Ultimate Equestria

by Leo Pachino

Chapter 035: A Slow Seperation

In the thick jungles of Alicorn Island surrounding the mountain volcano, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie are trudging through the grown-over ruins. They were searching for a clue or some means to reach Korsan. With the black of night overhead and the thick green completely covering the stone remains, searching for anything special among the ruins was nearly impossible.

“What are we looking for again?” Pinkie asked, poking her head under an uprooted tree.

Twilight answered, pawing at the floor, “We’re looking for some sort of tunnel, or a passage into the temple this island’s supposed to have.”

“Do you think Rarity and Sweetie Belle are safe right now?” Fluttershy asked.

“I can’t really say. They’re with Korsan, a murderous pirate, but at the same time, they’re with Korsan. Korsan seems to know what he’s doing about these things. They’re probably just flying past all the traps and obstacles the temple’s throwing at them.”

---

Korsan, Rarity, Applejack, and Applebloom continued to scream in panic as they fell straight down into the darkness. It felt like an eternity, just plummeting into the unknown. Soon though, a small green light shone from far below, signifying the bottom from appearances. Korsan saw they were falling too fast towards the bottom of the hole.

“We gotta slow this train down!” He panted.

Korsan stabbed his claws into the caverns walls beside him. However, as soon as they latched onto the wall, they immediately slid out from an unseen flow along the walls. Korsan tried again, only to lose his grip again.

“Come on!” He groaned in frustration.

He tried one more time, putting all of his might and metal into the force of his claws. The metal tips etched themselves deep into thick rock and violently grinded against it. Molten sparks and icy water poured out from the metal fingers and over the chain of ponies, with Korsan receiving the full brunt of the damage.

“Hot-and-cold-hot-and-cold-hot-and-cold-hot-and-cold-hot-and-cold-hot-and-cold-ho-”

The ponies brutally slammed onto the metal floor. Shouting in pain and discombobulation, the pile, slowly separated and rose. A small moment of silence soon followed as the four recollected themselves and breathed out the pain.

They were on top of some circular platform, surrounded on all sides by absolute darkness. The floor shone a faint lime colour and a yellow-like reflection of some sort.

“Is everypony okay?” Rarity asked.

“A loosened bolt and gear, but I’m good here.” Korsan replied.

The Earth ponies simply gave a groan in response, a sign they were at least alive.

Thunder and snapping wood then blared out from under the four. Without warning, the floor began to move. The circular platform slowly tipped over towards the ponies. Panic immediately set in as the ponies tried to balance.

“What’s going on?!” Rarity exclaimed.

“The floor’s tilting over!”

The ponies scrambled over to the rising half of the metal disk. It immediately stopped, only to instead fall in the other direction where they’re at. It didn’t take long for them to realize what’s going on.

“It’s a pivot at the origin, everypony, take to a corner of the platform and balance this thing! Now! Filly, stay here and hang on tight!” Korsan demanded.

Quickly, Rarity, Korsan, and Applejack climbed up the rising slope to the sides and top of the stage. They tightly latched onto to the etching of the rocking metal floor. The platform slowly returned to being flat, now balance on all corners.

“Okay, I think we’re stable.” Korsan panted.

The four ponies sighed in relief, but remain uneasy as the sounds of loud wood creaking still echoed from below their standing.

“How do we get out of this mess?” Applejack rapidly asked.

“Well,” Korsan sighed, examining his surroundings. “We’re on a large platform made of what appears to solid gold. It is balanced on a central pillar in the middle, an ironic way to kill off any intruders. I assume whatever’s at the bottom will be death. Not sure how the floor is glowing, not important. The walls are too slippery for me and my crossbow. There’s too much water being poured down them. Finally, there appears to be no ladder or doorway in sight.”

“So, we’re just stuck here forever?” Applebloom worryingly asked.

“I never said there was an exit. Miss Rarity, give us a light.”

Rarity complied immediately and lit her horn. The bright blue light illuminated the chamber far more than the green tint of the disc. As Korsan predicted, they were in a large, bottomless chamber of sorts. The chamber was encased in huge stone walls that have been incredibly eroded. Thick falls of water veiled the walls, gushing massive amounts at high speeds.

Behind the water, Korsan could see a black hole in the stone wall just above Applebloom’s head.

“Up there, Rarity. Could you possibly lift this platform up to it?” Korsan asked, pointing to it.

“Let me try.”

Cutting her light off for a moment, Rarity aimed her horn to the gold floor. She attempted to levitate it. However, no aura appeared around the disc, and Rarity found herself unable to grasp it. It was dangerously similar to how her captain’s anti-magic behaved.

“I can’t.” Rarity said.

“Too heavy?” Korsan asked.

“No, I just can’t get a hold of it. It’s like it’s lined with anti-magic or something.”

“What? That shouldn’t be…”

Korsan crouched down and better examined the engraved disc of gold. He noticed a solid green substance deep within the grooves. He instantly recognized it. He gasped.

“It can’t be… Mares, it looks like we’re playing by new rules.”

“What do you mean?” Rarity asked, turning nervous.

“I’ve given these ancients credit for their advanced infrastructure, but I would’ve never expected something this advance. They knew about the secrets of creating physical anti-magic, and have probably lined every pebble of this temple with it.”

“What now what?” Applejack asked, now beginning to panic.

“Don’t worry yourself.” Korsan reassured her. “This temple may be untouchable, but we aren’t. Now, I’m going to need everypony’s cooperation if we’re going to get out of this trap. Now, Rarity, when I give the signal, you-”

Before Korsan could calmly finish, the wooden stilt holding the platform up suddenly snapped from the weight. The whole structure was about to collapse. Panic returned as they frantically balanced.

“Okay! We gotta go fast!” Korsan declared, his voice now frantic. “Rarity, do you know how to teleport or self-levitate?”

“Only once before exhausting!” Rarity immediately answered.

“Good! On my command, you will get yourself to the exit. When you go, Applejack, you will go to the middle, while I and the filly balance it. Got it?”

“Yes!” The mares replied.

“Ready, set, go!”

With a flick of her horn, Rarity disappeared from her corner in a flash of light and reappears on the edge of the exit alcove. The gold disk started to tilt. Applejack ran to the center while Korsan and Applebloom held the tilt back. The balance was restored once more, with the three remaining ponies now standing in a line.

“Alright, this is the next part. Rarity, levitate Applejack to you. Ready?” Korsan asked.

“Yeah,” Rarity answered.

The crumbling pivot snapped again, shaking the gold platform and offsetting Korsan and the Earth ponies.

“Now!” Korsan roared.

Applejack was promptly lifted from the center and into the air by Rarity.

“Come to me, little filly!” Korsan commanded to Applebloom.

Hastily, the two darted towards the center in place of Applejack. Applejack was lifted into the black cavern alongside her carrier and was gently placed now next to her.

“Now this ankle biter last!” Korsan announced.

“Wait, what about you?” Rarity asked.

The support beam released another earth-shattering crack.

“Don’t worry about me.” Korsan replied.

“But I won’t be able to grab you.”

“Just get the kid!”

Seeing as she had no other option, Rarity obeyed and picked up Applebloom. She set her down next to her and Applejack. Korsan was now the only one left as the gold platform started to slowly sink down.

“Let me get you out of there! Drain your anti-magic or something!” Rarity cried out.

“It’ll take too long! Just back up!”

“I’m not leaving you!”

“Back!”

“There must be some way, we can figure this out!”

“As your captain, I command that you and the others go on!”

“No-”

“Now! Now! Now! Now! Now!”

Overwhelmed by Korsan’s screaming, the mares slowly backed away from the edge of the cavern entrance.

“Hopefully this ends well…” Korsan told himself, tightening his muscles and gears.

“What?”

Rarity looked over the lip of the cave to see Korsan slowly back away from her and towards the edge. The giant platform tilted back to him, causing the other end to rise up to her.

Rarity gasped, “You aren’t-”

Korsan interrupted with a fierce battle roar and charged up the sloped disk to the alcove and Rarity. His claws dug into the gold floor to boost his. Halfway up, the pivot finally shattered. The entire stage stated to plummet down with him on it. Korsan reached the edge of the platform and jumped. He leapt high into the air, using all the power of his machinery and might.

Time seemed to slow to a halt as Korsan flew, his cape being the only thing to freely move in frozen time.

Rarity saw that Korsan didn’t have enough height to grab the edge. He was going to just miss it, and be taken down into the abyss by the water. Without hesitation, she reached her hoof out for her captain’s outstretched claws.

Korsan, knowing what this would do, yelled out to her, “No!”

But was too late.

Korsan’s razor sharp claws dug into Rarity’s flesh and latched into her muscle. The mare to screamed in pain, but held herself firm. Applejack and her sister watched in horror as Rarity’s white hoof quickly turned into a bright shade of red and pink.

“Help me!” Rarity squealed.

Quick to respond, Applejack bit down on Rarity’s swirly tail and pulled her back into the cave. The mares slowly pulled up Korsan where he was able reach the flat stone floor. The pirate captain jumped into the alcove and immediately fell to his lower knees.

“You idiot,” Korsan angrily grumbled, like a mentor scolding his student. “Look at this.”

He pointed to Rarity’s massive wound, his claws still dug into her. Korsan carefully drew out his metal parts from the whimpering mare, one long claw at a time.

Rarity sobbed, “Y-you were g-going-g to f-fall.”

“…I probably was. As stupid as that was, I thank you for that. Stay still for a tick,”

As Korsan pulled out the final claw, he examined Rarity’s hoof.

“I’m sorry for doing this to you.” Korsan apologized. “First that rapier, and now this. It’s like you want to wreck your hooves.”

“D-don’t be ridiculous.”

“Let me just wrap this up here,”

Swiftly, Korsan flung his black cape around Rarity’s hoof, tightening it upon contact.

“Ow,” Rarity gasped.

“Sorry.”

“How do you do that, make your cape snap like that?”

“Prehensile micro-cables inside the cape fabric, they tense into specific forms and bends based on my muscle commands, just like the rest of my mechanical suit. It can be flaccid in public gatherings for appearance and imposition, but can be restrained in its movements when I’m fighting and need open space.”

“Interesting, what’s it made of?”

“A titanium alloy over a Kevlar structure-”

“No, the cape fabric,”

“Oh, Darwing Bark Spider silk dyed with crushed Ancient Pingwin Mollusk shells.”

“Beautiful.”

Korsan then turned to Applejack and Applebloom.

“Applejack, and eh…” He said, trying to figure out the filly’s name.

“Applebloom.” Rarity said.

“Right, her, go ahead until you reach the main path. I’m sure my stallions will find you. Redirect them over here with a surgeon ready.” Korsan commanded.

The two Earth ponies nodded and scampered into the exit. Gently, Korsan caressed the wrapped leg with his claws retracted into the boots. His partner sighed in liberation of the pain and the tingling of pleasure from Korsan’s massage. As Korsan treated the wounded leg, Rarity looked to his now exposed back. With the cape gone, she could clearly see the wings he had hidden.

A wave of disgust and pity washed over her as she saw Korsan’s wings. They were mangled, covered in bald spots which reveal his pale flesh. Black and red bruises dotting his fur and deep scars ran along every inch of his skin. Worst of all, large hunks of metal parts, large and small, bars and complex mechanicals, pierced his wings and tangled with everything in contact.

It was a nightmarish sight.

“Your wings,” Rarity gasped. “They’re, they’re,”

“It’s nothing.” Korsan quietly dismissed her.

It was his attempt to keep her relaxed. However, a sense of shame turned present in his tone.

“That is not nothing. What did you do to them?” Rarity asked.

“A few experiments in the mechanical arts went sour. I was seeing if I could perhaps fix my wings after an… unfortunate happening.”

“Does it still hurt?”

“Not as much as it did before, at least I can sleep.”

“Have you gotten this checked out?”

“No, no, there’s no need for that. I’d rather deal with it myself.”

“Okay… Captain, can I ask you something?”

“Anything,”

“Have you considered, I don’t know, being less, violent, when becoming an alicorn?”

“…”

“Korsan?”

“I had a feeling you’d be asking me about that sooner or later. Look, I-I’m not the most usual of ponies, neither am I the most sane. You know that, right?”

“…Yes.”

“But what I am, is a thinker. Somepony that understands a lot and can draw some conclusions with a lot of fair reason. I have also firsthoof felt what it means to be on the bottom. And really, I don’t want anypony else to experience that same pain I felt for so many years. So, my ultimate plans after this venture, is more of a means to fix everything.”

“By killing millions?”

“It’s an unpleasant thought, I understand. But genetics have a very dangerous role to play in the creation of these terrible lives and-”

“Please, you don’t have to kill. You could still create change and get your point across by simply talking.”

“That’ll never work. I know it already.”

“Are you sure?”

“Mostly,”

“But are you absolutely sure?”

“…”

“Captain!” Voices echoed from the large cavern, ringing loud and clear in the captain’s ears.

“…” Korsan remained silent, deep in contemplation.

---

A low growl bellowed from the far bottom of a tight stairway, deep underground and long. Needle-like stalactites reached down from the uncarved ceiling, barely touching the damp, mossy steps. Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy, near the top of the stairs, stared down at the stairs, thinking about what awaited them.

It was a miracle they found these stairs. Now walking down them though, that miracle felt more like a curse to the trio. Walking down the ceaseless flight, natural chitchat was held between them to pass the time.

“I am so happy I found that trapdoor leading to here!” Pinkie cheered as she hopped down the wide steps. “I almost never lose a scavenger hunt!”

“And so are we,” Twilight calmly replied.

She had already heard the pink pony’s unintentional gloating about the subject several times at this point.

“This should lead us to the thing that Korsan’s after.” Twilight announced.

“And even closer to Rarity, and Sweetie Belle! We’re going to bring them home and throw a huge party!” Pinkie announced.

“Yeah…”

---

It happened almost instantly. Korsan and the mares reunited with the other pirates, some talking took place, and before they knew it, they were walking down the halls and passageways of the temple like nothing happened. While the injuries and shock still lingered, their goal and the company of others helped to move on from that incident with the trap.

Rarity’s hoof was now firmly wrapped in soft, white bandages. She gently hoppled alongside her captain, leaning on him at times for support.

They walked down the slowly descending hall, directed by a leading torch carried by Chopin in the far back. The walls were lined with murals, many more than earlier in the temple.

“So I assume the rest of yous have already figured it out this temple is lined with anti-magic.” Korsan said.

“The spear chamber was the real kicker, sir,” Horus answered from directly behind. “Luckily, no pony was injured… greatly anyways.”

“I see, so I and the others missed a trap. Darn. Sounds like a fun one too.”

“I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“Understandable.”

As the crew continued to pace onwards, a light green mist started to blanket the slanted corridor.

“Careful. Looks like we’ve reached the gas area. Poisonous or hallucinogenic, either way, don’t breathe it in. Just hold your breath and hustle.” Korsan announced.

“What’s the difference?” Isyan asked from the back alongside Chopin.

“One kills you on the spot, the other makes you wish you were killed on the spot.” Korsan answered.

---

As Twilight and the others walked down the stairs, a yellow colour, a mist of sorts, began to powder the air.