's Competition when she was younger, but her wing power hadn't gotten beyond five and she hadn't advanced past the second round. On top of that, air space was strictly guarded around the city, which would significantly slow her down. All things considered, Belle estimated that it might take over an hour for Snowflake to reach Canterlot, let alone gain an audience with either Princess Celesta or the captain of the Royal Guard. All in all, there might not be any reinforcements until the evening. She just had to keep everything together until then.
Twilight was sitting up in the cot, awkwardly lifting a bowl of warm tomato soup that Em had quickly made for her in her hooves.
"So, Twilight," Belle said at last in a tone of forced nonchalance. "I would very much like to know what happened back there. Did you recognize that... that thing down in the tunnels?"
Twilight gently put the mostly empty bowl down on her bed. She sighed. "I'm afraid so. It was the Chimera. I should have seen it sooner. Now that I look back on it, the clues all add up."
"But what's a chimera?" asked Belle, trying hard to suppress her impatience. She knew Twilight was here to help, she just wished the unicorn could cut to the chase and plainly explain things.
"Isn't a chimera just an animal that is a composite of other animals?" Em asked in her usual low voice. "Like a manticore or a hippogriff?"
Belle stared at Em. Where had she learned that? Noticing her look, Em sheepishly whispered, "I... I read a lot. There's a lot of downtime when I'm at the desk."
Belle chuckled at her friend's chagrin, but Twilight looked solemn. "A chimera is just that," she said, emphasizing the indefinite article, "but their name is a reference to The Chimera, one of the worst monsters left over from Discord's reign of chaos over two thousand years ago."
"Wait, wait," Belle interjected, "you're saying this thing is two thousand years old? So does that mean it really is from Tartarus?"
Twilight nodded. "I'm afraid so."
Em gasped, covering her mouth with a forehoof, her eyes wide. Belle forced herself to remain calm, although on the inside she felt like she was going to throw up. "What can you tell me about it?" she asked, only the smallest quiver in her voice betraying her fear.
"A good bit," said Twilight. "After the incident with Cerberus that I told you about, I did research on Tartarus and the monsters imprisoned there. I found the diary of a unicorn, Moonbeam, in the Canterlot Royal Archives. She was a close advisor to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna around that time. She was there when the worst of the monsters were sealed away into Tartarus."
Belle scooted forward slightly, intent on the unicorn lying before her. "Tell me everything you can."
Twilight nodded and began.
********************
~ two thousand years ago
Moonbeam stood on the edge of the battlefield, overlooking the devastation laid out before her. Her back ached from all of the extra weight she was carrying, and she was stiff all over from having had to sleep in her chainmail. She had never liked wearing armor, and now she had been wearing hers for over two weeks. How she longed for a proper bath. But the work wasn't finished, and until it was, the armor stayed on.
Standing beside her, dwarfing Moonbeam by her majesty, stood Princess Celestia. Her normally snowy coat looked somehow dulled, her pink mane hung limp and lifeless. And yet, despite this, the princess stood tall, head held high, a grim expression marring her muzzle. She wore armor of her own, exquisitely crafted plate armor that covered her back, sides, neck, and much of her legs. Her wings, currently folded at her side, were left unrestrained and her helmet sat before her on the ground. She looked... tired. Sure, she held herself still, rigid even, and her posture displayed nothing but strength and confidence, but Moonbeam had known the princess her entire life and she could tell; something about her eyes.
It was no wonder that the princess was tired. It had been six months since Discord's defeat, and for those six months, Celestia had been working non-stop around Equestria to undo the lingering effects of his evil. By far the most onerous task had been hunting down the abominations that had been created by the Spirit of Disharmony's madness. These creatures were extremely dangerous, and there had been casualties. Moonbeam knew that each death weighed heavily on her princess.
The first few creatures had been fairly easily hunted and subdued. The alicorn sisters had harnessed the power of the Elements of Harmony to seal each monster away. The Elements seemed incapable of destroying the creatures outright, instead putting them in some form of magical stasis, after which they were sealed in the labyrinthine dungeon, Tartarus. Strangely, twice the Elements had actually managed to undo Discord's magic and revert the monsters back into the creatures they had originally been. Celestia had said it had to do with the minds and souls of the creatures, but it had all gone completely over Moonbeam's head.
The trouble came from the fact that using the Elements of Harmony was incredibly draining on both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Celestia bore it stoically, but it was difficult for Luna, and each time they were used, the sisters had to wait longer and longer before Celestia would risk using them again. As a result, even though there were only twenty-four of the nigh immortal beasts which had remained after Discord's defeat, only twenty-two had been defeated in those six months. And for some, it had cost them dearly.
The many headed Scylla had savaged their ranks before being subdued, and her brood, colloquially known as hydras, were devastating. The princess herself, against the wishes and urgings of her generals, had personally entered the fray to bring the creature low. Kampe had gone down surprisingly fast, given its draconic nature; but then, Moonbeam guessed being buried in a rockslide would ruin pretty much anypony's day. The Calyboar had actually surrendered; it was one of the two who had reverted to its original self after being struck with the Elements of Harmony, reverting back into a large, but really rather pleasant boar. The worst, by far, had been the dreaded Wolpertinger. The mere thought of that beast sent shivers down Moonbeam's spine. The creature still visited her nightmares. Even Celestia had been visibly shaken afterwards. Really, the less said about that monstrosity, the better. She quickly refocused on the matter at hoof.
Before them, stretched out for over five hundred strides in every direction, was a charred and ravaged landscape; a once pleasant little vale among several small hills, now utterly destroyed. The ground had been scorched, with any grass or shrubbery having been engulfed and consumed by the monster's flames. Blackened husks were all that remained of several once mighty oaks, small plumes of black smoke still rose from some of them. Wisps of steam rose from places along the ground as any moisture in the soil vaporized. Some distance in front of them was a patch of dirt that had been burned black, and at the heart of it all was the creature they had come to stop.
The Chimera was not the largest, or even the most intimidating monster they had faced. In fact, at first glance, one might almost laugh at the absurdity of the whole thing. It's front half looked like a lion. A massive, golden lion with a reddish-gold mane. Its face actually had an almost serene and noble look to it, but it was normally marred by a snarl. Intelligence sparked in its great, green eyes, betraying the fact that this was no normal lion. It stood tall on two sturdy forelegs, ending in large and heavy paws. Its vicious claws seemed to always be extended, sharp and terrifying.
However, any resemblance to a true lion ended there. Rising from between its shoulder blades was another head, a goat head. The dull grey of the goat fur clashed horribly with the vibrant gold below it. The odd, angular head was upright, giving it an unusual, almost tree-like appearance as it grew out of the lion's back. The horns of the goat head were gnarled and twisted. Its eyes were strangely vacant, the odd, rectangular pupils staring dumbly ahead. The tufted beard hanging from its chin wobbled as it masticated continuously on who knows what. All in all, it was a bizarre and ridiculous sight, especially in comparison to the regal lion to which it was attached.
Any amusement garnered from the unusual pairing withered once the remainder of the creature was observed. About halfway down the body, just past the creature's ribcage, the tawny fur ended abruptly, replaced by horrible brownish green scales. The creature's rear half was that of a dragon, scaled down to be proportionate with the lion part of the body. The long, lean hind legs ended with horrible claws; they appeared to be almost blunt because they were so large and thick, but, while not as neatly razor sharp as the lion claws, they were still viciously keen and deadly.
Rounding out the incredibly bizarre amalgamation was the monster's tail. At first glance it appeared to be a normal dragon's tail, long and tapered with a spiky protuberance at the tip. However, on closer inspection, that spiky tip was actually a small head. A dragon's head, shrunk to an almost laughable size, but still recognizable by its maw and horns. This head's eyes burned with an intense hatred that was almost palpable, even from this distance. And yet, the fire the creature breathed came not from the dragon's head, but from the lion's.
Moonbeam shivered. The creature was an abomination, and it was lethal. Not all of those charred lumps were tree stumps. This creature was not on the same scale as Scylla or Kampe had been, so Celestia had only brought a small squad of ponies, her so-called Royal Hunters, with her to take it down.
That had proven to be a mistake. A third of the soldiers now lay dead. Whether it was some last trick of Discord's or the inherent magic of its dragon portion, unicorn magic could not affect it physically. Any magic that came into contact with it imploded immediately. Attempts to bind it, cage it, or even lift it the air had all failed. Worse, it tore through a unicorn's shield as though it were water. Luckily, its fire breath did not seem to share this ability and was easily stopped by a strong enough shield. The problem was that it was shockingly nimble. It had raced across the battlefield, tearing through the soldiers with ease, it was constantly leaping and dodging, never in the same place for more than a moment. In fact, the only reason it was standing still at the moment was because three dozen arrows had rained down upon it. A well timed shot had managed to cripple a foreleg momentarily. That moment was all the Hunters needed. A swarm of arrows had immediately descended upon it. The creature had unleashed a great explosion of flame, incinerating many arrows in flight, but not enough. The beast had gone down, but not for long.
Like all of the monstrous Progenitors, the Chimera was immortal. The arrows had been slowly pushed out of its body, broken shafts and arrow heads littered the scorched earth around it. Even as Moonbeam watched, the monster rose unsteadily to its mismatched legs. It gave a horrible, hacking cough, like a cat trying to dislodge an extra-large hairball. It retched, expelling from its lion mouth a mixture of blood and mangled iron. Some of the arrowheads must have broken off in its throat or stomach and had to be forced out through its mouth. Despite the deadly and evil nature of the beast, Moonbeam couldn't help but wince. The wince turned into a shudder of fear as she realized that the creature was once more up and ready to continue the fight.
Celestia took a step forward, a determined expression on her face. "”STAY DOWN,” she called out, her powerful, majestic voice ringing through the air. Celestia rarely used the Royal Canterlot Voice, finding it rather pretentious and more than a little annoying, but when she used it, she really used it. “WE DO NOT WISH TO CAUSE THEE MORE HARM. SURRENDER, AND ALL SHALL BE DONE TO UNDO THY CURSE.”
Moonbeam marveled at her princess. This creature had ravaged the countryside for months, killed who knew how many ponies, and still, she was giving it a chance.
But the chance was wasted. A low, cruel chuckle rolled through the air, clearly audible even from this distance. The Chimera turned two of its heads to look at Celestia (the goat head stared to their left, as though oblivious to everything going on around it). The Chimera spoke. None of the creature's mouths moved, and yet, somehow, the voice rang out loudly and clearly. “Waste not your empty promises upon me, nag. I shall destroy you and all your kind for the travesty committed against me and mine. The blood of your precious ponies will darken your rivers, it will poison your fields. My fires will consume all that is yours. Face me, Celestia, and perish!”
If Celestia was shaken by the monster's terrible promise, she didn't show it. Rather there was a look much like... grief? She took another step forward. “PLEASE, CREA!” she called. Crea? What was she talking about? Moonbeam stared at the princess, confused. “PLEASE, REMEMBER US. REMEMBER OUR FRIENDSHIP! THIS IS NOT THEE! DISCORD HAS TWISTED THY HEART AS WELL AS THY BODY. WE WERE FRIENDS ONCE, REMEMBER? WE WOULD VISIT THEE IN THY CAVE. PLEASE, LET US HELP THEE.”
The Chimera snarled. “I remember! I remember that you involved me in your fight with the Mad King! I remember he tortured me, he broke me, he turned me into this... this thing! Then, to mock my torment, he took from me the release of death! This is YOUR fault, Celestia!"
The lion's head let out a terrible roar, Moonbeam could swear she felt the earth shake beneath her hooves. She shifted, scared, and inched a little closer to her princess. All around her, she could hear the shifting sounds of armored ponies as the Hunters readied themselves for combat.
Celestia hung her head, her mane drooping almost to the ground. Moonbeam thought that, just for a moment, she saw a tear slip down her snowy cheek. Then, she raised her head, her eyes dry. “WE ACCEPT THY BLAME. PLEASE, ACCEPT OUR HELP, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THINGS RIGHT AGAIN. PLEASE,CREA, OLD FRIEND.”
For a long minute, the Chimera hesitated. Moonbeam held her breath, hoping against hope that this would end without further bloodshed. The only sound was the faint rustling of a gentle breeze whispering among the soldiers.
“BURN!” thundered the horrible voice at last. A column of fire rushed towards them. Celestia's shield was up so fast it was though it had always been there. Time seemed to slow for Moonbeam. The raging inferno washed over the shield like a wave breaking on rocks. In the terrible brightness, the unicorn could see Celestia close her eyes, a great sadness evident in her face. Then it was gone and a terrible, grim determination overcame her normally beautiful visage. Moonbeam saw her lips move in a silent whisper, as though in prayer, but who would Celestia, goddess and princess, possibly pray to?
With the shield still raised, the fire still raging against it, slowly, as though in a dream, Celestia's helmet rose from the ground and slipped it onto her head, her horn sliding through the slot specially designed for it. Then her majestic wings opened, again slowly, as though in a dream, and were soon fully extended.
Time snapped back to its normal course without warning. The fire was gone and the shield vanished. When her vision cleared, Moonbeam almost screamed. The Chimera had begun charging before the fire had fully dissipated and was almost on them, moving with unnatural speed. By the time she had fully registered what was happening, the monster was in the process of leaping. Suddenly, a portion of the ground itself glowed and deformed, a massive rock, buried for who knows how long, burst from the ground like an arrow from a bow, surrounded in Celestia's golden magical aura. The makeshift missile smashed into the Chimera mid-leap with bone shattering force. The magical aura vanished the second it made contact, but the boulder was already moving with such velocity that it didn't matter. With a horrible crunch, the broken body of the abomination bounced across the burned and blackened ground.
Not content with this, Celestia launched into the air, a fury evident on her face so beautiful and terrible that Moonbeam could scarcely look at it. Where the Chimera finally came to a stop, its horribly mangled body was already twitching as bones and sinew began to reknit themselves. The ground shifted around it and more stones burst out, forming a heavy cage-like structure that pinned the creature to the ground. Celestia hovered over it, her horn blazing like the sun she controlled. The rock she had first struck the monster with flew over and the princess smashed it down onto the squirming form.
For a long moment there was no sound. Moonbeam was stunned by the ferocity of Celestia's attack, and overjoyed in its effectiveness. It looked like the battle was already over.
There was no warning. The stone that had been used to crush the creature suddenly shot into the sky. Celestia was caught off guard and the rock slammed into her, knocking her out of the air. She crashed to the ground with a horrible thud. Moonbeam gave a cry of dismay. The soldiers around her shifted uneasily, but, true to their discipline, didn't speak.
Celestia slowly rose to her hooves, looking shaky. She fluffed her wings, making sure they weren't badly damaged. In the meantime the Chimera was pushing and shoving, extricating itself from the its stony prison. By the time Celestia had fully recovered, the Chimera burst free with a roar. It charged at Celestia, lion mouth snarling. Celestia launched herself into the air, wings beating furiously. The Chimera's lashing claws just barely missed her. It skidded to a stop, turning with unnatural speed and launching itself into the air. Celestia unleashed a blast of solar magic directly into its face, but the magic simply washed over the creature without affecting it in the slightest. The Chimera barreled into Celestia and they both plummeted to the ground.
Somehow, Celestia managed to retain her composure and had taken the blow well. She rolled in the air, going with the direction of the attack. The Chimera, surprised, was overextended and ended up being on the bottom when the two smashed into the ground again. Celestia jumped back, away from the beast's flailing claws. There were scratch marks marring her elaborate armor now, but her white hide remained undamaged. The princess reared up and struck with her forehooves, which were shod in special bladed shoes. The blows caught the lion head square in the face, ripping a bloody gash from nose to cheek and also disgorging one of its eyes. The lion's head flinched with a yelp, drawing back. The dragon-headed tail whipped forward and tried to sink its terrible fangs into her, but the stumbling of the monster caused it to draw up short, vicious jaws snapping futilely.
The goat head continued to chew on nopony knew what.
The Chimera recovered quickly, the gashes in its face already mending. It inhaled deeply to blast the princess with fire from point blank range. Celestia's bladed forehooves smashed down upon its snout. Celestia used the motion to push herself up into the air, her wings flapping to try to keep her airborne. Fire spewed from the mangled jaws, but with the head forced down, it merely washed over the ground all around the beast.
As the princess flew past, trying to gain speed, the draconic tail snapped forward, sinking its terrible fangs into her right hind leg, just above the ornate greave. Celestia gave a cry of pain and, since she was now effectively tethered, was slammed into the ground by her own momentum. She lay there, stunned for an infinitely long moment.
Moonbeam gave a cry and started forward, not knowing what, if anything, she could do. She would probably die there, but she could not stand by any longer.
The crash had dislodged the dragon's bite, and Celestia was able to stagger to her hooves. The Chimera rounded on her, lashing out with its lion claws. The claws scored against the heavily armored chest of Celestia, scraping across the metal but not penetrating it. They did, however, scrape far enough to reach her unarmored wing. The claws bit deep into her wing joint, drawing blood. Celestia screamed.
Moonbeam redoubled her speed, spurred on by the cries of her friend and ruler.
She never reached the struggle. Celestia's eyes suddenly started glowing like the sun she controlled. She glared at the Chimera with such fury that it was amazing it didn't keel over from the sheer intensity. The monster reared back for another blow, but the alicorn was faster. She pivoted, planting her forehooves into the charred dirt, and bucked the Chimera right in its chest with her bladed rear hooves. The blow tore apart the creature's chest, shredding it horribly. The monster was lifted from its feet and sent flying away, crashing down a dozen paces away, mangled and bleeding. Celestia turned back to face it, the light from her eyes now matched by the light from her horn, her pink mane suddenly rising, billowing as though in a strong wind.
Moonbeam instinctively skidded to a stop, still several dozen paces away from the conflict, her hooves digging short furrows in the dry ground. A moment later, she was very happy she did. With a roar that no animal, pony, or even dragon could have made, a solid beam of blinding energy shot down from the sky, smashing onto the broken but mending body of the Chimera. It was as though a pillar carved from the sun itself had dropped from space. For a few eternal moments, everything was light and heat and sound.
Eventually, the roar died down. Moonbeam dared to open her eyes again. Where the Chimera had been was now only a shallow, smoking crater. Its inside had been blasted with such heat that it looked like blackened glass. Even from a distance, the air was scorching hot and Moonbeam's lungs felt like they were breathing fire, not air. After a few moments, Moonbeam began to tentatively move forward. Ahead of her, she could see the princess standing in the same place. One wing was flared wide, the other tucked painfully at her side. The magical light faded from her horn and her eyes, her mane falling limply once again. As Moonbeam watched, Celestia's face drooped, the righteous anger fading, replaced by a great weariness; her eyes closed and she sank to her knees.
Moonbeam rushed to her princess’ side, kneeling to lean against her side. “Are you alright, Princess?” she asked, her entire focus on her friend.
Celestia shook her head slightly, not opening her eyes. “We… We need a moment, that is all.” She seemed to suddenly realize that Moonbeam was next to her. “Moonbeam, thou ought not to be here, ‘tis not safe.”
Moonbeam didn't answer. Instead, she looked towards the smoking cavity. Now, she could properly see the bottom of its shallow basin. The remains of the Chimera lay at the center of the smooth, black crater, its body could hardly be differentiated from the ground. All that remained was a half melted, twisted pile of blackened bones. It looked as though it had partially sunk into the molten ground itself.
“Princess,” Moonbeam exclaimed in awe, “what- what did you do to it?”
Princess Celestia drew herself up to her full height, her expression grim but not without a hint of smugness. “What We had to. Nothing is so fireproof so as to withstand the very sun.”
Moonbeam stared into the blackened crater, dumbfounded. “But... I thought it was immune to your magic.”
Celestia allowed a small smile to grace her muzzle, although it was tinged with sadness. “We merely focused the sun's energy for a moment. The energy was not our magic, merely the natural sunlight. Think of a magnifying glass and how it may be used to focus the light enough to cause a burn. 'Twas just so, merely... larger.”
Moonbeam looked up at her friend. “That's...” what? Good? Amazing? Astounding? Brilliant? Terrifying? “... truly something,” she said lamely.
Celestia inclined her head slightly, the expression on her face indicating that she guessed Moonbeam's thoughts. An awed hush fell over them as they both looked upon the sun's devastation. It was a sobering sight.
The silence was broken by a truly terrifying sound. The sound of cracking glass. Moonbeam's mouth dropped open as she watched in disbelief as one of the bones at the bottom of the crater shifted, cracking the solid, crystalized earth. It took her a second to realize what was happening, but when she did, her blood ran cold. The Chimera was reforming!
“Impossible,” she whispered.
“Summon Princess Luna!” Celestia commanded urgently.
Moonbeam ran faster than she ever had before. She dashed back to the group of surviving Hunters, who seemed more at ease after the apparent destruction of their quarry, but still grim, as befit the situation. They parted for her and she reached the back of the group where Princess Luna waited.
Princess Luna was surprisingly different from her sister. She was a little taller than Moonbeam herself. She looked young, although Moonbeam knew that she was actually quite old, and she was normally much more energetic and lively than her sister.
Now, however, Luna looked older, wearier than Moonbeam had ever seen her. She was not as strong as her sister, although none would ever say that, least of all Celestia herself, and the repeated use of the Elements had taken a heavy toll on her, both physical and mentally.
She wore armor similar to her sister’s, although where Celestia’s was of white and gold, Luna’s was of midnight black. The armor looked… wrong somehow on the smaller frame of the deep blue alicorn. Despite her armor, Celestia had expressly forbidden her from taking part in the fighting.
Flanking the princess were two of her dark grey Night Guards, their unusual batwings folded at their sides, their dark blue armor complimenting their mistress’ colors. They bore on their backs two cases bearing the Elements of Harmony.
“Princess!” Moonbeam exclaimed, “Princess Luna! The beast is down, but not for long, we need the Elements.”
Luna looked up from her contemplations, her eyes weary, but she nodded resolutely. She unfurled her wings and leapt into the air, her guards following silently behind her bearing the Elements. Moonbeam raced back through the line of Hunters, arriving back at the glassed crater just as the sisters were preparing to strike. They each wore their Elements about their necks and were standing at the lip of the crater, their sides pressed together.
Moonbeam cautiously approached the edge herself and looked down. The bottom of the crater was no longer smooth, it had cracked and the bones were now completely free of the ground. They had slowly reknit themselves together into the disturbing form of a blackened skeleton unlike any she had ever seen. A small, green tinted cloud of energy was writhing around mismatched bones, somehow reforming organs.
Beneath her horror and revulsion, a clinical part of Moonbeam’s mind was fascinated by the anatomical structure of the bizarre beast. Despite its three heads, it appeared to have a normal sized lungs, for a lion at least, but there was only one throat and windpipe, connected to the lion’s head. That might explain why the goat head was constantly chewing but never swallowing: there was literally nowhere for it to go.
The trouble was that the Chimera was regenerating fast; and it seemed to be getting faster. Even as Moonbeam watched, bands of muscle began to stretch along the bones. What were the princesses waiting for?
Apparently nothing. “Now, Sister!” Celestia said, her voice hard.
The alicorns’ eyes opened wide, magical power causing them to shine with an intense white light. The wind picked up and seemed to swirl around the two and actually lifted them into the air. A magical glow began to wind its way around them along with the wind, building up a great aura of power about them. An hint of color began to suffuse the aura, a ribbon of rainbow colored magic wrapping around them. It reached a crescendo and burst up into the air, arcing over and coming down like a hammer blow into the crater, slamming into the reforming body, pounding it flat against the broken ground. The crater exploded (again) in blinding white light.
Moonbeam covered her eyes with a forehoof, trying to block out the intensity. When the light finally faded, she looked down into the cavity. At the bottom now stood a statue. A curled up form, half lion, half dragon, with a goat’s head rising from its back. Somehow, the carved features of the lion and the dragon looked almost peaceful while the goat head looked as vacant as ever. She wondered if, somehow, they were at peace in their prison. It was the kind of thing Celestia would do.
When the last of the magical light finally faded away, Moonbeam looked towards her friends. Celestia stumbled, just a fraction. She doubted that the Hunters even noticed from so far away. But Luna had sunk to her knees beside her sister, her head bowed. Celestia stooped down to gently nuzzle her sister.
“Easy now, sister,” she said in a soothing, low voice. “It is done.” The bat-winged guards stared straight ahead, apparently unfazed by the powerful magic or the momentary weakness of their mistress.
Moonbeam stared at the statue. Just like that, it was over. The creature was contained, hopefully forever. She shuddered at the thought, frozen forever in stasis. She wondered if they were aware. Monsters though they were, she hoped not, it was a cruel fate; but was it worse than death? And yet, the creatures could not die…
Such matters were well beyond her ken. She didn’t envy her friend the role of judge here. Moonbeam wondered if part of Celestia’s weariness wasn’t caused by the fate of these creatures; she was, despite all her strength and majesty, a gentle soul.
Once she was certain that her sister was well, Celestia turned her attention to the statue. “Oh, Crea,” she whispered with a heavy sigh, as though to herself, “would that thou would have accepted our aid.”
She raised her head and spoke louder, “Moonbeam, please summon the Hunters to take her… it away.”
Moonbeam turned away, trotting quickly back towards the group of Hunters, who now looked noticeably more at ease.
Despite the horrible devastation surrounding her, Moonbeam couldn’t help but have a small spring in her step. The Chimera was down. That made twenty-three; only one more to go. Soon, the last vestiges of Discord’s evil would be scoured from Equestria.
And that last one couldn’t possibly be any worse than what they had already faced.
Could it?
********************
Twilight leaned back and closed her eyes, the long story having drained her of much of what little energy she had. Her soup bowl lay on the floor, long since emptied and forgotten. Belle sat on the floor, her head spinning from the tale Twilight had told. Was this the creature now loose in her town? What could she, a simple Earth pony guard, do to stop, or even slow down, a foe that had fought Celestia herself? Against an immortal, fire breathing, magic immune monstrosity? What hope could she possibly have?
She glanced to her right and saw Em. Her unicorn friend looked scared. Not her normal, shy, cautious trepidation; but real terror in the face of this nightmare. Belle's own fear spiked, and she nearly panicked right there. She swallowed, trying to push her fear aside, but it wasn't budging.
But as she looked at her old friend, Belle felt something else stir within her: a rising anger. This thing, this Chimera, had come to her town, burned her buildings, hurt her ponies, ruined her peace, and killed children. The anger rose like a living beast inside of her, slowly overwhelming her fear. She was not going to let that damn monster cause any more chaos, not in her town. She embraced her anger; she would use it.
Em glanced over at her, the fear even more evident in her eyes, but the unicorn hesitated at Belle's expression. "Belle?" she whispered, a hint of concern in her low voice.
Belle rose to her hooves steadily, a little proud that they were unshaking. Twilight lifted her head and opened her tired eyes to look at the captain. "Thank you, Twilight," she said, carefully regulating her voice. "Try to get some sleep, we may need you again before all this is over. Em, follow me please." Belle didn't wait for Twilight's acknowledging nod before turning and leaving the back room, the solid but surprisingly light hoof steps of Em following her into the main room.
As soon as they had left the room and closed the door, Belle turned to her friend. "Em, I need you to hurry to the docks and tell Brine what's happened. We're going to need all the help we can get here, and if I can't be rid of him then I might as well use him. Tell him that I've sent for the Royal Guard, but that we need to be ready in case this thing moves before they get here."
Em took a long look at her friend's expression and demeanor before saluting sharply. "Yes, ma'am."
Belle nodded and turned to go into her office, the sound of Em trotting rapidly out the front door following her.
Normally she would have tried to follow the order up with some friendly reassurance, but not this time. Now she was fully in the role of Captain Donna Belle of the Dock Constabulary. It didn't matter that the town guard was a shadow of its former self. It didn't matter than they were a joke in the town, secretly mocked and openly ignored. It didn't matter that the monster was an unstoppable killing machine.
It didn't matter, because she had sworn an oath to protect the ponies of Dock, to shield them from whatever threatened them. And by Celestia, she was going to do just that.
If only she knew how.