//------------------------------// // In Which The World Changes Part 2 // Story: Filly Fantasy VI - The Return of Magic // by The Wyld Stallynz //------------------------------// Ifrit swooped down on an unsuspecting Spit Fire, using his bare claws to skewer the pony piloting it. He lifted the punctured and bloodied corpse from the cockpit and dumped it over the side. Without its pilot, the Spit Fire began a free fall to the ground. Ifrit took off, not bothering with watching its descent. He didn’t have to go far to find more enemies to kill. The IAF filled the skies around the Floating Island like locusts, an unrelenting swarm of mechanical death machines. Sneering, Ifrit covered his arms in flames, ready to take on the whole Empire if need be. He’d show them what he thought of ponies stealing his kind’s power and thinking they could wield it as their own. Spotting Zone Seeker fending off a half-dozen IAF, Ifrit flew at top speed. So intent was he to get to his fellow Esper, he missed the formation of IAF converging on his position and the ice field that formed between them. The next thing he knew was the pain of soul piercing, absolute cold that enveloped his body, then the sensation of falling. .o.O.o. Rainbow Dash considered herself a loyal pony to those she cared about. Loyal to a fault if Trixie were around to comment. She’d do anything within her power for her friends and then go even further. Which is why choosing whom to save from a miles high fall caused her to scream in frustration. There was no time to think; only act. Swerving to the nearest flailing body, Rainbow Dash scooped up Sweetie Belle and tightly held her to her body. A quick barrel roll brought her in arm’s distance of Zecora who reached out and grabbed hold. Rainbow Dash beat her wings furiously to maintain altitude, catching sight of Derpy and Fluttershy doing their part to save as many friends as possible. Stealing a glance up, Rainbow Dash fought back the urge to groan. The airship was too far above to fly to with this much weight, but looking down, the Floating Island was much closer. With no better options, Rainbow Dash spread her wings and began a slow glide down. The trio had only been drifting for a few minutes when a large, dark shape propelled itself from behind a cloud bank. It was much larger than any of the Sky Armors or Spit Fires that had assaulted them. Its front end sported a grinning face with razor sharp teeth, while the rest contained a series of panels, protrusions, and moving parts that Rainbow Dash could only guess as to their functions; two smaller pods were attached to its sides, complete with their own psychotic smiling faces. All Rainbow Dash could do was gape as the metal battleship that looked to be a cross between a shark and a plane glided her way. “Well, well, Flam, it seems we found our first target,” came a stallion's voice over a speaker system. “Seems that way, Flim,” another stallion’s voice responded. If Rainbow Dash wasn’t putting all her effort into keeping Sweetie Belle and Zecora from falling, she would have rolled her eyes. Luckily, Zecora had the luxury. “You two had better run, or you’ll be scrap when I am done!” the zebra shouted at the approaching ship. “Well, would you look at that!” Flam said. “None other than General Zecora herself.” “The Emperor will reward us handsomely when we take her out,” Flim replied. “With this Air Force unit, that’ll be a cinch!” The craft’s smiling faces seemed to sneer a little wider as the whir of weapons powering up could be heard. “Laser Gun, fire!” The left mounted pod blasted a white hot beam out of its mouth, straight at the helpless trio. Rainbow Dash strained to move out of the way, but all for naught as the beam reached them in nanoseconds. Plenty of time for Zecora to grab hold of her sword with her teeth and flip it to intercept the attack. Zecora’s crystallized blade reflected the beam away. With a flick of her tail, Zecora redirected her sword on its way down to smartly resheath it. Rainbow Dash swore she saw the smiles of the Air Force droop. “That’s preposterous!” Flim yelled. “Never fear, she won’t be able to block these,” Flam said. “Missile Bay, fire!” The rightmost pod’s mouth let loose three rockets that streaked for Rainbow Dash and her companions. “Quick, do that trick again!” Rainbow Dash managed to get out. Zecora shook her head. “I could get one, but with three we are done!” “I got it!” came a squeaky voice. Rainbow Dash blinked, forgetting in the stress of the moment that Sweetie Belle was right beside her. A spark of magic came from her horn and a yellow sphere surrounded them. No sooner had it materialized than the rockets impacted. “Got ‘em!” both brothers cheered. They pressed forward on their view screen, waiting for the smoke to clear from the explosions to see three vaporized equines. Three equines did appear, only a little soot covered and definitely not vaporized. “What is with these blasted ponies and their immunity to death?!” Flam said. “Get closer!” Flim replied. “We’ll hit them with everything we’ve got!” The Air Force dipped down, picking up speed at a much faster rate than Rainbow Dash could. Gasping, Rainbow Dash resisted the urge to wipe her brow and looked down. The Floating Island was only a few dozen hooves away now. A few seconds more and she could drop off Zecora and Sweetie Belle and properly fight off the twins. Tilting her head back up, it quickly became clear she wasn’t going to get those seconds. The Air Force descended faster, seemingly ready to just ram the ponies. Weapon ports opened up all over the ship, each pointing at the equines with deadly intent. Both side pods began to hum— A glowing form impacted against the side of the ship, sending it off course and its weapons shooting at nothing but air. “Don’t you dare hurt them!” Twilight Sparkle roared, her flaming esper form pushing against a machine many times her size. “Spike!” “On it!” Riding on her back, Spike jabbed with his spear, skewering the left pod clean through. “We lost the Laser Gun!” Flim cried. Flam wasted no time. “Quick, deploy the Speck!” A panel at the tip of the Air Force’s nose slid open and a golden ball popped out. It floated next to the craft, a low whine coming from it. Twilight jerked away from the Air Force as though stung. “Oh, I… I’m not feeling so good.” “Ha! Your magic won’t work now!” Flam said. “Quick, fire on them now.” The Air Force began to turn, unleashing its weapons on Twilight and Spike. Twilight backed away, casting fire spells to cover her retreat, but all of them fizzled out, leaving her completely exposed. A last minute wind breath from Spike diverted the missiles heading their way, but another volley quickly replaced them. Twilight swerved and dived while Spike swatted at any projectiles that slipped through, though both began to huff and puff from the constant exertion. “That’s it, keep up the pressure!” came Flam’s voice. “We’re sure to hit them at some point,” Flim said. “Shoot again!” The Air Force lined up its right pod, locking onto its target. The Missile Bay’s mouth glowed as it prepared the largest volley yet. “Now!” both brothers hollered. A split second before firing, the pod rocked from a hard impact, dislodging it from the main craft. Before falling, it unloaded its payload right into the side of the Air Force. Explosions and shrapnel tore through the steel plating, exposing wires, magic tubes, and two very surprised pilots. Rainbow Dash, sans two passengers and wielding Thunder Blade, somersaulted backwards after making her surprise attack. “There! See how you like it!” She squawked in shock as the Air Force pivoted towards her despite the massive damage done to it. Smoke and sparks leaked from its gaping holes but it remained flying. “Why can’t you just let us win for once?!” Flim shouted at her. “Brother, is the Wave Cannon still online?” “Yes…” Flam answered hesitantly. “But if we fire it, we won’t have enough power to—” “Just do it!” The remaining face of the Air Force began to move, opening its grinning mouth wide and revealing a large metal barrel. The last warning that Rainbow Dash received was an intense white glow and then her world becoming a searing flash of heat. .o.O.o. Twilight Sparkle didn’t have time to think. She acted. She dove down as fast as her blazing wings could take her with Spike hanging onto her flaming mane for dear life. Never before was he more thankful that his dragon scales protected him from high temperatures, otherwise anypony else would be a drifting wisp of ash by now. With his eyes clenched to avoid seeing the spinning ground below, he missed Twilight’s plan of action. That plan: switch back to a normal pony and collide with Rainbow Dash just before the Air Force’s final attack could connect. All went according to plan. Then the wave of heat from the Air Force’s Wave Cannon clipped them, sending both ponies and tiny dragon into a free fall. Twilight Sparkle, moments before blacking out, contented herself with the fact that at least one of her plans worked successfully. She just needed to work on the follow up. .o.O.o. “Oh, dear, he’s not getting up.” “Don’t bother with him. Just let him be. Or better yet, wait until he dies so we can use his magicite.” “That’s a terrible thing to say! You should be ashamed.” “Bah. That’s nothing compared to the terrible things he’s done.” “And what things did he do?” “He killed my niece and razed Vectorlot.” “Oh. Yes, those are pretty bad.” “Then let’s be on our way.” “No.” “Excuse me?” “I said no. Nothing will change between ponies and espers if we continue with this terrible hatred for each other.” “Then what are you suggesting?” “A little kindness and a lot of understanding.” “You can’t be serious.” “I am.” Ifrit heard the voices but could do little else. His body wasn’t responding to his commands. He couldn’t even tell if the voices were real or made up in his head. All he could do was listen and wait. The sound like ruffling feathers reached his ears and then the unmistakable sensation of magic being cast. Seconds later he felt a wash of relief flow over his body. His muscles twitched and he found he could clench his hand. A low, agonizing moan came from his mouth as his entire being remembered the icy pain he had experienced. Another wave of magic flowed over him, relieving him further. Now his body began to respond and he tentatively opened his eyes. Two beige blurs met his gaze. The closest blur seemed to expand outward and the familiar and welcoming feeling of healing magic enveloped him again. The process continued for a few more minutes, with each casting allowing Ifrit more control. At last, he managed to prop himself up into a sitting position and take stock of his surroundings. The landscape was unlike anything he had ever seen. The ground, plants, and hills no longer had the pleasant earthen tones and lush vegetation that were so common in the pony world. Instead, grotesque and pale flesh covered everything. Concentrating on one spot, he could even see parts of the land move, as though it had a pulse. The entire area appeared to be one large, living organism. Ifrit tore his attention away from the unpleasant sight to the two blurs from before. Now he could see them as two ponies, a pegasus mare and a earth pony stallion. The mare was panting, her wings drooping to the ground. The stallion stood further away, looking ready to bolt at any second. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Ifrit said, “Who are you?” The mare took her time to find her own breath before answering. “Fluttershy.” She gestured a hoof towards the stallion. “That’s Doctor Whooves.” “Why did you heal me?” Fluttershy dropped her gaze and scuffed a hoof against the ground. “Um, well, you didn’t look very good, so, um, I thought it would help.” “But why?” Biting her lower lip, Fluttershy looked up at the esper. “Because it was the right thing to do.” Both Ifrit and Doctor Whooves scoffed. Fluttershy pressed on. “I mean it. I haven’t been with the Returners for very long but I’ve seen enough to know that we can’t be mad at each other. We have to put our differences aside if we’re going to make a difference.” She swept of hoof over the writhing landscape. “Just look. This place is completely unnatural. If we don’t want this to happen to the rest of the world we have to work together.” Ifrit stifled a groan as a flash of icy pain stabbed at this chest. Ignoring it, he said, “Just where are we?” “We fell onto that island that rose from the sea.” Blinking, Ifrit quickly rose to his feet. A wave of nausea overwhelmed him and he collapsed back down. Fluttershy was at his side in an instant. “Oh, please, you shouldn’t be moving. Just rest a bit. I should be able to use more healing in a moment.” “No, that won’t be necessary.” Ifrit placed a clawed hand on the spongy ground and forced his way to a kneeling position. “Leave me be.” “But you’re still hurt. When I came down I saw monsters crawling all over the place. You won’t make it far.” “I don’t need your—” “Yes you do!” Ifrit and Doctor Whooves recoiled from the sudden shout. Looking up, Ifrit saw the timid pony from before replaced by a steely eyed mare. Fluttershy marched up to him and jabbed a hoof against his chest. “Didn’t you hear anything I said? We need to stop this bickering with each other if we’re going to get anything done. We had a chance to work together back in Thamaresa and now look at what’s happened. Things will only get worse if ponies and espers don’t settle this feud that’s been going on for who knows how long.” She stepped back, her eyes softening but an undercurrent of steel remained. “Now, I am going to heal you some more and then you, Doctor Whooves, and I are going to see if there’s anyone else that needs our help. Once all of our friends are together, we’ll put a stop to whatever’s happening here.” She whirled around, fixing Doctor Whooves with her stare next. The stallion wilted immediately. “As for you, I am very sorry for what happened to your niece. I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose a loved one. I’m not asking you to suddenly like all espers but you will cooperate with them. Is that clear?” Doctor Whooves gulped. “Yes ma’am.” “Good. Now, no more arguing. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover so let’s get going.” She spread her wings out as far as they could go. The magic of Seraphim once again spread out of her and into Ifrit’s body. At last, the large, red esper felt well enough to stand on his clawed feet and did so without hesitation. Ifrit stared down at the pony, a creature so small he could step on her and barely notice. His mouth became a thin line as a range of emotions contorted his face. Snorting, he stomped away from Fluttershy, saying over his shoulder, “We head towards the strongest magic source. That should be where the statues are. I’m sure your friends will be heading that way too.” Nodding, Fluttershy followed, ushering Doctor Whooves to do the same. The stallion fell in line, his own muzzle warped by conflicting thoughts. The three creatures made their way through the twisted landscape, towards the center of the island. .o.O.o. Trixie had to admit that the past few days really sucked. Defecting to the Returners felt like a lifetime ago, especially with all that had happened since then. Not that she would admit this to anypony else, but she could at least be honest with herself. Small comfort when dealing with an angry behemoth looking to make her tiny pony body an afternoon snack. The large, horned purple beast slashed down in an attempt to skewer her with its dagger sized claws. Trixie countered with a wave of ice from Blizzard that encased the claw before it could reach her. She then dove out of the way, allowing the claw to shatter against the fleshy land the Floating Island had become. The behemoth howled in pain but swiftly ignored its injury to send a baleful glare at the unicorn, promising that it was far out of the fight. The behemoth’s attention on Trixie cost it as two figures above swirled over its head, a storm cloud forming between them that was so dark, it appeared black. Seconds later a lightning bolt erupted from the cloud and arced towards the highest point: the behemoth’s horns. The electrical blast struck true, sending an unknown but deadly amount of volts through its brain. The monster shuddered once, letting out a low whine before collapsing in a heap, remaining still. Derpy Hooves and Scootaloo landed moments later, wide grins over their muzzles. “That worked great!” Scootaloo said with a flutter of her wings. She looked towards a bulge in the ground that may have once been a boulder and called out, “Hey, Spotter! It worked!” Spotter peeked out from behind the bulge, confirming that the scary monster lay dead. He scampered over with a matching smile. “See, I told you!” He raised a hoof, both Derpy and Scootaloo taking turns to bump it. A throat clearing alerted them to the only pony not celebrating. “In case any of you have forgotten, it was Trixie that put her hide on the line for you to pull off that stunt. Where would you be without me around?” “Hey, you were cool, too!” Scootaloo cheered, holding up her own hoof towards Trixie. The ex-general gave a half lidded stare, sighed, and lightly tapped the offered hoof with her own. “Thanks, I guess.” Giggling, Derpy made to give her own hoof bump, but stiffened and raised her ears. The action didn’t go unnoticed, everypony tensing. “I hear something coming. Over there!” She thrust of hoof down a path the four ponies had been following before the behemoth had attacked them. Distantly at first, the sound of galloping could be heard getting closer. Magic and weapons were readied for whatever appeared. The group relaxed as Applejack turned a bend, spotted them, and rushed over. “There you are! I saw you up in the sky and ran over here as fast as I could.” Her gaze drifted over to the behemoth carcass and raised an eyebrow. “Whoa nelly, guess not fast enough.” “Applejack, did you see Sweetie Belle or Apple Bloom anywhere?” Scootaloo asked with hopeful eyes. Applejack closed her eyes and shook her head. “Nope. You guys are the first I’ve found. So we better head out and see if we can find the rest.” “But where too? This whole place is a giant maze.” Giving a nod towards Derpy, Applejack said, “Think you can fly up a ways and check to see if there’s a path?” Derpy frowned and shrugged. “I can try, but there are a lot of flying monsters around here too. My magic wasn’t very good against some of them, either.” “Stay low then and get down to us if ya run into any trouble.” “Roger!” With a crisp salute, Derpy flew up until she was a dozen hooves into the air. She gave a quick scan of the area, motioning with her hooves to follow as she glided westward. The ponies on the ground galloped after her, traveling deeper into the depths of the Floating Island. .o.O.o. “I don’t think we’re in Fillygaro anymore, Big Mac.” “Eeyup.” Apple Bloom cringed as she walked, facing away from her brother. “Not that I even remember much of Fillygaro.” Slowing his pace, Big Macintosh reached over and patted her on the head. “You and me both.” “Um, if we get out of here alive, could you show me how you did that glider thing that got us down here? That was really neat.” “Eeyup. But only if ya whip up a batch of that tonic you came up with.” That put a smile on Apple Bloom’s muzzle. “Sure thing! It’ll be the best tasting tonic you’ve ever had.” Several hooves behind them, Shining Armor heaved a deep sigh. Rarity, tearing her gaze from the adorable bonding happening ahead of her, looked up at the stallion. “Dear, what is it?” Shining Armor started, his eyes refocusing. “Oh, did I do that out loud?” “You certainly did. I think every monster in the vicinity heard it.” Rarity’s tone softened. “It’s about Spotter, isn’t it? I’m sure he’s fine. I think I saw Derpy pick him up shortly after we fell off the airship.” “It’s… not just that. I am worried about him but he’s a tough little guy. Heh, who better to watch over him in this wild place than a pony raised in a wild place?” Rarity smirked and nodded. “Very true. What’s bothering you then?” Shining Armor inclined his head towards the siblings still talking ahead of them. “Guess I’m a little melancholy is all. Those two get to be together again after all their years apart, but I’ll… I’ll never get to see my wife again.” The two walked in silence for a time. After a few minutes, Rarity said, “I don’t think that’s true. If what we learned of the Phantom Train is correct, you’ll be with your wife eventually.” She gave him a pointed look. “But, you still have plenty to live for until then. Spotter, rebuilding your kingdom, training the next generation of knights. I only saw your wife that one time, but I think she would rest easier knowing you lived to the fullest before joining her.” “Oh believe me, that is true,” Shining Armor replied. He walked a little straighter, regaining some of his warrior bearing. “I’m going to do all of that and more until this body of mine gives out. “Apologies. It still stings a little. Fighting against the Empire has helped.” Rarity gave a dainty little giggle. “Darling, no need to apologize. I have my own family too, you know. I’m hoping after all this unpleasantness is over with, Sweetie Belle and I can finally live a more normal life.” Movement from up ahead caught her attention. Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom retreated back, the four ponies forming up. A trio of apokryphos jumped down from a higher platform and barred their path. The manticore like creatures roared and charged. Shining Armor levitated out his sword and held it at the ready. “Well, duty calls once again.” .o.O.o. “It’s turning out to be one of those days.” Sweetie Belle looked up, frowning at how slow and deliberate Rainbow Dash’s pace was compared to hers and Zecora’s. The young unicorn hadn’t known Rainbow Dash for all that long, but even she could tell that the pegasus’ normally energetic and carefree gate was severely lacking. She had cast as many healing spells as she could without passing out and even then Rainbow Dash came across as a limping old mare. Swallowing, Sweetie Belle turned her attention to the other pony in dire straits. Twilight Sparkle succeeded in saving her friend from the Air Force’s final attack. In the process, she’d come off the worst for it. Now unconscious and being carried on Zecora’s back, most of the hair on Twilight’s flank was gone, having been burned off. Her once flowing tail was now just a few bent and burnt twigs. The rest of her body looked as though she had been out in the sun too long, her brilliant lavender coat now a dull red. It was a miracle she was still alive. Marching at the front, spear held at the ready, Spike didn’t have a single scratch on him. The little dragon hadn’t said a word for over half an hour now, content with leading the way and finding those responsible for harming his charge. Zecora had consoled that him laying on Twilight’s back had possibly been the reason she was even alive at all. If anything, that seemed to make Spike even more withdrawn. Sweetie Belle bit her lip, a question at the tip of her tongue. Sighing, she went for it and said, “Um, do we know where we’re going?” No response came from Spike. Instead, Zecora looked back, giving an encouraging smile. “Do not worry so much on where we go. This twisted land changes so it is best to go with the flow.” “You mean, like, this island is taking us where we need to go?” Zecora nodded. “Strange, is it not? I have a feeling other forces are at work beyond our lot.” “Think it could be the statues?” Rainbow Dash asked. Even as she finish, a portion of the Floating Island broke off nearby and plummeted to the ground. Rainbow Dash gulped and willed herself to trot faster. “My knowledge of them is limited, so it is hard to say. All I can do now is follow my instincts and come what may.” “I hope the others are okay,” Sweetie Belle said, her voice perking up now that the others were talking. Rainbow Dash slowed and patted Sweetie Belle on the head. “Well, guess I’ll just pull a Zecora and say my gut tells me they made it here alright.” A screech of a far away monster reached them, causing the ponies to tense. “Just hope we can survive this place now.” The group traveled in silence once again, keeping aware of anything that so much as looked at them wrong. With one pony out of commission and the other barely keeping herself up, fighting monsters was low on their priority list. Their vigilance paid off as something large and heavy crashed through the brush, heading straight for them. Spike and Rainbow Dash readied themselves, but gaped and fell back as a copper, scaled claw ripped its way through a fleshy protrusion sticking up from the ground. The rest of the body followed, revealing a bronze dragon. It was similar in shape to the Red Dragon but half the size; still large enough to bite through a pony in one chomp. “I say, away from the fray!” Zecora yelled. She dropped down and gently let Twilight slide off her back. The next instant, her sword was drawn. Rainbow Dash and Spike rushed to the zebra’s side, making sure to put themselves between the dragon and Twilight. Zecora gave a battle cry in zebrican and dashed forward. The dragon swiped at her, but Zecora hopped over the attack, used the extended arm as a launching pad, and lept over the dragon’s head. She twirled her sword and then all the others could see was a red wall of power. The wall flashed, forcing them to cover their eyes. Once they were able to see, Zecora stood at ease, watching as the dragon hissed in pain as it limped away. Nodding in satisfaction, Zecora turned back to her companions. “Let it flee. It is no longer a danger to you or me.” Rainbow Dash became so slack-jawed that she dropped her sword. She shook her head and blinked. “Wow, am I glad you’re on our side now.” “Seriously,” Spike said. He watched as the retreating dragon disappeared over a hill. “I’m beginning to wonder if my tribe are the only dragons who aren’t jerks.” “Do not fret, there may be dragons of good in the world that you haven’t met.” Zecora bent down and draped Twilight back over her shoulder. Twilight gave a low moan but otherwise remained still. “Let’s be on our way. More unpleasant things will come if we stay.” Nodding, Rainbow Dash sheathed her sword and took point. “Right. Let’s go then.” The Returners marched on, unsure what they would encounter next but determined to see this through to the end. .o.O.o. Emperor Blueblood gasped and stepped back, beads of sweat running down his scalp. “Lemma guess,” Gilda drawled. “You’re not having any luck.” “On… the contrary,” Blueblood said, taking slow, deep breaths. “I’ve almost got it figured out. Just a little more time.” Gilda rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Yeah, but I don’t think you realize we don’t have a little more time.” She jabbed a claw into the air, directly at the mass of flying objects still battling in the sky. “While you were all tranced out, the IAF has been whittled down to almost nothing.” “Their sacrifice will not be in vain. I almost have—” “Do not move.” Gilda and Blueblood blinked. A deep, dark voice from behind them said, “You imbeciles are messing with powers you do not comprehend.” From the steps leading up to the statues, Sombra trotted into view. Bahamut and Golem flanked him on his sides. “Step away from the statues. Do not make me repeat myself.” “Or you’ll what?” Gilda shot back, lowering herself into a pounce stance. Sombra continued forward, his eyes locked on Blueblood. “I promise that neither of you will be harmed, but you must not tamper with them.” His lips twisting into a crooked smile, Blueblood wiped his forehead and regarded the approaching esper elder. “You must be Sombra, king of the espers. I have always wondered how our meeting would take place. How fitting it should be here, at the beginning of the new world.” He placed a hoof over Gilda and rubbed the space between her wings. “Relax, Gilda. They are nothing to us, just like the rest of their kind.” Bahamut snarled and made to charge, but a raised hoof from Sombra halted him. The dragon lord gave a questioning look at his king but Sombra never took his gaze off of Blueblood. “This is no time for posturing. I gave you my warning and now I must act.” His blood red horn ignited with sickly dark magic, the very air around them crackling with power. “Funny you should say that,” Blueblood said with a chuckle. “I was thinking the same thing.” His own horn glowed, the two rulers of pony and esper kind now racing to finish their spell first. Reality itself faded away from the duo. Nothing else mattered other than the magic working within themselves. With a simple twist of his head, Sombra let loose his gathered power. A bolt of pure darkness lanced out at the pony and griffon, black crystals rising up in its wake. It faded from existence mere inches from reaching them. “Wha?” Sombra narrowed his eyes and fired again. The second attack fared as well as the first. “Curse you.” “WHAT IS HAPPENING, KING SOMBRA?” Golem asked at his side. “They are too close to the statues. My magic is being absorbed by them.” “Yours, perhaps,” Blueblood said, his horn now as bright as the sun. “But not mine.” He aimed and fired, a magical missile striking the ground in front of Sombra. Gilda slapped a talon to her face. “All that and you miss?” “Just watch, Gilda. You are about to witness the true power of the ancients.” A low rumbling from the ground below followed Blueblood’s statement. The rumbling became tremors, and then the tremors became a mighty earthquake. Cracks appeared where Blueblood’s magic struck, becoming longer and wider by the second. Sombra fell back, his normally stoic poise now etched with shock and fear. “Impossible. How could you have known? Do you know what you have done?!” “I did my research, king of the espers,” Blueblood said over the cacophony of snapping and crumbling rock. “Now rise, ancient beast of the cosmos!” A giant claw riddled with muscles tore its way free from the island. A second claw joined it and braced itself against the ground. More bits of the island broke away as a wide chasm formed between Sombra and Blueblood. Up rose a great head, sprouting four twisting blue horns and a gaping mouth leaking wisps of blue energy. The beast lifted itself up from the chasm, revealing a heavily muscled and flesh colored body with six legs, a long lashing tail, and gold machinery fused to its back. The monster lifted its head and roared, the entire island shaking from its sheer ferocity. Blueblood raised himself to his hind legs, basking in the beast’s presence. “The Ultima Weapon!”