//------------------------------//
// The Fortune Arcana 
// Story: The Last Human 
// by Crooked Djinn 
//------------------------------//

	The intense heat had subsided for the time being. Maybe all the hot air now flowed out of the cavern and up the shaft leading to the surface. Whatever the reason was, the chasm was now as cool as the desert up top, which was hardly saying much. You had no way of knowing what time it was. Not having any watches or clocks to tell surface time made you wonder how the humans of your day told time. The march was en route to the East bridge. You all were over half-way there and thankful for it. Nothing much was said along the way, everyone still unnerved by the previous happening, Celestia and Spike the most.

You worried for Spike mostly, he was still a child after all, and just the other day he saw someone gunned down mercilessly. You hope he never mentions it to Princess Twilight. She seemed like the type that would sit you down and give you a long lecture on what you did wrong, and an even longer lecture on how to do it better. Celestia had removed her leather breastplate this morning, claiming that the heat was beginning to get to her. So she wasn't impervious to heat after all. She had long since let her mane down, it shifting and merging into itself like a magical enigma. She unbuttoned the two topmost buttons on her shirt so that the collar wouldn't be so constricting around her neck. You'd also occasionally catch her cute chest fluff poking out from the gap in her shirt. Spike had lost his keffiyeh earlier and was sort of down about it. He now looked as he normally did, save for the large rucksack on his back and the pistol strapped to his waist.

As far as wardrobe changes, you weren't any exception. You lost your cloak within the first hour of you arriving in the Badlands. Both sleeves to your silk shirt were torn off for different reasons. You considered also removing your breastplate, but when you thought about it, you'd feel unprotected without it. You didn't wear your goggles as much either, the cavern not being as bright as the surface and the sulfur would always stick to the lenses like dust.

Your journey had taken you far. Along the way you saw many wondrous things, as well as horrid sights that would make children quiver and shake in their beds at night. Each day you faced a trial that put your life, as well as many others’ lives in danger. It cost much to get this far. Lives. Something that could never be paid for in any amount of wealth, no matter how vast and expansive the riches were. You found yourself developing a guilt that weighed you down like a ball and chain. Recently, you thought of turning back, ending this crusade before any more lives were lost, but in doing so, you'd be throwing all the lives that helped you along down into damnation. It was at that realization that you found strength. You would find out the answers not only for you, but for them. You would carry the weight of their souls on your back and into the city. At the very least, you owed it to Ro'Jetty and his people. Their town was destroyed in your pursuit of knowledge.

But as you thought on that, your mind strayed from them and into the present, more so the future as you looked in front of you. Celestia walking ahead, head held high and eyes kept forward, locked on the bridge that would ferry you into the city. Mostly, it became less about your own curiosity and more about hers. She wanted to see the city with her own eyes, have the opportunity to learn more about a civilization long since past and withered away. You would be the one to show her, you just hoped that what she saw was pleasant. After all, you didn't know what awaited you. What sort of histories walked along side humanity? Who knew? Certainly you didn't. After a few hours of marching, you had arrived at the bridge, it's broad frame imposing on the surroundings. It was almost a complete copy of the Charron, wide and stretching over the vast lake of fire to disappear in the dark looming shadow of the city.

//One of you will die.\\

You stop. A sudden fear spreading throughout your body like vines up a wall. These vines of fear wrapped around you and encased you like a dozen constricting snakes. The prophecy. You had nearly forgotten all about it. One of you were fated to die, to fall into that bubbling undulating mass of molten rock. Celestia had stopped, looking back at you. She knew better than to ignore signs such as these, and so she approached.

"Anon? Are you alright?" She asked

You steady yourself, not wanting to fall over from the oppressive weight of the memory.

"Yes yes. I'm fine. Just the air, it's getting to me is all." You say, waving your hand dismissively.

Celestia continued to stare. It wasn't until you looked up at her that you saw she knew you were lying. You could see it in her eyes.

"You're simple to figure out Anon. Now tell me, what's the matter? If you need to rest, we can-"

"No! .....It would be best if we continued."

There would be no point in stalling; you had to face this head on. It felt like standing on the eve of a great event, the familiar feeling of your feet being seeded to the ground. Your legs feel like plants, rather than actual limbs. Celestia said nothing, but she continued to stare. You couldn't hide anything from her, but before she could ask again, her attention was drawn away.

"Princess, is everything alright?"

Captain Howl had approached from behind and drew closer, his scarf wrapped around his muzzle to protect against the foul air. He only looked at you briefly, if at all. Same for you, for you currently disliked the sight of him. You looked back at Celestia who looked worried and almost desperately trying to pry an answer out of you, so you straightened up and cleared your throat, trying your best to appear as if you’d gotten over your fit of hesitation.

"Yes.. everything is fine Captain. Prepare everypony to make the crossing, once we're on the bridge we cannot stop until we reach the other side."

Now she turned to the captain. You took it as your cue to leave them. This was it, it had to be. Agartha was after all, your final destination. This was the end of your journey and this must be the bridge the Voice mentioned. What else could it be? You take a seat on a small rock and rest your elbows on your knees, clasping your hands together in thought.

"Anon? You alright? You look a little pale." Spike asked.

You hadn't seen him approach. Spike looked at you, his bright emerald eyes trying to find yours. You hid from them, avoiding his gaze for you wouldn't want to think about what could happen later.

"I'm fine Spike. Don't you worry. Are you ready to see the city?" You asked.

"Of course! We all finally get to see where you come from. Aren't you excited?"

Spike was rocking back and forth on his heels and pulling on the straps of his backpack. Now you looked at him; he was so excited and full of curiosity. You force a smile as you stand, brushing the top of his head with the face of your palm.

"Of course I am. I'm going home after all."

Looking back, you can see that Howl had left Celestia's side and she now stared at the city. Her tail was swaying erratically from side to side and she occasionally stomped her hooves in frustration. She peeked at you from over her shoulder. Now that you had locked eyes, you had to approach.

"Wait here Spike. Have you written a letter to Princess Twilight lately? I'll wager she's waiting to hear from you."

"Oh yeah!"

Spike immediately started digging in his bag, his attention diverted and distracted for now. And so you went to the princess who waited for you on the rim of the outer ring. The fire below made her glow like a being of heat, which she was, considering her affinity. You stopped half a foot away from her. She turned her neck to face you and look you over. Celestia knew something was wrong, but before she could act on it, you spoke first.

"This is it, eh?"

You wipe the sweat trickling down your brow as you chuckle slightly. Celestia only stared at you, and once again turned back towards the city.

"I'm waiting." She said impatiently.

"For...?"

She sighed then turned completely to face you. Her muzzle was inches away from your face now. In moments like this, you realized just how tall she was. A few good inches well above your head.

"You're not too difficult to figure out you know? When somethings wrong you get all sulky like a foal."

She waved her hoof in front of your face, poking your nose.

"What? I do not!" You swat her hoof away.

"What's wrong Anon?"

She was much more earnest now, her eyes almost pleading for an answer from you. Despite the foal analogy, she really could tell when something was eating you. You take a deep breath, preparing yourself, and in someways, preparing her for the information you would pass to her.

"Celestia...what do you know of prophecies?"

And so you told her. You repeated what the Voice had said to you the night after you escaped Tzipuur. How either you, Spike, Howl, or she would die. As you went on she didn't take her eyes off of you. She listened intently, hanging on every word as you retold the premonition. Finally you had finished. Repeating the words out loud made you go a bit weak in the knees. You almost wanted to swallow the words back into your mouth, but then you'd likely vomit from the terrible phrases. You waited for Celestia to reply. You stared at her desperately, wanting at least some comfort. You wanted her to tell you she had a plan, that she had some way of combating fate, but you knew that was impossible. For no matter how powerful she was, she couldn't combat something as omnipotent as destiny. Then finally, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Anon....what you just told me.. Have you told anypony else?"

"No. I hadn't even planned on telling you."

"So Spike and the captain do not know, correct?"

"Aye.."

The princess then made past you, slow and almost wearily. She stopped halfway, her muzzle against your ear.

"Do not fear what's to come. Destiny is something that even beings like myself must abide by. Believe me when I tell you Anon. You do not want to fight this. Whatever happens, happens. You can't protect everyone, sometimes, you just have to let things be."

Your eyes shot open wide and your mouth ran as dry as the desert sand. Both your feet turn round with the speed of a bullet.

"But Celestia-"

"Anon!"

She stomped her hoof. Now she reminded you of her old self, back before you both were so close, back before you were even friends. She reminded you of when you spoke on the Radiant Dawn in the briefing room, how she said she wouldn't hesitate to put you down should you become a threat to Equestria. She seemed cold then, and at this moment you felt a chill run down your spine, despite you standing just a few notches above Hell.

"We can't turn back now Anon. Should we leave, you would spend the rest of your days hunted by the angels. Should we journey onwards, we may find a solution. Look at the soldiers, Anon."

You look as she tells you. Her hoof outstretched and motioning over them like a wave.

"These stallions have put their lives at risk for you. You can't say that risk was for nothing. And Spike...he was never supposed to be here, but seeing how he's saved your life more than anypony, I'd say he deserves to see the city. No matter the risk."

"But he's just a child! I'd be putting his life at risk if I allowed-" You started.

"And as for myself... I know I've been selfish, but I'll make no exception now. I want to see this city, so by the stars I will!"

Celestia raised her hoof in the air, shouting and drawing looks from the others. Then she turned on a dime and with the powerful tug of her wings, she pulled you to her in a hug.

"Anon. You can't fight the inevitable. We can't escape this now. Remember what I told you yesterday? Time is the world's greatest healer. No matter what happens Anon, you will get through it. Whether it be Spike, Howl, or I who take this fall, you will live on. You will live on." Your heart dropped from your chest at that moment. Slowly, very carefully, you pushed away from her. You could feel her wings try to keep you bound, but you wouldn't have it. Your arms now rested at the base of her neck and her wings fell to your sides. Looking up, you can see the bright magenta eyes that stare down at you. A frown falls on your face. She knew. It made her sad to know that you would not, rather, could not heed her warnings. It was not your way. Perhaps one could say you didn't believe in fate and such. The idea of predestiny shook you violently.

"Anon...promise me."

Her voice was a lot softer now, almost intimate in a way. It was like a private little song that fell only on your ears.

"Promise me you will not try to fight this."

You stared into her eyes, wanting to be lost in them forever. It would be a relief to not have to worry about any of this. You could become lost in the ocean of her wine-colored eyes, out of reach of any worry, but that was too naive. You pulled away even more, your arms now falling to your sides. You didn't have to say a word. She knew. Funny, now that you think about it. You've only known each other for about two weeks, yet she understood you like no other; almost better than you understood yourself.

"It is simply not my way." You say.

Celestia was silent for a long while, her eyes flashing between anger, pity, and sorrow.

"Your majesty, we are ready." Howl said as he approached again.

Celestia didn't seem to notice him as she sighed.

"Then you are a fool, Anon. Interfere if you wish, but I hope you are prepared for what may come..."

She then turned to Howl, who stood just a few feet away. He looked to both of you curiously, but knew better not to ask.

"Captain. You, Anon, Spike, and I will travel ahead of everypony else. Organize the troops. We depart immediately."

"Ma'am." Howl saluted with practiced ease as he trotted off in the same direction as the princess, leaving you alone with your thoughts

Was it really right to try and fight this? Even if you just shot Howl on the spot, that wouldn't stop the prophecy would it? Could it? You were half considering taking a shot at him right now. Had it not been for the immediate consequences, you may have done it. Like a truckload of bricks, the realization hit you. You were actually thinking of doing it. It surprised and sickened you to think that you were capable of such a thing. Were you just desperate? Maybe it was the heat that was getting to you. No matter what kind of stress you fell under, you would have to make sure it never came to anything like that. Then again. You had been meaning to pay him back for what he did in Tzipuur. Who knew what other devilish things he'd done in his career? Maybe he deserved to die after all.

"Anon! We're leaving!"

Spike called over to you, waving his hand in the air to catch your attention. You instantly snapped out of your thoughts and looked up. Celestia and Howl were already on the bridge. For a moment, she peered over at you, but only for an instant. It was almost physically painful. You wave to Spike and he nods, turning away to go and join Celestia and Howl. You take a deep breath. You had decided. You would make sure Howl was the one who died today. Securing your rifle over your shoulder and tightening the leather straps on your aegis, you make for the bridge.

Stepping onto the bridge, the surrounding landscape went from the darker color of rock and stone, to the roaring, blinding light of bright reds and oranges. The hot air rushed up towards you and over the sides of the large bridge from behind to push you forward. Ahead of you, the three others who would accompany you through fate's castle. You rushed to catch up to them, not wanting to be left behind. Celestia had instructed the soldiers to wait awhile before progressing with you four. This was her way of making sure none of them would be caught in what was about to go down. As you walked, your mind fell into the deep void of thought of which it was accustomed to. You liked to think a lot, and there was no better time as your legs carried you forward without you being at the wheel.

You could have very well been walking to your death, same for Spike, Howl, and Celestia. You thought about Spike, how strange the concept of death was to him. The other day, when you carried Picket's lifeless body up the stairs, he felt an emotion he never knew he could feel. Did he even understand death at all? What about Celestia? Clearly, she knew what death was. If you didn't know any better, you'd think she wrestled with death itself and drove him off. She was eternal. The days must have melded into one another often, her loved ones and friends fading. For her, everything was temporary. And Howl? Who knew what he thought. Still, he was dutiful and loyal to his men and princess. Perhaps he would sacrifice himself for her had he known of the prophecy, perhaps not. You can't truly know another's thoughts.

Eventually, you catch up to the three ahead of you. Spike was sitting on Celestia's back, trying to make out the shadowy towers of the city. Howl constantly looked back at the stallions, worrying that something would happen if he wasn't there with them. Celestia said nothing. She didn't even look at you when you stepped beside her. The air was tense. Hushed whispers rose from the magma below and upward to circle around in the massive cavern. It was like being in a great concert hall. The magma undulating over itself created air bubbles that, when popped, unleashed a loud thunderous roar.

You were nearing the halfway mark of the bridge when the air began to stir. The four of you stop, shooting glances around the cavern. The air seemed to blow towards the city, as if the city were a great beast, inhaling all the air. The wind wasn't violent, it was a rather nice breeze. The way it curved and bent around your bodies was relaxing and soothing. Suddenly, a sharp vibration rippled through the ancient stone, knocking you slightly off balance. Celestia bid Spike to climb down and get behind her. Howl began to draw his gun.

"Princess, why are we so far from the party? We're trapped here on this bridge and if they come at us, it'd be difficult to repel them." Howl said, moving forward just a tad bit.

Celestia continued on, but slowly, placing her hoofsteps more carefully.

"The foe we are facing is a smart one. By now they've figured out who the leaders are. They'll be coming for us first, if we were to remain with the others, we'd putting them all in immense danger. This bridge isn't very ideal for a battle, it'd be best to keep the center of confrontation as small as possible. Your soldiers will have to play a more supportive role now."

"Where do you think they'll come from?" Spike asked.

Celestia didn't have an answer, but you did.

"They'll most likely come from the city."

They all turned to you. They wanted an explanation but you didn't really have one to give. Your memories weren't all there yet, but you had a feeling that you were correct in assuming they'd spawn from the city.

"How would you know that?" Howl asked. His tone was a bit low and inquisitive.

"I don't rightfully know. Call it a hunch."

"Then we'll take your word for it." Celestia spoke up and carried on.

Clutching the strap of your gun, you can feel the nervousness overtaking you. Your steps were slower, more paced and cautious. It was like teetering on a tightrope. Ahead of you, the four of you could see the attack was already close at hand. In the distance, in the dark of the towering city were slight fluctuations in the dark. As you all continued on, you saw the dark shift and churn in on itself, looking like oil that tossed and turned over the shadowed city.

"I trust that you are all ready?" Celestia asked.

Howl and Spike both spoke up. They were ready to face the day's onslaught with full force. Meanwhile, you walked carefully behind them, slightly unwilling to continue on. The shadow over the city seemed to pulsate and send shocks that traveled across the bridge, shaking your footing. Then, at the far side of the bridge, near the entrance to the city, you saw the glow of rusty copper. The collective shine of their eyes. As if the force containing the angels had burst and shattered like a balloon, the angels began to rocket outward onto the bridge, some taking to the air in a mad display. It looked like the city had opened its mouth of shadow and now sought to draw you all in like a hungry beast.

Celestia immediately drew her sword from the brilliant scabbard holstered to her side. She lowered her horn so that it pointed sharply at ahead of her. She was ready, as well as Spike and Howl. The battle was beginning. They were too far away to be able to tell what sort of form or body these angels possessed, but it was obvious that they could take to the sky with ease, as well as glide along the bridge like dark ravens. Like a flood of umbra, they rushed towards you, closing the distance in a matter of minutes. You would have to fight them on this bridge, defeat them all. As they drew closer you could make out very small details. They were avian, their wings stretching outward like a sickly oil that flowed from their bodies. Like a torrent of black water rushing outward, they were upon you in minutes. Shots then started to ring out, streams of light rushing past the four of you from behind.

"Spike! Your fire!" Howl called over to Spike, who had jumped down from Celestia's back and moved toward the front of the party.

Like before, Spike took a very deep breath, his chest inflating like a bird’s, and exhaled. His breath carrying the emerald fire that spiraled out from his lungs, creating a wall of shimmering green flame. The angels’ charge was broken as they rammed into the flames, bursting into shadow. Now they poured off of the sides and came down from the air. Celestia's mighty wings beat once and she is off the ground in an instant, meeting their aerial assault with her own. Howl now followed Spike as they began to drive through the horde, their guns never went a moment without casting the lightning from their barrels.

It was all happening so fast that you fell behind. You hadn't even drawn your weapon and the fight was already well underway. In that moment you hesitated and you didn't see the angel as it dove downward. In a startling impact, the angel tackled you from the air, pinning you down on the hard stone bridge. Here you were able to see the terrible monster in full: one gigantic eye in the center of its head, a jagged, distorted beak that leaked a shadowy substance, a large wheel in the center of its body, a wheel that turned with a speed that blew air onto your face, but the most appalling feature the angel had was the seemingly infinite amount of eyes that dotted its body like stars in the night sky. They all were the color of rusted copper and stared at you, or rather stared into you.


Third Sphere:
Throne


Throne. The name came to you in an instant, just as it had always come. Without another thought, you wrapped your hands around its neck and rolled with all your weight. The angel hissed as you brought yourself on top of it, your hands clutching its neck. The Throne tried desperately to claw away at your underside, but with little space to make a decent swiping motion, and your armor protecting you mostly, its talons were caught in the leather.

Everyone around you was busy taking on an entire horde while you grappled with only one. Then you found the strength you needed. That slight push you needed to escape from the depression. You needed to help everyone. The Throne beneath you kicked and hissed as you channeled the magic to your left hand and encased its head in a blue sphere of magical energy. Focusing, you made the sphere smaller and smaller. Each second the sphere would compress and crush the angel's head until the orb was but the size of a coin and its head was gone. You rushed to your feet. The angel's body still kicking and slashing at the air with its talons. You readied your rifle and aimed for the wheel in the center of its body. Taking the shot, you hit the axis, sending a shock wave of light that traveled throughout the Throne's body and erupted in a small light show.

You turned toward Spike and Howl who were a little ways down the bridge. Celestia was still in the air, leading them all in a circle to take the pressure off of you three. The soldiers from behind provided support as they shot into the air, lessening the number of angels. Rushing to the center of the fray, you can see that the angels were having a difficult time surmounting Spike's walls of flame. He was using it as a way to advance. Like a locomotive plowing through snow, he blew through the angels while Howl guarded his rear. Everything was going well, well enough for you to gain confidence in the situation. You caught up with Spike, he was giving it his all. One by one you shot angels out of the air with your rifle. Howl taking care of the angels who tried to flank you in order to surpass Spike’s flames.

The Thrones fell like practice targets. You were doing so well that you figured that what they lacked in skill, they made up for in number. Were they planning to take you down with force in numbers alone? In the midst of fighting, you thought to yourself. Angels had never appeared in vastly large numbers, save for the Virtues. Most of the time, there would only be about fifty, but when you saw the eruption of angels charge toward you, you figured there were maybe a hundred or so more. They planned to drown you in a sea of darkness. Soon enough, you'll tire. One of you would let your guard down and like dominoes, the rest of you would fall, and among you four, one of you would die. It fit together perfectly.

You would have to constantly keep your guard up, never falter and never underestimate them. Though they were dropping like flies, there were only three of you on the ground, and the rest of the company was a little far. You can see that the Angels had begun to target them as well so the support would become infrequent. This was a battle of endurance. Sooner or later, their numbers would thin and you'll have the advantage. You just had to hold out for that long. But who knew how long Spike could keep it up? Sooner or later he'd run out of fuel and topple over. You looked to him. Smoke was rising from the corners of his mouth and his nose. He huffed and puffed, his little lungs probably ready to burst.

"Anon, look out!" The captain called out to you.

You didn't notice the Throne land just a few feet away from you and as you turned, you saw the wheel in its chest spin rapidly, catching flame and whistling. In an instant the flame traveled from the wheel up into its neck and it opened its beak to reveal a red glow in its throat. Instinctively you brought your hand up and used the aegis to create another bubble around the angel's head. But you weren't quick enough. Just as the bubble had closed, a very small amount of fire left its beak, escaping from the sphere and clashed with your armor. The rest of the flame stayed inside the sphere and charred the angel's head, sending it into a fit of pain.

The flame on your chest began to spread and you panicked. You tried to clap it out, but the flames were growing too quickly. Within seconds they would spread all over your body. Dropping your rifle, you hastily began to unbuckle the straps and belts holding the breastplate in place. Within moments, the breastplate fell onto the ground and began to burn away. Now you only had one form of armor, and that was the aegis. You would need to be more cautious now. Already you made a mistake and it almost cost you your life. You picked up your rifle and began to fire away once again. You didn't have time to stop and adjust. You had to keep fighting if there was any chance of you coming out of this alive.

Celestia was still in the sky, slowly carving through the numbers of angels that followed her. She showed no sign of getting tired, but it seemed that with each Throne she destroyed, two more replaced them. She couldn't fly forever. They knew that and so did she. Soon enough she would tire and for a second, just a small opportunity, they would envelop her and she would be lost. Soon she would have to land and link up with the rest of you, bringing the fight and all their numbers to the ground.

"This would be so much easier with magic." She thought to herself.

Now all of you were a bit over the halfway mark and progressing rapidly, but Spike was showing signs of tiring out. His flames were weaker and more delayed. As the three of you worked your way forward, the rest of the company maintained a good enough distance to not overcrowd the bridge, but most were already clinging to the edges, trying desperately not to fall into the lake of fire below. As you shot away, you didn't think. You were a machine now, shooting the targets you had been assigned. But then, in the heat of battle, you felt something crawl up your spine. It was fear.

Sure you were winning, rather, you weren't doing bad, but it was starting to look bad. The Throne's tactics may be successful after all, but that wasn't all. You hadn't noticed until you looked back up into the air, but some angels had stayed their attack and now only hovered in the air, watching. At the same time, the angels were no longer in front of your charge and Spike was able to break for awhile. Most of the Thrones seemed to scurry off of the bridge and cling to the air. Celestia had also noticed. The pack of angels following her was not only thinning because she was fighting, but most were breaking off to join the others.

They gathered in patches, looking like dark clouds. You shot at these patches, but they hardly seemed to avoid the shots, purposefully letting themselves be hit and destroyed. You stopped your charge, Spike needing a break. Soon after, the angels began to calm their attack, drawing back and gathering in the air. Celestia had landed on the bridge, sheathing her sword and asking what was happening. You couldn't possibly know, same for everyone else. This was odd even by what you've seen so far.

"They...they're leaving!" Spike shouted.

"No.." Your grip on your rifle doubled as you began to get nervous again.

"They're planning something."

"What do you think that is?" Celestia asked.

"I have no idea, but I hardly want to find out. We should keep firing. I don't want to see what they have planned." You say.

You aim your rifle towards one of the larger cluster of angels and fire away, not caring which one you hit. The light left your gun like a bull out of its pen and rocketed towards the gathering of Thrones. It hit one in the face, a perfect shot. The angel lulled backwards as if it was about to fall out of the sky, but instead it only rocked backwards, like it was suspended. Then it began to glow a crimson red. It looked like a firefly, blinking on and off, until finally, on the fifth blink, the body of the angel seemed to unleash a powerful explosion. This explosion triggered a chain reaction with the other angels and they too began to flicker on and off. Exploding and sending a terrible tremor through the cavern.

Rocks and stone began to fall from the cavern ceiling. Some very large, the size of small buildings. They fell downward, missing the bridge and crashing into the lava below. You watched as the terribly loud explosion ruptured through the air. It was like being right next to a lighting strike. You felt the shock hit your body and you felt like you had been melded into the ground. You couldn't move. Such power. The angels all began to hiss and flap their wings erratically. Now they began to gather and charge. This time, keen on self-destructing to take you all into your graves. Like dive bombers they hurled themselves from the air, hissing like mad snakes.

"Fire!"

Celestia's voice was loud enough to reach all ears. It was commanding and frightening, but they all followed orders and opened fire as quick as they could. Celestia took to the air once more, this time with her rifle instead of her sword. As soon as she left the ground, most of the Thrones branched off and pursued her into the air. The underground sky was now lit up with golden light and fiery explosions. The sight could drive a man mad. You too took up your gun once more and fired away. There were so many. They all dived towards the bridge, some missing it only by a few feet and exploding, taking out small chunks of the stone. This was bad.

With each explosion, the shock wave shook you around like a ragdoll, making it very difficult to maintain your footing and shoot. The company began to move towards you three and Howl suggested that you regroup. You denied him. You didn't want to go against Celestia's advice of staying separate from them, and with the prophecy still a possibility, you'd be putting their lives in danger if you allowed Howl and Spike to regroup with the others. One by one the angels dived from above, their explosions rocking the great cavern and causing the magma to surge and move about with its own life.

The sight was maddening, but you couldn't afford to lose your focus here. At that moment, every shot counted. You fired before the scopes on your rifle could even align properly, but you never missed a shot, your proficiency was increasing greatly. As you made your way across the bridge, you saw that the angels were mostly aiming for you. They meant to take the three of you down with a single barrage, which was proving difficult for them. If you managed to keep this up for just a while longer, the four of you might just scrape by. Celestia was unmatched in the air; her powerful wings propelled her in any direction she willed. She practically flew circles around the angels now, but the more that flocked to her, the more she would have to watch herself. She could no longer fly in cloudless sky, she had to watch her sides and sometimes ahead of her.

Watching them chase her was like watching a dreadful shadow pursue a single white light, a flock of ravens hounding after a dove. They came at her from all sides now, their blinking still apparent. You could catch glimpses of her as she flew past you. She was starting to have trouble. There were just so many. Even if it was just slightly, you had to help her or else she'd go under. But as soon as your attention wavered a single angel was able to get close enough. Hearing the hiss of the avian, you turn your eyes forward to meet its countless eyes. Just before it could completely burst into flame, Howl's saving shot rang past you and blew a hole through the wheel in the Throne's chest.

The explosion was negated mostly, but it was still severe enough to blow you back on your backside. It felt like being hit with a cannon of air and you couldn't quite make out your surroundings. Everything was blurry and your hearing was shot. You looked to Howl who looked to be screaming at you. Spike was busy pumping light into an angel's face. Celestia was merely a blur in the sky as she wisped around like a blot of white paint being smeared on a dark brown canvas. Trying to stand, you feel that your senses have been stolen from you. You could hardly hear, feel, or see, but you still perceived the situation around you in a manner of speaking. Whether you understood it or not was a different matter.

"Master Anon, are you well!?" Howl asked, but it sounded more like an echo rather than a proper utterance.

Regardless, you nod and he helps you to your feet. The black dots flashing red were now coming at you again like a storm. You held the strange device in your hand up to them and pulled the trigger, unleashing a bolt of lightning. You remembered that much.

"I don't know how much longer we can keep this up! The princess is already starting to-"

Howl's voice was cut short. You hadn't seen why until your vision caught up with the recent events. He had been tackled by one of the black monsters. You moved to help, but found that you were too slow, rather, your legs weren't listening at all to your brain. Then you heard loud hoofsteps land on the bridge. They sounded like the crackling thunder in the sky, crashing on the stone with sparks.

A whirlwind of white rushed past you and tackled the monster. Rearing up on her hind legs, the white pony pressed the barrel of her gun to the monster's mouth and fired, charring its face into the stone walkway. The pony then took to the air, followed by a swarm of black. Howl lay on the ground, struggling to stand. You looked past him to all the other ponies who were still shooting into the air, protecting you from the diving Thrones. You look up to see the white pony. Celestia; you remembered her name. It was all slowly coming back to you. You were regaining your senses and the sense of urgency was rushing back into your body like water into a bucket.

Celestia was trapped, the angels were flanking her and surrounding her. Like a circle, they planned to enclose her within a space and over time close in on her to finish her off. You shake your head rapidly, desperately trying to shake the shell shock off. You raise your rifle, a dark pit beginning to set into your stomach. You tried your best to think about anything other than that one possibility. This could be it for her. Your rifle shoots away, but you did little to lessen their numbers. Soon, Celestia is reduced to hovering in the sky and fending them off just barely. She was in very deep trouble now. Howl was still struggling to stand and Spike did his best to assist you. The company was still pretty far and dealing with their own problems so they would be little help.

You wanted to call to her, but you were afraid that if you did you would distract her and that would really be bad. At that moment you felt useless. Panic began to wash over you and you could feel your feet becoming seeded into the ground. Like a weight, your panic was pushing you down, eventually it'd be enough to push you under the bridge. Without thinking, you hold your left hand out into the air. You concentrate, concentrate harder than ever before. She needed to be protected; she was what you wanted to protect in this vast strange new world. In that moment, you may have been her only hope. You feel the flow of the magic course from your heart and through your left arm. The aegis began to glow its azure light and you felt the magic be pulled away from you.

In the center of the mass of angels, Celestia watched as she was surrounded by the crystal like power of the aegis. Through the mass of black shadow she could see you on the bridge, your palm outstretched and glowing the same shade. She called out to you, but you couldn't hear her. You could only hear the sound of the aegis as it began to howl. The magic you were feeding it was causing it to moan, but you knew that you'd need to muster all of your will if you were going to do this. Your head began to spin as you continued to pump magic into the aegis. The Thrones all watched, cautious of the strange orb that was encasing their target, but soon enough they relented to their mission and began to fly towards it.

Bracing for the impact, you plant your feet squarely and drop your rifle, holding your left arm with your right hand. The initial impact felt like someone had thrown a hammer down on your arm, and the sound that came from it was equal to seventy buildings collapsing all at once. Your shield immediately shattered, but Celestia had remained unscathed. Again you surround her with your magic. She was now staring in horror as you struggled to keep the magic alive. She was shouting at you, but you could hardly hear her. Again the angels crashed against the shield and again it shattered. The shock of the rupturing forced you back. Like a great wind, you were pushed away, but you stood resolute. Again you cast the spell.

Your vision was nearly fading now, then you felt hopeless. Who knew how many more angels there were? There could be countless. You knew you couldn't keep this up for much longer. You'd be lucky to come out of this alive, period. Now a sharp pain began to set in at all your joints, prodding and prickling them and forcing your knees to quiver, but you persevered. The sound of the shattering aegis was like diamonds being crushed by the gravity of two stars. It was the kind of sound that escaped the sense of hearing and into the sense of feeling. You could feel your insides rattle as the shattering sound moved about the cavern like a wave of howling spirits.

You fell to your knees. Spike was now shouting at you, most likely telling you to stop, but you wouldn't. You mustn't. Casting the spell again, you found a hidden strength within you and you stood once more. Your sight returned and you could see Celestia there in that sphere. She was far away, but now you could hear her. Her voice was sad, cracked and on the edge of breaking. You smiled; She really did worry for you, she didn't want this. She didn't want you to go through this much pain, just for her. But you desperately did not want her to die. For the first time since you'd met Princess Celestia, you thought of love.

Perhaps love was what pushed you to do this. A driving force, holding you and shoving you forward, giving you the courage to defy fate itself! Maybe so. Who knew? In that moment, all you knew was that you had to protect her, even if it costed you an arm or a leg. To Hell with the prophecy, you refused to be ruled by a non-sentient force of nature. You were a human, a man! From what you saw, what you remembered them to be, mankind was a race that dared to fight nature. Mankind dared to conquer objects such as fate and destiny. It was not the human way to be ruled by something that was intangible.

Celestia told you not to fight this, but you were too arrogant for that. You were a human, and you'd fight destiny like the Devil himself! You prepare for the final barrage. It would be the last one you could withstand. You knew this, but still you were going to try and keep going. The magic fatigue was already setting in and your body was failing you. With a collective hiss, the Thrones all dived for the sphere of magic, crashing against it and setting off a chain reaction that encased the blue orb with flames of orange, yellow, and red. The aegis failed and the spell became undone for the final time. You couldn't withstand the entire attack and it shattered just after the initial explosion.

Celestia was now falling out of the air, a trail of smoke tailing her. She was limp, hardly moving. As she fell, you felt your heart sink into oblivion. Had you failed? She was still alive, but for how much longer? She was falling rapidly and showed no signs of recovering. You were running on fumes now, but you outstretched your hand once more. Despite your bones feeling like broken glass, you managed to form a soft shield beneath where she would land. Gently, she fell onto it, the fall still hurting her but softening the landing enough for her to survive. Spike rushed to her. Howl was still behind you, still trying to stand. You looked into the air. There was all but one angel. A single Throne hovering and blinking red.

You took a step forward, but that was enough to nearly make you collapse from the pain. You needed to get to her, it was only a matter of time. The Throne hissed loudly and with the stretch of its massive wings, it swooped down towards Celestia. There was no way you could save her. It was too fast, much faster than the others. Spike was distracted tending to Celestia, the stallions were too far away and Howl was indisposed.

//One of you will die.\\

The Voice rang in your head like a funeral bell.

//She, will die.\\

It was Celestia. She truly was the one to die. But wait. You could still save her. You could save her from the mark death had placed on her. You shoot a glance behind you at the stallion collapsed on the bridge, the rest of the company rushing towards you. If he died, the prophecy would be fulfilled would it not? And so you thought to yourself. All you had to do was kill him right there, it would be easy. Celestia had ruled for one thousand years; she was important. She was loved and cherished in the hearts of all her subjects. Who was Captain Howl? A murderer given a license to kill. He deserved to die before, but now he needed to die. He was no one in the grand scheme of things, another grain of sand at the bottom of the dark ocean we call life. The Throne was now even closer, its body an impossible hue of crimson. You felt no guilt in what you were about to do. It was not murder. Besides, Howl said so himself. "You can't protect everyone."

Someone had to die, it might as well be him. With the last of your strength, you catch the angel mere feet above Celestia and Spike. It was caught mid-flight in the wavering power of the aegis. You gave it no time to register what was happening. With all your might you tugged and pulled it, turning your body so that you faced Howl. You could feel every muscle in your arm as you pulled the Throne across, using your arm as a catalyst that would send it forward. Your arm curved and bent with perfect precision as you flung the angel overhead and towards Howl, but all was not well.

The moment you completed your pitch, your footing was off and with the combined stress of your body, your legs gave out and the aegis was dismissed. The angel was now flung off target and instead of colliding with Howl, it flew past him. You watched in horror as the Throne shot through the air like a blinking rocket towards the company. They halted, not expecting the new development. They were too slow to react and nothing could be done.

The angel blinked one last time before smashing into the crowd of stallions. The explosion rocked the bridge as the section on which they stood began to collapse and break away. You watched as they screamed in horror, some being blown off the sides and most trying to scramble their way to the other side, but the bridge was giving way too quickly, it was impossible to escape. They tumbled down into the lake of fire. Their screams filling the air and cursing the end in which they suffered. The chaos was too much for you. In that moment time stood still and you felt their collective grief fall upon you and weigh you down. This was your fault.

You fall to your knees, now you were completely numb. You could no longer see, but you could hear. They were the only thing you could hear. This was the cost of you fighting fate. Fifty stallions had perished because of your arrogance. You collapse completely, your cheek hugging the stone. Was it worth it? You ask yourself over and over again. Was the life of one more important than fifty others? How mad would you be if you were to accept that as truth? Celestia would be fine though, so maybe it wasn't that terrible. They weren't human, they couldn't have understood how you felt. As you lay there, you try to reason with yourself on why you were in the right.

"They all knew how dangerous this journey would be, yet they came along anyway."

Your own words echo around in your skull. They knew their lives were on the line. In fact, the chance that most of them would die had to be extremely high. You just saved them the trouble of waiting, right? Then, as if reality had slammed a gavel onto your back, it all hit you. You were a murderer, and you tried to rationalize it! You were mad. Or were you just desperate?

Their lives, for the one you 'loved'. What could be such a love? You thought to yourself. Eventually, all thoughts ceased as you lost consciousness, stricken with grief and shame.