Bat out of Hell

by Coufnsiou

The Bat Crashes the Castle

Slow.

Slow..

Slow...

So Slow!

Most would think that a Garganta would be a means of instant transportation, which in any other case it would be, but here it has to follow certain rules within the universe. To anyone on the outside it would look like it was instant, but on the inside said rules kicked in.

Depending upon the distance of where you wished to go, the Garganta would take the amount of time needed in real time to reach there. So whilst in this pocket like space between worlds, filled to the brim with Reishi, it looked to me as if I’d had spent several days to get to where I wished to go.

That’s another thing, also in this world the Garganta may not be able to open in certain places, say caves or inside buildings. Multiverse rules suck.

The Garganta had cracked open (finally!) and I stepped outside onto the invisible platform holding me up. Below me was where my pesquisa had located a number of things.

First and foremost, my sword. Without it, I felt emptier than usual. Though I could annihilate this place with a single cero while it was on my person, my spiritual pressure was greatly declined without it, as per the rules here. Second, the Elements. Those accursed gems that had entrapped me all those years ago. The fault, to be fair, was my own. I was cocky, not knowing enough, my own arrogance my downfall.

Last but not least, were eight flares of spiritual pressure from inside the castle. Two I recognized as the sisters, but the other six I did not know. They felt like a detachment of the Elements, but at the same time had their own characteristics. Laughter, Kindness, Loyalty, and the rest, but what struck me most was Magic.

It felt like Celestia and Luna’s but… different. Suppressed, as if on purpose or without her consent. No matter. Now I knew who I was dealing with. This time would be different.
I saw below me platoon after platoon of guards. Lining the ramparts, stationed at the gates, in the courtyard, filling the gardens, in the streets.

Christ they were like ants. Tiny, worthless, pathetic, ants. Literally no other reason to slaughter them then to get past them and to my sword. Each and every single one… trash. I hypothesized for a moment. My punch coupled with my Balla sent Cerberus flying, would my Cero be just as powerful? I lifted my finger, wanting to see just how restrained I was by the rules that held this place together.

The ponies below seemed terrified, tensing at the mere raising of my arm. I pointed at a wall on the utmost left side, gathering as much spiritual energy as possible. I heard Celestia’s voice cry out from one of the towers, but it was too late. I gazed down at the ponies below, uttering a single word.

“Die.”

I fired. The green blast blazing down to the wall beneath before making impact. It exploded, chunks of rock and ponies outside the range of the emerald laser were sent flying or tumbling off of the ramparts.

When the dust had cleared, I looked upon the destruction. The hole in the wall was at least twenty meters in diameter in the fifty to sixty meter length wall. Behind the wall was a crater, the size of the laser I had just fired. Had I been at full power, that wall would not be standing.

There were no remains, merely scorch marks of the once living things that lined the wall. I felt a rush. That familiar rush… after so many years at last. I could feel the rush again.

The Cero seemed to tick them off however. A lot. They cried “monster”, “vengeance”... nothing I hadn’t heard before. Pandemonium broke out, unicorns firing bolt after bolt of magic, pegasi launching lightning from nearby clouds, and Earth ponies catapulting stones and arrows. I stood there in the air for a few seconds, closing my eyes as I reached out for one of the boulders hurtling towards me.

I stopped it dead mid-arc, my fingers forming a hand hold from the strength of the grip. I yanked it in front of me, the arrows, lightning, and magic all crashing onto it, gradually breaking it down. What finally made it give way was another boulder, hitting dead on what was left of my rocky shield. This wasn’t pissing me off per say, really it was more annoying than anything.

I took a quick step, activating my sonido and appearing in front of a platoon of guards along one of the city streets. The ones in front were terrified, terrified of my mere glance, while others tried to keep them from bolting.

I glanced past them at the gates, which seemed to be even more protected than the walls. Looking back to the platoon in front of me, they had leveled their spears at me, ridding themselves of fear.

Whatever goal they hoped to accomplish… I would crush it.

I sprinted toward them full force, the spears heads colliding with me and shattering as I hurtled through them like a runaway freight train. Spears… I had blown a hole in the wall the size of a sperm whale and they thought spears had a chance… trash. They went flying as I sprinted through their ranks, sending them into walls and through windows.

Wails of pain and shouting of orders. I could hear everything being said. I could see everything being done. The Elements, the Princesses, they were heading towards a single room, no doubt to retrieve the elements. Unacceptable.

It was happening again. I had been too late. I couldn’t stop him. It was happening again.

No. Not this time. This time we would stop him, my little ponies have grown stronger over the years! This time would be differen-.

My thoughts were interrupted as an explosion occurred outside a nearby window. The glass shattered and so did the wall on the other side. The same thing occurred behind us. “Keep going!” I cried. We galloped through the hallway, glass exploding in front of and behind us. We needed to reach the Elements, we had to.

I stopped. All went black. I could hear ringing. Loud ringing. Muffled cries, I opened my eyes to see a blurred vision of Twilight, leaning down to pick me up. I struggled to my hooves, staggering as I rose. “Princess! Are you alright?!” Twilight said, her worry obvious through her tone,

“I am fine, Twilight, quickly we must go.”

“That’s our Princess! Nothing can stop her!” Rainbow Dash praised from behind. I could raise the sun, yes, but he could flick a wrist and destroy a city. Faust help us all.

Finally, we reached the end of the hallway, the explosions finally stopping. The hallway was wrecked, sections of the windows and walls blown off. We reached the end of the corridor where the Elements had been stowed. I inserted my horn into the slot, charging energy into it. The magic distributed throughout the door, opening the vault where the Elements were located on a pedestal, extra enchanted this time around.

Levitating the box in which the Elements were stashed, I raised the intricate jewelry box and opened it. Finding the Elements where I had left them last, Tiara and all. I floated them onto their respective hosts, the last being Twilight’s Tiara.

“Now is the time, My little Ponies, we must stop one of the most vile threats Equestria has faced since its founding. You must wield the Elements and imprison Ulquiorra for the rest of time! Do it, for the safety of Equestria!” Now was not the time for dramatic flair, now was the time for action.

I could feel him approaching, but, the feeling suddenly stopped, no not stopped… it was descending. Oh no. “Quickly girls, close your eyes! Luna, you’re in charge of the guards till we return!”

“Verily, sister!” She flew out of one of the holes in the castle. The Girls did as instructed, I focused my magic on the seven of us, teleporting us to the lower levels of the vaults beneath Canterlot. I saw guards flung across the room, any defense they may have had rendered relatively nonexistent. I heard a groan from inside one of the vaults, and a shattering noise, the shattering of glass.

I had shattered the case that had been standing between me and Murcielago, which in hindsight, was a frail thing. The other case had held my Caja Negación which, again in hindsight, I should have used much earlier. I gripped the frozen sheath, gauging it to be several degrees below zero.

I couldn’t care less. I don’t care how cold it is, nor how these ponies had managed to lock Murcielago away, all I knew, was that I had my sword back. That’s what really mattered. The Captain proved next to no match, now unconscious against the wall, that being his only saving grace, and why he had not joined his men in the dead man’s symphony.

I knew they were outside, I knew what was in store for me… I wouldn't give them the satisfaction. With a crack of sonido I appeared behind them, staring them down as they turned around to face me. In front of me now were the new bearers of the elements… to say the least, I am disappointed

A southern hick, a gay pride flag, a junky, a diva, one smelling of animal droppings, and the last of ink and books. Orange, Rainbow, Pink, White, Yellow, and Purple respectively. In front of them was her… Celestia. “Hello again, horse.” I said, “Hey!” the pride flag exclaimed, rushing within an inch of my face, “Princess Celestia is not a horse!” I'll admit, this one had balls.

“Who are you?”

“Rainbow Dash! Fastest flyer in all of Equestria! One of the ponies who’s gonna put you back in your place!”

I retract my previous statement, not regular balls, nay, cojones of steel. I stared at her, not knowing what to make of her. She was either extremely brave or extremely stupid to simply continue hovering in front of me when I had a sword in my hand. Never mind simply cutting her into pieces, I think it’s time I showed these ponies what I could do.

Those eyes. Those piercing eyes. Those piercing, unyielding, emerald eyes. I felt pain, a crushing pressure from out of nowhere. It only got worse. I couldn’t breathe. I was brought to my knees, even the Princess was brought down. Rainbow was now in the grasp of a pale claw like hand, struggling with no result. “Weak”, he muttered. To some degree… he was right.

This monster was on an entirely different level, something supernatural, unbelievably powerful. Not even lifting a finger he could crush us with his presence alone. He had let go of Rainbow, who slumped onto the ground in front of him, struggling to stand like the rest of us.

“I know enough to know that the Elements work like a chain.” he said, walking towards us. He stood in front of Celestia before slapping her to one side, sending her barrelling half away across the dome shaped room.

“If one link should break, the rest of the chain shall fail.” He stared me down, whatever crushing force that was upon me disappeared. I could feel nothing… nothing save for immense fear. I couldn’t move out of sheer terror.

“And to you Pony, I ask, what is friendship if it loses its appeal? Or in this case… it’s Magic?” He unsheathed his sword. My ears were ringing but I could hear the muffled protests of my friends as he stood above me, raising the lethal object.