//------------------------------// // The Last Battle // Story: Past Remnants // by GreyGuardPony //------------------------------// Bon Bon’s heart was racing like a humming bird. Each beat crashed in her ears like a thunderclap. Corona was looking furious, Luna equally incensed. There was a giant golem that seemed to contain the mind or ghost or something of a long dead wizard. And the nice zebra mare was now a statue of precious metals. They had officially reached the level of in over their heads. “I see that time hasn’t reduced the saurian capacity for cruelty.” Luna frowned, her magic already beginning to glow and coil about her horn. “Oh, please.” Kerzog chuckled. “Ritter hardly recruited from sources that one would define as ‘on the level’. It’s not like I struck a bunch of foals. That comes later.” “Nay!” Corona snapped, her mane flaring brighter for a moment. “You shall not leave this valley!” Kerzog tilted his head, once again his voice the only thing to indicate his mood. “And you are going to stop me?” He almost chuckled. “I designed this receptacle specifically to battle your kind, which there are so, so fewer of now aren’t there?” “Two are more than enough! You are alone.” “Ahh yes, about that.” The chest- still clutched in its magical grip- shattered, a cloud of green orbs flying free. Smaller than the one that had brought the giant golem to life, they were bodily propelled from the room by Kerzog’s spell power. Luna moved to intercept, her own aura striking back out to try and catch the the flying spheres. Kerzog’s crest blazed with magic, twin beams of deadly magic leaping from its eyes towards the two normal ponies. Swearing, Luna was forced to shift her magic, forming a shield to block the spells. Corona tried as well, but one of Kerzog’s massive stone feet lashed out, catching the alicorn in the side. Her balance thrown off, the grip was lost and the spheres flew from the room. The next moment, other sounds of stone grinding to life filled the air. The Watcher spun about. “RUN!” He bellowed, frantically waving his arms towards the surface. Bon Bon didn’t hesitate, her legs already running at top speed, Lyra right at her side. Rushing through the dust and cobweb choked tunnels her eyes kept flicking to the shadow filled rooms where more monsters stirred. “We need to get to my pillar.” The Watcher explained, easily pacing ahead of them. “You need to call your friends!” “What? How!” Bon Bon shouted, sparing a glance behind her. “I thought the teleporters weren’t working!” A chorus of roars and growls rose behind them, the horde of awakened golems spilling into the corridors. Bon Bon and Lyra put on another burst of speed, almost running straight through The Watcher. “Well...technically.” He winced. “But I might be able to fandangle enough power for your friends to send Lyra and her lyre! You need it for your magic, yes?” “Why not bring one of them through?” Lyra asked, a frustrated edge creeping into her voice. “Teleporting ponies isn’t like playing music! I’m not risking any of them on an unstable connection! I mean, I could have asked Celestia and Luna to recharge the pyramid’s magical stores, but I didn’t want you two to leave until you worked your issues out….” “You-you...ass!” Bon Bon shouted. She resisted the desire to take an angry swing at the saurian shooting a venomous glance his way, picturing all of the horrible things she could do if he were only solid. “You are so lucky that you’re a...a...ghost...thing, or I’d make you one right now!” “Really,” The Watcher drawled as they came barrelling into the throne room. “compared to some of the things I’ve done in my life, hiding the truth to try and play relationship counsellor is downright altruistic.” “I’m still angry with you!” Bon Bon snarled, nostrils flaring as she and Lyra skidded to the base of the obsidian pillar. Motioning to it with a hoof, she tried to ignore the roars and howls that were still drawing closer. “Just like last time?” “Yup. Hooves on the stone. I’ll handle the rest. Tell your friends to put the items up against the disk!” Nodding, Bon Bon shoved Lyra’s hooves against the pillar. “Call! I’ll watch your flanks.” Resisting the urge to make a comment about how Bon Bon usually did that anyway, Lyra felt the world spin away from her. - - - - The next thing Lyra knew, she was standing atop Trixie’s desk, about the size of an average curio. Thankfully, the illusionist was here, which saved Lyra from having to go and find out just how far away from the stone disk her diminutive self could travel. Though it was somewhat disconcerting to see Trixie’s head looming over her like some kind of pony giant. Fee-fi-fo-fum. Lyra thought, a foalhood fable choosing this inopportune moment to spring to mind. I smell the blood of a unicorn. Be she alive, or be she dead, I’ll grind her bones to make my bread. “Lyra?” Trixie gasped. “What’s wrong? Is it Corona? Is she trying something?” “No. It’s not Corona. It’s...something else. I don’t really have time to explain, but everything here is going straight into the sun! We need help! Get my lyre and my armor and put them on the disk!” Before Trixie could question that further, Lyra felt the world go topsy-turvy again. Finding herself back in the throne room, Lyra immediately wished that she wasn’t. The golems had flooded into the chamber and were rushing right for them. Bon Bon had yanked her away from the pillar and was dragging her towards the exit. The Watcher’s intangible form rose from the surge of stone, but the frantic waving of his arms was clear. Keep running. Twisting out of Bon Bon’s grip, she shoved herself forward, breaking into a full gallop again, stone claws slamming into the floor where they were a moment before. “Where are we going?” Bon Bon asked as they spilled out into the sun, taking the pyramid steps two at a time. “The teleporter! You can wait there and-” Her suggestion was cut off as she was slammed to the ground, one of the swiftclaw golems pouncing upon her. Golem and pony went head over tail down the stairs, Lyra yelping in a mixture of shock and pain. “LYRA!” Bon Bon cried, rushing even faster down the stairs. But she hadn’t moved more than a few steps before a vice like grip wrapped around her hind legs. Yanked into the air with a sudden surge of motion, Bon Bon found herself dangling upside down, the stone spires of Zhalast-Zin whipping past beneath her. Twisting and thrashing, she caught just enough of a glimpse of what had her to come to one very strong conclusion. Flying golems just weren’t fair. - - - - “This is where it all begins again.” Kerzog laughed, slowly stalking around the two alicorns. “The return of the Saurian Empire.” “It will be a small empire with just you and a collection of golems.” Luna glared back, her wings twitching with a nervous energy. “Not even your former emperor cares for your tactics anymore.” She jabbed a wing at Ritter. “The only creatures you have helping you are here thanks to deceit and their own greed!” “I resent that!” Ritter shouted back. The golem rocked back on its feet, a deep cackle filling the room. “As if his opinion matters! His boundless stupidity is exactly what drove our race into this situation!” “Your fate was sealed the moment you struck out against us.” Corona frowned. With a flap of her wings she rose into the air, drawing level with the great head, calling on her her power. “And now, we will make sure that it takes!” Kerzog charged. Corona’s eyes went wide at the sudden burst of speed from the golem. The impact sent the solar alicorn crashing through the wall, an avalanche of stone raining down upon her head. Ritter scrambled out of the line of fire, throwing himself back through the hole his zebra had blown through the opposite wall. Luna slammed her body into Kerzog’s side, throwing the full of her considerable strength into the strike. The claws of the golem body carved furrows in the stone, sparks flying as it was pushed back. Kerzog struck back with equal fury, a bone shaking body check that sent the lunar princess sprawling next to her sister. Corona exploded from the rubble with a snap of her wings, her form reduced to a white blur as she drove to bury her strong as iron hooves in Kerzog’s snout. But he responded with a burst of magic, jumping into the air with surprising grace as the spell took hold. Everything was suddenly a jumble of motion, alicorns, blocks of stone and metallic zebra tumbling through the air. Corona and Luna twisted about, flapping their wings to find purchase in the suddenly topsy-turvy environment. Kerzog, against all odds, was now latched to the ceiling. “Ha! No gravity!” The mirth was evident in his voice. Pushing off from the ceiling, the archmage quickly wove two spells. The first radiated out over the floating remains of the wall, and the zebra. The bricks twitched once, before springing into motion almost hopping through the air as they moved towards the alicorns. The zebra likewise came to life, each part of their bodies regaining mobility with a groan of metal and a horrific spasm. The second spell affected Kerzog’s own form, as he let the reverse gravity spell end. The animated objects swarmed the alicorns while the golem plummeted towards the pair. Corona and Luna vanished with twin flashes of light, re-appearing where Kerzog had been a moment before. If the saurian lord cared, he didn’t show it, not bothering to arrest his fall, knocking the petrified zebra aside. As the tip of his snout hit the floor, the stone rippled and flowed like water, the massive bulk of the golem disappearing from view like a breaching whale. The metallic zebra hit the ground a moment later with a series of echoing clangs, before springing back to their hooves and staring up at Corona and Luna. The sisters stared at the glittering legion below, the animated bricks bouncing off their bodies in a futile attempt to wound them. Kerzog would be harder to stop than they first realized. - - - - Lyra squirmed under the grip of the golem. Perched on her back, its stony body was keeping her resolutely pinned in place. Through her frustration, she was at least thankful that the thing wasn’t trying to kill her. On the other hoof, what she had seen of the saurians through The Watcher’s memories didn’t make being captured look any better. Which made her worry for Bon Bon all the more, carried off the way she had been. The rest of the horde had vanished into the streets, leaving Lyra alone with her captor, but she could hear the screams and cries on the wind. Chaos was spreading through the city as the saurian golems spread out from the pyramid. She had to get out of this thing’s grip. Tapping into her magic, she threw her aura around the golem’s legs and yanked to the right, while rolling to the left. It pitched off her body with a thud, springing back to its stony feet while Lyra scrambled back to her hooves. In the light of day, it was easier for Lyra to take in the details of the construct. About her size and constructed of sandstone, it was carved to resemble one of the swiftclaws. Its head was focused on her, as if it was staring, but as it lacked the energy like eyes of Kerzog, the effect was much more disturbing. She eyed the green sphere that was set into the chest of the creation. Similar to the one in Kerzog’s giant model but lacking the series of criss crossed silver lines on its surface. It darted forward, once again aiming to pin Lyra to the ground. Lyra skittered to the side, wracking her brain for a solution. If only she had her lyre, then she’d be throwing spellsongs at this thing already. I’ll have to improvise then. She thought. Humming a tune to find her musical range, she slid away from another charge from the golem and began to sing. Do you know the muffin mare, the muffin mare, the muffin mare? Oh do you know the muffin mare, Who lives on Derby Lane? As she sung, the bolt of sound formed before her, jagged and unkempt. The spell was barely holding together but it would have to do. Yes I know the muffin mare, the muffin mare, the muffin mare! Oh, yes, I know the muffin mare, Who lives on Derby Lane! The bolt snapped into it’s full size as the golem charged again. Lyra scrambled backwards, whipping her creation right at the orb. Everything seemed to slow for a moment, as construct and sonic bolt rushed towards each other. For one horrifying instance, it looked like she might have missed the mark. But the bolt struck true. Hitting dead center, the control sphere shattered, the creation it powered skidding to the ground. Sighing in relief, Lyra turned towards the rest of the city. “I’m coming Bon Bon!” - - - - All the blood was rushing to Bon Bon’s head. She had lost track of how long she had been hanging upside down, with her mane whipping in the wind, but it was getting old. Brushing it back again, she could see the that the flock of flyers were beginning to break into two smaller groups, swooping towards different areas of the city. With a grunt, she flailed, forearms reaching for the golem’s head. Maybe she could force the stupid thing to land if she could control its head. Admittedly, she had no clue if it would actually work, but trying was better than just hanging upside down. Her hooves barely scraped along the edge of the edge of the beak. Flopping back into her dangling position, she swore and thrashed again, stretching her legs as far as she could. Her right hoof caught the edge of the neck and with another grunt she managed to get the other into place. “Land, you stupid thing!” She shouted, tugging at its thin stone neck with all her might. The golem didn’t even seem to react, however, steadfastly flying along. Swearing again, she tugged even harder. But it still refused to move. Flopping back into her upside down state, Bon Bon grit her teeth and looked towards the ground again. She could see that the golems were herding as many of the uintatherium towards the large central market as they could. Those that weren’t heading that direction were mostly being trapped inside their homes and businesses. A glittering blur of white and gold arced across the sky, growing larger and fuller in a matter of moments. The streak that was Corona shattered the golem, her tendrils of white magic catching Bon Bon before she dropped more than a foot. “Are you unharmed?” Corona asked, dipping towards the ground with Bon Bon securely in her grip. Bon Bon’s eyes went wide, remembering the flames and white and glowing power and stars above, Corona had her again! She was going to use her as a hostage just like last time. And then Lyra would have to come and save- “You need to be someplace safe.” Corona said, aiming for one of the cliffs surrounding the valley. “Once Kerzog is dealt with, either my sister or I will come for you.” “Wait!” Bon Bon shouted, snapping out of her fear induced state. She couldn’t believe that the same mare that had foalnapped her was now trying to get her to safety, but Lyra needed help. “Lyra! We have to help her!” “My sister is searching for her now.” Corona explained, her own eyes glancing towards the market. “I am more concerned with getting you to safety. You are just a civilian and-” “No!” Bon Bon shouted! “The teleporter! You need to go there.” “Excuse me?” Corona blinked. “Lyra’s lyre! It might be there. She was able to send a message before we left the pyramid.” She took a shuddering breath, still fighting the urge to panic and scream. Instead, she made a request. “Please?” Corona looked down at her with her hateful angry eyes, but nodded, changing course. - - - - A pair of sharpbeak golems slammed away at the house door, muffled cries coming from calves trapped inside. Little bird, little bird fly through my window. Little bird, little bird, fly through my window. The constructs slowly turned towards the singing unicorn that was charging right at them. Lyra smirked, whipping her jagged song bolt into the right one. It collapsed, the other one charging at her in response. The crest smashed her into the wall of another building, Lyra wincing from the strike. Little bird, little bird. She began to sing again, but the golem pushed forward, compressing her barrel between it and the wall. The air was pushed from her lungs with a yelp, the song lost. But before the golem could continue crushing her against the wall, it was engulfed by a sparkling blue aura. It kicked and thrashed for a moment, before being pitched down the street like it was shot from a cannon. Princess Luna landed before Lyra, a smile on her face. Lyra grinned back, waving a hoof. “Nice throw princess.” “Glad to see that you’re alright dear Lyra.” “Thanks! But we need to find Bon Bon!” “Fear not.” Came Corona’s voice, the solar alicorn landing next to both of them, gently setting Bon Bon upon the ground, who quickly rushed to Lyra’s side. The glittering suit of star metal armor that Luna had gifted to Lyra was balanced on her back, along with her lyre, just like she had asked Trixie for. She greeted Bon Bon with a kiss, that was eagerly returned before they broke apart. “I’m glad that you’re okay.” Lyra nodded. “Me too.” Bon Bon smiled back. “Here, I got your stuff.” “Thanks.” Lyra nodded, floating the armor onto her body, which hung loosely on her frame. “Here, let me help.” Bon Bon nodded, quickly moving around her marefriend’s body, tugging straps and buckles into place, snugging the silvery armor into place. Luna looked to her sister, while Bon Bon worked. “I am guessing that you saw the uintatherium?” “Aye.” Corona nodded. “It is undoubtedly a trap of some variety.” “Undoubtedly.” Luna agreed. “But we can’t just ignore them.” “No. We can not. Kerzog has already proven his willingness to strike at innocents.” Lyra and Bon Bon shivered at the thought of the frozen expedition and the looks of terror that were locked upon their features. “You can help them, right?” Bon Bon asked, looking from Luna to Corona without flinching away. “I mean, they aren’t stuck like that are they?” “Nay.” Corona shook her head, adding in a stomp of her hoof for good measure. “No base saurian enchantment shall last. But Kerzog must be dealt with first, otherwise he will just strike out again.” Bon Bon nodded, unable to find much at fault with the Tyrant Sun’s logic this time, as much as that made her skin crawl. She supposed that even an insane pony could stumble across a logical statement every now and then. She looked up at Corona, Lyra’s earlier comments about the alicorn ringing in her mind again. Luna nodded in agreement, rubbing at her chin with a hoof. “I imagine that he will strike at us the moment we enter the market, using the denizens as living shields.” Looking to Lyra, she frowned slightly. “We shall have to rely on you to help free them Lyra. Containing Kerzog will most likely take most of our efforts.” “You can count on me princess.” She nodded. “Then I’m coming too!” Bon Bon declared with a hoof stomp of her own. “I’m not going to just let you do something so risky by yourself!” “Bon Bon.” Lyra frowned back. “Nope! I’m not letting you run off alone.” Raising an eyebrow, Corona gave Bon Bon an almost appraising gaze. “And what do you propose to protect your beloved with? Your bare hooves?” Bon Bon glared back, a mixture of anger and fear in her eyes. “If I have to.” Quickly looking around, she snatched up a discarded frying pan that had been abandoned on the street, clutching it in her teeth with supreme determination. Luna and Corona exchanged a glance at that. “Perhaps I can help.” Luna commented. Extending a tendril of magic, she took the frying pan from Bon Bon. It tumbled in her magic, being whittled and reformed into a pair of blunt hoof guards. “They will not last in the long term.” She explained, passing the weapons over to Bon Bon. “But it should hold for now.” “”Wait.” Lyra interrupted. “That’s it? We’re going after an army of golems! You can’t just have my Bons fighting them naked!” “Perhaps.” Corona, suggested with a slight frown. “We can go about this another way. I can handle Kerzog. My sister can handle the lesser golems. You can lead the citizens away.” “That’ll work.” A bolt of lightning shot into the air, the accompanying thundercrack echoing through the stony canyons of the city. A moment later Kerzog’s voice followed on the air. “Alicorns! The fate of this city lies in your hooves! Face me or these primitive brutes shall die!” “It appears that we are out of time.” Corona frowned, lifting into the air. “Let’s do this.” Lyra nodded. And the four took off down the street, old conflicts put aside for the sake of an even older one. - - - - The gathered uintatherium cowered as they were herded into the great open air market of Zhalast-Zin. The golems were blocking every street leading out of the area, their blank faces a unified wall. In the center of the space, rising above the gray sea that was the uintatherium, Kerzog stood upon the shattered remains of market stalls, magic still crackling about his body. An enchantment had animated the spilled wares of the shopping area, and now the jewelry and clothing was coiled about the the necks and bodies of those who had crafted them like chains. Kerzog kept another enchantment coiled around his body’s artificial magic reservoir. For a being of his significant intelligence, said reservoir was his crowning achievement. Crafted from a chunk of solid astranium, he had ripped the raw material from the still smouldering crater and crafted it into sublime magical perfection. The heat from the metal had burned at his skin and body as he hauled it back to Zhalast-Zin. The pain had been immense, but he hadn’t cared at all. It what was needed to be done. He had the drive. That was why the other lords had come to him to try and survive. That’s why now, he stood in the city that was once his, prepared to do what no other creature had done. He was going to end the alicorns. A pair of thunder cracks cut through the air, a collection of his golems sent flying as the alicorns smashed right through the lines. A few of his captives nearest to the gap made to flee, but with a simple mental command, his creations adjusted their spacing and closed the hole. The alicorns circled him, wings beating, horns glowing, a perfect balance of light and dark. Kerzog would have smiled if he could. They had no idea what was coming. “Alicorns!” He demanded with all the power and bombast a ruler could command. “I give you one opportunity to surrender and submit to the new world order.” The white one... Corona or something, sent a crackling tongue of flame whipping past his crest in a manner of response. “Very well then!” He barked, letting his prepared magic loose, whipping a crackling blast towards her. “Choke them.” The clothing and jewelry obeyed his command and began to strangle those they had bound. - - - While the uintatherium began thrash at the things that bound them, the golems continued to stand stock still, blocking each street leading into the market, ready to move when given the command. As such they were unprepared when the dark blue earth pony mare landed in their midst, crushing one of them under her hooves. They reeled surging towards the mare, only for a dark blue pegasus to smash her way through another two. The group of constructs split, some rushing after the earth pony, while another gave the pegasus chase, the two splitting off in different directions. A third dark blue mare appeared with a flash of light, grabbing a pair of the remaining golems and smashing them together like they were toys. Forming beams of moonlight, she lashed out at some of the others, stabbing and slicing into their control spheres with reckless abandon. With the wall of golems blocking the north street reduced to tatters, Lyra and Bon Bon tore through the gaps. Lyra immediately began to play a kind of formless tune, wracking her brain for a spellsong that would be useful here. Bon Bon lashed out at a golem that broke away from Luna, her magically created hoof guards impacting against the control sphere. Cracks formed in the surface, the construct still trying to push its way forward. Bon Bon pulled a hoof back, punching at the sphere again and again, the crack turning into a split before it collapsed to the ground. With it collapsed, she examined everything around them again. The uintatherium were struggling and gasping against the animated clothing, the life slowly being squeezed out of them. Lyra’s music began to solidify into a distinct tune, a slow dirge like affair that seemed to coil and thread through the open air of the market. Her magic merged with the tune, seeking out the enchanted items and engulfing them. She continued to play, plucking and hammering at the strings, pushing her magic into every nook and cranny. The spells fought back, steadfastly refusing to allow her spellsong to break the enchantment. So Lyra grit her teeth, moving into a different key and tempo as she attacked at it from another direction. Light, airy notes rung through the air, as she hammered at the enchantment. “Ha!” Kerzog laughed, ducking a tongue of flame from Corona. “My enchantments won’t be beaten by the likes of you!” “I will not…” She clenched her jaw even harder, horn lighting up to amplify song and spell. “Let you hurt these creatures!” Dragging her hoof across her lyre, the golden tendrils of spell power grew opaque enough to almost look solid. Now she was plucking the strings with both of her forehooves, standing on her hind legs, sending little pulses of power down the line. She could feel the enchantments loosening. A smile crossed her muzzle, and she built her song towards a gathering crescendo. Then, with a final strum of the strings, the collection of animated items were sent clattering to the ground. “Let’s go!” Bon Bon shouted, waving for the open street where Luna’s efforts to remove the golems had been quite successful. The uintatherium scrambled to their hooves, rushing for freedom with Bon Bon at the lead. Lyra followed, backing up so that she could whip more sound bolts towards the other groups of golems that now surged forth from the streets they had been blocking. With a thud, Princess Luna landed at her side. Or at least her earth pony side did. “Stand firm Lyra. This is within our grasp.” “Right with you princess.” She smiled. - - - - Celestia relished the satisfying crunch sound her hooves made as they slammed into the stone of Kerzog’s snout, a wicked grin growing on her features. But the grin died as quickly as it came, when she pulled her hooves back and saw very little damage to the constructs form. “I have made extensive modifications.” Kerzog gloated, an annoyingly smug tone in his voice. “I watched over one hundred instances of your kind in battle. I am well aware of your species capabilities.” “That may be.” Celestia frowned, fully grabbing the massive stone head of the beast. “You may know who I was, but you know nothing of what it is I have become!” She beat her wings, slowly pushing Kerzog towards the edge of the market, her eyes glowing white hot. “I am Celestia!” She roared. “I am the sun!” A bone shaking strike slammed into the underside of her barrel, vaulting her from one end of the market to the other. Kerzog cackled, a wickedly sharp stone spike sticking from the tip of his nose, where Celestia had been a moment before. “Oh contraire.” He cackled, Celestia clutching at her stomach. Pawing the ground with a massive talon, another spell wrapped around his form. He was a blur when he charged. Celestia looked up just in time for a heavy stone foot to slam down upon her with a bone shattering speed. Half a scream escaped Celestia before she was able to bite it back, Kerzog leaning forward to put even more weight upon the alicorn. “I know exactly who you are.” “That fool Ritter told me all about you. You are Corona, the Tyrant Sun! The worst traitor and monster pony kind knows!” He leaned his massive head closer, the glee rising in his voice. “And you truly, have no idea how pathetic that really is. That you taking a hard line with your subjects damaged their psyche so badly, that even to this day, they hide when the sun hits noon; that my dear, is how pathetic your ponies are.” The green color of his eyes began to blaze even brighter. “And now, sing for me!” Crackling beams of magic lanced from his eyes, searing and tearing at Celestia’s body. Her body was screaming in agony, as the disintegration spell did its best to tear her apart. She knew what he wanted. He wanted her to scream, to beg. She grit her teeth, blocking out the agony. “I said, s-” “Silence thy insignificant sorcerer’s apprentice!” “What?” Kerzog demanded, spell and concentration broken. “Thou know nothing!” Celestia spat, shakily getting back to her hooves. “While ponies may need a strong hoof to guide and protect them, and the element bearers may be mistaken in their opposition of me, I can say one thing with certainty.” “And what might that be, oh most glorious of rulers?” “They are, to the last pony, better than you!” “For a change, I agree with my sister!” Luna shouted. Kerzog whipped about just in time for all of the ensorceled items from the uintatherium and the remains of the market stalls themselves- fused together into a magically propelled slug- to slam into his side. Sent stumbling, Celestia didn’t give him a moment to recover, charging and hitting the same spot, sending him crashing into one of the buildings lining the market. Luna- in her fused pegasus and unicorn sides- swooped next to her, horn still glowing with power. Celestia smirked, tapping into her own magic. They would end this together. - - - - Luna glanced towards where her other self was fighting with Lyra. They were doing well, while Bon Bon and the uintatherium were clear from the market, which was good. Kerzog charged, once again a blur from his transmutation enhanced movement, calling stony spikes forth across the whole of his body. Luna shot backwards with a flap of her wings, wheeling around the right side of Kerzog’s body while her sister went left. Celestia quickly shifted direction, pulling closer as Kerzog barreled past, Luna following suit. Their hooves lashed out, snapping and breaking the spikes he had just finished calling forth. Kerzog spun about, lashing back out with lightning, fire and his beams of magical agony. Luna spun a shimmering field of stars before her as a shield. Her sister nodded to her, whipping together her own wall of crackling flames, blocking Kerzog’s view of them for a moment. Luna took the hint, soaring high into the air. The world spun away from her, Kerzog turning into a sandy colored dot as her wings caught the warm thermals rising up from the stone city. But as soon as she reached the zenith of her ascent, she dove. Hooves outstretched, the shockwave grew around her. She wove her own magic, using her own shape shifting abilities to increase the density of her own body. Kerzog grew in size just as rapidly as he had vanished, still focused on Celestia as she darted about, throwing spells at him. Luna steered herself right for the orb that was set into the giant stone head. At the last moment, Kerzog looked up. He jumped backwards, recoiling from Luna’s dive. She impacted a moment later, carving a crater a few feet deep in the middle of the market. She quickly recovered fluttering back into the air. “Well done, but you won’t have a chance to do that again.” Kerzog gloated. The control orb sunk into his body, disappearing in a moment. And with another cackle, his magic flared again, whipping towards the sisters. - - - - “He’s lasted longer than I expected.” Lyra blinked, watching the two alicorns whip through the air, dodging and exchanging strikes with the saurian. The rest of Kerzog’s golems had abandoned chasing after the city’s residents and were now swarming around her and earth pony Luna. Not to be confused with unicorn/pegasus Luna who was fighting both Kerzog and his flying golems at the same time with her sister. “The fact that he can eat magic isn’t helping.” Luna frowned. “It’s keeping my sister and I from being able to cut loose.” “How is he even casting like that? Golems can’t do that, right?” “Normally, no.” Luna admitted, kicking the head off another charging construct. “He would have had to construct some manner of artificial magical reservoir….” “Artificial huh?” Lyra raised an eyebrow, snapping off a sound lance at another golem. “I wonder how much power something like that could hold.” Luna blinked, then grinned, an idea running through her mind. “That is a very good question. I think I’ll go find out.” She winked at Lyra. “Thank you for the inspiration, but it would be wise to get clear.” As Lyra took off, Luna jumped into the air, her other self swooping in. They merged in an instant, the princess an alicorn once more as she wheeled back towards the form of Kerzog. A massive blast of starlight jumped from her horn, the energy snapping and hissing through the air. Kerzog recoiled, tilting his blocky head in confusion as the spellpower whipped about his body, sinking into the stones. Then he began to laugh, raw magic dancing between his claws. “A worthy effort, but futile.” He chortled. “I can handle all of your power!” A crackling stream of sunlight hit him from the other side, Corona batting the flying constructs aside as she fed her own magic into the saurian lord. Trapped under the focus of two alicorns, the sparks and rivulets of power that danced around Kerzog’s body exploded into streams and rivers that writhed and twisted. It was as if enraged serpents of raw power were grappling with Kerzog’s body. Even the stones along the back of the golem body were beginning to glow red hot, magic escaping from cracks with loud pops. “Still so sure of that, are we?” Corona mocked, her flaming mane and tail flaring brighter as she turned up the heat. Kerzog stumbled, failing as he tried to channel a spell. But with a roar like cannon fire, the back of his body exploded. A fount of raw arcane energies erupted into the air, a few chunks of star steel raining back to the ground. Smiling, Luna and Corona threw themselves at the golem again. Whipping around Kerzog as fast as they could, a vortex of wind began to rise from the ground. Soon their magic aura’s joined the whipping winds, an out and out tornado roaring to life. Kerzog and his remaining golems were lifted into the air, helpless in the the magic vortex that they found themselves trapped in. They reached the top of the funnel, the former lord of the city bellowing threats at the alicorns that bound him. “You will not win! The saurians will not fall again!” And then he was whipped towards the ground with earth shattering force, the stone breaking like somepony had just thrown a collection of plates on the kitchen floor. Pieces of rock flew every which way, Kerzog’s control sphere shooting into the air before coming to a rolling stop at Lyra’s hooves. Blinking, Lyra poked at it. An exasperated sigh escaped the sphere, the ghostly form of Kerzog’s original body shimmering into view. His expression was a mixture of frustration and sadness as he hung his head. “You mammals ruin everything.” “I’m surprised you survived that.” Corona frowned, landing behind him alongside Luna. Kerzog turned to face the alicorns, his frown deepening. “My vessel needed to be able to survive the ages. I spent a great deal of time enchanting it.” He looked from Corona to Luna, shaking his head. “Very well, you are the victor. Make it quick.” “With pleasure.” Corona grinned, her magic snaking forward and plucking the sphere up. But Luna’s cool aura interrupted Corona’s attempts to crush the sphere. “Hold sister. While I’m sure it would be quite within your power, considering the nature of what he did to The Watcher, I feel that something more ironic is called for.” She smirked. “After all, shouldn’t his fate be left in the claws of his emperor?” - - - - “Ahh, Kerzog!” The Watcher grinned as they walked back into the throne room. “Let me give you a proper welcome home, now that you aren’t trying to wreck everything.” “I hate you.” Kerzog snarled, forced to follow along as he was bound to the orb. “I’m sure you do, but given both our present states, I’m sure we’ll have a long, long time to work through those issues.” He smiled wider, before nodding to the ponies. “Lyra, Bon Bon, Luna and Celestia. Can’t say that I expected things to go like this when I first called you here, but I owe you all deeply for saving my charges.” A slight smile played across Corona’s face as she placed Kerzog’s orb next to The Watcher’s pillar. “It was...something, Watcher.” “Yes. It was.” Luna smiled as well. “I’m glad.” The Watcher grinned again. “Since you’re going to have to give some explanations in just a moment.” “Excuse me?” Luna blinked. “Well, with bonehead’s golem destroyed, the magic levels are returning to normal. Which means that Trixie and the rest of her friends are going to try and teleport here. Might want to meet them at the teleport pad, let them know that everything’s okay.” As Luna trotted for the exit, Corona raised an eyebrow at The Watcher. “You enjoy doing that, don’t you?” “It’s the little things in life that keep me going.”