Enter the Spider... or Whatever I Am's Web

by Autum Breeze

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

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I just stare ahead, my brain not quite processing what I just heard.

Shadow Guardian? The Oracle’s voice asks.

I blink, shaking my head, before frowning up at the sky. “Um, could you repeat that? I clearly must’ve misheard you, Oracle.”

No, you heard correct, he replies casually. Meridian needs help and you must go in your fellow Guardians’ stead.

I just stare, open mouth.

“Um, what?” I cock my head. “Unless it escaped your notice, Oracle, not only am I the weakest of The Guardians, but I’m still recovering from my injuries? What aid could I, in my state, possibly give to Meridian? Plus, I highly doubt Elyon needs my help.”

Instead of an answer, a fold opens up right in front of me and Halinor steps through it.

She blinks in surprise at my being sprawled out on the ground, before sighing and offer me a hand.

I take it with my good hand and she helps me pick up my crutch.

Sure, my leg has been feeling far better than it did before I encountered The Pony of Shadows twice, but I’m not taking chances of messing my leg up more.

Halinor helps me through the fold and into the chamber of Kandrakar, where the Council is waiting.

“Mind explaining why you’re so insistent I help out when I’m clearly no help to anyone right now?” I ask The Oracle once I’ve got my footing after Halinor lets me go.

“Things are happening quickly, so it must be fast,” The Oracle opens an energy window. “A threat has come to Meridian from Equestria. One the Guardians are not able to deal with now, but you seem able.”

Before I can actually ask what he even means by that, the window reveals Meridian… and my jaw drops.

It’s like I’m watching the scene from J is for Jewel, only at night and with Sandpit, Gargoyle and Rathor fighting alongside Caleb and the castle guards… only what they’re facing is not Phobos and his monsters.

It’s… it’s The Pony of Shadows!

What? But, how? I beat him by absorbing him, didn’t I? Sure, it happened twice, but…

“The Guardians had come across the queen of Changelings,” The Oracle says quickly. “It would seem the strange tactics she was using was to distract The Guardians from noticing her acquiring items from throughout the land.”

“When she brought them to a location of power, a group of ponies were freed from limbo,” Halinor says… making my gut drop.

“That location wouldn’t happen to have been called Ponhendge, by chance, would it?” I ask, knowing hoping I’m wrong is pointless, but hoping none the less.

The Oracle nods. “And, along with them, a being called The Pony of Shadows was also released. However, as soon as he was, Miranda appeared and opened a Fold, The Pony of Shadows disappearing through it…”

“And appearing in Meridian,” I groan.

Great. Just great. I deal with The Pony of Shadows twice and now one from a completely different Equestria is now running loose on Meridian?

I blink.

Wait a minute. From another Equestria?

That might explain the second The Pony of Shadows. I was so confused why the ponies had become anthro and how The Pony of Shadows had come back so quickly after I’d somehow absorb him.

So, whoever that was that I saw passing into that Fold on Earth had sent me to another version of Equestria (one apparently not created by Starlight’s meddling with time travel), before bringing me back to Earth?

Why?

Wait. No. time to worry about that later.

“But… that still begs the question how I’m supposed to get to Meridian to stop this version of The Pony of Shadows?” I point out, looking around at the council. “I still need this crutch just to get around right now and, with one arm out too, I’m not exactly able to fight. My beating those other two Ponies of Shadows was just dumb luck.”

The Oracle nods, glancing around at the council, who nod back and gather around me in a circle.

“Um…?” I feel very confused.

“We will all grant you a fraction of our life energy,” The Oracle says as they each start glowing. “It will not be much, but it should allow to you fight for at least half an hour without damaging your injuries further.”

I can’t help cocking an eyebrow. “You’re not just outright healing me?”

Halinor answers. “We do not have that kind of power. All we can do is provide you a temporary reprieve from normal physical limits.”

“Not that it’s much of one,” I point out. “Half an hour? You honestly expect me to be able to beat The Pony of Shadows, untransformed and without the other Guardians, in just half an hour?”

“I’m afraid it is the best we can manage at this current time,” The Oracle shakes his head. “And, once you’re done in Meridian, you must get back to Equestria. Your fellow Guardians are in need of your help as well.”

Wait, what?

Suddenly, any other thought is wiped from my mind as my body feels like I’m being charged by a billion bug zappers.

Once it stops, I blink as I realize my arm and leg are feeling perfectly fine. In fact, I actually feel better than I have since the Heart of Shadow linked with the Heart of Kandrakar.

“No time to delay,” The Oracle says, sounding slightly winded, pointing to the window of Meridian.

I frown, but nod, running forward as The Oracle opens a Fold over the window.

The moment I pass through, I have to drop to the ground as a castle knight almost collides with me.

Pressing myself back up, I realize The Pony of Shadows seems bigger than he was in the other two Equestrias.

The night must be giving him more power.

I blink as I notice a flash of light slam into his head, causing him to twitch, before yellow in rage, shadow energy firing from his horn and colliding with something with a light shield.

Whatever he’s hitting with his magic soaring in my direction, landing a few feet away.

I hurry over and realize it’s Elyon. She’s covered in scuff marks, meaning, while not injured, she’s clearly taken a few hits.

Upon seeing me, she snarls. “I won’t let you get away with this, Miranda!”

I pause. Huh?

She quickly pushes herself up, her hands glowing with light.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” I say frantically. “Mel! Mel! I’m Mel!”

Either she doesn’t hear me or believe me, because she fires, the magical blast hitting me before I can react and I’m sent soaring backwards, colliding with a number of guards who were clearly regrouping to return to the attack.

I struggle out of the tangle of guards, only to feel my gut drop as Elyon hovers in the air over me, her face promising pain.

Before she can, however, a web latches onto her shoulder and she barely has time to go “Huh?” before she’s yanked to the right and slammed to the ground.

Looking around quickly, I see Miranda in her monster form walking towards Elyon, now covered in several globs of web.

Glancing up at the sky, I bite my lip. If only the moon was out, there’d be more light to cast more shadows.

“Miranda!” I yell as I haphazardly make my way down from the pile of guards and rush towards her.

She pauses, turning around, a look a genuine shock and confusion on her four eyed face. “What? How’re you —?”

I don’t let her finish that as I leap into the air and kick her in the face, the impact having more power in it than even I was expecting, as she slightly stumbles, grunting in pain.

I thankfully have enough mind to use the force of the pushback from her reaction to push myself off, landing a little away from her.

Miranda cringes, before snarling. “How are you here? You shouldn’t even be able to move! I destroyed your body beyond mortal recovery! You should be a cripple!”

I blink, before inwardly smirking. She doesn’t know? Oh, I’m going to enjoy this.

“The Guardians have a few tricks your master was obviously too stupid to know,” I sneer. “And, as a temporary Guardian myself, I get to use those tricks as well.”

I need to buy time. I don’t have long, so I need to make every second count.

Miranda snarls. “Fine! I’ll just beat you to an inch of death this time, then! Even whatever Guardians tricks you have won’t save you from—RAH!”

Her monologue is cut off by her scream of pain as she’d blasted by a ray of light.

Elyon was able to free herself while I kept Miranda talking.

The Meridian Queen looks to me and nods, curtly. “Thank you.”

I nod back. “We’re not done yet.”

A hissing makes us turn our attention to Miranda, who’s looking between the two of us, her eyes wide with rage.

“Damnit! This wasn’t part of the plan!” She shifts back to human form, putting a hand on her chest and I notice a flicker of light under her shirt. “Seems this plan was a flop Still, at least The Pony of Shadows will finally end your kingdom, Queen Elyon.”

My eyes widen as she thrusts a hand in front of her, opening a Fold.

“No!” Eylon and I both yell, rushing forward, but she goes through the Fold, it closing before we can get to her.

“Damnit!” I snarls, before turning my attention to The Pony of Shadows.

All the while Elyon and I were dealing with Miranda, he’s had no resistance aside from the guards, Rathor, Sandpit and Gargoyle and, clearly, they’re no match for him.

“How are we supposed to beat this shadow creature?” Elyon bites her bottom lip. “My power seems to only harm him a little. How do we beat him?”

I blink, remembering what The Oracle said and look down at my hands, before looking to Elyon. “Get me close to him.”

She glances at me, eyeing me suspiciously. “Listen… Melinda. I… I know you’re not Miranda and I shouldn’t hold you being identical to her against you, but…”

I nod. “I get it. It’s hard not to look at me and see her.” I put a hand to my chest. “But, I promise you, Queen Elyon, by the power of Kandrakar, I only want to help.”

Elyon looks away, unsure.

“Please, Elyon,” I beg, firming my tone, “I only have about twenty-five minutes before the boost of energy the council gave me wears off. Once it does, I’ll be no help at all. You need to trust me.”

She looks from me to The Pony of Shadows as he laughs, tossing around those fighting against him as he hovers of the castle.

After a moment, she says, before nodding. “Okay. What do we do?”

I smiel, before turning to glare at The Pony of Shadows. “Since Will’s not here, I can’t transform. So, I need you to levitate me up there. I’m not sure how it’ll work, but, I should be able to absorb The Pony of Shadows’ power, freeing the host and stopping this.”

Elyon’s eyes widen in horror. “Host? You mean, there’s someone inside that… thing?”

I nod, my expression becoming grim. “I dealt with a version of him from another Equestria. Soon as The Pony of Shadows was beaten, a pony was revealed, unconscious. I’m sure it’s no different here.”

Eylon looks like she wants to question part of what I said, but nods and holds an open hand towards me.

At once, my body tingles as a white aura glows around me.

I look to Elyon and we both nod, before we levitate into air and rush towards The Pony of Shadows.

As we near him, the shadowy head turns in our direction, sneering. “Coming back for another round, little light? And…” he frowns as he sees me, before smiling. “Oh. You must be the double of that lovely girl who led me to this world.”

I glare. “Elyon, throw me, now!”

My body is thrust forward and I’m moving like a girl-sized bullet towards the shadow being.

He blinks, before his eyes widen in alarm and—

I’m barely able to react in time to maneuverer myself so my feet land on the large chunk of a castle tower The Pony of Shadows grabbed and threw at me.

I quickly crawl along it as best I can, leaping up as the tower starts feeling the effects of gravity again.

“Elyon, now!” I yell.

At once, the night is lit by a powerful light.

The Pony of Shadows growls, clearly taken aback.

I pay it no mind though.

Focusing hard, I feel out the shadows around me and, reaching out to them, use the shadows of another tower to stretch out and grab the falling one, swinging it around and tossing it back towards me.

I land as it passes by horizontally, riding it like a surfboard.

As Elyon’s light fades, my tower slams into The Pony of Shadows, making him growl in pain and I fall down, latching onto him.

“What?” he yells, glaring down at me.

I blink, my face blanching.

Crap. I don’t actually know how I absorbed the other two Ponies of Shadows.

I was so focused on getting to him before my time limit ran out, I completely forgot I need to know how to absorb his power in order to do that.

“Get off me!” The Pony of Shadows yells… with fear.

Suddenly, I feel like I’m in a rodeo as The Pony of Shadows starts jumps around, tossing this way and that, trying to dislodge me from his chest.

After what feels like at least three minutes of the bucking around, The Pony of Shadows stops, crying out in frustration.

Glancing around, I see Elyon is in the air again, firing a beam of light at The Pony of Shadows.

Said being snarls, firing a blast of shadow magic towards the girl.

She moves out of the way and fires another beam at him, causing him to stumble.

I use his being distracted by Elyon and focus, thinking about absorbing his shadows, trying to remember that feeling I had the other two times… but, I hadn’t really been paying attention back then, so I can’t really remember.

The first time, The Pony of Shadows had tried to possess my body. The second time… I somehow ended up inside of The Pony of Shadows.

So how did I…?

I glance over my shoulder as Elyon avoids another blast of shadow magic… and my eyes widen.

Okay. This is just a gamble right now, but we don’t really have many options here, do we?

I glance down and see Sandpit reforming near The Pony of Shadows’ hooves.

“Sandpit!” I yell, jumping down, the living sand being glancing up and seeming confused for a moment.

I land in front of him and point at Elyon.

“Soon as The Pony of Shadows is about to fire another blast of magic, I need you to get me in its path. I think I know how to end this.”

Sandpit clearly seems skeptical, but nods and forms a disc underneath me and quickly rushes up.

Focusing, I aim my hands down and, just as Sandpit tosses me into the air, I fire a shadow blast from both hands, propelling me that extra bit forward.

As the shadow blast from The Pony of Shadows soars towards Elyon, I reach her, shoving her aside.

I’ve just enough time to see the look of shock and horror pass over The Pony of Shadows’ face as it dawns on him what is about to happen.

The blast makes contact with me, but, instead of feeling pain or being thrown back, at once the energy starting seeping into me and I feel like I’m drinking in the shadows like a smoothie, only through my chest instead of my mouth.

“No!” he yells, his voice carrying out across the night. “No, you can’t! You can’t!”

“Oh, yes, I can!” I grin, thinking of drinking more.

It seems to work.

Not only is The Pony of Shadows’ magic moving faster into me, his form is starting to warp, reminding me of the scene from Jumanji as Alan Parish was starting to get sucked into the game.

“No! I’ve come so far! I’ve found a world where no being could stop me!” he cries as he’s pulled further and further into me. “NOOOOoooo!”

The last fragment of shadow is sucked into my body and I feel a huge rush of power coursing through my me.

Opening my eyes, I glance down to see Elyon rushing towards the ground.

It takes a moment for my brain to catch up, before I realize what she’s heading towards.

…

It’s also at this moment I realize I’m currently in the air… with no support to keep me up.

I don’t panic as gravity reasserts its dominance over me, though, as I hold a hand out to a nearby wall and a shadow-like web flies from my hand, latching onto the edge of a branch near the wall.

I swing towards it, using the momentum to move my body into a position so my feet hit the wall and I press off, Sandpit catching me and pulling me up to the castle wall, where Elyon is land, a unicorn held in my arms.

I nod thanks to Sandpit and hurry over, looking over the unconscious unicorn.

“Is he…?” Elyon asks as I kneel down.

I shake my head. “No, just unconscious. Being the vessel for The Pony of Shadows so long clearly was draining. This version seemed even stronger than the other ones.”

“Something about Meridian must’ve increased his power,” Elyon remarks, before looking to me. “Thank you, Melinda. For trusting I’d be able to trust you, I mean.”

I nod. “No problem, Queen Elyon. It’s like I said, understand.”

She blinks, before giving a small smile and shaking her head. “Just Elyon, Melinda.”

I smirk. “Fine. But, you call me Mel from now on, got it?”

She nods and we both have a small laugh.

“I hate to interrupt this moment,” we both glance behind me as Caleb comes towards us, rubbing his shoulder, “but, is there a reason you came alone, Mel, instead of with the other Guardians?”

I blink, before my eyes widen and I jolt up.

“Shit! That’s right. The Oracle told me, soon as I finished here, I need to head for the Changeling Equestria right away!”

“Huh? How come?” Elyon asks, concerned.

I shake my head, using the Mage’s Ring to open a Fold. “Don’t know. He didn’t have time to explain. He simply said The Guardians need my help.”

“I’ll go too!” Eylon says firmly, standing up.

“Forgive me, Your Highness,” Rathor says, walking up from behind her, Sandpit being behind him explaining how he got up here. “But, after this attack, I don’t think it would be wise to leave. Miranda was the one who brought that creature here. It could very well be part of her plan for you to leave with her double and relaunch a different attack in your absence.”

“Rathor’s right,” I say, quickly, but gently, picking up the unicorn and handing him to Caleb. “It’s best you stay here. Caleb can come, though. He might be enough of a distraction to throw off Cheese Legs.”

“Cheese Legs?” the three of them say in confusion.

I sigh. “I’ll explain later. For now, come on, Caleb. We need to hurry.”

Looking annoyed at taking orders from me, but seeming to understand now isn’t the time for talk, Caleb nods and we both run towards the Fold, passing through.

Hold on, Will, girls. We’re coming.

Author's Note:

This took way longer to get done than i'm comfortable about.

i'd originally intended to write and post this last week but, when i sat down to start writing, even though i knew where i was going, i totally blanked on how to write it out.

even now, i still question if i worded it right (plus, as i was writing this chapter, i realized i'd made a few errors in the previous one that are pretty glaring if you're looking for them, so had to wait til i finished this chapter before getting to them or i'd never get this chapter done today).

So, while not exactly chummy, Mel and Elyon are at least on speaking terms, unlike before, due to Mel's connection to Miranda making Elyon want nothing to do with her, despite knowing the truth herself.

So, it seems Miranda's plan had been to trick Cheese Legs into freeing The Pony of Shadows so she could send him to Meridian while the Guardians were occupied with Cheese Legs herself.

she just didn't bank on Mel being strong enough to help stop him thanks to both the Gift of Xin Jing and the Council of Kandrakar... but has more happened because of this than anyone else guessed?

Mel still has time left before the boost from the council's life force fades... and she still had that inside her when she absorbed the more powerful than before Pony of Shadows.

Could an unforseen something have happened because of this?

You'll have to wait and see.

I have to admit, this wasn't as good as i'd have liked, but it needed to be done in this way for a scene i'm looking forward to writing next chapter to happen.

the following chapters are also effected by theses events and will make things far more interesting for The Guardians once they're done with the Changeling Timeline, so look forward to that.

Anyway, i'm gonna wrap up here and move on to other plans for the day, as i intend to really enjoy my weekend time, including finishing watching my copy of Horrible Histories season 4 that i got second hand, but in perfect condition.

So, before i ramble on more, hope you enjoyed this chapter and, til next time, stay safe, stay clean and see you later everybody

Comments

[Dinokid11]

Excellent work can’t wait to see what happens next

[LARZER]

Would you believe me if I told you that I was about to enter the page, when I thought: it would be great if they had uploaded a new chapter, but I don't think...

[Bloody_Tofu]

Ohhh fun ride! All caught up and looking forward to more