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// Karkinos 
// Story: The Wrong Hoof 
// by ChainGunDragon 
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The silence was almost deafening aside from the remaining chunks of dirt and stone still crash landing on the ground while Twilight’s mind raced to think of what to do now. Despite the stories she had been told, somehow the creature that stood before her was still taller than she had ever imagined. Luna raised her hoof into the air as the beast’s claw followed suit, lifting high into the air, ready to strike.
“If you’re going to do something, do it now,” The changeling prince urged as he watched the creature prepare to attack. Luna pointed her hoof toward the changeling leader as Karkinos’ claw started to swing back down to the earth at an intimidating speed. Just as they were about to be crushed under the claw’s weight, Twilight and the prince standing beside her were both teleported onto a nearby rooftop before feeling the tremors run through the earth. Even though she had gotten them out of harm’s way just in time, the strike still threatened Twilight as cracks started to run up the walls of the building they stood on. “Go. Use the elements, I’ll be fine.” Vano begun beating his wings as the building crumbled under him. Twilight rode the rooftop into the ground, jumping off just before it landed while the beast turned its gaze to face her.
“Stop them.” As the princess looked toward her friends, her view was obstructed by the beast’s unyielding claw as it thrusted into the building in front of her, not even trying to hit her as the ruined debris fell in her path, obstructing her from uniting with the other elements. As the debris continued to fall, she ducked into the nearest house for shelter as the broken pieces fell in front of the doorway, trapping her inside. She looked for a way out but without even the moonlight, it was too dark to see. Her horn glowed to illuminate the empty room as the sound of more wings beating against each other could be heard from above. She heard at least three sets of hooves land on the roof above her as the claw of the beast swung into the building, just low enough to smash into the roof above her, letting the moonlight in. As more bricks fell, Twilight flew into the air, catching sight of a small group of changeling guards flying away, back to the hills. Turning around, she saw her friends were no longer there, either running or hiding from the creature.
“This way.” The changeling prince came up behind the airborne princess as he took her hoof and lead her through the air, deeper into the city, trying to lose sight of the beast. They turned a corner and slid through the window of a tall office building, taking shelter inside as the prince whispered. “You may be the elements of harmony, but you’re not much in the way of coordination are you?”
“What do you mean?” Twilight responded, trying to keep her voice down as well as they could both hear the impending sounds of destruction slowly drawing closer.
“I mean, the second you got separated, the others just scattered, each one bolting in their own direction.”
“What do you expect them to do? Stand there?”
“Stay together. That’s the only chance we've got right now. The royal guard is still standing by so we can buy you some time, but not a lot. The only way we can stop this is together. Are you with me?” Twilight nodded as they retreated into a stairwell, climbing up higher into the office complex. “My guards are tracking your friends but once you regroup, you’ll have one shot, are you ready?” The princess just looked at him as they reached a window on the top floor.
“I wasn't ready for any of this… But that hasn't stopped me yet.” She dived out of the window, followed by Vano as the tremors of the beast’s steps made the structure begin to shake. The prince once again took Twilight’s hoof as he lead her through the city, weaving in between the buildings to put more distance between them and Karkinos. Finally, they reached the edge of the city as the changeling prince took Twilight into the sky, flying up the side of an especially tall spire. They flew up to a luxurious balcony overlooking the rest of the city as Twilight’s friends were airlifted onto it as well by more changelings except for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy who flew up on their own. As the changeling’s cleared a couple of deck chairs out of the way to make room for the mares, Twilight looked inside the room that the platform was connected to. A king-sized bed with golden linings on the sheets and pillows and expertly crafted wood making up the headboards sat in the middle of the room. A slightly ajar walk in wardrobe sat next to the wide open door of a private bathroom with a decorative shower and an elegant bathtub as well as a huge mirror sitting above the sink, reflecting the pristine white walls of the room. With a nightstand on either side of the bed, expensive-looking artworks lined the walls of the room with a vase of flowers sitting in the corner. The bedroom seemed fit for a king or queen, or perhaps a prince. Twilight turned to look at the changeling leader. “Vano, is this-”
“I’ll explain later, you have to hurry.” Twilight snapped out of it as the prince flew back into the city toward the beast, accompanied by a squad of changeling guards.
“Girls, are you ready?” As each of the mares nodded, a magical band began to stretch from Twilight’s element of harmony, extending to unite with the other elements while Twilight watched the oncoming beast reach closer and closer, slowed only slightly by its attempts to swat the changelings away. The magic of the elements took its time as Karkinos dug its legs into the side of an adjacent building, beginning to climb. The mares rose into the air, hovering above the ground through the power of the elements as the creature ascended higher and higher. They were getting close but Twilight knew they wouldn't have enough time, but even still, against all logical reason, she had hope. The princess focused as the other mares closed their eyes, allowing the power of each element to resonate with each other, all focusing back to Twilight’s tiara. Karkinos was at eye level, ready to take a hit by the element’s magic like a perfect bull’s-eye. Now was their best chance. As Twilight watched the claw of the beast thrust forward towards them, the light of the elements’ magic began to fill her vision. The last thing she saw as the unrelenting claw drove towards them was a shadowy figure moving in between them, sparing the mares as the light fully overtook Twilight’s vision before she could make out who it was. The princess lost all feeling as if she had become pure energy, firing toward the Atlantean beast with everything they had, determined to put an end to the chaos. It felt like hours before Twilight opened her eyes again, scanning from one building to the next to re-familiarize herself with the surroundings. As the elements’ power began to rest, the mares were gently set on the ground again. The princess’ gaze fell upon the beast that stood still before them, silent and unwavering, the runes on its back continued to glow although now they were pulsing.
“Something’s happening.”
“But what?” Rainbow Dash asked as they all continued to watch the runes and sigils blow brighter and pulse faster.
“Did it work?” Fluttershy asked Twilight nervously.
“I don’t know.”
“No… it didn't,” The princess of the night called out from above as she set herself down on Karkinos’ back. “You must have felt its energy the moment it was unearthed. The power these runes hold. I wish I could say they were my design but the most I could do was copy their enchantment to help forge Celestia’s dungeon. They repel magic. All magic. I’m sorry to say your scheme didn't-” Luna was interrupted by a searing pain as the runes on the beast’s back stopped pulsing and glowed a continuous bright light, reflecting all of the power from the elements of harmony directly at Luna’s horn, almost like she was casting a spell done in reverse. It continued for almost a minute as the runes were slowly drained of their glow. When it finally stopped, the princess of the night looked exhausted, barely able to stand as she fell from the back of the creature, hurtling toward the ground. Twilight flew to the ground, trying to fly faster than Luna could fall, there had been enough damage done already and she didn't want to let a fellow princess fall too. When she reached the ground, she realized she didn't need to as what little energy the princess had left went to her wings, fluttering hard enough to slow her descent, landing her hooves softly on the ground before collapsing.
“It’s over Luna.”
“No, it’s not. Karkinos still stands strong. You failed.” Twilight looked up at the beast as it begun to climb down from the rooftops, slowly descending toward the ground next to them.
“You’re right, Karkinos is unharmed.” Luna grinned slightly as she looked up at the creature.
“Karkinos, finish the changelings.” There was a silence following her command as the beast turned and stared at her. The night princess’ grin slowly faded as the beast stood it’s ground.
“Karkinos is unharmed, but he doesn't answer to you anymore.”
“I don’t understand.” Twilight smiled gently at the beast and nodded at it.
“You may return home now, I will take care of Luna.” Twilight turned to face the fallen princess as the beast began to scuttle away from the city, eventually disappearing over the horizon. “when Karkinos caught the power of the elements of harmony, I realized you were right, we couldn't defeat him… but we never had to. When the power was reflected back at you I realized what was happening. We weren't harming him, we were restoring his freedom, severing your leash on him and letting him return home. He is no longer your puppet.” As Twilight looked up from Luna, she noticed a feint smoke pushed by the wind around the corner of a small home and she remembered the figure that saved them. “Vano!” She started to head toward the corner to help him but stopped when she heard someone land behind her.
“Yes Twilight?” She looked around to see the armor-clad prince standing beside her, standing tall over Luna.
“If it wasn't you, then who was…” She finally turned the corner to find a smoky crater dug into the ground, as she drew closer she noticed a small, weak changeling, lying still in the middle of the crater. “Dolus?” She ran to the changeling’s side as Fluttershy landed down next to them as well, nervous from the sound of her friend’s name being uttered at the side of a smoking crater. “He’s not moving. Vano, what do-” Twilight turned around to look at the changeling prince but he wasn't there. “Fluttershy, look after him." As the yellow pegasus tended to the injured changeling, Twilight returned to Princess Luna to find Vano standing beside her, hoof raised and ready to end it all. "Wait!" The prince stopped when he heard Twilight, looking up at her with his hoof still raised in the air.
"They're not going to stop. They will keep trying until they end us."
"But this isn't the way to do things. We can work this out."
"Then what would you have me do?"
"Let her go."
"I can't do that. She couldn't trust us, why should I trust her?"
"You don't have to. But you can trust me."
"Why should I risk the entirety of my people a second time just because you think it's the right thing to do?" Twilight hesitated as her heart started racing.
"Because, I-" She found it difficult to finish her sentence. Twilight walked closer to the hurt prince as he lowered his hoof, still waiting for an answer. "I still love you."