Imbalanced: New Age

by Nameless Narrator

The Noose Tightens: Gambit

[Blazing's Entry]

The headache, the damn headache.

[End Entry]

---

My short bout of insanity was more devastating to the world's recovering population than Nightmare's plague.

In the end it was Scream who stopped me, made me see the error of my ways, but no one other than Magnus and her would ever again be on my side. I heard that this happened to many alicorns when the weight of eternity crushed them, when their aspect became too much to bear. However, nothing happened when the alicorn of Wind became obsessed with chilli, not much happened when Kronos abused his power and disappeared for eons inside the stream of time. Well, nothing really happened because he returned into the same time period from which he originally disappeared, only with eons worth of experience. Heck, even Magnus only locked himself for few centuries inside his tower, shot it out into space, and refused to talk to any visitor before emerging out of nowhere and beating a passing minotaur to death with a fairy tale book while screaming "They were right the whole time". That, and granting all races access to magic which caused crippling wars and near-genocide of unicorns.

Alicorn insanity he eventually called it, and it's supposed to happen to all of us.

However, mine was devastating, and there is nothing I can do about it now other than prevent it from happening ever again. To be honest, I thought Scream's insanity would be somewhat amusing. Alicorn of Lust making lesser races enjoy sex without limitations, but that was a short-sighted view. When Scream saw what her curse led to she recovered, but her sin was too close to mine.

The lesser creatures only mated. No more invention, farming, gathering food, anything other than mating. Scream realized within few months that those cursed by her power starved to death or died of exhaustion in the middle of massive orgies spanning the globe. However, it was up to me to clean the mess up. I couldn't watch the crazy beings die in agony of their bodies breaking down without nourishment or rest, so I killed the afflicted myself.

Unfortunately, I was seen by others and the hatred towards me only intensified. I didn't mind too much, though, because it protected Scream who couldn't stop the lingering curse herself. You see, power flows much more freely when not bound by concerns and reason, and the curse of pleasure she spread was beyond her ability to control.

Void, the doombringer, the murderer, the inevitable end, the one true enemy, the vengeful outcast.

So much hatred, and I guess I deserve most of it.

"Void?" I hear an unsteady, hesitant voice and open my eyes.

Inside my Final Sanctuary there stands a young dark blue alicorn mare with starry mane, one I haven't seen in ages. My realm is no longer protected by barriers, rather by my reputation. She seems scared, but approaches me while cautiously looking around.

"Luna?"

She's the only alicorn other than Scream and Magnus whom I've met regularly before my self-imposed exile. Luna used to love playing with Scream, much to her sister Celestia's annoyance, and Scream always said the little one would become an excellent magician when she grows up.

"M-my sister s-sent me."

"Is there a problem?"

She nods, clearly worried about telling me.

"Your, umm, Scream had an accident and got stuck in Tartarus."

"WHAT?"

She covers her head with her wings.

"I apologize, little one," I add, lowering my voice, "Tell me what happened."

"I don't know, but my sister is the gatekeeper and offered to let you in to search for Scream. She said your ability to destroy magic would break any misfired spell keeping her trapped."

She twitches as I gently pat her head.

"Thank you very much, Luna. I will be going right away. Do you need me to teleport you outside or can you do it on your own?"

"I can do it," she pouts, giving me a determined glare. After a while of focusing she dissipates into blue mist which fades away.

I, on the other hoof, appear in the real world's entrance to the prison dimension of Tartarus, and immediately rush down the cave's mouth and a long staircase.

"He needed to go, and no one had the strength to dispose of him," I hear Celestia's voice echo through the cavern, "This was the only way."

"But... but you will let him go right? When he stops killing everyone."

That is... Scream. What is going on?

"You did the right thing, leaving a trace of your power down there. The world will be a better and safer place now. Not even he can escape from down there, the perfect prison."

I hear nothing but my deafening heartbeat.

"Scream?" I whimper.

My... happiness? My only joy?

"Creamy?"

I know what I myself did was wrong, but this time I was only making sure your mistake didn't cause even more pain.

"Why...?"

Silence.

***

I rush upstairs with another batch of empty batteries, this time from the back side of the fortress where five agents are holding Legius' reinforcements off. After half an hour of trotting back and forth I don't need to watch the white lines drawn on the floor anymore and just go by memory. Right under a hole in the roof towers a three griffons tall mechanical contraption with cables and slots and one agent surveying it.

"More empty clips," I toss the three on the floor.

"We're out for now," he answers, "This batch," he nods towards the six slots around the circumference of the spire-like machine, "will be done in three minutes."

"That's just six of the big beam things."

After the impressive performance of the first volley of shots which obliterated a chunk of Legius' forces the enemies scattered and brought out big riot shields. They weren't too helpful against direct hits, but it meant that every big shot took out at most three griffons, and those were the lucky hits. The good thing was that with the enemy unable to group up, they still haven't broken through the barricaded main gate. As things stand, aside from power running out faster than it can recharge we are in a solid shape.

"It's fine. The energy rifles can fire small shots as well. They are about as effective as low-caliber bullets but don't consume ammo. Just tell the guys at the windows to hold on a little longer. Oh, and when you get to Nicolai tell him some griffons tried to land on the roof and got one of the solar panels, that's why it's taking so long."

"Will do," I trot off again with the bad news.

I haven't thought I'd be in a combat situation where I wouldn't be the one fighting for quite some time, but here it is. This is the best way I can help, and that is running around, relaying orders because Nicolai's radio transmitters are being jammed, and carrying stuff. On the other hoof, if the enemies get inside I'll regret bitching about this soon enough.

In a minute I reach the northern hallway on the second floor where...

...three agents are still shooting but one is lying on the floor in a growing pool of blood with the final one trying to close a bleeding neck wound.

"Thank Emperor you're here. They started just unloading into every window and she bought it as we moved around!" the wannabe medic calls out, "I can't take a guy with me to get her to the front on a stretcher. We're barely scaring them off as it is."

"Ammo?" another agent asks.

"Will be ready in two minutes or so. Some guys took out a solar panel, whatever that is. You're supposed to shoot small lasers or something."

"You hear that, guys? No more artillery for a while!"

"Understood!"

"What about her?" I nod towards the bleeding griffoness, "I can carry her to Nicolai's group, but is she in a shape to be moved?"

The medic shakes his head.

"Look, we all know first aid, but Nicolai has a real doctor with him. If she stays here she bleeds out, no way around it. If she dies on your back, no way around it. If she survives the short trip, she's got a chance, got it?"

"Got it!"

Alright, body, now it's time to see how really useful you are.

Six tentacles grow on my back. Four take each end of the stretcher and two steady the patient. With the stretcher held above me, I test how firmly the tendrils are holding my precious cargo, and say:

"Hold on, miss, this is going to be a rough ride."

"Don't eat her on the way!" says the medic, but as I turn my head I see a smile on his beak. Before I reach the stairs down, he's already holding his rifle and firing out of the slot-like window.

The situation at the front of the fortress is no less hectic.

"SURGEON!" screams Nicolai as soon as he notices me running towards him, "What happened?"

"Shot, heavy bleeding," I put her down on the stone floor and a griffon with a large bag bearing a cross immediately tends to her.

"Sitrep!" Nicolai barks at me.

"I can stand just fine, thank you."

"Situation report!" he repeats.

"Oh, right. Single solar panel broken, shoot small lasers, stuff will take more time."

"Hmph, I guess the easy part had to end at some point."

"How many griffons did you clear out?"

"About a hundred, and if that girl doesn't make it she's going to be our first casualty."

"Not bad," I admit.

Loud boom echoes through the hall and dust drops from the ceiling.

"What's going on?" I ask, surprised that no one around is too perturbed by the explosion.

"They've been trying to blast their way inside for a while. The portcullis you dropped is making it really difficult since it's holding the rubble you guys dragged there together," acrid scent fills the air, "And I think they're realizing it as well. That's the smell of reacting sulfuric acid. It'll eat through old steel bars pretty quickly."

"What now? Should I run upstairs for batteries again?"

"No, since it's going to be slower now I don't need everyone on logistics duty. I think we're going to need you here because if they've finally grown some brain to melt their way through it means company. Soon enough they'll notice we've stopped using beam artillery as well and then they'll charge."

Flora arrives, bleeding from numerous small cuts.

"Sir, the bastards form the north assembled a cannon and blasted us with grenades. We were forced to leave the roof. Two dead, two went to help the northern squad, I'm here."

"What about the solar panels?"

"Only one left, I don't think they noticed it. Agent Donovan is still operating the generator, though, and sends a message that the communication station is fully charged and ready to transmit."

"Perfect," Nicolai nods, gives his beam weapon to Flora who takes it instead of her long-range sniper rifle and takes his place at the window.

"I thought everything was jammed."

"I told you, with enough power we can beam a message as... you have no clue about today's technology have you?"

"Keep going, I am a pony interested in devices."

"Well, just like radio transmits a frequency encoded message over radio waves, we can beam a laser in a certain direction where a reciever can catch it and decode. It takes extremely specialized equipment and it's not a two-way conversation, but the transmission is near-instant and unblockable by non-physical means. Since I'm not seeing a giant, four-story wall in the vicinity, I believe my map when it's telling me we have a clear shot at a Black Ops reciever a week of travel away."

"A week away? Will the recipient be able to send help that'll get here in time?"

"Black Ops observer from somewhere closer will be here hopefully with an airship within two-three hours if the message is relayed."

I nod and leave Nicolai messing with some knobs and sliders on an electronics-looking box.

You know, I wish I had time to get used to the new griffon inventions. They look nifty.

After something that to me sounds like rambling about Black Ops dropboxes, series of letters and numbers, I decide to trot off to check on the northern group.

Rumbling shakes the fortress, and the part above the gateway caves in...

...straight on a squad of griffons who planted the explosives.

Well, if you can't clear the rubble to get into the fortress, the fortress goes to you. Now, if we can only defend the empty second floor doorway that used to lead to the portcullis winching room which is now a heap of rocks completely blocking the main entrance off, we're golden.

An hour passes. Legius's forces retreat and attack repeatedly, but now that they are moving in groups covered by riot shields the chance of taking them down by stray shots unless they fly up is miniscule. Three more beam artillery shots discourage the more successful groups, but the time needed to recharge the weapons is too long. Thankfully, the attackers must believe they can outlast us in this stalemate so we're still holding on.

Some minutes later, the left side of main force of Legius' army starts firing at something approaching from further south.

"Allies?" I ask, momentarily stopping by Nicolai in my duty of relaying messages between the northern and southern groups, "You Black Ops guys can really move your ass- oh for stars' sake!"

"Damn it!" Nicolai adds.

The gold and purple flames that burst out of the solitary pony figure slowly walking towards the fortress are enough of a clue that our time here might be running out. Our hope that Insanity will obliterate those shooting at him proves false, hammering yet another nail into our coffins. He does kill several griffons instantly, but as soon as the left wing of the small army moves away from him he doesn't pursue them, instead simply moving to us.

Step by step.

Nicolai props the barrel of his laser rifle against the windowsil.

"Don't bother shooting at him," I shake my head, "See the faint flames tracing his body? That's armor made of divine power. Unless you have quicksilver bullets nothing mundane will go through."

"Any better ideas?"

I peek outside a little longer. Insanity's unsteady and slow wobbling is aimed straight at me like a searchlight.

"Got any of the big energy shots left?"

"One charged and one should be ready in about five minutes. Do you think that will stop him?"

I chuckle.

"Whoever he is, he uses my own power and in much greater amount. What stopped me was when a god drained me and then filled me with its power until I popped. At least that's what I remember from my final moments of burning freaking agony. No, I think that if you can just score a long groove along the ground, he'll walk around. Possibly toss a grenade out there to make a crater or something."

"That's wasting a lot of our scarce ammo on an invulnerable target to MAYBE buy us a minute or two. Are you crazy?"

"Yes, I am, but it's a minute or two to think of something."

Nicolai sighs and leans to the agent next to him.

"You heard the crazy guy. Lob a grenade in front of the slow bastard."

The explosion goes off, and I take a quick look outside again. Insanity is standing a little way back, possibly pushed by the force of the explosion, but with not even his robe scorched. Two seconds later, he resumes his plodding around the edge of the crater.

"Alright, that somewhat worked. I don't want to waste more grenades on him, because most of what we had was used to rig this place to explode if the enemies get inside. We can get at most six more blasts off before it becomes risky. You better think fast."

I shake my head.

"Are there any underground escape routes like the fortress in Steinheim had?"

"All caved in."

"Then I guess I'm out of luck, Nicolai, and I'm glad there are griffon bigwigs even in this time and age who are worth following."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that the guy is after me. ONLY after me. He doesn't care nor notice anyone who isn't standing in his way. The first time I met him I was completely devoured by a somewhat friendly Corruptor and I guess that threw him off, but he must have adapted and now even the fact that I turned into a Corruptor doesn't mislead him. I must get out of here and lead him away with me."

"You'll get captured."

"No, I won't. He will kill me. Even if Legius' griffons get me he will go after me through them, literally if need be. The more I think about it the more I realize my only way out of all this is death. I am half frothing from corruption and whenever anyone here moves in the wrong way I want to hump their leg till I start a fire. The... broken thing just outside is invulnerable and set on killing me. The dragon who stopped it and the shadow accompanying him were after me as well, I'm pretty sure about it. I have no power left I can use to protect myself or you from a divine threat. Heck, even a mundane threat is too much right now. If I lead Insanity away you might hold on here long enough for the reinforcements to arrive, but if I stay he will wipe us all out or at least blow a way inside this place which Legius' griffons will use afterwards."

"Give me a moment to think."

"You can't stop me without breaking my legs, I'm not your subordinate."

"And I am not a griffon to leave my agents and those under my protection in danger without at least thinking about it, right?"

"We don't have much time."

"Then SHUT THE HELL UP AND LET ME THINK, AGENT!" Nicolai roars at me.

Shuffling backwards, I don't let the scowling griffon out of my sight. He takes a deep breath, aims his rifle down, and pulls the trigger while making a careful U motion. I look down from the adjacent window to see Insanity watching the deep burning groove around him. Nicolai got it right. If he 'locked' Insanity in a circle, he would just walk through the fire and stumble his way across, but like this he will waste time limping around the scar.

"BLAZING-"

"-LIGHT-"

"-YOU-"

"-ARE-"

"-HARDER-"

"-TO KILL-"

"-THAN A-"

"-COCKROACH!"

"HA HAHA HAHA HAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"

Looking around for the source of the booming voice coming from everywhere around, I see only Legius' soldiers aiming their guns in panic in all directions, and Insanity continuing his endless walk.

Then Insanity's head turns, and his mouth opens in a silent scream.

A pool of bubbling ink appears in the empty space he looked at, and a muscular female earthpony, greying brown with dark brown mane fading into mossy green steps out of it. She is taller and more broadly-built than any of the griffon soldiers, and even from up here I can see her mouth open into a wide smile full of sharp teeth.

When a bright emerald beam of energy coming from her mouth pierces the air and cleaves through Insanity's fiery armor and most of his barrel, I am completely certain who the newcomer is. Insanity's wound is cauterized instantly by the everburning faint fire of Hope, and he flashes around like a phoenix flying behind a line of trees.

Thick, two-story tall, mostly see-through, shimmering green tentacles materialize nearby Insanity and swing at him. He teleports around, suddenly much faster than ever before, breathes fire at the mare who laughs and jumps high into the air to avoid it. Some tentacles freeze and shatter, others are burned away, but the titanic mare is just laughing and dodging while blasting Insanity with her emerald beam and spawning more and more tentacles every time old ones fall.

The bright green divine power she is using is painfully familiar. After all, the same thing disintegrated both Chokey and Crom a long time ago in Canterlot castle. The mare is Harmony's host, either an avatar or a possessed pony, and is using the god's power.

HOWEVER, she seems to think Insanity is me. I think she tracked me the same way Insanity did, but mistook him for me when she got here. That also explains the dragon and alicorn in the forest. They went after Insanity because they followed my old divine power and got us mixed up so close to one another.

As I watch the blinding explosions of divine power coming from the fight outside, I realize this might be our ticket out of here.

Insanity will lose. I have zero doubts Harmony's servant will eventually win this fight because I know how even simple Vigils cultist could adapt to any threat after being faced with it. If Harmony had time to infuse someone with as much power as he did with my father, Insanity will eventually fall to the purification power and adaptability of the enemy.

Minutes go by. Five, ten, thirty. Nicolai sends agents with majority of remaining firepower to clean up the northern reinforcements, and a report comes soon enough that the way north is clear. Everyone of the remaining soldiers either left to regroup with the main force or fled to recuperate elsewhere.

We could leave this place, but the problem would remain the same - we don't have enough food and water to get to the nearest city even if we somehow don't get stopped by more Griffon Imperial Legion soldiers who must be thinking they are after some armed separatists or something.

The far corner of the fortress suddenly turns to dust. Insanity's fire breath is following Harmony's servant and disintegrating anything that isn't solid ground. Legius' soldiers have cleared away, opting to sit this one out further south.

Insanity can't w-

Harmony's mare breaks black icy stalagmites of Despair that burst around her with her bare hooves, but the maneuver is just a ruse for Insanity to get above her, open his mouth, and release a beam of gold-pink energy that hurts my eyes.

The phoenix wings on his back dissipate, and he drops from the height on the scorched ground, Harmony's host nowhere to be seen.

Maybe they took each other out?

Insanity's fiery armor reappears and the pony stands back up, resuming his slow walk in a line leading straight to me.

I have never been this powerful.

"I've got an idea," Nicolai approaches me, carrying a heavy backpack with a lot of mirrors all over it, "and I would much rather ask one of my griffons to do it than you, because with the fight we've just seen I think you'd be more useful as a source of information. But I will give you a choice, since if this happened without you I would have asked my subordinate anyway."

"I guess it has something to do with that bag," I nod to it, "Some huge bomb that has been charging up until now?"

He shakes his head.

"No, I'm not Legius so that I would use means of such overwhelming destruction. It is a holographic pack. It projects stored images as three-dimensional pictures. Statues made of light would be the non-technical term. This thing can project about thirty images, which is enough for all of us, but-"

"But it can't walk on its own."

He nods.

So here it is. Nicolai thinks he has a choice, but he doesn't. If an agent carries this thing then Insanity will ignore him and still go after me. Legius isn't stupid and might realize something is up.

"Yes, either you or my agent will have to carry it to lead the army away while the rest of us perform a controlled collapse of one of the entrances to the underground tunnels and stay hidden there until everyone leaves. Since the big fight outside opened the fortress for access, I doubt we can shoot for another hour to wait for my reinforcements."

"How long will the energy last in that thing?"

"Thirteen hours tops. It is fully charged."

I nod.

"Strap that thing on my back so I don't lose it. Am I right in thinking that I can't run like a Corrupted or that would make the images move too fast as well?"

"Yes, you have to move at our normal pace. So you'll do it?"

"Yeah, such cheap trick wouldn't confuse Insanity. He would melt his way down through the rocks and find me as well as all of you."

"I must admit I wasn't expecting you to do it without any hesitation."

"I don't really have a choice, do I? Either I'm in this on my own or I'll get you killed with me. And let's be real, Flora is too hot to die and Des' group are like a family at this point. The rest of you can blow me," I stick all my tongues out at the nearby agents who chuckle and look away.

Nicolai pats my back.

"For a service of this magnitude you deserve a reward. Can I do something for you if I get out of this?"

One last thing to do, one final duty to fulfill...

...but this time it's not gonna be me who finishes it.

"Contact Bucket and lord Crimson Heart in Manehattan. I told them what I wanted to do when I got back from the Empire. Offer them any help and resources they require. If you at some point manage to help Guiding Light, tell her what happened."

Nicolai writes a short note into a surprisingly non-electronic, good, old, paper notebook.

"So be it. Let me warn you, I wanted to avoid doing this unless there was no other choice. When Legius' soldiers see you leaving with 'us' they will follow. They will believe we have enough supplies to get back to civilization and will think that we are now rested up after holding this place for few hours. Next reinforcements Legius will call won't be fifty simple soldiers, they will find you, and after all you've witnessed he won't keep you for research anymore. That's why we can't just all get up and leave north hoping we will outrun this Insanity or what you're calling the pony."

"I get it," I roll my eyes much to Nicolai's surprised expression, "What? I've died so many times that if I ever buy a coffin I'm getting one with a revolving lid."

"I'm happy to have met you," Nicolai stretches his talons towards me and I shake his foreleg.

"Don't tell anyone until you're all safe down in the tunnels, I hate saying goodbye," I say as an agent passes by, patting my shoulder, "Aside from those who have already heard our whole conversation, that is."

With heavy heart and even heavier backpack, I let one agent lead me to a place where the northern wall collapsed sufficiently for a single big pony to shimmy through. He shows me the button on the device on my back which I push and it starts buzzing. Pretty soon, twenty-six fairly believable statues surround me, moving their legs mechanically. The illusion isn't perfect, such as them leaving no pawprints, raising dust, or hovering few inches above ground, but it should be enough to confuse any distant observer.

I start out slow and, soon enough, griffons begin pouring around the fortress and running towards 'us'.

I really hope Legius doesn't have enough experience with Black Ops equipment to see through this. I'm absolutely sure some griffons will be left behind in the fortress to check for hidden messages and such but not for a bunch of griffons, few ponies, and a single hippogriff.

"Hey, Lyam, nice ass!"

Of course, the hologram in front of me doesn't answer, but now I can keep drooling over him without any risk. The things I would do to that plot given the chance. Hey, and Des is kind of skinny in the fit way but does have decent proportions as well. But damn, Strong Back with the build of an earthpony used to carrying a lot of stuff and walking or running long distances...

Cool, now I've got five legs to trot on! All planned.

Comments

[Two_Madmans]

Unfortunately, I was seen by others and the hatred towards me only intensified. I didn't mind too much, though, because it protected Scream who couldn't stop the lingering curse herself.

Sounds like something what Blaze will do done.

[Anonymous Critic]

"Look, we all know first aid, but Nicolai has a real doctor with him. If she stays here she bleeds out, no way around it. If she dies on your back, no way around it. If she survives the short trip, she's got a chance, got it?"

Well... there is another way to save her... if she could remain sane in the process, that is...

[Anonymous Critic]

"I can stand just fine, thank you."

Heh.

[Blewfire]

Is walking with five legs like walking on air. Quote of the day goes to casket with a revolving lid. Absolutely hilarious.