Hecate's Orphanage

by BlackRoseRaven

The Burning Of The Orphanage

Chapter Sixty: The Burning Of The Orphanage
~BlackRoseRaven

Alarms blared throughout the control center in Imperia as flashing dots appeared over the massive map projected on the front wall, Seneschal shouting: “Sectors five, seven, eleven, fifteen, and eighteen are all reporting power fluxes! Void energy has been detected, the scramblers are being overloaded or bypassed!”

“Seneschal! Level One alert, deploy all forces to destroy the enemy!” Hecate ordered, leaning forwards for a moment as her eyes flicked across the screen before she spun around and stormed towards the elevator, adding sharply into her communicator: “Mobilize all Dogmatists! Repel, authorize lethal force across all units!”

The elevator doors slammed shut around her, Hecate descending rapidly to the depths of the castle as Thorn's voice came briskly: “I'm rerouting power now.”

“Good. Quarantine each district.” Hecate smiled thinly as information spilled over the lenses on her eyes, before she ordered ruthlessly: “Seal sector eighteen completely and flush the entire zone with P-Ox III. Send in security orbs to observe, I want to judge the efficacy on Thokk's units.”

“Yes, Empress Hecate.” Thorn answered, and Hecate could hear the hesitation in his voice even though she didn't doubt he'd follow through with her orders. She didn't like it either...

But she was not about to play nice with invaders. Today, she was going to teach Thokk a lesson.

The doors opened, and Hecate strode out of the elevator and down a narrow cement hall as she continued: “Sectors five and seven are the most vulnerable. Route teams 0-0, B-11, and E-04 to sector five, and teams A-01, A-04, and C-07 to sector seven. The rest is up to your discretion.”

“They're en route now.” Thorn said, and Hecate smiled thinly: she knew things would go to hell eventually, but as long as they could slow down Thokk before she could gain too much momentum, she knew they would be fine.

The mechanical goddess shouldered her way through a door at the end of the passage, entering a massive, underground laboratory where some of her most sensitive projects were stored. The room was vast and open, with two huge pillars near the front, skinned with thick, crisscrossing cables and with cores of glowing, thrumming gemstone, providing power to the strange capsules and machines that lined the walls.

Hecate strode calmly and quickly to the massive set of glass screens at the back of the room, the screens blinking to life the moment they detected her drawing close. Hecate went to work without a pause, her mechanical hands tapping complex commands across the wall of monitors as her eyes flicked back and forth, taking in every bit of information that spilled rapidly across the screens before she smiled thinly as a warning flashed in the corner of her eye, but she had felt the witch's presence even before the sensors had detected her.

“I'll be with you in a moment.” Hecate said fearlessly as she continued to tap across the screen, but Thokk only tittered quietly as she laced her fingers together, swaying back and forth excitedly on the spot.

“No, no! Take your time, take your time!” Thokk said enthusiastically, before she flicked a hand almost idly to the side to create a floating screen of her own, the witch turning her awful mask towards this to watch as a multitude vortexes ripped open in reality through Decretum: these only stayed open for a few moments, but they allowed Voidborn and strange, alien creatures to leap into every part of the city, Hecate scowling as alerts popped up across her monitors. “I want to watch, too. I want to watch as your forces crumble. I want to watch as your entire world burns.”

Thokk's voice took on a sharp, hard edge for a moment, before the witch coughed loudly and cleared her throat violently, hammering wildly at her breast as Hecate slowly straightened, before her eyes narrowed sharply on another alert as the witch apologized: “Sorry about that. I guess I got a little carried away and all. I just... I get so angry sometimes, and I'm so excited that finally, we're going to make everything right, I'm going to fix everything, but yet I still have to go through some pathetic self-proclaimed horse goddess that has just made such a revolting mess of everything-”

Hecate turned calmly around, then she asked coldly: “Who betrayed me?”

Thokk gasped, rearing back and she shoved her hands over her stone mouth in a huge, exaggerated gesture, before she leaned forwards and asked with false incredulity: “What? Someone betrayed you and told me exactly where this gigantic ticking stopwatch was most vulnerable? How, oh how, could this ever happen?”

Thokk paused, then she suddenly leaned back and crossed her arms, saying in a self-satisfied voice: “Oh, right, I can recall souls from the Void. How does it feel, Hecate, to know that some of your soldiers died hating you. Hating you, so much, that they've decided to sell you out... or heck, maybe that means they love you. Because soon, everything is going to be one, anyway. Soon enough, my darling, I'll have everything I need to melt a hole in reality large enough that the Void will flow into the universe, and the universe will pour into the Nothingness. Then, then, then, everything will be back the way it should have always been! And all shall once more be the Prime!”

Hecate only smiled thinly, and Thokk seemed to scowl as she tilted her head, asking as she spread her arms: “Something funny, tin-lady?”

“You don't care about the Prime. You don't care about rule, or everyone being 'together' or 'happy' or 'sad.' You don't even care about power. Wear your mask, Thokk, or whatever you call yourself, but I know your kind. I can see through you, your mask, and all your lies.” Hecate said coldly, her eyes locked on the witch. “What's wrong? Did the world hurt you? Boo-hoo, that's so sad. Go cry or write about it in your diary. I don't have the time or patience to deal with special snowflakes like you, even if they think they can wash away the universe so they don't have to have their special feelings hurt anymore.”

Thokk twitched visibly, violently, and Hecate smiled again, cold and contemptible, before she simply waved a hand dismissively and turned back towards her control terminal. “See yourself out.”

“Do not treat me like a child!” Thokk roared, unleashing a tremendous blast of magic at Hecate, but the mechanical goddess only half-spun and slammed a fist out, smashing the bolt of energy away.

Thokk stood, arm extended, body heaving as she growled, her voice dropping almost an octave: “You have no idea what I have seen, what I have been through... what I endured every day of life, what I felt every second of my endless undeath! They made me what I am! They blamed me, for every little thing that went wrong in those oh so glorious golden halls! Well, fine! The All-Father is gone, Valthrudnir is gone, the Norns are gone, all those people responsible for my torment... and now, I'm going to take their legacy, and tear it all down. Wipe it all out. Erase it. Erase even the memory of their existence, and then I will be the survivor, and I will write history. And the 'stupid trickster' will have the last laugh!”

Thokk breathed hard in and out, clenching her hands tightly into fists in front of her, but Hecate only snorted in contempt before she said softly: “No matter how powerful you are, no matter how 'strong' you think your forces are... you will never be able to defeat us.”

“Oh, so you think, Hecate. But every soldier of yours who dies, I can pull out of the Void to become a soldier of mine.” Thokk's eyes blazed as the witch straightened, hissing: “Decretum burns. And it burns because of my power. Because I can bring back the dead-beyond-dead, and make former enemies fight as one beside each other. You think your unity is so precious? It is nothing compared to the harmony I have inspired in my armies!”

Hecate only laughed quietly, shaking her head slowly before she turned slowly around, then calmly rose both arms. Immediately, a massive holographic screen appeared, displaying a map of Decretum, showing every point where Thokk's forces had breached. The witch laughed, even as Hecate only laced her hands behind her back, even as desperate alerts blared across the screen. “What is this? Are you showing me how easily I'm going to overwhelm your-”

“Seneschal, iuncta iuvant.” Hecate ordered, and a siren blared before Thokk looked up in surprise as dozens of new marks began to spread across the holographic projection.

The witch hurriedly turned towards her own screen, and she snarled in fury as she saw a vortex rip open on it, demons silently streaming out of it before Thokk took a slow breath as Hecate said quietly: “We have friends as well. Friends in both high places and low places. You have underestimated us.”

“No. You are the one who has underestimated me.” Thokk said darkly, as she simply let the screen beside her drop and shatter away to dust, the witch trembling in anger. “Numbers won't win you the day this time, Hecate. The Elementals will continue to pour in through Ginnungagap until those portals are sealed. The Primordials will tear your sanctuaries and your world apart. My Cydonifamulai are all but invulnerable. This is just what I want. Bring your friends. Let them all die, together!”

Thokk stomped a foot furiously, cracking the cement beneath her, but Hecate only continued to watch her with cold calculation, until the witch said softly: “Besides. I'm right here. You're right here, too. No running away, for either of us, sweetie. What do you think of that?”

Hecate simply flexed her mechanical body, stepping into a ready position as she smiled thinly, electricity crackling across her armored frame as she said coldly: “Take off your mask.”

“You're in no position to give orders.” Thokk shot back at her contritely, but Hecate's expression didn't change, and her eyes didn't wave from the cold stone of the mask.

“The game is over, Thokk... except Thokk never existed, did she? Neither did the Jarsongildi, or any of these other false leads we've been chasing. I don't think even the Prime exists. I think all of this has been manipulation and misdirection, solely to hide your true face.” Hecate said calmly, and the witch pretended to look shocked before the mechanical empress stated in a soft, dangerous voice: “My only question is whether you were a coward who fled Valhalla when Valthrudnir invaded, or a prisoner who he overlooked.”

“Oh, believe you me, he didn't overlook me... I was one of his first victims. Unlike him, I had to work for my powers... but I had a lot of time on my hands, and being caught between death and life, well...” the entity chuckled quietly, as it straightened slowly and reached up a hand to grasp its mask, whispering as the high-pitched voice took on a lower tone, less feminine and yet not the deep masculinity she'd expect from a war god: “Fine. Masks off, Hecate. Because you're right. The game is very much over.”

Fingers tightened, and the mask was removed, and Hecate straightened slowly as she gazed into the gleaming and tortured blue eyes of her foe. They studied each other, these two figures, for the longest time, before the figure asked softly: “Do you know my name?”

Hecate did: she spoke it, and the figure smiled.

Cadence swore under her breath as she leapt backwards, her white armor thankfully deflecting the worst of the magic that splashed down over her before she retaliated with a blast of white energy in the direction her visor told her to fire. The blast of magic did little more than knock the Husk mage off its hooves, but it gave her and her team enough time to scramble for cover beside a building as part of the road erupted nearby.

They hadn't even been able to make it to sector five to engage the enemy: they had been cut off at the outskirts of Imperia by an attack force, before Seneschal had rescinded the former order and instead told them to exterminate all hostiles and reclaim whatever territory they were in. But now they were pinned down by Husks that had taken to the rooftops and invaded nearby buildings, using elevation to snipe at them.

Her team stood with her, at least, although they had rushed through getting ready: La Croix only had a vest and a satchel of supplies, and Sombra didn't have his purifier, but instead was wearing a collar that kept him calm. Miasma leaked from his eyes, but the collar was enough to let him keep control over himself for now.

Moonflower had his full armor, but it was already dented and damaged from the chaos: Husks and Elementals were everywhere, attacking indiscriminately, and while they weren't as dangerous as the Voidborn, the Primordials, or the horrific, twisted things that had also wriggled their way into their reality, many of the Husks were smart enough to pick up fallen Decretum weapons, and plenty of the Elementals liked to explode when they died.

“Okay. Our choice is to either go through the building or make a dash for it. If Moonflower can cloak or shield us, we might...” Cadence halted, then she looked up in surprise as a vortex ripped open in reality only a few dozen feet away. She swore and immediately drew her rifle, but then her eyes widened as an assortment of strange ponies leapt in through the rift, shouting and roaring and immediately attracting the attention of the Husks above.

Bullets and magic tore into the ground around the newcomers, but one of them – a half-dragon hybrid, Cadence thought with surprise – slashed her horn sharply up, creating a forcefield, before a mare in golden armor snapped her horn out, retaliating with a fireball that blew apart part of the roof before it became a wave of water that drove the Husks backwards. And Cadence's eyes widened as she recognized the mare after a moment, blurting: “Valkyrie Prestige?”

Prestige glanced over at the mare with surprise, then she smiled warmly as the stallion beside her leaned over with a wide grin. “Hey, what, you cheating on me with a mare? Because that's pretty hot, really. I won't be mad if-”

“Shut up, hero. Cadence! We're here on invitation from Empress Hecate, here to offer our support.” Prestige said as Cadence's team came out of cover to approach the strange group that had stormed into their reality.

Cadence's eyes drifted over them, before her eyes widened in surprise as a pale pink mare spat: “Excuse me, girls, I'm not in the mood for tea time and dollies.”

With that, the mare burst apart into black smoke, streaking sharply away as Cadence asked dumbly: “That demon...”

“Oh, please excuse my Phoenix, for she is in a most foul mood! 'Tis not her fault, though, I have been vexed myself at the thought of my dearest daughter, so far away... but so noble was her sacrifice, how could I not be proud, too?” declared a massive earth pony, and Cadence began to scowl before she felt the Swan suddenly roil inside of her, forcing the ivory mare to drop to a kneel.

“Lord Thor. We are honored by the presence of a Father.” Danzsöngr said calmly, and the huge earth pony blinked, but then he threw back his head and laughed, and the Swan frowned slightly as she looked up almost uneasily, before hurriedly retreating and leaving Cadence to choke and flail wildly when the massive stallion hugged her tightly around the neck, hefting her into the air.

“Nay, nay, enough of that! I am but Sleipnir, that is who I am and that is all I aim to be, most fair and gorgeous of mares!” Sleipnir smiled warmly as he set her firmly down on her hooves, Cadence staggering dumbly before the stallion quickly reached out and settled her. “And who, may I ask-”

“Hey, guys, we're in the middle of the street and there's enemies literally everywhere! Pinkamena's got a good start but I can't keep this forcefield up forever, maybe you could give me a little help!” snarled the weird dragon-pony, before she scowled horribly at the black stallion beside Prestige when he leaned over to pat her condescendingly on the head.

“Yes, yes. You're quite a big strong girl, Sin, we're all super proud of you.” he said seriously, and then he spun towards Cadence, looking her thoughtfully over before he grinned and winked. “Hope you're half as good as Prestige and Thorn both told me. Otherwise we're totally going to take home all the glory.”

With that, the stallion turned, what Cadence had thought was a strange cape spreading into crystalline wings as he flung himself upwards and flapped them hard, shooting fearlessly into the air as Prestige asked quickly: “Sitrep?”

Cadence quickly reached up and tapped a hidden button on the side of her helmet, grimacing a bit at the information that scrawled across the visor over her eyes before she muttered: “Massive enemy force, attacking from literally everywhere. They've invaded several facilities, and we've got readings on anchored portals, although they're creating huge amounts of interference so I can't lock on to where they are exactly... uh... Horses of Heaven...”

“Calm down, mi amore. We can do this together.” Sombra reassured gently, as Moonflower shifted nervously beneath the forcefield that the dragon-mare was still maintaining, and La Croix took the moment to drop his equipment bag to pull out his potion-making equipment. “Do you need to know anything in particular, Miss Prestige?”

“Current orders and objectives.” Prestige answered, and Cadence smiled wryly. Well, that was simple enough, at least.

“Neutralize the enemy by any means necessary. Reclaim as much territory as possible, as well: Thokk waited for our forces to begin moving to engage the first set of units she dumped into Decretum before she started her actual attack, so a lot of our soldiers have been stranded and dispersed.” Cadence explained, and Prestige nodded with a slight smile.

“Well, us dropping in should help with that. I'll pass it along the line to other officers I meet. Thanks, Cadence. Good luck.” Prestige said with a quick salute, and Cadence saluted back before the Valkyrie turned and galloped straight down the center of the road, shouting: “Everyone, let's move! Let's hit them with everything we've got!”

The rest of the strange ponies followed after her, and Cadence turned her attention towards her own team, saying quickly: “Alright, I noted that there's a lot of enemy activity moving in to the south, they might be moving to reinforce another flank. With them handling things here, let's move to engage and cut off the enemy before they can get too far.”

“You got it, mademoiselle.” La Croix easily scooped up his potion kit in his bag, tossing it back on as Moonflower gritted his teeth and nodded firmly. “Hey, don't look so grim. You gonna ruin your complexion, rein de la nuit.”

“Oh shut up, you awful stripehorse. At least I have a complexion to ruin.” Moonflower retorted lamely, rubbing embarrassedly at his face before he visibly steeled himself. “But I'm ready too, Cadence. Anything you say.”

Cadence smiled briefly as her father bowed his head to her, and the ivory mare turned to lead them quickly down the street, grimacing a bit as an explosion rose up in the distance. “I never imagined we'd be fighting here... even when Thokk was at her worst, I never thought...”

Sombra nodded with a faint smile as he galloped by her side, his body bleeding poison, yet his eyes as clear and calm as ever as he said softly: “I know, my child. We never do. As many times as I've been here before, Cadenza... all the same, I feel the same...”

“That same loss of balance.” Moonflower, surprisingly, was the one to finish, the unicorn raising his head before he said firmly: “But that's all the more reason for us to fight, isn't it? We can't just stand by and let this happen. We have to push them back.”

“And we will, together. We're stronger than Thokk, together.” Cadence agreed, before the ivory mare grimaced as her visor suddenly went wild with warnings and static as they reached a T-shaped intersection, swearing as she said sharply: “Get ready!”

A vortex ripped open in front of them, Cadence snarling as she set herself, her companions steadying themselves around her, and then the ivory mare gaped in shock as some kind of machine ripped through the portal and skidded to a halt in front of them. The rift slammed shut behind the growling, armored motorcycle, and Luna Brynhild grinned widely as she leaned across the handlebars on the front of the machine, peering over a pair of sunglasses at the ivory mare as she remarked: “Well, Swan, what nonsense is this? I could hear the noise from three worlds hence!”

“Valkyrie...” Cadence snarled, baring her fangs, before she felt Danzsöngr suddenly shove her aside, and the ivory mare's features became cold and measuring as she rose her head high, taking in the trio on the motorcycle in the center of the road, beneath the shadow of the mighty tower that loomed over the intersection.

And after a few moments, Danzsöngr said softly and seriously: “Valkyrie Brynhild. If you have come here to aid us, we will accept your aid with gratitude. We are capable of putting our petty squabbles aside. We only ask that you try and show us the same courtesy.”

“'Tis strange to hear a Swan asking of courtesy.” Brynhild remarked mildly, but then she hesitated. She looked first to the sidecar beside her, where Scrivener Blooms was looking at her pointedly from the small seat he was scrunched into, and then she half-turned to glance back at Morgan Heldóttir, who was in the seat behind her. After silently consulting with the two for a few moments, she turned back ahead, grimacing a bit as explosions ripped across the sky before she muttered: “Fie. Very well. Will the Clockwork beasts attack us?”

“They are not beasts. They are soldiers of Decretum.” Danzsöngr said calmly, before Cadence shivered as she felt the Swan leaving, the ivory mare swaying for a moment before she caught herself and looked up, saying curtly: “My friends and I are moving to intercept a large unit that's on the move, we can't stay here. Are you coming with us, or-”

Brynhild grinned widely as she and her two companions dismounted the motorcycle, which growled loudly before it twisted around to the side and shot off on its own, Cadence somehow managing to pretend that didn't startle her as Moonflower gaped and La Croix leaned uncomfortably away. “Nay! I sense familiarity in the air over all the chaos... I think I will head back the way thou came and cover thy tracks, Swan. May we both find what we are looking for.”

Cadence gave the briefest of smiles at this, trading a short nod with the mare before she swore under her breath as something fell out of the sky and smashed into the massive clock tower, making it rattle as she ordered sharply: “Moonflower, put a shield over us! Come on, let's move and put a stop to that artillery unit!”

Team 0-0 ran quickly past, Cadence and Brynhild glaring at each other for a moment before they both looked away at almost the same time, the sapphire mare grinning widely as she looked down the street, and the ivory mare facing forwards, leading her stallions quickly away. Brynhild absently rolled her head on her shoulders, then she looked up mildly as Scrivener said dryly: “It wouldn't kill you to pretend to be nice for once.”

The sapphire mare huffed over her shoulder at him, and then she turned her eyes forwards, gesturing quickly with her head as Morgan Heldóttir cautioned: “Hel was serious when she told us what was going on. We have to be careful.”

Luna Brynhild only grunted loudly as she led the way calmly forwards, grimacing as she looked back and forth: the streets were cracked, the buildings were already showing signs of damage, the red and black skies above roiled with combat. She could hear cannon fire and explosions of magic and the clash of steel-on-steel: Decretum was at war, and even without Hel's warning... “Aye, I am being careful, Morgan, thou knows I am. But after all Hecate has done, to see the world...”

“Yes... it is sad, isn't it?” asked a soft voice, and the trio came to a halt as they looked ahead to see a lone mare standing calmly on one side of the road. She smiled at them pleasantly, and Luna and Scrivener's eyes both widened before Morgan's own jaw dropped as she felt their thoughts, but the mare only chuckled quietly, her strange, octagonal collar thrumming with eerie runes as she bowed her head low and said gently: “You've changed, young ones, but I remember you very well... and of course, my friend has told me much about you...”

Melinda the Sky Witch calmly, gently gestured to the side, and a portal opened, and Thesis strode out of this, grinning widely. He opened his mouth, but his expression curdled into a scowl as another pony leapt quickly out of the portal and landed on his other side, the mare leaning forwards with an intense, hungry look in her eyes as she whispered: “Finally. I knew we could meet again... even as I lay dying like a dog, I knew we would meet again: I never fail to hunt my chosen prey...”

“You aren't killing them. We're taking them alive.” Thesis said calmly but firmly, the stallion rolling his shoulders slowly. Luna noted with narrowed eyes that he had some kind of exoskeleton implanted in his back, which made her tense, except even as it activated with a whirring hum, the stallion gave the trio a lopsided grin and a slow wink, asking: “But hey, three on three, so how about mare-for-mare, stallion-for-stallion, uh... whatever the hell you are, Luna, for... whatever the hell you are, Sol.”

Sol Seraph looked less than amused, turning a cold eye towards Thesis, but Luna grinned slightly as she cracked her neck before growling: “Well, here in a place where I can fully exercise my powers, against a foe I will truly feel no remorse for... what does thou think, Sol Seraph? Art thou a match for me?”

The Pegasus flexed, but Thesis quickly held a hoof up in front of her, before he winced when her hoof crossed sharply back in front of him: except hers now held a knife that rested blade-first against his throat, as Melinda visibly stiffened. “I do not obey your orders. I obey Thokk only because it has led to this moment, here, and now: the moment where I shall strike out at my prey. The moment where I shall finally lay waste to a 'hero,' and all she loves.”

Thesis leaned his head back slightly, but he didn't waver otherwise as he replied gently: “You know, Sol, you can wait quietly for a minute or two more, and then go wild, really. I'm not going to stop you. But no matter how much you might want to play dominatrix with me, I'm really not into that. So please take your knife away from my throat and sit back and listen quietly, or I'm going to ask my nice friend Melinda here to choke you to death with her mind powers.”

“We've been over this before, dear, hexes are just a different sort of magic. But he's very right, Miss Seraph.” Melinda smiled, but even though it was kind, and almost sympathetic, her gaze was cold and unflinching as she said softly: “Step back for a moment, dear, or I'll have to send you back to the Void.”

Sol Seraph scowled, but after a moment, she relented and made the knife in her hoof vanish as she leaned back. Her eyes locked on Luna Brynhild, who grinned coldly, fearlessly back, as Thesis leaned forwards and said softly: “I won't insult you by asking you to join us. But I hope you know that this is the end, either way... how does that old song go? So you should enjoy yourself, because it's later than you think...”

Luna's eyes widened slightly, and Sol immediately locked on to this, asking coldly: “What kind of message is this, Thesis? Is this a betrayal of Thokk?”

“None of us here can betray Thokk. She has all of us by the short hairs, one way or the other, unfortunately.” Thesis smiled back at Sol Seraph, then he tilted his head towards her and asked mildly in return: “You gonna run home and tattle on me?”

But Sol Seraph only snorted at this, turning her eyes back towards Luna Brynhild with disgust as she said softly: “Of course not. By all means, do what you will, Thesis. Feed them strength and belief. I will enjoy crushing the hope from their eyes.”

“Only Luna's. Don't be selfish now, Sol Seraph. One for each of us.” Thesis corrected almost kindly, earning a scowl from the Pegasus. “You're like a foal in a candy store. Except you want to crush all the candy before you lick it up off the floor. Which is awful, by the way. Both hygiene-wise and health-wise.”

Sol Seraph was silent for a moment, and then she suddenly spun and leapt towards Luna Brynhild. But with only a grin and a sharp flick of her horn, a spear burst into existence in a flare of sapphire hellfire in front of her, ramming through Sol Seraph's chest before Luna half-turned with a roar and snapped the weapon out to the side, flinging the Pegasus through the window of a nearby building.

For one brief moment, Luna looked over at Thesis before she firmly tapped her own nose and tipped him a wink, then she turned and leapt after Sol Seraph. Melinda chuckled quietly at this, and then she graciously bowed to Morgan Heldóttir, asking her kindly: “Will you allow me to put your magic to the test, darling? You have an absolutely exceptional energy about you... a power I feel that I must experience for myself, if you will allow a selfish request.”

Morgan smiled a bit after a moment, and then she replied quietly: “The honor would be all mine, Lady Melinda.”

“Please, dear. Just Melinda is fine. Prince Thesis, Mr. Blooms... please don't be too rough on each other. We all have a common goal here.” Melinda said gently as a glow surrounded her body, before she smiled as she rose her head and floated into the air, gesturing off to the side. “Shall we, darling?”

Twilight smiled hesitantly, glancing over at Scrivener, and he nodded to her before he turned his eyes ahead, saying softly: “Don't worry. I think I can manage to hold my own here. You go ahead: not every day even people like us get to fight legends, after all.”

“I am pretty awesome.” Thesis agreed as he winked and flexed a foreleg, and Scrivener sighed and rolled his eyes as Twilight smiled a little wider, and Melinda gently kicked the Replicant in the shoulder, making him huff a little. “Well, Mel, it's pretty vain to think they were talking about you.”

“They clearly were, dear, but I can't help there's been all these silly stories about me. Now, behave yourself, will you? Just for a little bit longer, that's all. One way or the other... we both know this will be over soon.” Melinda said gently, before she smiled over at Twilight, who spread her wings and flew into the air. The two took off without another word, leaving Thesis and Scrivener standing in front of the clock tower, facing each other calmly, studying one-another curiously.

Finally, Scrivener said softly: “You seem different from last time. Saner.”

“I was perfectly sane the last time we fought. Mostly. Mostly-perfectly.” Thesis argued with a huff, before he added mildly: “Also I could say the same about you. You seem confident. Ready to fight this time, not just delaying the inevitable or hiding behind that stallion of yours.”

“With Luna, it's usually just better to let her have her way, that's all.” Scrivener shrugged after a moment, studying Thesis before he asked: “Did Hecate make that new exoskeleton for you?”

“Like it?” Thesis smiled slightly as he shifted a bit to let the stallion get a better view of the machinery built into his back, the Replicant chuckling quietly before he straightened. “It's different from the previous models I had implanted on my body, which all functioned by using corruption... Thorn didn't tell me, but... I'm thinking that this is designed to help me think clearer, too.”

“And you've had some help from someone else, too.” Scrivener said softly, and Thesis only shrugged amiably before he reached up and tapped pointedly at his nose.

The Replicant set himself, and Scrivener did the same before Thesis said softly: “But all the same, brother, we are enemies on the battlefield today. Melinda is testing Twilight, and I suppose Sol is as good a test as any for Luna... and I have to admit, I'm very curious to see what you're capable of now. Even though we were born so far apart, we're both sons of the same father, aren't we?”

“His sins visited upon us.” Scrivener intoned ironically, and then he flexed one Talon slowly before he smiled slightly. “But the Archives aren't watching. We're actually here on the orders of you-know-who...”

“Somehow, I think everyone here... is here, in part, because of her meddling. Maybe even Thokk.” Thesis paused for a moment, and then he punched a hoof against the ground before he grinned slightly and asked: “But hey, enough stalling. Show me your strength, Scrivener Blooms!”

Scrivener smiled slightly as electricity sparked over Thesis' exoskeleton, the Replicant leaning forwards as his hooves dug into the ground, his eyes blazing as energy crackled around him before he vanished from the spot in a burst of power. But Scrivener Blooms was ready, unfazed as he smoothly leaned backwards and tilted slightly to the side, one claw reaching up to catch a punch from the Replicant as he said mildly: “You're going to have to do better than that.”

Thesis snorted in amusement, and then he suddenly dropped backwards, at the same time forcefully yanking Scrivener on top of him before he kicked him savagely into the air with both rear hooves, the stallion grunting in surprise before the Replicant vanished from the spot and reappeared in midair, slamming both rear hooves out in a vicious kick that sent Scrivener crashing through one of the windows of the clock tower.

The Replicant flipped neatly as he dropped back to the ground, landing with a grin as he called easily: “You mean like that?”

A rumble spilled through the air, and Thesis frowned slightly before his eyes widened as the wall of the clock tower exploded outwards, a Tyrant Wyrm smashing to the ground in front of Thesis with a wide grin before the transformed Scrivener replied in a teasing growl: “A little better.”

Thesis readied himself as Scrivener flexed slowly, his emotions mixing with the fury and the excitement of the others. Morgan was deep in her own combat with Melinda, in a mix of duel and play as they challenged each other with their most powerful magic.

And Luna, meanwhile, was entrenched in her own combat with Sol Seraph, the sapphire mare grinning even as she found herself amazed by the ferocity of the Voidborn Pegasus as she flung herself towards her again, Luna narrowly catching her against the body of her spear before she flung her backwards, shouting: “Has thou been practicing, Sol Seraph? I do not remember thee being half so threatening as this in life!”

Sol Seraph flipped her body sharply before she caught herself halfway down the hallway, her eyes locked on Brynhild as she said coldly: “Bark, dog. But you were always afraid of me.”

Luna only snorted as she leaned forwards, her eyes gleaming as her spear sparked with energy. “Well, we have all made mistakes, have we not? But thou wert no match for me then, just as I am certain thou art no match for me now, wretched volk. And I shall savor every moment of this.”

Sol Seraph responded by charging straight at Luna, and the sapphire mare grinned before leaping forwards to intercept. But with ease, the Pegasus suddenly flung herself to the side as she flicked out her hooves, flinging out a pair of glass explosives as she launched herself sideways.

Luna was ready, however, snapping her spear out to bat one of the glass baubles away as she caught the other in her hoof, grinning even as Sol Seraph slammed into the wall and charged along it with a flap of her wings, trying to get on her flank. But with a flick of her wrist, Luna flung the antimagic explosive straight at the Pegasus as she leapt away, yet she grimaced as she still felt the shock of vibrations through her horn when the sphere exploded-

And Sol Seraph didn't even flinch as she dove through the blast, hidden blades popping loose from her bracers as she drove at Luna's side. The sapphire mare swore as she narrowly sidestepped, her horn slashing out as she turned, but the Pegasus caught her against her blades, slashing and stabbing viciously forwards and striking against Brynhild's horn, sending painful reverberations through her skull as the ruthless Voidborn slammed blow after blow against her spire.

A blade suddenly stabbed in towards Brynhild's eye, but the mare managed to twist her spear between them before she shoveled roughly forwards with the pole, launching the Pegasus backwards as Luna growled: “Not fast-”

Sol Seraph flipped upside down, launching a pair of gleaming knives at Luna, the mare spinning her spear into these to deflect them with a grin before her eyes widened as she caught sight of the silver wire too late, and the Pegasus yanked sharply back on the almost invisible metal string, ripping the spear out of Luna's telekinetic grip to fling it quickly away.

Luna lunged at Sol's back, but the Voidborn kicked out both her rear hooves as hidden blades sprung from the bracers around her hind legs, the sapphire mare swearing as she narrowly lunged out of the way, deflecting one of the blades with her horn as the other narrowly scratched across her cheek.

But as the winged unicorn flung herself backwards, Sol rolled her own body, flicking her forelegs out with a cold smile, and Luna's eyes widened as she saw the nooses of steel wire too late before they hooked around her horn. And when Sol dropped from the air, the Pegasus yanked down savagely at the same time to jerk Luna face-first into the ground with a tremendous bang.

The sapphire mare swore as she tried to throw herself backwards as her horn gleamed, but Sol Seraph leapt forwards over her, twisting the shining, silvery wire around the winged unicorn's throat before she slammed both forelegs down into the sapphire pony's back, Luna crying out in agony as the twin hidden blades bit into her body. She felt herself jerked along with Sol Seraph when the Pegasus rolled, before she was slammed down on her face as the silver wire tightened along her body, Sol's body pinning her to the ground as the Pegasus whispered in her ear: “You are weak.”

One of the blades buried in her back twisted slowly, and Luna gasped in pain before she snarled in anger and humiliation, her ephemeral mane bursting into blue flames as electricity tore across her form. But Sol Seraph only smiled coldly, yanking the metal wire tighter as she leaned her weight down harder against Luna, digging those deadly, gleaming blades further into her body-

The winged unicorn suddenly dropped flat as her horn pulsed, and Sol Seraph grunted in surprise as the mare's body became gleaming, icy mist that tore upwards around her as she fell to the ground, before the Pegasus' eyes widened in surprise as her own steel wire snapped itself violently around her body with so much violence that it lifted her into the air, before Luna reformed above her and slammed a hoof down into her spine.

Sol Seraph struck the floor with enough force that she bounced once, before Luna dropped her full weight and all four hooves down on the Pegasus, crushing her into the floor before the sapphire mare flicked her horn sharply, her spear launching itself towards her-

An explosion tore through the corridor, Luna swearing as she was flung backwards to bounce painfully down the hallway, while Sol Seraph was flung in the other direction, her body glowing brightly as it was shred into pieces before repairing itself just as rapidly.

Luna hit the ground on her side and rolled sharply to her hooves, her spear snapping to a ready position beside her, as Sol Seraph landed in her own ready stance, her expression cold even as her body steamed with energy as it knitted itself back together.

“So weak.” Sol Seraph said softly, and then she smiled contemptibly as she flexed her body slowly, asking quietly: “Is this the best you can do?”

Luna narrowed her eyes for a moment, before she smiled thinly as she straightened slightly, replying calmly: “Perhaps I misjudged thee, Sol Seraph. Yes, 'tis clear that I have. For thou art not nearly as great, nor as fearsome as I had expected. Thou art cowardly, weak, and dependent upon thy foul little toys to fight. Thou art no warrior. Thou art nothing but a skulk.”

“Talk as much as you like, Brynhild, but you are still the same as you have ever been to me. Prey. And you are already bloodied and wounded. Talk all you like, but you are no match for me.” Sol Seraph replied calmly, although one of her hooves dug slowly against the floor as her wings spread, her body flexing visibly as she gazed coldly across at Luna Brynhild.

But Brynhild only grinned wryly, her eyes gleaming as her spear sparked with energy before she growled: “Then let us hope that thou may live up to thine own braggery... although thus far, all I have been is disappointed.”

Luna's fiery mane swayed back and forth, and Sol Seraph smiled thinly before she asked softly: “With me, or with your own pathetic performance?”

The sapphire mare snorted at this, then answered distastefully: “Both.”

“Then may this inspire you.” Sol Seraph said calmly, before she flung herself backwards as she hurled a fan of knives out from either hoof, Luna's eyes widening in shock as she felt the thrum of power in her bones too late-

A massive blast erupted through the building next to them, blowing out most of the windows and causing part of the structure to collapse. Scrivener Blooms, even in his Tyrant Wyrm shape, flinched visibly, and Thesis felt that it wasn't just from the force of the blast.

Yet all the same, he took the advantage it had given him, leaping towards the Tyrant Wyrm, but Scrivener was faster than he expected, flinging himself backwards before he leaned forwards with a furious roar, unleashing a blast of both toxic sapphire mist and raw force. It blasted Thesis off his hooves, the Replicant swearing in pain as he bounced backwards before he sharply rolled himself back to his hooves. “Try a breathmint!”

Scrivener replied by leaning forwards and slamming a claw into the road, sending cracks of corruption ripping through the surface of the street towards the Replicant. But Thesis simply slammed his own hooves down into the ground, countering the attack with his own wave of toxic power.

Black poison gushed upwards in all directions as the opposing forces of corruption met, and Scrivener Blooms growled before he lunged fearlessly forwards, plowing through the geysers of poison bursting up from the cracked street. But Thesis only waited, gritting his teeth before he concentrated his powers as the exoskeleton on his back whirred loudly, rubbery strings of black ooze exploding out of the shattered road to snap like webbing around Scrivener's body before they went taut and yanked him forcefully down into the street.

The Tyrant Wyrm growled in frustration before Thesis leapt forwards and shoved his hooves against Scrivener's head, muttering: “This might sting.”

He focused his powers into Scrivener, and the Tyrant Wyrm flinched in pain as he felt his scales beginning to lose consistency, Thesis trying to force him to revert. But even as the Replicant attempted to corrupt his transformation, Scrivener growled as he flexed against the webbing of corruption binding him before he lunged suddenly forwards, ripping through the gunk binding him and seizing Thesis in his jaws before the Voidborn could react.

Thesis howled as the Tyrant Wyrm gnashed viciously on him before he was flung high into the air, flailing uselessly before Scrivener leaned forwards with another roar, blasting the Voidborn down the street.

The Replicant twisted his body in midair, crashing down on all fours and skidding to a halt as he grinned widely, even as his body trembled ever so slightly as the blue mist steamed off him, continuing to eat away at his body. But all the same, he shook himself out before he shouted: “Not bad! I could totally do that if I wanted to, though!”

Scrivener only rumbled as he set himself, before his eyes opened in surprise as Thesis lunged forwards into a gallop, charging straight at him. The Tyrant Wyrm stomped both front claws viciously down into the street, shattering stone and sending up a wave of black spikes, but Thesis leapt to the side, dodging around the black spikes before he put on a burst of speed when Scrivener leaned forwards to roar again.

The Tyrant Wyrm was cut off as Thesis slammed a hoof up beneath his jaw, his head snapping back with a hurk of pain as his eyes bulged before Thesis laid in a vicious volley of blows against the transformed stallion's chest, knocking Scrivener off-balance and sending the draconic beast staggering before Thesis slammed both hooves forwards into his weakened, cracked breast. “See you!”

Scrivener felt a tremendous pulse rip through his body before there was a tremendous boom, and a moment later he was launched through the air, leaving a trail of muck and corruption behind him before he slammed through the front wall of the clock tower like a cannonball in an explosion of debris and black slime.

The stallion groaned loudly in pain as he slowly peeled himself out of the machinery he had crashed into, grimacing a bit as he rubbed slowly at a foreleg that almost seemed to be boiling. His Talon flexed as black mire dripped from it, before he shook his head roughly to get his mane out of his eyes as he realized from the aches and pains in his body that Thesis hadn't just launched him like a rocket, he had somehow dispelled his transformation.

He dropped to all fours, then looked up at the gaping hole in the wall as Thesis landed just inside the rim of the wound in the tower, the Replicant grinning as he asked: “So, how do you think you'll do without that big body of yours?”

“I'm still bigger than you.” Scrivener replied blandly as he straightened slowly, claws flexing against the ground, and Thesis scowled, which only made the stallion grin wryly even as he felt his body still struggling to heal as streams of corruption dripped from his form. “What's wrong, short stack? Mad that you can't bring me down to your size?”

“Hey, if you need to overcompensate, don't let me stop you.” retorted Thesis, before he pointed at the black ooze that had saturated the entire area around Scrivener Blooms and was slowly eating away at the sparking machinery and cement. “Also, buddy, you seem to be leaking.”

“A friend's a friend, a pal's a pal, but a buddy is someone you sleep with. I didn't know this whole 'brother' thing was linked to an incest fantasy.” Scrivener said dryly, and Thesis blinked before he huffed and touched his breast, looking insulted.

“Excuse me, but I have no interest in sleeping with you, that would be disgusting.” Thesis paused, then leaned forwards and winked, flexing one foreleg as he added: “But having sex with you? Well, I sure can't blame you for wanting to have sex with me, I'm awesome. And I bet you sure know your way around a stallion, considering your... Luna.”

Scrivener only looked meditative for a moment before he started: “The joke stopped being funny when I started realizing just how right you-”

“Okay going back to punching you in the face before you finish that sentence now!” Thesis visibly flinched before he leapt forwards, then gargled in shock when Scrivener slammed his hooves down into the black ooze and it erupted upwards, splashing over the Replicant before hardening into crystal.

Thesis immediately focused his own powers to melt the crystal, but before it could turn back to liquid, Scrivener stepped forwards and seized the Replicant by the head with one Talon before slamming him face-first into the ground, before he half-spun and flung him across the room into a wall with a tremendous bang.

Thesis crumpled to the ground with a groan, clutching at his head before he scowled over his shoulder as Scrivener strode through the debris-strewn room towards him, and then the Replicant winced and rolled to his hooves with surprise as streams of black poison flowed eerily behind Scrivener, twisting and sliding over the ground and through the air around him like coiling black serpents as he said softly: “I've still got a few new tricks up my sleeve.”

“Good. I'm eager to see how far I can push this new exoskeleton.” Thesis replied with a grin, and even as he flexed his body, even as his mind raced and adrenaline excited him and his powers filled him up, he felt sane. Stable. Strong.

And that was what made Scrivener Blooms grin and move to meet the Replicant's challenge so eagerly, as Thesis roared and flung himself into the combat, his mind and eyes clear as the two smashed into each other as enemies, as blood-kin.

Decretum trembled with the battles that raged across it, and the skies themselves trembled as magic and sky-machines and Elementals tore across it, threatening to tear reality. They were at war, war that saw friend pitted against friend, and the worst of enemies clashing together, savage and remorseless.

But if the gears of the Clockwork World stripped and failed at this, their first and truest test, it would not just be the Orphans who had come from across the ninety nine worlds who paid the price, but all of reality would tremble with no one left to protect these innocent ponies from the terrors that lurked beneath beds and inside closets, from the things that moved in the shadows... and the ghosts of the past that had returned, hiding beneath the mask and machinations of a make-believe witch and her schemes.

Comments

[Randomfastreader]

ummm ok, this, i don't know, brain overload!
rebooting
reactivating
recomprehending life the story and everything else.
complete
ok well after that has been completeed i'm realizeing this story is BY FAR THE BEST story i've ever read and then some, becuase this is exactly what FAILS to happen in every other story, or what the entire cold war was trying to prevent. mutualy self assured distruction. where we bring out wepons so big and so distructive that every one either wins or dies trying, also becuase i knew the end was in sight and it was only a matter of time before the TRUE test happens, or the test they can't beat. in other terms WELCOME TO EITHER THE CLIMAX OR ONE OF THEM!

^^^^READ AT YOUR OWN RISK POSSIBILE MAJOR SPOILERS OR AT LEAST MY ESTIMATIONS ALERT^^^^

[Mira Starlight]

We're halfway there. Tomorrow's chapters are likely going to be full of epic badassery, aren't they?

[BarrenBaron]

Oh good, with a name like this I expected a lot more lutes and screams of murdered citizens.

Nice to see I have plenty of time to steel myself before tomorrow.