“Well, that was overly dramatic of you,” Seath grinned eagerly.
The plaza’s atmosphere was tense, the very air electrified.
All three of the Oligarchs as well as their subordinates were gathered around a pillar of magic rising out of the ground. Observing the events from around the city displayed across its sides with extreme intent.
“Sue me, I thought it was appropriate,” Scholar chuckled under his breath, his eyes flicking back and forth. “Still though... it’s finally, finally our turn.”
“Then in that case, let us make it count!” Chrysalis grinned, licking her fangs eagerly.
“Scholar, Chrysalis, Seath, listen to me!” Cadance protested desperately.
“Yeah, how about no?” Scholar drawled. “Now that I think about it, listening to you guys was fun for awhile, but now? Eh, I couldn’t give a damn. Allow me to use one of my favorite features in those cages,” A rune appeared above his hand. “Mute.”
“SCH-!” The Alicorn’s protests were cut off, and any noise from her cage was extinguished.
Lacewing cackled as he buzzed in front of the desperate princesses face. “Awww, is the poor widdle pony sad because her people are getting their asses whipped? Too bad, so sa-!”
Cadance stopped pounding against the runic walls, and instead looked the changeling straight in the eye.
Spite.
Cold.
Power.
Suffering.
Apathy.
Freezing.
Freezing.
Freezing.
“-waaaagh...” Lacewing gurgled miserably as he leaned backwards and collapsed, foam dripping out of his agape mouth.
Rotfang raised an eye ridge nervously as he poked his brother with the butt of his spear, causing his body to twitch slightly. “Soo... what you were saying earlier about standard protocol with Oligarchs...?”
“It applies to you too,” Scholar deadpanned. “Even if she’s incapacitated and one of the weakest physically and metaphysically speaking, she is still an Oligarch. Get that through your skulls. Clear?”
“Clear.”
“Eeeeeeegh...”
“Anyways...” He continued in exasperation. “Let’s see... Priscilla went back out to pick up some specific individuals, no enemies or supplies have left the city, all our top officers are returning here... Alright, I think that’s everything! Let’s get this over with fast, I want to count out my winnings as soon as possible!”
Chrysalis shot him a dirty scowl. “Oh shove off you overly pompous... ergh,” She ground her fangs together furiously. “If Seath’s puppet hadn’t flubbed things up...”
The crystal dragon snorted in contempt. “As if I could have predicted the Captain’s skill. Besides, it would have worked if not for the terrible twosome...”
“Awwww, how sweet!”
“Yes, we feel so loved! Thank you so much for your compliments!”
Seath twitched as a horrifyingly familiar set of voices piped up.
All attention was shifted over to the pair of artificial beings that swooped into the plaza.
Chrysalis snorted irritably as she turned to face the Twins. “Ah, and so the prodigal heirs return! What a joy it is to oh what the hell...” She trailed off as she caught sight of their... condition.
Nix sighed in exasperation as she reinforced the seal she was maintaining. “Yeah, things... got a bit out of hand...”
“Honestly though, I don’t see what all the fuss is about!” Null chirped pleasantly, barely phased by the fact that he was being held upside down by his sister with both his hands bound by Nix’s green magic.
“For the record, Gavrill is right behind us, so she should be here sooner rather than later...” The emerald golem muttered in a tone that brooked a lack of any and all patience.
Scholar groaned in frustration as he slipped his fingers beneath his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose irritably. “Dare I even ask what’s wrong with him?”
“Precisely nothing, good sir!” Null huffed indignantly.
“He’s gone mad.” Nix stated flatly.
“Pish posh!” The crimson golem sniffed in an insulted manner. “I merely communicated the urge to rend flesh from bone! It is a perfectly natural sentiment that I express on a daily basis!”
“You tried to skin allies, dumbass!”
“So I believe in equal opportunity homicide! Is that such a crime?”
“YES!”
“...bigot.”
“YOU SON OF A-!” Nix’s free hand flashed with feral magic.
“Nix...” Scholar interrupted her tiredly. “Could you just... bring him over here?”
The female golem grumbled darkly as she floated over to her creator and proffered her crazed brother.
Null blinked as he stared at Scholar before shutting his eyes in a mouthless smile. “Good day, my lord! I must say, your visage is quite stunning today! Might I remove it and wear it as a disguise to the masquerade?”
Scholar was nonplussed as he examined his construct. “No overt damage to the runes... no structural damage either...”
“So, what, the malfunction is mental?” Gilda asked in confusion. “Because I’m telling you now, I know that these loonies are nuts, but usually they can direct their crazy towards acceptable targets.”
“Usually, yes...” He muttered before focusing on Null’s tightly clenched hands.”Unless they’re acted on by outside forces. What are you holding, Null?”
The golem’s eyes widened in shock before darting around nervously. “Er, I... that is to say...”
“Never mind, I’ll find out for myself.” Scholar snapped his fingers, sending up a flurry of magical runes that centered around Null’s fingers. Against the golem’s wishes, his hand jerked open, sending a small piece of metal flying into the air which was swiftly captured by multiple rings of runes.
Null blinked quickly as though getting water out of his eyes before focusing on his bound hands. He was silent for a second before groaning in embarrassment. “What did I do this time?”
Scholar frowned darkly as he held up the bundle of runes he was projecting, displaying the pocket watch held within. “You were an idiot and got possessed. Again.”
Null focused on the pocket watch and chuckled nervously. “Ah heh heh... Sorry?”
“The Bemused and Confounded Trixie would like to know just what the heck that thing is!” The illusionist piped up warily.
Scholar grunted darkly as he stared at the contained object. “This is a pocket watch that belonged to a particularly malevolent and homicidal butler by the name of Archibald Hall. Over the course of my many years exploring different words, I’ve procured a vast array of artifacts and memorabilia that belonged to notable figures, individuals... so on and so forth. Many of these items bear unique and supernatural properties. This watch alone is capable of possessing whoever holds it and imprinting upon them Hall’s sick, twisted, surprisingly well-versed in tea-making psyche. I use Null to contain them most of the time, though occasionally there are... mishaps.”
“And you kept that thing why exactly!?” Iron Will sputtered.
Scholar shrugged indifferently. “Sentimental value, I suppose. Same reason I keep most of them.”
Suddenly, the orb of runes erupted into a small inferno of multihued flames that lasted for a minute before dissipating and allowing a scant few ashes and dust to blow away.
“Clearly that was a mistake on my part.”
Null chuckled nervously, rubbing his wrists as his sister begrudgingly released him. “Eheheh... sorry about that... stupid thing slipped into my hand instead of the arcane ring-blade core I was grabbing for.”
“So... wait!” Gilda protested. “That... that’s it!? Over and done with?”
Seath snorted in grim amusement. “Please. This kind of thing happened on a nigh weekly basis. We’re used to it by now.”
“This doofus was particularly prone to hypnosis...” Nix jabbed her thumb at her indignant brother.
“Bite me, you arrogant-!”
“Moving on!” Scholar interrupted hastily. “Anyways... nice going with dealing with that Custodian, I have to seriously commend the both of you!”
“What, no respect for me, fuckface? Talk about appreciation!”
The tension returned in an instant as a highly recognizable individual strode into the plaza.
Gavrill grinned furiously as she bloodily tore an unrecognizable leg of meat to pieces. “Soooo much fucking respect, you got to fucking love it!” She cast a critical gaze over the ponies, griffon, minotaur, dragon, changeling and human that were assembled. “This is everyone who isn’t fucked up? Eh, screw it. I’ve seen worse. Oh yeah, almost forgot...” She cracked off a chunk of bone as she munched down on her meal. “The midget and the freak are wrapping up a few things and then they’ll get their asses here too. Just an FYI for you fuckasses.”
Chrysalis snorted as she cast a baleful gaze at the bloody woman. “Gavrill. So glad to see that you managed to survive. I thought that you might have gone and died from an infection due to all the shit that comes out of your mouth.”
Gavrill’s grin flipped into a furious scowl as she glared at the bug-horse. “You know what-!” She started to protest...
“Hello, Gavrill.”
And trailed off when Scholar marched in front of her.
The tension in the plaza mounted radically as the two stared coldly at each other.
“Er...” Gilda scratched the back of her head nervously. “What’s their problem?”
“The last words that they exchanged before everything went south were a little harsh.” Nix informed them quietly.
Iron Will raised an eyebrow in confusion. “How bad could it have been?”
Null cleared his non-existent throat before growling in Gavrill’s throaty voice. “‘Don’t attack?! Fuck you, old man! I’ve put up with your ‘restraint’ shit for too long! I don’t need you, never have and never will! Fuck off!’” He shrugged helplessly. “After that, she ran off to fight the Equestrians and we never saw her again. Heck, her rampage just helped to fuel Discord’s chaos.”
“So essentially, not that happy of a relationship.” Trixie deadpanned. “Joy. Pray tell, which way is it to the nearest bomb shelter? Trixie does not wish to perish in the crossfire.”
However, in contrast to the master illusionist’s expectations, neither the berserker nor the magus made a move. They just... stared at each other.
Finally, it was Scholar who spoke. “So... Celestia didn’t kill you?”
Gavrill scowled and looked away, refusing to meet his gaze. “... Nah. Didn’t reach her. Luna kicked my ass. Veronica dragged my body to Fran’s manor. She patched me up and put us all under.” She narrowed her eyes at him in an accusatory manner. “You disappointed?”
Scholar shrugged indifferently. “Eh, not really. At least now I have a good fire-and-forget weapon on standby, even if it is a little faulty and tends to go rogue.”
Gavrill’s snapped her jaws at him, snarling furiously. “Yeah, well you’re nothing but a crusty old has-been who wasn’t fucking strong enough!”
The two’s faces were inches from one another, both attempting to kill the other with sheer furiosity. Finally...
The two simultaneously smirked and clasped one anothers forearm’s.
“Glad to see you didn’t bite the big one yet, wild child. We could use the brute force.” Scholar chuckled.
“Yeah, well, at least you have some decent firepower, fuckface.” Gavrill responded, her savage grin back in full force.
Queen Chrysalis threw her head back and let out a harsh bark of laughter. “For all an absence of your vulgarity would be a relief on my ears, the loss of your ever-present profanity would be a crying shame. After all, how else would I be able to go to sleep at night?”
“Indeed...” Seath chuckled. “Not to mention that your stomach is a central portion of Vitrum’s waste disposal system!”
“Ah, fuck you guys!” Gavrill cackled without so much as a hint of being offended.
Meanwhile, the trio were staring at the assembly of ancient individuals in numbed shock.
“So... that’s it!?” Gilda asked. “I mean... after all she did... just like that!?”
Nix and Null shrugged indifferently.
“Eh, what can we say?”
“People screw up all the time, and way worse too!”
“In our line of work, grudges are something we can’t really afford to keep!”
“And besides... for all they’re prissy...”
“Credit where it’s due to the ponies: nothing beats the magic of friendship and family!”
“And on that note! Hey Gavrill! You look like the ugly end of a blood ogre!”
“And you smell like one too!”
“GET FUCKED, DICKLESS AND DUMB-BITCH!”
“Yes, Trixie can simply feel the love emanating off of you all...” The unicorn illusionist rolled her eyes.
“Alright, alright, enough!” Scholar guffawed, openly laughing at their antics. “Hehe, anyways, moving right along... I’d say we’re almost ready to go. We just need to wait for-!”
“SCHOLAR!”
“Never mi-OOF!” The mage was cut off by a ballistic individual in black flying through the air and colliding with his torso, nearly knocking him off his feet. However, he hastily reasserted his balance and grinned down at the toddler-sized person clutching at his robes. “Hey there, Veronica! Long time no see, h-HURK!” He was cut off again by a small fist ramming into his stomach, sending the air whuffing out of his lungs. But instead of getting angry, he merely grimaced and slowly patted her head, leaving his grimoire suspended in the air. “I... deserved that...”
“Damn right you did...” Veronica grumbled as she buried her face in his clothes. “You left us...”
“But Veronica... you’re forgetting the facts...”
The artificial human whipped her head around and grinned at the familiar voice. “Fran!”
Walking into the plaza were a quartet of individuals: Priscilla, with her massive scythe hanging upon her back, Fran Madaraki, with two hands in her lab coat's pockets, one folded behind her head while the other turned her right bolt, and one holding a clipboard while the last tapped a pencil on it rhythmically.
The patchwork scientist was flanked by a pair of... unique individuals. One was a tall woman, about half a head taller than Fran with long black hair hanging down her back. Almost her entire body was covered in bandages, and the parts of her skin that showed displayed zippers that appeared to be seamlessly integrated with her flesh. The other was a short yet stocky individual, who was three to four feet tall at most. His entire body was hidden by a pitch-black cloak, and he was wearing a patchwork newsboy cap on his head. The only visible flesh was a snuffling pig’s snout that poked out from under the cap.
Scholar grinned exuberantly as he waved at the newcomers. “Fran, Adorea, Frogan! I’m so glad to see you again! Also, the fact that you’re all in one piece is extremely encouraging!” He cast a thankful nod at the humanoid-dragon hybrid. “My thanks for escorting them, Priscilla.”
The tall woman nodded in return. “It was my pleasure, Scholar. Now, if you’ll excuse me...” She cast a frigid glare at the suddenly skittish Seath. “I must chastise my Father for partaking in gambling. Again.”
The dragon coughed uncomfortably as he rubbed the back of his head.
“As I was saying...” Fran breathed airily as she walked up to her creator and sister. “You’re forgetting the facts, Veronica... Facts that cannot be ignored...” She shrugged idly. “Three in particular... The fact that the circumstances surrounding Scholar’s disappearance were out of his control... The fact that Scholar actually came back... And finally... The fact that he truly regrets his actions.”
She smiled serenely at Scholar. “You taught us that remorse is a major necessity in forgiveness... But even without that...” She stepped up, removing her top two hands from her head and wrapping them around his shoulders in a light hug, her bottom hands coming out of her pockets to squeeze Veronica’s shoulders. “I’m still glad you’re back... all of you...”
Scholar smiled lightly as he gave his middle child a one-armed hug, the other arm remaining on his youngest’s head. “You too, Fran, you too.” He cast a sardonic look over his shoulder at the three eldest. “What about you, Gavrill, Nix, Null? You want in on the family reunion?”
“Heck no!”
“No way!”
“Fuck you! With barbed wire!”
Iron Will discretely leaned down towards one of the changelings he’d sidled up to. “So... Iron Will is confused. Why haven’t they killed one another yet?”
“You’re lookin’ at one of the greatest mysteries in all of Concordia, pal...” Rotfang whispered.
“Awwww!” Pinkie... awwed as she watched the makeshift family hug. “That’s so sweet! Hey, maybe later I should throw them a ‘Hooray, we’re all back together again!’ party!”
“Er, Pinkie?” Applejack responded as she eyed Gavrill nervously. “No offense to ya, but Ah don’t quite think that they’ll appreciate it that much, given the circumstances an’ all.”
“Er.. excuse me, Rarity?” The shy pony squeaked as she noticed her alabaster friend’s thousand-yard stare. “A-are you alright?”
“I think that she’s catatonic from the amount of stitches in these guys’ clothing.” Spike explained before casting a surreptitious glance at the tall bandaged woman. “Or their lack thereof, as the case may be.”
“AHEM!”
The peaceful mood was swiftly shattered by Chrysalis indiscreetly coughing into her hoof. “I realize that this is all very heartwarming,” She drawled, “But I believe we had some mass-homicide to orchestrate, no?”
Scholar coughed in embarrassment as he squeezed Fran and Veronica a final time before letting them go and grinning sheepishly, snatching the Lexicon back from where it had been floating. “Quite right, quite right... Well then!” He clapped his hands eagerly. “Let’s get to it! Seath, you’re first. The Subarchives are yours to purge.”
The crystalline dragon grinned a savage, lipless grin as he shuffled forwards on his tentacles, dragging his girth towards the edge of the plaza and looking out over the vast chasms below. “It will be my pleasure.”
Forgoing further ceremony, Seath began to suck in a massive lungful of breath, leaning his head, neck and torso as far back as he could manage. Once he’d inhaled as much as he could, he held his position for a single instant. The next, he snapped his entire body forwards, hanging it out over the void as he loosed the oxygen from his body in a massive roar that literally shook the ground, enormous runic rings conjuring in the space before him.
“ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRR!!!!”
Once he was done, the rings dissipated and Seath was left panting heavily as he rested his hands on what approximated as his knees.
Silence filled the air for a moment. Then...
CRACK!
Seath grinned tiredly as the sound reached what would be his ears.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRA-CRA-CRACK!
Twilight’s ear flicked slightly as she strained to understand the sound that was on the very edge of her hearing. “What... is that?”
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Scholar chuckled darkly as he recognized the noise as it grew ever louder. “That would be one of the more proactive defense systems in Vitrum!”
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRA-CRA-CRACK! CRAAAACK!
“You have to admit...” The human gloated as the sound became loud enough to ring out throughout the entire city. “The sound of swiftly growing crystal is very similar to shattering glass, isn’t it?”
“Crystal?” Rainbow Dash blinked in confusion.
It was Seath’s grim chuckling that answered her. “Indeed...” He turned and offered her a feral grin. “Crystal. Imagine it: thousands upon thousands of crystal spires, all growing from every available crystalline surface I deem fit at extremely high speeds. Unstoppable. Omnipresent. As of this moment, every inch of those tunnels is a blade, seeking to bathe itself in Equestrian blood.” His grin grew ever more bloodthirsty. “The only fate that awaits the enemies of Vitrum down below is one that is swift and painless. The sole issue will be getting those pesky blood stains out.”
Twilight’s eyes widened in horror as she processed the implications of the ominous statement. “Th-that’s-!”
She was interrupted by the hitherto ever-present shattering sound suddenly stopping without warning.
Seath’s grin extended to its fullest. “The Subarchives have been purged. Chrysalis? I leave the Overloft to you. And please, do try and avoid damaging what flora and fauna you can. We have so little to spare...”
“Anything for my dearest of friends, Seath!” The changeling matriarch grinned as she strutted forwards, green light coalescing around her form as she went. “Now, if you please, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.”
Chrysalis closed her eyes and stood very still as the emerald energy began to flow around her, radiating from almost every inch of her carapace. Simultaneously, the other changelings in the plaza began to glow, including those previously invisible which suddenly phased into sight, the light shining out of their eyes and mouths. Lacewing was snapped out of his stupor and leapt to the air, Rotfang joining him as he buzzed in the air eagerly. Chitter cackled as he leapt into the air, zipping around like a deranged verdant fly.
“I love Swarming...” Lacewing chuckled, his voice thick and heavy with magic.
“Indeed...” Rotfang concurred, sparks of energy crackling around him. “Nothing quite beats the feeling of imminent, unabated slaughter.”
“HAHAahaHahaHAAA!” Chitter’s garbled laughter rang throughout the plaza as he swirled about in incoherent patterns. “ENouGH waitING! LEt’S GEt tO IT!”
The sound of buzzing, insectoid rings was not just within the plaza. The noise was repeated and echoed all throughout the entirety of Vitrum. The sound heralded one thing, and one thing only: a swarm. A massive army of insects taking to the air simultaneously.
“Now then, my dearest children...” Chrysalis intoned from her stable position, ablaze with a fathomless amount of energy. “I trust you know what I am about to ask of you?”
“Yes, my Queen...” What seemed like thousands of voices droned simultaneously, the collective sound of their dialogue nigh divine in stature.
“Then...” Chrysalis’ eyes snapped open, twin suns of emerald magic. “Kill!”
“YES, MY QUEEN!”
What seemed like thousands blurs of black and green shot off into the air, speeding towards the sky. Slowly but surely, from all over the metropolis, countless Changelings coalesced in the spaces below, around and above the aerial islands that composed the overloft. To call it a cloud would be an insult, and yet there was no better word to describe the amalgamation of chitin and fury that was sweeping its way across the sky.
“Holy mother of Aeolus...” Gilda breathed in disbelief.
“Yes...” Fran chuckled as she turned her bolt, absentmindedly scribbling away on her clipboard. “That is often the reaction to watching a small army of changelings getting amped on magic and Swarming... It’s very unique...”
“Credit where it’s due to the fuckers!” Gavrill concurred as she finished off the leg she had been eating, licking the last of the viscera off her fingers. “When they want to be badass, they can sure as hell be badass.”
“W-what are they doing up there?” Twilight asked nervously.
“Ever leave a picnic basket unattended?” Scholar asked without taking his eyes off the spectacle. “Well, changelings are primarily carnivorous, so right now, they’re essentially ants on steroids.”
“What the heck are steroids!?” Rainbow Dash asked in confusion.
Scholar shot the ponies a disbelieving look before shrugging. “Huh... credit where it’s due, Celestia and Luna actually got something right... Anyways, to put it simply, they’ll be lucky if their bones are left.”
“T-that’s barbaric!” Rarity shrieked in disgust.
“We prefer to call it the circle of life.” Priscilla rebuked primly.
“S-she’s not wrong, you know...” Fluttershy added, blushing at the disbelieving looks her friends gave her.
Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Chrysalis let out a sigh of relief as she allowed herself to relax, the magic fading around from her, followed by the swarm moments later. “Thank Nyx... as enjoyable as Swarming can be, it is equally exhausting.”
“Doesn’t stop it from being a good show though!” Scholar commented.
Chrysalis raised an eye ridge at him flatly. “I wasn’t doing it for your amusement you know.”
“This time!” Lacewing cackled as he swooped back down to the plaza, his armor streaked with crimson.
“Heh, yeah!” Rotfang concurred as he joined his brother. “Remember that night on Scarsky Plateau, when-ERK!”
He and Lacewing were cut off when their mouths were enveloped in emerald light and clamped shut.
“We. Do not. Talk about Scarsky.” Chrysalis hissed furiously. She then blinked as she realized something. “Wait, where’s-?”
SLAM!
Chitter slammed headfirst into one of the plazas supporting the palace above the plaza, sank to the ground... and began to giggle incoherently. “Sooo... full...”
“Question retracted. Anyhow!” Chrysalis cast a smirk at Scholar. “Do tell us. What method do you intend to use to dispatch the last of the enemy?”
Scholar made a show of stroking his chin thoughtfully as he flicked his book open and thumbed through it. “Oh, it’s so hard to say... after all, there are just sooo many choices... elemental... arcane...” Finally, he settled on a specific page, slapped a finger down and grinned eagerly. “Oh. Oh yes... this will do perfectly...” He cast a cocky grin at his allies. “Hang on to your armor. This is about to get paranatural!”
Without further ado, he slammed his palm on the page, prompting several arrays of frigid blue runes to coalesce in the air around him, rotating and orbiting around him in sharp, calculated trajectories. A cold, arctic mist seemed to seep off of the human, pooling around his feet.
“Sixth Ode of the Nordic Pantheon,” Scholar breathed, his voice heavy with arcane energies. “Convocation of Hel.”
The runes and arrays coalesced into a singular point above Scholar before exploding outwards, sending out a wave of blue energy that left all it passed through with chills.
Once anew, silence reigned over the plaza as all the occupants awaited a response with baited breath.
At long last, one came.
A howl. A distant, distant howl, far off from beyond the city.
That howl was joined by another. And then another and another... a deep, roaring array of howls ringing out from the edge of the tundra.
And they were getting closer.
Gilda’s eyes widened as she took a wary step back. “Screw his mother, holy Aeolus himself... a-are those-?”
“Hooboy...” Iron Will swallowed nervously, gripping his club uncertainly. “This... is something...”
“This is... this is unbelievable...” Trixie swallowed, her breathing accelerating.
“W-what are those things?” Fluttershy whimpered, trying in vain to cover her ears and block out the howling.
“The Boreads,” Scholar smirked, an array of blue runes flickering in front of him. “Northern spirits of ice, wind, magic and emotion. But they’re just a subset of an even greater species. A species that your people are intimately familiar with.”
“Windigoes...” Seath rumbled.
The reaction from the Equestrians was to simultaneously shiver in wordless terror.
Windigoes. The primordial demons that had plagued ponykind for as long as they could remember, and that had only been banished by the foundation of Equestria.
Some had dared to hope that they were myths.
And now they were about to meet them face to face.
“Heh...” Gavrill’s grin widened malevolently as the howling came closer and closer. “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen the old pack. This oughta be fun.”
Twilight’s panicked mind latched onto the incongruent factoid like a lifeline. “P-pack?!” She sputtered. “B-but I thought that Windigoes were horse-shaped?”
Gilda grunted and shook her head negatively, shivering uncomfortably. By this point, the howling was immense, easily matching gale force winds. The temperature had noticeably dropped by several degrees, and a plume of snow grew over the top of Vitrum’s skyline. “Wrong subspecies!” The griffon shouted to make herself heard. “The ones that antagonized you dweebs were Eurusi, eastern spirits. Them and Zephyrs are equine. Boreads and Noti are predominantly canine!”
“Fascinating! Any other pointless factoids?” Trixie asked.
“Forgive me for spouting trivia when I’m suffering from mortal terror!”
Before Trixie could respond, their argument was cut off by a frigid gale of wind tearing through the plaza, raising the hair of all those who had any.
Nix and Null glanced at one another before chuckling morbidly.
“They’re he~re!” They chorused.
“Right, no more horror movies...” Scholar grumbled.
Nevertheless, the Twins were right. Without so much as an instant of fanfare, what could only be described as a sentient blizzard blew into the space surrounding the plaza. A living mass of roiling, tumbling snow that blew around the plaza, forming a frigid cyclone.
As the blizzard roared and howled, shapes... formed, for lack of a better word, within the storm. Wolves, massive and savage, yet elegant in a feral manner, there one instant and dispersed the next as they looped about, their pale blue eyes glinting menacingly as they hungrily eyed the occupants of the plaza.
Scholar chuckled as most others were rendered silent by the menacing spectacle. “Ladies and gentlemen!” He proclaimed proudly. “I present to you Vitrum’s first line of defense! Allow me to demonstrate just how effective they are...”
Scholar began to channel magic into his right arm...
BA-BUMP!
And promptly hid a flinch when a bolt of pain ran the length of said limb. He then nonchalantly raised his hand to his mouth, pursed his lips and blew out an extremely shrill whistle, causing the Boreads to accelerate and howl even louder.
The majority of the onlookers were ignorant of Scholar’s discomfort, but not all of them.
The magus had to fight to keep from flinching when Fran discretely jabbed a scalpel into the small of his back. “Scholar!” The patchwork surgeon hissed, her voice a combination of concern and indignant anger.
“Later...” He muttered out of the corner of his mouth before channeling magic into his throat and addressing the Windigoes. “BOREADS OF THE NORTH! FOR TOO LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DERELICT IN YOUR DUTY! YOU HAVE FAILED TO UPHOLD THE PROPRIETY AND SANCTITY OF VITRUM IN ITS TIME OF NEED!”
The pitch of the howls rose an octave as they took on a hint of unmistakable fury.
“BUT!” Scholar forged on. “AS OF THIS MOMENT, THAT IS IRRELEVANT! AS OF THIS MOMENT, YOUR SOLE PURPOSE IS THE SAME AS IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN! PROTECT! VITRUM! GO! PURGE THIS CITY, OUR CITY OF THOSE WHO INVADE IT! KILL THEM ALL!”
The howls crescendoed to a roar of pure unholy rage. As one, the blizzard- no, the pack darted out amongst the buildings of Vitrum, the fury of nature distilled into a singular, mobile cloud of apoplectic ice and fury. Every surface they touched was almost instantaneously covered in an inches-thick layer of ice, and their howls were ever-present.
“They’re going to hunt them down...” Gavrill breathed reverently. “Every earth pony, unicorn and pegasus who isn’t recognized as friendly. They’ll all be completely drained of magic, and every inch of them, every cell will become ice. Hohohooooo man,” She chuckled malevolently. “It’s gonna suck to be an Equestrian out there, because there is no escaping them. They’re hate and cold incarnate. The world itself is their enemy. And it. Is. Pissed.”
“But don’t worry!” Scholar chuckled, leering at Twilight in her cage. “I’m a man of my word. They’ll avoid Shining Armor, he’ll live. Barely. Liiitle bit of frost bite, plus maybe some PTSD from all the soldiers he saved dying around him, but hey, as Fran has taught me, quality of life is a debatable factor.”
“Make a few mistakes and no one will ever let you hear the end of it...” The surgeon moaned in embarrasment.
Twilight was silent as she stared morosely at the assembled Concordians before bowing her head somberly. “You’re a monster, Scholar.” She breathed.
Scholar raised an eyebrow at her before shrugging indifferently. “No more than your Princesses, Sparkle.”
Cadance cast a remorseful look at her old friend before looking away, in no way attempting to deny his words.
Ultimately, the howling came to an end as the wind died down, from a tempest to a gale, and finally to a low whistle. The ice began to melt, and the snow began to move away.
“The Windigoes are leaving.” Veronica noted definitively.
“Don’t worry, they’ll still be around,” Scholar reassured. “They’re going to be patrolling the tundra, preventing any... unwanted visitors from approaching Vitrum. Empathic entities are useful like that.”
“Meanwhile, the task is done.” Seath smiled ferally. “Vitrum has been purged. None of our enemies have survived the ordeal. Finally, for the first time in over a thousand years, Vitrum is free!”
“We’re going to need to perform a lot of cleanup. And I don’t just mean the bloodstains. More than a fair amount of property damage to repair.” Chrysalis noted idly.
“There’ll be time for that later,” Scholar waved them off as he turned and started to walk towards the cube of crystal that was spinning in the center of the plaza. “For now... we have more important matters to address.” He flipped his grimoire open and prompted the pages to start flipping endlessly, runes streaming from the paper and into the cube, prompting it to glow even brighter.
“The heck are ya’ll doin’?” Applejack questioned nervously.
“Oh, nothing too complex...” Scholar grinned madly as he stared into the magic roiling before him. “I’m just going to... talk with a few people is all.” He raised a hand and snapped his fingers. “Hit it.”
Seath waved his hand, conjuring up an array. In response, a beam of light shot up from the cube, into the castle above. The spire’s entire body began to glow, magic charging its every fractal. All around its body, massive, massive arrays of runes and symbols began to materialize. Once the luminescence was at a maximum, the tower shining like a small sun, the energy left it all at once, a bolt of power shooting up into the sky, spearing through any and all clouds and shooting higher than anything had ever flown in recent years.
Scholar shot Seath an expectant look from over his shoulder. “Well?”
The dragon muttered to himself as he fiddled with his array, analyzing the shapes and symbols composing it. “A large amount of the relays have been permanently disabled. Only about a dozen or so of the orbital ones remain active and they aren’t even equidistantly dispersed, but there are several terrestrial relays still in position. It will be tight... but the system will function.”
The human nodded in acceptance as he turned back to the cube. “Very well then. Activate the communications array. Let’s do this.”
-o-
Celestia breathed heavily as she galloped out onto her chamber’s balcony, staring up at the sky in ill-repressed horror. She snapped her head around and caught sight of Luna as her sister flapped down from her tower to join her. “Did you feel-?”
“I would have to be blind, deaf and dumb to have not felt such force!” Luna stated darkly. “And even then...”
Celestia whinnied nervously as she searched the sky. “But how? How could he possibly manage to-?”
KRACKATHOOM!
The sisters snapped their heads up in shock as an enormous explosion rang out above them, and the sound of stone splitting and cracking reached their ears.
High above Canterlot, a beam of pure energy had impacted the very peak of the mountain upon which Canterlot rested, and was ceaselessly drilling into the rock that composed its face.
Celestia’s ears flattened in numb realization. “The communications array. He’s managed to retake Vitrum.”
“I don’t suppose that there’s any way we can disrupt the signal, is there?” Luna asked idly.
Celestia shrugged slightly. “That depends. How do you feel about instant and painful disintegration from magic surcharge?”
“Ah. Well... I suppose we have no choice but to listen to what he has to say. Perhaps there is a chance that it will not be as bad as we expect.”
With a final, resounding CRACK!, the mountain peak split open, a large cubic construct of rune-engraved stone and metal rose into the air, glowing brightly with the energy flowing into it as sigils and symbols flowed off of it and orbited around it freely. After a moment, three more beams of energy shot out of the device and off into the distance towards unknown destinations.
Meanwhile, the device above Canterlot began to glow brighter and brighter, rotating faster and faster as energy and runes flowed off it into a cloud high above the city.
After about a minute, the magic condensed into a singular, recognizable form: Scholar, standing imperiously above the world with his Lexicon held open before him.
“PEOPLE OF MUNDUS!” The magus boomed, his sonorous voice echoing far and wide to such an extent that not hearing him would be an impossibility. “MY NAME IS SCHOLAR, PROFESSOR MAGNUS OF THE ACADEMIA ARCANA AND OLIGARCH OF CONCORDIA! MY PURPOSE SPEAKING TO YOU TODAY IS TWOFOLD! FOR MY ALLIES, I PROMISE HOPE, SUPPORT, AND A PROMISE OF LIBERTY IN THE FUTURE!” His demeanor shifted drastically, going taking a stance of inevitable menace. “FOR MY ENEMIES... PRINCESS CELESTIA, PRINCESS LUNA, I PROMISE YOU NOTHING SHORT OF THE WORST HELL YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE.”
“Well, we’re thoroughly fucked.”
“Luna!”
“Oh bite me, sister. I must agree with Scholar, the shift in vocabulary is a step too far.” Luna sighed wearily as she massaged the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache beginning to develop. “Either way, please do be quiet. I would like to hear what our adversary has to say.”
-o-
“FOR THE PAST TWO THOUSAND YEARS, COUNTLESS SPECIES ACROSS MUNDUS HAVE SUFFERED, SUBJUGATED IN A CHAINLESS CAPTIVITY SINCE THE FALL OF MY NATION AT THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO BETRAYED US! TO THOSE WHO WENT FREE WERE NONETHELESS SHACKLED, BROUGHT LOW AND MADE TO SUFFER! TODAY, I STRIKE THE FIRST BLOW, AND TAKE THE FIRST STEP IN LIBERATING YOU!”
Rover blinked in a dull manner as he listened to the words the glowing person that had just appeared before the pack from the Old Shrine had been saying.
The Shrine was an ancient thing, one of many similar artifact that all Diamond Dog packs carried with them from den to den, no matter the cost. None of them knew why they did such a thing, just that they did. It was how things had always been, and how they would always be.
The gray Diamond Dog grumbled as he wiped his forearm over his nose, only half-listening to the words being said. They were big and complicated and had absolutely nothing to do with diamonds, so he couldn’t really give a damn about what was being said. He turned towards the rest of his onlooking pack, prepared to bark at them to get back to work.
Suddenly, Rover felt something. Heat, a glow, centered around his neck. The mutt raised his paw in confusion and gripped the collar he wore that denoted him as the pack’s Alpha. The heat... it was growing... hotter and hotter... brighter and brighter... he could feel the light shining off of it. It seeped through his fingers, into his fingers, into his very body. The light... the energy... it felt...
It felt...
Rover gasped, sucking in a deep breath of oxygen as he took what felt like his first, true breath. ‘I... my mind...’ He thought in shock, ‘I-it’s...!’ The Alpha snapped his head around to stare at his Beta and Gamma. “F-fido... Spot... do you-?”
The short brown mutt nodded slowly as he fingered his collar. “I... Boss, this feeling, I’ve... I’ve never...”
The larger, darker hound stared at his leader in shock. “B-boss... I... do you...? Do you remember...?”
Rover blinked as he tried to work out what Fido was saying... and choked as it all came rushing back to him. He remembered. Every lesson his mother had taught him when he was a pup, the legends he was told. The protocols and instructions that had been forgotten in the haze of time. Their purpose. Their promise. Their duty.
He remembered it all.
Acting on what he remembered, Rover darted over to the altar that the shrine had been resting on, ripping the amber medallion off of his collar and sliding it into a hidden slot in the stone. Moments later, the stone surface lit up with runes before splitting apart and sliding away to allow access to the space within.
Reaching in, the Alpha dug out a collar, similar to the one that he and his direct subordinates wore, if slightly rougher. He looked at it curiously for a moment before acting on a hunch, wheeling around and flinging the neckwear at one of the other lower-ranked hounds in the cavern.
The Dog gasped and jerked in shock when the collar latched around his throat, flashing once and sending out a flurry of runes. Then... he looked up, and Rover could see the new- or was it old?- intelligence that shone in his eyes.
Rover looked into the box, ran a quick calculation- an honest to Gaea calculation- in his head before snapping his head back towards his comrades. “Pull every Dog you can out of the mines and bring them here now! Mandatory attendance! Everyone gets a collar! And once they’re protected...”
He reached into the box and withdrew a large bronze, runic pickaxe, which he stared at contemplatively before growling and gripping it tightly.
“I want every last Dog on deck! Shafts expanded in all directions! I want a two-hundred percent spike in efficiency before the sun sets! No rest! No breaks! We are going to do our duty, and we are going to do it right!” Rover shoved his pick into the air. “FOR THE OLD EMPIRE!”
The mutts who had regained their intelligence grinned in unison and pumped their fists. “FOR CONCORDIA!”
-o-
“TO MY MOST ANCIENT AND STAUNCHEST OF ALLIES, WHO HAVE SURVIVED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AGAINST ALL ODDS, FAITHFULLY AWAITING MY RETURN! I IMPLORE YOU TO END YOUR EXILE AND REJOIN MY SIDE, SO THAT WE MIGHT STRIKE BACK AT THOSE WHO HAVE USURPED US! THE TIME FOR PATIENCE HAS COME TO AN END! NOW, AT THIS MOMENT, BEGINS THE TIME FOR ACTION!”
High atop a mountain, far, far away from any and all civilization, an immense, ancient dragon with pitch black scales and dark gray spines watched the image of the human on the horizon, chuckling nostalgically as he listened to the oratory that was being given to the world.
Suddenly, he was snapped out of his memories by the sounds of flapping wings and scales scratching against stone.
Looking down the slope of the mountain, he cast a neutral stare at the two new arrivals.
They were big dragons, both as large as he. They mirrored one another almost perfectly in form, though their demeanors and colorings were different. The one on the left was predominantly red, with a yellow underbelly and pinkish spines on his neck. He was slouched and relaxing slightly on the mountain, an air of laziness communicated through the small plumes of smoke that radiated from his mouth and nostrils. The one on the right, however, with dark green scales and lime-shaded spines, was extremely twitchy, balanced on his rear legs and agitatedly flicking his tail back and forth. His claws rubbed and scraped against one another every other second.
The black dragon hummed approvingly as he nodded at the both of them, greeting them in turn. “Sorth. Franaxis. I am pleased at your diligence in answering the call.”
Sorth snorted out a large plume of smoke in response. “As though we would have any other option, Kalurme. We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. I realize that my reputation precedes me, but please. I request some form of respect.”
Franaxis let out his own snort of derisiveness. “Respect my scaly ass...” He muttered sardonically before addressing the higher dragon. “So, tell us. How do we move?”
Kalurme bowed his head in thought for a moment before responding. “Sorth. I want you to fly as far and fast as you can. Find the hermits and recluses, and ensure that they remember their duty. We can no longer afford any form of division.”
The crimson dragon muttered darkly as he rubbed at his eyes and yawned deeply. “An arduous task. Highly taxing and laborious.”
“Can you do it?”
Sorth’s eyes snapped open instantly, an inferno burning within his eyes as smoke erupted from his mouth and nostrils. “Don’t patronize me.”
The obsidian dragon grunted flatly. “My apologies, I meant no insult.”
Sorth stared at him darkly before nodding. “Accepted.”
“Good. Now then...” Kalurme shifted his focus to the green dragon. “Franaxis. Take those who you require and reclaim our hoards. All that we have gathered and accumulated over time. Recover what is ours so that we might prefer for the coming tempest.”
Franaxis nodded swiftly. “I acknowledge my duty with honor.” He then raised his eyeridge curiously. “And what of you?”
Kalurme grunted flatly, turning his head and staring towards the caldera behind him where the rest of his kind awaited. “I shall assemble the Migration, coordinate with them. You will meet with us at the destination I intend to lead them to.”
He turned his head back and stared determinedly at the other two dragons present.
“We make north, for Vitrum.”
-o-
“TO THOSE WHO HAVE FOLLOWED IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THOSE DEARLY DEPARTED, AND WHO HAVE REMAINED FAITHFUL DESPITE THE HARDSHIPS YOU HAVE NO DOUBT UNDERGONE, I OFFER YOU MY DEEPEST AND SINCEREST GRATITUDE. SHOULD YOU CURRENTLY HAVE PLANS OF YOUR OWN AT THIS TIME, THEN I GIVE YOU FULL AUTHORITY TO CARRY THEM OUT. NEVERTHELESS, I IMPLORE YOU TO JOIN ME, SO THAT WE MIGHT STAND AS ONE, AND PRESENT A UNIFIED FRONT!”
A light, feminine chuckle wafted out of the darkness as the onlooker watched Scholar preach his intentions.
The watcher couldn’t help but acknowledge the man’s skill as she admired the craftsmanship of his spell.
The signal that he was broadcasting his message on was immensely powerful. Anyone could intercept it and listen in on what was being said from anywhere in the world if they so desired, so long as they were aware of what they were looking for and knew what they were doing.
And she most certainly knew what she was doing.
“Each and every legend and rumor was true...” She breathed reverently, staring at the image. “You’re just as incredible as everyone says you are. More than I’d ever imagined possible...”
She chuckled again as she folded her hands beneath her chin. “Something tells me that I’m going to very much enjoy working with you.”
Her lips extended into a self-assured grin.
“I look forwards to a very fruitful relationship.”
-o-
“TO THOSE WHO CARE NOT FOR THE HEAT OF WAR OR FOR THE CONFLICT AT HAND, THOSE WHOSE SOLE DESIRE IS KNOWLEDGE, AND KNOWLEDGE ALONE! I OFFER YOU SANCTUARY! THE ACADEMIA ARCANA PROMISES A PLACE TO ALL WILLING AND DESIRING TO LEARN! REGARDLESS OF FACTION AND LOYALTY, THE ACADEMIA’S SOLE CONCERN IS THE ACCUMULATION AND DISPERSION OF KNOWLEDGE, AND WILL NEVER TURN AWAY THOSE SEEKING TO LEARN!”
A mare covered in a heavy robe stared up silently at the magus’s projection, wordlessly listening to what he had to say and steadfastly ignoring the cold of the ice beneath her hooves and the wind nipping at what skin it could reach.
After about a minute, she returned her attention to the tundra before her and began to trot forwards once more, intent on reaching the metropolis that shone on the horizon.
Without warning, she was forced to come to a halt when a cascade of snow impacted the ice in front of her, swirling and lashing out menacingly at her for a second before settling into a form akin to a large, alabaster wolf with icy blue eyes.
The wolf glared at her silently as its body rippled with the wind, its eyes meeting the mare’s beneath her hood.
The pony didn’t react. She didn’t flinch, falter, or even so much as blink.
In the end, it was the wolf who reacted first. It snorted once before dissolving back into snow and blowing away on the wind.
The mare stared after the snow despondently before turning her gaze back towards her destination and continuing forwards resolutely.
-o-
“AND TO MY ADVERSARIES, YOU WHO HAVE SPURNED ME, OPPOSED ME AT EVERY TURN AND TRIED TO DO HARM TO ME AND MINE... I GIVE YOU MY SOLEMN VOW: YOU WILL SUFFER. YOU WILL KNOW PAIN, AND MISERY, AND FEAR. I PROMISE YOU THAT NO MATTER WHAT, I WILL SEE TO IT THAT YOU DO NOT PREVAIL, AND THAT ALL YOU HOLD DEAR CRUMBLES BEFORE YOU. AND IF YOU THINK THAT I HAVE WEAKENED DURING MY ABSENCE, THAT CONCORDIA IS NOW OR EVER WILL BE VULNERABLE? THEN YOU ARE DEAD WRONG.”
I̬͎̬̐̍̉̉̊ͪT̵̴̨̳̯̜̀ͯ̀̉ͯ̇̅ OBSE͝RVE̷D҉ TH̡E ̵COMM̕UN̴I̸CAT̀I͝OŅ IT ̀HAD̶ H̷E͞AR͞D,͞ ACK̶N̷OWLE̢D̷GING ̡T̷H̸E WÓRD̀S SP̴O͞K҉ÈN̷.̛
I̬͎̬̐̍̉̉̊ͪT̵̴̨̳̯̜̀ͯ̀̉ͯ̇̅ ROAR͜E͞D̨ A̕N͢D̸ GIB̴BE͏R̢ED̶ ͟AN͡Ḑ ͢R̨AGED͟ AT̷ T̨H͏È ̨SI͝GHT͠ ͝OF͜ T̀H̀E A̷DVÈRŚAR͠Y̢, TH͜Ȩ ̸FOȨ T̶HAT ̵H̷A͟D D͟E̡N̢ĮED́ ͜I̬͎̬̐̍̉̉̊ͪT̵̴̨̳̯̜̀ͯ̀̉ͯ̇̅ ̴AND̴ ̴I̬͎̬̐̍̉̉̊ͪT̵̴̨̳̯̜̀ͯ̀̉ͯ̇̅S͠ ̸OW̶Ņ.͠
̴
I̬͎̬̐̍̉̉̊ͪT̵̴̨̳̯̜̀ͯ̀̉ͯ̇̅ ̢SEET͏H̴E͡D ̸AND͢ ̀SNA̵R͠LÈD̀, ̡I͡NDIG̢NANT A͞T ̀TH̵E ̀ADVERSA̛R̷Y̸'̷S̢ TON͜E̴. T̛H̨E͘ ̧ADVER̀S͡A͘R͢Y'͟S C͏ONF̶ID͠E̢NCE̸.̀
I̬͎̬̐̍̉̉̊ͪT̵̴̨̳̯̜̀ͯ̀̉ͯ̇̅ ̡GR̨EW ͞QUIE͝T.
I̬͎̬̐̍̉̉̊ͪT̵̴̨̳̯̜̀ͯ̀̉ͯ̇̅ O̸BSE͠R̶V͢E̴D͠ ̵T͞HE̢ A̶DVE͢RS̶A͡RY.
I̬͎̬̐̍̉̉̊ͪT̵̴̨̳̯̜̀ͯ̀̉ͯ̇̅ NOT͡ED̸ TH̨E ADV́ÉR͡SA͟RY̸'͡S̀ ̴LÌE̡.
I̬͎̬̐̍̉̉̊ͪT̵̴̨̳̯̜̀ͯ̀̉ͯ̇̅ C͡ACKLE̶D̀ A͟ND ̀GUF̧FA͢WED, ̨EXUB͝E͠RA̷NT ͟I͞N Ȋ̴̷̫͇̼̯̤̹̫͗͛ͅT̞̦͇̖̔̒̈́͛͌̉̅ͅͅS̷͈͍̪̒̋̑̅̓̏̏ VIĆTO͜R͝Y̢.̴
̨I̬͎̬̐̍̉̉̊ͪT̵̴̨̳̯̜̀ͯ̀̉ͯ̇̅ C҉O̸N̵TA̧CT̡ED̨ ͝THE̶ Ö͚̼̱̦̪͕̻̎ͦ͗ͤ͐̀ͅŤ̘̝ͦ͒̾̾͑̽͠H̶̱͓̩̩͍̝̓ͥͣ͋E͌̄͆ͤ̋͋̉҉̗͉̤͇͖͔͓R̼̦̯̹̫͎̫ͤͬ͞͠S̨̗̺̬̼̓̎ͦ̆͌,̶ ͡I̧NF̀O̢RME͡D͞ T͚̖͎̹̼̹̩̹ͭ̚͘͢͡H̱̣ͤ̇͠͡ͅͅE͙͉̳͍̗̣͔̼ͪ̒̀̓̋ͩ̕͘Ḿ̧̰͚͈̮̀ͫ͆́ͯ OF ̕TH͡E ̴D͝E̴V͜EL̸O̶PM̵ENT̕.
͠
T̯̼̩̣͍͙̰ͤͯ̓̈́H̰̖͔̯͓̺ͯ̋͗͐E̟͇̲͈̺̦͋ͯͨ̑̀̊Y̡̳͕̠͈̿̀ B͠EGAN͝ ̛TO̴ SE̕A͡RC̨H O̡U҉T͡ W͠ḨA̸T͡ W҉ÀS RI̕G͞HTF͡UL̀L͠Y̧ T͉̗̹͊͋̈͑͌͘͢͢H̵͍͉͚͑̉ͪ͛̈̋E̘̙̱̅͋̓̇̔͟I̼̬̯̘̠̥̮̓̈ͭR̷͓̹̯̱̦̳͔ͫͮ̉̚͜S̷͑̋ͫͤ̒ͤ̍̒͏̗̯.
T̯̼̩̣͍͙̰ͤͯ̓̈́H̰̖͔̯͓̺ͯ̋͗͐E̟͇̲͈̺̦͋ͯͨ̑̀̊Y̡̳͕̠͈̿̀ ͜PRE҉PĄR̀ED T̡O͜ REC̕LA͏IM̢ T̳̮͖̩̉͊͂ͮ͑̅H͂͛̽͠͏̥͖E̴̮͇ͫͤͥ̍ͫ̀I̡̢̯̬͙͋͑̈́ͨ̓̓̾ͩ̋͞ͅR̴̷̼̖͓̼̼̪͉̗̒ K͢IN̵GD̵ƠM͟.
T̯̼̩̣͍͙̰ͤͯ̓̈́H̰̖͔̯͓̺ͯ̋͗͐E̟͇̲͈̺̦͋ͯͨ̑̀̊Y̡̳͕̠͈̿̀ ͙̬͍̜̲̣͍͒͗ͭ̀̆͠Čͮ̑̒̄ͩ̄̑҉̤̳̱̬̦̼̕A̞̻͔͙͙̻̼ͭ͋̿͛͐́͠M̛̬̘͔͖ͤ͂̏̏͆ͩ́͢E͖̍ͯ̑̆̕̕.
-o-
“AND FINALLY... TO THOSE WHO STAND ON THE SIDE OF THOSE WHO OPPOSE ME, BUT HOLD NO IRE FOR ME, AND SEEK TO DO ME NO HARM. MY QUARREL IS NOT, NOR HAS IT EVER BEEN, WITH THE INNOCENT. SO LONG AS YOU DO NOT SEEK TO OPPOSE ME, I WILL NOT GO OUT OF MY WAY TO INJURE YOU. THIS, I SOLEMNLY SWEAR.”
Fleur observed the martini glass she was levitating for a moment, idly contemplating it before setting it down on a nearby table.
She then grabbed the bottle of gin that was also on the table, brought it to her mouth and started to chug it.
“Do save some for me, dear.” A reassuringly familiar voice requested in an only semi-joking manner.
Fleur de Lis shot him a scathing look as she set the bottle down. “And I assume that you know of a better means through which to cope with the situation at hand? Because honestly, I can’t quite think of one!”
Fancy Pants rubbed his wife’s back reassuringly. “Well, not getting blind drunk is a start in my honest opinion. After all, this Scholar fellow did just just state that he intended no harm towards ponies like us, who don’t intend to harm him.”
“Noooo, he just intends to destroy our diarchy and shatter our nation.” Fleur deadpanned flatly.
The blue-maned stallion grimaced and rubbed the back of his head with his hoof. “Personal survival trumps patriotism, love.” He then nuzzled her reassuringly. “I’d rather live with you in the ashes of Equestria then risk losing you defending it.”
Fleur de Lis gave her husband a sad look before sighing heavily and nuzzling him back. “I... I suppose you have a point. It’s just... just...” Her ear flicked as she noticed something on the edge of her hearing and looked out over the edge of the balcony she and her husband were sitting on. “Just what in Equestria is that?” She jabbed her hoof at the mass of throbbing lights that was on the other side of Canterlot.
Fancy Pants narrowed his eyes as he observed the lightshow before nodding in recognition. “Ah, yes, that appears to be Vinyl Scratch’s, or DJ-Pon3’s, club. It appears that she’s starting quite the ruckus.”
“Now!? What possible reason could she have!?” Fleur sputtered in disbelief.
“Hmm... at a guess...” Fancy Pants shot his wife a cheeky grin. “She’s trying to have one final fling before the world ends?”
The unicorn laughed as his wife huffed in mock-indignation and slapped his shoulder with her hoof.
However, he immediately stopped when Fleur leaned against him, resting the majority of her weight on him. He immediately raised his leg and put it around her shoulder comfortingly.
“What will we do, Fancy Pants?” She asked quietly.
Fancy Pants sighed tiredly as he stared up at Scholar’s deific form.
“We do what we always do, my dearest Fleur...” He whispered.
“We muddle through.”
-o-
“CONSIDER MY WORDS, RESIDENTS OF MUNDUS. CONSIDER THEM WELL, AND PREPARE YOURSELVES, FOR YOUR WORLD IS ABOUT TO CHANGE IN WAYS YOU CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE. GOODBYE, MUNDUS, GOODBYE.”
And with that, Scholar snapped his Lexicon shut and chopped his hand through the arrays before him, dispersing them and ending the broadcast. The human huffed heavily for a moment before wheeling around and spreading his arms wide. “Well, what did you think?”
“Mmm...” Chrysalis waved her hoof side to side in a so-so manner. “Not bad, not bad. Admittedly a little overblown in places, but you got the message through.”
“Indeed,” Seath nodded in agreement. “With any luck, our allies now see the flag behind which they can rally.”
“You’re telling me!” Gilda cackled eagerly. “Everyone and their grandmother heard that! If this doesn’t light a fire under some asses, nothing will!”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie couldn’t agree more!” The silver-armored mare smirked in agreement. “You put on a performance worthy of her stage!”
“Are you certain that such an overt message was necessary?” Ironwill questioned cautiously.
Scholar nodded solemnly at the minotaur. “It was. We needed to send a message, establish our stance. We’re entering this war fast and furious. I want to make sure that we do it right. And hey, don’t worry!” He grinned cheekily. “This isn’t the first time I’ve done this you know!” His smile died for an instance before he grimaced. “Wow, this is the second time in my life that I’ve declared war on the world and rallied allies to fight by my side. That really says something about my life.”
“Ha! Like the rest of the shit you do isn’t batshit fucking crazy already!” Gavrill barked.
“Aaaanyways!” Nix cut in.
“What do we do now, boss?” Null cut in.
Scholar glanced at them before smiling madly. He started to march towards the runic cages holding his prisoners.
“Now? Now we move on to the final part of our display here today.”
He halted before one cage in particular and smirked at its occupant.
“And you’re going to help me.”