The Monster Below: Nightfall

by Greenback

The Battle for Canterlot

Clouds shoot past the Raven as it races through the sky, Gusty coaxing every last ounce of power from the engines. I don't pay attention, letting Gusty focus on his job while I focus on repairing my body. While it has a built-in repair system that can take care of minor injures, I have to manually fix the more severe damage. For all the wonders of technology this body represents, Onyx pointed out that it wasn't designed for combat. He's amazed that I'm still able to move, and baffled that I'm not a gibbering wreck at being reduced to a head on an artificial body. Perhaps in peacetime I would be, but I don't have the time to panic, not with my parents and Equestria under threat.

If Celestia were here, she'd put the needs of those in danger above her own well-being.

“Silverspeak?" Beakbreaker comes over. “You okay?”

I nod. “I'm fine.”

“You're sure?”

“There are more important things to deal with right now." I assure her. Pushing a dented pin back in place, I turn towards the cockpit. “Gusty, how long until we reach Canterlot?”

“Not long,” Gusty calls from the cockpit. “A few minutes at most.”

I get to my hooves. It's easier to rise than it was earlier; my brain must be adapting to the body. “Is this as fast as we can go?”

“Unless you want my bird to tear herself apart, yes.”

I take the radio as I head into the cockpit.

“Don't bother. Nothing but static. It's like someone or something's jamming them.”

Our vision through the cockpit window vanishes as the Raven flies into a thick batch of clouds.

Gusty checks the radar. “ETA, one minute. Hope you've got a plan, Boss.”

“Chrysalis took the crystal that lets her control anyone and anything. We find it, destroy it, and then destroy her.”

Gusty shrugs. “Simple enough.”

Onyx and Beakbreaker come into the cockpit, all four of us trying to see through the clouds ahead.

“Activate the cloak,” I say. “We can't risk being seen.”

Gusty does so. “Got it... Alright, here we go." Gusty takes hold of the accelerator, breathing deep to steel himself against whatever's waiting on the other side.

He isn't the only one.

“Three... two... one...”

He yanks back as we emerge from the clouds and float before Canterlot. A quick assessment shows nothing's out of place: the city and palace are intact and undamaged thanks to the massive dome of shimmering magic that encircles it. My skin gets goosebumps; I've read about these domes before. They're very powerful and can only be cast by the most powerful of unicorns and alicorns. One went over Canterlot decades ago when the changelings first attacked, but unlike then, no one's trying to break inside. In fact, there are no sign of changelings, dragons, or invading armies.

Was the radio message Onyx heard in Genesis a false alarm?

“Silverspeak, look!”

I follow Beakbreaker's gaze out the windows, and my hopes are dashed.

We're not the first ones here.

A massive army, hundreds of thousands strong, stretches across the fields at the base of the Canterlot Mountains for miles. But this isn't an army of changelings or any other of our ancient enemies: This is the Equestrian Army.

Gusty gasps. “Sweet mother of Celestia, look at them! That's the entire bloody army!”

All the soldiers below us are in formation, a sight that would impress any visiting dignitaries or intimidate a hungry monster. Yet, the soldiers below aren't moving or marching towards Canterlot as I feared they would do.

I look over the walls. “Gusty, where are the binoculars?”

Onyx gives me a set and I peer through to the fields below. From a distance the army appears to be perfectly still, but a closer look betrays the illusion. The soldiers are fidgeting like dogs eager to run.

I adjust the knobs and zoom in. The soldiers... they're sweating. Their eyes are darting back and forth in fear.

I curse. “Chrysalis used the crystal... Gutsy, are there any other ships nearby?”

Gusty checks the radar. His face drops. “I'm afraid so.”

Beakbreaker squints, trying to see anything in the clear skies before us. “Where?”

“You won't see them with the naked eye. This radar was designed to detect magic cloaking."

Gusty presses a button, and the window shimmers, revealing the outline of three enormous airships hovering before us, so big that we're like an ant before an elephant, one that's bristling with cannons and guns.

“Wait, I've seen these!” Beakbreaker says. “Glasseye... I mean, his doppelganger, loaded up one of these in Genesis! But what are they?”

“Goliaths,” Onyx says, gritting his teeth. “I've read about them. They're the most powerful and heavily armed airships in the Equestrian Air Force.”

“And equipped with magical camouflage,” Gusty says. “Works fine on a little ship like mine, but they could never quite perfect it for those brutes. Guess they must have made a breakthrough... much to our misfortune.”

“Chrysalis must be on one of them,” Onyx says, “One ship will have the Control Crystal, the other the TechInc data, and the third is probably a troop transport... Chrysalis will want to keep them separate so that if something happens to one ship, the others can get away. We'll have to disable them.”

Beakbreaker struggles to hold back a laugh. “How? It's just four of us against those things!”

“We split up. I take one ship, Silverspeak the second, and you the third.”

“No,” I say. “Out of the question. Onyx, you and I can do this. Beakbreaker's not a soldier-”

“Neither are you,” Beakbreaker says, annoyed. “You forget, Silverspeak, I went into a changeling hive, helped you fight through Saddle Lanka, and snuck through Genesis when it was swarming with changelings. No one else is coming. We need to do this.”

Confound it... I hate to admit it, but she's right.

“Alright... Gutsy, take us up to the top of this airship.” I point at the closest one. “I'll take this one.”

“Got it.”

The Raven rises as I raid the small armory, taking a pistol, a rifle, a taser, and a single gas grenade.

“Dropping that grenade in the bridge should give you control of the ship,” Onyx says. “But getting there won't be easy. You'll probably be outnumbered at least a hundred to one. Try to avoid being seen as much as possible; if the alarm goes off, things will go to tartarus in a hurry.”

I nod as I take my saddlebags and yank out the sneaking suit.

“What's that?” Beakbreaker asks.

“It's a stealth suit,” I say. “A prototype I was supposed to give to Luna." I toss it to Beakbreaker. “If you move slowly, they'll give you complete invisibility.”

Beakbreaker's impressed and more than a little giddy, only to realize something. “Wait, you don't have more?”

“No. But if worse comes to worse, I can endure being shot. You can't.”

“That body isn't built for combat,” Onyx reminds me.

“It survived a fight against Chrysalis-”

“Barely.”

He's got a point, but there's no time for arguing or for second thoughts. Slinging some weapons over my shoulder, I hand Beakbreaker her own gas grenade.

“Once you knock everyone out, you get out as quickly as you can.”

Beakbreaker nods as she pulls her suit on.

“Almost in position, Boss,” Gusty says as he flicks a switch. “You ready?”

I put on a headset and adjust the microphone. “As ready as I'll ever be." Then, to Beakbreaker and Onyx, “I'll radio in with what I find.”

“Only do so when absolutely necessary,” Onyx warns. “The changelings will probably detect the signal when you send it and the whole place will go into high alert.”

I nod, breathing deeply. There's no time to worry about the logistics of infiltrating an airship likely filled with hundreds of changelings, nor is there time to worry about the others. With his background in police and security work, I have no doubt that Onyx can take care of himself, but Beakbreaker... the image of her trying to sneak through an airship alone and outnumbered puts a lump in my throat. It's too easy to imagine her being scared and lost, trying not to cry as changelings hunt for her.

“Beakbreaker, do you want some courage before I go? Like in the changeling hive?”

She nods, eager at the idea. “In a situation like this, I'll take all the help I can get.”

Onyx's confused. “Wait, what?”

“I use my talent to give her courage and determination. You could get it too, if you'd like.”

“If it helps us get through this, I'm all for it.”

I focus on my charm, turning it to full power. “Beakbreaker, Onyx Shield, you're both so brave for doing this. Anyone else would be paralyzed with fear, but not you two. You won't feel any fear, or doubt, or panic, no matter what happens.”

My companions light up. Not literally, but it's as if they've been given a jolt of adrenaline and other feel-good chemicals.

“You need to do that more often,” Onyx says.

The Raven glides to a stop.

“Boss, we're in position,” Gusty says. “Looks like there's a maintenance hatch just below us. You can get in that way.”

“Thanks, Gusty." Breathing deep, I head to the side hatch. I take hold to slide it open... but I stop. I can't afford to wait, but this may be the most dangerous thing any of us have ever done.

If something goes wrong, this may be the last time I ever see Beakbreaker.

I bite my lip. “Beakbreaker?”

“Yes?”

My heart races.

“There's... there's been something I've been meaning to tell you since we first met in Genesis. If something happens... I may never get another chance to say it.”

“What?”

My heart pounds as I take her hooves. “Everything I've done... working on Genesis, arranging for you to stay there, trying to stop the changelings... all of it was to keep you safe." My forehead goes cold with sweat. “You're probably wondering why. Well, I did it because I... I...”

It should be so simple to say the words, but it's like I'm exposing a part of myself that's so vulnerable that the slightest bump could bruise it. Beakbreaker could accept what I'm about to say, or she could reject it. What am I going to do if she does?! What am I... I...

Oh, buck it! Buck it! To tartarus with it all!

I tighten my grip. “I did it all to keep you safe Beakbreaker, because... I... I... I love you." I breathe deeply. “I've loved you since we rode on that train from Manehattan. When I was in that prison, thinking of you kept me sane. And ever since I got out, all I've wanted was to keep you safe. And no matter what happens, even if I die, I still want you to be safe... but above everything else... I want you to be happy.”

The cabin goes deathly quiet.

Beakbreaker's so surprised that she can't speak.

There's no time to wait. I said what I wanted to say, and if they're the final words I'll ever give to Beakbreaker, then so be it.

At least I got the chance to tell her.

Letting go of Beakbreaker's hooves, I turn to the door.

A hoof takes my shoulder.

“Silverspeak-”

I'm gently turned around and find myself looking into Beakbreaker's misty eyes.

“I... I think I've always known, and I... I love you, too.”

Beakbreaker leans forward. Without thinking, I do the same as her lips touch my own, giving me my very first kiss.

It's like a surge of pure energy flooding through me, causing my skin to tingle and my heart to hammer against ribs of steel... but, oh Celestia, it's as if... for a few, precious moments, she and I are one and the same.

“Boss? Sorry to break up the happy moment, but... You know there's some really bad stuff happening below us, right?”

I never want this moment to end, but Beakbreaker pulls away, shaking, looking like she wants to both laugh and cry, unable to take in what happened.

Was that her first kiss as well?

Onyx takes the hatch and slides it open, allowing a gust of cold air to race inside.

I'm still shaking as I take Beakbreaker's hooves in mine. “Please... be safe.”

Beakbreaker smiles. “You too.”

Strange... I never knew it was possible to feel so happy when all of Equestria is in such danger.

Giving Beakbreaker the tightest hug I can, I turn and leap out the hatch. My fall only lasts a moment before I land on a piece of shimmering fabric that barely gives beneath my weight. I feel around and find a handle; yanking it up reveals a deep shaft and a ladder beneath me.

Onyx yanks the Raven's hatch shut. The ship shimmers and disappears as the camouflage kicks back in.

Holding onto the memory of Beakbreaker's kiss, I utter a silent thanks to fate, chance, or whatever guided me to one of the greatest moments of my life as I lower myself into the ship, pulling the hatch shut behind me.

***

It's dark as I descend the ladder and get off on a catwalk inside a service walkway, the walls packed with pipes, tubes, and humming machinery. I keep a pistol at the ready as I head through a labyrinth of stairs, catwalks, and ladders, unseen machinery masking my hoofsteps. I almost run, still light-headed from that wonderful kiss, but I force myself to slow down. Can't risk making too much noise.

The walkway finally ends at a large hatch. Pulling it up just a little, I peer through and glimpse a brightly-lit passageway with a laminated floor and numerous doors. This must be the airship's main deck. I lower myself down and land as quietly as I can, my pistol up as I spin, looking for any changelings.

No one appears.

This can't be right... an airship this big probably needs a crew of hundreds. Did sneaking inside set off a silent alarm? Are they all in hiding, waiting to spring an ambush? No, that can't be it. If I were Chrysalis, I'd send hundreds of soldiers to eliminate anyone who could threaten my plans for domination. That means no one knows I'm here. Better keep it that way.

I start down the passageway. With any luck, the bridge is near the front of the craft, and most of the changelings will either be there or at battle stations. Can't afford to be-

Wait. What's that? Oh buck, hoofsteps!

Someone's coming!

Turning back, I leap up and pull myself through the hatch in the ceiling, and then lower the cover until only a crack remains for me to peer through.

A large changeling goes down the passageway below; good, it didn't seem to notice me. Best to let it pass so that... Wait. I know this changeling. It's the general I interrogated back on Genesis, the one who told me where Chrysalis' hive is... and if it's high up in the changeling hierarchy, it might be the one commanding this ship.

I wait until the general is further down the passageway before lowering myself down as quietly as I can. I follow the changeling, taking care to stay close to corners, alcoves, and anywhere I can hide in an instant if the need arises.

The general comes to a set of double doors guarded by two of its fellows. They nod as it heads through. That must be the control room, but how am I going to get in? My gas grenade would do the trick, but I need to save it for when I'm inside the control room, not before.

Think, Silverspeak, think! There must be a way inside; the logical choice would be a vent, but whoever designed this ship couldn't possibly be stupid enough to create one big enough for ponies to sneak through. There has to be another way... Wait. There's something in an alcove several yards back. I sneak to it; it's a hatch with a sign that reads, “Maintenance."

Making sure no one's in sight, I cast a spell on each of the locks holding the hatch in place. When all four locks have melted away, I pull the cover up to find a small passageway lined with cables and tubes. This must be a maintenance tube that allows workers to repair communications and other systems... and there's one room in the ship where all these systems would go.

Tossing the broken locks into the tube, I crawl inside and close the hatch behind me. It's a tight fit in here; my body will be scraping the walls, but it looks like I can make my way through. Tiny pinpricks of light guide me as I squeeze myself forward, going slowly to avoid banging against the metal, a task that only gets more difficult when it tilts upwards with even more pipes and cables pressing against me.

Celestia, I hope this doesn't get any tighter. I don't want to improvise a shrinking-

“Silverspeak? Silverspeak, are you there?”

“Onyx?” I whisper into the radio. “Is that you?”

“I'll be quick: I found the Control Crystal! It's in a heavily shielded room in the center of the second ship. I'm about to try and get in, but the room is guarded by a lot of changelings.”

“How are you doing to do that?!”

“I'm not sure, but I'll think of something.”

“Onyx, listen: I'm on my way to the control room. If I can take over the ship, I can turn the guns onto yours and blow it apart. That will destroy the Crystal for sure.”

Onyx doesn't reply for several moments. “Alright... I'll see if I can disable some of the guns on my end, but if something goes wrong, you'll have to destroy the ship, even if I'm on it.”

“What? I can't-”

“I've watched too many bullies, thugs, and criminals get away when I was a cop. I'm not going to let Chrysalis do the same. Wish me luck.”

The radio goes dead.

Okay... if the Control Crystal is on Onyx's ship, I must be on either the troop transport, or the one carrying about TechInc's research and equipment. Onyx seems to be doing okay, but what Beakbreaker? Should I call her and ask if she's okay? No... I can't. I can't risk giving her away to any nearby changelings if she's hiding.

Biting my lip, I give a silent prayer for Beakbreaker's safety and continue on. The passage keeps tilting, but embedded rungs allow me to pull myself upwards towards another hatch. This one has twice as many locks as the first and is much thicker.

I close my eyes and cast my magic on the locks, cutting through them one at a time. The first is easy, but the headache starts up again on the second, and it's pounding by the third; Celestia, it feels like my brain is pounding against my skull! I have to stop. I grind my teeth... I'm still acclimating to using magic again, and using it this hard and this fast can't be good for my brain.

When the pain subsides, I resume cutting, finally casting off the last lock and slowly pushing the hatch open. There's a tiny ledge beyond it. Crawling through, I peer over the side: I'm inside the airship's control room, the floor below me filled with consoles, panels, gears, levers, and a large steering wheel set before a wall of thick glass that gives a gorgeous view of the sky and the army below. It would be an impressive sight... if the room wasn't filled with changelings manning all those consoles.

Now, how many are there? Let's see... Oh great. Twenty. Well, at least I don't have to take them on. Just toss the grenade down, wait for the gas to dissipate, and the ship's mine. I take the grenade out. Pull the pin, toss it down, and yank on my... wait. Oh no... oh, buck! Idiot! You stupid idiot! In my haste to get ready, I forgot to bring a gas mask! If I use the grenade, I'm going to get knocked out like the changelings, the rising gas would render my hiding place useless.

Okay, Silverspeak, think! Think, think, think! Are my mechanical lungs insulated against gas and toxins? I don't know, and I can't risk finding out. Maybe if I toss the grenade, hold my breath, and swoop out of the doors, I can get far enough away before the gas-

The doors open as someone comes inside. “Status.”

Mangus!

Flattening myself against the ledge, I peer down to see Mangus strolling towards the steering wheel. He's still dressed in my body armor, and still holding that accursed scepter.

The changeling general walks over. “Servant Bluehorn: Genesis has been destroyed.”

“You're sure of that?”

“Our agents saw it.”

Even from this high up, I can see Mangus grinning. “Survivors?”

“The shields were disabled shortly before it crashed; we estimate a few hundred escaped. We're trying to round them up now.”

Mangus twirls his staff. “Send word to keep them alive. You can never have too many slaves. Now, what of the army?”

“My Queen will wait ten more minutes, but no more.”

“Oh, good! That's enough time to set up my guests.” Mangus turns to someone I can't see. “Show them in.”

My heart churns as six changelings enter the control room, escorting two ponies to the observation window with some of TechInc's rifles. I hope against hope that it isn't them... but it is. The ponies below aren't two strangers.

They're my parents.

I cringe as the changelings force my parents onwards. At least they seem okay: they show no signs of being sick or injured. They've got inhibitor rings on their horns, leaving them defenseless against their captors... not that it stops Dad from scowling and trying to trip one.

My parents are stopped at the observation window. Could they endure being gassed? If I tossed the grenade down, I might be able to hold my breath long enough to swoop down, grab them, and then get out of the room... but I don't know if they could endure such an experience. The gas might push their weakened immune systems to the brink. I can't risk it.

If I killed them by mistake, I'd never forgive myself.

Mangus strolls over to my parents. “Quite the sight, isn't it?” he asks as he looks out the window. “Not everyday you get an entire army gathered in one spot.”

Mom and Dad glare at him.

“Oh, no pleas? No cries of, 'You're insane!” or, 'You'll never get away with this!'?”

“They won't work on you,” Mom growls. “Only someone with a conscience would be swayed.”

Mangus shakes his head, amused. “By this time tomorrow, conscience will be a thing of the past. I'll have ushered in an age where only the strong and the powerful rule.”

“With you being the strongest, I bet,” Dad says.

Mangus twirls his scepter. “No. Queen Chrysalis will be the one sitting on Celestia's throne... With me by her side, of course.”

“So you can kill her and take over,” Dad says as loudly as he can.

The changelings turn to Mangus.

No one notices me as I carefully creep across a support beam. If I can get close enough, I can drop down onto Mangus and the changelings guarding my parents.

“And why would I do that?” Mangus asks. “Chrysalis has given me a new purpose in life. Instead of rotting away in some dungeon, I'll be helping her bring about our new order." He leans in close to my father. “By this time tomorrow, everyone who tried to stop me will be my subjects, and I'll make them regret ever daring to oppose me.”

Smiling, Mangus goes to a screen mounted on the wall and taps a crystal with his scepter. The screen glows and comes to life, revealing the image of a very pleased Queen Chrysalis sitting in another control room, most likely on the second ship.

Mangus bows. “My Queen, I have excellent news: Genesis now lies at the bottom of the sea.”

Chrysalis grins. “How wonderful." She notices my parents. “Ah, the parents of my late servant. How wonderful for you to join us. Such a shame your son couldn't do the same.”

“Oh, he will,” Dad growls, as intimidated by Chrysalis as he was by the guards. “If I know my son, he'll do anything to stop you." He glances at Mangus. “Isn't that right?”

Mangus chuckles. So does Chrysalis.

“Go ahead, laugh it up. You won't be laughing when he comes for you.”

“Oh, parents of Silverspeak, how little you know,” Chrysalis says in a sing-song tone. “You see, it was your son who made this all possible.”

“Your lies won't work here, deceiver,” Mom says as she glares at Chrysalis.

“Lies? I only speak the truth. Your beloved son joined me after I offered him what he always wanted: the gift of becoming an alicorn. Even I was surprised at how quickly he stole TechInc's research data. It was he who allowed me to gain control of not only Genesis, but all of Equestria's army!”

“Lies.” Mom says. “He'd never do such a thing. Not our son. Not in a million years.”

“Oh, but he did. Everything you see now is the result of his work... but alas, he was only useful for so long. I knew he would kill me after I gave him what he desired. When he realized that, he begged for mercy, pleading for me to spare him.” Chrysalis laughs. “He even offered to sacrifice your lives for his own! But it was to no avail, and now his lifeless body is nothing but food for worms at the bottom of the sea.”

“You're lying!” Mom shouts.

“Am I? Are you willing to bet your lives? Wait, then, and see how long it takes for your precious son to come and save you.”

Mom and Dad don't want to believe her. I see it in their eyes, but Chrysalis was using one of the oldest tricks of all captors and interrogators: mix the truth with a lie. And right now my parents are struggling whether or not to believe the worst.

Mangus twirling his scepter. “What shall I do with them, my Queen?”

“Let them live for now. Let them watch the results of their son's work.” Chrysalis' smile gets even bigger. “Let them watch as their world falls apart.”

“As you wish."

I lower myself onto another girder.

There's movement on the screen. A changeling general has run up to Chrysalis and whispers something in her ear.

She grins.

“Bluehorn.”

“Yes, my Queen?”

“Move your ship into position.”

The changelings bustle as the ship lowers itself, the sudden movement forcing me to grab hold of the girder's chains to keep from falling off. Below, the Equestrian army fills the windows as the ship comes to a stop.

Chrysalis' horn glows. “Dragon!” she calls out. “Come to me!”

A console beeps below me. It's a radar screen, and something has shown up on the far edge. It's small, but only for a moment, as it grows, becoming so big that it fills the screen.

The clouds beyond the window sway and darken as something flies up behind them.

Oh no...

Every eye turns to the window as something monstrous and terrible rips through the clouds and down to the field below, landing hard enough to shake the earth. Every changeling below strains to get a good look at their ally below. To them it's a thing of terrible beauty; even Mangus is momentarily taken back. But not me. I see no beauty below, only something straight out of a nightmare. Hundreds of jagged, misshapen teeth jut from its mouth. Gnarled, twisted horns adorn its head like an obscene crown as massive wings furl themselves against the back, avoiding the icicle-like spikes that emerge from the thing's tail and spine.

It's an arch-dragon.

The beast roars, the sound causing the ship to shake. I clutch a chain as tightly as I can. Mangus and the changelings struggle to stay upright, and the changelings on Chrysalis' ship do the same. But not her. She watches, delighted.

“It won't work!” Dad yells to the screen, trying to hide his terror at the abomination before us. “Beast, dragon, whatever you have, it won't help you! You can't kill the Princess!”

Chrysalis doesn't take her gaze off the creature below. “Poor, deluded fool. You think all this is for Princess Luna? Oh no, I'm not going to use your army to defeat her... I have a far greater army. The dragon below is but the first. Many more await my command.”

Wait, more?!

Chrysalis steps off her throne and walks to the window on her ship, her horn lighting up once again. “Soldiers of Equestria!" Her voice echoes through the sky. “I commend you all for coming here on this fine day for a most special occasion! For you see, this is the last day of the war between your kingdom and mine! Today, you shall perform your final duty. But you will not march into battle, nor will you defend your lands or your princess. You are here today to show all of Equestria the futility of resisting me! You will never again defend those you love, who, after today, will be helpless before my might!”

Chrysalis pauses, savoring the moment like someone about to sip the most exquisite wine they'll ever have.

I lower myself onto the last girder. If I'm fast, I can take out the changelings, grab the controls and target that beast before it-

“Dragon!” Chrysalis calls out. “See the armies before you! See their so called, 'might'! Show them true might! Show them true power!”

She laughs.

“Burn them all to ash!”

What?!

The dragon rears back, roars, and crashes down, spraying a massive wave of fire into Equestira's army.

Oh Celestia, no!

The flames spread through the soldiers like wildfire in a sea of dead grass, but they don't run. They can't as they're incinerated alive.

I can hear the faint screams of tens of thousands of souls being extinguished.

Oh buck! I can't wait any longer!

Yanking out the rifle and pistol, I leap from the girder and onto the changeling general's head, spraying everyone with its blood as it's crushed into the floor. I have a wonderful view of Mangus' shocked face as I smash the butt of my rifle into his snout, knocking him into the display screen and shattering it as he crumples to the floor like a ragdoll.

The air's filled with shouts and yells as the changelings open fire. I spin and hold down the triggers of my guns, leaping and rolling, acting only on instinct as I fire off spell after spell, ignoring the pounding in my skull as consoles are blown apart and changelings blasted into goo. I feel bullets peppering my body, and a spell hits my leg, but I can't stop! Have to keep firing!

When my guns run dry I cast them aside and scoop up weapons from the fallen changelings, firing again and again until only a single changeling remains. It sprints at me, firing its magic. I leap and break its neck with a kick to the chin, sending it through the air and smashing a glass map of Equestria.

The room's clear. I run to my parents and undo the manacles holding them up, dropping them to the floor. I help them up, but they don't thank me; they're staring at me with disbelieving eyes, unable to comprehend seeing their son's head upon an unfamiliar body.

“Silverspeak?!” Dad gasps. “Sweet Celestia, what-”

I want to comfort my parents and reassure them that I'm fine, to take them in my legs and hold them close in relief in knowing that they're alive, but time is a luxury none of us have. “No time to explain!" I yank the rings off their horns and run to the consoles. “Help me!”

Other ponies would have fallen apart from the shock, overwhelmed at the carnage and seeing their child mutilated beyond recognition, but my parents somehow manage to rush over as I reach the main console and check the radar. Chrysalis' ship is to our right.

Fire rises from the fields below.

“What do we do?!” Dad shouts.

I point to two consoles identical to mine. “The guns! Dad, take that one and target the dragon! Mom, you take the other and target Chrysalis' ship!”

Mom and Dad rush to their consoles as I spin two wheels, the display showing several of the ship's guns targeting Chrysalis' craft.

I grab my headset. “Onyx, this is Silverspeak! Do you read me?!”

Nothing.

The screams of the soldiers below get even louder.

Biting my lip, I hit a button, and the ship rocks as the guns roar to life. The sky besides us fills with the shimmering outline of Chrysalis' ship as its camouflage fails.

Spinning the wheels again, I target the center of the Queen's ship and fire, blast after blast slamming into the airship.

“How do I turn these things?!” Mom calls out as she tries to make sense of the dozens of wheels, knobs, and levers before her.

“The wheels!” Dad yells. “Spin the wheels!”

“Which wheels?!”

“Any wheels!” Dad roars as he hits a button. Another blast rocks the ship as the dragon is hit, knocking it back, buying us a few precious seconds.

I fire our guns again. Mom joins in, and we pelt Chrysalis' ship with enough firepower that would rip lesser craft apart in seconds.

“Silverspeak!” Mom calls out as she points towards the window.

The guns on Chrysalis's ship are turning towards us.

“Keep firing!”

Every gun on Chrysalis's ship roars to life. The control room shakes, almost throwing us to the floor. Another explosion darkens several of my readouts.

“She's targeting our guns!” I call out. I hit a button and what few guns I have left return fire, focusing on that all-important center mass.

The dragon gets back on its feet. Dad fires another shot, but the beast leaps up with frightening speed and rears back, its mouth aflame.

Dad goes pale. “Oh, buck!”

A torrent of fire envelops the windows. The air turns boiling hot as alarms blare.

“That's a bad noise, isn't it?!” Mom calls out.

“You think?!” Dad yells.

The control room shakes as even more shots from Chrysalis' ship hits us. The readouts show that the ship is taking critical damage. A few more minutes, and we'll be falling to the field below in a pile of scrap metal. We have two guns left, nowhere near enough to inflict critical damage or take out the Queen's guns. I keep hitting the button, firing again and again. If we can get that one shot, that one hit to destroy the Control Crystal, we can end this-

The flames bathing the window suddenly stop. Has the dragon gone back to the troops? No, wait, it's trying to hit something darting around it... the Raven!

“Boss! Boss, you there?!”

I grab my headset. “Gusty?!”

“You didn't think I'd just hover here and watch everyone burn, did you? You're not in good shape, Boss! If you don't get your flank out of there, you'll be skydiving with a few hundreds tons of steel raining down around you!”

More shells hit us. Every console in the room flashes red.

“We can't, Gusty! The Control Crystal is on Chrysalis' ship! We have to destroy it!

“Wait... Boss! Look! Her midsection's really banged up!”

Another of my guns goes down.

“We're down to one gun, Gusty! That's not enough to-”

“Ram her!”

“What?!”

“You heard me! Give the engines everything you've got and ram the witch! Break her spine!”

I check the control console. We've lost a few engines, but we can still fly, and there's a giant, red level on the console marked, “Emergency Boost.”

“Alright! Gusty, keep that dragon distracted!”

“You've got it!”

“Dad! Focus all your guns on Chrysalis' ship! Mom, take the wheel and turn us to the right!”

Abandoning her guns, Mom does as I say while I engage the engines, the room shaking as the Queen's airship keeps firing. Dad returns fire, his few guns targeting his counterparts on the other craft.

I adjust my headset. “Onyx! Onyx, can you hear me?!" I don't know if he's survived the shelling, but I have to try and warn him.

“S...speak?”

He's alive! “Onyx, we're going to ram Chrysalis' ship! Get out of there, now! You hear me?!”

“... can't... u...”

“Onyx, get out of there!”

The alarms grow ever louder and more persistent as we finally face the Queen's ship, the bow pointed right at its midsection.

I grab the lever that controls the ship's speed. “Everyone, hold on!" There's no time to wait for Onyx; all I can do is pray that he'll get out as I shove the lever into the red zone.

The room shudders as unseen engines roar to life and shove us forward, slowly at first, but then faster and faster.

Mom rushes to Dad, and the two race to strap themselves into the seats. I do the same, yanking straps across me as fast as I can.

The Queen's ship draws closer as we shoot towards the midsection, which quickly fills the viewing window.

Sweet mother of Celestia, we're actually going to hit it.

I grab the console as hard as I can, my rear legs digging into the floor. “Hold on!”

We hit.

The chair is nearly torn from the floor as the room is filled with the ear-splitting scream of metal, girders, beams, and reinforced frames tearing themselves apart. Consoles are ripped free and fly into collapsing beams as the engines shove us into Chrysalis' ship.

My chair lurches, bolts ripping themselves free as the straps dig into me.

The window gives me a glimpse into mechanical armageddon, showing rooms and passageways caving in. Changelings try to flee, only to be crushed into paste as everything around them is destroyed.

Explosions rock the ship from somewhere behind us. The smell of fuel and burning wreckage chokes the air.

Mom and Dad scream.

The last lights give way, plunging us into darkness.

“We're almost through!” I yell.

The shaking is almost unbearable, the noise overwhelming as our craft flies on... And then the darkness gives way to the blue sky as we finally punch through. The shaking and shuddering stops as we level out, the final pieces of metal and fabric falling from the window.

Yanking the harness off, I leap from the chair. “Mom?! Dad?!”

Both cough as they rise from across the room. “We're okay!” Mom calls out.

Thank Celestia! I run over and help them to their hooves. They're bruised and have several cuts, but they're alive!

“That had better work,” Dad coughs, “Because I don't want to do that again.”

Dashing back to my half-destroyed console, I yank the lever back and then spin the steering wheel... but nothing happens. We're still speeding ahead, and I can't change our course. Blast it! The impact must have damaged our steering mechanisms! Have to see if the ship has a repair system; maybe we can-

The ship shakes. Something explodes far behind us.

Dad looks back. “What was that?!”

Another explosion, this one much closer and stronger. I'm thrown into a console as we're shaken a third time. Oh Celestia, is the ship destroying itself?!

“Silverspeak!” Mom cries. She points towards the viewing window. “Look!”

I follow her gaze. Beyond the window is the third airship, which is firing its guns at us.

“Dad! The guns!”

Dad grabs the wheels and spins them, trying desperately to bring our own guns into place, but it's too slow. We're hit again and again, the windows fracturing as klaxons scream.

I take hold of my headset. “Beakbreaker, can you hear me?!”

“I'm here, Silverspeak!”

Thank Celestia! “Where are you?!”

“On the third ship; it look longer than I thought to find the ventilation system. Silverspeak, what's happening out there? I-”

“We're being torn apart! You have to stop them from shooting at us!”

An enormous explosion rocks the ship. A displays shows that one of our engines has been destroyed.

“Beakbreaker, we're about to get shot down! Gas them! Gas everyone on that ship!”

Beakbreaker yells something; I don't hear her. The alarms are too loud, the shrieks deafening me as every console flashes red. Explosions shake the control room as the floor begins to tilt.

“We're going down!” Dad yells.

I hit buttons and knobs, but it's too late. The ship is dead. Nothing's responding! The tilt is getting worse as we race onwards. But we won't hit the mountain or the fields below; we're heading towards Canterlot.

Oh Celestia...

“An escape pod!” I shout. “Look for an escape pod!" There has to be one! In case of an emergency, the captain and other senior officers would need to get out of here in a hurry, but where is it?! There are no doors leading to small escape craft, nor are there any obvious buttons we need to hit to-

“Silverspeak, over here!”

I run to Dad; he's before a glass lid with a red button beneath it.

“That an escape mechanism?!” I ask.

“I don't know!”

“Hit it!”

Throwing the lid off, Dad does so, but nothing happens. I spin around; there's another button across the bridge. I run to it. “On three! One, two, three!”

We hit the buttons. Dozens of tiny explosions fill the air, and the floor lurches. I float momentarily, as do my parents and everything that's not secured... and then we collapse as unseen rockets kick in, accelerating the control room forward. Sweet Celestia, we've been detached from the rest of the ship! I grab the closest working console and drag myself into the seat as we rocket towards the dome, now under fire from the third airship.

I try to make sense of the control consoles through the shaking and sparking of destroyed equipment. There has to be a way to steer ourselves to safety!

The dome cracks as dozens of shots hammer into it.

Buck! There's no time to get clear! We're going to hit!

“Brace yourselves!” I yell.

The dome gets closer and closer.

Oh please, Celestia, let us get through this, let us get through this, let us get-

I have a momentary glimpse of the bright, blue wall filling the window before the front of the control room crumples like a crushed can. Plexiglass, metal, and plastic fly through the air as I'm thrown into the wall, the air knocked from my lungs as we slam into Canterlot's streets and race onwards, sending up a hail of gravel as the room turns onto its side, smashing through buildings and shops.

Oh please, don't let us hit anyone, don't let us hit anyone!

The control room keeps going before finally, mercifully, grinding to a teeth-jarring halt.

I fall to the floor, landing among consoles, cables, and flooring that have been ripped free. Sparks light up the interior of the room as light filters through the crumbled window, screams and shouts echoing in from the outside.

The sound of a giant airship plunging to its doom comes as well.

“Mom?! Dad?!”

“Up here!”

I look up to see my parents wedged into a corner above me, using their magic to hold a shield in place.

“Hurry! We've got to get out!”

Pushing themselves away from the wall, the two float down and stop using the shield, landing beside me. We run for the window, my parents struggling to get through the ruins. I grab hold of them both and sprint the rest of the way, blasting away a wall and running out into the streets.

Rubble falls onto a nearby shop. I look up to find myself face to face with the airship as it plows into the city streets above us, instantly reducing dozens of buildings into rubble that falls to the levels below, including ours. Ponies run for their lives, screaming as the airship is ripped apart, finally disintegrating into a mess of jumbled steel and flames.

Sweet Celestia... we actually survived?

“...erspeak?! Silverspeak, can you hear me?!”

I put my parents down and take my headset. “Beakbreaker?!”

“Silverspeak, are you okay?!”

I look to my parents. Still bruised, still cut up, but still alive. “Yes, we're okay! We got out of the ship before it crashed!”

“Thank Celestia!”

The moment of silence is broken by gunshots. That third airship is still firing, now targeting Canterlot itself now that the dome is gone.

“Beakbreaker, what about the ship? Why is it still firing?!”

“I don't know what happened! The grenade should have knocked everyone out! Maybe they had a filter or something to scrub out toxins!”

“I wouldn't worry about it, Boss.”

“Gusty?! That thing could kill everyone in the city!”

“True. But they'll take care of it.”

They? Who's they?! What is Gusty-

A swarm of pegasi ponies shoots above us, swarming around the last remaining Goliath.

“The minute your ship cut through Chrysalis' ship, every soldier in the fields below were able to move again, and boy, did they take after that dragon with a vengeance! I wish you could have seen it!”

The roar of a hellish beast echoes loudly through the air.

“On second thought, you probably still will.”

Another roar sends a tornado-sized pillar of fire into the sky.

“Gusty, I need you to come and get us! We're about two levels below the crashed ship, in a... a plaza!”

“On my way, Boss!”

I'm about to hang up when another thought comes to me. “Gusty, what about Onyx?”

“He's alright, Boss. Probably the luckiest bloke of us all: he was trying to sabotage the engines in Chrysalis' ship when you rammed it. Found a parachute and got out.”

“Glad to hear it.”

My parents wheeze.

I turn to them. “You two okay?”

They nod.

Thank Celestia. I kneel, looking them over, trying to see if there's any injuries they aren't aware of.

“What about you?” Dad asks between his coughs. He waits for an answer, only to stop when he realizes the absurdity of the question. In this moment of relative calm he manages to get a better look at my new body, and he doesn't know whether to faint, panic or both. Neither does Mom, who can barely stay standing.

“My sweet little boy... What in the name of Celestia happened to you?!”

“I was badly injured,” I say. “Glasseye saved me by giving me this body... but at the cost of his own life.”

Dad can't help himself as he hesitantly touches my front legs, going over steel.

Screams and shouts from the fields below echo up to us.

“Silverspeak... is... is what Chrysalis said true?” Dad asks, hoping I'll tell him what he wants to hear. “About you helping her?”

Oh, why did he have to ask me this now? I don't want to crush their hearts. That's why I lower my eyes, so I won't have to watch as I do it.

“Yes... it was. If I didn't do as she commanded, she would have tortured you both until you were insane. She would have killed Beakbreaker. I... I didn't have a choice. I had to help her to keep you all safe."

I breathe deep as I turn towards the distant battle. With the Control Crystal destroyed and the army freed, there's only one task left: stop Chrysalis herself.

“That's why I have to go help. I need to make things right.”

My parents don't answer. I had hoped they'd understand, but it seems my hopes were-

A hoof comes down on my shoulder.

“Silverspeak, you have done nothing wrong." Mom comes around to look me in the eyes. “You did what anyone in your situation would have done... I don't blame you. Your father doesn't blame you. No one would blame you.”

Dad nods. “But you didn't beg, did you?”

“Buck no.”

He grins. “That's my boy.”

A bang interrupts us. The third airship is still firing into Canterlot, but has taken a lot of damage from the pegasi soldiers. A block above us erupts into flames as buildings are blown apart. But through the smoke and death comes the Raven, heading towards our location.

“Once that ship gets here, you two get on. Gusty will take you to safety.”

“Wait, what about you?”

“I told you, I have to make this right. I helped cause all this... I have to stop it.”

Mom shakes his head. “Then we'll stop it together.”

“You're in no shape to fight. Neither of you are.”

“Don't count us out just yet,” Dad says. “We're not just going to run away when we can help stop this.”

Mom nods in agreement. “We're a family, and we'll help-”

I'm flying. I hit a wall and fall to the ground, my head spinning as I collapse.

Wha... what happened?!

Something flies past me. A spell. Wait... one of those must have hit me. But who-

Mom and Dad shout, pulling up shields that are hit by spell after spell. The shields hold, but only for a few more hits before they burst, knocking Mom and Dad into the wall behind me.

I look up. Someone's standing in the blown-out window of the control room.

Mangus.

His armor is torn, and his hair and body are filthy with grime and soot, but he's alive and grinning at seeing the three of us at his mercy. His scepter glows again as he aims at us, and I struggle to concentrate, to conjure up a spell that will save us-

Through the smoke rising to the sky, the Raven shoots through and angles towards us like an avenging angel.

Turning from us, Mangus fires spell after spell at the craft. They all hit. Smoke and fire rises from the gondola as the Raven loses control and slams into the street, the landing wheels cracking off like twigs as the ship skids onto its side.

Beakbreaker!

I finally shoot off a spell, but it's wild and unfocused, grazing Mangus instead of hitting him head on. Yelling, he falls back as I fire again. But he doesn't shoot back, instead choosing to flee, running down the streets. I don't chase him, instead dashing to the Raven

“Beakbreaker!? Gusty!?" I tear the side hatch off its hinges. “Beakbreaker?!”

Gusty coughs as he pulls himself out of the smoke-filled interior, trying to drag Beakbreaker out with him.

Oh no...

I reach down and yank Beakbreaker from the gondola, my hooves wet with blood. She's bleeding from a cut to the forehead.

“Beakbreaker! Beakbreaker, can you hear me?!”

She's not answering, her eyes wide as she trying to figure out what's going on.

“Boss, look out!”

I look up as a spell flies towards me, far too close to put up a counterspell... and then I'm falling off the gondola with Beakbreaker. Gusty's shoved us to the ground, and we all hit as the Raven is hit once again, and this time the blast tears up the gondola, shredding it to bits.

“Move!” Gusty yells. “Mo-”

The Raven explodes, sending us all through the air and into the ground near my parents.

Gusty groans as he tries to stand, only to grab his head in pain. Beakbreaker shakes, the blood from her forehead coming even faster,

A laugh drifts through the air... Mangus' laugh.

I look up to see him standing at the edge of the plaza, grinning like a demented cat, delighting in our misery.

“Gusty,” I growl. “No matter what happens, you get Beakbreaker and my parents to safety, understood?”

Gusty says something. I don't hear him as I head for Mangus.

I hear Mom and Dad yelling after me, but their words are drowned out as the airship fires another volley into the levels above us, sending down a rain of hail as Mangus sees my face, and the gaze that tells him what I'm going to do when I catch him.

He runs.

Chrysalis can wait. The dragon can wait. Everything else can wait. I only have one goal now:

Stop Mangus.

I take off after Mangus. He sees me coming and speeds up, gripped by fear... as he should be.

I'm going to make sure he'll never hurt anyone again.

I ignore the yells of my loved ones as I run.

***

The streets of Canterlot burn in the fires of war.

Giant waves of flame envelop shops and houses as changelings and soldiers fight among falling ash, tearing into each other in a fight to the death. Magic blasts fly rampant as thousands of changelings and pegasi soldiers fly above in a furious melee that stretches as far as the eye can see, bodies both alive and dead slamming into the streets like hellish rain.

I ignore it all as Mangus flees down the streets, my mechanical legs sending up specks of stone as I run after him.

Glancing back, Mangus fires a blast from his scepter. I dodge it and return fire, but he's more agile than he looks, leaping aside as a fruit stand is blown apart. So too, are entire neighborhoods as the airship's guns continue to decimate the city block by block.

Mangus tries to speed up, desperate to get away.

Windows shake and shatter as a roar drowns out the sound of a thousand different battles. The arch-dragon swoops ahead, a gust of air knocking ponies and changelings alike to the ground. I'm thrown back down the street, stopping only by digging my hooves into the tiled ground as hard as I can. Mangus isn't as lucky, slamming into a lamp post.

I run at him, charging my horn.

The dragon roars as it comes around, its mouth ablaze with fire. Skidding into a nearby alley, I magically grab a dumpster and yank it over me as the air grows unbearably hot. The ground quakes and rubble falls on the dumpster. I breathe deep, focusing on keeping the dumpster in place, letting the storm pass.

The shaking stops.

I throw the dumpster aside to find the alley blackened and charred. The ground still smokes as I rush back to the street to find all the buildings around me gutted and ablaze, black smoke rising to blot out the sun. Bodies line the streets, a few moving, somehow still alive even with fur and skin burned away. Is Mangus among them? Please, let him have met his just and deserved end-

Mangus leaps from a manhole and continues down the streets.

I chase him.

The arch-dragon comes again, its enormous, spiked tail dragging through layer after layer of the city, tearing buildings from their foundations as it bathes the Royal Palace in flame. But unlike the buildings in Canterlot's lower levels, the residence of the Royal Sisters is reinforced to protect those within from any assault, and the white walls show little sign of damage. The dragon rears back for another attack as hundreds of Royal Guards swarm into the thing's face, disregarding their own safety as they fight to keep it back.

Mangus and I reach the city's upper levels, and then the palace. Mangus is like the wind as he dashes through the destroyed gates to the drawbridge, changelings and Royal Guards too busy fighting each other to defend it. Running into the palace, Mangus blasts the chains away and sends the bridge into the river.

A beat of my wings sends me over the river and into the palace as Mangus rushes ahead.

The airship fires once more, destroying the towers and pillars on the palace's edges. They collapse, bathing both of us in smoke and ash that spreads through the once pristine halls. They now host fights instead of dignitaries, changelings and guards hitting each other with claw, hoof, and magic, blowing apart tapestries, windows, and statues as I chase Mangus deeper into the Palace.

Turning a corner, Mangus blows a pair of double doors open and rushes inside. I fire off a stunning spell and finally hit him, knocking him to the floor. I sprint, rearing back to crush his head-

I stop. This isn't some random room we've landed in. It's the... the...

The throne room.

I shouldn't stop, but I can't help myself. To actually be in here, to stand where so much history has happened... it's almost overwhelming. There's the stained glass windows, the tapestries, the banners... and there's Celestia's throne, as tall and splendid as I imagined it to be. It's one thing to see a picture of it, but to actually be before it-

Mangus groans and starts to stand.

I shake my head. I can admire all this after I ki-

The walls next to me erupt as two forms shoot through, rocks and rubble knocking me to the ground. Queen Chrysalis and Luna fight, hurling their most powerful spells at each other.

My heart races, and I can't help but feel a moment of awe; I have a front-row seat to a once-in-a-lifetime fight between two monarchs. I've read about how Chrysalis fought and defeated Celestia long ago. Analysts and historians have studied that duel many times and concluded that it was only the influx of Shining Armor's love that let Chrysalis prevail.

That love is nowhere to be found as Luna clobbers Chrysalis, hammering her with blows from her legs and magical blasts.

Bleeding badly, Chrysalis howls in frustration and hurls her own blast. Luna leaps clear as the blast rockets into the ceiling, sending house-sized chunks of stone slamming into the ground. Luna darts and dodges, inadvertently giving Chrysalis an opening. She fires, slamming Luna into a pillar, both of which collapse to the floor.

“Your Highness!”

Chrysalis spins at my voice. Her eyes widen. “You!? How many times do I have to-”

Blue magic bashes the Queen into the floor, leaving a deep trench in the reflective surface.

Luna steps forward, her body covered in bruises, cuts, and blood, but she ignores them all as she charges a spell, snarling at the sight of the changeling queen.

And then everything explodes.

The wall behind the throne vanishes as the arch-dragon's head barrels through, roaring so loudly that the windows shatter, filling the air with razor sharp shards of glass. I scramble back, wings and legs shoving into the ground to get away from that cavernous maw. Even Chrysalis is forced to retreat as the dragon forces everything before it to flee.

All but one.

Luna stands her ground, glaring at the dragon, the immovable mountain before a storm. Her eyes and horn glow so brightly that I have to look away as the dragon lunges for her, hundreds of jagged teeth eager to tear her apart.

Luna releases her spell, and the throne room ceases to exist. The sonic blast tears through tons of marble and stone like they were tissue paper, hurling the throne, the walls, and everything else into the sky beyond the palace, along with the dragon and Chrysalis herself, the queen shrieking as she falls away.

All goes quiet.

Luna pants, struggling to stay on her hooves. She's exhausted and barely able to move. But before I can go to her, she spreads her wings and runs to the hole, taking only a moment to wipe away the sweat from her brow before leaping out and flying after her prey.

I'm tempted to run after her, but my attention is drawn to the sound of someone running. I spin and catch a glimpse of Mangus fleeing the throne room.

Anyone else would rush to help Luna. To fight side-by-side with a princess is an opportunity on a select few ever get. But I know my princess can handle herself. She has her fight, and I have mine.

I run after Mangus, my legs pumping harder than ever. He tears down a side hall, no doubt trying to get away down a side exit.

I fire ahead of Mangus, destroying the roof ahead of him and cut off his path with the rubble. He tries to blow it away, but another of my blasts forces him to turn and run down another hallway.

The sounds of combat fade as I chase Mangus. There's no one else in this part of the palace. It's just the two of us.

Glancing back, Mangus grins as he kicks open a door and rushes inside, no doubt thinking he can escape me and slip away unseen.

Not if I have anything to say about it.

Blasting the door off its hinges, I charge into the darkness beyond.

Comments

[Greenback]

7062897
Well, yes, Silverspeak will die, either by accident, fighting, or old age. It's inevitable. And sorry about not replying earlier; got a lot on my plate recently.

[Rainwell Kaen]

7104305 You literally scared the hell out of me. I knew you wouldn't spoil the (possible) end of Nightfall.

[nospeedy]

Love it!!

[stardusk]

Pull the pain, toss it down, and yank on my... wait.

Pull the pain? Hmm. Smells like a typo.

[Greenback]

7104434
Yeah... it's generally a terrible idea to spoil your own story when you're so close to the ending (especially when no one so far has correctly guessed what's going to happen).

[Greenback]

7104770
Whoops! Fixed.

[Snapplejack]

I thought this was super cool with realy intense acton scenes. I, and I think everyone else, knew Mangus was going to get away the moment Silverspeak did not kill him and instead moved on. I also enjoyed the music choise : )

[Jakomi of the Rose]

I swear; If either Silverspeak or Beakbreaker dies after this I'm gonna be really sad...

[Greenback]

7120019
There is a reason why Celestia hasn't appeared yet, but that's all I'll say for now.

[Tristar Paramount]

7109434 The only thing he has left of himself is his head, kept alive only by ambulating life support. Silverspeak is pretty much biologically defunct at this point. Walking dead, as it were.

[Jakomi of the Rose]

7170645 But he's technically still alive. That's what counts, right?

[Tristar Paramount]

7170656 In the meanest sense.

(Only Vader still had more of himself remaining.)

[Jakomi of the Rose]

7170669 Yes, but Vader lost his limbs after he turned to the Dark Side. Silver had his spine snapped.

[Tristar Paramount]

7170725 … and lost his body.

[Colt Bolt]

The only thing i can think of reading though the chapter is that he lost his penis. My mind is sick

[AppleTank]

7182687
What? Nooo, there's 4 or us. That means it's fine, right? Right?