//------------------------------// // Shadow Game // Story: Let's Duel! // by Snake Staff //------------------------------// Twilight lay motionless on the ground, head spinning and body throbbing with pain. Figures clustered around her, making sounds, but she couldn’t understand them. She couldn’t make them out properly either with her blurred vision. She felt like some of them were touching her, but her addled mind couldn’t make out what they were trying to do. She needed to say something, she realized. Needed to give these people concise and accurate information on the nature of her condition, to allow for maximal medical effectiveness. Twilight’s mouth slowly opened. “Myopic… banana… weasel,” she informed them. Twilight laid her head back, allowing her eyelids to fall shut. She was tired now. Yes, very tired. And didn’t this patch of dirt seem just the perfect place for a nap? It all seemed a perfectly reasonable conclusion to her. She was just in the middle of nodding off when a very rude someone chose to interrupt. “Hey! Twilight! Wake up!” someone shouted in her face. When that didn’t immediately work, they shook her like a ragdoll and shouted harder. “WAKE UP! WAKE! UP!” “Rainbow Dash!” someone else snapped rather huffily. “Can’t you see that the poor dear is a bit out of it? After that nasty fall she’s lucky just to be in one piece!” “Um…” a quiet voice muttered. “She doesn’t have any broken bones… at least I don’t think so… And she, uh, doesn’t look badly injured otherwise.” “See that?” the first voice retorted. “She needs to get on her feet, pronto!” “And why do ya figure that?” another person said. “Because of Ms. Tall, Dark, and Creepy over there!” “Ooooh…” Twilight moaned, eyes gently sliding open. “My head…” “She’s coming around!” “We can all see that, duh! You alright there?” “What…” Twilight feebly rubbed her forehead with one hand. “What’s… going on?” “That,” a completely new voice interrupted. “Would be me.” “Huh?” Twilight looked up towards the dueling arena, searching for the source. Her eyes didn’t have to wander for long. There, floating easily a good few yards off the ground, was a woman unlike anything Twilight had ever seen. With flawless skin the color of silky smooth cream and dark blue hair that seemed to twinkle like the night sky, this newcomer had an otherworldly air comparable to only one other person Twilight could think of. Her piercing eyes glinted like teal gemstones, the pupils black, reptilian slits. She wore clothes so deep blue that they appeared almost black, threaded tastefully with silver and a few shimmering diamonds. Long, puffed sleeves disappeared into silver cuffs around her thin wrists, while identically-colored pants were tucked tightly into tall black boots. An elaborate sapphire-studded silver clasp affixed a blue-black velvet cape to her neck. Finally, twin silver crescent moon earrings dangled from both of her ears. The fay-looking woman met Twilight’s gaze and grinned, flashing a perfect set of pearly-white teeth. Perfect, that is, save for the unpleasantly-pronounced canines. “Who…” Twilight stared, pain all but forgotten. “Who are you?” “Heh heh heh,” the woman chuckled. “Are you truly so ignorant? Have you truly never heard the whispers? Did you not read the stories?” “Just tell us who you are, you floating freak!” Rainbow Dash snapped. “And what in tarnation you and your posse want with this town!” Applejack added. “Hmm, very well. I suppose I do owe you thanks for your assistance in breaking the last of my bindings.” The woman’s smile didn’t fade. “My name is Nightmare Moon. Or, as you’ll soon be calling me, Queen of All the Land. Your Dread Majesty and Mistress are also acceptable.” “Queen?!” Twilight started. “Are you insane? Princess Celestia is the ruler here! Do you honestly think you can take her, no matter what crazy magic you can pull?” “Celestia?” Nightmare Moon’s sculpted eyebrows creased slightly. “Celestia will not be a problem for much longer. When she arrives here in a few hours, I have something very special just for her. The good princess has no idea what’s happening here, and she won’t suspect a thing… until it’s too late, of course. What she doesn’t know most definitely can hurt her.” “You’re going to…” Twilight’s face was a rictus of shock. “You’re going to try and kill Princess Celestia?!” “Kill her?” Nightmare smirked and shook her head in the manner of a patronizing teacher. “Why would I be so merciful, child? No, the fate I have planned for Celestia is far worse than mere death. But why spoil the surprise now? You’ll see it for yourself soon enough. Everyone here will have that privilege!” “You… You’re…” Twilight’s mind was reeling dangerously. “How could you even think doing anything to the princess?! What did she ever do to you?!” “More than you could ever know…” she muttered, eyes briefly downcast. “Now then, I still have some work to do before this can be a proper celebration of the commencement of my reign. So–” she waved one hand dismissively. “–off with you. Servants, escort these children off somewhere out of the way. And be sure to give them a good seat for what’s to come!” Several cloaked men and women advanced, surrounding the girls from all directions. They easily outnumbered them three to one, if not more. “I’m not going anywhere!” Twilight rose to her feet, pain now completely forgotten. “If you want to hurt the princess, you’re going to have to go through me first!” “And me!” Rainbow declared. “And me!” Applejack joined. “A lady cannot stand by and watch wickedness unfold!” Rarity agreed. “Oooh, and me too!” Pinkie jumped a little. “You’re going to have to go through me!” “And… um… I don’t think I can, uh, let you get away with this…” Fluttershy muttered softly. “I do not have time for this.” Nightmare rolled her eyes. “Beat them into submission if necessary. I have better things to do.” She turned her back on them, slowly gliding away through the air. “You… You…” Twilight clenched her fist even as the cultists advanced. “You pathetic coward!” “What.” Nightmare Moon froze on the spot. “What did you just call me?” “You heard me!” Twilight shouted upwards at her. “You’re a gutless, cringing coward! You don’t have the nerve to face Princess Celestia in a fair duel, so you’re going to jump her on her way to a celebration! You don’t have the guts to face Ponyville, so you freeze them all while they’re unaware! And now you don’t even have the guts to face a few girls on your own without an army of flunkies to back you up!” “You dare…” Nightmare rotated back around with excruciating slowness. “You dare to insult the Queen of All Nightmares? You dare to challenge me?” “I dare!” Twilight barked. “You’re the one who’s too afraid to face me in a fair duel! Some Queen of Nightmares you are! I’ve met braver preschoolers!” Nightmare Moon’s face was passive, neutral, and calculating as she stared down at the six girls and the small army of cultists surrounding them. She hovered in tense silence for some time, one delicate finger on her chin. Then, slowly but surely, her elegant eyebrows creased and sunk into a frown. “I suppose I could use a bit of a warm-up,” she muttered thoughtfully. Then, Nightmare held up one hand and gestured to the robed figures. “Back away. I’ll deal with these little fools myself. Since I’m short on time I’ll even take all six of you at once.” Twilight’s duel disk clicked into place at her mental command, cards arranging themselves back into a deck. Around her, five more duel disks did the same. “Oh, poor naïve children.” Nightmare grinned. “You truly think that this is going to be some mere card game? No… This… This my friends will be something far more… amusing. To celebrate my return in style I’ll destroy all of you in a Shadow Game!” “A Shadow Game?!” Twilight took a step back, eyes suddenly wide and arm hovering before her chest. “You’d invoke a Shadow Game?!” “What the heck is a Shadow Game?” Rainbow demanded, fists balled. “And what makes ya think we’re gonna play any of your demented games?” Applejack added. “Oh you poor, stupid little children.” Nightmare Moon smirked. “As if you have any choice now. My cards.” She held out one hand towards her robed flunkies. One of the cultists produced a small, dark wooden box from somewhere before opening it in an almost reverent manner. Immediately Duel Monsters cards shot out, soaring through the air on invisible winds. Swiftly they settled into an orbit around their mistress’ head, as if she were a sun and they her planets. Even as the cards were racing towards Nightmare Moon the scene around the girls began to shift. The soft grassy terrain of Ponyville’s town square dissolved beneath their feet, plants seeming to wither and die in an instant. The area itself shimmered, blurred, and slowly faded out as a purple and black mist rolled over the land. The others present, civilian and cultist alike, disappeared from view one by one as the darkness swallowed earth and sky. The very last thing to go was the full moon hanging high overhead. The six girls shifted almost involuntarily, huddling together against the grasping darkness. The ground beneath their feet seemed half stone and half sludge, randomly shifting in shape and solidity. The light was practically nonexistent, only a dim purple glow barely granting sight for a few feet. From every direction they could hear the faintest sounds of whispering, and occasionally screams. Perhaps most disturbing of all was the way the dark mist occasionally seemed to take on the brief outlines of grasping hands… or wailing faces. The girls glanced at one another, not a one of them daring to speak. Few dared to even breathe. Fluttershy was on her knees, eyes squeezed shut and hands covering her head. Twilight’s face was frozen, eyes the size of dinner plates and mouth gaping limply. She was still enough to be mistaken for a statue. “So,” a familiar voice cut in “how are you enjoying the Shadow Realm?” The black and purple mists parted a little ways, giving the girls a clear line of sight to Nightmare Moon. She stood calmly in the center of the darkness, arms folded across her chest and cards continuing to slowly orbit her head. Her mouth was set into a toothy grin. “W-What are you doing?” Rainbow Dash managed, despite her visible shudders. “Doing?” Her grin widened. “Why, child, I’ve already done it. I’ve taken you to your new home. Just look around you.” Nightmare spread her arms wide. “This is the Shadow Realm, the origin of Shadow Magic and the place where your doom will be decided!” As if in answer to her, a high-pitched shriek resounded, echoing a hundred times and more off the nothingness that stretched off in every direction. The flow of shadowy fog picked up the pace, as if agitated. “You see, you’ve made the mistake of annoying me. So once I crush you in our Shadow Game your souls will be trapped in this dread realm for all eternity!” Nightmare Moon laughed. “Even as your bodies rot into dust so too will your souls wither away in this cursed plane, until finally you are left as yet another of these pathetic creatures!” She brushed one hand through a screaming face in the mist, dissolving it. “Your life, your memories, all the warmth of your hearts will be gone forever! In the end, you will be left as nothing but a wailing specter trapped forever in the darkness as you experience an endless torrent of horror and despair!” Not one of the six girls could make a single sound, save for a tiny whimper from Fluttershy. “So let’s not waste any more time, shall we? I may be reduced to collecting cards through minions while my own deck rots away, but they got this one right.” Nightmare snatched one card from the many orbiting her. “Your end is here! I summon the Masked Beast Des Gardius!” The mist before Nightmare Moon parted, swirling in all directions as if eager to escape from what was coming. The murky, flowing ground now exposed trembled for just a moment. And then a claw burst forth from inky black earth. Moments later, a second claw joined it. Both pierced the fleshy earth and it seemed to bleed, oozing a dark purple substance. And then, with one mighty heave, a massive demon tore itself from the depths of the earth. Easily three times the size of Nightmare Moon herself, Des Gardius towered over everything in sight. The monster’s body was orange and grey, with silver claws and hands. It sported three massive heads, each one ending in a royal blue mask. Two masks features grimacing demon faces, but the central and largest was blank save for a pair of glaring red slits gleaming in the darkness. “Well met, loyal servant,” Nightmare said to the creature, before addressing the girls. “Des Gardius is one of my favorite cards and more than a match for anything you pitiful fools possess. Do you realize that you were fool to challenge me?” “I…” Twilight’s mouth moved, but no more words came out. “You seem to be the only one who has even an inkling of what’s going on,” Nightmare said. “So for the rest of you, I’ll explain. This duel will be played out by the very spirits of our monster cards! Through spirit and willpower alone can they be summoned here, and I assure you that in the Shadow Realm they are no holograms. Everything here is quite real. Those who wills fail them will be consumed by the ever-hungry shadows. So summon your monsters to fight for you.” She gestured at them. “Or else perish now to the talons of my Masked Beast!” “I…” Twilight’s trembling hand reached for her cards, picking one unsteadily. She took a step forward. “S-Summon my B-Blast Magic–” “Des Gardius destroy her monster now!” Twilight’s blue-skinned, red-robed magician had barely had time to materialize before Nightmare Moon’s creature pounced. It cleared several yards in less than a second before cutting the spellcaster to ribbons with a single swipe of one mighty claw. The explosion was all but deafening. But it was drowned out by screaming. Twilight wailed in piercing, unearthly agony as waves of deep purple energy coursed through her body at lightning speed. For a brief instant she stood ramrod straight, and then the next she collapsed onto her hands and knees at Des Gardius’ feet. She gasped desperately for air in the manner of drowning woman, totally ignoring the monster towering above her. “Oh, didn’t I mention?” Nightmare Moon smirked. “Since the monsters you summon are brought into existence and maintained by the power of your will, they are intimately linked to your spirits! In other words, you will feel all of the pain that your monsters do!” “Since her c-creature was just cut to p-pieces…” Rarity whispered. “That m-means…” “Yes!” she through back her head. “Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!” The five girls raced to Twilight’s side, paying the monster not the least bit of attention. Each one gently gripped and stabilized the mute, shivering young woman, who offered no resistance. Des Gardius flexed its claws and looked down, but at a gesture from Nightmare Moon instead took several steps backwards and did not interfere. “Easy now…” Applejack said softly as she and Rainbow Dash hoisted the still-twitching Twilight back to her feet. “We got ya… we won’t let ya fall…” “No way,” Rainbow agreed. “We’re here for you, darling,” Rarity added. “One million percent!” Pinkie said. “Not that this isn’t touching and all,” Nightmare’s voice cut in. “But would my next victim kindly step up to plate? I’m getting bored already and my Masked Beast is growing impatient." The enormous fiend raked the ground with one clawed foot, flexing its powerful muscles eagerly. The red eyes of its central mask appeared to be even narrower than before. “Y-You’re…” Fluttershy’s soft voice piped up, barely audible. Her head was lowered, pink hair covering her face. “You’re…” “I’m what?” “You’re a monster!” Fluttershy’s head jerked upwards as she gripped her deck. “And I won’t let you hurt people like this! I summon the Mosaic Manticore!” A massive beast leapt out of dark mists, landing on all fours between the six girls and the towering demon. The yellow manticore pawed against the ground with one of its own clawed hands, wings fluttering in agitation. Its scorpion tail braced, stinger extended. The great beast stared down Nightmare Moon and her Masked Beast, opening its mouth to unleash one mighty roar. “Fluttershy’s right!” Pinkie’s tone was surprisingly firm. “I’m not just going to stand around and let you do this to my friends! You’re not the only one with big scary monsters you know!” “Oh really?” Their adversary’s tone sounded unimpressed. “Really!” Pinkie seemed to produce a card from nowhere and held it up high. “Ladies and gents, the Toon Summoned Skull!” A bluish-grey cartoon fiend reared up behind Pinkie Pie. Or, at least, its upper half did. Below the waist it seemed little more than a rubbery tail that extended into the shadow and beyond. The little creature grinned with pointed teeth, flexing arms that suddenly and inexplicably sported ridiculously outsized muscles. “I quite agree!” Rarity declared. “What you’re doing is beyond appalling! So I call on the power of White Night Dragon!” Freezing winds whipped through the Shadow Realm, driving the dark mists before them. In a flurry of snowfall and hail, a mighty figure swooped down from the sky to land in front of Rarity. A towering bipedal dragon of pure shimmering ice crystal stared down Des Gardius, wings flared wide and clawed hands at the ready. “I ain’t lettin’ you get away with this!” Applejack drew a card while still supporting Twilight on one shoulder. “I summon my Megarock Dragon!” The ground beneath their feet trembled, then burst open like a localized volcano. A quadrupedal, wingless dragon seemingly carved from the earth itself tore free with a great cry of rage, showering the surroundings with black dirt. The dragon’s long neck bent down to expose its piercing red eyes and fanged maw to its adversary. It positioned itself between its mistress and enemies, each thundering step like a miniature earthquake. “Don’t leave me out of this!” Rainbow Dash had her own card in hand. “Come on out Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!” The shadowy mists around them twisted and twirled before a portion split off. The breakaway piece expanded and took shape, solidifying almost as quickly. An imposing bipedal dragon of steel shadow materialized, wings flared and fangs gnashing. It met Des Gardius’ red-eyed glare with one of its own, flames licking at the edge of tis mouth. “Oh no, some big scary monsters. Whatever will I do?” Nightmare looked idly down at her nails, not paying the least attention to the five monsters now facing her. “Uuuuurgh…” Twilight moaned from where she hung between Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “Twilight!” Fluttershy turned back to the limp girl. “Are you alright?” “You took quite a blow there,” Rarity said. “I can’t imagine how much that must have hurt!” “A… lot…” Twilight mumbled. “I’m sorry…” “For what?” Pinkie asked. “You got nothing to be sorry for!” Rainbow declared. “I… got you all… into this…” She hung her head, tears sliding down her cheeks. “I’m so… sorry. I’ve doomed you all.” “Horse pucky.” “W-What?” Twilight managed to look up, eyes wide. “I said that’s a load of cow dung,” Applejack said. “I’d have been against here even if you hadn’t said anything! This snake in the grass needs a good lickin’ for what she’s done!” “She’s right!” Rainbow clenched her fist. “There’s no way I could have let this evil creep have her way!” “I can’t deny that someone had to do something,” Rarity added. “And why should that someone not have been us?” “I… um…” Fluttershy rubbed her arm, face down. “I guess I would have… um… done something… maybe?” “We’re all with you, darling. Of our own free will, come what may. Isn’t that right, everyone?” “Yep!” “Sure as sugar!” “Y-Yes…” “Definitely!” Pinkie finished. “And besides, our souls are only doomed to endless horror if we can’t beat her!” The others looked pointedly at her. “What?” “I…” Five pairs of eyes returned to Twilight. “I…” Her eyes were the size of very wet dinner plates, and more tears were trickling down her cheeks. “I…” Her jaw hung limply. “We’re with you,” Rarity repeated. “We’re all with you.” “I…” Twilight’s wandering eyes fell back onto Nightmare Moon. “I summon” she ripped one arm from Rainbow’s grip, a single card clutched in her hand. “Endymion the Master Magician!” The shadows beneath her feet came together, beginning to swirl like some deep dark whirlpool. The vortex swiftly rose high and higher off the ground, until the ensuing twister loomed over even Des Gardius. And then, just as it reached its peak, the whirling storm exploded out in all directions, unleashing hurricane force winds that toppled all six girls on the spot. From on high came the black and green armored form of Twilight’s greatest monster, arms folded serenely across his chest. “Are you all done yet?” Nightmare hadn’t even been budged. “I’m getting bored of watching drama. I happen to prefer action.” “Alrighty!” Pinkie sounded almost cheerful. “You want action creepy evil lady, you got it! First I’ll attack with the Toon Skull!” Pinkie’s monster grinned and rose higher into the sky. Arms and wings spread wide it launched a fat surge of electricity down at its foes. “And I think I’ll have him target…” The lightning strike arced downwards towards the Masked Beast Des Gardius. The gigantic fiend braced itself, flexing its muscles and not moving one inch. Toon Summoned Skull’s grin widened. The bolt of lightning abruptly split in half, both halves flowing easily around Des Gardius and converging as one on… “You!” Both bolts struck home, and Nightmare Moon instantly vanished into a massive, fiery explosion. Toon Summoned Skull threw back its head, pointed, and laughed maniacally. Des Gardius’ three heads turned back towards it mistress. Then, before the smoke had even had a chance to fade, a second explosion ensued. And then a third. Then a fourth. A fifth. A sixth. A seventh… Pinkie’s Toon monster was busy hopping up and down, cackling like a lunatic. The others stared. Pinkie Pie herself offered a helpless shrug. “Cartoons are so violent these days.” The Masked Beast turned its whole body towards the rising column of black smoke, then took a tentative step towards it. And then the next instant a powerful gust of wind appeared from nowhere, dispelling the black clouds. Inside was… a smirking, seemingly-unharmed Nightmare Moon. “Tell me,” she said, brushing off her left shoulder. “Was that supposed to hurt me?” Toon Summoned Skull abruptly stopped laughing. “N-No way!” Pinkie took a step back, arms raised. “There’s no way…” “No way I could have endured that pitiful excuse for an attack?” Nightmare finished with a smirk. “I’m afraid that you are nothing but another pathetic, powerless amateur in way over her head. I, on the other hand, am the Queen of Nightmares and Mistress of the Shadow Games! Now let me show you how it’s really done! Des Gardius!” She leveled one finger. “Attack now!” The fiend’s red eyes narrowed and it bounded forward, razor-sharp claws extended. “You think that masked freak can stop us?” Rainbow gestured right back. “Red-Eyes, counterattack!” “White Night Dragon, you’re up as well!” Both dragons opened their jaws wide, revealing a twin set of fanged maws. Deep red and black flames built up inside Red-Eyes, while White Night’s mouth held bluish white energies. As one the dragons opened fire on the charging fiend. Des Gardius shielded its three faces with both massive arms as twin blasts of ice and fire slammed into it. The creature trembled slightly, taking a single step backwards as both dragons poured on the firepower. “My Masked Beast…” The same purple energies that had enveloped Twilight now coursed through Nightmare Moon, but she didn’t seem to notice. “Show those pathetic creatures what real power is all about!” Des Gardius dug its talons into the murky ground and pushed. First its slow movement backwards was arrested and then, inch by inch, reversed. Powerful muscles visibly straining in the deep shadows, the fiend first took one small step forward, and then another, and then another. Then, all at once it forced it's arms to burst outwards, tearing the energy streams asunder even as it was engulfed in an explosion. Not even a second passed before Nightmare’s creature bounded from out of the smoke directly for its draconic foes. Both beat their wings frantically to rise, but Red-Eyes wasn’t quick enough. Des Gardius raked a claw across its metal chest, sending the monster hurling backwards into the mists of the Shadow Realm. Supernatural energy raced through Rainbow Dash and she shrieked, collapsing to her knees and clutching her own chest. Des Gardius lunged swiftly to the side, just in time to avoid a swipe at its back from Megarock Dragon’s stony spiked tail. Endymion cast a purple arcane bolt that clipped it on the side of the chest, causing little more than a scorch mark and a slight flinch. Its claws swiped at Toon Summoned Skull, but the little demon’s body stretch and contorted around them like a rubber band. From on high, White Night Dragon took another shot, this one just catching the Masked Beast’s left foot and coating it with ice. As Des Gardius stumbled, Megarock Dragon reared up and brought both forelegs down on it. Nightmare’s creature raised both of its own arms and caught them. Mighty demonic muscles struggled against a multi-ton avalanche bearing down on it. Endymion and Toon Skull saw their chance, hitting it in the back with magic and electricity. Nightmare Moon gritted her teeth, wincing as more shadow energy flowed through her. But in spite of the pain the Masked Beast did not falter. Instead it braced itself and pushed back, incredible strength somehow managing to force Megarock Dragon’s limbs further and further upwards. A final surge saw Des Gardius outright toss the quadrupedal dragon over onto its back. Before it had the slightest chance to do anything the fiend was on top of it. It plunged both arms deep into the dragon’s belly, punching through rocky scales with ease. Applejack herself toppled over backwards, face contorted in mute agony. Like a demented game of baseball, Des Gardius tore off large chunks of stony scales and tossed them up into the air, one after another. White Knight Dragon dodged the first few, but one managed to clip one of its wings. Rarity’s monster lost balance and plummeted, hitting the ground roughly. The three-headed fiend pounced. A lance of violet magic took it in the chest mid-leap, sending it toppling over onto its back. Des Gardius rolled with the ease of a practiced hand even while Endymion fired another shot, managing to return to its feet within the second. From behind came the sound of a raspberry being blown, and the next instant the fined got another lightning bolt in the back. The beast turned with an enraged gleam in its eyes. Mosaic Manticore, until that moment hanging back on the edges, chose that moment to pounce. The sudden impact took Nightmare’s creature off-guard, and both tumbled. The two beasts wrestled as they rolled across the ground. The manticore’s jaws snapped ferociously for the Masked Beast’s three throats. When Fluttershy’s beast managed to force its way on top, it took immediate advantage to its black scorpion stinger into the beast’s muscled abdomen. Even while the poison pumped in, the fiend fought back by slamming all three masked faces into the manticore’s. While it reeled Nightmare’s monster tore a clawed hand from its grip and raked it hard across the winged beast’s face. Now it was Fluttershy’s turn to collapse in a heap, arms frantically pawing at her face. Des Gardius stood tall, injured but undaunted, and faced down the remaining three monsters. Toon Skull, White Night, and Endymion frantically gave ground as it charged them, splitting off in three directions. The masked fiend pursued Pinkie’s Toon, ignoring the other two. Toon Skull grinned wickedly and gave the beast another taste of lightning. This one was strong enough to stop the creature in tracks, covering its faces with its arms. “Perhaps you are stronger than I thought,” Nightmare Moon admitted as more energy wracked her body. “Your spiritual energy was enough to break my final chains, after all. But it does not matter! Des Gardius, finish this now!” The Masked Beast’s six eyes flared as Nightmare extended one hand. Deep blue energy tendrils flowed from mistress to monster, wrapping themselves tightly around it before being absorbed. Des Gardius’ body shone brightly in the darkness as the fiend flexed its bulging muscles. And then all hell broke loose. Nightmare’s Masked Beast moved so fast as to beggar belief. One moment it stood a good distance away from Toon Summoned Skull, the next it seemed to be right on top of it. Des Gardius seized the cartoonish fiend by the throat with one hand. Before it had time to do more than squeal, the clawed hand pierced straight through its rubbery chest and out its back. Pinkie’s pained wail provided the backdrop as Des Gardius rounded on White Night. Tossing the fading remains of Toon Skull aside, the beast tore up the ground between the two with alarming speed. The dragon opened its jaw and breathed a cone of frigid energy right into the oncoming behemoth, but the Masked Beast charged blindly through it, ignoring the ice crystals forming on its body. Des Gardius burst from the blizzard with all the force of an avalanche, pouncing on White Night Dragon and savaging Rarity’s beast with its claws. An explosion abruptly consumed both monsters as a sphere of deep purple energy struck Des Gardius in the back. Nightmare Moon winced visibly, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand. Rarity had taken a tumble, shivering softly in mute agony. A good distance away, Endymion held his staff at the ready. He conjured one, two, three more energy orbs and flung them into the rolling column, each eliciting another explosion. Then Twilight’s monster took a wary step back, gazing intently at the smoke mixing with the purple and black mist. So intently, in fact, that he failed to watch his back. “Look out!” Twilight called. Endymion whirled about – just in time to catch sight of the massive fiend’s form bursting from the shadow. Des Gardius bashed the magician’s staff from his hands with one blow, then seized him by the head in one of its claws. Then it squeezed. And Twilight’s world dissolved into agony.