Act IV: Climactic Collisions
Chapter 10: Confronting That Which Hurts You
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The name that Corey spoke washed over everyone like a bad omen—whether they were standing close to him or had the earpiece in to hear his voice. The last time they’d heard that name, they’d contended with a number of things they definitely had never contended with before. By the time he had been driven off, Cadence had been injured, Corey was half-dead inside, and everyone else was left with the knowledge of what had caused it all to happen.
“Are… are you sure?” Twilight asked.
“I don’t think I could forget a chill like that…” Corey shook his head lightly.
“How do you know where he is?” John’s voice came over the earpiece.
“I learned how to sense spirits, I guess,” Corey said, “It was one of the spells from that book.”
“Somethin’ like that would have come in handy against Kurama…” Applejack reflected.
“You’re sure it’s him, though?” asked Rainbow, “Last I heard, he was… kinda half-dead.”
“If I had to guess?” Twilight cut in, “I think Para Norma spared him. To her, what he sowed up north was worth keeping him alive.”
Twilight’s memory brought her back to when she saw him, slammed into the wall, out cold and definitely critically injured, at least. “She probably healed him up, too…”
“It makes sense,” Corey said, “To her, this was all a show. And Slayer proved himself to her.”
“Can you pinpoint where he is?” John asked, “I owe him a visit myself…”
“Yeah, I think I can get a read on where he is,” Corey said.
“So if he’s here, wouldn’t that mean…?” Rarity asked, trailing off as the idea struck everyone else.
“The others have to be on the way,” Twilight said, now adjusting her earpiece slightly. It made sense, surely, “The ones that attacked the library that night, and even Norma herself, possibly. Assuming Slayer isn’t acting on his own like Lyon did…”
“You got any ideas on how to handle ‘em, Twi?” asked Applejack, “By the end of this we’ve gotta deal with each of ‘em one way or another…”
Twilight paused for a moment. She had thought of quite a few things about the remaining escapees, in particular the one she battled herself. “There’s Slayer, of course, as well as Storm Claw, the griffin, and Kronos, the tiger. Storm Claw… He uses knives, mainly, at least while he’s in his armor. He also can fly pretty fast even with the armor.”
“That’s the kind of trainin’ I’ve been doing the last month…” Rainbow reflected.
“And when he removes the armor, he may be able to go faster still; I can’t be sure of that, but he did seem confident enough…” Twilight reflected.
“Don’t worry about him,” Rainbow said, “Fastest flier in Equestria right here, remember?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, here…” Twilight said, “Kronos, I don’t know much about him. I just know he’s the one who took the book and the Elements during the attack.”
“Don’t worry about Kronos,” John cut in, “I’ll handle him.”
“How do you plan to find him?” Rainbow asked.
“If I’m right,” John said, “He’ll find me.”
“That leaves their leader, then…” Twilight said, “Unfortunately, I don’t know that much about her, even after Corey’s story… What we do know is, she has very dangerous magic.”
“Assuming she even shows up today,” Rainbow grumbled.
“Maybe it’s better she doesn’t,” Twilight pointed out, “We have no idea as to what she can really do. Unless Corey knows something else… Corey, you know anything that can help us?”
There was no answer through the earpiece or next to her. Twilight frowned a little.
“Corey, do you—“ She halted, finding that Corey wasn’t in the spot he’d been standing when he’d made his announcement, “Corey!?”
She looked around for a moment, and soon discovered where he was. Corey was walking away, hands in his pockets, his back to her. He appeared to be heading… south?!
“Corey, wait!” Twilight called out to him. This got his attention, and he stopped, Twilight quickly running up to stop him, “Where do you think you’re going?”
Corey turned to look Twilight in the eyes, emotions unreadable to her. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m going after Slayer myself.”
All around the city, the guards never understood the sudden change in attitude. But in that moment, there was one. Most of those with earpieces fell silent at the news, unsure of what to make of such a thing. Only one spoke up, and it was after several seconds of silence.
“Why…” Twilight’s tone was flat and disappointed-sounding, but that soon changed, “Why would you go after him again!? After what happened to you the first time?”
Corey recoiled slightly, raising his hands defensively, “Twilight, please, I can explain—“
“Even if you had been feeding off the magic imprint on that book, it doesn’t make sense at all!” Twilight said, “Even though you managed to turn the tables, you couldn’t call it a victory! From beginning to end, he had complete control over you. You may be stronger now, but there’s no telling how he’s changed since last time! Just…just let someone else handle him, okay?”
“I can’t do that,” Corey shook his head slowly, “There’s—“
“You can’t let someone else handle him?” Twilight asked, “What are you saying? Are you thinking about revenge? Was that what was on your mind?”
“No, it’s not that at all!” Corey said, “It’s not about revenge, it’s about closure.”
“Closure?” Twilight asked, “How would chasing him down give you closure?”
There was a short pause, Corey trying to formulate his answer in a way that could make sense of it all. However, thankfully, he didn’t have to.
“I think I get what Corey’s saying,” John finally piped in, “Corey isn’t going after Slayer because of his crimes, as horrible as he finds them, this time. He’s going after Slayer because he wants to be sure he’s over it. Is that right?”
Corey gave a small smile, “Actually, yeah, it’s pretty much that. I want to see if I can fight him without succumbing to anger again. I want to know for sure if I’ve moved on. Plus… he may be after me anyway. If I don’t cut him off soon, he’ll get the drop on me.”
Twilight frowned against herself. With that line of logic, it made some kind of sense, but she just couldn’t erase the memories of Corey after his last fight with Slayer. The constant fatigue, the cloudy eyes full of regret, the lifelessness he had displayed back then, and the time he spent under Kurama’s curse didn’t exactly stop hurting after all this time. She just couldn’t forget the pain he’d endured. And now, here he was, one month later, ready to throw himself right back into the situation that had started his fall.
“Suppose you do manage to cut him off…” Twilight said, “Manage to fight him one-on-one. You might well keep him away from us. But should he get control of you—manipulating your emotions all over again—what do you plan to do then?”
Corey closed his eyes for a moment. “I… I don’t know.”
There was silence. In hindsight, Corey should have seen this coming. She knew him far better than he thought she did. When he opened his eyes again though, he understood the real reason for her objection to his idea.
“I can’t…” she said, looking at him straight in the eyes, “I can’t let you fight him again. I… I can’t bear to watch you go through the pain and guilt all over again. Every day, you just seemed like you were going through the motions…”
All the emotions he’d overlooked or missed entirely a month ago came back to him, reflected plainly in her eyes. Her pain watching him go through his, the terror she’d felt after he’d been stricken, the temporary relief she had once Kurama had been dealt with; all of that was finally being thrown in his face.
“It would hurt to watch anyone go through it, for sure… but I never thought it’d hurt that much until I watched you go through it. I can’t bear the thought of watching you turn into an empty husk again! I don’t want you to take the risk… I don’t want to see ‘you’ vanish again,” Twilight, finally finished, ran one hand through her mane and turned away, “Please… don’t go fight him alone…”
Corey frowned, defying himself. He was hurting her, even now, wasn’t he? The expression on her face, what she was saying? The message was clear—at least, it seemed that way. If he was wrong, he was wrong, but right now, he had to know for sure. Besides, he couldn’t exactly blame her for her outburst. Were the roles reversed, he would have felt the same way. And yet… Corey felt more confident than he’d felt in a long time. Though Twilight raised a good point—he didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t have the mental fortitude to withstand Slayer’s psychological assaults—he wasn’t worried about it. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Corey didn’t know. What he did know, however, was that he had things to say, things to do, and he couldn’t do them if he turned into a self-loathing glacier again.
“Twilight…” Corey said, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder, “Please, look at me.”
Her eyes met his again.
“You won’t lose me this time,” Corey said, “I’ll make sure of it.”
Twilight looked at him with slightly wide eyes. “H-how…” Yet, as she spoke, Corey could see she still wasn’t convinced, “How can I be sure?”
Corey hesitated for a moment. Admittedly, it was the first thing that came to his mind, but he didn’t know what else he could do to convince Twilight that he was ready.
“This…” Corey said, moving his other hand to her other shoulder, “Is how…”
Corey moved his arms, pulling Twilight towards him the rest of the way. She barely had time to let out a small cry of surprise before he pressed his mouth to hers, making it come out as “Mmm…!”
There was an explosion of varying reactions in each of their earpieces as those who were listening in understood what he had just done, but for that moment they had both gone deaf. The moment itself couldn’t have lasted more than a couple of seconds, but for them, it lasted so much longer.
Twilight felt her knees weaken, and she threw her arms around Corey for support. Her face burned so much; she felt like her face was going to catch fire. Any doubt she had suddenly shattered.
Corey never imagined his first kiss would feel like this. Maybe it was the magic in the both of them that was doing it? Maybe it was because it was her? He didn’t know which it was, but it felt so much more euphoric than he’d ever imagined it being. Their lips finally disconnected with a slightly loud “smack”, but they remained in a hug for a few moments longer…ignoring the voices still in their earpieces making varying comments, running the full range from “it’s about time” to “is this really a good time?”
They finally pulled apart, looking into each other’s eyes.
“I get what you’re saying, Twilight, but—“ Corey started.
“No, no, I get it,” Twilight said, “I’m sorry. Just make sure you come back to me as you, Corey.”
“I will,” Corey said, releasing her at last, “Don’t worry.”
Both took a step back, sharing one last glance. Both smiles faded.
“Be careful,” Corey said, his horn lighting up, his feet starting to crackle with runes.
“You too,” Twilight said.
With that, Corey sped off, leaving Twilight’s mane and tail fluttering in the wind he left behind. She watched the green blur take off to the south, rapidly disappearing from her sight.
He’s changed so much since coming here… Twilight thought.
“You make him want to be a better person…” John’s words echoed in her head once again—a memory that hadn’t really come to her for a while. The sentiment rang true now more than ever.
“Twilight,” Applejack’s voice finally broke through the radio, “You really okay with lettin’ him handle it?”
Twilight nodded. “He can handle it, Applejack. We’re all going to make it through this, together. Everyone, get ready.”
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Celestia stood in silence as she stared out the windowsill of her room, a steel expression on her face as the sound of combat echoed all around her. It had been some time since she last experienced this grim sensation. The battle that would end all this was occurring right in the middle of the city, just as it was promised a month prior. While Celestia desired nothing more than to remain optimistic, she wasn’t able to envision its end. Their opponent was not one to take lightly. Her strength could be further beyond her understanding—all the more reason for Celestia to have suited up in her armor today. Today, she would not be standing on the sidelines, not while everyone else was putting their lives on the line for the sake of Equestria. Two in particular weren’t even from Equestria—no, not even the same universe.
“The first wave will be fully dealt with soon, sister,” said Luna, stepping out to join Celestia.
“She’s coming,” said Celestia, “I can feel it.”
While she had not cultivated the same sensory ability that Corey had, her own sixth sense could serve the same purpose. Since this was meant to be the final battle, Celestia had no doubt in her mind Norma would place herself on the board as well.
“Then let her come,” said Luna, “It is not the first time we’ve faced a powerful opponent. I have no intention of this being the last one either.”
Celestia couldn’t agree more, and relished in the idea of being able to fight alongside Luna again. “Then we should prepare ourselves. I believe I know where Norma will go for her entrance.”
Celestia turned her back to the view, entrusting the outside to those who had trained diligently for this day. Luna followed soon after with an idea of where they would be going, already mentally preparing herself for the battle that would follow.
“How far are we to go?” It was a question Luna’d had on her mind for a while. How far would they go to claim victory today? Celestia didn’t answer straight away, having never really considered that until now. Only recently she had found that she would be allowed to aid in this battle after being forced to watch helplessly.
“Norma has proven time and again what kind of pony she is,” she began, “And I pride myself in ensuring I never become the same. That being said, this battle should not be taken lightly.”
Celestia paused, deciding what her resolve and thus her sister’s would entail. “As for how far we must go in this battle, that all depends on what we must do to put a stop to this carnage.”
Luna said nothing, merely nodding her head. Deep down, she’d come to this conclusion herself as well. No matter what, the pain and the bloodshed needed to stop. If it meant putting down one evil once and for all, then that’s what they would do.
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Reaching South Canterlot didn’t take too long at all for Corey, all things considered. As he moved through the city, making a beeline for the chill he sensed, he’d hoped there wouldn’t be too many guards around. Though it wouldn’t be an issue at all if Slayer decided to disguise himself again, Corey just didn’t feel like going through the extra trouble.
As he crossed through to the south zone, he felt something in his head change. While Slayer’s signature hadn’t vanished, he did find himself sensing something different. Where before he had sensed one chill, now that chill was budding off, splitting apart into multiple signatures, each just as cold as Slayer’s. It didn’t make sense to Corey at first, but soon he found himself remembering the kind of spells Slayer had unleashed.
Must be some constructs he’s made… Corey did remember the beasts Slayer had unleashed that terrible night—Corey himself being one of them—but there was no room for error now. Corey eventually skidded to a halt, dust coming off of his feet once again. He was at the center of an intersection, buildings at all corners. He was also at the center of something else…
A few moments after he stopped in the center, windows shattered all around him. Corey could see large beasts of varying shapes emerging from the shattered glass, aiming to charge at him. Corey only had a few moments to react, the knuckles on his right hand popping, his horn lighting up…
There was a tremendous explosion of dust and rubble at the center of the intersection, smoke rising from Corey’s position. As the smoke slowly began to clear, the outcome of the ambush became apparent. Corey stood unharmed at the center, his arms and upper body bulked up. Around him, the shadow creatures that had attacked him were crumbling into nothing, each taken down with a strong punch that bore through each of their bodies.
Corey released air from his lungs as the smoke finished clearing, his muscles contracting back down to their normal size. His horn quit glowing, as he turned around slowly.
There he was, not even bothering to disguise himself, evidently, stepping out from an alley as he began to applaud. Slayer sported a demented smirk the whole time, one that seemed worse than the one he sported back in the Crystal Empire. However, maybe that was just Corey’s blindness during the fight talking…
“If it isn’t the black knight himself,” Slayer commented, “I was hoping you’d be improving yourself for today. Were you steeping in your hate like I was?”
“The answer to that question may surprise you,” Corey said, standing up straight for a moment, “But you did confirm to me nonetheless what you’re here for. And if you want me, then you’ve got me.”
“It’s a shame when the prey comes out, asking to be slaughtered,” Slayer lamented, shrugging and shaking his head slowly, “You saved me the trouble of looking for you, though. But don’t expect it to be over so quick. What I have in mind for you will be…very familiar, but it will not end the same way!”
“Indeed,” Corey said, reaching into his jacket pocket slowly, “It won’t end the same way. My victory won’t be a hollow one this time.”
“If you think you can win against me, you’re mistaken,” Slayer snarled, pointing at Corey, “You went out of your mind before we even fought, and you had to snap completely even to get the upper hand…”
“Speaking of which,” Corey said, pushing up his glasses, “I think you forgot something.”
Slayer watched Corey with mild interest, but his eyes soon widened when he saw what Corey pulled out: a small black book, one Slayer knew right away was his.
“You kept it…” Slayer said, his mouth curling into a wide grin, “So you have been steeping in your hate for me all along!”
“There is something inspiring about this book,” Corey said, lifting it up, “But I don’t need it anymore. You might need it, though…”
Corey gripped the book by the opposite end of its spine, before slowly lifting it up and chucking it. Slayer let out a grunt, his horn engulfed in his magic color. His book soon became engulfed, and it floated over to his hands, where he slowly cracked it open.
“Yes, yes, they’re all here,” Slayer said, “So tell me, when you say inspiring… do my crimes still hurt you that much, that you had to keep my book for this whole month since our last skirmish?”
Corey removed his glasses again, wiping them down. “At first, I didn’t know why I kept it. It bothered me to no end. It even poisoned me. But, this past month, I’ve done a lot of thinking, and a lot of growing. You know, it doesn’t bother me anymore.”
“Huh?” Slayer asked, looking up from his book, “So do you see the value in my art?”
“I see value in it now, after I was done with it,” Corey said, much to Slayer’s alarm. His grin faded, replaced by a look of mild fear, “Flip to the last entry, if you’re curious.”
Slayer looked to Corey, then the book, then back to Corey. One more look at the book, and Slayer began flipping frantically through the pages. It didn’t take him long to find what Corey left for him in the pages.
Slayer’s chest began to snarl with fresh hate as he read the entry. Where Slayer’s entries had an elegant stroke of the pen to describe his various works, the new entry was far less so, very close to scratch. Slayer could decipher what was being said, though, and what he saw was far worse than simple graffiti.
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The atrocities described in this book are not something to be proud of. They are tragedies, no matter how they’re spun. And when they’re spun by the mind of a monster, they are doubly tragic. Now, the author of these works has gotten free, and is trying to continue this. That is why I’m stopping him here. This isn’t hate, nor is it spite. This isn’t an act of revenge, either.
I’m doing this simply because he must be stopped, no more, no less. I’ve held on to this book for this long to ensure his works can have no effect on me anymore, and now that they don’t, I can test myself one final time. If I can face “Slayer” one more time, and defeat him without losing myself again, then I have moved on for good. If not, then I still have a long way to go. Either way, I have to face him again. And when I do, I’ll ensure that my entry will be the last in this book. I am leaving a mark of hope among the darkness. If this book should be opened again, whoever opens it, and manages to make it through my entry... know that this is the best happy ending I could give a book like this.
--Corey
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“What have you done…?” Slayer said, his eyes transfixed on the writing that wasn’t his.
“I thought your book could use an ending…” Corey smirked slightly, watching Slayer’s expression go from muted horror to outright anger. Slayer snapped the book shut, wildly chucking it over his shoulder as he shouted in rage.
“Curse you!!” Slayer said, “Not only do you deface me, you dare to deface my art!?”
“Art is in the eye of the beholder,” Corey said, “But if the beholder doesn’t like it, is it really art?”
Slayer snarled, his arms and horn becoming coated in dark magic as he slowly got into a fighting position. “My work will not end today. You just created an opportunity for me to launch a new line! Starting with you! I will make you suffer today, Corey, just as you did to me!”
“This is irony at its best, here,” Corey said, shifting into his own ready stance as his horn lit up, runes cracking around his body at random, “Before, I was the wild beast on the verge of a breakdown.”
“Well, let’s see if this ‘role reversal’ can hold up!” Slayer shouted.
One way or another, their fight would end. One would survive to write again, to tell the tale of their victory. The other, whether dead or incarcerated, would be erased from the records. Would the tale be of a tragic defeat, a tragic victory, or of personal growth leading to a decisive victory? It all came down to whose will carried them forward the furthest.
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Para Norma sat in her makeshift throne, a content look spread across her features as she watched the battle taking place in Canterlot. Sure, her creatures were being decimated, but right now, simply watching the chaos taking place in what was once a calm and peaceful city was more than enough entertainment for her. She watched as the streets and homes were destroyed, taking in the look of rage in every guard who attacked her creations.
“And yet, it is all for naught,” Norma observed. No matter how hard they fought, no matter how strong they were now, Norma still didn’t see a need to worry. For her, the battle had been decided long ago.
“I believe that will suffice for a warm-up,” she said, raising her hand, runes beginning to form around it, “Now it’s time for the real wave to start…”
Norma snapped her fingers, the sound resonating around the cave for several seconds. Finally, the room was filled with red glowing symbols all around. Soon after, the symbols began to move, exiting from various holes in the rock walls. Her grin grew wide as she heard the marching that would soon reach Canterlot in even greater numbers.
The screens she had been watching intently began to fade away one by one until only one was left: a single one of her stone creations that had hidden itself from the battle. Its gaze was locked on the castle at the very center of the city. It was at the highest peak of Equestria, the very symbol of power that the two Royal Sisters held. A place where they could see all, and a place where one could look down on everyone below them.
For Norma, it was the place where she saw most fit to view the final stages of her victory. So she made her choice. Dispelling the image before her, Norma rose from her throne.
“It is time I claim what is rightfully mine,” Norma began to walk away from her throne, “Prepare yourselves, princesses. It is time for the main event.”
She started her walk down the bridge that lead to the exit, but was forced to stop when she heard a slow clapping coming from a single source.
Without more than a word, she turned around and found someone else sitting at her throne. It was the spirit of chaos himself, sitting sideways on the seat…wearing farmer’s clothing and covered in dirt up to his elbows.
“That was quite the riveting exit speech. Had this been a storybook, I’d say it would have been quite the cliffhanger for the end of a chapter,” Discord’s words oozed with sarcasm as he continued to applaud.