From Dusk to Night

by KuroiTsubasaTenshi

47 - Wills

I tensed as Broken Tooth’s head slid down, coming uncomfortably close; it would have been a simple matter for him to snap Night up. For the moment, they were eye to eye.

“Over one thousand years since last we met, my friend. It is good to see you back in flesh. I could not have foreseen the appearance of the Mare in the Moon—after that, I feared you were lost forever.” Even as the honeyed words left his mouth, there was a certain smugness to it, a poison dripping from his maw that tainted everything.

By now, there were more eyes on the dragon than us, but such a lapse meant little when we had the attention of a creature who could probably take on all of us at once.

Firetail seemed almost smug as he dusted himself off and approached Broken Tooth. “Ah, Broken Tooth. As you can see, we have the situation well in hoof. Better than that, in fact, now that we have—”

Broken Tooth’s ear twitched, though his eyes didn’t leave Night. “I can see that, Firetail. Now, step aside. Lord Bellerophon and I have catching up to do.”

With the grudgingness of a foal who had just been told to run along and play, Firetail obliged.

“I have nothing to say to you. You will let these ponies go, and you will end this madness.” Bellerophon was clearly testing the waters.

There would have been no surprise if Broken Tooth had simply laughed him off, but it seemed the charade still held some value. With a chuckle that left me feeling icky, Broken Tooth spoke, “Of course, of course. Whatever you think is best, Lord. Though, I have to wonder if you know who they really are. What lies have they been telling you in your time away?”

Continuing to push his luck, Bellerophon sneered. “Hmph. I know now where the lies started. It was not Tapio—”

Annoyance permeated Broken Tooth's voice as he bellowed over top of Bellerophon, “Tapioca betrayed you! Turned her back on you! I know your pain, Bellerophon. So do the ponies outside this keep. They have been betrayed by those in Ostfriesen, cast down and hunted. Now, your faithful await. They need your guidance. They need justice.”

Bellerophon was on his back hoof now, though he quickly regained the fire in his voice. “I cannot deny that those ponies exposed to your vile influence for so long need guidance.”

There was a long, uncomfortable silence before Broken Tooth turned his head, an amused grin crossing his lips. “What's this? A little gnat still clings on? No wonder you feel so divided. You need only push away that pesky voice and claim your full strength.”

At first, I wondered if this was Broken Tooth’s insanity at work. However, as his words progressed, it suddenly hit me: he was talking to Night. When Bellerophon displaced him, he was somehow still here, but not. And if Broken Tooth could see Night, there was no telling what Broken Tooth might do to him. Even in the heart of a volcano, the thought of such magicks sent a chill down my spine.

“Bellerophon, you can’t…” I had to say it. Even though Bellerophon had promised to restore Night, under the combined pressure of The Forge and Broken Tooth, my doubts were suddenly enormous. In the end, the gesture was about as helpless as I felt, for Bellerophon could easily do as he pleased.

“I won’t.” Bellerophon shook his head, bringing Broken Tooth’s attention back to him. “There is nothing this lizard can offer me.”

Broken Tooth sighed the sigh of a father speaking to his unruly foal. “You speak as if you have a choice. If you won’t submit willingly, then we shall simply continue with our alternative plan with one modification. You’ve already weakened that host enough that subduing it will be far easier than a fresh host, and possessing your bracer gives me an even better claim to solidify my rule.”

“Our rule, you mean.” Firetail was suddenly in Broken Tooth’s face again. “Once Ostfriesen is conquered, I shall be King.”

Even through the hoarseness of Merriweather’s neglected voice, her derision was clear. “Firetail, you’re a moron. He just used you to get what he wanted out of Ostfriesen. Now that Belle’s here, he doesn't need you.”

“Yes, yes, you’ll have your position of power.” Broken Tooth waved Firetail away as he turned his glare to Merriweather, then the guards. “Soldiers. Execute those three. The existence of their bloodline offends me. I must deal with our guest of honour.”

I tensed. We would have to act soon, yet, there was no opening. Rushing them was almost certain death, though when the alternative was certain death, it didn’t take a gambler to tell me what to do. I could only hope we could coordinate something that might leave them disoriented long enough for us to get back into that secret passage.

“Don’t brush me aside! You said King before. I will be King of Ostfriesen. And these are my subjects. Do not think you can bypass my authority simply because we are on friendly terms!” Firetail pointed a hoof up at Broken Tooth’s muzzle.

Inwardly, I had to laugh. I had to, else my frayed nerves were liable to send me to tears. Here we were on the brink of death, with no escape to speak of, and the only thing keeping us alive? Firetail’s grandstanding. Ahuizotl would be damn proud.

“Fine. Do as you will, but don’t let her interfere.” Broken Tooth stalked closer, his eyes never leaving Night.

Desperately, I looked for something, anything I could use. However, slaying a dragon with a couple buckets just wasn’t going to happen. Even if I could take a weapon from one of Firetail’s soldiers, I seriously doubted it would get through such thick scales.

Then, as though to mock me, Broken Tooth took one of his own talons to himself, sliding it several inches beyond the scales. When he withdrew his claw, a thick sheen of blood clung to it. A sickly purple glow surrounded him as he held his talon in front of Night’s face. Silence filled the room once more. Broken Tooth stared with an intensity that seemed to mesmerize everyone else. While nothing appeared to happen, I was convinced he had to be doing something terrible to Night.

Following up on a conversation only he could hear, Broken Tooth spoke with growing impatience, “Only a matter of time. This body is far too old, but I can still do what is needed. You’re going to accept this blessing, my old friend. Whether you want it or not.”

“I'll have my share of the bounty as well, thank you very much.” A smug look crossed Firetail’s face as he stepped in front of Broken Tooth. A dark purple flame erupted from Firetail’s back, engulfing his form, though a bright green cut through where his eyes would be.

Reflexively, I stepped back. While I’d encountered a Shadow Walker years ago, it did little to blunt the oppressiveness of his form. To sell one’s self for power—even the power of magic—that did not sit well with me. And I say that as someone who has studied unicorn magic, been utterly baffled by it and always wished I could understand it. No, to lose a part of myself was to cease to be myself. No amount of power was worth that. The only thing keeping me from freaking out even more was the fact that Firetail had already been preempted by the ancient dragon standing right beside him.

The blood on Broken Tooth’s claw began to tremble and at last, his attention was diverted. While his anger wasn’t readily apparent, it bubbled just below the surface. “Just what do you think you’re doing, Firetail?”

Firetail drew himself tall. “Showing you how much you need me. Although we both hold mastery over magic, I am the one who holds the court in my hoof. Without their support, you will never appear more than a crazed old dragon backing a mongrel of a warlord without so much as a claim to Bellerophon’s bloodline!”

Even though Star and I saw the same opportunity, she beat me to the punch, shouting, “The ponies outside already think he's Bellerophon. They've seen the bracer. They’ve heard him say the first name!”

There was no way Firetail could back down now. Not in front of his troops. If we could just incite them a little more, perhaps there would be a chance to escape.

Whirling upon Star, Firetail spat on the ground. “I don’t care what those worthless peasants think! And neither does the rest of Ostfriesen! It is only us nobles who can bring about Bellerophon’s restoration!”

A deep, guttural laugh brought the rest of the room back to silence. Each chuckle was more intense than the last, creating a cacophony amongst itself. While Broken Tooth’s amusement appeared genuine, there was nothing less unnerving about it.

“Pitiful pony!” he bellowed. “You have seen but a fraction of my power! What do I care if Bellerophon is recognized as legitimate by your council of clowns?”

Firetail sputtered. “What?! Are you mad? You cannot rule without political power! You’ll be overthrown in a week!”

Broken Tooth’s laugh filled the cavern again. “No. You cannot rule without it. Whatever turmoil your precious little politicians cause will be inconsequential. No… it will feed into my conquest! When I stand upon the ashes of Tapioca’s nation, they shall know just how helpless they really were!”

“No! I will be King! I will not allow you to destroy what is mine!” Firetail stepped forward, though he made no move to attack. His troops stood confused, eyes flitting back and forth between him and Broken Tooth.

There was something more going on. Small, almost imperceptible ripples of something cut in and out of existence between the clashing auras of dark magic. I couldn’t quite be sure, but whatever they were, they seemed to be bouncing between Night, Firetail and Broken Tooth. Each remained stock still, and yet, I could see sweat forming on Firetail’s and Night’s brow that I suspected wasn’t from the heat.

One of Firetail’s eyes flitted over to his guards. “What are you waiting for? Kill him!”

“Th-the Oracle?” one of the guards answered, staring up at the towering dragon.

“Yes, you idiots!” Firetail hissed.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you!” Amethyst Vein’s voice echoed through the chamber. I glanced back to see a purple blot standing up at the far back of the room. She was already surrounded by what were presumably militia ponies, with more filtering in from the side passages.

“What?! Who gave you permission to be here?!” Firetail practically screamed back.

“In case you didn’t notice, this is our country! Not yours!” Amethyst Vein and many of her soldiers began advancing on the workshop. “You and your thugs have already caused untold damage! I tolerated it because The Oracle deemed you worthy of trust! But now I see just how pathetic worms like you answer to such trust!”

Firetail’s speech was beginning to waver, short grunts interlacing the words. “You poor, naive, idiot! Can’t you see? Your ‘Oracle’ is insane. I am your only hope for a future!”

“Do not listen to him! It is as you say! He is a traitor who seeks now to assassinate me!” Broken Tooth called out. I thought I saw a deep look of satisfaction cross Amethyst Vein’s face before it returned to indignation.

“Grah! Screw it!” Firetail screamed. “Kill them all!”

“What?!” the same guard as before asked. “Sir, we’re out—”

“JUST DO IT!” Firetail’s voice carried a tone of insanity that rivaled Broken Tooth’s.

No one moved as the echoes of Firetail’s words left the hall. Still, they readied their weapons—some more eagerly than others. As each member of each mob turned, finding their targets, I tensed. ‘Messy’ didn’t even begin to describe what was about to happen.

If the chaos was enough to distract Broken Tooth, this would be our chance. I stole a glance at Merriweather, who looked little better than before, and Night, who was about ready to buckle under the strain of whatever Broken Tooth had done. It was likely we’d have to carry both of them while somehow eluding a dragon. This would have to be Discord levels of chaos.

“For Lord Bellerophon! For Olymponis!” Amethyst Vein cried. A wave of barely synched mimicry followed. Then, all hell broke loose.

Screams of every variety intermingled the clanging of metal on metal. Danger could come from any angle, and though I tried to keep track of it all anyway, it didn’t take long before I felt like my eyes and ears were going to explode. However despite being right smack in the middle of the battle, Night, Broken Tooth and Firetail all remained focused on each other. There was no way I was slipping him out.

That was when I noticed that not only were Night and Firetail sweating, but so was Broken Tooth. Or rather, whatever dragon equivalent of intense sweating made him look like he was about to pop a scale or two. To further the oddity, Night’s stance had changed, returning him to himself. What is Bellerophon thinking?

My first worry was that he had been unable to keep up with what I was now convinced was some kind of battle of wills. As the first line of defense, he would have exhausted before Night, leaving Night to fend for himself. Contemplating it a bit more, I came to realize that this was our advantage. In this magical battle, Firetail and Broken Tooth faced three opponents, whereas Night and Bellerophon were able to even their odds. My mother had always told me that lopsided fights grew exponentially more difficult and that they should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. It seemed that even mighty dragons were not immune to such complications.

However, as one of Firetail’s guards came charging in on Broken Tooth’s flank, and was subsequently swatted aside with Broken Tooth barely breaking eye contact, I was firmly reminded that not all participants on all battlefields were equal.

Knowing that Night would not fare so well against such an ambush, I hurried to his side, a newfound fervour to my vigilance. Somewhere halfway up, one of Firetail’s guards rolled down the left-most steps, pursued by three or four militia. On the other side, a wall of militia smashed itself against a smaller, but sturdier, wall of guards. Archers on both sides frantically sent bolts sailing at each other, many of which went wide in such a large arena. Despite having the high ground, the militia’s lower quality of equipment seemed to be taking its toll as Firetail’s guards landed more lucky shots.

Thankfully, we were relatively safer from errant projectiles. It wasn’t that either side was avoiding firing at us, so much as if they wanted to hit something, they had to shoot around the two-story dragon. The greater majority of what did come near us plinked off Broken Tooth with little more effect than rubber balls.

“This way!” Amethyst Vein shouted as her forces broke through the left side. “Firetail and his treachery end today!”

“Gah! P-protect me, you idiots!” Firetail screeched.

The closest archers did what they could, forming the shambles of a semi-circle around him. Still, they remained disciplined enough, pelting the incoming mob with some well-placed shots that I could almost feel in my gut. And yet, this did little to deter the fanatics. Many of them even pressed forward as though they hadn’t been shot. The situation quickly devolved into another all-out brawl.

Firetail’s soldiers held fast, keeping their lord safe, but that was about all they could manage. Even though they were repelled again and again, the militia was relentless. All the while, Firetail was still screaming, “Kill them! Kill them all!”

That was when a couple bloodied soldiers were pushed our way. Spying Night in his vulnerable state, they went for the easy target. Star stepped in the way of the first, expertly diverting the mare’s course, despite a lack of weaponry. That left the stallion to me.

I fought with a ferocity I hadn’t felt since the Cartel cornered me in that abandoned warehouse—perhaps even harder. I almost felt clairvoyant, weaving around his blade and striking at the few soft spots his barding left exposed. But in the end, the fact of the matter was that I was the underdog in terms of training, and fighting unarmed against a blade. The majority of my efforts slowed him at best and pissed him off at worst.

His next blow only served to drive home my own ineptitude. As I stepped away from a heavy, vertical swing, he lunged forward, slamming into me and shoving me aside. If I’d still had my wingblade, I might have punished him for his arrogance. Instead, my counterattack simply glanced off his neck.

With a wicked grin, he spun, bring his blade toward Night’s throat. Though Night tried to move out of the way, something made him stiffen, gritting his teeth as he froze in place.

I wanted to call out Night’s name, wished that I could simply materialize in the way of the blade to parry it. But I didn’t have time.

Molten fire splattered against the guard’s chest, superheating his barding, and launching him into the air. He tumbled head over hooves until he slammed into one of Broken Tooth’s feet.

Breathing a sigh of relief, my eyes flitted to the magic’s source: Merriweather. She gave me a knowing half-grin that told me, ‘I’m not out of this yet.’ However, the moment didn’t last long as a shrill scream of agony made us jump.

The guard was now beneath Broken Tooth’s claw, crying for help as he was ground against the unforgiving stone. As sickening pops and crunches filled the air, I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. Then I wanted to lose my lunch, but I couldn’t. All I could do was stare.

“Insects! Stop interfering! Stop! Interfering!” Broken Tooth roared. With his current victim little more than a mess of twisted metal and paste, he turned his ire upon the skirmishes around him. Without care for friend or foe, he smashed each of the combatants.

“Oracle! Wait, we’re on your—” Amethyst Vein called out, though her words merely directed a claw her way.

“Look out!” I shouted. I didn’t know why. If she hadn’t already dodged the strike, it was already too late.

Old Ed leapt in, streaking like a bolt of lightning. As he knocked Amethyst Vein clear, he brought up a hoofblade, swinging it in what should have been a futile arc. But there was something different about this one. While being gold wasn’t too uncharacteristic of a bracer, there was an obvious scaled texture, surrounding a large, red gem. The blade itself radiated power, almost like it was nothing but. Just looking at it, I knew the results would be different.

Still, I had a moment of doubt. The blade didn’t. Scales parted like water before a boat and the subsequent roar was so ear-rending that the entirety of the battlefield froze. Except for Old Ed. He spun as the claw lifted away, leaving Broken Tooth’s side exposed. Without hesitating, he jumped up, driving the blade in just above the hindquarters.

Then Broken Tooth showed us just what ear-rending really was. Before I knew what was happening, I was on the ground, wings over my ears, wishing my head would just explode to get it over with.

After several long moments, I finally eased my eyes open. Everything was still there. I wasn’t dead yet, though everything was muted. Everything, that is, except for Broken Tooth, whose voice boomed like thunder clouds.

“You dare... you dare to attack your superior?!”

“The moment you laid claw on my comrades was the moment you lost that claim, beast!” Old Ed’s retort was barely audible.

“Ingrates! All of you! It is only by my grace that you have survived as long as you have!” Broken Tooth raised a claw again, but after about halfway, he cringed, clutching at the wound that was now oozing blood. “Gah! What is this?”

“The power of Lord Bellerophon’s blade, ‘Oracle’,” Old Ed sneered. “Seems he found you wanting.”

“Impossible! The blue one wears his blade!”

“It’s true,” Night mumbled out beside me. “I have it and Bellerophon says he only has one bracer.”

“Then why was it amongst his armour?” Old Ed leveled the blade. “Give it up. This charade is over.”

“Hah, so you were the one who broke into the vault. Do you know what the penalty is for stealing a king’s treasure? Death!” With that, his maw opened, a disgusting purple flame erupting. In the instant before Amethyst Vein and Old Ed vanished, I saw him leap in front of her.

I threw myself to the ground, taking Night with me. But the flame stopped short, a shimmering blue glow holding it at bay. Together, Star and Merriweather stood beside us, a steady stream of magic flowing from their horns to the the barrier.

Before I could even breathe a sigh of relief, Night began to convulse beneath me. “Night?!”

“Dusky, I… I’m o—ugh!” Night shuddered again. “My mind… i-it’s.. burning!”

The flames were gone now, leaving little more than blackened husks in the closest vicinity. Amethyst Vein and Old Ed were nowhere to be seen. My heart sank. Are we next?

Broken Tooth was half-covered in his own blood by now. “Grah! If… If this is to be the end. Then you are all coming with me!”

That would be a yes. I glanced around, looking for cover. Even if Star and Merriweather could protect us from the next barrage, I didn’t know how much more they could take.

However, instead of flame, there was something else, something I couldn’t quite put my hoof on. Whatever it was, it slid past me like a thief in the darkness. Before I could question it, Night screamed in agony, squirming as he rolled and pawed at the ground. I wished I could do something, anything, but I was no mage. All I could do was wrap a wing around him and hold him tight.

“What is it?” Star gasped.

“He said it was burning his mind,” I replied.

Merriweather, though she looked exhausted, pulled herself tall. Her eyes flitted over to Star. “Reinforce the physical. I’ve got the psychic.”

“We’ll be spreading ourselves too thin!” Star grunted.

“I know that!” Merriweather shook her head. “But we have no choice! Night’ll die!”

“Then… we stand together!” Star cried out, a second layer of aura enveloping her horn.

“Together!” Merriweather yelled, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically, as her horn did the same.

“Together,” I whispered, holding Night closer.

It took me a few moments, but I soon realized it wasn’t just Night screaming. Firetail had also fallen, writhing on the spot. Even Broken Tooth was hunched over, practically face-planting into the ground. That eerie purple fire began to emit from all of them, rising from their ears, eyes and nose, like smoke.

“Star! Merri!” I yelled. “It just got worse!”

“Guh… I can’t give it any more. Star! Switch to psychic!” Merri called.

Star grunted. “If he breathes fire again, we’re done!”

“I don’t think he’s in any condition for that!” I interjected.

Without another word, Star shifted her stance. As both sisters poured their magic into the barrier, Night’s convulsions decreased and the fire seemed to dissipate.

Firetail had no such luck as the fires continued to climb. There reached a point where his flailing started to fall off more and more until at last he was still, the only movement left being the ominous purple.

And yet, that was not even the worst of it. No, Broken Tooth was a horrifying, living demonstration of how far things could go. His scales peeled away, revealing not muscle, nor blood, but more flame. Even his bones were barely there, dissipating into the fire as it became his whole being. This new apparition floated upward until it touched the ceiling, at which point it detonated, a roiling wave of purple blotting out everything as it crashed down upon us.

But there was no heat, no burning. No ceiling collapse. It was strange, tingly, perhaps cold might be the best way to describe it; a blast of emptiness that touched all parts of me. In the end, I couldn’t be sure if I was just delirious from exhaustion, but I swore I felt as though it had shaved off a part of my soul.

“Ugh… D-Dusky I… I’m back… like I promised.” Night groaned. There was only one thing I could do: hug him more. After that, I gave him a onceover. He was battered, cut and bruised, but for the most part, if he got proper bed rest, I doubted he’d be out for long—a miracle considering what we’d just been through.

Star and Merri seemed to fare better. In fact, they seemed to be the only ones left standing, though they looked like they might keel over from a stiff breeze. Slowly, gingerly, I gave them their own hug and assessment. Beyond the exhaustion, all I could say was that Merri needed a good, hearty meal or two. Otherwise, I had to trust their judgment when they said that they’d overdone themselves magic-wise and that it would right itself in a couple days.

With everyone accounted for, we turned our attention upward. The closest of the stone benches had been completely flattened. Even a few feet up, the benches were disfigured to a disturbing degree.

Everyone else down in the workshop was dead. Firetail’s forces had been all but wiped out. The few left up top had surrendered. The militia was more numerous. While many had been down below with us, even more had still been fighting above. It was almost uncanny how they dealt with the loss, many moving on as though nothing had happened.

Is this a price of the Badlands?

Just outside of the worst of the carnage, a sizable group had gathered. When we reached them, they all parted to look at us. Some of them were suspicious, but the greater majority seemed too tired to care so long as we weren’t brandishing weapons.

On the ground, resting against a stone bench were Amethyst Vein and Old Ed. The former was beaten and burned, but it didn’t seem to slow her down in the slightest. For the latter, it was notable to find portions of his coat where more than a few hairs were still intact. Here and there, small plumes of purple radiated off of him, pulsing in time with his ragged breathing.

“You idiot! Why?” Amethyst Vein pressed her head against his withers.

“It’s... my job. I’m the retainer… of a proud and noble… bloodline,” Old Ed managed a bit of a smile as he pressed against hers.

“That’s not fair! You… you’re family to me! You can’t just go doing stuff like that!” She prodded at his chest.

“If the alternative… was to let you be crushed by… that beast, then… you’ll just have to deal with it.” Astonishingly, Old Ed still had enough strength to bat her hoof away.

“Beast… Why was the Oracle acting like that?” Amethyst Vein shook her head.

“He was insane.” Old Ed’s statement was on the tip of everyone’s tongue, though I doubt she would have believed it from anyone but him. It was a bit strange to hear it coming from him, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how he’d always abstained from giving an opinion. “He only meant... to use you. I’m sorry, Amethyst.”

She blinked. “I don’t understand.”

“The whole… hunting accident. It was a setup. He… couldn’t control your parents any longer… There were tracks… something else, other than wyverns… But the search party… all working for him. I couldn’t prove it. So, I am… sorry, Amethyst. For failing then. For failing to get you out until now.”

Amethyst Vein shook her head. “No, you’ve done more than I could ever ask.”

“Good. The fight is… finally over.” Old Ed let the mysterious bracer fall away, clattering to the ground.

“Hey,” Merri said as she stepped forward. “Give it a rest. You keep straining yourself and the damage might stick. Right, Sis’?”

Star nodded. “It is fortunate, as I do not think anypony here is in any condition to administer a healing spell.

“Fortunate?” I asked, stealing a glance back at the workshop. “More like miraculous, considering what happened to the others.”

“The Dragonbane.” Suddenly, all eyes were on Night or rather—Bellerophon. I couldn’t help but frown, though I did not interrupt him. “Where did you get it? It shouldn’t be here.”

“From the royal vault… same chest as your armour.” His answer came as readily as before.

Bellerophon creased Night’s brow. “Impossible… We forged these to cut through scales, to protect the wielder from dragonfire. Eight were made. Two for Tapioca, six for the founding clans. It’s not something they would have given away.”

It only made sense. Whatever Tapioca had negotiated, she’d been at the disadvantage. The dragons could have changed their mind at any moment and it would have been foolish to be unprepared.

“What about Firetail?” I asked.

Merri shook her head. “No way. Firetail’s line is small potatoes compared to those of the founders.”

“As such, it is also unlikely that Firetail’s followers would have included any from those houses,” Star added.

“And why store it in the vault? Why store it with m—” Bellerophon spent nearly the next minute deep in thought before a word escaped Night’s lips, “Tapioca.”

“What?” I tilted my head.

“She left it… Tapioca must have left it when I… when I passed on.” Bellerophon looked almost overwhelmed as he turned somewhat mechanically to look at Amethyst Vein. “You now need to start being the regent these ponies need, not the one manufactured by Broken Tooth. Ostfriesen is not the enemy of Olymponis.”

Slowly, Bellerophon turned around, looking down upon the workshop.

“Wh-what? Wait!” Amethyst Vein scrambled to her hooves. “Lord Bellerophon? What about you? Surely, you would be better suited to the task!”

“I think not. My dealings with Broken Tooth are what led to this. These are your ponies to lead, Amethyst Vein.” There was a certain melancholy to Bellerophon’s voice. I supposed in a way, these were his children.

“No! We need you! Please!” Amethyst Vein gave voice to their concern, but with the way the crowd looked at Night, it was clear the entirety of them thought the same way.

It was my turn to shake my head. “He really can’t. You have to understand, the strain is already too much for Night. If this continues, it may just consume him. I can’t allow that!”

Star turned to Merri. “Did you find anything?”

“I’m sorry.” Merri kicked a hoof. “I tried to bargain with Firetail. I said I’d bring him the bracer if he only told me how to reverse the spell. But all he did was tie me up. And not even in the fun way.”

“It doesn’t matter. I will not lead you, Amethyst Vein. I can only advise you as best I can. After everything that’s happened, everything that I’ve seen, I can make no other choice. I’m staying.” Bellerophon said.

“What? What about Night?!” I asked, anxiety rising in my chest. It seemed like he’d found closure, as though he’d been ready to move on. I’d hoped that that would be the end, that somehow that would release Night from his grasp. Then he had to go and say that. And yet, something in my gut that told me he wouldn’t go back on his word. “What are you planning?”

“When we fought, what Broken Tooth wanted to do to me, he opened a connection between he and I. But so did Firetail. That magic is fading, but it’s still there.” His gaze turned to the still-smoldering body of Firetail.

“Wha—” I began, but then I saw Firetail’s body twitch. Once. Twice. Little by little, the purple fires shrunk until they had been extinguished. A thin layer of magic washed over him, leaving his coat a blue just a little paler than Night’s and his mane a bold sky blue.

As Night fell to his haunches, Bellerophon arose. He looked up at us, pausing briefly to give Night an apologetic look, before turning his gaze to the people of Olymponis. “I am home.”

Comments

[Shachza]

So... the Dragonsbane was going to eat Broken Tooth once it had hit him solidly, and the connection between Broken, Night, and Firetail almost got everyone immolated by it?

Also, I was thinking they'd need Ivory to do what Bellerophon just deus ex'd. (I know, that's not quite the right term.) Maybe he'll need Ivory to keep his spellwork from failing preemptively. (I'm reaching here for how Ivory might get herself involved, okay? )

Very exciting chapter! You handled mass chaos well, even if I feel the random arrows should have been given greater... oomph. One random arrow could have ended things for our plucky adventurers, and that's terrifying!

[Tsuguri]

So, since Fire was already dead, did Bellerophon just make himself a licht?

[Sylvian]

7862997
I think the fire burned his mind and soul out of hte body, so I think he just filled the void.

[Meta Four]

I was expecting all those conflicting schemes to explode, and expecting Amethyst to save our heroes by showing up with the cavalry. But I wasn’t expecting for Bellerophon to find the way out of Night's brain in the aftermath. Very interesting.

[KuroiTsubasaTenshi]

7863583
That's pretty much it—a hyper-accelerated version of what Bellerophon's presence was inadvertently doing to Night.

7862992
Hehe, sorry, I know I keep saying this, but Ivory will be back. I'm actually a bit anxious to get to her sequences, myself, but I also need to take care to give these other arcs proper attention (especially given how a bunch of them play into one of hers).

Being able to use a large dragon—even if it's trying to kill them—as cover has its benefits.

[Sylvian]

7864765

I figured as much... it's the classical fantasy possession via a cursed object. I've always considered the bracelet/bracer to be akin to the blade of a Death Knight, in which the person wearing it eventually has their soul displaced or destroyed by the one inside the blade. In all honesty, I actually always assumed you'd have the main character's necromancer friend make Bellerophon a new body....

[AppleTank]

huh. Well that happened.

[Yami Vizzini]

Well, that escalated quickly. Again.

“Ingrates! All of you! It is only by my grace that you have survived as long as you have!”

And that their heads aren't impaled on the stalagmites of his cave?

“You now need to start being the regent these ponies need, not the one manufactured by Broken Tooth. Ostfriesen is not the enemy of Olymponis.”
Slowly, Bellerophon turned around, looking down upon the workshop.
“Wh-what? Wait!” Amethyst Vein scrambled to her hooves. “Lord Bellerophon? What about you? Surely, you would be better suited to the task!”

He's only the regent they deserve, not the one they need.

Once again it kind of feels like we entered into the climax of another story (Amethyst's). But then, isn't that life?

...what was that spell Merri mentioned? I thought she was just out for revenge, or getting her name cleared, or something.

[KuroiTsubasaTenshi]

7877032
Revenge was Star's fake excuse for challenging Firetail to a duel. That actual kind of behaviour caused the whole bracer incident in the first place. Merri left to find a way to break the magic binding Bellerophon to Night by following the only solid lead she had.