//------------------------------// // Verse Twelve // Story: Gjallarsong // by BlackRoseRaven //------------------------------// Verse Twelve ~BlackRoseRaven Gjallar stands among the mountains of dead, Accompanied only by the raven. He sings still, leaving no verse left unsaid, He sings to the dead, holy and craven. The last fires settle, the sea grows calm, The storm begins to break; and yet the song echoes forever on, both bane and balm, It has no care for what is right or wrong. The Dragon is broken, the Princess lost, Their crusade costing what had been desired. But Gjallar has borne a higher still cost: He lost the parents he had so admired. But Gjallar sings on, to end the last lay: But it is his horn that has the last say. Thesis breathed quietly in and out, flexing slowly. His form-fitting armor creaked against his body as he stretched calmly, then he rose his head and looked up at Valthrudnir when the dragon instructed in an icy voice: “Remember to follow my orders precisely, Thesis. And remember our deal. If you overexert yourself, the nodes will engage.” The stallion grimaced a bit at this, looking moodily up at Valthrudnir as the dragon glared down at him. Over the last two days, they had both spent too much time together, arguing with each other over every last possible thing... although really, Thesis was angry about one thing and one thing alone, and Valthrudnir was too self-absorbed to do anything but defend his actions. Thesis looked away from the dragon, gazing in the direction of his mother's room. She was laying in there, tubes throughout her body pumping chemicals through her that helped stabilize her form, nodes and modulation devices and magic charms of every shape and size attached to her, all trying to somehow... keep her under control. To keep her stable, because all the energy, all the raw power that had pumped through her body, had been too much for it to handle. She was dying because of the gifts that Valthrudnir had given her... just like he had nearly lost his mind because... “Pay attention, Thesis!” snapped Valthrudnir, and the stallion looked slowly back towards the dragon, gazing at him with unhidden contempt. Valthrudnir looked furiously down at him... but then he took a slow breath before he said coldly: “I am rather surprised at you. Considering how gladly you went through surgery for this, I had expected you to at least show the intellect to cooperate with the rest of my strategy.” Thesis only snorted at this, and then he rose his head and replied calmly: “I cooperated with you, Valthrudnir, because you said the only way you'd let me go on this mission was if I agreed to allow you to modify the behavioral nodes. And considering the fact you cut open my head and shoved them in anyway without my permission to begin with-” “You forced my hand.” Valthrudnir snarled, and then he leaned forwards and added dangerously: “Watch your tone, Thesis. I have made you superior in every way. I have given you gifts. And you seem to forget that you are nothing but an insect, nothing but a project to me! You are the same as... as this!” Valthrudnir strode towards a Dogmatist, then reached down and yanked his weapon out of his hooves, shoving the cannon towards Thesis. “You are nothing but a weapon, armament to be allocated to whatever unit would find your abilities the most beneficial, a living piece of military equipment!” Thesis looked coldly at Valthrudnir... and yet he had nothing to say, because he knew it was true. He was a homunculus, a Replicant: his flesh was false, his blood was poisonous fuel, he had an engine built into his back, and nodes in his brain that restricted certain behaviors but also helped his synthetic mind think and react faster. And like so many of Valthrudnir's machines, he not only had one singular purpose, there were now all manner of safety parameters and overrides in place to ensure that he wouldn't lash out against his so-called 'creator.' Among others was the fact that the nodes would selectively alter his personality if he activated the exoskeleton on his back: the higher the activation and the further he pushed himself past his natural limits, the more the nodes would modify his personality... and this time, Thesis wasn't sure if his mother would be around to force Beauty to change him back. All the same, Thesis had accepted it, in order to make this final march. The barbarian horde had retreated, just as he'd predicted, to Canterlot... or rather, the remnants that hadn't been torn apart or scared away by Celestia. They were regrouping there, under the direction of their warlords... and while Thesis doubted they would attack again soon, unless they were wiped out, they would regather their forces and continue to ravage their country. Every one of those soldiers could be a father, a brother, a son... and who, if not defeated, would breed more of their kind: barbarians and savages. Thesis would put a stop to it, and not for the sake of this ruined nation or this forsaken world. For the sake of his mother, who had taught him both the cost of mercy, and the value of revenge. And for the first time in his life, Thesis felt that he was ready to balance the two. He looked up at the dragon, then said calmly as he pushed the cannon away: “Then why don't you get out of my way and let me do what I was designed for, Valthrudnir?” The dragon snarled at him for a moment... but then he smiled coldly and said shortly: “Very well. Canterlot has many bulwarks against a ground assault, and a bevy of defenses against low-altitude attack. But they still have almost no defenses against high-altitude insertion.” “Same as Thunderstorm Island. Except this time I hope your information is correct.” Thesis said quietly, and Valthrudnir snorted in disgust, looking contemptibly down at the stallion. “Yes, Thesis, bark all you want. But it's only noise.” Valthrudnir snapped, and then he looked past the Replicant, snapping: “Wisdom, assemble the Hexad! Courage and Hoplites will be responsible for distracting Canterlot's aerial defenses. You will lead the frontal assault with the Tyrant Wyrms and a contingent of Dullahan.” Wisdom bowed her head, and Valthrudnir turned his eyes towards Beauty and Prudence, who were also waiting in silence. “Prudence, you and your Dogmatists will circle into the city. Kill any resistance you come across and bring the attack from the area. Undoubtedly even these savages will expect such a simple maneuver, but your goal is to eradicate and distract. Allow them to come to you. Thesis and his team will be responsible for the extermination of the warlords. When the head is chopped off this snake, the barbarians will disperse, and Celestia can have her petty victory.” “And you will win your game, whatever it is.” Thesis responded calmly, and Valthrudnir snorted in contempt. “I am allowing you ponies to achieve your own victories. If I was interested in eradicating these savages, they would have long been destroyed. But I suppose not every world is mine to conquer.” Valthrudnir said derisively, and Thesis studied him with a frown for a few moments before the dragon ordered: “Go and prepare your equipment, then join your team. They're waiting for you at the Vulture.” Thesis gave a short, rude half-salute, and Valthrudnir narrowed his eyes at him dangerously, but the stallion ignored the glare as he turned and quickly made his way out of the meeting room, shoving his way past the other Dogmatists. All he cared about was getting this over and done with: he knew that Valthrudnir could have ended this conflict even before it had started, but the dragon simply... hadn't. He had let the fight go on, let it cost countless lives and get out of control, to the point where now the world they knew was in ruins... and Thesis thought it was all part of some grand, stupid scheme. Or rather, it had been: he was also fairly certain that no matter what Valthrudnir's plans had originally been, they had been changed drastically by Celestia. Thesis wasn't sure what that meant, but at the same time, he thought he understood that this was all some... bizarre gift for Celestia. That he was letting her 'have her victory,' as he had said: but in giving her the power to destroy, he had nearly destroyed Celestia. In giving Thesis the strength to fight, he had turned him into... this. Now, as Celestia shivered in near-coma as her body fought to adjust to both its own powers and the machinery implanted to regulate her strength, and Thesis had been reduced to nothing more than a war machine, Valthrudnir was trying to give them one final gift. The gift of revenge and victory over the horde. Another gift of destruction for their enemies... But how much would it cost them? Thesis didn't want to find out. But he knew, all the same, that he would, and they would all suffer the consequences of their actions. Yet all the same, part of him clung to a small, tiny seed of hope in his heart, to a beacon that all the machinery and logic in the world could never extinguish... That no matter what Valthrudnir did, whether he was his father or just his creator, whether in the end he saved them or destroyed them or abandoned them... he was fallible. He couldn't acknowledge, couldn't even see his own mistakes, and Thesis believed that it wasn't just because of the dragon's arrogance, but it was some twisted form of a conscience, deep inside the dragon's soul. Thesis believed that Valthrudnir wanted to change, wanted to become something better than he was. And he hoped, with all his heart, that his father would find the strength to change... Because he believed, with all his heart, that even giants could be humbled by someone brave enough to stand up to them. The stallion leaned calmly out of the edge of the dropship as the Vulture streaked through the evening sky: even with his sharp eyes, he could barely make out what was going on below. But he could see the explosions going up here and there from the artillery barrages pounding the small army marching directly on Canterlot... not that Wisdom or most of her troops cared. The Dullahan were evil spirits contained inside magical armor: even if they were destroyed, the dark spirits simply returned to the ether to wait until they were summoned to a new body. The Tyrant Wyrms were almost indestructible as well: as long as they protected their core, it didn't matter how much damage their bodies took. Thesis shivered a little as he thought he heard their terrible language echoing through the air: it wasn't dark magic, but something even more alien and twisted. Something so cruel, that it warped reality itself... and yet somehow, it called to him... Thesis shook his head briefly, then glanced up as a warning light flashed and a buzzer went off, loud enough to drown out the sound of the engines and the wind whipping by. “Alright, suit up.” The Dogmatists nodded in perfect synchronization before they went about their individual preparations: weapons were checked, equipment readied, ammunition ensured it was in easy access. Thesis looked over the three quickly, but then he only unharnessed himself from his seat and checked his own gear smoothly over, snapping his visor down over his eyes and making sure that all the little packs that held his equipment were strapped securely on. He hadn't bothered learning the faces or names of these war machines. He didn't care about them, because like him, they were nothing but pieces of equipment. And all he cared about was ending this battle, no matter what it cost him. Thesis slipped on his drop-pack, then approached the door, looking down at Canterlot: they were so high above the castle it was little more than a tiny square in the distance, around which lights and flashes and tiny ants danced and wriggled over. He took a slow breath as he leaned forwards, joined by a Dogmatist, before the buzzer went off again... and without hesitation, Thesis leapt out of the Vulture, pinning his forelegs to his sides as he went into a sharp dive. The Dogmatists followed behind him, but Thesis didn't look at any of them as he felt himself pulling slowly ahead, his eyes narrowed behind the visor of his helm as readings blurred by. Then his eyes widened in shock as two Kirin cloudships seemed to materialize out of thin air in front of him, twisting his body to the side to narrowly scrape past the hull of one. One of his Dogmatists smashed into the top of the cloudship... but Thesis didn't look back even as the visor beeped at him loudly. Instead, he forced himself to concentrate on the fall, snarling as several more cloudships dropped their magical cloaking, the Kirin on deck opening fire with both artillery and magic. Thesis only kept his eyes ahead, falling as fast as he dared towards Canterlot, his visor beeping wildly. Behind him, he heard a tremendous explosion as a warning blared over his visor, telling him that one of his Dogmatists had just been killed, but Thesis didn't care. He would fight his way through Canterlot by himself if he had to. He fell, even as cannons on the ground were turned upwards to fire at him, likely attracted by the ships appearing above. And griffins were leaping to the air to try and meet him with their weapons readied, but Thesis only reached back, counting quickly down before he suddenly flipped over and hammered the button on his drop-pack. Jet boosters flared violently into life, Thesis' ascent slowing rapidly: at first, the griffins swarmed eagerly upwards towards him, some already firing bolts through the confusion of the fire-laced night sky... but then Thesis tilted his body forwards, angling the drop pack so the boosters shot him on a high arc above the attackers. His visor beeped angrily at him as he left the flight path that had been chosen for him, but Thesis ignored it as he watched the ground beneath him sharply, mind making a thousand calculations at once before he hammered a button on the harness holding the drop-pack on. And just like that, the jets flared off as the harness popped loose from his body, Thesis dropping suddenly through the air to land with a crunch on top of an unlucky zebra on the roof. Thesis quickly shot across the roof to a massive, automated crossbow: with one savage punch, he knocked the bandit that had been seated in it flying, then he grabbed the miniature ballista and forcefully spun it around, pointing it towards the edge of the roof. He grabbed the handle with one hoof and the reload crank with the other, then took a deep breath... Griffins began to swarm up over the edge of the roof, and Thesis opened fire on the flock, massive bolts tearing through their bodies and sending them hailing down with screams of shock. Thesis' eyes were cold as he used the turret to tear most of the flock apart, before a griffin managed to shove through the corpses and close, screaming at him- Thesis yanked the ballista hard enough to the side to slam the sharp edge of the massive, mechanized bow through the side of the griffin's skull, knocking it to the ground in a splatter of gore, and then he quickly abandoned the turret, dashing across the roof and away from the remaining griffins. He knew Canterlot like the back of his hoof, and it wasn't hard for Thesis to lose his pursuers by sliding off the roof, catching the very edge of it before athletically twisting his body around and flinging himself into the building through a broken window. He landed in one of the upper galleries, and Thesis quickly ran down the corridor before turning at the first hallway he came to, pushing towards the center of the building. The warlords would have taken the most secure room for themselves they could find: he would check the throne room first, and if they weren't there, he would make his way down to the dungeon, where they would have likely bunkered themselves after the attack began... Thesis reached a staircase without any event, and he frowned uneasily as he made his way quickly down the steps. He could hear battle and explosions outside, but inside Canterlot, the halls were nearly empty. He came across a group of soldiers at the foot of the stairs, and without stopping, Thesis leapt into them, seizing two by the head and slamming their skulls together before he neatly jackknifed their falling bodies, slamming both rear hooves into the face of a griffin to knock it crashing backwards in a bloody mess. He landed in a neat crouch as one of the surviving bandits fell backwards and crawled towards the wall, yelling in fear, while the two diamond dogs at the back of the group bolted with their tails between their legs, yelping and whimpering. The stallion frowned slightly at this, then he turned his eyes to the panicked barbarian, striding over to the pony and seizing him by the front of his rusty Solar Guard armor... His eyes narrowed. Equestrian armor, Pegasus, shouting at him in a Canterlot accent... “I don't like traitors. I recommend you give me one good reason why I don't break your skull open, soldier.” “S-Sir, Prince Thesis, sir!” the Pegasus shook his head wildly, staring in fear up at the stallion. “Please, sir! I... I can help you, I was scared, I-” “Afraid?” Thesis  narrowed his eyes, and then he straightened and easily hefted the bandit into the air by the front of his armor, the former soldier's eyes bulging in terror. “Now are you afraid?” “Please! Please don't hurt me!” the Pegasus whimpered, and Thesis snorted before simply throwing the bandit down to the ground in front of him, the pony bouncing once before he dropped flat and groveled with his hooves over his head. “The... they made us, they-” “Where are the warlords?” Thesis asked shortly, as he reached up to tap the side of his visor, cycling quickly through its different modes to get an idea of what was waiting for him. Thermals indicate the presence of soldiers is much higher below... echo indicates several large, metallic masses, possibly barriers or turret defenses... energy readings show several magical traps... The Pegasus looked up fearfully, then swallowed before saying quickly: “They... the moment the attack started, they sent almost all of us out to meet it and to secure Canterlot... but a lot of the army is just waiting for the signal, they're going to use their ships to bombard you from behind, and-” “Where are the warlords?” Thesis repeated, slamming a hoof down in front of the traitor. The Pegasus flinched, and then he blurted out: “Throne room! But they're going to run once the diamond dogs set the explosives!” “What?” Thesis frowned, but then his eyes widened slightly even before the Pegasus started to speak again, already imagining what that could only mean... “Explosives... in the dungeons! They're going to abandon Canterlot and blow it up!  We were just trying to sneak out of here before they kill us all!” Thesis turned away from the traitor, running quickly down the hall: that meant he didn't have a lot of time. And either he was too far away from the other Dogmatists on his team for his visor to allow for communication with them, or they had been killed already... meaning he couldn't get a message out to anyone about what was going on. The stallion bolted down the first flight of stairs he found, then swore and leapt across the hall to duck behind a statue as several blasts of magic immediately shot at him from several Kirin. They pummeled the statue from behind the safety of a hastily-built barrier wall, and Thesis gritted his teeth before he reached into one of his packs: he didn't have time for this. He pulled out the crystal and squeezed it to activate it, then leaned out and tossed it: there was a click as it landed just behind the shoulder-high barrier before it exploded in a deafening boom that sent flaming chunks of gore and rubble flying past the stallion as he ducked back behind the crumbled statue. He waited a moment, then leapt out and ran through the burning wreckage and dead Kirin, hearing voices shouting as soldiers ran towards the source of the explosion... but long before he saw them, Thesis had already bolted out of sight. He ran through a bedroom, then leapt through a broken window, twisting his body in midair as he fell towards the courtyard below... but then caught a balcony just as he began to pass it, his muscles flexing and the stone railing cracking as he hauled himself up onto it. He stopped to take a breath for a moment, but then shoved himself quickly into the room beyond and simply ran past a pair of startled raiders and into the corridor beyond. Enemies shouted at him, but Thesis plowed through their ranks, zigzagging back and forth: he leapt into the air to slam all four hooves into a griffin here, crunching him into the wall as he kicked off him to shoot across the hall and slam a diamond dog into the wall opposite with a resounding crunch. He dashed beneath the falling body before it could drop, picking up a griffin to use as a shield as kirin fired magic at him, then flung the dying hybrid into the bandits before he leapt over them. His front hooves slammed down on the head of a diamond dog, and Thesis used him like a springboard, flinging himself past and stomping both rear hooves onto another enemy to leap straight into a shocked, airborne griffin, seizing into its forelegs to pendulum himself further on down the hall. And the moment Thesis landed, he reached back into his equipment pouch and pulled out a crystal explosive, squeezing it before flinging it over his shoulder without looking back as he ran forwards. The explosion shook the corridor, part of the roof collapsing as soldiers screamed and howled in misery and disbelief. But Thesis didn't care, as he rushed towards the double doors that led into the throne room, leaping a barricade before he smashed through the final threshold- Thesis stumbled to a halt, and he mouthed wordlessly in disbelief: the throne room had been painted with blood, torn apart corpses scattered throughout the wide hall, heads mounted crudely on the jutting metal pipes hammered into the dais where his mother's throne had once stood. The stallion strode slowly, disbelievingly forwards, looking up at these terrified faces and trembling as he studied them with horror and a strange hollowness in his stomach. A griffin,with his own crown buried halfway through his skull; a unicorn, with what was likely his own heart stuck on his horn like a grisly ornament; a kirin, his mouth stuffed with gold and gemstones, drooling pretty chains, the tears on his face still yet to dry. There were others, too, but Thesis felt... sick, trying to make out any more. All he could see was fresh blood. All he could smell was death, and corpses, and the stale reek of fear that still lingered in the air. Even as the castle shook around them from artillery fire, even though the world was full of screaming and shouting and panicking, all he could really hear was... the laughter. The laughter, and the heavy footfalls of the monster that had done this. Thesis slowly turned around to face Kindynas as the mechanical diamond dog grinned his steel grin, stopping only a few feet away as he spread his arms and asked: “Well? What do you think, Prince of Ponies? Is it not beautiful?” Thesis snarled at him, readying himself as Kindnyas started to approach again... but the mechanical diamond dog simply brushed past him, his metal jaw seeming to twist larger with his delight as he gestured towards the severed heads. “They were schemers and thinkers... but this is no longer a world ruled by schemes and thought! Only power matters now! This is a perfect world, Prince of Ponies, a world where the strong and the mighty rule over the weak, where everything is nothing but chaos and disorder, where there is no privilege, no safety, no law!” “Why?” was all Thesis could ask... and Kindynas laughed at him, the diamond dog turning his cruel, hateful eyes on the stallion, looking down at him with contempt. “Because life is suffering, and no one should be safe from pain. Because hate is natural, not love. Because civilization and law are folly.” Kindynas licked his steel teeth slowly, then he whispered: “The world burns, pony, and I realized that I should thank you and your kind... for this beautiful fire of Armageddon. For making the end of days a reality. Or are you here to lie to me, and tell me love will survive, and good will vanquish evil?” “You killed the leaders of the horde. You did my job for me.” Thesis said coldly, but Kindynas only chuckled quietly. “What do you think will happen? These were the warmongers, the ones who were driving on your war! They-” “No, they wanted to unite the people into one army. This army may have pillaged and ravaged and burned your precious nation, true, but they had put aside their differences to work with you. Look, here!” Kindynas turned towards the heads, pointing at the griffin warlord with one large metal claw. “He turned against the Creed, freed his people from the pointless rules of honor... and then the fool regretted it! He said too many of his own had died, that they had ruined their nation... I say the fires made it more beautiful! “This one, look at this kirin! What a pathetic fool!” Kindynas growled, reaching up and tugging one of the golden chains free, gemstones spilling out of the dead monarch's jaws in a sparkling hail. “He choked as well. He said that his people were dying... but his solution, instead of making them stronger, making them better warriors, was to goad them with treasure to return to their peaceful ways! But gemstones only make us fat and weak and weigh us down, they do not make us strong! “And this one, worst of all...” Kindynas grabbed the unicorn's horn, crushing the heart in a splatter of blood before he ripped the head free and turned around, thrusting it towards Thesis. “This one said they would kill Celestia, and rebuild Equestria. Rebuild their nation, that there were still green fields and happy places... that he would offer kirin, and diamond dog, and griffin all alike a place to live with him! He said they would make a nation of all races... as if wolf and lamb can lay beside one another, as if they had forgotten everything that the war had taught them!” Kindynas flung the head down to the ground, then stomped on it, crushing it into nothing but shards of bone and gore before he looked up, eyes burning with hate as he whispered: “So they had to be destroyed. And their people will scatter. Canterlot will fall, and this horde will break apart into a thousand bands of raiders and thieves, all living by strength, preying upon one another... as we were meant to. It is beautiful, Prince of Ponies. No nations, no unity, nothing but packs of animals, crawling on the surface of this burnt world. It is how things were meant to be.” The two looked at one another for a few long moments, before Thesis slowly rose his head and said quietly: “My father believes that too, Kindynas. That we are all like you: animals, who seek nothing but chaos and strife, who live in false, idealized peace only because we are kept there by strong hands. But now, more than ever, I know the world is a good place, just as the people who make up this world, while they are ignorant, and they are animals... they are not beasts. They are not evil. They are not like you, because in all the years I have fought... I have met soldiers, and I have met brothers, and I have met friends and enemies on the battlefield, and I have walked beside machines and carried the broken and been carried by the strong... but I never met a monster until I met you.” Kindynas laughed loudly at this, and then the diamond dog dropped to all fours, his eyes glowing with hate and eagerness as he said mockingly: “And do you fancy yourself a hero now that you have a toy sticking out of your back, mud pony?” “No. I am only a soldier. I am a weapon. I am a homunculus.” Thesis narrowed his eyes, slowly lowering himself into a ready position as he said calmly: “And I am more than a match for you.” “You forget yourself, mud pony.” Kindynas replied through his steel grin, and then he leapt suddenly forwards before slamming a metal fist down- Thesis struck forwards with both forelegs, and Kindynas' eyes widened in shock as the stallion's hooves hammered into his steel fist, the limbs of both warriors trembling before Kindynas snarled and yanked his claw back before striking forwards again. But this time Thesis brought both forelegs down on top of it, knocking his claw uselessly into the floor as he leapfrogged the diamond dog at the same time before kicking off his metal back. Kindynas flinched slightly, but the attack was otherwise ineffective even as Thesis launched himself away, hitting the ground and rolling sharply around to his hooves. His eyes locked back onto Kindynas as the mechanical diamond dog spun around and charged at him, and Thesis waited until the last moment before he dodged out of the way of a savage uppercut, then ducked quickly beneath a wild swing of the same tree-trunk arm. Thesis slipped forwards and slammed his hooves in a vicious volley against Kindynas' steel face, but the diamond dog only snarled before attempting to snag the stallion in a bear hug, Thesis barely leaping backwards in time. The giant's claws still managed to catch his visor and the end of his muzzle, digging thick scratches over them both, and Thesis swore: not at the pain, but at the fact that his visor went wild with static, shaking his head back and forth before he reached up to shove his helmet off- A massive force slammed into his chest, and Thesis flew bonelessly across the room to crash back-first into a pillar, his exoskeleton sparking and sending agony through his body before he dropped to his hooves, narrowly catching himself as he gasped. His shaggy mane fell loose around his head as he glared over at Kindynas as the stallion's helmet bounced across the ground in front of the goliath, who easily swept it up in one claw before he said softly: “You are not as brittle as I remember, mud pony...” Kindynas chuckled softly... then simply crushed the helmet in his grip, saying coldly: “Good. That will make this all the more enjoyable.” Thesis' eyes narrowed as they roved quickly over the diamond dog as the giant began to lumber unhurriedly towards him, the stallion backing slowly up as he felt the pain in his body slowly fading... but not entirely. He could also feel his chest armor painfully digging into his body: he didn't have the time to look down, but he wouldn't be surprised to see that the goliath's claws had left deep dents and cracks through his breastplate. He couldn't leave so much as a dent on Kindynas' armor with his hooves alone. The diamond dog's strength was titanic and his claws could shred him into pieces. He was almost as fast even plated in inches of metal as he had been when he had been flesh and blood, if not faster, which meant he was being enhanced somehow, and not just by the machinery he could only faintly hear with the movements of the goliath... Thesis felt time almost freeze as he made himself focus, holding his breath as his eyes locked on the giant's arm. His eyes saw every detail, from the complex claw to the way the metal plating was fused and arranged in a layer-over-layer form, to Kindynas' elbow and the mesh visible between metal at the flexing joint... and then his eyes saw it. There was some sort of vent panel on the exterior of Kindynas' limb, just above the elbow. Thesis let out his breath, and time returned to normal, the stallion waiting for the giant diamond dog to draw close... and then he leapt to the side when Kindynas suddenly slammed a hammer-fist forwards, smashing in the ground beside Thesis. The stallion jumped at the diamond dog, but Kindynas swept his limb out and batted the stallion away like a toy. The equine landed on his hooves, sending up sparks as he skidded backwards before he gritted his teeth as Kindynas charged at him. Thesis rapidly backwards up towards a pillar, then leapt out of the way when the diamond dog tried to pounce: instead, both his claws raked savagely into stone, tearing through most of the pillar as cracks tore across its surface, and Thesis swore and leapt backwards as most of the column collapsed. It crashed down in a hail over the diamond dog, who stumbled backwards, covering his head with a snarl, and Thesis leapt towards the giant between the chunks of falling stone and dust, slamming a hoof home into the vent panel on one of the diamond dog's huge elbows before he yanked to the side to tear it off, revealing a brightly glowing gemstone. Thesis began to swing his hoof towards this... but he was slammed away by a rough slap from the diamond dog as Kindynas turned, snarling: “Worthless pawn, stay still!” Thesis hit the ground and rolled to his hooves, grimacing before his eyes widened as Kindynas charged towards him: the stallion cursed, then backpedaled rapidly as Kindynas slammed a vicious tattoo of punches into the ground as he continued to steamroll forwards, knocking pony-sized holes in the ground with his huge fists before he suddenly slammed both hands down and lunged towards Thesis with a savage bite. The stallion slammed both elbows down into Kindynas' skull, knocking him face-first into the floor with a tremendous bang before Thesis leapt to the dog's other side, smashing the vent cover off his other arm with one hoof before his other punched into the stone, cracking it and sending a surge of electricity through the giant's limb. Kindynas howled as he yanked himself to the side, ripping loose from the ground and seizing into his wounded arm as he stared with Thesis in surprise as the stallion staggered backwards, hissing in pain as he held up his smoldering hoof... before the diamond dog's metal face contorted with rage, his eyes blazing as he roared: “We are done playing, pony!” The diamond dog tore both claws into the ground, ripping up chunks of stone floor before he flung them one after the other at Thesis. The stallion winced, dodging to the side as large, sharp chunks of rock shot past him with the force of cannonballs, before the stallion swore as he dodged right into the path of a rock- He moved on instinct, slamming an uppercut into the foot thick chunk of stone and knocking it flying straight up into the air, Kindynas staring in shock as he watched the piece of stone rise, then fall... and then Thesis punched it as hard as he could with his other hoof, sending it streaking through the air to slam into the diamond dog's face. The diamond dog howled in misery, grabbing at his face as he staggered, and Thesis set himself before the giant slowly lowered his hand from an eye that had been reduced to a bloody socket. The giant trembled, growling low in his throat before he suddenly roared and flung himself forwards, charging straight at the stallion. He lunged into a bite, and Thesis slammed both hooves into Kindynas' face to shove him into the ground as he leapt at the same time, flinging himself high into the air... and right into the path of a claw that snatched him out of the air and slammed him face-first down into the ground even as Kindynas bounced forwards on his belly over the ground, his face scraping against the floor... but his metal grin cruel and wide as he slammed Thesis into the floor again and again even as he skidded forwards. The stallion was helpless in the giant's grip, vomiting blood as the claws crushed around him, his eyes bulging with agony as he felt bones cracking and his armor crunching painfully into his chest... and then Kindynas slowly climbed up to his hooves and wrapped his other claw around Thesis as he hissed: “You took my eye, mud pony. But I will take your life.” His jaws opened wide, the diamond dog lunging forwards, and Thesis barely managed to yank his face out of the way before he slammed his head forwards as hard as he could into Kindynas' muzzle. And even though it felt like his skull cracked as it hit the steel sheathing his face, the diamond dog still roared in pain and surprise, his grip loosening just enough for Thesis to shove himself free from his claws and launch himself backwards. He hit the ground and stumbled on three legs as the other reached back to his equipment satchel, yanking out a crystal that he squeezed in one hoof before flinging hard at the diamond dog. But Kindnyas only slapped it away, and the explosive crystal uselessly struck the wall before it went up in a powerful blast of flame that did nothing but make Thesis flinch, as the giant growled: “Toys cannot save a puppet.” Thesis gritted his teeth, and then he set himself, shivering in pain. His whole body hurt... and Kindynas had already thrown off the pain of losing an eye. He didn't seem distracted in the slightest by it, as he began to lumber forwards again... what hate, what fury powered this monster? How could Thesis hope to overcome such terror and strength, unless... The stallion looked up, then he gritted his teeth before he whispered: “But love, and my family, can.” Kindynas halted, his eye widening in disbelief... before he tilted his head as his mechanical grin seemed to stretch wider, the diamond dog giving voice to a loud laugh before he asked mockingly: “Have you gone insane? Did I break you already, stupid mud pony? How do you expect to stop me with love? Where is your family now? Burning among the dead, that is where!” Kindynas gestured outwards as several terrible booms shook the castle, screams echoing outside its walls, and Thesis felt the floor shift ominously beneath his hooves... before he slowly, fearlessly straightened as he met the diamond dog's gaze, saying quietly: “That's your problem, Kindynas... it's not love, and honor, that wipes out monsters like you...” Thesis gritted his teeth.. and his body flinched before he arched his back, his white eyes flashing as the pistons sparked on his back, extending fully before they began to pump in rhythm through his back, pain and chemicals flooding his body as he felt his head fill with lightning and fire and numbing cold: “It's what love, and honor, gives us the strength to accept, and sacrifice!” Thesis glared at Kindynas, and even though he felt anger, and fear, and hate... he also felt ready. Ready to accept what had to be done, ready to accept what the cost of this would be, as he felt the mechanical limiters kicking in at the same as the chemicals filled his body, making muscle bulge as wounds healed. Kindynas began to open his mouth, leaning forwards... and Thesis shot forwards like a rocket, slamming a hoof straight ahead into the giant's stomach with enough force to rupture the metal plating covering his abdominals. Kindynas gagged, staggering backwards as his eye bulged in disbelief, his hands clutching pointlessly at the air as Thesis slammed vicious, precise blows across the metal plating. The diamond dog roared in wounded fury, then lashed a claw down as his senses came back as he snarled... and Thesis dodged smoothly to the side, so fast he seemed to vanish from the spot before his hoof smashed into the power crystal on Kindynas' arm, shattering it in one powerful blow. There was another blast of lightning, and Kindynas howled before he yanked his limb to the side... but it was little more than a limp flail, and Thesis was able to easily catch the armored arm, the diamond dog's eyes widening before Thesis snarled as he half-spun, yanking the diamond dog off his feet and flinging him belly down onto the floor. Kindynas bounced on the ground, and Thesis leapt onto his back, grabbing the back of his head and slamming his face cruelly down into the floor once, twice, thrice, before he leapt forwards when the diamond dog bucked and clawed wildly at him with his working limb. Thesis started to spin around... but took a direct punch to the face from diamond dog, sent flying across the room with his muzzle visibly broken before he hit a pillar and bounced off, landing painfully on the ground as the exoskeleton stuttered. But Thesis was barely aware of it, his eyes staring hollowly at the ground for a moment before they snapped up as he picked himself up, teeth bared as black blood dripped from his maw. He rolled his shoulders as the pistons began to pick up in rhythm, Thesis' eyes flicking back and forth as the logical side of him located every vulnerable area he could on the diamond dog... and the rage drove him to act the moment Kindynas turned towards him. Thesis dashed forwards... and then seemed to vanish from sight as Kindynas started to raise an arm, the diamond dog's eyes widening before he howled in shock as a hoof smashed into his limply hanging arm, hitting the bloody hole where the crystal had exploded. And before he could so much as twitch his head, another blow struck his back, and then another one leg. The diamond dog flinched back and forth, howling in frustration and pain as Thesis moved like lightning around him, slamming precise, vicious blows into every joint and chink in the diamond dog's armor that he could reach. Kindynas slashed his working arm out, uselessly flailing at the air, but Thesis easily slipped behind him and slammed his hooves in a cruel tattoo along the diamond dog's lower spine, knocking the giant staggering forwards with a howl. He  bent forwards, catching himself on his hands, and Thesis took the opportunity to sprint up the giant's back before he slammed both front hooves down into his head to use as an axis. The stallion spun around as he flung himself off the diamond dog's head, then kicked both rear hooves up into the giant's throat, Kindynas choking loudly as his head snapped back and he clutched at his neck. But as Thesis launched himself towards the ground, he caught the diamond dog's massive forearm and hauled it down with him, once more slamming Kindynas face-first into the ground. Canterlot shook with the impact... and then Kindynas screamed as Thesis slammed his hoof into the vulnerable power crystal on his elbow, shattering it in a burst of static as Kindynas' limb spasmed... then dropped limp. The giant of a diamond dog gasped for breath on his knees as Thesis leapt backwards, his eyes locked on Kindynas as he bared his teeth for a moment... and then slowly, contemptibly straightened. The hate and the anger burned in him... but logic was more important now, his cold eyes studying Kindynas before Thesis said coldly: “Your augmentation has been classified as atypical. The benefits of such technology outweigh the benefits of termination. Surrender.” Kindynas glared at Thesis... and then he grinned slowly before slowly climbing to his paws, his arms spasming limply in front of him before he slowly clenched his claws into fists as he growled: “I knew that you did not have the courage to kill, mud pony... that you will never... have the courage to kill!” Kindynas lunged forwards, roaring, before he bit savagely at Thesis' face. The stallion leapt backwards, his eyes widening in surprise before he felt a surge of excitement, of chemical, of adrenaline... Thesis bared his teeth, and then he leapt forwards when Kindynas tried to bite him again, slamming a hoof across the diamond dog's metal jaw. The mechanical giant's head snapped to the side... and crashed right into Thesis' other hoof, which immediately drove his head into the ground as Thesis slammed punch after punch down into his skull, snarling: “That is not the correct response!” Thesis stopped, his eyes widening, his hoof trembling in the air above his head as logic and fury warred with each other for a moment between the nodes in his brain and the chemicals attacking his mind... and then Kindynas rammed himself upwards, headbutting Thesis onto his back before the diamond dog simply dropped on top of him, crushing him under his weight. His claws dragged upwards, and Thesis snarled as he leaned away from the biting jaws of the giant and shoved his hooves out to keep his still-deadly hands at a distance, as metal digits flexed open and closed with more than enough strength to crush bone and kill even if his arms refused to carry their own weight... “I will kill you! I will eat you, mud pony!” Thesis managed to brace his rear hooves against Kindynas' breast, and then he kicked as hard as he could with a snarl. The giant managed to catch himself on his paws, however, staggering backwards to his feet... but Thesis was already back on his own hooves, leaping towards one of the diamond dog's squat legs and slamming a vicious volley of blows into his knee. Kindynas howled, then attempted to kick Thesis away as his claws dug uselessly into the ground, but Thesis caught the kick and flung his leg wide before he drove both elbows down into the top of his knee. The leg bent awkwardly as there was a sickening crack, and then Kindynas fell to a kneel with a howl. Thesis turned, not stopping, not slowing, and drove a vicious haymaker with both front hooves into the diamond dog's other knee, before a savage volley of punches followed this up, and then a powerful strike from both hooves that sent up another horrific crack before Kindynas' leg collapsed under him. He almost fell, half-catching himself, half-trapped on his own massive upper limbs, and Thesis turned, hooves smashing savagely now up across the diamond dog's front before he leapt up and seized into the giant's face, then yanked his head straight down and into the floor with a tremendous bang. The floor around Kindynas cracked with the force his face struck the ground, and for a moment, there was silence as Thesis stepped backwards... before the stallion's white eyes narrowed as the giant slowly forced his head to raise, glaring at him with hate in his single eye. Hate, and nothing else, as his bloody, broken metal jaws bit uselessly at the equine before he hissed through his broken metal jaw: “Weak... you are too weak, crowbait... let me put you down...” Thesis frowned slowly... but Kindynas was broken, beaten and defeated. The stallion felt the pistons gearing down, and the rage fading quickly away as logic took over... and yet, there was still enough of him left to wonder: “Why are you still trying to fight? You have been rendered non-functional. You have suffered catastrophic damage.” Kindynas only laughed harshly, then he leaned up, roaring as he twitched brokenly on the ground: “Because I will never stop, mud pony! Because the fight, and pain, and war are all that matters! I am strong, I am strength, I am predator and you are prey! I will kill you!” Thesis stood, tilting his head slowly to the side before he said softly: “You are incorrect. Food, and sustenance are what matter. And the most important thing...” Thesis studied Kindynas for a moment, and then he stepped forwards and calmly grasped the diamond dog by the face before forcing his metal jaws closed. Kindynas snarled, struggling...before he began to spasm, claws tearing weakly at the ground and his body twitching, then convulsing back and forth as he gurgled uselessly. He stared up at Thesis, and Thesis looked emotionlessly back down at him, watching the way the diamond dog spasmed, fought, struggled... and then how it began to slow, and weaken... he grew slower, and weaker... The light faded out of Kindynas' eye as he slumped, but Thesis held his mechanical jaws completely shut for almost a minute longer before he let go, saying as if he had never left off: “The most important thing is oxygen.” Thesis stopped, studying the diamond dog before he said quietly: “You do not have scrap value. Escape is the highest priority, not retrieval of materials. You will not escape, Kindynas.” He stopped, then looked down for a moment before adding softly: “The second most important thing is family. Killing is only important when it is to destroy a threat. You are a threat.” Thesis stopped, then turned around, correcting calmly: “You were a threat.” The stallion strode to the doors of the throne room, his head high, his expression cold as he left the hollow hall behind. All that remained were the corpses of the warlords and the broken body of the diamond dog, still grinning his steel grin even in death and his eye glassed over with hatred... and bitter pleasure, as if in his last moments he had understood that while he hadn't been able to take Thesis' life... he had stolen everything else away from him.