//------------------------------//
// The Lifeless 
// Story: The Endless 
// by BloomingStar 
//------------------------------//

"So, this is it.." Shard sneered.

"You know what it must be done," Phan Tom declared.

The two collided in such power that never before been released. Phan Tom tried doing an uppercut, but Shard immediately punched his face so hard that he was forced back. However, he instantly disappeared from view, making Shard readying his ice spheres. Without a mere second, he turned around and attacked with his orb, noticing that it collided with Phan Tom's dark spear.

"Quick reaction, eh?"

"Got a problem with that?" Shard spat.

"No, but this," Phan Tom smirked.

Phan Tom created a shockwave, creating an explosion that sent Shard flying to wall, impacting on the process.

"You sick bucker," Shard groaned.

"And this.."

He then charged straight at him with blinding speed. Shard managed to create a shield, but it broke easily as Phan Tom's orb shattered it into air before giving him a blow to the head. This caused him to hit the floor with force.

"You are now beyond my power," Phan Tom laughed, "You are inferior."

It was then, he felt a pain in his chest.

"Gaaahhh!!"

Phan Tom was sent back by a powerful shockwave. As he regained his stance, he noticed Shard in his archon form starting to take on its advanced strength. His eyes were starting to glow pure light blue as his air showed some traces of cold gust.

"I do not know what this is, but I can guarantee that it will be insufficient," Phan Tom growled.

The two once again charged at each other, preparing for the next round to be bloody.

MEANWHILE..

Venang created more of her clones to eliminate as much of the soldiers as she could to avoid them from reaching him. There were artillery, but she would not give up that easily. She cast massive fireballs at each catapults to destroy them at ease. Then, additional soldiers appeared as she readied her sword. She dashed through every one of them, slicing them instantly like she was dashing in a zig-zag line. 

However, more of them just keep coming and it looked like she drained a large portion of her energy. Not wanting to give in, she raised her sword high as she began to chant the words for her destructive spell. The clones were able to provide enough time in holding off the enemies as she started to slam her weapon unto the ground. The result created a flaming whirlwind that expanded outwards, incinerating most of the soldiers in the process into dust. 

"I hope that's the last of them,"  Venang sighed.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't at her side today. Soldiers appeared from below as they charged at her. Still having enough energy inside her, she did a back flip as she cast a fire wheel in a straight line, killing them in a perfect direction.

"Oh, come on, can't even a pregnant filly get a break?" Venang groaned.

Then, she sensed a spear approaching at her. As she prepared to parry it, she felt a shield was formed in front of her. The spear vanished into thin air after colliding with it.

"Go."

She turned around to see Lucra and the reinforcements fighting against the advanced soldiers.

"We'll keep them busy," Lucra declared, "Get back up there and help my boy."

"Understood," Venang nodded as she flew up and went straight to the top of the castle.

BACK AT THE CASTLE...

The challengers collided on as every step of their skills met with equal force against each other. A thunderstorn roared in anger as a powerful rain washed them in the sense of the last. As more and more of their attacks went out, they could not stop in getting a moment of extra time. As Phan Tom threw numbers of dark spheres, Shard continued in catching up to him as he ignored the impacts of his attacks. He then slashed out his sword in quick succession, catching Phan Tom off guard as he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.

The blood loss was big, but he kept his focus at him as he prepared his next spell. But, he was stopped by a fire ball that caught him in flames and severely damaged his open wound. After a brief moment, he extinguished himself from the fire as he growled in anger. As he looked back at his cousin, he noticed that the thestral had returned and was beside him.

"So, you came back and decided to join in the same fate with your beloved," Phan Tom smiled.

"I'd rather be with him than being a sole parent, even if I had to die with the foals" Venang snarled.

"Oh, foals?" Phan Tom gaped.

"None of your business to know," Shard growled.

"Well, I would give you a simple congratulatory for creating pieces of food inside her," Phan Tom smirked.

"Buck you, plothole!" Venang roared.

The filly charged at him with blinding speed as she made an attempt to strike from behind. However, she felt a major pain in her stomach as she looked to see Phan Tom punched her with great force. Without hesitation after seeing her being hit badly, Shard blinked instantly from behind and cast a circular shockwave, shaking the ground as Phan Tom lost his balanced and was sent back before being impacted once again to a wall.

Shard held Venang in his hooves, checking her life pulse.

"It hurts so much," Venang groaned as she clutched her stomach.

"I didn't know that you would lash out like that," Shard admitted.

"Sorry, I got carried away," Venang frowned.

"Just let me take care of this one," Shard smiled, "Enjoy the show."

"Oh, fine," Venang grumbled as leaned back against a wall.

The battle then resumed as the two kept on attacking through highly powered dark magic and their respective elements. The energy of their combat was so strong that the thunderstorm roared ferociously. The cousins kept on the move to get a little window of opportunity in dealing the hit. Both released their attacks with ease and dodged swiftly from each other's physical punches and kicks. As the storm continued to rage, Phan Tom released a powerful blast of dark magic on him as he began roaring to the skies in the beginning of his new form. 

As Shard recovered from the attack, he was shocked to see Phan Tom in such a new state. He had some armor in his body, his wings became enlarged, and he was covered in a dark cloak that made him as dark as Nightmare Moon. The colt gulped in hoping that he would beat him as he returned to his fighting stance. After a brief moment, Shard made an attempt to create an ice sphere, but was caught off guard as Phan Tom appeared behind him instantly and hit him a powerful dark sphere, sending him pushed back with force. As he began to retaliate with an ice fissure, Phan Tom countered it with a dark flaming shockwave that removed the fissure and burned him in a fierymanner.

"This not good," Venang gaped.

She just sat there hopeless as her lover struggled in fighting back as he received critical damage from his cousin's lethal attacks. It was then, she noticed that he was completely immobile as Phan Tom prepared to finish him with a sharp sword. Despite the pain from her stomach, she stood up and began to approach him to be used as his shield. Knowing that this might be her true death despite being said that she was immortal, she sighed for the last time she felt the sword pierced her chest, right at her heart.

Shard watched in horror as blood came out from her chest. He noticed her turned around to look at him, smiling while shedding tears and traces of blood from her mouth. Her 'last words' were,

"Thank you... and goodbye" Venang smiled.

She was then released from the blade as she landed, completely no movement and even breathing. She was dead, for real as if immortality was not given to them. Shard felt his own tears running down in his face as he looked in sadness and...

ANGER

"You...."

The ground was shaking heavily as the storm began to roar harder. The rain became even more stronger as there were sounds of buildings crashing down and the sounds of tornadoes wherein a powerful wind appeared.

"Wha-what is this?" Phan Tom gaped.

Multiple lightnings appeared at random directions as a dark fire appeared from the air and surrounded the colt. There were sounds of the dead whispering loudly, making Phan Tom flinched in despair as he thought to himself that if this could be his true form. Nevertheless, he foolish told to himself that it wouldn't be enough to defeat him.

"Killed my love... my foals..."

Or so he thought.

Phan Tom was taken aback what he heard as he looked to see the one that he used to know. Shard was no longer in his archon form, his appearance became different now. The color of his mane and tail, still had the black one, but the sky blue turned to dark teal, wings became like a fallen angel's, his coat was slightly brightened, and he was wearing the same scarf that he once wore. A new amulet was attached to it, it had a symbol of two eyes glowing and had traces of blue flame. His eyes were also flaming as well in a light blue color. 

"Cousin.." Phan Tom frowned, "Is that you?"

"You are not my cousin," Shard snarled quietly.

"I do not know this.. power.." Phan Tom admitted.

"You monster.."

Phan Tom felt a massive blow on his chest, sending back to be collided with a wall.

"YOU KILLED MY OWN FAMILY!" Shard bellowed, "YOU KILLED MY OWN CHILDREN!"

Next, he received more damage from Shard's powerful frost spheres continiously.

"YOU HAVE NO PURPOSE TO LIVE ANYMORE!" Shard yelled.

It was then, he charged at him with great force and bloodlust as he punched him countless of times in the face before giving him a powerful kick to chest. As Phan Tom tried to retaliate with a massive dark sphere, Shard immediately appeared in front of him and sliced once the orb by his enhanced frost sword that had traces of dark magic whirling around it. The slice resulted the orb to be split in half and vanished simply into air. Phan Tom gasped by the power Shard did in destroying one his powerful spells. 

As the colt began to slash him, Phan Tom reacted in dashing backwards, but felt a sharp pain in his spine as he turned around to see him who did just a simple stab. Then, Shard disappeared instantly as he sliced him from different sides. Phan Tom felt his critical bloss becoming worse as he tried to follow up his next move, but failed due to feeling weakened. As Phan Tom used his shockwave, he felt being sent upwards as he sensed his chin being pushed up. His eyes were able too look down to see what had caused it.

"This is the end," Shard declared.

While they were in mid air, Shard continued in slicing him with his sword. Phan Tom began to feel his body beginning to go numb as he felt his temperature turned to cold. Tears appeared in his eyes as he drew in his final breath, smiling as he felt the ending of the battle. The end of suffering.

"Burn in Tartarus!" Shard bellowed.

Shard stabbed him in the chest, causing a bright light appeared from him. He was able to cover his eyes in time. As the light began to die out, he uncovered his eyes to be in suprise by what he happened after. He was in a dining room that looked so abandoned as there were some broken parts in the decorations. There were chairs for like high officials and a table that had some scrolls, jewelries, and some random materials. Was he in heaven?

"Shard?"

That voice. He looked at his left to see Venang stood by the door. The slice on her chest was no more and she still retained her new thestral form. 

"Venang! Oh my goodness!" Shard cried.

They ran up to each other and embraced with tears in their eyes.

"I'm glad you're here," Shard smiled.

"And I thought you would won" Venang admitted, "I guess not."

"I did, but it seemed I died by the light," Shard declared.

"That sucks," Venang frowned.

"I know," Shard nodded, "But, at least we have each other with our foals."

"Yeah, even if we aren't in our world anymore" Venang beamed.

"Together always?" Shard asked.

"Together always," Venang grinned as she kissed him on the cheek.

Suddenly, they heard the sounds of clapping behind them. They turned around to see spirits of different hybrids smiling at them while some were cheering at them with honor. 

"Congratulations," the cloaked unicorn bowed.

"You two have defeated the old order," the pony-bull declared.

"From now on, a new future begins for our kin," the pony-griffon smiled.

"Thanks, but the real hero is my love, Shard" Venang pointed.

"True," the bull-snake nodded, "But you also had shown promise in assisting our new legend in his journey."

"You two had become the most powerful beings that no other beings would ever tell otherwise," the cloaked unicorn declared.

"Thanks," the duo beamed in unison.

"Now then, it is time that you two to return to your world," the pony-snake created a portal back to the mortal world.

"But, we died," Shard frowned.

"No, you two were lost in connections," the cloaked unicorn declared.

"What?" Venang asked in confusion.

"You see," the cloaked unicorn explained, "Phan Tom had the power to kill immortal beings after consuming the old Master's power. However, for you two, each of you are known to be more than just immortals. Deathless are those that never really die. After a few hours, you will be awaken like you woke up from an evening slumber or coma."

"Oh, that's really something good," the duo smiled awkwardly.

The spirits laughed.

"Haha, you two have such sense of humor," the cloaked unicorn smiled, "Now, go along and start your new life together with your love, oh Shard Vine."

"Take care of your children," the pony-bull grinned.

"We'll do," the duo nodded in unison.

As they were one step closer to the portal, they looked at each other for a moment, smiling as their chapter finally ended. Now, another chapter would be on the way, as parents.

"This is our time now," Shard declared.

"Yeah, it is," Venang nodded.

"As proud parents," Shard grinned.

"And as the best of friends," Venang smiled as she nuzzled him lightly.

By then, they stepped into the portal to begin their new journey.


TO BE CONTINUED