ARC 3: KILL ZONE!
(Part 2)
The fight kept going, and Seras had to reluctantly admit that the ammo that her friends brought her was an invaluable help, but still Tartarus’ army was so big that she’ll needed more than just guns if she wanted to save Equestria.
“I don’t know how many enemies you locked there, but this won’t end well for us” said the vampire to Celestia at some point. “Our only hope is that my Master free me from my last Restriction Seal”
From their hidden spot, Discord transmitted the message to Fluttershy. The yellow Pegasus sighed
“I understand, if that’s the only way I’ll do it” said the small Pegasus. “Seras, I FREE YOU FROM YOUR RESTRICITON SEAL LEVEL ZERO! FROM NOW ON I NEED YOU TO USE ALL YOUR POWER!”
Seras felt the power increasing.
“What is it, Seras Victoria?” Asked Princess Celestia when she noticed that the vampire’s expression had changed.
Seras just grinned.
“This is it, I’ll finish this here and NOW!!”
Everyone, absolutely everyone; even those without the ability to feel magic, could perceive the monstrous amount of power coming from the monster. They all shivered, they all knew everything changed at the very moment Fluttershy took the final decision.
Still grinning, Seras placed her demonic energy arm on the floor; releasing shadows that expanded all over the battlefield. Tartarus’ worse criminals weren’t prepared for this: several dark shadows covered with red eyes staring at them.
Starswirl prepared his magic, he didn’t care about his army; Equestria’s invasion was only an excuse to put that mastodon of Tirek on his side, but all he wanted was to become immortal. Ironically his dream about never die drove him to his imminent death.
With her shadow completely surrounding her enemies, Seras was ready.
“Lyra, my rifle” she called.
The minty unicorn obeyed her friend, even if she felt a little disappointed that she couldn’t keep using a true human weapon.
Once she took it, Seras made appear a new form from her shadow… it was, another human? Apparently a male; dressing with a military shirt, a cowboy hat, an eyepatch on his right eye; and long brown hair tied in a long braid. The apparition set fire to a cigarette a placed on his mouth with a faint smile. Only the upper part of his body was visible, the rest was covered on Seras’ shadow.
“I knew it was only a matter of time for you to call me, Mignonette”
Seras smiled to him.
“Always a pleasure to see you Bernadotte, but I’ve told you a million times stop smoking inside me!”
The apparition just laughed while more like him emerged from Seras’ shadow. Hundreds, no thousands of ‘Familiars’; maybe not as much as Alucard’s but still more than enough to take care of the Tartarus invasion.
Star Swirl’s army recovered from shock and charged against them, only to find out it was useless. Seras’ being semi-ethereal, shadows weren’t attackable by normal ways; physical attacks were out of the question since nopony could touch them, and magic only angry the shadows. Tartarus’ army was doomed, there was nothing they could do against this new monstrous power.
And their panic increased when they saw Tirek’s shadow joining to the others.
“OH FUCK YOU TIREK! WE STARTED THIS TOGETHER!” Shouted Star Swirl running for his life.
But between the shadows, were one who unnerved the most to both sides. It was a tall human figure, all dressed in a large military raincoat and a kepi that covered his whole face except for his eye. A creepy purple eye that stared directly to Star Swirl.
But even with that monstrous army destroying his plans, Star Swirl was far to give up. Using his great power he attacked Tirek with a restriction spell, making appear chains all over his body that immobilized the monster becoming tighter and tighter by seconds. Soon enough the chains ripped off the monster’s limbs leaving useless.
“I’m sorry dude, but I know you would prefer this than being that monster’s slave for the rest of eternity” snarled Star Swirl making appear a wooden stake that pierced Tirek’s heart, releasing his soul from Seras.
Seras raised an eyebrow when she felt that, but still smiled.
“Oh well, I lost one; nothing too serious. Bernadotte, stay here and protect my friends; alright? And Bon-Bon, keep ready to lend Bernadotte new ammo whenever he needs”
The cream pony nodded furiously. Unbelievable enough, the whole thing haven’t affected that much. Apparently that level of insensibility was a collateral effect of being friends with a monstrosity from the pits of hell.
…
Tartarus’ army intended to retreat back to their prison, but Seras resumed her brutal hunting combining both her natural speed and strength and the Harkonnen II. This time they were sure that the ponies will win the battle, Seras was too powerful for any of them.
Twilight realize she was beginning to feel something unknown; not only she realized that the explosions and the massacre wasn’t affecting her as it should, but she was also feeling a little…
Shining Armor spoke:
“I know I shouldn’t say this, but is a true relief. Even if they stop Seras… the Tartarus will never recover from this carnage”
The Bearers and Princess Celestia gasped at the moment they realized he was right. Leaving aside the nauseating demonstration of pure evil and blood thirst (literally, of course), Shining Armor was right. They felt relieved knowing that the monster known as Seras Victoria was fighting for Equestria.
…
Star Swirl was sweating cold, just waiting for the inevitable.
“Why did I kept going with this? I knew this as going to happen, I even warned Tirek about her. Then why I kept going? This can’t be! But in the other side, why she haven’t attacked me yet? What is she waiting for?”
His questions were answered when a powerful punch crashed him against a wall, crushing several bones in the process, but only because he previously casted a protection spell; if it weren’t for it, he would crushed entirely. Star Swirl looked at the attacker, it was the shadow with the military coat; the captain who was staring at him with his purple eye.
The captain sent another punch, but this time Star Swirl teleported away just in time, and sent the same attack he used with Tirek’s shadow. Of course it didn’t work, Walter’s invisible wires were much more powerful than those chains so the captain only got rid of them by just flexing his muscles.
Star Swirl screamed and sent more magic attacks that the captain didn’t bother to evade; the magic only burned his clothes revealing a tall man with very marked muscles.
Star Swirl peed himself looking at this creature.
“NO, PLEASE DON’T! I DON’T WANNA DIE! I DON’T WANNA DIE!”
Hans Günche jumped and still in the air turned into a giant white wolf taking the magic sphere that was protecting the wizard in his sharp teeth. Star Swirl screamed even louder, and more when he noticed the fangs penetrating his magic. There was nothing he could do, there was nowhere to run; the only way was to accept his fate.
And he did at the same moment that Hans’ teeth reduced him and his protection to nothing but a memory.
There were whines and cries from the soldiers, without their two leaders everything was lost. The monsters were still destroying them mercilessly; and now that the giant wolf joined to the battle, this was worse than ever.
Some of the soldiers tried to use an enchanted-sight spell to detect the captain’s moves, so fast which made him invisible. Again there was nothing they could do.
Others tried to have a most honoring death charging to the Princesses and the Bearers, but there were destroyed by Bernadotte and Vinyl.
“It’s a little refreshing not fighting undeads, you know?” Joked Bernadotte shooting a unicorn’s leg. “I don’t have to aim to their heads or their hearts. Any part is good. More ammo Bonnie!”
Bon-Bon obeyed, recharging. The Bearers were covering trying to ignore was happening in both their hearts and the battlefield.
And there it was Celestia, who seemed thinking. Aim to their hearts or their heads? A weakness, she has a weakness…
Seras was exterminating an entire regiment, while others tried to attack from behind. However, they were destroyed by Vinyl, Octavia and the Harknonnen I.
“Tavi, another charge!”
The gray mare obeyed and another remain of the army of condemned were exterminated.
“Seriously, by Royal Decree the four of you are going to the psychiatrist when this overs” said Celestia. “And Octavia Melody, how many of those things do you still have?”
Octavia looked at her shipping.
“Only one more, Princess”
Celestia nodded.
“Alright, save it. I… I… I have an idea of how can we use the last one”
The ponies looked at their Princess, who avoided eye-contact for some reason. The only who remained silent was Bernadotte, who had seeing enough wars to know it perfectly: he could recognize someone terrified about to do something really, really stupid with just a look. And Celestia was about to do it, he knew it too well.
“Mignonette” he mumbled thinking about Seras. Of course he could protect her… but also knew Seras wouldn’t like it. Being part of her, Bernadotte knew all too well Seras’ decision from now.
The remains of Star Swirl’s army resigned to their fate.
“What would be worst? The explosions, the wolf or her?” Asked a soldier crying behind a rock.
“I guess you’ll never know” said Seras appearing before him.
The poor soldier was reduced to nothing with Seras’ last bullet. It was over.
What started as a battlefield was now a dead valley with nothing but death, blood, destruction, desolation and more death. Only Seras’ Familiars kept going, that soldier she just killed was the last of the army; again, it was all over.
“Okay, we won” announced Seras bowing to the Princesses and her Master’s friends. “It is over”
The ponies exchanged an uncomfortable look and nodded reluctantly, for both Bearers and soldiers this was a night they wanted to forget even if they knew it was impossible. Equestria’s History would be always stained by that horrible massacre.
But then they heard the noise of a weapon charging and turned to see what was happening.
Princess Celestia held the Harkonnen I with her magic and aimed it to its owner.
“Like you said, it’s over Seras Victoria” said Celestia.
“Princess what are you doing?” Shouted Twilight.
“Silence my faithful student!” Said Celestia staring to Twilight and back to Seras. “Seras Victoria, even if I appreciate what you’ve done for Equestria, a being like you shouldn’t exist on the first place. Thanks to you I learnt from my mistakes and your sacrifice won’t be in vane; but Seras I cannot allow you to live. A being of darkness such as yourself it’s an imminent danger for the whole world”
The ponies looked at Celestia if she was crazy. By their way, as Bernadotte predicted, Seras’ Familiars didn’t move.
“Your Majesty, she just saved us! She’s the greatest defense we’ll ever have!” Mumbled Shining Armor trying to get Celestia to reason.
“She is an abomination and we all know it” said Celestia still aiming to Seras.
Shining looked around him, fearing that the monsters Seras summoned destroy Celestia at any time now, but they remained inactive.
“So you finally realized how bad the two sides are, your Majesty” said Seras firmly. “If you’re too soft and compassionate; well, you saw what it brought. But on the contrary, if decide to exterminate every single threat without looking twice, you saw the result. In both scenarios your beloved Kingdom becomes a nightmare for your people”
Celestia kept aiming.
“I will never hurt you Princess, because my will is tied to Fluttershy’s; but I’ve seen your fear from the first time we met. You know you can’t defeat me, so that’s why you’ll turn your fear to my Master, that would force her to use me against you. I understand and like you, I agree this is the only way. Fluttershy is a pure soul and she won’t corrupt, but fear can drive her to do something stupid; like what you’re trying to do”
Twilight couldn’t believe it; not only was her beloved mentor about to kill Seras, but Seras also was letting her. This won’t end well.
“Princess stop it! Be reasonable!” Called Twilight.
Seras shook her head smiling gently to the purple alicorn.
“Is alright Twilight, Celestia is right; something like me shouldn’t exist. I’ve always said that I’ll die the day that my extend past finally crushes my eternal future. Well, today is the day: go ahead Princess Celestia, when I release my Level Zero I’m more powerful than ever, but also is when I’m most vulnerable. I’ll let you destroy me, but with one condition”
“And what it would be?”
“My Master, her friends and especially mine are free of all charges. With my death I free them for all responsibility”
Celestia nodded calmly.
“It’s fair Seras Victoria. I swear you for my throne that I won’t blame them of anything”
Seras sighed, glad that her master wasn’t looking.
“Go ahead”
Celestia shot.
Discord and Fluttershy appeared and ran to stop the Princess but it was too late: at the very moment they arrived, the bullet cleanly impacted on Seras’ heart making her explode like her victims. All the Familiars ignited and began to consume to nothing
Fluttershy cried, especially because her friend sent her a last smile before dying. It was the end of everything; the most powerful and terrible being of all times were eliminated.
Discord slapped Celestia.
“Do you realize what you’ve done? YOU JUST FINISHED YOUR KINGDOM’S FINEST DEFFENSE! WHAT WE’LL DO NOW IDIOT?”
“What we’ll do you say?” Answered the Princess. “No matter how hard you try to defend Seras Victoria she was a threat and if we were on the unfortunate need to use her it was because my compassion at some point turned into stupidity and I let our enemies to almost destroy us completely. As I told Seras Victoria, her sacrifice won’t be in vain. I’ll learn from my mistakes and from now on I’ll never let things escalate this level. There are some threats that need to be exterminated, I know it now; but never by brutal methods like the ones Seras Victoria used. I did it only because I’ll make sure that we’ll never need to use somepony like her again”
And she left just like that. A pathetically long speech only to hide (and not even well hidden) her panic from this creature. A pointless effort to defend her cowardice.
But when she was sure nopony was looking at her, Celestia cried.
“I know this is going to hunt me forever, and even if I did what I know was right, I did it for the wrong reasons. I’m truly sorry Seras Victoria and I only wish you happiness wherever you humans go after dying”
And continued walking, followed from far by her student and friends, feeling Everypony’s looks of disapproval. Only Discord, Fluttershy, Vinyl, Lyra, Octavia and Bon-Bon stayed behind on the battlefield, they decided to stay with their friend looking for her ashes or something.
“So is she truly dead now?” Asked Lyra.
“A great friend, scary and all but a great friend” sobbed Bon-Bon. “I can’t believe what she did”
“Who the fuck did she think she’s fooling’” Asked a very angry Discord. “She did it because she’s a coward! She can’t stand somepony stronger than her, even if she was on our side”
After a dead silence, Lyra found something moving between the ashes. Approaching, the minty unicorn suddenly gasped in surprise.
“What is it Lyra?” Asked Bon-Bon to her marefriend.
Discord approached too and gasped as well, but this time he used his magic to levitate what they found: it was a light-blue three-legged Pegasus, with blonde mane and a police badge Cutie Mark.
Nopony said nothing, nopony understood anything.