Hecate's Orphanage

by BlackRoseRaven

The Crone's Reprise

Chapter Sixty One: The Crone's Reprise
~BlackRoseRaven

The witch removed its mask, to reveal a face that was pale and pockmarked: a young man's face, yet creased with sorrows and forced smiles that had aged them prematurely. His features were remarkably average, nothing about him particularly striking or handsome, but nothing ugly about them, either. He had peach fuzz, and short, spiky blonde hair.

He was shorter than she had thought, as he tossed away the mask, and with it, the dress that he had disguised himself in: it was like he had thrown away both his height and Thokk's wrathful presence with his costume, as he idly smoothed out the long overcoat he was wearing over a set of ratty old clothes that looked as if they hadn't been changed in weeks.

Hecate studied him silently, and the young man smiled up at her as he hooked his thumbs in his pockets, saying softly: “It's amazing how easy it is to fool people, you know. Everyone loves a good narrative, see, and that's the trick: just give 'em somethin' to believe in, like any good politician. Give them a story. Give them something they can fight. And oh, fight they will. All you need are a few hand puppets and some shadows, and poof.”

The man shook his head slowly, then he chuckled a little as his eyes flicked up, his smile kind, but his gaze was like ice, as he said gently: “Now. Step aside, will you? This is nothing you can fight against. You can't stop me. I mean, come on, you're not really stupid enough to think you stand half a chance against me, right?”

“I don't care who you are. I don't care if you're Aesir or Vanir, or even if you're right or wrong. This is our universe now, and I will not let you take it away from these ponies. These worlds are theirs to do with as they please, whether that means creation or destruction, birth or death.” Hecate said calmly and coldly, her body sparking as she readied herself, and the man quirked an eyebrow at her as he smiled condescendingly, although he visibly tensed as well. “Surrender immediately. Or I will kill you myself, god or not, Loki.”

Loki laughed loudly at this, shaking his head slowly before he looked off to the side, saying softly: “Now, now. Don't you know that's not how the story goes? The prophecy foretold it all... that me, Loki, I would come back, leading an army of the dead at Ragnarok, and we'd all kill each other. The prophecies said a lot of things about me... said I was a brother-killer. Silly, stupid stories...”

Loki scowled, his features becoming uglier as his sharp eyes flicked towards Hecate contemptibly. “But that was what they used as 'evidence' when they put me on trial for the deaths.... deaths that Valthrudnir caused. Only Thor believed in me, you know, he-”

“I don't have time for your whimpering.” Hecate interrupted, and Loki slowly turned towards her as his eyes narrowed dangerously. “Get over yourself. Or remain a child, and continue to temper tantrum. I will have no problem fixing your attitude for you.”

“You stupid bitch.” Loki said disgustedly, before he rose a hand and simply pointed at her, and Hecate's eyes widened as a blast of energy tore through her steel body, far more focused and powerful than the magic had been when Loki had been pretending to be Thokk. She staggered back a step, but then caught herself as she clutched at the wound in her steel body, as readings spilled violently out across her eyes as Loki said in a softer, deadlier voice: “Do you really think you're any match at all for me when I no longer have to cover up who I am? Hel herself couldn't stop me now, Hecate!”

Hecate smiled thinly, and then she straightened as summoned a holographic screen beside her, not bothering to look at it as she keyed in a quick command. Then she dismissed it as Loki smiled at her condescendingly, asking: “More machines? More toys? Gosh, with all these wonderful little trinkets. You'd think that Valthrudnir would have managed some headway against you stupid ponies with them... but I guess he never really wanted to, did he? At least I'll be able to savor my victory all the more: who would have ever thought a pathetic little demigod like me would succeed where the greatest of all Jötnar minds failed?”

“Valthrudnir was a greater threat than you will ever be, Loki, and you have not succeeded yet.” Hecate replied coldly as electricity crackled over her body. “You will not leave here alive.”

Loki, however, only gave a lopsided grin at this, tilting his head as he held up a hand and replied coolly: “Silly pony. You shouldn't make assumptions like that.

“Who says I'm alive?”

Thesis and Scrivener smashed together, the Replicant dodging strikes of the stallion's Talons before he leapt forwards, but too slow to avoid Scrivener's claws from seizing around his neck, choking him as they hefted him into the air.

Thesis kicked sharply out, swinging himself hard forwards to slam both rear hooves viciously into Scrivener's face, and the stallion swore as he flung the Replicant backwards as he staggered with a curse, spitting black blood off to the side.

The Replicant caught himself, gritting his teeth as his body sparked with energy before he vanished from the spot, reappearing in front of the stallion and kicking him viciously into the air, leaving Scrivener defenseless as the Replicant blinked sharply in and out of reality around the stallion, hooves slamming into him from all sides. The stallion jerked helplessly back and forth under the assault before Thesis appeared above him and slammed both front hooves down in a vicious tomahawk, sending Scrivener crashing face-first into the ground.

Thesis let himself fall from the air, swinging a hoof savagely down to try and finish the stallion off, but Scrivener lunged suddenly, blindly out, tackling Thesis out of the air and crashing violently through a corridor at the end of the hall, the two jouncing and rolling painfully together.

They bounced apart, landing a few feet away from each other in an open room dominated by some kind of massive power pillar that filled the center of the room. Thesis groaned loudly as he reached up and rubbed slowly at his face, muttering: “You play way too rough. I'm going to take my marbles and go home.”

“You kicked me in the marbles, you son of a bitch.” Scrivener mumbled, and then he groaned as he pushed himself slowly up to a standing position, grimacing a bit before he added moodily: “And Hecate really is a bitch, so I don't even have to feel bad about that.”

“Hey, Mom's cool. Most of the time. She just has bad days.” Thesis grimaced a bit, rubbing at his face before he added: “Also I haven't seen her since... you know. Way back then. I'm kind of scared to go and see her now.”

“Yeah. Hiding from her is really going to...” Scrivener frowned, then he twitched suddenly to the side, a splatter of black blood exploding from his shoulder as Thesis winced backwards in surprise. “Luna's having a harder time than I thought.”

“I don't know if I envy your handicap or not.” Thesis said mildly, before he whistled a little when Scrivener flexed his shoulder and it visibly knitted itself back together. “But then again, I guess that you can make up for it too, huh?”

“I'm surprised you didn't take advantage of that moment of weakness on my part.” Scrivener replied softly, and Thesis smiled slightly as he reached up and tapped his own nose gently.

“Who says I didn't?” he replied evenly, and Scrivener had enough time to frown before Thesis vanished from the spot and slammed a hoof into Scrivener's breast, knocking him sprawling backwards before spikes of black crystal erupted from the ground, smashing into Scrivener in midair and leaving him suspended helplessly.

Except by the time Thesis landed and stepped forwards, the spikes had already become waxy, and Scrivener growled as he rolled forcefully backwards, tearing through the softening corruption to brace himself in a ready position as Thesis whistled and muttered: “Impressive. I can't even hurt you with the Clay anymore, can I?”

“Oh, don't worry. It hurts.” Scrivener said moodily, as he flexed his body slowly before he swept his claws quickly to either side, and the remaining, melting spikes of black ooze were blown apart, dissolving into nothing more than stains on the floor.

Thesis snorted, beginning to set himself, before he frowned slightly as something tickled at his senses. He lost his stance, looking back and forth, and Scrivener tensed further as he leaned forwards, opening his mouth, but Thesis held up a hoof as he muttered: “Wait. Something's wrong. Something is...”

“Traitor...” whispered a voice, and Thesis looked up before Rig appeared in front of him, the crow-masked monster slamming a claw into his face. Thesis howled in pain before his eyes bulged in horror as he felt that awful pain run through him, taking him over, driving him insane as logic was warped and poisoned by delusion and paranoia-

Scrivener lunged at Rig's back, but the monster simply half-spun and flung Thesis into the other stallion, knocking them both rolling backwards before Thesis' hooves seized into Scrivener's throat as he slammed him down on his back, the Replicant snarling as tears filled his eyes: “N-No! You have to come home! I... I can't...”

Thesis clenched his eyes shut as the machinery on his back spasmed and sparked, and Rig hissed: “Give in, Thesis. I know what's inside your heart, the shadow there: I know what you truly feel. Don't let the lies cloud your judgment... kill them. Kill them all. You will only know peace when all serve Thokk!”

“Thesis!” Scrivener shouted, before he choked as Thesis bore down with his hooves, terribly strong, terribly cold, and it was all the stallion could do to grasp his forelegs and force them back, struggling against the unnatural strength and fury of the Replicant as he looked up and saw not the Thesis he had been fighting, but the old Thesis, the crazed Thesis, the Thesis who had been a puppet to his madness and the broken logic nodes in his mind, feeding him all those toxic lies-

“N-No!” Thesis clenched his eyes shut, and then he yanked himself suddenly backwards, covering his face with one hoof as he shouted: “Take it back! The memories... you're the liar, Rig! None of this... I won't-”

Rig snarled, then swiftly stepped forwards and slammed a claw savagely through Thesis' side, knocking him across the room. Scrivener immediately leapt towards the monster, but Rig was faster, swinging up a claw and catching the stallion in a cage of black lightning that twisted viciously around his body, Scrivener howling in pain as he yanked uselessly back and forth on the serpents of dark electricity that twisted and crushed around him, as Rig slowly leaned forwards and whispered: “You will not undo all my work.”

Scrivener felt a tremendous force launch him backwards, crashing and skidding across the concrete as the strings of black electricity sizzled and crackled across his frame, his body spasming... and in the ruins of a building, Luna twitched and cursed before she gagged when Sol Seraph lunged forwards and slammed a blade through her throat, the Pegasus steaming energy and covered in wounds, one wing missing, her armor and gear shredded, and yet she was still fighting. She was still lethal and ruthless, slowly leaning in towards Luna as Luna snarled at her, even as blood spilled out of her jaws and leaked down the blade of the knife in her neck.

She saw into the eyes of the volk, and saw that they were hollow, that they were empty, as Sol Seraph whispered: “One twist, and you die.”

Sol Seraph began to shift, but Luna snapped her head forwards as she snarled, focusing all her energy through her body, moving with Sol Seraph before she unleashed a tremendous, psychokinetic blast that smashed into the Pegasus and sent her flying backwards, the explosion of energy knocking Luna rolling painfully backwards to the other end of the burnt-out corridor.

She coughed weakly, grasping at the hole in her throat with one hoof before she concentrated her magic, freezing flesh-to-flesh and leaving an ugly, burn-like mark. She wobbled slowly upwards, then looked coldly up as Sol Seraph stood and smiled at her contemptibly, the Voidborn dragging a leg behind her as she said softly: “Your time is almost up.”

“Aye, it is. For I have run out of time and patience to play with thee. Fare thee well.” Luna said ironically, and Sol Seraph narrowed her eyes before Luna turned and leapt out of the broken ruin, flapping her winds hard to launch herself up towards the clock tower, cursing under her breath as she lost balance as some terrible, cold spark of dark energy twisted across her body.

Sol Seraph watched for a few moments, flexing her single wing slowly before she gave a cold, contemptible smile, and then the Pegasus simply strode out of the wreckage of the half-collapsed building and onto the street, turning to stride down the road as she said softly: “We will meet again, Luna Brynhild. And when that day comes, you will die.”

She didn't turn around even as the face of the clock tower exploded as Luna smashed through it in a whirl of blue flames, Rig snarling as he spun towards her and hissed: “Valkyrie!”

Luna responded by snapping her horn forwards, unleashing a sapphire fireball, but Rig simply snorted and slapped this derisively out of the air. It smashed into the ground in front of him, leaving a frozen stain as he hissed: “Your abilities are-”

Luna flicked her horn sharply upwards as it thrummed with power, and the frozen ground tore upwards, transforming into a fist that rammed up beneath Rig's chin. The uppercut sent him crashing into the air with a howl of misery, but he vanished before the icy hand could seize him, reappearing in a burst of smoke next to Thesis as he pointed and hissed: “They hurt me! I am your brother, your other half, Thesis! They want to kill you!”

“L-Lies...” Thesis shivered violently as he grasped at his head, before he screamed in misery when Rig seized the back of his neck, the stallion staggering stupidly before he looked up, drool falling from his mouth as he howled: “Why did you hurt my brother? He was only trying to help! I am only trying to help you! Stand down, I order you to surrender! I order you t-to... to be my family!”

Luna smiled faintly at this as she landed beside Scrivener and her Jötunnfang withdrew as the stallion slowly picked himself up, a few sparks of black energy still dancing across his frame as Rig whispered into Thesis' ear: “But they still won't do what you tell them. They're making a mockery of you, Thesis.”

“No... no...” Thesis shook his head vehemently, shivering and trying to cover his ears as he lowered his head, breathing hard in and out. But Scrivener readied himself as he traded looks with Luna: he knew that it was useless, that sadly, Thesis couldn't resist Rig, because Rig didn't operate on facts or logic: Rig twisted what Thesis felt, what Thesis believed.

The Replicant looked up with a snarl, and then he roared wordlessly before he charged forwards, the exoskeleton on his back going into overdrive before he vanished from the spot and reappeared next to Scrivener. The stallion narrowly blocked the attack, cursing as Thesis struck his Talon so hard he dented the metal of his leg, but at the same time he nudged Luna, who launched herself immediately towards Rig.

Rig grinned beneath his mask, then he dodged backwards when a flare of blue flame shot at him before it transformed into a second hand. Both of Luna's Jötunnfang slammed outwards, but they punched through Rig like he was made of smoke: when the creature's claws lashed down, however, they sliced through Luna like hot metal, making her gasp as she was thrown backwards with her face torn open, the monster hissing: “I will not leave myself vulnerable to your antics, Valkyrie!”

“Coward, cease hiding behind Heimdall and illusions and fight me!” Luna roared, leaping into the fray again before she snapped her horn outwards, a streak of blue shooting towards Rig, but the beast dodged to the side, catching himself on all fours with a grin, before his eyes widened and he reacted too late as the stream of sapphire fire solidified into the body of a weapon, Prúðbikkja swinging out and smashing across Rig's face to stun him before the Jötunnfang descended with a vicious series of blows, pummeling Rig into the ground before he burst into smoke with a howl of misery, trying to flee the battlefield.

But before he could reach open sky, a tremendous barrier formed, the black fog bouncing off of this before it reformed into a stunned Rig, who clawed uselessly at the energy as he hissed: “Impossible, no pony could-”

Icy hands seized him by the shoulders, and Rig barely reacted in time, becoming nothing but smoke even as he was hurled backwards as Brynhild's spear tore forwards. It struck the barrier uselessly, Luna swearing as Rig reappeared on the other side of the room, shouting: “Thesis, protect me! Kill them!”

Thesis flung Scrivener backwards, the stallion rolling sharply back to his hooves and gritting his teeth as the Replicant gasped before he clutched at his face, clenching his eyes shut as he shook his head vehemently. “N-No! I won't kill! I won't kill! Rig, I am not... I am not that Thesis anymore!”

“You can't escape who you are. Neither can you, Valkyrie.” growled Rig, as he glared with disgust at Luna, but Luna only responded by making a rude gesture with both Jötunnfang and a cold grin.

Rig snarled, then he lunged forwards, leaving a stream of ash behind him, and Brynhild leapt forwards to meet him, before her eyes widened in shock as Thesis teleported in front of her, slamming a hoof savagely into her face and knocking her rolling backwards with a gasp of shock as both her spear and her icy hands were sent bouncing away.

Scrivener flinched as well, and Rig teleported on top of him, crushing him beneath his claws and making Scrivener Blooms howl in misery as his body spasmed wildly, his eyes bulging in shock as he felt like he was both melting and petrifying at once, chunks of crystal tearing out of his body as Rig hissed: “Thokk will reward me for this.”

Scrivener opened his mouth, but all that came out was a howl of misery, his body spasming helplessly as black lightning exploded across his form again, further mutilating his body as Rig manipulated the corruption that filled his veins. Luna gasped, thrown off balance as she felt the stallion's pain through their link, staggering to the side before a hoof smashed across her soulstone horn as she lost her concentration, and she screamed in agony as she collapsed on her side, her Jötunnfang vanishing and her spear falling uselessly to the ground as Thesis pinned her.

He snarled, raising a hoof as he held her down by the throat, glaring down at the mare: the mare, who was choking helplessly under him, trapped, her shattered horn sparking uselessly, her eyes bulging as she kicked her legs and spasmed weakly. Her ephemeral mane sizzled before it became nothing but blue hairs that fell over her bruised and bloodied features, and Thesis' eyes widened as the mare tried to speak-

Scrivener howled in misery, and Thesis looked over his shoulder at Rig, staring, watching as the cruel, heartless monster bore down against the stallion under him, grinning and savage, as Scrivener writhed uselessly beneath the claws of his cowardice, his sickness, his disease-

Thesis snarled as he flung Luna backwards, then he leapt forwards and vanished from the spot, reappearing beside Rig to slam a hoof viciously into his face, sending the creature crashing into the crystalline pillar in the center of the room with a tremendous bang. Rig howled in misery as electricity ripped across his body, jittering violently before he collapsed to all fours, smoldering and gasping as he rasped: “What... what are you doing? Thesis, I am your brother, I am your twin!”

“You are nothing but a parasite! Keep your hands off them!” Thesis roared, stepping forwards and glaring furiously through his teary eyes at the beast, as Rig looked up with a furious snarl.

“Thokk will not stand for this betrayal, Thesis! And without me, you die... kill them! If you love them so much, you know that all must join with the Prime-”

“Enough!” Thesis clutched at his head, trembling violently as the exoskeleton whirred away on his back, before he gritted his teeth and looked up, whispering: “Enough. I will not... be your lackey. I will not be Thokk's toy. And I finally remember...”

Thesis breathed slowly, before he steadied himself and looked up-

Rig's hand clamped down on his skull, and Thesis howled in agony as the corruption in his body boiled, as his whole body twisted and writhed beneath Rig's claw, as the creature hissed: “Let me give you a clearer vision of the past you're so enamored with.”

Thesis writhed uselessly, jerking back and forth, trying helplessly to pull free as Rig's eyes burned with hate, feeling Thesis' sanity twisting, fraying, breaking beneath his powers. His grin spread wider, focusing on the stallion before he caught movement in the corner of his eye.

Luna Brynhild yanked herself to her hooves, but with her horn shattered, she had no magic, no power. Rig grinned widely at her, then he hefted Thesis into the air by the scruff of the neck and held him out towards her, mocking: “Look! Look how she only stands and watches you suffer! Open your eyes, Thesis!”

“Open thy eyes, Thesis.” Luna said softly, and then she looked evenly up at Rig and added coldly: “And close thine forever, Rig.”

Rig began to laugh, before he grunted in shock as several black spikes of crystal ripped against his legs, staggering back a step before he turned too late, and one of Scrivener's Talons slammed savagely into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and making him drop Thesis. The Replicant hit the ground painfully, jarred out of shock before he spun with a furious snarl towards Rig even as the creature punted Scrivener Blooms backwards.

Thesis leapt forwards, slamming a hoof into Rig's side and knocking him staggering with a gargle before Scrivener leapt forwards and slammed a claw through one of his legs, knocking the monster to his knees before both Replicant and stallion lunged forwards, knowing that if they gave Rig even a moment to recover, he would flee. Hoof and Talon slammed savagely back and forth across Rig's body as he desperately tried to shield himself before he spun around, leaping into the air and beginning to transform into smoke-

Thesis and Scrivener both leapt forwards, both slamming a blow into the middle of his back at the same time to launch Rig across the form, leaving a stream of smog behind him as he flipped wildly through the air, and Luna almost calmly scooped her spear up before she leaned forwards and flung it with all her strength. Prúðbikkja flew true, striking square through Rig's chest, and the monster howled in misery as he froze in midair, tremors pulsing through his body.

A glow steadily began to build over his form as he shook his head in denial, ashes pouring down from his malformed frame as he clutched uselessly at the spear buried through his chest. He stared with disbelief at Luna, but Brynhild only smiled coldly back at him before she reached up and touched the stump of broken crystal jutting from her head, saying softly: “'Tis ironic, is it not? 'Twas Thesis whom I can thank for this... 'tis Thesis whom thou can thank for destroying thee.”

“I will r-return... I will kill you all! You will all die!” Rig screamed, even as his body began to dissolve, burning away to ash as he stretched a claw towards Brynhild, as if trying to seize her. Yet his eyes were full of fear, even as he shrieked: “Thokk will avenge me! Thokk will never forget this betrayal! You will all die! You... y-you...”

Rig gasped as he tilted his head upwards, suddenly stretching towards the sky as if trying to save himself at the last moment, but a moment later, his mask and his last, ashen remains fell from the air, clattering loudly to the ground as Thesis trembled and slumped. And a moment later, Brynhild's spear fell as well, bouncing away as Luna grimaced and rubbed at her face, but gestured quickly with her head towards Thesis when Scrivener looked at her.

The stallion turned towards the Replicant, who was breathing shallowly in and out, his exoskeleton whirring slowly down, his body trembling. He shifted nervously for a moment, then looked up and rubbed slowly at his face, as Scrivener asked: “Are you okay?”

“I...” Thesis patted across his breast, then he reached up and touched his head, closing his eyes for a moment. But when they opened, they were clear, and he gave a hesitant smile after a moment before he straightened and murmured: “Yeah. I think I am.”

He rubbed slowly at one of his forelegs, looking over at Scrivener before he reached up and awkwardly brushed a bit of crystal fragment off the stallion's shoulder, adding awkwardly: “Sorry about. Everything. To... both of you.” He softened as he turned towards Luna, but the sapphire mare was already grinning widely, shrugging idly before she cocked her head curiously.

A moment later, the barrier that had stopped Rig from fleeing vanished, and Morgan winged in from outside, the mare smiling a little as Thesis cocked his head curiously: she looked completely unharmed. And considering Melinda's power... “Did you even fight?”

Morgan gave Thesis a dry look, and Luna snorted in amusement before the Valkyrie winced when the purple mare turned towards her and chastised: “How many times have we warned you about not breaking that? We've got to get moving, though, something really big is happening out there, near the castle.”

“Imperia.” Thesis muttered, and then he hesitated before he held a hoof awkwardly up and said lamely: “I want to be a good guy now. Is that cool?”

“Nay, 'tis not at all, for then we shall have to kill thee twice as none of us are very 'good.'” Luna remarked, before she winced when Morgan touched her horn. “How long will it take thee to fix?”

“A few minutes. Thesis...” Morgan hesitated, then she gestured with her head, saying softly: “You don't have to wait for us if you don't want to. We just have to fix up Luna, then we'll join you.”

“Where's Melinda?” Thesis asked almost on impulse, and Morgan shrugged, frowning a bit as she lowered her head.

“I'm not sure. She just... left all of a sudden, while we were dueling. Said there was something wrong and...” Morgan shook her head briefly, before she hesitated, then asked quietly: “You are okay, right? You don't feel any deterioration, or...”

“I'm fine. I'm... I'm locked in.” Thesis said after a moment, not knowing why those words felt right, but the others seemed to understand what he meant as they nodded. The Replicant smiled briefly, then he nodded back before he turned and headed for the opening in the wall, saying quietly: “Alright. I'll head towards the castle. Don't keep me waiting, huh?”

With that, Thesis turned and left, and there was silence for a few moments before Morgan asked quietly, as she turned towards Brynhild: “Are you sure we can trust him?”

“'Tis usually thou who art adopting all the strays, dearest Twilight.” Luna said softly, and then she chuckled quietly even as she winced when Morgan gently tapped against her horn. “I know, I know. But give us this, my love. We have been wrong before, but... Scrivy and I all the same would like to... give him this chance. So give us this chance.”

Morgan sighed a little, but then she nodded before murmuring: “Melinda didn't fight me at nearly her full strength. But I've never felt a magic like hers, either. It was incredible.”

Scrivener smiled briefly at this as Luna grinned widely, before she scowled as Morgan looked up and smiled a bit. “I think she had her eyes on someone else. I think that... it's time we started to step aside, Luna. This universe has other protectors now.”

Luna huffed a bit, but Scrivener only shrugged amiably as he sat back, and Morgan smiled a little wider as she said softly: “I'm not saying our story is over, Luna. Only that our roles have changed, that's all.

“We saved the worlds for them, not for us, after all.”

Thorn Blackfeather breathed hard in and out as he led the way quickly through the underbelly of Decretum, along narrow walkways that passed above massive, spinning gears. His exoskeletal armor hummed with energy as he did his best not to look back, even though he could hear the Husks charging after them. It was almost as if they had been waiting for them: but how could Thokk know about the Clockworks, or what the coded commands Hecate had sent out meant?

Necrophage ran on one side and Muse followed along on the other: the only Replicants that could be spared from the combat preparations. Alerts kept blinking over his visor, and Thorn ignored them for the most part, but didn't dare dismiss them, either, even with as distracting as they were. But he kept his focus on the here and now: on the one hoof, he was terrified of what he was doing. But on the other, he trusted Hecate. And if the time had come for this...

“Necrophage.” There was no need for further instruction, Necrophage half-turning and catching a chain in their jaws as they passed before she tore hard, ripping it to shreds and causing the section of walkway they had just passed over to sway violently out of place before another chain snapped as the Husks tried to cross it, sending them spilling down into the spinning gears and crushing pistons below.

They hurried down another walkway, before Thorn swore as something slammed into the walkway beside them, making it sway violently before a hideous, grinning face shoved itself up over the walkway, slimy hooves clawing into the floor as a voice cried out cheerfully: “Hey, kiddo! You got the same smell as that other kid I used to chase around all the time!”

Red eyes gleamed, full of malicious glee... no, Thorn thought, as he spared a glance at the destruction entity as he steadied himself. Those red eyes were like bright glass, and even as the slimy, ugly goblinoid squirmed up onto the walkway, he recognized that it was hollow, and empty. “A comedian from the Void.”

“Hey, that's where I got all my best jokes! You wanna hear one?” asked the creature inquisitively, before it suddenly leapt forwards as its forelegs transformed into massive blades, roaring: “Anything times zero is zero!”

Thorn didn't so much as flinch as he almost gently batted the destruction entity's head back, making it yelp as it half-flipped before Muse snapped her own horn out, and a massive blast of psychic force launched it rocketing off the walkway with a squeal, plummeting down into the gears. Thorn snorted as he turned quickly, his eyes flicking up to note that Pegasus Husks were quickly crossing through the air towards them before the stallion ordered coldly: “Fire suppression, Clockworks Sector B-12. Level two.”

An alarm blared through the air before vents opened with a roar of gas that burst through the air, Necrophage's cheeks puffing out as she held her breath and Muse wincing as a bubble formed around her head. But both Replicants followed as Thorn held his own breath, counting mentally as the Pegasi were battered back and forth through the air by the rush of whirling gas through the air.

They reached one of the large pillars that stood throughout the Clockworks, Thorn nimbly leaping up a ladder to a second level of walkways circling the tower. He stopped in front of a node built into the side of the pillar, calling up a holographic screen and tapping commands quickly across it, not glancing up even as the heavy gas that had filled the Clockworks condensed into an oily liquid, several of the Pegasi that had managed to stay in the air flailing uselessly as their wings were suddenly soaked with moisture, sending them spiraling out of control.

Necrophage wheezed for breath as Muse looked nervously around, before she said worriedly: “There are more Husks coming, and that hostile presence, that... void monster is coming, too...”

“I've input the activation codes. Let's keep moving.” Thorn instructed as he turned to start crossing a walkway to another tower. The Replicants followed, before Necrophage's eyes widened and she squeaked a warning, Muse hurriedly leaping to the ready in front of Thorn as the mottled goblinoid crashed into the bridge in front of them, popping up to his hooves with a savage grin.

“Hey, hey, hey now! You don't gotta be so cold, kiddo! Here, let me introduce myself proper like: y'all can call me Cancer! Now, if there was ever a name you could trust, ain't that it?” The destruction entity hopped up onto his hind hooves before he gave a few quick, exaggerated bows, then he winked before he dropped back and touched his chest, adding seriously: “Now, I know, I know. I came in with all the garbage that you swept out, and hey, I ain't the prettiest of faces, I can accept that! But I ain't like all that other riffraff, oh no sirree-bob! I'm a whole different kind of white trash!”

Cancer laughed loudly, and then he suddenly snapped his head forwards and snarled, as he swept a foreleg out that exploded into a mess of bladed tentacles: “Laugh, it was funny!”

Thorn didn't so much as flinch as he flicked his horn sharply, creating a barrier of electricity that deflected the tentacles, Cancer yelping and dancing backwards as the appendages quickly reformed back into a smoldering leg that he shook wildly with a hiss.

“Begin analysis.” Thorn said calmly, his visor blinking several times, and Cancer looked up at him blankly before the sapphire stallion ordered: “Surrender, or prepare for termination.”

Cancer twitched visibly, before he snarled in fury as he leaned forwards and roared: “Who the hell do you think you are, you freaky-ass robot kid?”

“I am Thorn Blackfeather, Regent of Decretum.” Thorn replied calmly, and Cancer mouthed wordlessly before the sapphire stallion flexed his mechanical foreleg as it rumbled with electricity. It wasn't quite as strong as his last leg, but all the same... “Lethal force has been authorized across Decretum. You will be given no further warnings.”

Cancer snarled, then he leapt forwards, pouncing towards Thorn as his hooves became claws. “Here's a warning for you, kid, I'm gonna-”

Thorn stepped forwards and slammed his metal hoof into Cancer's face with such force that it left a crater in the jelly-like material that made up the destruction entity, sending the monster bouncing comically backwards across the bridge before he rolled off with a squeal. Thorn gave a thin smile at this, then he shook his head quickly as Muse flicked her horn, creating a telekinetic shield behind them as several Husks opened fire on them from across the room with stolen Decretum weapons, although Thorn was relieved to note that they couldn't use the weaponry very well. “Let's move. Scan ahead, Muse.”

Muse nodded with a small smile, closing her eyes as Thorn led the Replicants across the walkway, before he frowned as a strange clicking caught his attention. He looked back and forth, but Muse only nervously opened an eye, looking curiously around as Necrophage frowned, before the Replicant's eyes suddenly widened, and the stocky mare tackled Thorn backwards onto the bridge as Muse stumbled off the walkway, staring in shock as a pair of massive, whitish blades tore up through the floor of the bridge.

Necrophage hauled Thorn further backwards with a squeak, and the sapphire stallion cursed, yanking his head back in shock as another blade tore up out of the bridge directly in front of them, just clipping his muzzle as Cancer cackled: “Not so tough now, are you, kiddo? No, oh no, not nearly such a hardass are you, punk?”

Thorn gritted his teeth, dodging backwards before Necrophage shrieked as Cancer himself twisted up behind them, bad-temperedly smacking the Replicant off the bridge before he lunged towards Thorn's back with a roar. An alarm went off in the stallion's visor as he gritted his teeth and flung himself into the air, the servomotors in his armor all roaring to life as he twisted himself around in midair and swung his metal leg out.

Cancer's head snapped back, the monster yelping as he hit the bridge and rolled backwards before he flipped suddenly, neatly up to his hooves, his eyes blazing before he whistled sharply as several Husks flew into position on either side of the bridge, the Void Pegasi all glaring coldly at Thorn. “Hey, took you boys long enough to show up! What do you think of these odds, punk?”

Thorn narrowed his eyes slightly, but he didn't even look back as he ordered, just as Muse started to step forwards: “Continue with the mission. Use my authorization and reroute as many of the systems as possible.”

“I... y-yes, sir.” Muse said uneasily, even as she bit her lip, stepping nervously backwards before she spun around and hurried away.

Cancer snorted, then he said sweetly: “Oh, isn't that cute! You know, your... I'm guessin' he was your brother, he tried his darnedest to save his girlfriend from me, but you know what happened?” Cancer leaned forwards, waggling the ridges above his eyes before his red, hollow eyes flashed as he said emotionlessly: “She was consumed. All must be consumed. All must be sent to the Void. For the Master. For the Prime.”

Thorn only looked calmly across at the monster as Cancer shivered, before he suddenly popped back on his hooves with a grin, saying brightly: “But hey, enough of that! I got a real great idea... boys, hold him down, I want to wear this one like a suit and make him kill his own brother! Ain't no greater play than that, brother against brother, am I right or am I right?”

Thorn glanced up as one of the Pegasi immediately shot in, the stallion deflecting the Husk's attempted tackle with a blast of telekinesis before he ducked under another, then he looked up as Cancer lunged towards him with a cackle as one of the mottled beast's forelegs became a wicked blade. But Thorn only waited until the last moment before he lunged sharply forwards, tackling Cancer backwards and skidding to the edge of the bridge with the destruction entity, who clawed wildly at the walkway before he wheezed as they came to a halt just on the edge of it, saying cheerfully: “Well, that was close! I just saved your damn fool life, you damn fool!”

Thorn replied by raising his metallic leg, Cancer's eyes bulging in disbelief as a blade of crackling electricity formed at the end of his hoof before he swept this sharply out and sliced through one of the support cables, causing the bridge to buckle and twist beneath them. The two were sent spilling off, Cancer howling and seizing into Thorn with a snarl as they fell through the air, but the stallion's armor crackled with lightning and forced him backwards as his body solidified, losing his slimy consistency for long enough for Thorn to kick him viciously with both hooves into a set of gears as they fell past, the destruction entity screeching before he exploded into a mess of white slime.

Thorn crashed down on top of another gear, grimacing as he bounced painfully off before he landed on a narrow metal bridge between two immense pistons. They moved lethargically, every push down releasing a burst of steam from a vent somewhere below, and Thorn shook himself out as he adjusted his visor before calling: “Necrophage?”

There was no answer, and he couldn't detect her biorhythms, either. It meant that she had either fallen past the machinery and into the drainage ditch, or gotten caught in the machinery and...

There was no time to consider that. Thorn flicked through readings on his visor before he looked sharply up as something dove at him, the stallion barely ducking in time as a Husk shot over his head. The Pegasus wheeled around and shot back towards him, Thorn readying himself-

Cancer came crashing down out of nowhere, slamming into the back of the Husk before using him like a spring to launch straight at Thorn, all snarling teeth and crushing claws as he roared: “I'll rip your head off, punk kid!”

Thorn stepped forwards into a vicious punch that tore through Cancer, but even as a chunk of Cancer went shooting backwards, the rest of the monster rammed into Thorn like an acidic tidal wave, knocking the stallion staggering as the monster's gooey form spread violently over his body, feeling his armor being eaten away by the destruction entity before he felt himself being forcefully yanked backwards.

They rolled together, stallion and slime-beast that refused to release Thorn even as electricity crackled across his armor, Cancer howling before he cackled: “Yeah, okay, hook me up to them batteries, fry me up! But guess what, retard, I can change my wavelengthsohhell!”

Cancer squealed as he and Thorn toppled down through the machinery, crashing and banging as they fell through the air, bouncing between gears and rotors before they tore through a thin timing belt that half-wrapped around them as they fell, swinging the two painfully into a vent before Thorn howled as a burst of steam shot over him, superheating his armor and frying some of the more sensitive circuitry as he was launched into a heavy metal block.

Cancer tore free from Thorn, scrabbling wildly for purchase against the metal and kicking the stallion loose from his slime body, head twisting almost all the way around on his shoulders so he could giggle and watch with savage glee as Thorn fell. The sapphire stallion went limp as he crashed head-first against a heavy steel pipe, knocked senseless as he flipped helplessly downwards before he was shocked back to reality as he tore through a set of hanging cables, his body spasming as electricity ripped across his frame and several servomotors exploded through his armor, his mechanical leg going limp and useless.

He fell, before screaming again, uselessly, as a heavy rectangular piston slammed outwards, crushing him for a moment against a metal wall before the heavy piston retracted, chunks of broken armor spilling free from his body before Thorn fell. He was only aware of pain and crashing, until he finally landed with a boneless thump on the steep floor of the Clockworks, uselessly grasping at the hot metal plating with a gasp before he groaned weakly as he felt himself slipping, slipping...

Thorn looked over his shoulder, at the gaping hole he was sliding towards: inside, massive, spiked bars whirled like segmented jaws that were constantly opening and closing, crushing and tearing apart the loose metal and other scraps that fell through the Clockworks. He tried to drag himself upwards, but his prosthetic was just a dead weight, and his other foreleg trembled as he tried to yank himself back against the slope he was slowly sliding down.

Something thumped to the ground in front of him, and Thorn looked up before he felt his foreleg seized. He stared through his broken visor at Cancer, who grinned at him widely before he asked curiously, as he slowly hauled Thorn into the air by his front limb: “What's all this nonsense? Why you got all these holes filled with death down here? And oh, the stink, the stink, the reek from them...” Cancer sighed in bliss, swaying idly on the spot. “I love it so!”

“Waste disposal. Dangerous chemicals are released through outflows beneath the Clockworks.” Thorn replied quietly, trying to stall for time, trying to think of anything he could do, but his armor was dead weight on his body, he felt drained and beaten, he had fallen so far, felt blood... no. Be strong. “Let me go.”

“Bad choice of words, honey.” Cancer said kindly, before he lightly tossed Thorn backwards, the stallion's eyes widening as he hit the ramp and rolled and bounced painfully down towards the drainage hole, Cancer cackling loudly as he yelled gleefully: “Don't get too deaded up, I want enough of you left over to walk to your brother!”

Thorn crashed down towards the rim of the hole, before he gritted his teeth as he concentrated all the power he could through his body. He felt himself bouncing backwards, and he knew he didn't have enough time to check over his shoulder, as he felt the open jaws of death beneath him-

Thorn snapped his horn out, using the recoil from the unfocused psychokinetic blast to launch himself straight down, and Cancer's cackling caught in his throat before he blinked, then leaned forwards with a snarl as he shouted: “I didn't see no big burst of blood and gore! Come on, how can you disappoint me like this?”

The stallion fell through the middle of the drainage shaft, metal blades whirling all around him, steel fangs biting, chewing, tearing at him, but never more than knicking his armor as he clenched his eyes shut and simply let himself fall, fall to his-

He crashed back-first into the safety cover at the bottom of the disposal vent, smashing through the thin steel bars, but it made him spasm and sent his mechanical leg snapping out. And Thorn flinched as his mechanical leg was sucked immediately into the greedy blades of the disposal, metal screaming against metal as his prosthetic was almost immediately obliterated in a hail of shrapnel that tore across Thorn's face and body before the remains of the limb were torn loose from his shoulder as he fell, the input node half-torn out of his stump as he crashed down into the drainage tunnels, sending up a splash of black poison.

“Thorn! Thorn!” screamed a voice, but Thorn wasn't able to so much as stir as Necrophage hurried towards him. She was battered and flayed in places, but the Replicant was still alive, still able to leap towards the stallion and grasp him, whimpering as she shook him several times. “Thorn! Wake up, wake up, you gotta wake up!”

Necrophage whimpered again, then quickly grasped the stallion and began to drag him slowly out of the muck. She knew these tunnels well, at least: cleaning them had been a common duty for her, in the old days, and they were the same as ever: dark, resilient stone that all the same was stained and rotting, concentrated Clay of Prometheus streaming constantly through these sewers, mixing with the broken remains of Worker Drones and metal debris. All of it poured out into the wastes, but there were several access points that could take them back into Decretum...

The Replicant managed to drag Thorn around a corner, before she yelped when a voice mocked loudly: “Oh me, oh my, what is this that I do spy? So you survived too, huh? Oh, you smell so sweet and delicious... it's really too bad that none of this stuff does anything for me anymore. I used to be such a glutton, you know, a real... connoisseur! But at least I can still sing my songs, and still dance my dance...”

Necrophage looked up slowly to see Cancer standing on the ceiling, the monster doing a brief little hop-step before he simply let himself drop, splattering to the ground before he reformed instantly on his hooves. Black veins spread through his body for a moment as Cancer wiggled his nose, before he suddenly leaned forwards and sneezed loudly, sending out a mist of black poison before he huffed and rubbed grouchily at his face. “Can't even retain a bit of poison anymore! Sure, I'm grateful and all, and I still loves me a bite to eat...” Cancer flashed a set of deadly, massive teeth. “But I do miss the days where I was still a growin' boy, you know.”

“You... you get away. You go away, right now.” Necrophage whispered, and Cancer smiled at her mockingly, tilting his head towards her patronizingly before he grinned.

“What do you mean? He's bein' a rude host, sleepin' like that, when there's me and...” Cancer stretched a foreleg out as several Husks dropped fearlessly down into the sewers, the monster's eyes gleaming with crimson malice. “All these other guests to attend to.”

Necrophage trembled, and Cancer chuckled as he sauntered forwards towards her, smiling coldly as he said easily: “Now you just be a good little girl and hand me over that turkey leg. Maybe if you're real good, girlie, I'll even let you go. Fat-ass filly like you don't interest me none, not anymore: you stink like a real good wine, but I think you'd give me a stomachache.”

The Husks slowly began to move forwards as Necrophage's eyes flicked back and forth, before she stiffened as Cancer said idly: “So give me the meatbag, and I'll be nice enough to let you go on your way and get your ass and your ugly sister killed by somethin' else. I'll even hum a tune out, would you like that? I bet you would! Song for the blue boy, ain't that a great deal? What are you to him, anyway, but some dumb toy?”

Necrophage slowly gritted her teeth as she glared at Cancer, and Cancer cocked his head inquisitively before he suddenly burst into laughter, looking back at her before he mocked: “Oh, I'm sorry! Is he your boyfrand? Well excuse me all to hell! Tell you what, I'll skin him alive, and then give you a nice little kiss after I put on his face, would you like that?”

Cancer leaned forwards, letting his jaws fall open and a long, spikey tongue twist out and out as he grinned widely, before he loudly slurped his tongue back into his jaws as he added mockingly: “Dolly like you don't get no action otherwise, I'm betting, 'lessen you count the fact he seems to love ordering you and the other bitch around like the toys you are. Hey, even I've got more autonomy than you. Ain't that a treat?”

Necrophage looked back and forth, before she stepped protectively over Thorn, glaring back and forth as she shouted at the Husks and the mocking monster: “I said get away! You get back right now! You leave us alone and go away!”

“Oh, look at you, a quiverin' and a shiverin'. You 'bout to cry, fatty? Oh, poor baby!” mocked Cancer, as he strutted slowly forwards before leaning in to Necrophage's face, and she whimpered, quaking in place as she stared at him, and the hollow eyes of the destruction entity looked coldly back down at her. “You got pretty eyes, when they're oh so full of fear. Let me see those tears come. Let me see 'em roll down your cheeks. Let me taste how afraid you are. Oh, honey... let me enjoy this.”

Cancer slowly leaned forwards, before his eyes widened in surprise as Necrophage looked up at him, trembling not with fear, but with fury, before she shrieked: “Emotions off!”

The Replicant went dead still and silent, staring emptily at Cancer, and Cancer blinked a few times before he guffawed as he waved a hoof back and forth in front of her blank stare, half-turning towards a Husk as he chortled: “She got so scared she just-”

Necrophage stepped forwards, and her jaws sheared through Cancer's neck in a splatter of white goo with a single bite, the destruction entity's eyes bulging in shock a moment before his head splattered uselessly into the ankle-high ooze. And before anyone could react, Necrophage was already moving, trampling Cancer's body before she leapt ruthlessly on top of a Husk, massive, metal-crushing jaws snapping over the Husk's face and crunching through his skull like it was made of candy.

Another Husk flung himself at her, but he bounced off the solid mare before she turned and pounced on top of him as her second victim disintegrated, while Cancer's body stumbled uselessly around as his head howled and wiggled furiously through the black poison. Necrophage's jaws came down, and the Husk managed to get a foreleg up, but her enormous teeth bit easily through the limb before she leaned down, biting into the Husk's shoulder next and ripping the entire forelimb from his body.

The remaining Husks both scrambled forwards as Necrophage tossed the wounded Husk into the wall, but the Replicant neither panicked nor slowed in her assault: one slammed a hoof into her face, but she didn't so much as flinch, instead seizing it by the throat in her jaws and shredding its neck open in a burst of energy even as the second Husk tried to grab her around the neck, attempting to choke her.

But Necrophage only reacted by shoving the now-choking, gasping Husk away before she dropped on her back, crushing the other Husk under her heavy body. The moment it let go, she rolled quickly, dropping her head into the stream of poison and drinking deeply before she rose her head as the Husk crawled to its own hooves, snarling as it lunged at her and ended up plowing face-first into a cloud of black smog that rapidly began to eat away at its features.

The Husk staggered away, shaking its head uselessly back and forth, before Necrophage turned emotionlessly towards Cancer as the destruction entity managed to pick up his head and slam it back between his shoulders, the monster snarling as he glared at her: “You're really pushin' my buttons now, doll.”

Necrophage lunged forwards, and Cancer snarled as he slashed a foreleg out as it became a deadly blade, but the Replicant was faster, her jaws snapping through the blade and ripping Cancer's forelimb apart in a hail of slime.

Cancer howled in misery, staggering backwards before Necrophage leaned forwards and vomited a stream of black smog over the destruction entity, sending him reeling further back with a scream of pain as he shook himself wildly back and forth before he suddenly lurched away, becoming a stream of ooze that slithered quickly through the sewers, wailing: “I won't forget this! I'll be back for you, missy, and your little dog too!”

Necrophage only watched calmly as the creature retreated, before she turned her attention to the wounded Husks. The survivors were bleeding energy from their horrific wounds, but she dispatched them quickly and efficiently all the same with quick, crushing bites of her oversized jaws.

Then the Replicant turned her eyes towards Thorn, striding over to him and hefting him up across her back. She breathed slowly, but ignored the pain in her chest, the feeling of her broken ribs grinding together, as she instead turned and began to stride down the passage, saying quietly: “Prince Thorn Blackfeather will be protected at all costs. All other damages deemed acceptable.”

“No, Necrophage. Not all damages.” Thorn whispered, and Necrophage didn't slow, but she did tense up slightly, as the stallion smiled briefly before he shivered in pain, ordering with all the strength he could muster: “Keep moving. Once the fuel pumps activate...”

He didn't have the strength to finish, but he didn't have to, as Necrophage stated: “Even granting optimum efficiency, purging will not occur for at least twenty-two minutes. We will arrive at Maintenance Hatch 36 within fifteen minutes.”

“I trust you.” Thorn whispered, before he shivered a bit as he felt a searing pain pulse through his stump of leg, shifting a little on the Replicant's back before he added in a murmur: “Thank you, Necrophage.”

Necrophage only continued to plod on through the sewers, silent and focused dead ahead. She moved slowly but steadily, and within fifteen minutes, they finally stepped up onto a narrow ledge in front of an armored door, the Replicant saying emotionlessly: “Thorn Blackfeather.”

Thorn was silent, breathing weakly in and out, and Necrophage carefully shifted the stallion off her back before she checked his pulse. He was alive, but weak, and Necrophage studied him for a moment before she repeated: “Thorn Blackfeather.”

Thorn didn't wake up. Necrophage gave him a few moments, then she simply reached out and slapped him, making Thorn blink blearily and start before he hissed and grasped not at his face, but instead at his bloody stump of shoulder, lowering his head and rasping slowly for breath as Necrophage repeated again: “Thorn Blackfeather.”

“Present.” Thorn replied after a moment, looking up before he glanced behind himself and grimaced, swearing under his breath as he carefully sat up and turned around. For a moment, he had to push into the wall to steady himself on his haunches as his vision went blurry, but he was able to make himself recover as he straightened and muttered: “I... still remember the manual codes. Time?”

“Estimated time of three to five minutes remaining, sir.” Necrophage replied calmly, and Thorn grimaced as he opened a metal panel beside the door to reveal the control board inside.

He tapped quickly over it, then swore under his breath as it only fizzled briefly in response. He took a breath, steadying himself, before attempting another code...

No, nothing. It was dead. Thorn frowned uneasily at this, then he looked quickly back at Necrophage and asked: “When was the last maintenance check?”

“As scheduled.” Necrophage confirmed, and Thorn grimaced before he grasped the edge of the panel, yanking uselessly on it before he swore quietly to himself, clenching his eyes shut as he took a breath to steady himself and calm himself down- “Do you require assistance?”

“Open the panel.” Thorn instructed, carefully shifting out of the way, and Necrophage nodded and studied the panel for a moment before she simply slammed a hoof into it, then ripped the keyboard and the metal covering it sat on off, Thorn smiling wryly as he rubbed slowly at his bleeding stump.

He used telekinesis to grasp several wires, yanking them loose before he began to carefully twist them together. He could hear a faint rumbling now in the distance: the massive pumps were being readied to flush the excess fuel out of the generators to prevent them from flooding, and all that corruption was going to be pumped through these tunnels to be dumped outside of Imperia...

Thorn grimaced as he finally crossed the right wires, the door beeping as it slid open an inch. But that was all it moved, and Thorn frowned uncertainly before he leaned forwards, muttering: “How did the power go out?”

He could see Worker Drones approaching the other side of the door, and the stallion felt a strange twist of unease even as he reassured himself more than calm, emotionless Necrophage: “Looks like I tripped the repair alarm...”

“No repair team is stationed within three hundred meters.” Necrophage warned, and Thorn frowned over his shoulder at her, before his eyes widened as the door he had forced open slammed back shut.

He hammered his shoulder into the door with a shout, then swore and fell backwards, the Replicant catching him and steadying him as the stallion's eyes widened at the sight of sparks traveling along the frame of the door as it was welded shut. “Hey! No, stop immediately! Emergency override, code 1-1!”

The Worker Drones completely ignored him, the stallion mouthing wordlessly before Necrophage gently pushed him aside, and then the Replicant calmly turned around before she viciously kicked both hind legs back into the armored door. It shook violently, but barely stirred out of position, yet all the same Necrophage kicked it again, then again, then again.

Thorn only sat back, mute and stunned, before he half-held up his front hoof, saying as Necrophage slammed another kick into the door: “That... enough. We need... Necrophage, you are not rated for... the door is armored.”

“High-density carbon steel, weighed with magnetized lodestone.” Necrophage assessed, before she slammed another double-kick back into the door: she had managed to dent it slightly, but Thorn realized one of her legs had broken from the force she was kicking it with, blood leaking from the wounds she had torn back open across her lower limbs. “Current physical status guarantees failure. Force output is insufficient.”

All the same, Necrophage slammed another kick back into the door, and Thorn almost shouted: “Then what are you doing, Necrophage?”

Necrophage looked back at Thorn for a moment, then she said, calmly, emotionlessly: “System failure is acceptable if it will increase Thorn Blackfeather's chance of escape to even one percent.”

Necrophage slammed another kick into the shutter, and Thorn stared at her as she continued to savagely kick the door, denting it further, making it shudder in its frame. Every kick reverberated through Thorn's head and chest as he breathed quietly in and out, lowering his head as he felt another vibration growing, before he whispered: “Necrophage...”

Necrophage stopped again, her hind legs bloody and broken, the mare barely able to keep herself on her hooves before Thorn dragged himself up to a standing position. He stumbled over to her, and she caught him against her body, embracing him as he wrapped his foreleg around her neck, breathing quietly in and out as he rested his face against her before he whispered: “Emotions on.”

The Replicant flinched, trembling for a moment before she hugged him fiercely close, clenching her eyes shut as she ground her face against the side of his neck and whispered: “Y-You gotta go, Thorn, you gotta go, you gotta go...”

“There's nowhere to go.” Thorn replied quietly, and then he smiled faintly as she rose his eyes to hers. And he could hear it now: the roar of the poison flooding through the tunnels, the thunder of the Clay of Prometheus as it swept towards them, unstoppable and rushing straight down towards them.

And yet he wasn't afraid. He wasn't afraid, as he breathed slowly in and out, before he murmured: “Thank you for protecting me. For being my friend. For caring about me, Necrophage. Now promise me that you'll survive. Because I don't want to lose you.”

“Only if you do too, Thorn! You gotta survive, too.” Necrophage whimpered, as she clutched herself into him, before she swallowed thickly as she felt the stallion's magic wash over them both, insulating them as much as he could. “D-Don't hurt yourself, you should-”

“Shut up, Necrophage.” Thorn murmured, and the two pulled apart for a moment, looking into one-another's eyes before the stallion leaned forwards and impulsively kissed her. Necrophage didn't know how to respond, freezing up but clutching into him so much tighter, so much harder, before their mouths parted, and she blushed deeply as tears ran down her cheeks, and Thorn smiled back at her.

But before either pony could speak, the black poison came thundering down on top of them, slamming the two back against the sealed door before they were jerked helplessly along with the current. Yet even as they were hurled down the passage, they clutched tightly to each other, refusing to let go, refusing to part, even as they were caught in the tide of black, rushing hell.