Act IV: Climactic Collisions
Chapter 13: A Shadow Extinguished
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John panted slightly as he glared down at Kronos below him. Both were starting to look as though they’d taken heavy damage. They’d already gotten a grasp of each other’s limits, and each had come to the same conclusion. Their opponent could take everything they dished out, which meant the gloves could come off.
Here we go!
John flew down at Kronos, bringing down a single downward kick towards him. Kronos brought up his arms and blocked John’s kick, the ground beneath him cratering and kicking up a gust of dust as result. As Kronos’ guard held strong, he noticed John’s tail was swinging towards him. Without missing a beat, Kronos dropped his guard and grabbed hold of the offending appendage. Throwing the dragon’s weight around, Kronos began to spin John about before finally releasing him towards another wall. John flew across the street and hit the wall hard, and though he braced himself for that impact, he was not prepared for the knee that followed.
With his knee buried deep into John’s abdomen, Kronos began an onslaught of punches to John’s face. John struggled to get free, but Kronos was determined to keep him from regaining any ground. But no matter how many times he was struck, John never once allowed himself to blink. He withstood each punch, waiting for just the right moment to strike, waiting for Kronos to show even the slightest opening. Soon, he found it: a wide swing, one that had more power behind it, but was slower.
Now! Just before the punch could hit, John managed to duck his head out of the path, Kronos’ fist making contact with the wall behind him instead. Before he could pull back, Kronos felt something clamp down around his forearm. When he looked to it, he noticed that in the moments it took for him to realize he’d missed, John took his chance and bit down hard on it. Though Lyon’s hide protected him against the sharp teeth, he could still feel the pressure behind the bite… and he could feel the force as he was pulled to the side and slammed against the wall beside the dragon.
Kronos went limp for a moment, only to feel himself be pulled again. This time, he was thrown upwards where he spiraled uncontrollably. His flight only stopped when he hit another building several floors above. Digging his claws into the concrete, Kronos managed to prevent himself from falling. He managed to recover fast enough to see John flying towards him, only barely able to jump out of the way. As Kronos jumped higher, John crashed through the wall, but he knew he’d be out soon. He couldn’t risk being caught while trying to get back to the ground again, so Kronos chose the next best thing: the roof of the building.
Kronos managed to reach the top in a few seconds, just in time to see John crash through it not too far away. John charged for Kronos, but Kronos was ready, easily dodging John’s attack and landing a hard elbow to his ribs. John grunted in pain, but pushed through it and landed another punch across Kronos’ face. There was a flash of blood as Kronos was hit—a silver of it dripping out the side of his mouth, but he wasn’t backing down.
Kronos threw another punch which managed to knock John back, and managed to draw blood as well. As John stood up and wiped it from his mouth, he looked at his own blood and smirked. The mere knowledge that his opponent’s physical strength alone was enough to make him bleed only seemed to fuel his desire to fight. Kronos, naturally, felt the same way.
The two charged again, both crashing into the other’s shoulder as a show of strength. After the impact, Kronos threw a punch towards John which was parried aside. John then threw his own punch, but Kronos rolled along it and avoided the hit. As Kronos came around he struck John behind the head with his elbow. John lurched forward from the hit, but after planting his foot firmly on the ground, John twisted his body. He then threw one more punch, which landed on Kronos’ side. Lyon’s hide wasn’t enough to keep him from feeling a large sum of the impact.
Kronos held his side as he fell to one knee. John saw his chance and went for another attack. Before he could land it, though, he caught a glimpse of Kronos’ eye and quickly realized he’d been baited. He couldn’t pull back, nor could he stop himself from having Kronos sweep his feet aside, destroying his balance. Before John could hit the ground, he was dealt a powerful kick from Kronos that not only smashed him through the roof, but several more floors below as well.
John finally came to a stop and flinched from the several impacts, let alone the kick he’d taken from Kronos. He looked up at the hole he’d caused and saw dropping down towards him. John’s eyes went wide and he rolled out of the way just as Kronos landed on the ground, cracking it even further from the impact.
“Most would be in utter anguish from such an attack, and yet you still move,” Kronos looked to John, a look on his face that John couldn’t quite place. It was a smile, but he wasn’t happy—not entirely. There was also pride, something he’d never expect from someone imprisoned in Tartarus. But above all else, there was something in that smile aimed at John himself. And after pondering it for a short moment, he realized what it was.
Respect… Maybe it was because he was still conscious after that last attack, or maybe it was because he was giving Kronos the fight he’d longed for. But for whatever reason it was, it was clear: Kronos was, in his own way, thanking John for it.
“It will take a lot more than that to take me down,” said John, “Trust me, I’ve pushed my limits time and again to learn just what my breaking point is. And if you ever want to see it, you’ll need to do better than that.”
For some, John’s words could be chalked up to arrogance, but Kronos knew better. John wanted to see his limits, to be pushed to them and beyond, and he was staring down the only being he knew that could do that. Fortunately for him, Kronos couldn’t relate more.
Kronos took in a breath, slowly letting it out as not only his stance, but the atmosphere around him seemed to change. “Very well.”
John immediately noticed the sense of danger around him growing stronger.
“Prepare yourself,” Kronos advised.
John felt his scales stand on edge, an instinct reaction to what could mean death. And yet, instead of bringing dread to him, it just made John more eager. A grin spread across his face as John extended all his claws, and his pupils finally went slit.
“I’ve been prepared before this ever started…”
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Rainbow Dash had squared up against quite a few fast foes in her lifetime, but most of the time, she wasn’t actively fighting them on top of it all. And if it was a fight she was in, her opponents typically don’t have weapons. Storm Claw, however, was both an opponent that needed to be fought against, and he did have weapons: knives. Knives that were soaring through the air at her with a wave of his arm.
Rainbow dove down, getting out of the way. The knives passed through thin air. However, Storm Claw hit the brakes, pausing in midair, jerking back his throwing arm. Immediately, Rainbow sensed the danger inherent, and dove down again. As she did, she chanced looking up, seeing the knives pass through the spot where she was yet again. Then, redirecting her attention to the space below her, she could see a building was approaching.
A quick aerial somersault later, Rainbow oriented her body so that she would land foot first on the building, softly enough to avoid hurting herself. Rainbow landed, crouching down for a moment to ensure she recovered. Storm Claw landed on a building across the street from her, collecting the knives that missed.
“Impressive…” Storm Claw commented, “Not many can avoid that.”
“Twilight did, and made sure to warn me about it,” Rainbow said, “You’re not gonna get me like that!”
“Is that right?” Storm Claw asked, “I suppose I’ll just have to try close range once again, then!”
A moment later, he was charging her again, a knife in each hand as he rushed her. Rainbow braced herself, and started weaving about as the slashes came. Avoiding was the easy part, unfortunately, for when Rainbow tried to attack back, Storm Claw was easily able to parry or block her attacks to continue.
They continued backwards across the roof of a building like this for a few seconds, neither wanting to give an inch. Rainbow eventually threw a punch that was just careless enough, though, and Storm Claw took advantage: plunging a knife into her shoulder. Rainbow gasped as the knife hit home, and kicked out instinctively, only to feel pain yet again as Storm Claw took the knife with him as he stumbled back.
Rainbow immediately squeezed the new wound as Storm Claw backed off, cursing to herself the whole way. Then, she looked back over, only to see his other habit at work: he was now licking the knife clean…
“Ugh! That’s nasty! What the hell are you doing!?” Rainbow shouted.
Storm Claw sneered before rushing her again, but this time she was ready, grabbing his stabbing arm by the wrist and stopping the attack short. However, Storm Claw began to twist his body, and Rainbow let go, avoiding Storm Claw’s tail.
“The warm-up’s almost over,” said Storm Claw, taking off into the sky, beginning to rifle through his armor. Rainbow scoffed at this, beginning to pursue him.
“You’re not going to beat me like this!” Rainbow shouted up at him, “I’ve worked too hard to lose here!”
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East Canterlot hadn’t had much trouble since the second wave of creatures hit. Though there were larger, tougher creatures to deal with, and ones that fly as well, it didn’t seem to make too much of a difference. Of course it was more or less the same throughout the capital. Everyone had adjusted their tactics accordingly.
“They’re still not too much of a problem for me,” Fluttershy thought to herself, or rather, said to her alternate self, “Are you sure you want to come out?”
“Let me have a turn,” said Fluttercruel from within, “At this rate I’ll never get to come out…”
“If you want…” Fluttershy closed her eyes for a moment, just as a few of the ground-bound creatures started to close in on her. When her eyes opened again, her eyes were sharper, angrier.
At that moment, Fluttercruel leapt forward, now in control of the body, escaping the arm swipe of one. Taking hold of the mace firmly in one hand, Fluttercruel opened her wings and flew forward, swinging the weapon to great effect. The mace made impacts against the creatures’ heads, destroying them in short order. With them taken care of, Fluttercruel turned her sights to the air. A few more of the flying creatures were above.
Fluttercruel took to the air easily, managing to keep a hold of her one weapon. Normally, the creatures would have been doing the chasing, but though she had got the drop on them, Fluttercruel preferred to think she was chasing them. Before they could turn and counter, Fluttercruel rushed forward, managing a few more swings—this time, to the center of the back, where their wings came from. The strikes broke off at least one wing per hit—though she struck each creature only once.
The creatures, now affected by gravity completely once more, fell to the ground below. Like many others throughout the city, if the fall didn’t break the now-flightless creatures, those waiting on the ground made sure to destroy them the rest of the way.
Elsewhere, Rarity found herself up against a large creature. Though the guards closest to her had managed to put up quite a defense against the creatures, one of them managed to make it past. However, Rarity wasn’t worried. In fact, she’d actually been hoping to see what she could do with one of the big ones.
Taking in a deep breath, extending her hands out as her horn lit up with blue magic. The golem charged her, already lighting up in the magical glow. However, it stopped a step and a half short of its intended target, starting to levitate off the ground. Its hulking body began to crumble under the effects of Rarity’s magic, but only parts Rarity felt weren’t necessary. The shape of the creature became leaner, more elegant-looking as Rarity went to work. Its body changed in color from the dark gray it was to a deep blue, the red glow becoming replaced with a blue glow. Only when her spell was done did Rarity open her eyes to see her handiwork.
“Not my ideal knight in shining armor, but I suppose it’ll do,” Rarity said, taking in a few more breaths, “Probably can’t do that to another one while I have this one. So let’s see if this can endure…”
With that, Rarity pointed her finger, telling the guards to get clear. The hulking creature, which was now Rarity’s monster to control, began to lay waste to the creatures that got too close it as it slammed its way through the city streets.
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The castle walls shook violently with the continued sound of explosions coming from within. Even though it was their home, Luna and Celestia were more than willing to do what was needed to win the battle. The castle was empty, void of any life they wouldn’t want to see harmed; they had no reason to hold back. Slowly but surely, they were showing Para Norma what the term “no restraint” meant.
A stray laser blasted a hole through one of the walls in the castle, and from it Norma ran out with Luna and Celestia following close behind. As they ran down the hall, Luna managed to catch up first and reached out to Norma, grabbing her by the cloak. Norma quickly yanked away, tearing the cloak and tossing it over Luna’s head before delivering a swift kick to her head, knocking her back.
Celestia grabbed Luna’s hand as she flew back. After casting aside the cloak, she gave Luna a boost towards Norma again. Norma threw up her arms, blocking a hard kick from Luna who quickly rolled out of the way. Just as Luna vanished from Norma’s sight, Norma turned to see Celestia coming up behind her. Celestia threw a hard punch at Norma and blew away her guard.
As Norma stumbled she was met with a sudden sting from behind; a laser fired by Luna when she was off-balance. Norma turned and scowled as the two sisters began charging her again, both hands flaring up with red runes. Throwing both hands forward, she fired a large laser from them, which split into several more, moving about in an unreadable pattern. Unable to dodge, both of the princesses raised a barrier to protect themselves as the lasers landed around them, kicking up smoke and dust.
To their surprise, it seemed like the lasers missed their mark, or at least that’s what they were led to believe. As the smoke cleared, they saw a red glow from beside them, growing stronger at an alarming rate. When they could finally see, they turned to the wall, and saw more runes glowing along them. They turned to see Norma, her hands on the ground, runes flowing out of her hands and towards the walls of the hallway.
Suddenly, spikes extended out from the walls, the walls themselves beginning to shift. In the span of a moment, the now-spiked walls moved inward, crashing into one another right in the center, and all went silent. Norma looked to the smashed walls for any sign of movement, any sign of life, but there was none to be had. Letting out a breath, she stood up and chuckled. She turned around, aiming to walk away with her victory, but she only took a few steps before she heard a tremendous explosion.
Norma turned around again and saw Luna and Celestia walking out of the wall they had created, both unharmed.
“Did you believe something like that could defeat us?” Luna asked, a brow arched. Norma growled lightly—of course such a victory would have been too easy. But that mattered not; she still believed she could win it.
“When this is over, you will have wished it was,” Celestia charged again, Luna very close behind her. Celestia acted first, a superheated shockwave of air blasting toward Norma. The spell melted the stone around them, and ages in advance Norma could feel her mane singeing. To avoid this, Norma stomped her foot hard, falling through to the floor below them. Luna and Celestia followed suit, breaking through the floor as well. Luna fired another spell, reflected by Norma’s barrier. Norma slammed her foot on the ground, sending out a wave of runes. Small pillars started extending out of the ground where Luna and Celestia were.
“Move, Luna!” Celestia called out, both of the sisters quickly flying up. But as they did, more pillars seemed to come at them. Any attempt to destroy them only caused them to regrow at the same speed; it seemed that it would continue to until the source was broken. Luna looked towards the end of the hall where Norma stood, still feeding her spell. Luna’s whole body began to glow as she charged her magic…
…and when she rushed down Norma, she started smashing through the pillars with ease, speeding straight towards Norma and smashing against her shield. The force of the impact knocked Norma away and cancelled her spell. The push continued until both crashed through a wall, and only then were they knocked apart. Luna stood up from the rubble and shook her head clear, searching the area for Norma. She was soon alerted by a bright glow, followed by a blast of magic that knocked her away.
Luna flew until she crashed into the far wall, but managed to land on her feet and shake it off. She then turned towards the source of the attack. Norma’s body crackled with red runes and sparks, but something in her hand was glowing. Luna couldn’t tell what it was specifically, but she could sense a large amount of magic emanated from it. The longer Norma held it, the stronger the magic around her seemed to grow.
Unsure of exactly what was happening, but able to sense danger in front of her, Luna went on the attack. She fired a strong laser directly at Norma, which to her surprise was countered by Norma’s own. Luna started shooting more, only to be matched shot for shot by Norma.
Her magic power has increased… That much Luna knew, but by how much, she couldn’t tell.
Eventually, one of Luna’s shots missed its mark and a stray laser from Norma was speeding towards her. Her horn still alight, she brought both of her hands forward to block it, but the force behind it was pushing her back. Luna strained under the force, but she wasn’t going to allow this to best her. Her horn surged and her magic began overtaking Norma’s spell, beginning to reform it. It then took up the form of a magical orb, one that was now under Luna’s control, and one she was more than happy to send right back.
Norma’s eyes went wide and she jumped away from the attack just as it made contacted with the ground. The resulting explosion destroyed several rooms in the general area: walls and floors above crumbled under the force.
She’s just full of surprises, isn’t she? Norma thought to herself, glad she hadn’t attempted to tank it. But while she had managed to get clear of the blast, Norma wasn’t able to avoid what came next: from within the smoke, a golden laser shot out, and Norma wasn’t able to prevent it from hitting her.
Norma grunted in pain as she was knocked back, landing on the ground with a thud. She scowled as she looked towards the dust, Celestia emerging from it as she flew towards her. But Norma wasn’t going to allow another free hit, nor would she allow Celestia to grow closer. Raising a fist into the air, Norma gathered her runes around it before slamming it on the grounds. The spell caused the ground to ripple, forming waves as though it were made of water. The extending waves struck Celestia, forcing her back, but she wasn’t about to let herself fall too far.
With her aura flaring, Celestia struck the concrete wave as hard as she could, effectively splintering it in two and allowing herself to continue unabated. Norma took a step back, Celestia’s feat of strength impressing even her. But her gaze quickly shifted when she noticed a shadow casting over her. She looked up to see Luna dropping over her, only just barely able to jump away before her fist made contact with the ground. But Norma was unable to avoid the swift kick to her side that followed.
Norma grunted as she stumbled aside, only to find herself struck again, this time by Celestia. Norma snarled, whirling to face her and firing out a wave of magic which managed to push her back. But just as she gained ground from one princess, the other closed it. Norma put up a shield just as Luna sent off a blast of magic, but the shield shattered on impact. Norma retaliated with a hard left, causing Luna to step back, before following her attack with a laser of her own, which sent Luna back further.
She then turned to where she believed Celestia was, only to find she was not there. Norma quickly looked around trying to find her, and she did—landing a devastating kick into Norma’s stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her stumbling across the ground. Before she could stop, however, another attack came. Luna struck her as well, sending her spinning through the air. Norma only stopped when she hit a far wall, the room spinning around her as she tried to recover.
“You have made many poor decisions, Norma,” said Luna as she and her sister began walking up to their stunned opponent, “But believing yourself capable of facing the two of us together is by far the most foolish.”
Norma finally gathered her composure, raising to one knee before spitting up some blood. “Perhaps you are right…”
Both Celestia and Luna stopped in surprise. Was this her conceding defeat?
“Thinking I could do battle with both princesses of Equestria at once, now that was farfetched,” As she spoke, she was already forming something behind her back, hidden so that they couldn’t see it, something began to glow hidden within her clothing. She could feel the warm sensation of her magic replenishing, just enough to make it work. She waited, waited for just the right moment to strike, waited for the two to get close enough.
All at once, Norma looked up to the princesses, and instantly they knew something was wrong. The look she gave them was not one of defeat, but one of psychosis… a smirk. Norma cast another spell, her runes spreading across the ground. The next thing they knew, a pillar shot out an angle, slamming into Celestia and knocking her far away.
“Celestia!” Luna called out, only to find the ground raising around her. She tried to get away, only to find her legs had been bound. Next were her arms which were pulled with enough force to make her knees buckle. She tried to fight against it, but the magic around her restraints only grew stronger.
“It’s time I even the odds…” Luna watched as Norma reached out and grabbed her by the neck, squeezing tightly on her throat. That wasn’t all, though; the runes in Norma’s hand began to flow out of it and around Luna, and instantly Luna knew she had to get free soon: something was happening to her body, something that didn’t feel good.
Luna charged her magic to a blinding level, letting out a feedback strong enough to knock Norma away and set herself free. She stood up once more, gasping for air, only to find that Norma’s runes were still on her body, flowing like the blood in her veins. They continued to flow around her body, continued to glow brightly, and she didn’t know why. She tried to move, but she found it very difficult. Her body was beginning to grow stiff and heavy. Luna looked down at herself and quickly understood exactly what had happened.
“Luna…”
Celestia had finally recovered to see her sister. Her colors were changing to a solid gray. Luna turned to Celestia, a look of fear in her eyes as she reached out for her.
“Sister…” Was the last word she could say before her body went still, set in stone. Celestia’s horror became very apparent on her face as she ran towards Luna, placing her hands on her, hoping it was some trick, only to feel the cold sensation of concrete that was now her sister. A tear ran down her cheek as she tried to take in what had happened.
“I wonder, does the mind stop when they turn to stone, or is she completely aware of her state? Unable to move, unable to feel… I wonder just what kind of toll that takes on her mind…”
Celestia turned to see the content smirk on Norma’s face. “Maybe I’ll release her in a few decades and find out…”
Celestia didn’t say a single word, her eyes simply resting on Norma as her breathing quickened.
At that moment, everything hit her at once. All the emotions she’d suppressed since the whole ordeal started had been piled on, building inside of her looking for release, and right now, seeing what Norma had done to Luna was the final piece. It was the one thing that finally pushed her over the edge.
Well, if Norma wanted to keep pushing her, there was truly no need to hold back. A fire began to spread around Celestia, her multicolored hair changing a brilliant cascade of red and orange as it went up in flames like the rest of her.
Her view of Norma blurred, but only for a moment before her gaze returned. As the heat around her continued to build, and the very room she stood in threatened to come crumbling down, Norma understood: this was Celestia at her most powerful. She had taken a form none had seen before—at least, not in recorded history. Norma was not afraid—in fact, she welcomed it. If this was Celestia’s true power, she would face it, and prove once and for all none could stand against her.
“That is the final straw, Para Norma,” Celestia said, her voice booming, resonating in the room, “Your game ends right now.”
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Corey understood what Slayer was trying to do, but the worst part of it wasn’t just the threats he made, nor was it the fact he used his Twilight disguise in that manner. It was the flare of anger that surged up from within as he understood exactly what Slayer was talking about. He could feel the beginnings of sweat forming on his forehead, and his heart thumped faster.
Calm down… calm down… Corey silently urged himself, This is what you spent all that time meditating for. Now… show him… show yourself… show everyone… that you meant what you said, this time.
Corey closed his eyes, giving off a pained grimace as his guard seemingly dropped. Slayer cackled as he saw this. His disfigured Twilight disguise no longer needed, Slayer phased out of it, his shroud of dark magic appearing over his real body once more.
Slayer knew, though, that he could have easily killed Corey during his moment of hesitation. However, Slayer didn’t want to kill him just yet, not while Corey still believed himself above him; he wanted Corey to die suffering from his own hatred. Even if Slayer lost that fight, Slayer didn’t care anymore, even if it meant Corey killed him in rage. Just one more push, Slayer thought, and he would be drowning in it. Even if he lived through today, having killed him, Slayer did not think Corey could live with himself if he had.
“Who knows!?” Slayer shouted, “I might even leave you alive just so you can watch me!”
Corey remained totally still, and Slayer saw his chance, rushing in to try to get a free shot while Corey was doubtlessly processing the statement. He lunged forward, left hand’s claws extended outwards, ready to pierce into Corey’s torso—
There was movement, and Slayer felt an unusually strong grip clamp down around his wrist hard. Slayer gasped and tried to pull it back. Corey looked up until he was eye-level with the beast, and only then did Corey exhale a single, slow puff of air.
“No, you won’t. You won’t be getting that far. I told you…” Corey’s eyes slowly opened, and Slayer realized that they were different—but not in the way he had hoped. His eyes were not the enraged red-on-green they had been, nor was there any purple smoke emitting. No, his irises had changed to a deep blue, and the pupils of his eyes seemed to be emitting a white light.
“I’m stopping you here before you get any farther!” Corey shouted, and at that point, Corey’s entire body began to be shrouded in white-yellow light, a very calm, flowing flame. A few moments later, Slayer felt his left arm start to burn, and he looked to it, gasping.
The shroud that covered his arm was peeling away rapidly. Corey released Slayer’s wrist, allowing him to leap back for cover. Slayer gazed to the arm again, only to find the arm was still not shrouded; at the shoulder, his magic was sparking uselessly, failing to repair the damage.
“How!?” Slayer shouted, “How is this possible!?”
Corey raised his arm, pointing at Slayer again. “You think you’ll win again by throwing me into a blind rage, induced by a mix of worry and disgust. Exploiting my sense of justice and my own fears, until I’m in such a frenzy I lose who I am again. I’ve changed for the better, Slayer, and I’m not afraid anymore. I know what I’m fighting for. I know who I’m fighting for. And, most importantly, I’ve made peace with my inner demons.”
Corey lowered his hand. “And because of all that, my inner darkness has been changed into light. That’s what you’re seeing now.”
“You saw all that…!?” Slayer shouted, now utterly at a loss, “How!? You should be beside yourself with rage, shrouded in your own darkness! How? Did you feel nothing!?”
Corey frowned. “No, no, you pissed me off, there’s no denying that, but that’s it. What you’ve done, what you plan to do, is still unforgivable. But I don’t need to hate you and let it dictate my actions. You’ve hurt people and will continue to do it if you’re not stopped. From now on, that’s all I need to know.”
With that, Corey slowly began to walk towards Slayer.
“I’m motivated to protect what I love, rather than destroy what I hate,” Corey continued, “And that’s why I’m not losing this time in any sense of the word.”
At this, Slayer let out a hellish scream, sending several tendrils directly at Corey. Corey continued to walk forward, not even bothering to dodge. However, it turned out he didn’t need to. When the tendrils got too close, the tendrils simply eroded, disintegrating from the power of his aura. At this, Corey finally stopped, Slayer’s expression twisting into pure fear.
“I see, so this is really light magic I’ve tapped into,” Corey said, “And your dark magic can’t overcome it. But I guess it’s just because it’s fueled purely by hate.”
Corey’s horn lit up the same color as his aura, his feet shining with runes of the same color. He moved, Slayer merely blinking and Corey was in front of him. Quickly, Slayer swung out with a kick, which Corey easily moved to block. On contact, the shroud around Slayer’s leg vanished. Slayer tried to claw at him, trying desperately to draw some kind of blood, to prove Corey’s magic meant nothing, but the other arm soon vanished as well, it passing through Corey’s aura, but not his body. Corey ducked low, sweeping Slayer’s legs out from underneath him and removing the last of the shroud from his limbs.
Slayer caught himself on the ground, gritting his teeth. He rose up, trying to punch Corey in the face, only to have his punch stopped. Corey, still holding on to his fist, swung his opposite hand up, slamming his jaw hard with the punch; the shroud around his head vanishing. While Slayer staggered back, totally dazed, Corey clenched his now-free hand, runes swirling into it.
Slayer caught the full force of the impact spell directly to the chest, once again being sent flying straight backwards, slamming into another part of the same building he’d just pulled out of. Slayer was pushed out of his shroud, his entire body sparking ineffectively as his magic attempted to rebuild the form. Slayer got to his feet slowly, staggering forward, Corey once again walking over to him. As soon as he got outside, Slayer stood up straight, screaming in anger.
“You won’t defeat me!” Slayer shouted, his horn sparking to life, “I will not let you do this--!”
Corey vanished from his line of sight again. Slayer gasped, trying to guess where Corey would be. However, he never got to finish his search.
Corey had used his enhanced speed to rush behind him, one hand flat and raised. He brought it down quickly, tapping Slayer in the neck. Slayer barely had time to gasp, before he crumpled to the ground in a heap. Corey looked over Slayer, focusing his attention on him. There was a faint chill emanating from his body.
He’d live to see himself being stuffed back into Tartarus where he belonged. Corey backed slowly away from the unconscious Slayer.
“And thus ends the story of a psycho who lost control,” said Corey, raising one hand, glowing with magic. Runes began to appear on Slayer’s body. A simple spell, meant to restrict his movement should he get back up. It’d keep going long after he stopped focusing on it. Corey closed his eyes, his light magic finally receding, his eyes and appearance returning to normal.
“It’s done,” Corey smiled lightly, “Just got one more thing left to do…”
With that, Corey reached for his ear.
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The creatures overall hadn’t been much harder to take down this time, though they were more numerous and varied in nature. Twilight only had to be a little more careful overall against these new ones, but it was simple enough. She had once again taken a small break to get atop one of the roofs to survey the area. The guards had come a long way since this all started, too. Actually, everyone had—though Twilight was starting to wonder deep down if the “everyone” qualifier held completely true. Someone had run off to fight a battle they’d lost before.
“What are you up to…” she murmured to herself. She heard a whoosh, and teleported out of the way as two stone creatures flew through the space where she was a moment ago. It didn’t take Twilight too long to blast them right out of the sky once she reappeared.
There was a brief, faint static noise in her ear. Twilight’s ear twitched in response.
“Excuse me?” This was a voice she’d hoped to have heard more of while he was off confronting Slayer again, if only so she could know he was still himself the whole time. However, that tone he had was certainly a refreshing start, “Can everyone hear me?”
“Corey? Is that you?” Twilight asked, “Why did you have your communicator off!?”
“I’m sorry I worried you,” Corey said, “But there’s no need to worry. I didn’t slip again.”
Twilight felt a small sense of relief. “And Slayer?”
“Knocked out. Used a bit more of what I had in store than I wanted, but he’s dealt with. I don’t think he’ll be able to get away this time,” Corey said, “I didn’t do more than needed. I can safely say I’m over it.”
Twilight sighed, pressing fingers to her forehead. Sure, she was happy he made it out of the situation relatively sane compared to what happened to him before, but still… did he really have to worry her?
“Well, I’m proud of you, Corey,” Twilight said, “I’m glad you were able to put it behind you.”
“With him out, that leaves three more, counting Norma,” Corey summarized. There was a brief pause on his end, “Let’s see…”
Twilight waited, keeping eyes out for any other creatures trying to get the drop on her.
“There’s John with one of the prisoners…” Corey said, “I guess he must have went offline too…”
“No one’s heard from him either,” Twilight said.
“There’s… Rainbow with that guy from that night,” Corey continued, “I think. I know she’s close to one of the prisoners.”
Twilight’s mind went a mile a minute, processing what Corey was telling her. If John was off fighting Kronos like he said, and Norma was unconfirmed as of right now… that meant Rainbow was fighting Storm Claw, the griffin. Someone who probably equaled Rainbow in speed as far as Twilight knew, and someone who was vicious in nature…
“If that’s true, she’s probably up against Storm Claw, that griffin who attacked with Kronos that night,” Twilight said.
“Need me to go over there? It’s not too far…” Corey said.
“No, no, I think you’ve done your part for this, Corey,” Twilight said, “I’ll go over there myself, but I’m going to need someone to take my place here up north…”
“Gotcha covered, Twi!” Pinkie suddenly cut in. Had the others been silent to give them their moment?
“I guess I’ll go somewhere else, then,” Corey said, “I think the enchantment on Slayer can hold him until he’s recaptured.”
“I’ll be sure to tell one of the guards here to pass that up the chain. Is there no one where you are, Corey?” Twilight asked.
“Somehow or other, no,” Corey said, “But I think it’s for the best. Things got a little destructive and it might have been messy if anyone else got involved…”
“I understand,” Twilight said, opening her wings and starting to take to the sky, “I’m heading over to Rainbow now. I think I can help her out with Storm Claw!”
There was a collective chorus of “be careful” and “understood” echoing through her earpiece, and Twilight was off to do as she said.
--------------------------------------
Corey lowered his arms to his sides, removing his glasses for a moment to wipe them down. So that was that. Twilight had her battle, John had his, and he’d just finished his own. Corey stretched his arms, looking at his bloodstained clothing. For the first and only time in his life, Corey was grateful to understand it was all his blood on there.
“Well, I’m leaving now myself,” Corey said, “Someone, please tell the guards Slayer’s at…”
Corey looked around, giving off some possible landmarks around him. He didn’t know Canterlot well enough to name all the streets or buildings by heart, and he was no military man. The term “coordinates” was just a term he’d heard in fiction, and he wouldn’t know the specifics of where he was.
“I know where he’s talking about!” Rarity said through the speaker, “I’ll let the guards know.”
“Alright. I’ll see where I can help…” Corey said.
Putting his glasses back on, Corey turned. Slayer was still lying still, the white runes on his body still glowing strong.
“That should hold you until all this is over. I’m going to have to apologize to Twilight and everyone for having them worry,” Corey said, “You just wait right there and take your just desserts.”
With that, Corey was off. He didn’t exactly know where he was going to go, but he knew he was needed elsewhere. It didn’t take him long before he was alerted of something he hadn’t felt before.
A deep, penetrating heat that shocked him to his core.
“P-Princess…?” he muttered, looking towards the direction the sense gave him.
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Storm Claw didn’t look harmed to Rainbow, but the armor was a different story. It had dents in quite a few places. However, the armor still probably protected him from the full force of her attacks; something that Rainbow wished she had right about now. She had nicks and cuts on her arms from trying to dodge his various attacks, and an earlier knife throw had left her with a cut on her cheek.
Rainbow had managed to get some distance on Storm Claw; just enough, though, since he was rushing her. Taking a deep breath, Rainbow flew forward at him, just as her opponent started throwing more knives at her. Rolling and weaving between the projectiles, Rainbow easily avoided, clenching both of her fists as she started doing more aerial somersaults, picking up speed.
Storm Claw’s attacks continued to miss, and before long, he definitely felt something hard hit him right on the head: both of Rainbow’s fists together, slamming hard into the top of his skull. Dazed by the impact, Storm Claw found himself hurtling to the ground, the helm on his head popping off from the attack. It didn’t take long for him to realize, though, Rainbow was pursuing him, aiming to continue the attack.
Spreading his wings and flapping them hard, Storm Claw recovered, causing Rainbow to miss in her dive as he moved out of the way. Rainbow managed to stop herself as well, breaking up after her.
“Your strength and speed both are commendable, Rainbow Dash,” said Storm Claw, “If not for that helm I’d probably be knocked out from that!”
“Flattery’s not gonna get you anywhere!” Rainbow Dash shouted up after him, flinging her hands for a moment. She had hit the helm with all of her strength, but she had still hit metal with her bare hands.
Storm Claw sneered, throwing down a couple more knives at her. These were easily avoided, but Storm Claw reached out with a kick, something that Rainbow caught. However, she looked up, seeing something else, and let out a gasp as she pushed hard on Storm Claw’s leg, creating ample distance to dodge Storm Claw’s knives.
Or at least, enough to avoid having blood drawn—Rainbow’s shirt opened up, taking on the pattern of the attack in it—an “X”.
“Is it me, or are you slowing down?” asked Storm Claw, “If you are, I’m afraid it won’t be much longer…”
Rainbow scoffed. “I don’t intend to slow down until this is over!”
Laughing, Storm Claw began to rapidly descend. Rainbow dove down after him, both fists clenched in preparation for more punching. Storm Claw quit laughing and sneered up at the pegasus.
“You can come out now…” said Storm Claw.
Not hearing his statement, still rushing straight at him, Rainbow didn’t notice anything was off. As soon as she got down to ground-level, flying towards Storm Claw to continue the fight, she suddenly heard a thunderous crash: one of the creatures—a huge one, had come out of a nearby building, scattering debris through the streets.
Rainbow let out a gasp, but the arm had already cut off her attack and pulled her close to the creature’s chest, holding her there tightly with both arms, pinning her wings and legs to its chest.
“Damn!” Rainbow swore, “You…!”
“Now, now, all’s fair in war,” Storm Claw said, raising a knife, “Now hold still. It will only take a moment.”
The blade made its way to his hands as he prepared to throw it. Rainbow struggled against the grip of the beast, making minimal progress on getting free.
“C’mon… lemme go…!” Rainbow grunted against the iron grip.
Storm Claw sneered, cocking his arm back for a throw. Suddenly, a magenta glow appeared from the corner of his eye, and a moment later, something hit his hand, causing the knife to bounce right out of his hand. Another moment later, he found out what caused that, when a magenta laser shot blasted through the shoulder of the creature, causing its arm to crumble off.
With less weight crushing her against the creature’s chest, Rainbow let out a yell, successfully breaking herself free from the grip by swinging around, kicking it hard enough to make it let go. It stumbled backwards, managing to lose its footing and crash onto its back. With nothing left to stop her, Rainbow took off into the air, before quickly rebounding and crushing the creature’s head under her feet as she landed.
As the creature began to crumble into dust, Rainbow soon found herself standing beside the one who saved her.
“Are you okay to continue, Rainbow?” Twilight asked, slowly landing next to her, “Or do you want me to take it from here?”
“You kiddin’?” Rainbow asked; despite her injuries she was still raring to go for more, “I can go on a bit longer! With the two of us working together, we should be able to bash this creep easily!”
“Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Storm Claw cut in, pointing a knife at her, “If I remember correctly, we still have some unfinished business. Will your coltfriend not be joining us?”
“Storm Claw,” Twilight said, Rainbow immediately noting she didn’t even bother denying it; no, that the accusation didn’t even bother her, “You’re going to be stopped here like the others. Slayer’s already down.”
“Oh please, I’m a whole different game from him!” Storm Claw laughed, “He played with his prey too much! I, on the other hand…!”
He abruptly started to charge the two again, but the two were ready. Both took to the air, each taking a direction. Storm Claw skidded to a halt, turning his attention to Twilight, whose horn was already lighting up.
“My armor’s enchanted again, princess! It won’t work!!”
“How about this then!?”
At the sound of Rainbow’s voice, Storm Claw turned his head again, only to find himself being kicked straight in the face by the pegasus in question. While he was reeling from the kick, a few large chunks of debris came flying at him, courtesy of Twilight’s magic. Storm Claw wove and dodged, but one chunk still managed to bound off his head, knocking him flat on his ass.
Rainbow and Twilight regrouped, Twilight on the ground and Rainbow hovering. Storm Claw wiped at his mouth, slowly getting to his feet. Now things were getting really interesting for him.
“If this is how it’s going to be,” Storm Claw grinned, “I welcome it! It’s been years since I’ve had a fight like this!”