//------------------------------//
// It Boils Down To This 
// Story: Urohringr 
// by Imploding Colon 
//------------------------------//

	"Bloody hell," Prowse murmured, his eyes widening.

"Huh?"  Seclorum climbed forward along the turbulent interior of the Tarkington.  He leaned back against the pilot's chair.  "What is it?"

"Take a gander for yourself."  Prowse pointed with his good hoof at the Noble Jury.  A cluster of writhing, purple figures clung to the ship's bow, a deck and a half below the cockpit.  "They must have latched on while nopony was looking."

"Ah jeez..."  Seclorum winced.  "Josho, please tell me you can ward them off..."

Props' voice rang down the corridor full of frazzled survivors.  "What is it?  Why aren't we accelerating yet?"

"Lassie, don't look."  Prowse gulped.  "It's not a pretty sight."

Props rushed up out of nowhere.  "What isn't?"  Upon first glance of the Noble Jury, her goggled eyes went wide and she held two hooves over a gasping muzzle.

"Could we—perhaps—fly perpendicular to the craft and knock those creatures off?" Seclorum suggested.

Prowse's jaw went tight.  "And risk infecting Aatxe's gift to us?"  He shook his head.  "I'm not fan of it either, boyo, but we can't damn the lives of all these ponies..."

"Oh please..."  Props mewled out a quivering mouth as her goggles fogged up.  "Oh please oh please oh please..."





"Got it!" Eagle Eye shouted.

"Good!"  Josho gnashed his teeth, tilting his horn forward as he contributed to the petite stallion's magic field.  "Keep it together and let's flush these things out!"

"After your lead!"

"And... march!"  Josho stomped forward, joined by Eagle Eye.  Both stallions made their way to the shattered window of the Observation room, slowly shoving a solid wall of fluctuating telekinesis directly in front of them.

By now, three undead pegasi had materialized between where the Jurists stood and the shattered window frame ahead.  While Josho's and Eagle's field was successfully mopping the purple gunk up, the zombified equines made things a hundred times more difficult, slashing and biting and thrashing at the magical field.  The energy rippled with each impact, threatening to snap at any second.

"Come on, chestnut!" Zaid barked, shoving his metal rod through the field and knocking the monsters back as best as he could.  "Put on the pressure!  Defense!  Defense!"

"I'm trying!" Belle yelped.  "I don't want to upset their magic field!"

"Then d-don't even mention it!" Josho growled.  "Eagle, you're buckling!"

"Stop marching so f-fast!"

"I can't let up for one second!  These creatures—"

"Another is h-hatching!" Zaid spat, eying a patch of purple where an equine figure emerged.

"For Spark's sake..."

"Get them to the window!  Get them to the window!"

While this mayhem went on, Elma continue squatting by Kera's side.  She stared at the struggle ahead with weary eyes, but soon tilted her gaze until it fell on the dormant little foal below.  She knelt down, breathing lightly, her dark cheek just inches from nuzzling the filly.

"It's just... so much..."  Her fanged mouth quivered.  The changeling's green slits morphed into chestnut eyes that teared.  "So much misery... so much pain..."  She brought a hoof down and caressed Kera's straight green mane.  After a few seconds, Elma looked at her own fetlock, spotting black and white stripes that traveled up her body.  In a blink, her black shell returned, and she shuddered.  "But the love is there too.  It's just buried..."

Belle shrieked and fell back.  A creature lunged at the field, nearly breaking through.  Zaid rushed forward and smacked the zombie's head through the field, then turned to help Belle back up to her hooves.

Elma stared at the mare.  She bit her lip and leaned down to nuzzle Kera.  "No child should remain separated from her mother."  She sniffled.  "Not so long as that mother is a good pony."  A stifled sob, and she brought both hooves to the sides of Kera's face, tilting her chin up until they stared each other—face to dazed face.  "Love may never belong to me... but it belongs to you."

That said, Elma's eyes narrowed once more into green slits.  Energy fluctuated from within the changeling's body, erupting at the surface in random spurts of emerald flame.  At last, a translucent stream of energy could be seen bouncing between the two ponies.  Kera's ears twitched, and her mouth hung open.  Just as her purpils started to shrink, Elma jerked back with a wimpering sound.  She stared up at the ceiling as her forelimbs began trembling.

"This isn't working!" Belle exclaimed, holding Zaid's body to support his swings of the metal pole.  "We gotta get Floydien down here or something!"  Panting, she glanced behind her flank.  "Maybe his mana discharge can—"  She instantly gasped.  "Elma!"

"Ggnnngh-Auugh!"  Elma's head flew back.  In bursts of green flame, her body transformed into Golden Happenstance, then to Beau, then to Pilate, then to an oversized filly with fluctuating tattoos.  She slipped from her grip of Elma and fell back to the metal floor, reverting to a fetal-curled shapeshifter staring blankly into the ceiling with streams of green smoke wafting out of her wide eyes.

"Elma, no!" Belle hollered, galloping straight towards her.  She slid on her knees and scooped the limp changeling up, shaking her.  "Why, Elma?  Why?"  The mare was already sobbing, her eyes tearing as she tilted the shape-shifter's head to meet her misty gaze.  "Oh, blessed Spark!  What did I tell you?"  She hugged Elma close, rocking back and forth.  "Just because that's all your Mother fed you—"

"What's happening?!" Eagle Eye sputtered.

"Dammit, kid!" Josho hissed, his horn struggling to maintain luminescence.  "Concentrate!"

"It's too late!" Zaid grunted as two undead yanked his pole towards them and coated it all over with purple muck.  "They're gonna break through!"

Belle glanced up, muzzle quivering, as she held Elma close.  Before them, the energy field flashed, flashed again, and dissipated entirely.





Razzar marched icily towards Pilate.  The naga stepped over the Sword of Solstice, his robed limbs outlined by patches of amber glow.  All around him, the purple muck from above dribbled, having followed the descending platform down the cylindrical shaft.  Soon, a veritable waterfall of ooze surrounded the three bodies.

"I'm going to need you to give back what belongs to me," the Lounge leader said, extending a gloved hand towards the skystone on Pilate's back.  "I require it to pilot this city, for it belongs to me too."

"Seriously, Razzar?"  Pilate gritted his teeth, all four hooves planted firmly in place as he glared up at the towering lizard.  "After all the purgatorial menaces that have broken loose... after all of the damnable calamities that you yourself have unleashed... you still think you can somehow salvage Stratopolis and make it work to your own ends?"

"The only flaw here is ponies... ponies like you..." Yellow mist wafted out of the mask's mouth slits as he stood above Pilate.  "Ponies who dared pollute my plans with their weak frailties.  Still, it was my mistake for thinking I could ever have accomplished anything by cooperating with the likes of the equines stranded here.  When the Lounge's strength is finally bolstered with our domination of the Skystone fields, I'll be sure we never make that mistake again."

"Look around you!" Pilate barked.  "This place is corrupt!  There's nothing to exploit!  The Sentinel destroyed the ancient pegasi who thought they could control it!  And it cost the lives of the brave Equestrians who later commandeered it!  This place is nothing but a death trap!  But you'd know that, wouldn't you?  For years, you've been sending ponies here to die under the changelings' watch!  Well, now it's your turn to be consumed by the curse!"

Cl-Clakk!  Razzar thrusted a manarifle loose from under his left sleeve, aiming it at the zebra.  "Amusing that you would ask me to 'look around,' seeing as the only reason you have vision is because it was appropriated through a traitor who boldly infiltrated my ranks."  The barrel of the weapon glowed a threatening yellow.  "Betrayal is a weak tactic, and it is the Lounge's prime task to put down the weak and the frail.  Starting with you—"

"Hnnngh!"  Rainbow Dash flew up from behind and slammed two bloodied forelimbs across the back of his skull.

"Aaaaugh!"  Razzar stumbled forward, firing randomly.

The mana blast ricocheted off the platform between Pilate's legs, making him gasp.

Rainbow followed her initial blow with a two-legged buck against the naga's spine.  As he collapsed, she hovered above him and spat, "Wow!  An idiot—and—the memory of a goldfish!  That's two for two, ya melon f—"

"Hrrrrrrrr—"  Razzar contorted his back, spun about, and leapt at her—legs spread—like a velociraptor.  "—RESSSSSH!"

"Gaah!" Rainbow grunted as she was slammed to the metal floor beneath his thrashing weight.  "Okay!" She sputtered, curling her forelimbs to block his many-many jabs and punches.  "Mutant goldfish!  Mutant goldfish!"

Razzar left hand raised high, and several claws ripped loose from the glove, ready to swipe across her muzzle.

"Rrrrgh!" Pilate charged up from behind and swung the sparkling rod in his teeth.

Razzar took the blow to the back of the head, jolting.

With a grunt, Rainbow bucked him off, curled her body, and launched forward with wings spread.  She speared the naga in the chest, and the two went sprawling across the descending platform.  Their bodies reflected in the sheen of the purple ooze curtaining all around them.  At last, Razzar got the upper hand, wriggling around to Rainbow's and shoving his knuckles against the back of her skull, forcing her muzzle closer and closer to the deathly dribble of ooze.

Rainbow's nostrils flared and flared as she shut one eye and fought the pressure to her cranium.  Inch by inch, her chin approached the purple waterfall.  She could smell the stench of decay and rust.  One of many eyeballs slid down, reflecting Razzar's body pressed to her spine.  She spotted his chest completely unguarded.

Holding her breath, Rainbow spread her wings straight out, slapping both edges of Razzar's ripcage.  The naga winced heavily from the blow, his grip slipping.  Rainbow snaked her tail around one ankle, yanked, and slammed her elbow back into his mask as Razzar fell.  Finally freed, she flapped her wings and pulled herself away from the deadly muck, backflipping to the center of the platform where the Sword of Solstice lay.

Without wasting a breath, Razzar charged towards her on all fours, hissing the whole way.

Rainbow slapped a hoof over the sword's hilt, propelling it up into the air so she could grip it in her teeth.  Immediately, she swung at Razzar with a horizontal swipe.

The naga ducked the burning slash.  All around him, a half-circle of falling ooze immediately dissolved from the golden blade's heat.  A larger round chamber could be seen, with four pedestals located at equidistant cardinal locations.

Pilate gasped.  "The control room!"  He jerked his gaze back on the fight.

Razzar leapt at Rainbow Dash in a vicious pounce.

Frowning, Pilate twirled and flung his staff at the lizard at full force.  "Neuugh!"

The bludgeon struck Razzar dead in the chest, making him collapse just two feet before he could have impacted Rainbow Dash.

With a voice-cracking yelp, Rainbow viciously uppercutted with the sword, setting the entire room ablaze with fire and dissolving the ooze once again.

CRACKKK!  Razzar's mask shattered up the center while a red mist billowed at the tip of the sword's blaze.  "Hrllghghklkkkttt!" He limped aside, clutching his skull.  With a furious hiss, he flung both arms forward, exposing no less than four mana blasters under each sleeve.  POW!  POW!  POW!  POW!  POW!

Rainbow held her breath and dove backwards, holding the Sword of Solstice lengthwise before her.  At least a dozen shots deflected off the billowing blade, knocking her back into Pilate.  Both pegasus and zebra went tumbling off the puddle-soaked platform and onto the floor of the control room beyond.  At last, the elevator hissed to a stop in front of them, along with Razzar's limping, steam-spilling figure.

"Mmmmfff!"  Pilate was the first to sit up, panting.  "Rainbow..."  He gulped.  "We're..."

"I know..."  Rainbow nodded.  "Quick!" she breathlessly exclaimed.  "Find which one of these is the north pedestal and place the skystone on it!"

"Right!"  Pilate stripped the skystone shard from his back and glanced between the four structures.  "Perhaps there's a rune that will designate which is which—"

POW!  An amber energy blast deflected the skystone shard from his grasp.

The zebra gasped, watching as the yellow chunk of glowing crystal slid off towards the far end of the room.  He and Rainbow glanced at the center of the room.

Razzar limped down from the elevator platform, aiming his many smoking blasters.  His silver mask clung to his skull in tatters.  After a sputtering breath, he pulled at the triggers to his weapons again.  Zhht!  Zh-Zhht!  They fizzled out, refusing to fire anymore.  The amber glow of his suit faded with an ineffectual groaning noise.  He stood in place, growling and heaving.

Slowly, Rainbow Dash stood up alongside Pilate.  "It's over, Razzar," she murmured, stealthily reaching a hoof over to the Sword of Solstice.  "You may have had a posse of badflank bounty hunters on your side, a slick black ship straight out of fantasy books, and a lot of sick glowy stuff... but none of that changes the fact that you're the most pathetic jobber who's ever existed."

"Yes!"  Pilate sneered, lunging his head forward.  "And you reek!"

"Pilate, I've got this," Rainbow muttered aside.  "Besides, you already had your chance at a monologue."

"S-sorry..."

"Over...?"  Razzar shook and quivered.  "Hckkkt... it is not overrrr..."  He pulled at his sleeves, cloak, and garments.  Shred by shred, he ripped them off his body with raking claws.  A multitude of nefarious concealed weapons fell to the floor, along with his bulky jetpack.  "Quezaat forgive me... but to dispense with your weak flesh, I must commit the sin of bearing my own... hckkkkt..."

At last, he pulled at the fragments of his mask—a very slow gesture.  Steam billowed loose from a dozen places, and when it cleared, the two ponies could see an elongated snout rimmed with razor sharp crocodile teeth that surrounded a lashing tongue.

"Hyeeuuuuuuuuhhhh..."  Razzar dropped the mask from two webbed hands fitted with two-inch long claws.  With an inward trilling—like a cat purr—the reptile stood up straight, his rust-brown body silhouetted against a fresh curtain of purple ooze dribbling down the central elevator shaft behind him.  He tilted his head back, eyes shut, as he inhaled deeply.  A long tail thrashed behind him, then finally relaxed.  Seconds later, two yellow eyeslits opened, and he tilted his snout to glare at the pair.

"Rainbow, I can't see well enough..."  Pilate gulped.  "But is he—?"

"Yup."  Rainbow nodded.  "Pretty motherbucking ugly."

As if on cue, the naga's eyes widened.  Sharp spines arced along the path of his vertebra as he flexed his arms and lunged his head forward.  A wide, copper-colored frill flared around Razzar's neck as he roared with bestial fury.  "HRESSSSS-SHHHHHAAAAA!"

Rainbow grimaced lethargically.  "Look, I love a good boss battle as much as the next pony, but—for realsies..."  That said, she flung the Sword of Solstice down at full force.  "Haaaaaaugh!"

FLASSSH!  A burning wave of golden energy slammed into Razzar, shoving his naked body back into the evaporating slime.

Pilate actually blinked under his helm.

Rainbow turned towards him, exhaling sweatily.  "Right, so about that skystone—"

"HRESSSSH!"  A thoroughly scalded Razzar plowed into her from the center of the room.

"Luna poop!" Rainbow sputtered from under his weight.

Pilate gasped, tilting his head towards where the two tumbled off and wrestled.

"Nnnngh!"  Rainbow bucked Razzar's ravenous body off her and picked herself up with the Sword of Solstice, parrying his next attack.  "Cyberzebra!" she shouted over her shoulder.  "The skystone!"

"R-right!"  Pilate galloped over to the glowing crystal, nervously picked it up, and ran from one pedestal to the other.  "Which one is north, which one is n-north?" he rambled beneath the clamor of the two combatants in the background.





"It's collapsed!" Josho shouted, swinging his shotgun out so that it levitated at his side.  He fired one shot, only to splatter purple ooze across a quarter of the forward Observation Room.  He cursed under his teeth, backtrotting from the advancing undead.  "Run to the top deck!  We gotta abandon ship!"

"Floydien would rather die than give up his precious 'Nancy!'" Zaid sputtered.

"Not a club the rest of you should join!" Josho shouted.  "Now get moving!"

"Not without you!" Eagle hollered, almost sobbing.  He tugged and tugged on Josho's tail.  "Come on!  Let's go!"

"No!  I'm holding the fort!"

"But—"

"Dammit, go!"  Josho snarled over his shoulder.  "And grab your coltfriend while you're at it!"  He marched fearlessly towards the monsters.  "How many times do I have to tell you ponies—I've friggin' lived my life!"

"Stop!" Eagle lunged, teary-eyed.  "Come back!"  He jerked in place, flailing.

Zaid held Eagle from behind, dragging him back to the doorframe.  "Belle!  We gotta make like the wind and break, girl!"

"You've got Eagle, and I've got Elma!"  Belle exclaimed, clutching the changeling to her chest.  "Who has Kera?"

"Uhhhh..."

Belle's eyes twitched.  She looked down at the metal floor beside Elma, and it was empty.  "Kera...?"  She looked up.

A petite shadow slinked past Josho.  The old soldier saw it, and he did a grotesque double-take.

"Kera!" Belle hollered.

Josho lunged for her—but felt himself blown back by an unprecedented pulse of mana.

Before everypony's eyes, the very much alive and very much awake filly marched two more steps forward, planted her hooves squarely against the floor, and lunged her head forward.  Rivulets of blue energy swam up her tattoos like reverse waterfalls.  They came to a focal point in her horn, surging outward in a white-hot explosion of unbridled magic.

All the while, Kera's tiny face grotesquely contorted in a venemous expression.  Veins popped in her neck for a brief moment, then dissipated as the mother of all yells emanated from her throat—starting at first as a low siren, then bursting outward in a salvo of unmitigated rage and fury.  Everypony's ears popped, and even Josho flinched from the resulting echo as the entire bow of the Noble Jury shook.

Then—like a chunk of the Sun thrown out of a cannon—a wall of merciless telekinesis hurled forward.  It not only swept the undead pegasi off their hooves and evaporated the purple stains, but it completely shattered the remaining metal frame of the shattered windows.  The pegasi's bodies were shred to ribbons among the resulting shrapnel, and the mess of debris and undead organs flew out into the winds of Stratopolis like a stream of calico vomit.





"Bloody Hell!" Prowse gasped, wide-eyed.

Seclorum clung to the back of the pilot's seat, for the Tarkington was inexplicably wobbling as if dealt an invisible blow.  "What in Ledo's toilet did that just now?!"

Props slid her goggles up and blinked her teary eyes.  "Pizz fah wizz..."  She blinked again, and her muzzle slowly curved into a tender smile.  "Could... could it be...?"






Staring out into the gaping hole of the Observation Room, Kera stood in place, panting and panting.  At last, she slumped down to her haunches, shivering internally.

The rest of the ponies gawked in silence.  Slowly, Bellesmith laid Elma down and crawled forward—one pensive hoof after another.  "Kera...?"

The filly's shoulders shook.

Belle gulped.  "Kera, d-darling...?"

The filly turned to look over her shoulder.  Her eyes were brimming with tears.  A muzzle quivered endlessly.

Belle held a hoof over her mouth.  Sniffling, she gestured to the tiny pony.  "Kera, speak to me, honey..."

Kera slowly shook her head.  At last, something came out of her, dry as a bone.  "So cold... so v-very cold," she mewled.  "All I can see is... is his eye..."  She curled her forelimbs against her scrunching his face.  "Cold and pale... like a second moon..."

Belle slowly shuffled towards her, eyes glued to the filly's face.

"I'm so lame... so fr-friggin' pathetic..."  Kera whimpered, starting to dry-heave as she collapsed to her side.  "Wanted t-to scream so h-hard... f-for so long..."  She gnashed at her teeth, her eyes streaming as she squealed, "Wh-why couldn't I do that to h-him?!"  She gripped her skull and growled, "I hate him I hate him I hate him I hate him..."

"Kera, darling..."  Belle scooped the child up.  "There was nothing you could have done.  There was nothing any of us could have done..."

"He made me see so many th-things... killed so m-many ponies... all b-because of me..."

"No... No!"  Belle hissed, holding her close.  "It was nothing you did!  It was all him, Kera.  It's not your fault.  It was never your fault!"

"I just... gnnngh... j-just..."  She writhed and writhed in Belle's grasp, her eyes clenched shut to the bleeding point.  "I can't... I c-can't..."  She squeaked.  "Going to explode..."

"Let it out, darling..."  Belle stroked Kera's bangs and spoke nose to nose.  "Release it, Kera.  The worse thing you can do..."  She gulped and shuddered.  "The worse thing any of us can do is hold it in."

Kera shuddered at first, then shook in tiny little spasms.  At last, she buried her head into Belle's shoulder—which was a good thing—for the resulting wail would otherwise have deafened them both.  She clung to Belle's coat like a vice, howling in undulating waves.

Belle sobbed, tears streaming from her face as she rocked Kera's body in her forelimbs.  "That's it, honey.  It's okay to cry.  It's okay to mourn.  Because, no matter how horrible things have been, we're alive now.  We're alright, and one way or another we're going to have to live with what's happened to us.  But you're not going to be alone, do you hear me?  We're going to be with you every step of the way.  We're never... ever going to abandon you.  We cherish you so much, Kera.  By the Spark, we love you so..."

Kera's body shuddered, shook, and then shifted.  She lifted a tear-stained face, staring wearily at Belle.  "M... M-Mommy...?"

Belle gulped and nodded.  "Yes...?"

Kera's lips quivered.  "Is... is Daddy alright too?"

Belle fell silent.

Kera nuzzled Belle's shoulder.  "I want to see Daddy again..."

In a bursting breath, Belle's face melted.  She kissed the top of Kera's green mane and rocked the filly in her arms.  "You will.  I promise you."  She sniffled and broke into a sobbing smile.  "We will both see Daddy again."  She closed her eyes and sniffled.  "We will..."

All the while, Josho was scratching his mane.  With a nervous smile, he glanced aside at the lavender shape beside him.

Eagle Eye held both hooves over his mouth as tears rolled down his face.  He grinned—albeit in a crooked, quivering fashion.  Tiny, inward squeaks emanated from his flushed chest.

"Nnnnngh..."  A familiar figure shuffled up from the distant engine room, rubbing his aching skull.  "My h-head..."  Ebon blinked blearily, then gasped as he stared—wide eyed—into the thoroughly wrecked observation room.  "Whoah.  What in the hay happened here?!"

"Phweeeeee!"  Overwhelmed, Eagle practically pounced the stallion, hugging him close and repeatedly kissing his ear.  "I love you I love you I love you I love youuuuu!"

"Gaaah!"  Ebon braced himself against the doorframe and nervously patted Eagle's back.  "H-hey, feeling's mutual.  But... um... Eagle!  Stop slobbering over my ear!"

"Hmmmmmmm..."  Eagle nuzzled and nuzzled and nuzzled Ebon's neck.  "Just so glad that you're okay.  Everything's turning out okaaaaaaay..."

"Yeah..."  Ebon smiled, running a hoof through the unicorn's silken mane.  "Who'd a thunk it..."

Zaid glanced at Ebon, then at Eagle Eye.  He blinked, then looked down at Elma's dormant figure.  Without a second's hesitation, he hoisted the changeling up by her shoulders and rammed her body into the two hugging stallions.

"Eeep!" Eagle's eyes bulged.

"D'oh!"  Ebon winced.  "Zaid, what the buck—?!"

Almost immediately, the changeling's eyes flashed open with a burst of green flame.  Elma sputtered and gasped for breath, as if coming up from a deep plunge.

Bellesmith immediately looked over, muzzle agape.

Elma stumbled back on four quivering hooves.  She rubbed her scalp before leaning against a rattling bulkhead.  "Unnnngh... wh-what a rush?  Where did that come from?"

"You're welcome."  Zaid sat back with a smug grin.  "It's what I like to call shipping and receiving."  He turned towards Josho.  "Eh?  Eh?"

"Meh."

"Belle...?"  Kera gulped and looked nervously over the mare's shoulder, trembling.  "Who is that pony with the green eyes...?"

"Somepony who helped you, darling..."  Belle kissed Kera's forehead and smiled lovingly at the shapeshifter.  "Somepony who helped us all..."

Elma glanced nervously at Belle.  She bore a weak, confused smile, then plopped down on her haunches with a dizzied expression.

"Hey, uh..."  Zaid scratched his scalp.  "Not for nothing, but..."  He glanced at all the others.  "Whatever happened to the east horse?"