Piercing the Heavens

by Calm Wind

Chapter 166: Wonderbolts Never Die (Arc 3 Finale Part 8: All the Pieces on the Board)

MLP: FiM
Piercing the Heavens
By: Calm Wind

Chapter 166: Wonderbolts Never Die (Arc 3 Finale Part 8: All the Pieces on the Board)

---

Everypony held still as Twister stood directly in front of Ruin, holding his crazy face an inch from Ruin’s, whose eyes remained open wide with shock.

It was completely silent for nearly half a minute, nopony moving or saying anything.

Twister suddenly held up a filled balloon in his hoof, the open end pinched off. The word ‘tension’ was written on it. He slowly released pressure from the pinched end, allowing the air to start squeaking out.

PHEWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWEeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…

Twister’s pupils shrunk smaller and smaller as the balloon deflated until they were just tiny dots.

Ruin shut his eyes and held them closed for a moment, took a few steps back, shook his head out, and started smacking his hooves against his head.

“No.” He turned his side to Twister. “No no no no… nuh uh, nope…” he repeated, exhaling loudly. “You know, I don’t know why I didn’t suspect you right off the bat. I should have known something was off the moment you didn’t show up immediately to help your little pals,” he snarled. “You’re the only jackass out there who can throw me for a loop like that. There was no way Snooty Boots over here could have done something so unrealistic on his own and…” he looked back towards Twister, but he wasn’t there. “Hey! Where did you—?!”

“MATTEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!”

Ruin turned to see Twister shoot right over the top of Squall and Star towards Matteo. He latched onto Matteo and hugged him tightly around the neck as Matteo leaned back and shot him a look of disgust.

“YOU’RE OKAY! OH MY GOD, I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!!!!!” Twister wailed with tears falling from his eyes like streams. Matteo just gave him a very flat, unamused look. “I mean…” Twister held Matteo at arm’s length, wearing a look of exaggerated worry and eyes as large as he could make them. “You’re such a fragile, delicate flower!” He turned his head and dramatically held a hoof to his forehead. “If anything…” He sniffled loudly. “If anything were to happen to you, I… I—”

He was completely cut off as Little Star came out of nowhere and angrily punched him as hard as she could, right in the face. She hit him so hard that her hoof sank into his face and comically stretched out the back of his head.

“WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!” She demanded, pulling her hoof out of his face, grabbing him by the neck, and shaking him.

“Ah, she loves me!” Twister’s voice came from inside his caved in head, muffled and nasally. Star just kept shaking him.

“And what took you so long?! Why didn’t you show up at just the right moment like you always do?!” She forced his sunken face to turn towards Squall, who was still slumped down, looking emotionally stricken. He didn’t even seem to acknowledge that Twister had arrived. “You couldn’t have shown up, like, I don’t know, TEN MINUTES SOONER?!”

Star squeaked as Twister latched onto her and started tumbling in midair so fast that they were both lost in a cartoonish dust cloud with whirling noises and limbs randomly sticking out.

When they stopped, they had switched places with Twister holding her by the neck, albeit gently.

“WHAT?!” Twister’s nasally voice continued. He shoved a hoof in his mouth and blew hard until his nose shot out of his face with a loud, low-pitched HONK. “And interrupt the shipping fuel?!” He dropped her on the ground and pressed his hooves to his face, pulling on his cheeks while holding a look of dread. “Do you even know which fandom we’re a part of?! I’d have been CRUCIFIED!!!!” he yelled into the air while grabbing and pulling on his mane. Star stared blankly at him.

“… What?”

“NO TIME TO EXPLAIN!” Twister scooped her off the ground and tucked her under his arm like a hoof ball. She yelped as he zipped over to Squall. “YOU TWO START KISSING, I’LL HANDLE THIS!” He shoved Star into Squall’s arms.

“HEY!” Star yelled, but Squall had already clamped down on her again. Twister turned and shot through the air towards Matteo stomach first with his head, arms, and legs flailing behind him like streamers.

“COMIN’ THROUGH!!!!!” he yelled out as he literally passed right through Matteo like he wasn’t even there.

Matteo blinked, looking down at his body before turning to look over his shoulder. Twister was leaning over Dash, tipping his head down towards her ear.

“Psssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst, hey you.” Twister tapped a hoof lightly against her head.

“Rgggghhh…” Dash groaned, turning over until her head was pointing towards him.

But Dash’s eyes snapped open the moment they were lined up.

Twister. She had already heard him near, but… she noticed that she could hear him clearly. She could also see him clearly. Just like Ruin!

“You with me?” Twister asked her as she looked him over. She also noticed that he too was without his suit or goggles. “Good!” Twister snickered. “Pay attention now!” he gently cradled Dash’s head and made a hoof motion towards Ruin. “I’m about to end this pony’s whole career!” Dash blinked as several faint Twister voices suddenly went “Ooooooooooooooooooh!!!” Barely visible images of more Twisters popped up behind him and started jumping and hollering, one of them grabbing his face and falling past Twister as his eyes rolled back.

“Excuse me!” Ruin suddenly called over in an annoyed tone, all of Twister’s shadows vanishing from Dash’s sight in an instant. “Will you quit wasting my time and get over here already?”

But Twister did not look at him, his face suddenly turned strangely normal. He smiled and winked at Dash.

“Leave this to me.”

Dash’s eyes widened slightly, but before she could say anything else, Twister’s hooves detached from the ground, his body remained stiffly in a neutral standing position as he flipped backwards through the air over the top of Matteo, Star, and Squall while making a loud WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP noise like a slide whistle.

His body never once changed position, flipping wildly through the air before landing directly in front of Ruin, holding a wide smile.

“You RANG?” he asked, bouncing his eyebrows twice. The second time his left eyebrow kept going up, detaching from his face and leaving. Ruin’s eyes followed the eyebrow until it disappeared into the mist above before exhaling through his nostrils and refocusing on Twister.

“So… here we are again,” Ruin grumbled as he sat down, spread his arms out, and shrugged. “What’s it going to be this time, hm? What sort of insufferable shenanigans are you going to put me through? Or…” He crossed his arms and scrunched his face. “Are you just going to sit there and stare at me until I try something?”

Twister’s eyes looked in opposite directions.

“I know if I try anything, you’ll just find some incredibly annoying way to throw it back in my face,” Ruin continued. “So why don’t we approach this a little differently this time?”

Twister’s eyes crossed.

“I’ll admit that my curiosity is getting the better of me when it comes to you. There’s nopony out there in the world who can best me in such a direct manner. I’ve known my share of shrewd, smooth operators who have entertained me with some quick thinking. I’ve known some random weirdos who could surprise me a little here and there with their antics, but you?” Ruin snorted.

Twister’s eyes started to spin slowly.

“You’re an insane ignoramus who’s so far out there and spontaneous that I can’t do a thing when you go wild… and I just don’t get it.” Ruin shook his head. “It doesn’t make any sense. Even ponies that do what you do should be restricted by SOME rules to a point. I struggle to wrap my mind around how you operate, or how you can even exist as if reality doesn’t apply to you at all.”

Twister’s eyes spun faster.

“But what you are aside… What I want to know more is why.” Ruin pointed a hoof at him. “These things you do, the way you intervene at certain moments, the way you remain out of other moments… These are not the actions of a mindless idiot with no plan. You play the fool, you are not alone in that game. I fancy that act myself…” he narrowed his eyes further. “What are you really? What role are you trying to play? What’s your endgame? Your goal? Your…”

Twister’s eyes were spinning so fast that they were making a low pitched buzzing noise. Ruin flattened his brow and scrunched his lips.

“Are you even listening to—”

Twister’s missing eyebrow suddenly plunged down from above engulfed in a fireball upon re-entering the atmosphere. It crashed back to his head from above, smashing Twister’s head down and stuffing his face into the snow. His body whiplashed, his hooves lifting from the ground, body flailing upward into the air as his entire head sank into the snow, even though it was roughly an inch deep.

“BOY I LOVE THE SMELL OF ATTEMPTED EXPOSITION IN THE MORNING!!!!!” Twister’s muffled voice came from within the snow.

“You know what?” Ruin snarled and turned away from Twister. “I’m just wasting my time here. You—”

Twister suddenly surged towards Ruin, dragging his head through the snow until he was directly in front of him, and ripping his head free from the ground. He suddenly had a perfectly groomed and smooth beard and a very generic smile on his face.

“SILLY HAYES HERE!” Twister yelled as he pressed his nose to Ruin’s.

“GAH!” Ruin tried to pull back, but Twister grabbed him by the neck and held him in place.

“IF YOU’RE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HARD WATER BUILDUP, SOAP SCUM, RING AROUND THE TOILET…”

“GET OFF ME!” Ruin demanded, but he couldn’t pull free. The more he struggled, the harder Twister pressed their faces together.

“CALCIUM LIME, AND RUST STAINS. THEN YOU NEED KABLAM!” Twister pulled his face back slightly and held up a nondescript spray bottle of cleaning fluid. Ruin was arching his neck back and gritting his teeth as he pushed against Twister, but he was immovable. “SPRAY KABLAM ON A SHOWER DOOR AND IT GETS THE TOUGH STUFF THAT THE OTHERS LEAVE BEHIND!” Twister started spraying the fluid right into Ruin’s eyes.

“ARGH! OW! STOP, IT BURNS!!!” Ruin shouted as he slammed his eyes shut and covered them with his hooves.

Twister sprayed every last bit of the fluid onto Ruin’s face and threw the empty bottle over his shoulder. It exploded violently behind him. He pulled a black towel out of his mane and started rubbing it vigorously on Ruin’s face. Ruin’s arms flailed as he let out muffled grunts and growls.

“KABLAM!” Twister hung the towel around his neck and held up a mirror in front of Ruin. “AND THE SOAP SCUM IS GONE!”

Ruin blinked as he looked at his reflection. All of the white spots on his fur had vanished from his face. He flattened his expression as he saw his exact white spot patterns now on the towel on Twister’s neck.

“Alright, listen here you—”

Ruin was cut off as Twister’s head suddenly smashed right through the mirror and got right in his face again.

“IF YOU GOT A SHOWER HEAD THAT’S CLOGGED WITH HARD WATER DEPOSITS…”

“ENOUGH ALREADY!” Ruin roared as Twister grabbed him again.

---

As Twister continued to harass Ruin, Fancy Pants had quietly and discreetly made his way over to Rainbow Dash and the other’s. He flagged down and directed the rest with his hooves to avoid the silly side-show as they approached. He didn’t have to do much convincing. Several of those present were unfamiliar with Twister and had no urge to get even remotely close to what they were seeing.

With all of them converged, Fancy motioned for Big Mac, Braeburn, Thunderlane, Bulk Biceps, and Derpy Hooves to all huddle up with Dash’s squad and Storm. Star and Matteo did their best to bring Dash and Squall in while Storm just sort of hovered, not sure what to do.

“Alright, listen carefully,” Fancy began as he looked around at all of them. “Now is our chance to secure and move the Elements of Harmony to safety. We can easily move the smaller of the mares with Mac alone. Bulk, Derpy, help load them on his back. Thunderlane and Braeburn, secure Miss Applejack. I shall assist Miss Rarity.” They all listened and acknowledged, turning to carefully locate and move towards the mares.

“Very well,” Matteo nodded in agreement as he reached for Dash. “We’ll follow with Dash right behi—”

“No,” Fancy’s magic lit up, stopping Matteo’s arm. “She is staying here, and so are you.”

“Huh?” Star perked up as she tried to pry herself free from Squall’s grip. Matteo narrowed his eyes.

“Excuse me?” he gave Fancy a look of disapproval. “She is just as much in danger as the others. We must remove her from the battlefield.”

“I’m afraid I must insist,” Fancy said firmly as he released his magic from Matteo’s arm. “It was your funny friend who requested that you stay,” he said while motioning to Twister.

Matteo and Star both blinked, looking towards Twister. He was sitting on top of Ruin and rubbing what looked like a giant wad of adhesive putty on Ruin’s neck as Ruin yelled and flailed.

“Twister… requested we stay?” Matteo said aloud, unsure how to feel.

“Well…” Fancy tipped slightly to the left. “He did while rambling about a collection of other topics that made very little sense to me, including something about ‘additional payoff’ to somepony named ‘Chekhoove’ and a firearm hung on a wall?”

Fancy was met with blank stares. He shook his head.

“Search me for what that means, but…” He pointed at Dash. “Among all the hullabaloo he expressed a desire for Dash to remain and for you three to do the same to protect her from harm. He was very clear about that, I’m sure the rest was just… him doing what he does.”

Matteo and Star glanced at one another. Even Squall showed a slight reaction, finally glancing out of his weakened stare in Twister’s direction.

“Uh…” Star scratched her head with her hoof that wasn’t pinned to Squall.

“Very well,” Matteo spoke before she could say anything else. Star blinked and quickly looked up at him.

“Matty!”

“Star, look me in the eye and tell me,” Matteo turned and focused his stoic gaze own towards her. “When has Twister ever put forward any sort of specific request, surrounded by idiocy or not?”

Star stared up at Matteo, opening and closing her mouth as realization slowly dawned on her.

“Never,” Star answered.

“Which is exactly why we’ll do it,” he said with a nod as he reached down and gently cradled Dash’s back and head. He removed the flickering Element of Loyalty from her neck and reached it towards Fancy. “Get the others out of here, we’ll stay behind like he wants.”

“Oh, this is not right at all…” Star complained despite having no real argument against Matteo’s observation.

“Godspeed to you all,” Fancy said with a nod as he stashed the element in his suit pocket and started turning towards Rarity. But he stopped halfway and looked down. “Because I honestly have no idea what’s going to happen now.”

He turned his back and his magic came to life, gently supporting Rarity as he made his way over to lift her off the ground.

But before Matteo or Star could turn their attention back to Twister, Storm Front suddenly stepped into their view. Both of them froze and looked right at him, Squall not acknowledging him at all as he was still struggling to regain himself.

“Um…” Storm swallowed, taking a step towards them. “I…”

He winced as Star and Matteo both shot him very hostile glares. With the writing on the wall, he averted his eyes, looking towards Dash in Matteo’s arms instead. He stared, his ears flopping down.

“I’m sorry.”

He turned and moved quickly towards Derpy to help her uproot Pinkie Pie from the snow.

“Hmph…” Matteo grunted as he and Star turned their focus to Twister. Fancy and the others moved quickly and efficiently, and moments later the group was out of sight.

Dash turned her head as well, her eyes drawn to the two abnormal ponies both clear as day in her view with everything else fuzzy. Twister had Ruin covered in the putty wad, which seemed to have tripled in size, and was using a rolling pin to spread it out over the very annoyed Ruin.

“WILL YOU...” Ruin yelled out as he struggled. “JUST… STO—”

“Ah, what a surprise!” Twister’s voice suddenly came from nearby. “I wasn’t expecting company at this hour!”

Ruin forced himself up off the ground. He quickly examined himself, noticing that all the putty was gone and the white spots on his fur had returned. He quickly looked around for Twister, but he didn’t have to look far. Twister was to his left, sitting at a fancy, artistically crafted wooden roundtable sized to seat four. There was a random patch of wooden floor with a brick wall and fireplace behind him like a cozy living room despite being outdoors and surrounded by snowfall. The snow itself seemed to shift course to avoid the setup, keeping it perfectly clean. Twister’s mane was smoothed out and he was wearing a robe, a cocoa mug in his hooves.

Ruin scrunched his face and stood still not taking one step towards Twister’s setup. Twister smiled warmly.

“Would you care for some hot cocoa?” Twister offered. Ruin’s right eye twitched hard.

“Oh no… no.” He pointed a hoof at Twister while gritting his teeth. “I’m not falling for the coffee mug thing again.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Twister asked with a chuckle, keeping up the act.

“When you splashed coffee into my eyes and smashed the mug over my head,” Ruin sat down and crossed his arms. “I’m not taking one step near you.”

Twister tipped his head to the side and set down his mug.

“Mug? Didn’t I hit you with a pan?” his voice returning to normal and his mane unsmoothing with a quiet POOF.

“No, it was a mug,” Ruin snorted.

“I’m pretty sure it was a pan,” Twister smiled and bounced his eyebrows.

“It was a MUG! Like the one you’re holding!” Ruin pointed at the mug.

“Was it a pan shaped like a mug?”

“For the love of…” Ruin leaned back and clenched his hooves in front of him.

“Was it this pan?” Twister held up a spaghetti pan.

“It was a mug!”

“This pan?” Twister held up a wok.

“It was a—”

“This pan?” Twister held up a frying pan. Ruin growled loudly under his breath.

“IT. WAS. A—”

“KAIO-PAN!”

“Kaio-what?”

Twister suddenly appeared behind Ruin surrounded in a red aura. He wound up and smacked Ruin in the back of the head with the frying pan. A loud BONG rang out as Ruin flew forward, his whole body tipping forward with his face smashing to the ground. His momentum dragged his face through the snow all the way up and onto the wooden floor, ending with a loud painful squeak as his face skidded over it. He tumbled over onto his back, landing right next to the chair sitting opposite of Twister’s spot.

“Oh!” Twister’s voice came from the other side of the table as Ruin looked skyward with a scowl and a mark on his face brighter than his red fur. “You decided to join me!”

Ruin angrily hoisted himself up and glared at Twister across the table.

“Please, sit down!” Twister snickered as he motioned to the chair.

Ruin slammed a hoof on the table, lifting the other up while opening his mouth to yell, but he froze, blinked, and looked around. His eyes darted about until they landed on Dash and her crew. Sitting nearby. He flattened his brow and snorted, looking back at Twister and crossing his arms.

“You know, I was wondering why you came at me randomly like that,” he shook his head. “You were distracting me so the Elements of Harmony could be taken to safety.”

“Who…me?” Twister yanked off his fancy robe and threw it into the fireplace. “NEVER!” He reached up and poured the contents of his mug over his head, the hot cocoa and melting marshmallows sizzling on his fur as it streamed down his face and body.

“But…” Ruin glanced at Dash again. “You kept Rainbow Dash here,” he looked at Twister very carefully. “Is this your way of telling me I’m right?”

“Please explain, I’m in an excruciating amount of pain at the moment,” Twister asked, smiling, but his eyes and body were twitching hard as the hot cocoa continued to sizzle all over him.

“This was the set up you wanted,” Ruin pointed out, ignoring Twister’s dramatic antics. “You did this deliberately, timed it specifically, and removed pieces from the board.” He pointed at him. “Are you going to look me in the eye and say you don’t have a plan?”

“Yes,” Twister said immediately, suddenly not bothered by the hot liquid and looking Ruin right in the eyes with one eyebrow raised. Ruin flattened his brow. “No?” Twister flipped, switching which eyebrow he had up. Ruin’s flat look turned into a harsh scowl. “Which answer did you want to hear? We’ll go with that one.”

“WHICH ONE?!” Ruin pounded his hooves on the table.

“You tell me!”

“RRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!” Ruin grabbed his mane and tugged on it.

Twister suddenly spun really fast, making a buzz saw noise as the hot cocoa flew off of him and splattered in all directions.

“GAH!” Ruin shielded himself as several hot droplets splashed against him.

“Tell ya what!” Twister stopped spinning, leaned back and slammed his upper body down on the table, chin resting flat on the wood surface. “Every time we meet I make an ass of you, and honestly I feel kind of bad.”

Ruin blinked and flinched as a massive white sign with red, blinking lights mounted all over it popped up behind Twister with a loud WHOOP. The sign had the words ‘NOT REALLY’ written in large thick letters on it. Two seconds later Twister kicked a hoof back to knock the sign over.

“So how about we do something a little different this time?!” Twister smiled wide and his eyes blinked like flashlights.

“Oh joy…” Ruin rolled his eyes as he wiped the hot droplets off of his face. “What could you possibly suggest that doesn’t come to the exact same conclusion?”

“By making it fun for EVERYONE!” Twister exclaimed as he sat up and started twirling an arm in the air. He turned and threw his arm out as if throwing a lasso towards Dash, Matteo, Star, and Squall. The four yelped as they were all suddenly pressed together. Twister yanked back, falling off his chair in the process and crashing to the floor. The four of them skidded through the snow, sliding to a stop at the edge of the wooden floor. They all fell into a pile with Dash conveniently landing on top of Matteo.

Ruin had his eyes on them for all of a few seconds until Twister popped back up onto the chair and plunged his hooves into his mane.

“I never go anywhere without all my board games!” He started pulling his hooves out of his mane slowly, gritting his teeth and grunting as if it was difficult. Then out of nowhere his hooves yanked out, hundreds of flat boxes exploding out of his mane and flying everywhere while making a comedic barfing noise. The boxes somehow all remained shut as they flew every which way, both clattering to the wood floor and getting stuck in the snow.

Ruin just stared at Twister as the raining boxes finally ceased.

“Board games…” Ruin said flatly, holding a blink, unamused look. Twister’s head popped out of a pile of games that had landed on him.

“Yes, board games!”

“You’re pulling my leg.”

“No, but I can if you want.”

“NO! No…” Ruin shifted back and turned slightly and he glared. “Rgh… alright, what are you trying to do here?” He threw an arm up and pointed into the air. “There’s a literal war with nopony knowing who is supposed to be against who going on above us. Chaos and disarray to manipulate and bask in to our heart’s content… and you suggest we play a board game?”

“Yes.”

The others all looked up as Twister held a silly smile while Ruin just stared. Ruin rubbed his lips together while narrowing his eyes skeptically.

“And you REALLY expect me to believe that anypony could play a decent game of…” he paused and motioned a hoof towards all the boxes spread around. “Anything… with you involved?”

“Nope!” Twister quickly replied, all the boxes piled on him falling off to reveal him sitting cross legged and leaning forward with his chin rested on a hoof. Ruin put his hoof down and lifted an eyebrow.

“Well, at least you’re honest.” He turned his back to Twister. “I refuse.”

“No ya don’t,” Twister quickly refuted him.

“I’m pretty sure I do,” Ruin said without turning back.

“Then I guess you don’t want to know a seeeeeeeeeeeeeeecret,” Twister’s voice suddenly changed. Ruin’s ears perked up and he quickly looked over his shoulder. “One that I promise to tell you… if you win.”

Dash’s ears twitched too. That voice… it was the same tone and pattern as all the times he had pulled her into one of his random side shows and spoken to her normally.

Ruin slowly turned around, never taking his eyes off Twister.

“Interested now?” Twister snickered. Ruin narrowed his eyes, looking Twister up and down.

“And how exactly would I ‘win’ when you won’t follow the rules?” he asked.

“And you will?”

Ruin blinked as Twister’s smile grew wider, making a squeaking noise as it challenged the limits of his face. Ruin shut his eyes and grumbled.

“I honestly, cannot believe I’m doing this…” he moved towards the chair opposite of Twister. “It’s like I never learn.”

“Curiosity ALWAYS kills the cat!” Twister exclaimed, his regular, silly voice returning as he bounced up and down in his chair with loud HRNK HRNK HRNK noises coming from his butt.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure,” Ruin rolled his eyes and sat down. “Let’s just get this over with.” He took a deep breath and sighed, glancing at all the boxes. “What are we playing?”

Twister rapidly slammed his face to the table, immediately looking back up with a pair of reading glasses balancing on the end of his nose. He held his hooves out in front of him and looked between them.

“The unwritten rule book of breaking the rules states that the one who suggested a game of rule breaking must yield the decisions of which game to break the rules of to the party of who he challenged to break the rules.”

Ruin stared blankly at him. Twister slammed his hooved together like he was closing a book and the reading glasses automatically tipped up onto his forehead.

“That means it’s your choice,” Twister sneered as he made a motion towards the fireplace as if he was tossing something and the fire puffed up briefly like something had been thrown in.

“Of course it does…” Ruin grumbled as he played along and looked around. There was a small pile of boxes nearby. He lifted them all up with his magic and hovered them over to take a look. “No…” He tossed one aside. “No…” He tossed another aside and blinked at the next one. “This isn’t even a board game!” he turned it around and held out the box of Operation. But he leaned back and stared wide eyed as he noticed the top of Twister’s head was about ten times larger than normal and shaped like a giant brain hanging down behind him.

“PERHAPS NOT TO THE SMALL BRAINED.”

“No.” Ruin flattened his brow and tossed it aside, looking at the last one. “Eh… fine. Simple enough and very easy to manipulate.” He turned the box around to show Chutes and Ladders. He quickly opened the box and dumped the contents out. But a bunch of numbered cards and colored pieces fell out. “What the…?” He reached down and opened the board. It was the board for SORRY! “This isn’t Chutes and Ladders!”

“SORRY!” Twister yelled as he grabbed the table and flipped it, sending all the pieces, cards, and board into the air.

“GAH!” Ruin tipped back and shielded himself, but when the table fell back down, it landed perfectly upright. The board for SORRY! fell flat on the table, all the pieces landed on the starting spots and all the cards fell neatly into Twister’s hooves. He started shuffling the cars, his hooves moving so fast that they became a blur.

“HRK!” Twister grunted as his arms halted abruptly, tied in a knot as the cards landed perfectly on the board face down. He released a high pitched scream as he placed a back hoof onto his knotted arms and began pushing until they snapped apart and he fell out of his chair. Ruin ignored him, looking around at the four player spots.

“But this game is so pointless with only two pla—”

“GOT US COVERED!” Twister’s voice came from beneath the table. His arms extended out from beneath it, grabbing Dash and Matteo. The arm holding Dash gently carried her over, placing her in the seat and resting her chin on the table as she groaned in discomfort.

Matteo, on the other hoof was yanked over and forced underneath the table that he most definitely did not fit under. With a frantic squawk and a loud POOF with feathers flying everywhere, he was pushed out the other side and into the other vacant chair. He wobbled and shook his head out, holding his head as his plucked feathers floated to the ground near him. Matteo looked back and forth as soon as he got his senses back, but Twister had laid out on the table towards Dash and was pressing her cheeks.

“Awwwww… Dashie isn’t feeling too well…” he cooed as he smushed her face. Matteo looked down at the SORRY! board and scrunched his face.

“I don’t even know how to play th—”

SQUUUUEAK.

He was cut off as Twister smacked him across the face with a squeaky hammer.

“YOU WILL NOT SPEAK UNTIL IT’S YOUR TURN!” he yelled into Matteo’s face, but in the blink of an eye was back in his seat and smiling towards Ruin. “You go first!”

“Right, right…” Ruin sighed, glancing at the death glare Matteo was giving Twister briefly before reaching for the card pile. But he stared for a moment before grabbing it, keeping his expression perfectly neutral as he subtly used his magic to make sure the first card was a number two.

But then he picked up the card and it was a generic five of clubs.

“Do you have any fives?”

Ruin blinked and looked up to see the SORRY! Board was gone and Twister had cards in his hooves. Dash and Matteo had cards too, Dash’s propped up on a little stand in front of her on a miniature music stand and Matteo just looking confused.

“What the hell? I thought we were playing…” Ruin looked down at all the cards. “This is a CARD game!”

“I ain’t gonna repeat myself buddy,” Twister leaned forward, his eyebrows extremely thick, a bowler hat on his head, and a very fat cigar sticking out the other side of his mouth. Ruin scrunched his mouth and went along with it looking right at the five of clubs he just picked up.

“Go fish,” he lied.

“HA!” Twister slapped his cards down, showing a ten, jack, queen, king, and ace. All spades. “ROYAL FLUSH! PAY UP!”

Ruin’s eye twitched.

“Wait, that’s Po—”

“BULLSHIT!” Twister cut him off, throwing all the cards on the table into Ruin’s face. Ruin covered his face with his arms until the cards had fallen.

“I thought I was the one choosing the…” Ruin trailed off as he slowly looked up higher and higher at a Jenga tower that was rising so high into the air that it disappeared into the overhead mist. “You have an interesting definition of ‘board’ game.”

“SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Twister shushed him, his mouth and teeth randomly three times larger as he made the noise before shrinking back down. “DON’T… MOVE…” He reached for a layer that only had one block left on it, a center piece that was balancing the rest of the teetering tower. “I GOT THIS…”

Ruin watched as Twister started shimmying the block out… somehow. If it were anypony else the tower would have instantly fallen over. Instead of waiting for him to finish something that definitely wasn’t usually possible, Ruin glanced up at the tower and glared, his eyes flashing very faintly.

The tower tipped towards Twister… or at least it appeared to. Ruin blinked as the entire setup, including the chairs, table, and wood floor tipped with the tower… him included. Ruin held on to his seat as everything balanced at a forty five degree angle, the tower somehow not collapsing as if gravity had been bent with it.

“NAILED IT!” Twister yelled triumphantly as he pulled the block out and the rest of the tower fell by one layer. Twister tapped his hoof against the tower and the entire set tipped back down, Ruin grunting as the wood floor and everything else crashed back to the snow. “Your turn!”

“Uh…” Ruin gritted his teeth, doing his best to focus instead of being distracted by the antics. He reached for a block that looked easy to loosen. He narrowed his eyes at the block, stopping just short as he examined it carefully to make sure there was nothing off about it.

“POW! GOES PERFECTION!” Twister suddenly yelled, slamming his hooves to the table and causing the tower of blocks to disperse and fly into the air, raining down from above.

“THAT’S A DIFFERENT GAME!” Ruin complained as all of the blocks seemed to gravitate towards, and fall on top of him. He grumbled and growled, whipping his arms about in the air as he was buried beneath the blocks.

“Why am I still here?” Matteo spoke up as he watched the blocks pile on Ruin.

“Because we’re clearly playing Scrabble!” Twister said sarcastically.

Ruin quickly dug himself out from the Jenga blocks and blinked as he saw the Scrabble board on the table. Matteo and Dash once again included with their own letter trays. Ruin tossed the stray blocks aside while grumbling.

“Am I crazy? Or is all this not going anywhere at all?” he asked with a snort.

“Which question do you want me to answer first?” Twister asked while bouncing his eyebrows.

Ruin scrunched his face and let out a frustrated nicker as he refocused and looked down at the Scrabble game. The board already had several words on it, but they were ordered particularly.

‘Silly pony positioned across from me enjoys getting bumfu’

Ruin flattened his brow and glared across the table at Twister.

“DRAT!” Twister pounded the table. “The E is right there and I have the K, and D, but I ran out of C’s!” he whined, swiping the last incomplete word off the table. “WELP! It’s your turn!”

Ruin glanced down at his tray of letters, but he only had letter Q’s spread across his entire tray.

“Where did you get all these Q’s?”

“DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT,” Twister cut him off, his neck extending across the table to get in Ruin’s face before instantly pulling back.

Ruin growled, but quickly took a deep breath, smirking at Twister.

“F-10,” he suddenly said as his eyes flashed, his magic swatted the scrabble board away and whisked Battleship onto the table with half a game already set up. Twister grabbed and yanked on his mane with his hooves and screamed.

“YOU SUNK IT!” he slammed his head down face first on the table so hard that it went through it and he fell to the floor below.

“Too bad!” Ruin chuckled, not hesitating for a moment. “Let’s see, let’s go with G—”

“Hold on there, Sonny!” Twister suddenly popped up, the broken part of the table instantly putting itself together. Before Ruin could get a good look at him, Twister hit him over the head really hard with a cane.

“GAH!” Ruin yelped as he grabbed his head and shuddered for a moment before glaring across the table. Twister suddenly looked very, VERY old, all wrinkled with white hair, missing all his teeth, and balancing six pairs of glasses on his nose. “I’m figurin’ out if I can invade The Griffon Empire!”

“You what—” Matteo was cut off, letting out a loud squawk as Twister bounced a large bottle of prune juice off his beak.

Ruin looked down to see Battleship was gone and Risk was set up instead. But despite having the entire map of Equestria, there wasn’t a single piece of a different color within any of the territories currently held. The board was also very dusty.

“Dang nabbit!” Twister slapped the table. “I just don’t know anymore. I was ready to make a move, but we’ve been playing this game for the past two hundred sixty four years!”

“Uh…” Ruin blinked and Risk was suddenly switched out for Monopoly. But instead of letting it surprise him, he quickly grabbed the piece shaped like a butt, assuming it was his, and moved it a few spaces.

“WHOOPS!” Twister shouted. Ruin looked up to see Twister was back to normal, only wearing a tuxedo and top hat with bits falling out of them. There were large, round bags filled with bits sitting all around him. “Looks like you landed on the strip club!” He jammed a fancy cane against the space Ruin’s piece was on, holding up a card that had ‘Strip Club’ written on it in black marker. “I own it. Pay up bucko. Also show me your I.D. This is a family friendly establishment!”

“Strip club?” Ruin tipped his head to the side, eyes twitching. He quickly reached out and swiped the card right out of Twister’s hoof, turning it over. “Oh come on, you wrote that on the back of Park Place.”

“DID NOT!” Twister spat back, turning to the side and hugging a large bag of bits while giving Ruin a scowl and an exaggerated stink eye.

“By the way…” Ruin’s eyes flashed. “Does he have any green fur?” He asked, swapping out Monopoly for Guess Who. But Twister spun around and kept up quickly.

“NOPE!” he shouted, his fur and mane colors spontaneously switching.

“Hmph…” Ruin snorted, losing his patience. He looked down at the panels and started flipping them down without even checking which ones he was moving. But the moment he glanced back up, Twister was standing on the table and leaning down right in front of his face. His normal colors were back, but he had long sideburns, and afro, and a moustache.

“DOES HE LOOK LIKE A BITCH?!”

“GAH!” Ruin fell backwards, his chair tipping over and crashing to the floor with him. But he landed on something that did not feel like wood. It almost felt… rubbery?

“RIGHT HOOF YELLOW!”

Ruin frantically rolled over, but stopped short of pushing himself up as he noticed he was laying on a mat with blue, yellow, red, and green dots. He rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.

“Oh ha… ha… ha… I get it…” Ruin groaned as he looked up to see Twister contorted into a tangled mess even though he was only touching blue and red side by side.

And for some reason Little Star was stuck in the knot his body had tied itself into.

“Ow! Hey! Leave me out of this!” She demanded as she flailed and kicked her arms and legs.

“This isn’t a board game either, can we please at least set that—” Ruin was cut off as Twister’s neck extended again and pressed his face into Ruin’s.

“I SAID… RIGHT… HOOF… YELLOW.” He ordered in a very strict voice.

Ruin exhaled sharply through his nose as he shifted his right hoof an inch over to place it on the yellow dot beneath him.

“LEFT HEAD COQUELICOT!” Twister yelled, a slightly orangish-red dot appearing on the wall over the fireplace. Twister’s neck extended once more, shooting his head towards the spot far away from the mat at a hysterical speed. “REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Twister screeched as his lips and eyelids got pulled back by the g-forces, his head crashing right through the stone above the fireplace.

Ruin just watched calmly as Twister’s head went right through the stone wall, but then flinched as the green dot beside him suddenly opened up with a loud metallic CREAK and Twister popped out with an air raid warden helmet on.

“Pssst, hey buddy, you got a match?” he asked.

“No I…” Ruin blinked and glanced at his wing, there was a lit match wedged between some of his feathers.

“PUT OUT THAT LIGHT!!!!!!” Twister yelled, his warden helmet flipping off his head into his teeth before he swung it around and smacked Ruin across the face with it.

“SON OF A…!” Ruin coughed as his neck whipped around, but when he looked back, Twister’s head was gone and his neck was making a noise similar to a fishing rod reeling in as his neck tried to pull the rest of his head out of the wall. Ruin quickly looked over to the table, shifting over and sitting down as his eyes flashed. “Hey! It’s brown’s turn!”

Twister suddenly spun wildly, creating a twister over the Twister mat that sucked up the spinner, mat, and box before flinging Little Star back over to Squall.

Twister himself shot out of the tornado and landed face first with a loud HONK in the chair opposite of Ruin. He flipped upright, looked down at the board, and his face went blank. It was a Backgammon board. Twister blinked and looked up.

“How exactly do you play this game again?” he asked in a strangely normal voice. Ruin looked down and stared for a moment.

“You know what, I don’t know either,” he admitted as they both looked at the board. “This always came boxed with checkers but no one ever bothered to—”

“I FIXED IT!” Twister yelled out as he flipped the board over to reveal a Checkers board. “WHOSE TURN IS IT AGAIN?!”

“Mine,” Ruin answered as he reached for a black checker quickly. “Jump, jump, jump, jump…” He began jumping his checker over reds all the way to the other end of the board. “King me!”

“Oh gosh darn,” Twister shrugged. “I guess you got me this ti—HA!” he slammed his hoof against the board, it folded up and turned into a Connect Four grid with the pieces arranged the same way. Before Ruin could protest, Twister slid a red checker into one of the slots. “Connect four! I win!”

“Okay, LOOK!” Ruin suddenly slammed his hooved to the table and stood up from his chair. “This is going NOWHERE!” he growled, swiping his arm out to knock the Connect Four grid away, but it only fell over and turned back into a Checkers board. Ruin glanced down at the board briefly before glaring at Twister again. “I am legitimately curious about this supposed secret you promise to tell me… but so far you’re just wasting my time!” He pointed at Twister, who just held a cute face with his tongue blepped. “If you’re really making a serious wager here, we need to draw the line SOMEWHERE! I’m all for allowing tricks and manipulation, but how about we choose ONE GAME and STICK WITH IT?!”

“Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…” Twister slowly tipped to one side, touching a hoof to his lips as his smile grew wider and wider. “OKAY! Then let’s play—”

There was a loud KA-CHUNK followed by everything going pitch black like someone had turned off stage lights. Everything around them plunged into darkness even though they were outside.

“What the… OW!” Ruin yelped as something pushed against him, forcing him backwards a few steps. He glanced about the darkness, all the noise from the rushing winds and fighting outside the mist slowly died down and disappeared. The cold chill of the air vanished as well.

CLICK

Ruin blinked. As he looked around, his eyes landing on a single light, generated by a lightbulb hanging from above. It was illuminating a small area around the table they had been playing games at, but aside from the chairs, the rest was gone, the floor and fireplace had vanished and everything was sitting on a formless void.

Ruin looked around at the area, noticing that Rainbow Dash was still there. She was lying on the ground nearby, but Matteo, Little Star, and Squall were gone.

Dash’s eyes opened, blinking a few times as she sat up abruptly. She looked herself over and over. The pain… it was completely gone. No more headache, no more pins, needles, and stabbing from her injuries. She saw Ruin nearby, but the moment her eyes landed on the table, her body suddenly locked up and couldn’t move. She could move her eyes, but the rest of her had been paralyzed on the spot.

Ruin tipped his head curiously as he saw Dash and examined her state, moving his eyes back to the table.

Twister suddenly appeared in the chair across the table, but he was reclined casually with one arm draped on the back of the chair. His usual silly expression was gone, replaced by a wickedly mischievous one.

Ruin glanced down at the table and his eyes shot open wide.

There was a Chess board on the table. It was set up for a game with black on his side and white on Twister’s.

“Well…?” Twister spoke up, his voice taking a different tune. “What do you say?

Dash’s eyes grew slightly. There was the voice again, Twister’s seldom heard serious tone.

“Shall we do this… the right way?” Twister asked, his lips parting to show a toothy grin.

Ruin looked up, locking eyes with Twister and giving him a slight glare, but it was one with lots of curiosity beneath the surface. The glare bounced right off Twister as he held his sneer.

Without a word, Ruin walked up to the chair across from Twister and sat down. He never took his eyes off of Twister as he leaned forward, rested his arms on the table, and gave Twister a firm, serious look.

“Your move,” Ruin said with a slight nod, Twister snickering with delight as he shifted in his chair and reached for his first piece.

Dash’s pupils shook slightly as she watched the two. The game of chess commenced but… it looked like a normal game of chess. All the antics, trickery, and spontaneity had vanished without a trace. Twister moved a piece, then Ruin moved a piece. Neither said any words and they stared directly at the other in between moves.

Something about it felt off… something felt wrong. It wasn’t because the surroundings had become a void of nothing, that Dash suddenly alone watching them, or that her body was frozen.

It was the two of them.

She didn’t know what she was looking at, but as she watched them… it suddenly felt like she wasn’t watching Twister and Ruin. She didn’t know why it felt that way, but it made her feel very uneasy.

“Watch carefully, Dash.”

Dash’s ears twitched. That was Twister’s voice! But… she was looking right at him. He did not turn and look at her, nor did she see his mouth move.

“You desire to conquer every mountain. That desire gave you a slight glimpse into a new realm of understanding earlier. Whether it was a mistake or not is irrelevant… you made it happen and got to see it with your own eyes.”

Dash’s jaw hung slightly agape as Twister’s voice continued to echo in her head.

“Now observe and take notes…”

Dash didn’t know what she was feeling. It felt like Twister was looking at her even though his eyes were locked on Ruin.

“I can’t show you the way… but I can help you see just how much higher this mountain reaches.”

Dash shut her mouth and held a breath in for a few moments. Her eyes shifted from Twister to the game of chess. She dared not look away… not even for a second.

---

The large doors leading out to the Crystal Palace inner courtyard swung open, forced aside by Sombra as he stepped outside. He kept walking, stopping at the top of the steps overlooking the open field that stretched all the way to the decorative garden. He did not look away, he did not snarl or glare at it. He looked directly at the field… the field where he and Celestia clashed a thousand years prior. Soarin took note of his demeanor. It was completely different than the inherent emotional response the mere sight of the field seemed to incite during their first trip over it. There was something on Sombra’s mind, and he was focused on it.

“Sombra…” Celestia’s voice met both their ears unexpectedly. Soarin glanced over his shoulder towards the bound spirit of Celestia, but Sombra did not acknowledge her at all as he kept looking out at the field within the palace walls. “Sombra, what are you doing?” she pressed, her voice audibly shaken. No doubt knowing that her efforts to sway Soarin had been abruptly dashed by everything he had just witnessed within the throne room. But Soarin himself was still watching carefully.

“Something that does not concern you,” Sombra finally answered sharply, never taking his eyes off the field as his old knights began to emerge from the castle behind him. They remained at a slight distance, observing their king and anxious to see what he was going to do.

Sombra moved down the stairs step by step, making his way out into the grass. He took his time, walking slowly as his knights made their way to the top of the stairs behind him, watching as Sombra approached the center of the field.

But a few paces away from the very center, he stopped, staring down at his hooves and slowly moving his eyes out along the grass to a spot a couple of yards from him.

“Soarin,” Sombra suddenly spoke. Soarin’s ears perked up and he glanced at Sombra’s silhouette beside him. “Look right here.” He pointed to the ground before them.

Soarin focused on where his eyes were looking. But… it looked like nothing more than a patch of grass.

“This is where it happened,” Sombra went on as Soarin stared. “I was standing in this exact spot when Celestia and I faced each other in battle. And right in front of us… is where we clashed,” Sombra explained. Soarin’s eyes grew slightly. “A god… against a twisted creation of the gods. This is where we fought, and this is where the fate of my kingdom… my world… was sealed for a thousand years.”

Soarin blinked, letting the thought run through his head as he tried to visualize the moment Sombra spoke of. A point in time a thousand years ago where something occurred that was of great importance to the course of history as he knew it. It was hard for him to picture, much less comprehend.

Sombra looked over his shoulder towards his knights watching with interest from the back at the top of the steps. The knights came into Soarin’s view through his eyes, Sombra holding the position for several moments to allow Soarin the opportunity to both picture the moment in time, and observe those who were there to live it.

Eventually, Sombra looked to the sky.

“After all that you have seen and been exposed to,” he began. “I want to ask you one more time, Soarin.”

“Huh?” Soarin blinked, glancing at Sombra’s silhouette as it turned to face him within his mind.

“Will you join with me?”

Soarin’s eyes widened slightly.

“Let our souls become one. Let your body become the vessel of hope… Allow me the chance to change this world forever.”

Soarin just stared, his expression neutral as Sombra lifted a hoof towards him.

“You have now witnessed with your own eyes that my words have not been empty. You have gotten a glimpse into my world through those who once stood beside me loyally, those who supported me and revered me for what I stood for. I was a king, a leader, one that rejected the surrender of my kingdom to the control of the gods for the sake of my citizens… so they would still be under the watchful eye of whom they trusted, not whom they were told deserved it. They would still be in my world… their world… not the world of the gods.”

Soarin blinked, his ears turned and listening as Sombra spoke.

“You have also witnessed the frailty of those so-called ‘gods.’ You have seen their intentions, their dishonesty, and their desperation to protect themselves regardless of the effect on mortal lives,” Sombra paused for a moment, nodding at Soarin with his hoof still outstretched. “We are unique, Soarin. None have experienced this the way we have. None have had their lives torn asunder the way ours have been. Are you willing to let them get away with it? Are you willing to let this continue? To let the gods go free without consequence and repercussion?” Sombra reached his hoof slightly closer. “Or will you join me and ensure that nopony will ever share our fates again? Together we can end this farce. We can bring about a new era of salvation to Equestria. We can free everypony from the gods and their eternal grip!”

Soarin stared at Sombra silently.

He looked down at Sombra’s hoof for a moment.

Then looked back at Sombra, staring him right in the eye, a neutral expression on his face as Sombra waited.

But then Soarin flattened his brow and exhaled.

“No.”

Sombra visibly flinched, startled as he pulled his hoof back slightly. Celestia perked up as well, forced to watch from beneath her bindings.

“‘My world’, ‘my world’, ‘my world’,” Soarin repeated as he scrunched his face up. “You keep saying that. Have you noticed you keep saying that?” he asked sharply. Sombra didn’t move or speak. “You’ve mentioned it over and over like that’s all that matters… as if there’s something wrong with mine.”

Sombra put his hoof down, but remained silent, tipping his head as if he didn’t follow. Soarin shot him a glare.

“How much do you know about the world as it is now?” Soarin suddenly asked. “Well?”

“It’s a world led astray by the—”

“NO! Stop.” Soarin swung a hoof out as he turned to face Sombra squarely. “Can you answer the question without bringing up the gods?”

Sombra stood still… and said nothing.

“You can’t, can you?” Soarin snorted, pointing a hoof at Sombra’s face. “Because that’s really all this is about, isn’t it?”

“Do not trivialize my struggle,” Sombra growled, but Soarin quickly shook his head.

“I GET your struggle!” Soarin put his hoof down and made a backwards head motion. “I don’t doubt a word you’ve said, you don’t need to prove anything to me! I heard your story, I watched you show mercy, I watched you walk the halls of your castle, and I saw your knights and their respect for you. You’ve been vindicated, I believe you are exactly who you say you are, but I’m going to ask you again! How much do you know… about this world? About my world?”

Sombra stared. After a few moments, Soarin pointed a hoof at his face again.

“And THAT’S why I said no. Your personal vendetta against the gods and your clinging to the past… that’s what you care about. You want to change the world? WHAT world?!” Soarin started raising his voice, and Celestia was watching with eyes growing wider as Soarin stood up to Sombra, shifting forwards and nearly standing chest to chest with him, looking up to show he wasn’t afraid of the slight size advantage Sombra’s silhouette had on him. “Can you tell me which world that is? Do you even know?!”

“I…” Sombra tried to speak, but went nowhere.

“You don't know my world!” Soarin got into Sombra’s face, reaching his neck up and imagining he was looking directly into the eyes of the shadowy outline. “You don’t know it at all! You’re just assuming that since the ones who did you wrong are at the top that we are under some kind of tyrannical hoof?” Soarin narrowed his eyes. “So our world isn’t perfect… So we have some leaders at the top who haven’t been completely honest with us… but there’s a hell of a lot more to the world than them, and you aren’t even bothering to take a look for yourself. When I hear about you wanting to destroy the gods and become one yourself, do you know who I begin to think of? Everypony else! The ponies this world belongs to! We don’t line up outside Canterlot castle every morning and receive marching orders for how to go about our day. We are free to choose how we live each day of our lives, and occasionally one of the Princesses will ride through on a fancy-looking chariot to smile and wave at us!”

Sombra remained quiet, glancing at Celestia briefly as Soarin went on.

“So the gods messed up MY life,” Soaring went on, giving a slightly angered glance at Celestia that she definitely felt. “Am I pissed off about it? You bet your ass I’m pissed off about it. But you know what they aren’t doing? They aren’t getting in the way of everypony else’s lives! My case does not speak for how they’ve treated others! They aren’t flying overhead and picking out random ponies to tamper with! They’ve stayed out of our business and let us be ourselves, and now you’re standing here telling me that you know better? That how they’ve been doing things is wrong? That getting rid of them and putting yourself in their place will be some sort of gift to us and change our lives? What will it change?! What will you offer us that we don’t already have aside from tearing down what we’re used to and have grown accustomed to?! A thousand years ago you took pride in rejecting the call to usurp all rule to the gods like the rest of Equestria did, and you did it to preserve the way of life your citizens enjoyed… so I find it very ironic that you’re basically asking us to do just that!”

Sombra visibly flinched, a growl escaping his throat as he inched his head down slightly towards Soarin’s glare.

“That is NOT what I’m suggesting!” he rebuked, but Soarin just glared harder.

“I’m pretty sure it is! You’re not even considering that angle or how we might see it!” Soarin spat right back.

Sombra suddenly backed off slightly, taking a step back and looking away. Soarin held his ground, keeping his firm glare locked on Sombra and giving it all his might.

“Yeah, I’ve been listening, buddy,” Soarin grunted. “I’ve been listening very carefully. Better believe it. Want to know the most important thing I’ve taken away from all of this?” Soarin shook his head harshly. “You don’t have a damn clue what you’re doing! Do you honestly expect me to believe you have the confidence in your ability to achieve godhood after I just watched you cry to yourself on your throne and question your own actions out loud?”

Sombra took another step back and looked down.

“You wanted me to make a choice, right? Well, the choice is pretty clear to me. The choice is between the world I know…” Soarin stomped a hoof. “And my world put in danger by an old king seeking revenge who once lost control of himself and plunged Equestria into chaos?”

Sombra abruptly looked towards Soarin.

“The GODS did that to me!” he snarled, but Soarin did not waver.

“I don’t care how it happened!” Soarin shot right back. “What matters is it did. How can I be so sure that you seeking out power will end differently than having power forced into you? YOU aren’t even sure of it!”

“I don’t repeat my mistakes,” Sombra said, his voice losing a bit of strength, but Soarin had heard that one already.

“You’re full of shit!” Soarin yelled right in his face while stepping up to him again.

Sombra growled, the shadowy bindings that once held Soarin down reaching for him again, but they stopped short and receded as if he couldn’t bring himself to do it out of anger alone.

He let Soarin speak.

“I don’t care how much of a badass you apparently are or used to be! That’s not a chance I’m going to take. You want me to decide on something that could have a drastic effect on everypony else in the world, that’s NOT how the world works! I don’t have the right to make that choice for them!” he stepped back, letting that one sink in before continuing. “There’s too much here and now that I cherish, and too many ponies I’d never dream of making such a choice for. Screw the gods, want to know how much of a role they’ve played in my life? None. Zero. Take away this crap they pulled that put me right here and they’ve been an afterthought. You keep framing it like we’re slaves to them, like we bow and submit to their will without question! If you pulled your head out of your own ass for one second and took a good look around, you’d see just how backwards your assumptions are!”

Both Sombra and Celestia were staring in silence. There was no way to make out the look on Sombra’s face, but Celestia was staring in awe, as if she never expected such a determined, resolute rebuttal from Soarin.

“You don’t know a thing about this world or how it works,” Soarin shook his head lightly. “And frankly, when all is said and done, I’m not sure I find your vision of how things should be very appealing, nor would anypony else. I don’t fight for the gods, I don’t care what they want and they’ve never asked anything of me. The reason I get out of bed every morning is on the ground around me and in the sky beside me. I work hard and I fight my battles for my friends, my family, my wingmates and other comrades… it’s for them! For them and myself! I would die for THEM! The gods never once told me to think that way, it’s MY choice! MY motivation!” Soarin thumped a hoof to his chest.

“So as far as I’m concerned, you’re trying to take that from me,” he pointed sharply at Sombra. “You’re trying to convince me something is wrong with my life and the way I’ve lived it up until now. There was never anything wrong with it! You want one thing!” Soarin pointed to his face. “You want to take my body for your own selfish reasons. You want me to lay down and give in so you can reach your goals. You don’t care what happens in the process as long as things end up the way you want them.” Soarin threw his arm out to the side. “So you can forget my cooperation. As long as I have the will to resist you I’m not budging an inch! I refuse to simply let you do as you please.”

There was a long pause as Soarin kept his eyes locked on Sombra. Celestia’s jaw was agape as Soarin’s unexpectedly strong words resonated deeply.

“An impassioned speech…” Sombra finally spoke up. “Filled with glowing words and heroic undertones.” He shook his head. “Yet misguided, arrogant, and trite. You shout at me as if I’m some sort of villain who wishes to crush the world with undeserved power. Perhaps it was too much for me to assume you’d understand.”

“I understand you clearly, you son of a bitch,” Soarin growled. “Or are you just not used to somepony talking back to you? Hate to break it to you, but there are plenty of others like me who will do the same, YOUR MAJESTY,” he said sarcastically.

“You are in no position to lecture me,” Sombra spoke down to Soarin as he inched closer.

“Then do it,” Soarin quickly shot back. Sombra stopped and went quiet, tipping his head slightly. “DO IT!” Soarin yelled, stepping up and getting into Sombra’s face. “Take control of me then! If I have no right to lecture you then put me in my place!”

Sombra growled, the bindings appearing again, but just as they did before, they simply hovered nearby, not actually going for Soarin. Soarin looked around, noticing the bindings creeping about.

“Well? I’m waiting, Mr. Cast Iron Balls!” he taunted. “If you’re so damn tough then get on with it already!”

Sombra grunted, the bindings receding and vanishing. Soarin watched them vanish and snorted.

“How stupid do you think I am? If you really had such a tight grip on me you would’ve gotten it over with by now! You wouldn’t have wasted time trying to convince me to let go! So go on, tell me again I have no right to give you a piece of my mind! You have some control over me and my body, but how much?! Think I haven’t noticed you wincing every time I push back? Think I haven’t noticed you struggling to control certain things?” Soarin threw an arm out. “I know! Try using my wings again! That was the most amusing part so far!”

Sombra sharply looked away, growling.

“Forget it,” Soarin rapped his hoof on the ground. “I’m here to stay. Better yet, how did you put it to Spitfire? ‘I acknowledge the strength of your words, but you have yet to acknowledge mine.’” Soarin mocked his voice as Sombra slowly looked back at him. “Time to practice what you preach, buddy.”

Soarin finished with a narrow eyed, skeptical stare, as if daring Sombra to deny any of it.

Sombra said nothing for several moments, but eventually sighed.

“So be it,” he said and turned his side to Soarin, looking out at the spot on the courtyard again. Soairn blinked, expecting more than that.

“Hm?” Soarin hummed quietly and lifting an eyebrow, trying to coax more out of Sombra.

“I must commend you,” Sombra nodded, keeping himself turned. “Not only have my efforts to sway you failed… by my efforts to hide my weakness have failed as well. Or…” he glanced towards Soarin. “You are much more perceptive than I gave you credit for. Either way, from the very start I have underestimated you and you continue to prove just how strong you truly are. I’ve tried several times, perhaps you haven’t even noticed some of them… but I can’t break your willpower. It is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Try as I might I cannot make a dent in your spirit. You’re anchored, showing that your resolve is natural, not forced… Your spirit is unbreakable, even in the face of insurmountable odds. To find a stallion of your caliber a thousand years past the ages of knights and kings is shocking, to say the least. You have everything I once looked for in a knight both inside and out… had you lived in my time as king, I would not have hesitated to deem you one of my most trusted knights.”

Soarin’s glare subsided as he listened to Sombra confess weakness and acknowledge him. He wasn’t expecting it at all. He kept his eyes on Sombra as he turned to face Celestia, who flinched when she saw Sombra focus on her.

“For a time I believed that your resistance was something Celestia had calculated… that she chose you as the vessel for her misguided scheme because she knew this would happen.” He shook his head. “But the longer this has gone on, the more I’m beginning to believe that even she, despite her power of foresight, could not have predicted this,” he faced Soarin. “I saw it all myself… the defeat… the horror on the god’s faces when I was released… They thought that was it right then and there, that all was lost. Then you fought back… and their moods swung the other way, showing some hope out of thin air. And since then, especially from her…” he made a head motion towards Celestia. “They’ve swung back and forth from passion and confidence, to despair and tragedy over and over. They are terrible at concealing their emotions. They had no confidence in you… they expected this to be over the moment the false horn was broken. Isn’t that right, Celes?” Sombra asked as both he and Soarin looked towards her.

Celestia’s eyes widened. She bit her lip and winced, clearly showing without any doubt that Sombra was spot on. Soarin blinked as he watched her reaction, looking back at Sombra.

“No,” Sombra shook his head as he refocused on Soarin. “This has been you alone… and you have taken notice. Your surges in emotion have caused me discomfort. Your perseverance has tugged endlessly at my hold on your body. Every effort you give has strung and pricked me, and we already know what happens when she gets involved,” he motioned a hoof towards Rainbow Dash’s image, still held down and immobile nearby, grimacing as she felt what Dash was feeling elsewhere. “I’m sure the gods weren’t expecting your connection with her to be so lethal to my grip either. It’s all happening beyond what they imagined.” Sombra sighed. “I did not mean to release you from your bindings when I entered my castle, but by then it felt pointless to hold you down. Perhaps that was a blunder on my part, but I also hoped it would present a chance to let you see things for yourself and shift your perspective.”

Sombra paused, releasing a long hiss of breath from his nostrils.

“But now it’s clear to me that you won’t be swayed. You’ve seen through my attempts to assert my dominance and you’ve held strong to what you believe in, regardless of the situation you’ve been thrown into…” Sombra chuckled. “We may not see eye to eye, but perhaps we’re not so different after all.”

Soarin listened carefully, ears turned forward and eyes locked on Sombra. He held himself firm, taking in everything that was said and making sure not to let his guard down.

“You have a world you will fight and die for.” Sombra nodded. “And I have a world I would fight and die for.” Sombra turned and looked out towards the field again. “The way I see it… there is only one way for us to settle this. And… if I’m right about you, I believe you will find it agreeable.”

“Oh?” Soarin perked up, but kept his firm stare. “Do tell.” He said sharply as he turned to look out as well.

“Combat.”

Soarin blinked, and one of his eyes twitching.

“Wait, what?” he asked as he quickly glanced at Sombra.

“Combat,” Sombra repeated as he glanced at Soarin as well. “Stallion to stallion. Yelling back and forth will not solve this. A fair contest is the only way for us to come to a decision. A wager on our abilities, with both our worlds watching.”

Soarin stared at Sombra, his expression becoming more humorously skeptical by the second.

“Uh…” Soarin lifted an eyebrow.

“What?”

“How in the hell are we going to do that?” Soarin asked. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but we’re not exactly solid here.” He motioned to himself, the subtly opaque form of his spirit. “Not to mention you’re been a literal shape with no features since we started.” He pointed out, reaching a hoof out and watching it pass right through where the outline of Sombra’s silhouette began.

“Leave that to me, I can set this up for us with my magic,” Sombra explained casually. Soarin let his jaw hang open slightly, but said nothing for several moments.

“You can do what now?” Soarin finally managed to say.

“I can create a mental simulation for us that will use our souls to create perceived physical manifestations, allowing us to battle as if we’re meeting across time.” Sombra explained further.

Soarin just kept staring, his expression flattening further the more he tried to process what Sombra was suggesting.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Sombra asked, clearly not expecting Soarin’s reaction.

“Okay, look…” Soarin reached an arm out in front of him. “I’ve seen plenty of weird-ass unexplainable magic up to this point, but… this is the most ridiculous by far. You are suggesting… you can create… an imaginary fight?”

“A mental simulation,” Sombra clarified. Soarin threw an arm out.

“How’s that any different? That doesn’t make it sound any less… impossible. How is this not just another attempt to get me on board with something?” Soarin pressed. Sombra snorted.

“I wasn’t just a king, I was a warrior,” Sombra grumbled. “During war, my place was in battle with my knights, not cowering in my chambers. I could not afford to be lazy during times of peace and lose my battle senses.” Sombra pointed to his head. “I worked with my court wizards to devise a unique spell. One that would allow me to create near perfect mental battle simulations… And to ensure it had the intended effect, I purposely drew energy from my own soul, my own life force, to create my image within it… doing so allowed me to feel everything happening to me, my body feeling every injury or wound I sustained, so that I would keep my senses sharp and be ready at all times for battle. It is a dangerous spell that can cause extreme mental agony if one’s image were to die within the vision. Naturally, all my court wizards protested, but if you were alive in Equestria a thousand years ago… the risk was worth taking to ensure I never lost my edge.” He nodded. “The capabilities and possibilities of magic are endless as long as you can figure out exactly what is needed to meet your ends… wouldn’t you agree, Celes?” he glanced at Celestia, who was just staring, but showed no signs of confusion like Soarin did. “See? She knows.” He motioned towards Celestia. “You’ve been listening to my story, it was those endless horizons that once led me to my quest for immortality. Something like this is small in comparison.”

But Soarin was still staring blankly at him.

Sombra growled and turned away.

“Oh for goodness sake, I’ll just show you,” he grumbled to himself as Soarin just kept staring.

Sombra stepped back and focused on Soarin, his silhouette gaining a dim glow around its edges. Soarin perked up, snapping out of it as the glow grew brighter and the gentle light surrounding Sombra began to reach towards him. Soarin took a step back, hesitant to let the glow touch him.

“Hold still,” Sombra ordered. “Do you want to see, or not?”

Soarin halted, furrowing his brow as he held his ground and allowed the light to touch him. It surrounded him entirely, but he felt nothing. No sting, prick, or pain. He relaxed as the light began shifting up and down his body, as if it were scanning him.

“What are you doing?” Soarin finally asked as he watched the light move about his body.

“Be at ease, my magic needs a moment to get a full read of you for this to work properly, unless you want me to put you in the simulation with a few limbs missing,” he kept talking casually as if nothing about it was odd. Soarin opened his mouth to speak, but he felt like more questions would lead to more confusion.

So he let Sombra continue without a word, patiently waiting to see what would actually happen.

Eventually, the light finally receded and Sombra remained quiet for a few seconds.

“Yes… I see,” he said to himself while nodding. “This should be interesting indeed…”

Soarin watched Sombra carefully as he turned away, glancing at Celestia as Sombra looked down, appearing to be contemplating something. His magic was still swirling around his silhouette and he nodded over and over.

“Perfect. With this, I can project a perfect replica of you in peak condition,” he went on, appearing to ramble without addressing Soarin directly. Soarin blinked and furrowed his brow, clearing his throat. Sombra glanced at him and snorted. “Impatient, are we?”

“Just wondering when you’re going to get to the point,” Soarin huffed.

“Alright, here.”

Soarin flinched as the light surrounding Sombra suddenly rushed outward, immediately surrounding Soarin and wrapping around every part of him.

“What the—” Soarin shut his eyes as the light flashed brightly.

But he didn’t feel anything… at least at first. Something felt different, but he wasn’t sure what. As he slowly opened his eyes and looked around, he immediately wondered what had changed because everything around him looked exactly the same. Then he soon noticed that any and all discomfort he had been feeling over the course of the scenario had vanished… in fact he felt normal and… solid? He looked down at himself and blinked several times, reaching up and touching a hoof to his chest, the fur bristling against it. He then looked himself all over. Every inch of his body had lost its faint glow, and the faintly translucent appearance of his body had vanished completely.

It was as if he himself was standing right there inside his mind, taking on a perfectly solid form. But was such a thing possible?

“What… did you do?” Soarin asked as he looked up and felt his forehead. The horn wasn’t on him in spirit form either, but it had been ages since he felt the spot above his eyes in such a state.

“Did you not hear me before?” Sombra tipped his head and sighed. “I have created a perfect mental simulation of you in prime condition. My magic has enveloped you and replicated you based on what it read from your soul.”

“That’s…” Soarin looked down at his hooves. “That can’t be possible, you can’t just do that!” Soarin refused to believe it.

“No, you are correct,” Sombra agreed, causing Soarin to look up. “A thousand years ago, when I used my magic to create these mental simulations, there were two things I had to do that were more difficult than the battle itself. I had to concentrate inward, and effectively remove my perception of the world around me to look deep within my mind. I also had to create my adversaries from scratch, remembering battles of the past and generating my best impression of them from memory alone.”

Sombra motioned an arm around.

“Here, those things have been taken care of for me. We are already within your mind and all sharing it… and your soul is directly in front of me to use as a base, much like how I created the image of myself using my own soul. In that state, you will be able to feel everything as if you are really here within your head. Every impact of attack, every pain of taking a blow, it will all feel real. Your soul will feel the pressure. And…” he glanced back at Celestia. “Because we all share your mind in here, we are seeing exactly what you’re seeing.”

“This is incredibly messed up,” Soarin voiced his thoughts as his eye twitched.

“Enough already. You’ve made it clear you don’t understand it… but we will solve this dispute,” Sombra grumbled as Soarin kept questioning it. “Our words have failed, all that’s left is competition… combat. And you need to believe me when I say… that this will allow us to do so.”

“So what…?” Soarin threw his arms out. “Am I going to be punching your shadow now?!” Soarin belted, sounding a little frantic as he struggled to comprehend what was happening.

“Of course not,” Sombra calmly assured him. “Because… now it’s my turn.”

Soarin blinked and Celestia perked up as Sombra’s silhouette began to glow again, this time… the light never leaving his frame. He tilted his head up as the magic scanned him up and down, the same slow process that had happened to Soarin.

Soarin couldn’t take his eyes off Sombra. He watched intently, his focused shifting completely away from himself as Sombra went through the motions.

If the magic had turned him into a solid, believable copy of himself… did that mean that Sombra…

“Hmmm… yes…” Sombra nodded as his magic faded. “The fire still burns… I will never forget it.”

Soarin and Celestia shielded their eyes as the magic shone brightly around him, just as it had around Soarin. The bright light lasted several seconds before the intensity slowly lessened.

“It’s time to cast aside everything…” Sombra spoke from within the light.

Soarin peeked out from over his arm and saw the faint shape of a body within the light.

“It’s time to finally shed our incomplete forms we’ve been forced to wear…”

Soarin lowered his arm and stared with wide eyes.

“It’s time for us to look each other in the eye…”

Soarin’s jaw hung slightly agape.

Celestia gasped quietly off to the side as Soarin’s eyes locked on the sight before him. Was this… Sombra standing before him? The actual Sombra? Though it was to be expected, this Sombra did not even remotely fit the common perception of the Mad King all had come to know from tales and history books. But regardless, he was an impressive sight.

A tall, very large and incredibly muscular dark grey unicorn covered in battle scars all over. His stone cold stare was complimented by a majestic, long flowing black mane that hung over his shoulders. His red eyes were oddly shaped, his pupils and irises appearing angular instead of round, a unique trait Soarin had never once seen before… though there was plenty about what he saw that was uncommon. Soarin had never seen a unicorn so large or built before. Unicorns were typically thinner and sleeker, even compared to common pegasi. But here it felt like he was looking at a genetically superior earth pony that just happened to have a horn. A normal horn at that, there was no curved red crystal jutting from his skull, though Soarin had hear prior that the curved red horn was a product of possession…

“Soarin,” Sombra spoke, breaking the silence. “I challenge you to a duel. We fight until one of us yields to the other. Winner takes all.”

---

Twister and Ruin were moving the chess pieces slowly and carefully, clearly playing a full and serious game. The way they stared at one another in between moves suggested they were watching for any slight of hoof or cheating, but neither attempted such a thing. It was a normal, legitimate game. A piece being taken here or there and set aside.

“I’m surprised you haven’t tried anything yet,” Twister suddenly spoke up as he moved a knight. Ruin locked his eyes on Twister’s hoof until it lifted from the knight and returned to the table.

“I could say the same to you,” Ruin said as he pushed a pawn forward two spaces.

“I’d say… you’re fine with it just like this,” Twister chuckled as he moved a bishop.

“And I’D say… You’re just waiting for me to try something,” Ruin snorted while pausing to shoot Twister a firm look.

“Oh?” Twister lifted an eyebrow and grinned. “What makes you say that?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, you already know.” Ruin glanced down at his pieces, examining them. “You wait for me to try something… then you hit me back twice as hard.” He moved one of his rooks halfway across the board and glanced about the other pieces momentarily before looking back up at Twister.

“You say that as if I need tricks to do such a thing,” Twister sneered, grabbing his queen and moving it diagonally through a crowded diagonal path across the board to take the rook. Ruin flinched in surprise, his king directly in the white queen’s path after the move. “Check.”

“Rgh…” Ruin grunted, scrunching his face as he scanned the board. “Good move.” He started reaching for a piece.

“Interesting, isn’t it?” asked Twister. Ruin paused as he touched a bishop.

“What is?” Ruin moved the bishop to block the Queen with a knight in range to protect it. Without hesitation, Twister reached out to move the Queen all the way back to safety.

“How this game…” Twister motioned to the board. “Is simply a metaphor.”

Ruin glanced at Twister. Twister was looking him right in the eye. They stared at one another for several moments, the game grinding to a halt for nearly half a minute.

“I don’t follow,” Ruin finally said as he pushed a pawn forward.

“Oh, you do.” Twister leaned forward a little as Ruin kept his eyes down on the board, scrunching his face as if ignoring Twister. “And it’s funny you think I wouldn’t understand.” Twister went on as he moved a bishop to take the pawn.

Without a word, Ruin quickly used his own bishop to take Twister’s, setting it aside and keeping his eyes on the board.

“Especially right now,” Twister leaned back. “You’re strangely silent about how I’m acting.”

Ruin finally looked up, holding a firm gaze towards Twister, his posture stiff in contrast to Twister relaxing.

“Maybe I’ve suspected this from the start,” Ruin rested his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hooves. “Something was always off about you. Your aimless randomness is not an acceptable explanation for your ability to soundly defeat me time and time again. Even the silliest ponies have limits and rules. Somehow you don’t. I was beginning to wonder if I was missing something.”

“A hidden method to my madness?” Twister tipped his head and bounced his eyebrows.

“Perhaps…” Ruin trailed off as he moved his king one space.

“Or maybe…” Twister started tipping his head in the other direction very slowly. “Maybe I’m just that craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy…” he slurred until his head was tipped all the way to the other side.

“Either way… you knew,” Ruin said while looking down at the chess board.

“Oh, this?” Twister’s head zipped upright as he reached out and moved a pawn.

“You knew I wouldn’t say no,” Ruin locked eyes with Twister. “The moment the chess board came out, my suspicions were confirmed. There’s far more to you than meets the eye. There’s only one pony who knows this about me… and you can’t be him because unlike you, I can sense his presence… and he’s sneaking around nearby.” Ruin huffed while rolling his eyes subtly. “Which means… you are something different entirely. So this proposed ‘secret’ you claim to tell me if I win…”

“Assuming that’s what I intend to tell,” Twister cut him off. Ruin’s eyes hardened into a glare, but Twister just leaned back and started laughing, smacking the table once as he grabbed his stomach to contain chuckles. Ruin flattened his brow and snorted, looking back down at the board.

“Now… Metaphor…” Ruin exhaled. “Fine, I can’t say I disagree.” He reached for his rook, but paused and pulled back. “But up until now, I wasn’t aware I had an opponent.” He slowly looked up, locking eyes with Twister. “Unaware… that there was another kibitzer, somepony else playing the same game I am.” His eyes hardened into a strong stare. “Somepony else… sneaking around and doing as they please. It’s you… isn’t it?”

“Who, me?” Twister placed a hoof on his chest and made an exaggerated cute face.

“Yes, you.” Ruin flattened his brow. “I’ve been having a blast, poking at the morons around me and pushing them in directions for my own amusement. They’ve been clashing and fighting, waging battle after battle against one another. It’s been a war of attrition, neither side giving way. In some cases the reason behind it all has vanished. Many of them no longer understand why they’re even fighting in the first place… or they have forgotten and are desperate to find it again.”

Ruin leaned back in his chair, resting his hooves together in front of his mouth.

“The situation is rife with fractured emotions. To me it’s been like an all-you-can-eat buffet. The Shadowbolts are a mess with no direction, crippled with an addiction fed to them by something they can’t even see. The greater majority of the Wonderbolts are unfamiliar with such a long, intense conflict… breaking down from within as their precious family atmosphere is put in harm’s way, working against them as every loss hurts far more than just a simple casualty ever would. I have had free reign to stick my nose in between it all, manipulating, nudging and prodding everywhere… watching with glee as my actions shape the outcomes… at times taking it further and steering the path of a situation in my preferred direction for a desired outcome. Effectively… playing god.”

Ruin released a long rush of air from his nostrils as he narrowed his eyes towards Twister, the chess game effectively paused as Ruin spoke and Twister listened with a sneer ever plastered to his face.

“But something kept happening… to my confusion… and amusement,” Ruin tapped his hooves together lightly. “The Wonderbolts… Despite what they’ve been put through and the fractured state of their spirits, they have yet to break. The Shadowbolts outclass them in every way, strength, speed, killer instinct, everything. They even have artificial magic at their disposal to give them a further edge. They are slaves to that power. They have their sights set on the Wonderbolts and they are fighting for the sole purpose of retaining that power, getting more of it for the sake of their survival. They are desperate, and mentally weak, shackled to a purpose without form. I twist them, shame them, charm them, and exploit them… I cut deep into them and turn them loose, send them screaming towards the Wonderbolts expecting a grand show of chaos and violence… and I’ve been doing so under the assumption that it would be quick and satisfying, eventually forcing me to find something else to direct their ire towards once the Wonderbolts were ground into a thin paste. But the Wonderbolts keep surviving…” Ruin paused and suddenly scowled.

“There is… one stallion among them who I’d expect such resilience from. But all of them?” His scowl twitched, slowly turning into a smile. “They keep pushing back, they keep holding their ground, they even destroyed three top ranking Shadowbolts despite their huge disadvantage… they just keep winning, the show keeps going!” He sneered, shivering subtly. “And it’s been magnificent! I couldn’t figure it out, but I didn’t care. It’s like a gift that keeps on giving… my fun has been endless! If it were anypony else, the Shadowbolts would have run them over by now.” Ruin paused, his smile slowly vanished into a serious, narrow eyed stare. “But eventually… I began to wonder if they were really that tough… or if they had some help. Tell me…” he tipped his head slightly, lifting an eyebrow as he looked Twister hard in the eye. “Do I have you to thank for that?”

Twister’s face scrunched slightly as if he was trying to hold in a laugh. His lips parted to reveal a large grin that he simply couldn’t contain.

“Heh… hee hee!” Twister looked away as Ruin kept staring. “Well… I don’t think I’m the best pony to ask that,” he said in between stifled chuckles. Ruin snorted.

“And who else could I possibly ask when you’re clearly sitting right in front of me?” Ruin pressed. Twister looked back towards Ruin, holding a rather creepy grin.

“How about we ask the game?” Twister motioned to the board.

Ruin blinked, his eyes widening as he quickly looked down at the chess board.

The pieces had changed. None of them had been repositioned, but…

Ruin’s pieces had become figurines of the Shadowbolts.

Twister’s pieces had become figurines of the Wonderbolts.

Ruin’s lips parted as his eyes darted about, examining the pieces carefully. The major pieces looked like Shadowbolt commanders. The queen was a figure of him. The king... was just a formless dark mass. He scanned over the rest of the pieces, his eyes locking on a small figure Nightshade… who was among the pawns, the rest of whom looked like nondescript Shadowbolts.

On Twister’s side, certain Wonderbolts from Squad One through Three were the major pieces. Dash was the queen and Soarin was the king. Three of the pieces Twister had taken resembled Trance, Witch, and Devil.

Ruin looked up to see Twister giving him a sly, mischievous smile.

“Well…?” Twister flipped a hoof towards him. “It’s your move.”

Ruin stayed still for several moments, glancing between Twister and the new pieces, his eyes narrowing as he became lost in his own thoughts. But eventually he reached out, hovering a hoof over his pieces as he took note of who was where. His eyes locked on the Nightshade pawn as he noticed it was one diagonal space away from Twister’s knight… that resembled Silver Lining.

Ruin looked up and gave Twister a hard look, but Twister was still just smiling, tipping his head. Ruin couldn’t tell if the move in front of him was intentionally set up… or if Twister was daring him to do it. But he took the bait anyway, grabbing the Nightshade pawn and taking the Silver Lining piece, moving it off to the side.

“Hm… I see.” Twister said with a chuckle as he watched Ruin set Silver aside. But he didn’t reach for the board, he just sat back in his chair.

“It’s your move,” Ruin reminded him.

“Is it mine?” Twister asked while lifting his brow. “Or is it theirs?”

Ruin tipped his head curiously, but then blinked and looked down as he saw something move. His eyes widened as the Rainbow Dash queen moved on its own, taking one of his other pawns. Twister reached over and removed the pawn from the board.

“Your move,” he said slyly, grinning towards Ruin.

“What is the meaning of this?” Ruin growled towards him.

“Why are you asking me?” Twister chuckled as he glanced towards the real Dash. “That was her, not me.”

Ruin glanced towards Dash, still frozen in place and observing the game. Ruin snorted and looked back down at his pieces. He reached for his remaining rook, a figurine of Moon. But as his hoof got near, the piece edged and tipped away.

“Oh?” Twister snickered. “Would you look at that! That one doesn’t like you!” Twister cooed while resting a hoof on his cheek. “Better move one that’s less stubborn, eh?”

“Hrmph…” Ruin huffed as he reached for the bishop shaped like Void instead, moving him a few spaces. The moment he let go of it, the Spitfire rook moved by itself, putting itself in position to block Ruin’s Blade knight and Angel Bishop from a path for strategic position.

Ruin stared at the Spitfire piece, then back towards the Dash piece, then looked over all of Twister’s pieces again.

He decided not to question it and played along, moving his pieces every time it was his turn while Twister didn’t move a muscle. His pieces kept making their own moves without him lifting a hoof. Some of them made mistakes, at times exposing other pieces. Some of them made moves specifically to save other pieces, but rarely put themselves in a position to get taken without consequences to Ruin’s moves, making him hesitate.

But as the game went on, the number of pieces on the board began to dwindle… eventually coming down to a small hooffull of pieces on both sides with the kings and queens remaining, very few major pieces, and a small amount of pawns, including the Nightshade pawn.

“Interesting game, wouldn’t you say?” Twister final broke the silence, still reclined in his chair.

“What are you trying to pull here?” Ruin growled as he scowled across the table at him.

“You’re still trying to figure that out?” Twister chuckled and let his head hang back. “Why are you so focused on me? I’m quite literally doing nothing.”

Ruin opened his mouth to snap back, but froze, blinking a few times before looking down at the board again.

“You’ve got one thing right…” Twister continued, drawing Ruin’s attention back to him as he slowly leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “I am on the other side of the board, but…” he grinned very wide. “I’m not pulling any strings.”

Ruin’s eyes widened, but before he could say anything, Twister suddenly reached out.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa there!” he placed a hoof on the Dash queen as it started to move directly into a dangerous position. He looked up and chuckled nervously as Ruin flattened his brow. “Okay, so MAYYYYYYBE I’m intervening here and there…” he turned the Dash piece in a different direction and let go of it, allowing it to move elsewhere on its own. “But otherwise… your assumption is wrong.”

Ruin suddenly stood up and slammed his hooves on the table, growling towards Twister.

“Come on! You say I’m pulling strings but it’s different with you?! Don’t give me that!” he snapped but Twister remained perfectly calm, staring up at Ruin.

“It’s different.”

“No. It’s. NOT! Don’t try to make it something it isn’t!” Ruin pressed.

“How many of your pieces have moved on their own?” Twister suddenly asked. Ruin blinked and looked down. “You’re underestimating the Wonderbolts. You’re assuming that the only way they could possibly survive in your game is by having somepony else just like you directing them from behind. But they aren’t alive because I’m moving my side against yours… They’re doing it all themselves.”

Ruin listened, but his eyes were still on the board. Then he realized… Even though Twister was letting his pieces do as they pleased, he was losing… his Shadowbolts he had left on the board were at a disadvantage.

“Do you want to know why I didn’t show up right away this time?” Twister suddenly asked. Ruin’s eyes darted up, his eyelids twitching as he gritted his teeth. “Because sooner or later… I believe they won’t need me to confront you.”

Ruin flinched, inching backwards as his eyes widened.

“You…” he growled as Twister grinned wider.

“Sooner or later…” Twister sat back in his chair again. “I can sit back and watch as they stand against you on their own legs and deny you your satisfaction.”

“Shut up…” Ruin’s glared, his body shaking lightly.

“It wouldn’t be the first time… would it? What did that ONE guy always used to say?”

Ruin’s lips parted, releasing a sharp gasp of air.

“Does it bother you?”

Ruin leaned forward, a hoof raised and his mouth open to shout, but he stopped himself, blinking as he calmed down and gave Twister a hard look.

“What?” Twister asked, chuckling as Ruin looked him over carefully.

“You’re ‘intervening here and there’ hm?” Ruin scoffed. “That’s the way you like to put it?” He sat down, moved a pawn, and crossed his arms. “Here and there… right…”

“Your sarcasm only makes me stronger,” Twister joked while bouncing his eyebrows.

“I can’t possibly say it without sarcasm,” Ruin snorted. “Because… All the times things have been steered without my direction… Which I’m assuming was you…” Ruin glared at him while trailing off without finishing the thought. Twister shrugged.

“I only make moves when I have to,” Twister placed a hoof on his chin, made a cute face, and batted his eyelashes at Ruin. “I don’t waste my time messing around. You said you like to play god? Well, you’re doing it wrong. Endlessly tugging on strings for your own amusement will just saturate the field. And while you’re so busy doing that…” He tipped a hoof out to the side. “You’ll miss your chance to make a big move… something that can completely change the course of events in a meaningful way.”

There was a long pause, Ruin’s ears turned towards Twister as the two stared at one another for several moments. Ruin glanced down at his pieces. The Nightshade pawn was two spaces left and two spaces down from the Soarin king.

He locked his eyes on the Soarin piece.

“Change the course of events… in a meaningful way…” Ruin said as he glanced up at Twister. “So..."

They both went silent for several moments.

Ruin shifted his eyes to the Soarin piece.

He glanced up and down from Twister, to Soarin, to Twister, and back to Soarin.

After staring for a few moments... Ruin pointed at the Soarin piece.

“I suppose... That’s why you pushed him in the back?”

Dash’s pupils shrank and her ears stood up, a sharp gasp escaping her throat.

---

Whooooooooooooooooooooooooopsie!

---

Ruin slowly shifted his eyes back to Twister.

“Well…?” he pressed, as Twister looked up into the air and whistled.

“Come now… me?” he said in a very deceptively innocent tone. He looked down at the board, leaned forward, and slowly nudged the Soarin piece one space to the left. Ruin blinked and noticed the positions of his pieces. “Now why would I ever do something like that?”

Ruin quickly reached down and moved his Angel bishop, staring at Twister, but Twister sat back, allowing on of his pawns to move on its own. Ruin’s eyes lit up, he grabbed the Nightshade Pawn and moved it forward one space, placing it diagonally from Soarin.

Ruin slowly looked up at Twister.

“Checkmate. I win.”

“WHEW!” Twister exhaled, bopped a hoof against his forehead and spun his eyes once. “Good gracious! Ya got me! Ha ha!”

“Now SPILL IT!” Ruin stood up and rapped a hoof against the table. “WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU?!”

CLICK

The light shut off, plunging everything into darkness.

“HEY!” Ruin yelled. “I DON’T THINK SO! WE MADE A DEAL!”

CLICK

“AH! Arrrghhhh!” Dash groaned as all the pain suddenly returned, her splitting headache coming back out of nowhere as well.

“Huh? What just happened?” Little Star said as she and Matteo looked around. All the board games were gone, so was the table and Twister’s little set up. “What happened to all that stuff?” she asked in confusion as Matteo reached down to support Dash, looking around himself as he tried to deduce what had happened. Squall was still in a heap on the ground with Star tucked under one of his arms.

Ruin was frantically looking around for Twister, glancing towards Dash and her squad as well.

“WOOOOOOOOO!” Twister suddenly whooped while popping up right beside Ruin.

“GAH!” Ruin jumped straight up into the air and stumbled while turning to look at Twister.

“YA SURE GOT ME! YESSIREE!” Twister yelled in a silly voice as he walked by, upright on his back hooves while holding a folding lawn chair over his shoulder.

Ruin watched as he passed, narrowing his eyes and growling as Twister sauntered, swinging his hips and humming to himself.

“Alright, you nincompoop!” Ruin trotted over and got in twister’s way. “SPILL! IT!”

Twister turned his back to Ruin and tipped all the way back to look at him upside down.

“But then I’d have to refill it!” he said in a whiny voice while pouting.

“CUT THE CRAP!” Ruin grabbed him by the upside down neck and shook him. “You just showed me the real you! We made a wager and you lost! NOW TELL ME!”

“Dunno what you’re talking about broskie, I’m always like this!” Twister grinned wide and turned himself upright. Ruin yelped as the motion turned him upside down and he fell to the ground on his back. “You get hit on the head or something? By maybe, say… a pan?” Twister snickered. “You might want to get that checked!”

Ruin stood right up abruptly and pressed his face into Twister’s, audibly seething as hisses of breath escaped his nose.

“But… hmmm…” Twister tapped his chine casually despite his nose being pressed to Ruin’s. “Actually I do recall saying something about telling you a secret…” he rubbed his chin, then rubbed Ruin’s chin, causing Ruin to pull back slightly. “I forgot, which game did you beat me at again? Was it scrabble? Those damn X’s always screw me over…”

Ruin flattened his brow as Twister continued to think to himself.

“Ah well!” Twister shrugged. “A deal’s a deal, I guess. So I’ll tell ya!”

Ruin’s eyes widened and his ears turned forward.

“The secret is…………………” Twister paused while slowly inching closer to Ruin. “We just had some time to kill!”

Twister turned and kept walking upright with his chair as Ruin’s face went completely blank.

“……………………………WHAT?” Ruin finally found his voice as his eyes followed Twister.

“It would have been boring if we just sat there and didn’t do something fun!” Twister giggled as he twirled the folded chair in his hoof, and gave it one hard shake, causing it to completely unfold before putting it on the ground.

Ruin looked like his head was about to explode as he stomped towards Twister and clenched a hoof.

“YOU MEAN TO TELL ME—”

“SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Twister suddenly jammed a hoof over Ruin’s mouth and shushed him. “Quiet down!” he snickered with a sneer. “Pull up a chair!” he offered as he sat down in his and pulled out a box of popcorn. “The real show is about to start…” his eyes flickered, his serious expression and voice suddenly returning. “Trust me… You DON’T want to miss this!” he said while motioning into the air, the mist suddenly parting above them to reveal the skyline of the Crystal Empire.

Ruin perked up, hearing the shift in tone again. He instantly pushed aside his anger and looked towards the Empire attentively.

But he immediately winced and cringed as Twister blew a vuvuzela directly into his ear for fifteen seconds straight.

“WOOOOOO!!!!!” Twister cheered, his silly voice back. “GO TEAM GO!!!!!”

Ruin shifted away from Twister, grumbling to himself as he returned his focus to the Empire.

Nearby, Dash’s squad had all turned to look as well, far beyond trying to understand what was happening at this point. The two ponies in control of the situation were now focused on the Empire, so they did too.

Dash was still groaning in Matteo’s arms, already missing the brief respite she had from her splitting headache while in Twister and Ruin’s chess match. She wanted the migraine to just go away already. It was impossible for her to focus and with so much happening around her, it was infuriating that she could barely focus on any of it. Aside from the chess match she only had bits and pieces of it all clearly in her head, and now on top of it something was about to happen and she was still trying to process that one little point she heard during the chess match.

She felt so helpless and she was sick of it, but then… she felt something. It felt like a tap on the shoulder and it wasn’t from Matteo. She forced her head to turn, opening her eyes to see Twister and Ruin clearly among the blurry visuals surrounding her.

Twister was looking right at her… and Ruin didn’t seem to notice.

“Get ready, Dash…” Twister’s voice sounded in her head without him moving his mouth. “It’ll be your move soon!”

---To Be Continued---

Author's Note:

Art in this chapter by: Foxenawolf

Well now... that just happened didn't it?

Looks like Soarin and Sombra are about to clash! Ahah... but im sure Soarin isn't done questioning exactly what Sombra has done just yet. Should Sombra convince him his ye olde Holodeck trick is legit, we've got quite a fight on our hands...or hooves... Should be interesting, no? Of course, there may be more to it than it appears... perhaps some extra motivation will be included. Sombra's magic seems o be capable of some interesting things, and if he's serious about having a duel at their best, a few other things may yet be in order.

But either way we have the ACTUAL final chapter of arc 3 coming next... but one has to wonder... Soarin and Sombra are about to cross, but what in the HELL did we just witness between Ruin and Twister? I wonder

So, anyway, in terms of the next chapter. This will be a finale chapter, just like chapter 27 and Chapter 70, i will allow myself to go past my usual word cut off if need be. I purposely ended this chapter right at this point because the oultine portion i have left is roughly the same size as the one for this chapter, I just anticipate it being a little longer due to what has to happen and how much space i believe it will take.

Now here's the kicker, i have lots of end of year days off work coming up, but those of you who have been following me for a while know that i tend to shut down during that time and not be productive at all. Work on the next chapter will begin shortly, but it will likely extend into the holidays due to it being an arc finale. But we shall see, I'm not going to hold any specific timetable.

For now, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!

(Oh man, i actually breached 2 million words, its no longer a joke, it's real )

Comments

[WildStallion]

Twister I can’t help but wonder is some form of chaos that’s not Discord and same with a Ruin. Both are like two sides of the same coin and the universe has them to keep the balance. Yea this is crazy.

Ruin= Dark Side
Twister= Light Side

[Those Kids In The Corner]

I've never seen a story reach a part 8 of a finale, much less 124,153 words. AND there's another part on the way. Wicked.

[CeasarTwain31]

This chapter is FREAKING hilarious for me because for Twister and Ruin the voices I hear are Tom Kenny doing a Spongebob like voice for Twister and Mark Hamill with his Joker voice for Ruin.

[coldsilverd]

So it was Twister who was responsible for breaking the horn! I was always curious as to who the 'woopsie' was.

Damn, it is turning interesting. And going along with the chess metaphor, I don't think its checkmate. I think Ruin didn't see where Queen Dash was on the board. I believe that is what was Twister meant by "It will be your move soon."

Though I do enjoy the fact that Nightshade is a pawn. We've always known that, but its hilarious to see everyone else as more powerful pieces than her.

[Sunset shimmer417]

Congrats on passing 2 mil words!

[Quiznak]

Hmmm...wonder if Screwball is some how part of Twister's past, that's the only non-OC pony I can think of who'd 'understand him"...meh, I'm just thinkin' out loud here.

[TexasDragon1995]

“DOES HE LOOK LIKE A BITCH?!”

Of all the comedic parts you offered this chapter, I seriously lost my shit over that one line for 5 minutes straight. And it took another 5 minutes to get it all back together again. If I ever find myself playing 'Guess Who' again somehow, I'm going straight for that line.

Overall, I really loved the chapter so thank you for bringing Twist back. I've missed his fine ass

Keep up the work you sesame seaweed sea bun

[NyOs29]

I’m not going to ask anymore...the gods playing chess with mortals’ lives...joy😑

[Gargon94]

Yay! Twister is here! I love it when Ruin and Twister are in the same room. I am very interested in seeing what Dash's move might be.

[Animak]

hmmm, reading everything, and thinking on it, only one word fits as the response

Wow

[KnightMysterio]

That Balloon metaphor at the beginning was just PERFECT. XD

[Ruby sandmoon]

I am certain this is the longest story I’ve ever read
Probably the longest one I would look forward to reading as well.
I’ve read it through fully two times already, and stayed up way past my bed time. It’s too interesting to stop reading it. Hehe
But I think it’s time I read it again...
Mostly because as of lately I haven’t found any other interesting stories.
Soooo.. off to chapter 1 I goooo!
keep up the amazing work! :)

[Calm Wind]

9962226
Two players in one big game, eh? But from where exactly?

[Calm Wind]

9962255
Can you believe it was planned as one chapter? Well actually, with me, you can totally believe that...

[Calm Wind]

9962285
Mark Hamill would make a great Ruin

[Calm Wind]

9962346
Notice that i never specified who the 'whoopsie' was But with all the gallivanting by Ruin, it was all set up to make everyone assume it was him.

[Calm Wind]

9962371
What am i doing with my life

[Calm Wind]

9962401
Twister was born in a box of eggo waffles

[Calm Wind]

9962412
I've been using that every time i play guess who since the day i first watched Pulp Fiction

[Calm Wind]

9962592
That is... if they are actually gods and not something else

[Calm Wind]

9962607
Twister and Ruin in the same room is always a recipe for fun. Especially for me, i get to go look up all sorts of old fun things to make reference to and make jokes out of

[Calm Wind]

9962710
WE HAVE TO GO DEEPER!

[Calm Wind]

9962889
One of my favorite part of Twister is poking fun at literary structure and story telling norms

[Calm Wind]

9963059
haha, thanks! Glad you enjoy it!

[Animak]

9963348
Ok but how?

[Calm Wind]

9963395
Just follow your socks

[Animak]

9963409
ok i'll try, but they kind of smell bad.

[Quiznak]

9963341
That explains everything...

[Gargon94]

9963347
Yay!

[The Pony Eclipse]

“The unwritten rule book of breaking the rules states that the one who suggested a game of rule breaking must yield the decisions of which game to break the rules of to the party of who he challenged to break the rules.”

--definite jack sparrow moment...

reverse psycology. he who breaks the most rules wins! =^-^= gods i love thinking in reverse it's just so... anticlimactic.

“I can’t show you the way… but I can help you see just how much higher this mountain reaches.”

Dash shut her mouth and held a breath in for a few moments. Her eyes shifted from Twister to the game of chess. She dared not look away… not even for a second.

--oh damn... AAAHHHHH!!!! linebreak NNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!! *grrrr*

dude, THIS is why i keep coming back daily!!! most stories are TOO DAMN SHORT! yours are engaging, captivating, exhilarating, seriously, i'm just saying. where the hell else can you get such a satisfying read and not commit hairy kairy on the constant crack level cliffhangers on steroids?

[anunenka]

9963341
Eggo or Ego? (Leggo my Ego?)

[Chillean]

Ugh nooo
I loved this chapter, and can't wait. Damn the holidays, my need for closure is harsh.
That being said, happy Xmas/turkey day...

[NyOs29]

9963335
Mark Hamill voicing Ruin while using his Joker voice?! That’s actually quite terrifying!!!

[Vael]

I fear no man... but that thing...
Looks at Serious Twister
It scares me.

[0PinkamenaDianePie0]

okay can December hurry tf up now, i NEED to know what happens

[SunnyDazz]

“Well…” Fancy tipped slightly to the left. “He did while rambling about a collection of other topics that made very little sense to me, including something about ‘additional payoff’ to somepony named ‘Chekhoove’ and a firearm hung on a wall?”

I lost it when i read that. You always find new ways to break the 4th wall in unexpected ways... Can't wait for the final part of the final. Also congrats on breaking the big 2M

[Halfdemonpyro]

I have a theory... im not even 50% sure of it, but its the one Im running with.

[Midday Giggle]

After staring for a few moments... Ruin pointed at the Soarin piece.

“I suppose... That’s why you pushed him in the back?”

I screamed.

I HONESTLY THOUGHT IT WAS RUIN!!!!

[moonrose]

I cannot BELIEVE you’re STILL writing this! Dude! That being said, I’m glad I came back to this story. I forgot just how much I liked it. I’ll be looking out for the next update

[Magical Shield]

.....

.....

I want to welcome Twister into slytherin

[SWEETOLEBOB18]

“No,” Sombra shook his head as he refocused on Soarin. “This has been you alone… and you have taken notice. Your surges in emotion have caused me discomfort. Your perseverance had (has) tugged endlessly at my hold on your body. Every effort you give has strung and pricked me, and we already know what happens when she gets involved,” he motioned a hoof towards Rainbow Dash’s image, still held down and immobile nearby, grimacing as she felt what Dash was feeling elsewhere. “I’m sure the gods weren’t expecting your connection with her to be so lethal to my grip either. It’s all happening beyond what they imagined.” Sombra sighed. “I did not mean to release you from your bindings when I entered my castle, but by then it felt pointless to hold you down. Perhaps that was a blunder on my part, but I also hoped it would present a chance to let you see things for yourself and shift your perspective.”

[Stellar_]

Well, shit, I finally caught up, for some reason I didn't read the last 3 chapters when they came out

[Silentwoodfire]

Not much else to say regarding the analogy. Its near the end

[Calm Wind]

9963593
But cliffhangers are what keep readers coming back for more! At least you know im going to update and not leave everyone hanging forever

[Calm Wind]

9964131
Well at least the next one will finally close this (coughninepartcough) arc finale!

[Calm Wind]

9965059
"Nah, nah I ain't talking about that FREAK! ... he's not here is he? Someone get this thing off me!"

[Calm Wind]

9965092

It's getting worked on!

[Calm Wind]

9965818
Twister exists to break every law of writing practice Thanks!

[Calm Wind]

9966522
HOODWINKED!

[Calm Wind]

9966793
Sometimes i can't believe im still writing it either, yet here we are