Gjallarsong

by BlackRoseRaven

Verse Seven

Verse Seven:
~BlackRoseRaven

Celestia stood calmly on one of the tallest towers of Canterlot, gazing silently out over her city. Here and there, she could see smoke rising as ponies struggled to put out the latest damage done during the last griffin attack.
She had not foreseen the Kirin allying themselves with the griffins. They had done so under the excuse that they were 'frightened:' frightened of what the griffins could do to them, frightened of what Equestria was becoming, they said. But Celestia wasn't fooled. They, and other nations, had all joined with the griffins in a united front against them after conveniently forgetting that the griffins had attacked Equestria first, after witnessing the power that Valthrudnir had brought them.
Celestia was not surprised. They showed strength and backbone instead of kowtowing to the bullies, and this was what they gave her in return. Betrayal, pain, and heartache. How long had their former allies been conspiring against them, she wondered? How long ago had they decided to turn on Equestria, after Equestria had begun to push back against the griffins? And how could the griffins justify their cowardice, in running like whimpering kittens to Equestria's now-former friends, begging for help and vomiting lies and veiled threats until the cowards had decided to turn against the nation of ponies?
But even that didn't surprise Celestia in the slightest, really. Equestria was an enormous, powerful nation. Even after the civil war, they had still been one of the strongest nations on the continent, easily. So much strength, however, had created not just respect, but fear... fear that had grown into terror and desperation when she had turned the nation's wrath and Valthrudnir's war machines loose on their foes.
They were being attacked from all sides, and griffin ferocity was now being backed by Kirin magic and their dominance over weather and the sky, empowered further by all the resources the diamond dogs could dig out of the earth and the raging might of the dragons. Criminals were flocking to the griffin empire and their promises of rewards: after all, once the griffins were done destroying Equestria, they would have no use for the endless tracts of land, the gorgeous fields, the lakes and meadows and mountains. The griffin homeland was cruel and heartless... just like the griffins themselves, Celestia reflected. It was no wonder they loved it so dearly.
Celestia smiled thinly, then her eyes flicked back over her shoulder as she felt that all too familiar presence behind her. Without looking back, she asked calmly: “Are they ready yet?”
“Nearly.” Valthrudnir grumbled... although was that a hint of unease in his voice? She hoped not. She would be direly disappointed if the dragon was getting cold feet now. “Princess Celestia-”
“Queen Celestia.” the mare said coldly, looking over her shoulder at the dragon, and Valthrudnir grimaced a bit. “I believe you were the one who said that being a 'princess' was a ridiculous notion when this nation is ruled by a sole monarch, is that not correct? Besides. The nation needs a Queen. Not a princess.”
“Yes, yes. Very well.” Valthrudnir muttered, but he lowered his head slightly all the same before  he gestured towards her. “I have no objection with erasing the griffins from existence, and I must admit that I am rather... impressed by the way you have chosen to adapt some of my designs. But all the same, this is...”
He broke off, and Celestia smiled thinly as she looked back down over her city, saying coldly: “The griffins have been using their radon cannons to irradiate entire cities. They are cowards: their Torpedo Cruisers are designed to hide in the clouds, and the moment we discovered the existence of their Thunderstorm Island, they withdrew it to the north. But even though they built a flying city... it's still a city of cowards, a cloud-castle in the sky. One strong wind, and we'll blow it away, no matter how much they tout its supremacy.”
“They are not... radon cannons. They have somehow isolated a magically-altered compound that releases a similar substance to radon gas, except far more concentrated, although the half-life is also much shorter...” Valthrudnir couldn't resist explaining, and then he sighed when Celestia glared at him. “Fine. Live in ignorance.”
“Not ignorance, Valthrudnir. I simply don't care.” Celestia looked back out over her city, her eyes cold. “They attacked the city with another bomb attack. The Kirin can fly higher than any Pegasus, and hail down a rain of explosives made by the diamond dogs from above. They call themselves peaceful, but they are terrorizing my cities.”
“You know as well as I do they seek to distract us. Why don't we retreat to your castle, in the Eternal Forest? Canterlot was only safer strategically because of the hazardous terrain, but the value of that has been nullified.” Valthrudnir said finally, and Celestia frowned as she turned around and the dragon leaned down to look eye-to-eye with her. “In fact, Canterlot is now nothing but a high, vulnerable target. There is no reason for you to...”
Valthrudnir fell quiet, looking at her, looking almost... lost, for a moment. Celestia looked back at him silently, and then she suddenly turned around and strode towards him before almost throwing herself into him, wrapping her forelegs around his neck and pushing her lips to his.
She kissed him, and he trembled like a leaf, grasping her with hands that had no strength, meeting her mouth with lips that still, after all his infinite years, didn't quite know how to return a kiss: how to make his passion real. And then she pulled back, looking into his eyes silently as he gazed at her weakly, before she took a breath and reached up to silently adjust the wolf-headed choker he always wore at his neck, her amethyst eyes flicking away as she said quietly: “I will end this war on my own terms, Valthrudnir. I will not be chased out of my home.”
Valthrudnir lowered his head... and then he cleared his throat before slipping away from the mare, stumbling backwards and hurriedly smoothing out his suit. He looked at her for a moment, opening his mouth... but then he closed it, and turned quickly around, almost running away from the mare.
Celestia watched him go in silence, and then she sighed softly before turning around and striding to the battlements to return her gaze over the city, knowing she was fighting a war she could not win... and that the love she wanted was never meant to be.

Thesis looked silently up at Valthrudnir as the dragon paced back and forth in front of him, moodily shuffling a deck of playing cards in his hands. He had called him and other Dark Angels here for some special mission, but so far, he hadn't done anything but... pace.
Not that he really cared. He didn't care about Valthrudnir. He barely cared about this war. He didn't care about the disciplinary hearings, or the fact he was constantly being reprimanded, or the fact that he had even spent time in the dungeons as an occupant, not a guest. When they gave him a job, he did it. He had become crude, but he was still effective, and no matter what the objective he made sure his team came back alive.
Because all Thesis cared about was his family, even if his family was mostly scraps of metal these days. He cared about Hierophant, who was his friend. He cared about his mother, who loved him, and who he was beginning to understand more and more... even admire for the way that she compartmentalized things so neatly. She understood, he knew. She was never mad at him anymore, because he was doing the most important thing, taking care of his family.
He cared about Songbird. He and Songbird had been together, inseparable when they had grown up in the Castle of Harmony, and even after they had moved to Canterlot, she had been on the staff that had followed to take care of the Princess. Thesis had heard a rumor that Celestia had been considering withdrawing to the Castle of Harmony in the Eternal Forest... part of him hoped that was true. It was a much sturdier target, and stretched into the safety of the earth...
The earth, where Red Sky rested.
Thesis slowly looked down... and then he grimaced when Valthrudnir snapped: “Wake up!”
The stallion looked up silently, and the dragon looked down at him for a few moments before he gritted his teeth and said quietly: “Thesis, you understand that-”
“What is Decretum? Why won't you admit that you're my father?”
Valthrudnir's jaw dropped as his playing cards spilled out of his hands, his fingers working convulsively as Thesis only continued to look at him with almost detached interest. Then he looked slowly down at his own hooves, saying in that same conversational voice: “I was born from Mother. I don't know all the details, but I do know she gave birth to me... so I wonder how it all happened. And why you gave me to her... what am I? What is a Replicant?”
Valthrudnir took a slow breath, and then he simply held a hand out, his cards flying upwards and piling neatly into his fingers. He shuffled quickly through the playing cards with fingers that trembled only slightly, then he tucked them back into his jacket, saying shortly: “None of that is any of your business, Thesis. My... reasons are my own, and... I merely... it is not as if I am actually your Father. We share... a similar chromosome, that is all. A few genetic strands. You are nothing like me.”
“I know.” Thesis looked up with a hollow and mocking smile, and Valthrudnir's eyes narrowed dangerously before the stallion lowered his gaze and murmured: “You could have ended this war at any time. Why haven't you?”
Valthrudnir looked coldly down at Thesis, and even as he answered in a condescending voice, the stallion saw the way he moved a hand to nervously touch his side: “Because I do not care about the machinations of insects. Furthermore, I have provided plenty for you plebeians to put to use. It is not my fault that you have been so miserable and unsuccessful in beating back these savages with all the advancements I have provided.”
“Numbers beat strength. And not matter how strong your Dogmatists, Valthrudnir, rocks still bludgeon them, arrows still pierce them, fire still burns them.” Thesis replied quietly, looking down and shaking his head slowly. “And you provided us plans and technology that could be developed in the factories we've built... factories that have been cloned by the griffins and others. Who knows how long they were stealing information from us? Who knows how long that the other nations were leeching our secrets, working counterintelligence operations?”
“That is not my fault.” Valthrudnir said contemptibly, and then he shook his head before turning around, facing the stone wall of this simple meeting room before he said quietly: “Besides. I am here to present you with a method to end this war, Thesis. Just like you want.”
Thesis looked up, blinking in surprise. He hesitated, then looked back and forth: they were silent, almost frozen in the presence of the dragon... but he thought he saw the faintest hints of interest in his Dogmatist comrades, as well. “What... what do you mean?”
“We will devastate the enemy with a show of force.” Valthrudnir said coldly, and then he simply waved a hand outwards, and the wall in front of him rippled before becoming a semi-liquid screen, images starting to flash rapidly over it of what looked like enemy bases and structures.
Thesis' eyes narrowed as he realized one of these images was of Thunderstorm Island... and Valthrudnir stepped away from the front of the screen, facing towards Thesis to point at this as he said calmly: “One precise strike. That is all that is required to make our point. As you are aware, Thesis, Thunderstorm Island is powered by dark magic: irradiated corpses form the cores that keep the island airborne. This floating island carries enough personnel, weapon systems, and surface-to-air vehicles that they are able to abduct entire villages.”
Thesis nodded slowly, but before he could ask any questions, the images changed to what looked like some kind of enormous military base, Valthrudnir pointing at this cluster of structures as he said calmly: “These cores last a considerable time before they must be repaired and refueled... but our increased defenses and long-range cannons have forced the griffins to begin using other methods to repair their supercarrier. They have been culling the dead from the killing fields: they are irradiated and treated with dark magic at this large scale facility, and then shipped in transports up to Thunderstorm Island. During this period the island is especially vulnerable, and if we were to bring it crashing down, we would kill more than merely two birds with one stone.”
Valthrudnir smiled coldly, clenching one hand into a fist, and Thesis looked uncertainly at the images on screen as they flashed out to a wider view, before he said slowly: “But it would be heavily defended, and the weapons on the supercarrier-”
“Thunderstorm Island's weaponry and defensive functions are disabled. All power has been routed to the secondary engines, to keep it float while the cores are restored.” Valthrudnir interrupted, and then he smiled thinly when Thesis frowned. “I have been generous enough to do a bit of... primary research on the subject. It was merely a matter of reaching out to the correct person.”
Thesis wasn't sure he wanted to know what that meant... but... “Why do you want me to-”
“Because I have helped you insects more than enough with your piddling problems.” Valthrudnir snapped, brushing irritably at himself. “I have discovered a flaw in their defenses that we will be able to exploit to gain access to Thunderstorm Island undetected. From there, it will be a simple matter for you to reach the main power core and destroy it. Even a small charge will be more than sufficient to interrupt the engine systems during this critical stage.”
The stallion looked uncomfortably at the dragon, and then he gave a hesitant nod before Valthrudnir said softly: “This war will be ended under your own power. When Thunderstorm Island falls, it will crush the griffin's entire northern front. Their forces will no longer have the supercarrier to form the backbone of their armada, and who knows how many of their soldiers will fall with their floating fortress? They will surrender. They will have no choice.”
“They will surrender...” Thesis looked down, and then he closed his eyes and whispered: “And we will ignore them, like they ignored our pleas for peace. We will kill every last one of them, because otherwise, they will betray us again.”
Valthrudnir studied Thesis for a few moments... and then he gave a gave a thin smile before saying calmly: “You are learning. But likewise, you will follow Celestia's orders. She understands the methods by which to manipulate these philistine races best.”
Thesis nodded, looking up at Valthrudnir as the dragon gazed back at him meditatively before giving a brief shake of his head. He looked back at the images shifting over the screen he had created, before he continued slowly, as if he was working out the plan as he spoke: “Following the high-altitude insertion, the simplest method of ingress would be through the residence block. Most of the civilian and military personnel will be on duty during the repair process. For all their 'advancement,' it should be a simple matter to reach an elevator and descend to engineering. They possess plenty of hardware but very little in the way of programming or other more-worthy technological advancements. Even an animal can learn to press a button. It is the superior mind that teach the button to press itself.”
Thesis remained silent, only looking up at Valthrudnir until the dragon continued: “Below the engineering deck, you will find the actual machinery you need to deal with. You may encounter resistance as you head towards the core: curb it by whatever means necessary. At the core control chamber, all you need to do is place an explosive on one of the power columns. When one goes, the rest will follow in short order.”
The almost-dark-coated stallion glanced to the left, at the two Dogmatists beside him: Polysemy and Fuse. One was designed for strategy and tracking, and the other was an explosives expert. He hoped that they were both taking all this information in... “Will Fuse require extra materiel?”
“No. A small explosive will be more than sufficient, as I said. The floating island should be thrown into a panic by the occurrence.” Valthrudnir replied calmly. “You should head immediately for the hangar. I might even suggest breaking the team into two: while one half plants the explosive, the other will sabotage as many vehicles in the hangar as possible and prepare a craft for escape. Unfortunately, of course, the hangar will likely be busy: stealth will be required.”
“Hierophant can keep up a scan while Ion cloaks. The rest of us will form the strike on the core chamber.” Thesis responded, and Valthrudnir clicked his tongue as he nodded meditatively. “I request-”
“You will request nothing.” the dragon interrupted irritably, glowering down at Thesis. “I will provide the best possible equipment for your mission. And all the information is already being downloaded to your Dogmatists.”
Thesis nodded, lowering his head after a moment before he shifted uncomfortably. And finally, he looked up and said quietly: “This seems too easy.”
Valthrudnir smiled thinly, leaning down and saying derisively: “Get the job down, Thesis. That's all you have to do. It is easier because we are of a superior mind, that is all.”
Thesis met Valthrudnir's amber gaze, and then he finally gave a short nod. He would get the job done, no matter what. But all of this, this deluge of information, even if most of it had been gained by Valthrudnir's powers... it all seemed too convenient, too easy.
But he would get the job done. No matter what.

It had all been too simple: they had boarded a craft that had taken Thesis up higher than he'd imagined possible, to where they seemed to brush against the ceiling of the sky. To where blue began to tarnish into black, as if they were leaving their entire world behind...
That would be wonderful, Thesis thought. To just leave the world behind. To be... free.
And then, they had jumped.
The fall had been incredible. They had been falling towards something that was already several thousand feet above the ground, and yet they were miles and miles above that. Watching it growing closer and closer through the visor over his face, Thesis had been awed by the thought of what it was possible for ponykind to accomplish...
And he had despaired at the fact that all this wonder of technology and creation was being used only to destroy.
They had landed smoothly: the devices they used were similar to the RAPs, but designed for decelerating them so they could land safely. Thesis had made doubly sure they were all in working order before their leap, too: every mission, he checked his team's gear personally now, to ensure there wouldn't be any further tampering.
They had landed perfectly on mark on Thunderstorm Island, and Thesis had gotten his first glimpse of what truly was an airborne city: half built of steel, half built from cloud structures, it was a marvel... and a terror. Here and there among the buildings stood enormous guard posts, humongous launch and landing strips, and cannons that stretched towards the sky. And in the center of it all was a massive, blocky tower that stretched towards the sky...
They had landed on a rooftop next to the tower, but they were quick to get out of sight, moving immediately for their objective: the residential quarters. They had easily forced open a security door, and with Hierophant's scans and the map of the structure provided by Valthrudnir, they had made their way quickly and effortlessly to the point where the teams had split up.
They met almost no resistance on the way down: the few soldiers they were forced to engage, Thesis killed silently and effortlessly, then quickly hid their bodies. The only problem they encountered was a set of sealed security doors, but Fuse had simply applied a thin line of explosive jelly to where the doors met, and easily blown them loose.
But it had all been too easy, Thesis thought, as they stood in the control room. The empty control room... where the core columns were securely covered by blast shielding, and they had been sealed in by heavy shutters. There was no way that Fuse's explosives would be enough to open the shutters, and while Thesis was wearing a protective helmet with its own air filter and oxygen supply, most of that supply had been used up on the drop in... and he could almost hear the griffins laughing as the poison gas poured in through the vents.
Polysemy seemed to be unaffected by the gas, but he was only standing in one corner of the room: meanwhile, Fuse was studying the shutter blocking their exit after several attempts to open it using his various explosives: none had worked.
Thesis swore quietly beneath his helm, but he felt strangely calm as he strode through a room in which the air was turning a sickening green. He was lucky that the bodysuit he'd worn for the drop covered his entire body, but if this was the same kind of gas the griffins had been using, his suit wasn't going to protect him for long. The gas would eat through it and then, breathing clean air or not, he'd die a slow, painful death.
Then he frowned as a hatch popped open on Fuse's body, the mechanical stallion reaching back and pulling a large block of something free. Thesis realized after a moment that had been the explosive meant for the control column. “Fuse, what are you doing?”
Fuse looked at him calmly: he had no ears, and one eye was covered by a monocular lens that had been built into his face. And then, to Thesis' disbelief, the Dogmatist struggled to make an expression that Thesis recognized as... a smile. “Obeying mission parameters. Protecting the Commander before completing the mission.”
“Fuse?” Thesis whispered, and then he watched as the Dogmatist placed the explosive against the bottom of the shutter. But... no Dogmatist had ever done anything like this. This was impossible. Fuse was programmed, like the rest of them, to obey orders and complete the mission, at any cost...
The explosive went off with a tremendous bang, the force of it almost knocking Thesis off his hooves as the gas was temporarily blown away in the whoosh of flame and concussive wind. Polysemy was already hurrying through the wreckage of the shutter, and Thesis followed... before skidding to a halt and looking over his shoulder as he saw Fuse had remained behind.
“Goodbye.” Fuse said simply, and then he dropped his head, his voice becoming more mechanical as he announced: “Auto-destruct engaged. Thirty seconds.”
“Fuse, no! Shut down! Don't do this!” Thesis shouted, spinning around as his eyes widened in horror. “This was a trap, there's no guarantee that the mission will be completed! I order you to stop, we have to get out of here!”
“Given ordinance was insufficient to complete the given task. The mission must be completed, at all costs.” Fuse replied tonelessly, head lowered... but was he trying to smile again? “Evacuate the area... Thesis.”
Thesis stared. No Commander, no callsign, no title... and then he shook his head weakly before whispering: “Goodbye, my friend.”
Thesis turned and ran. He ran as hard and fast as he dared down the hall, catching up to Polysemy... and a moment later, the world shook with the explosion that ripped through the halls, before there was a sound... almost like screaming, Thesis thought, as he felt himself starting to become... detached again, and numb to the world.
Yes, it was a mix of both. Part of him was thinking only in facts and numbers. There was a griffin twenty, fifteen, ten feet away... Thesis intercepted the soldier with mathematical precision, catching his talon and breaking his forelimb like a twig before he used him as a living shield, carrying the griffin in front of him as two Kirin down the hall fired blades of air magic at him that flayed open the wings and back of their former comrade.
He simply bulldozed one of the Kirin, crushing both him into the wall under the spasming griffin, then he turned and flung the hybrid hard, knocking the other Kirin sprawling. Then Thesis turned his attention back to the soldier in front of him: the Kirin all looked the same, he thought. Smooth skin, dark coat colors, white fetlocks and often ivory beards and manes, with zigzagging horns...
Their bodies hid bruising well. But the red of blood showed up so brightly on the white. And the horns looked fierce but were so much more frail than a unicorn's, Thesis thought, as he snapped the dead Kirin's horn off before throwing it like a knife at the other Kirin, who saw it coming too late to avoid it.
Thesis ran past the dead Kirin he had left pinned to the wall by the horn through his eye, following Polysemy, who had gone on ahead. Then he swore as the whole world rocked violently, magical lanterns and crystals that lit these halls exploding one after the other as the stallion felt the surge of toxic energy that tore through the air around them, before the floor beneath his hooves began to tilt.
The stallion wasn't sure how they made it to the hangar. Only that they did... except they emerged into a firestorm. Hierophant was pinned down beside a Torpedo Cruiser, and Ion was laying in a pool of blood, dead. All the same, Thesis ran straight for Ion, ducking and dodging through the blasts of magic and the bolts and bolas that were all immediately fired towards him.
Hierophant looked over his shoulder at Thesis, before his horn glowed: a psychic grip suddenly snared the stallion, yanking him away from Ion's dead, almost eviscerated body, and Thesis was flung hard to the ground, crashing painfully down on his side with a curse beside Hierophant.
He snarled up at the Dogmatist, but the mechanical unicorn only said tonelessly: “He is beyond repair. We must evacuate.”
Thesis began to argue... and then there was a tremendous rattle, and the stallion swore as the world rocked around them, tilting violently to one side. Griffins and Kirin spilled over, shouting and swearing, before Thesis looked over his shoulder in horror as the Torpedo Cruiser they were hiding beside began to roll towards them-
He spun around, Polysemy and Hierophant following as they fled: the other soldiers had all lost track of them, panicking and howling as they were crushed beneath their own ill-designed craft. Crates, barrels of fuel, and cargo were all thrown through the hangar as well, Thesis swearing as he jumped out of the way of the rolling cruiser only to be forced to catch a massive steel crate that skidded towards him, barely managing to halt it before his eyes widened as he saw another cruiser rolling down the ever-increasing slope of the hangar-
“On top of the crate.” Polysemy ordered, and Thesis looked in surprise at the Dogmatist. Before he could protest, Polysemy slammed both his front hooves into the large steel crate, denting the sides of it but holding it in place as best he could, even as he slowly began to skid backwards along the tilting floor under the weight of the cargo.
Hierophant quickly climbed Polysemy to leap up on top of the crate, and Thesis swore before doing the same. He looked over his shoulder as the cruiser rolled quickly towards them, before turning around to offer a hoof to Polysemy, desperate-
The cylindrical ship smashed into the other side of the steel crate, knocking Thesis sprawling on top of the wide container as the crate was shoved down the hangar by the weight of the machine pushing it. Polysemy's hooves screamed against the ground as he managed to keep himself upright, pushing back against the crate... until it smashed into the wall of the hangar, crunching the Dogmatist into hard cement like a cheap tin toy.
Thesis was flung backwards, hitting the wall with a gasp... before his eyes widened in horror as he realized where they had landed. He looked down, then opened his mouth to scream... but before he could, Hierophant seized him by the shoulder and half-pulled him towards the damaged cruiser, saying coldly: “Evacuation options limited.”
“Goddammit!” Thesis shouted, tearing himself free from Hierophant. But Hierophant only looked back over his shoulder at him for a moment before he turned his eyes back ahead to one of the open cannon hatches in the damaged cruiser, the Dogmatist leaping in through this.
Thesis trembled... then whispered a single curse under his breath before he jumped in after Hierophant, looking back as he did so at where Polysemy's body was. He landed painfully inside the cylindrical ship, then he looked ahead to see that Hierophant had already moved through the door in the front wall
The world around them shook, and Thesis stumbled as he felt the surface beneath his feet – wall? Floor? – shudder, threatening to start rolling again. All the same, he stumbled quickly forwards, jumping up through the door and into a cockpit area, where he found Hierophant already activating the controls with telekinesis.
“Estimated flight time is forty seconds.” Hierophant said tonelessly, and Thesis laughed shortly.
“Just get us out of here. Let's die outside of here.” Thesis whispered, and Hierophant simply nodded before he grabbed firmly onto a handle sticking out of the wall. Thesis did the same as the cruiser vibrated around them... and then he gritted his teeth, staring up through the eyehole-shaped windows as the cruiser shot forwards.
Another falling ship crashed into the Torpedo Cruiser, knocking it side ways, and they burst out through the open hangar doors, flying out into the cold, empty sky. The world revolved sickeningly as Thesis clung to the wall for dear life, but Hierophant only concentrated his powers forwards, pushing hard on the control handle to activate what little power was left in this damaged ship-
Something smashed into them even as they shot forwards, and the world spun in all directions, nothing but blurs and sounds until they crashed down with a tremendous bang, Thesis felt himself flung bonelessly through the air...
Then there was darkness.
Darkness, and pain.
Darkness, and pain... and movement?
Thesis' eyes flickered open, and he stared disbelievingly up at the sky through his cracked visor. Someone was... dragging him, he thought. His head dropped backwards, and he saw bloody, bruised, limping Hierophant... struggling to pull him along. Thesis blinked slowly at him through his broken helm, tried to speak, but nothing came out.
But he was okay, he thought, even as Hierophant struggled to pull him along. His body flexed, and Thesis felt himself responding as he coughed again, his body spasming before he suddenly sat up, tearing loose from Hierophant's grip.
He reached up, yanking his helm off as he coughed violently again, leaning forwards and gagging... but he managed to stop himself from throwing up. He tossed his broken helmet aside as he blinked a few times, before looking up and seeing the wreckage of their craft...
And only a short distance away, he saw a swarm. A massive mob of griffins, and Kirin, and zebra, and diamond dogs, and dragons, and criminals. An army that marched towards them, fearless, laughing in spite of their 'victory' in bringing down Thunderstorm Island, which had crashed to the earth in the distance, a ruined, burning city.
Thesis staggered up to his hooves, and Hierophant said calmly: “We must flee.”
Thesis looked at the countless enemies approaching, and he smiled grimly before replying quietly: “We have nowhere to run.”
Hierophant clicked... then stepped slowly up beside Thesis, studying the army in the distance before saying emotionlessly: “There are at least one thousand soldiers of varying races. Officers cannot be distinguished. Leadership unknown.”
“This isn't about... nations, or patriotism anymore, Hierophant. That's not an army. That's a horde.” Thesis said quietly, and then he slowly rose his head before saying quietly: “This has gone beyond what any of us can control. Reason has been lost. This is just about the killing. And they won't stop until we're all dead.”
Hierophant studied the approaching mass for a few moments, and then he said calmly: “Objectives updated in light of new information. Previous orders have been nullified. Command?”
“I don't have any commands left for you, Toots. We're going to die.” Thesis said quietly, as the army approached, before the stallion reached up and slowly yanked off his equipment belts, tossing them aside. He reached down, pulling off the boots covering his hooves as well, as he continued quietly “But I'm going to kill as many of them as I can before I do.”
The Dogmatist looked forwards, and then he said calmly: “I am not Toots.” A pause, and then he said in an almost soft voice: “I am Shooting Star.”
Thesis smiled briefly over at the Dogmatist, and then he looked back ahead and whispered: “I knew I'd make soldiers out of you guys before the end. Then we'll die together. As brothers.”
“Acknowledged.” Shooting Star said calmly, and the two ponies both set themselves as the first overeager barbarians broke away from the horde, diamond dogs and griffins both rushing forwards.
The unicorn slashed into the first griffin that attacked him, knocking him backwards and yanking his weapon out of his claw with telekinesis to fling it sharply into the face of a diamond dog. Thesis, meanwhile, leapt to punch another of the vicious canines, knocking it to the ground before he leapt over it and caught two griffins sweeping a net forwards between them by the face, slamming their heads together before throwing them straight down, leaving them entangled in their own trap.
Shooting Star moved with computerized precision even as the horde closed in around them and surrounded them, killing, maiming, and paralyzing as weapons bounced off his steel body, the wounds his little flesh took doing nothing to slow him down. And Thesis was a whirlwind, hooves smashing viciously into soft flesh, throwing enemies around like ragdolls even as blades cut through his protective suit and claws raked at his body.
The horde gathered around them, shouting and cheering even as more of their own were beaten back, killed, or otherwise left defeated and humiliated. A lucky few managed to drag themselves away from the conflict, but more and more bodies were piling up as Thesis broke bone and Shooting Star tore through flesh-
A mechanical claw smashed suddenly down, and the unicorn was knocked off his hooves with a squall of pain. Thesis immediately halted, a griffin gurgling helplessly in his hooves, before the stallion flung the hybrid away as he turned around and stared in horror at the sight of... “Tiny?”
The giant of a diamond dog glared at him... except there wasn't much diamond dog left anymore. Nearly his entire body was plated with steel, magic crystals glowing brightly in massive, mechanical limbs. His jaw was nothing but a fanged metal trap, his ears spikes of steel, his chiseled form now quite literally shaped in metal... but his eyes. He had the same eyes, and here and there, rubbery flesh showed through beneath the steel that had been grafted to his body... “Thesis. Do you mind if I play with your toy?”
The mechanical Kindynas hefted Shooting Star in one hoof by the back of the neck, and Thesis' eyes widened before he began to step forwards... but Kindynas immediately reached up his other claw and grasped the unicorn by the head, his cold steel grin seeming to stretch wider as he mocked in his echoing but horribly alive voice: “No, no. Don't move. Or I'll break your toy.”
“How the hell are you still alive?” Thesis asked in disbelief, leaning forwards before he added sharply: “Put him down! Put him down and face me, you coward!”
Kindynas gave a muffled, mechanical laugh, and then he wiggled Shooting Star back and forth in his claw, Thesis shivering as he saw those enormous, deadly digits puncturing into his friend's synthetic body like putty... “I'll put him down when I'm done with him. The griffins found me in one of your prison camps. I was happy to volunteer for their new upgrade program... and now look at me! I make your metal warriors look like toys. Broken, useless, worthless toys.”
Kindynas turned his mocking eyes to Shooting Star, who gargled uselessly, chemical leaking from his mouth before Kindynas' other claw settled on his head... and all Thesis could do was give a shout of horror, of denial, of raw pain and hate as the diamond dog twisted sharply, snapping his friend's neck... before he ripped viciously to either side, and there was a horrible scream of tearing flesh and metal before Shooting Star's body flew in one direction, and his head in the other.
The unicorn's skull bounced towards Thesis, who stared weakly as the head bounced towards him, the glassy, red eyes flickering before they seemed to focus for a moment. Shooting Star opened his mouth, trying to speak as he stared up at Thesis, who stared back down at him... and then a massive claw smashed down on top of Shooting Star's skull, crushing it out of existence before Kindynas' other claw lunged forwards and seized Thesis by the throat, hefting him high into the air as the stallion gargled and clawed helplessly at the smooth steel wrist of the giant.
The mechanical diamond dog laughed as he turned and flung Thesis across the battleground, Thesis hitting the ground hard on his back and rolling to his hooves before Kindynas beckoned him mockingly with both hands, shouting: “Come on, mud pony! You aren't so superior now, are you?'
Thesis roared, then he charged straight at the mechanical diamond dog, leaping up and slamming his hooves uselessly into the steel front of the monster. Kindynas only laughed, slapping him away like a toy before he strode forwards, growling: “I am going to enjoy this, mud pony.”
The stallion climbed up to his hooves with a snarl, and he ran forwards to meet the diamond dog again. But this time, a steel fist crashed into his face, crunching him to the ground... and even as Thesis did all he could to fight back, there was little he could do in the face of the onslaught from the mechanical, indomitable, unstoppable diamond dog.
Thesis gasped, as he hit the ground for the hundredth time, blood pouring from his mouth and out of the rips in his torn and useless armor. He rolled over onto his stomach, his legs shivering as Kindynas stood beside him, looking down at him with contempt in his eyes and his steel smile seeming to stretch wider as he watched the way Thesis' legs quavered under him as he struggled to stand... “Do you wish to die on your feet, my prince? Would you like help?”
Kindynas slammed a fist down... and Thesis screamed as he was driven to the ground, his back breaking beneath the savage blow, his spine shattered like glass as he collapsed to the earth. He spasmed uselessly, his eyes rolling in his head, and Kindynas laughed before he reached down and seized Thesis by the mane, grinning as he slowly lifted the stallion into the air... and Thesis screamed in agony as his legs refused to do anything but twitch, as his body moved with all the looseness of rubber with no backbone to keep it stiff. “Is it too hard for the prince of donkeys?”
Kindynas flung Thesis to the ground, and he crashed on his face with a gargle before the mechanical diamond dog slammed a foot into his ass, knocking Thesis flying bonelessly through the air as he screamed again, the air vibrating with his cries, his eyes unable to see, his mind unable to think, everything drowned out by the pain-
He crashed down and rolled brokenly to a stop... in a shadow. A shadow so dark and deep, it blotted out the sun, it was like his pain took fright and fled from it, leaving through his numb hooves. Thesis gurgled, shivering in agony before he did what he could to try and shift, to look up at this monolith standing over him...
And the monolith knelt, and a white scaled hand reached out to caress his face with trembling fingers, before Kindynas shouted mockingly: “Oh, the vizier graces us with his presence! Vizier, carry the prince to me, and I will let you leave here alive... with his head as a gift for your princess!”
“She is a Queen.” Valthrudnir said quietly, and then he trembled for a moment before looking up, the giant straightening and seeming to grow in size, towering even over Kindynas as his eyes blazed with fury. “And you will not lay another hand on this prince of ponies, you worthless savage.”
“Fine. Then I will lay a hand on you.” Kindynas grinned savagely, then he charged suddenly forwards, leaping with a roar-
Valthrudnir made a disdainful swatting gesture, and Kindynas howled as he was blasted into the air by a surge of force like nothing he had ever felt before, streaking into the sky like a rocket as he flailed his limbs uselessly, the world whipping by in a blur of sound and color.
The dragon watched contemptibly as Kindynas faded into the distance, before he smoothed out the lapels of his coat. Then, without looking, he simply shoved his hands to either side, and a tremendous shockwave tore through the air around him, flinging soldiers and barbarians high into the air with screams of shock and pain as he said icily: “The ignorant masses never learn, no matter what gifts you offer, what strength you show them.”
A roar tore through the air, and Valthrudnir looked up coldly as a dragon dove towards him, even as the rest of the horde began to scatter, regroup, and panic at the unknown power of the ivory-suited giant. But Valthrudnir only smiled thinly as the much-larger, much-more-savage reptile dove down towards him, the beast leaning forwards to breathe a gout of hellfire-
Valthrudnir rose a hand, the flames diverting off to either side to drive back several soldiers that had attempted to flank him, before the dragon balled his hand into a fist, and then slung it viciously across the face of the much-larger reptile as it lunged at him through its own flame. And the massive red dragon howled in misery and shock as it was knocked to the side by the almost-dismissive blow... and then horror, as ice raced over its entire body.
The dragon crashed down, and exploded into fragments of frost: voices shouted in disbelief at the sight, even as griffins screamed to push forwards. But much of the horde was breaking into chaos, many fleeing even as others charged forwards and many pulled out crossbows, bolas, anything they had to attack the giant with.
Valthrudnir held up a hand, a shield of energy protecting both him and Thesis before he smiled coldly, his amber eyes glowing as he said softly: “As if mortals could ever prove a match for Jötnar.”
Valthrudnir's eyes flashed, and massive spikes of ice ripped out of the ground around them, as a chilling wind ripped through the air of the battlefield, knocking griffins out of the sky. The wind began to grow, building into a raging maelstrom as spires and spikes of ice ripped out of the earth in all directions, the earth quaking with the force of the spreading death-frost as Valthrudnir smiled coldly...
And then a weak moan caught his attention, and he looked down at Thesis, who was limp, and weak, and looked... so small. Valthrudnir looked down at this helpless, dying little pony, and then he forced himself to scowl before he held a hand out, saying distastefully: “This is more than you deserve you... you...”
He frowned uneasily, feeling his powers surrounding Thesis... but there was no effect. Not a scratch healed... and Valthrudnir's eyes slowly widened in horror as he realized that... “N-No! Thesis!”
Valthrudnir dropped and scooped Thesis up in his arms, staring down at him wordlessly before he snarled looked up. In front of him, reality shattered away into a portal that he leapt through, carrying Thesis with him as the stallion gasped slowly for breath, breath that was weakening, as his body shivered, his life bled away...
Valthrudnir leapt into Celestia's chambers, and then he swore angrily when he found she wasn't there. He clenched his eyes shut for a moment, reaching out for her with his mind... and the moment he touched her, he simply looked up, and with his impossible power, brought her there.
Celestia gasped in pain as she appeared out of thin air, stumbling before she looked up with a snarl at Valthrudnir, opening her mouth... and then her eyes widened in horror at the sight of Thesis, the mare mouthing wordlessly before Valthrudnir thrust the dying stallion towards her, whispering: “My powers cannot affect my own blood... save him, Celestia! Save our son!”
Celestia trembled... and then she looked slowly up at Valthrudnir, her features hardening, her eyes blazing with not just worry but anger, absolute, soul-crushing fury, as she hissed: “What have you done?”
She wrenched Thesis away from him with telekinesis, and Thesis gasped... then screamed as Celestia pushed her energy into him, the mare trembling, her eyes filling with tears as she hurried towards the doors. She blasted them open without looking back, continuing to pour her own vital energies into Thesis in spite of how it made him scream and writhe with agony. But it was all Celestia could do to keep him alive.
Valthrudnir only stood in Celestia's bedroom, reaching up to silently pull a pack of cards out of his vest. He studied this for a few moments, then suddenly snarled before flinging the useless toy across the room. The pack of cards exploded in a flutter of paperboard, and the dragon dropped his rump on Celestia's bed, staring at the mess of cards as the danced through the air, his hands on his knees before he whispered: “I am omnipotent. They are nothing but insects. This... cannot happen because I did not say it could happen.”
Valthrudnir only sat, unable to move, unable to process that... everything had gone wrong. How had they achieved such successes? How had they taken his technology, replicated it, modified it? How had Thesis...
The dragon clenched his eyes shut and dropped his face in his hands, shaking his head in disbelief. How had he overlooked this? How could this happen? They were nothing but insects and toys and filthy stupid worthless...
He breathed hard in and out, losing track of time, only trying to keep himself in control... until finally, he looked up when he felt her presence. He looked over at Celestia, and she gazed back at him silently before she asked quietly: “Was it all worth it?”
Valthrudnir looked down... and then he shook his head before saying quietly: “But it will be. Thesis is strong. It will only be a matter of time before-”
“Thesis has a broken back. There is almost nothing left of his spine. He cannot move from bed. He can barely breathe on his own.” Celestia said in the same quiet voice, and Valthrudnir stiffened, staring at her, trembling hard, before the mare closed her eyes and said softly: “We have no magic, no power, that can fix Thesis.”
Valthrudnir snarled, then he stood up and clenched his hands into fists, the air around him seeming to crackle with his power as he began: “Then I will cease playing this stupid game and annihilate those-”
“You will not.” said Celestia in a soft, cold voice, her eyes closing, and Valthrudnir began to open his mouth, to scold her, to argue with her, to shout at her for her weakness... but when her eyes opened, he fell silent.
“You will give me your power, Valthrudnir. And you will fix your mistake.” Celestia ordered, looking up at him, unflinching. “I will destroy the other nations. I will fix Equestria. And you will put your vaunted mind to use and find a way to heal our son. Do I make myself clear?”
Valthrudnir stood up, and he towered over her. He had nearly infinite power, and traveled between worlds with ease. His strength was so great that he could pick up this pony before him, and snap her in half like a twig. Without even a gesture, he could reduce her to nothing but a bloody splatter on the ground.
And yet, as her amethyst gaze pierced into his, he couldn't look away from her. He couldn't deny her. He couldn't do anything but whisper: “The... the rituals will take months to prepare. I... will have to travel to Decretum, and-”
“I will handle Equestria. You have your job, Valthrudnir.” Celestia said quietly, looking up at the dragon, who gritted his teeth... but then he nodded, closing his eyes and lowering his head, his shoulders slumping. What was this? Was this because he had... made a mistake, because he felt he owed her? Was this because...
A hoof touched his hand, and Valthrudnir opened his eyes, looking down at the mare as she gazed back at him, before she said quietly: “We will fix this together.”
Valthrudnir gave a brief nod, and then he lowered his head and took a slow breath, saying quietly: “I do not like that I am... vulnerable to you. I do not like that you are my weakness. You make me feel... pathetic.”
Celestia only gave a brief laugh, and then she shook her head slowly before replying softly: “I feel the same way. Only instead of calling it 'weakness,' I call it loyalty. I call it a willingness to sacrifice for someone else. I call it finding meaning in something other than myself.”
She stopped, looking down for a moment before she leaned forwards, silently pressing her face against his stomach, and Valthrudnir silently dropped one of his hands carefully on her neck, stroking almost nervously down it as she murmured: “Do you really want to rule your empire, all alone? What's more important to you, Valthrudnir? Having someone you can trust and care about... or being the most powerful, unstoppable tyrant in all of the universe?”
Valthrudnir looked away, and then he silently tangled his fingers into the mare's mane before he whispered: “I do not understand why I have this... biological need for you. You're nothing but an insect. You're an animal, a pack-beast. I have seen worlds where your kind are nothing but bug-eyed quadrupeds ridden for amusement.”
Celestia smiled faintly, and then she pulled back and looked at him, saying quietly: “And what are you? Arrogant, rude, callous, heartless to everyone. And yet at the same time, you're a child, not a tyrant, always hiding behind your big brain and your bigger ego. How could anyone love you?”
Valthrudnir snarled down at her... and then Celestia leaned forwards and embraced him tightly, pressing her head against him as she murmured: “But all the same, I do. Now show me that you care for me. Give me the power to be beside you, not just beneath you. And save our child. Show me you know what it means to be a father.”
The dragon looked down for a moment, biting his lip... and then he silently buried his hands into the mare's mane before his arms slid hesitantly around her, pulling him against her as he felt... the warmth of another body against his. He felt her magic, and her emotions. He felt her honesty.
Valthrudnir closed his eyes, then gave a hesitant nod as he looked down, murmuring: “This one time, Celestia... for you, I will be weak.”