Rockets and Friendship

by Spooples

6. No Mare Left Behind

”I HAVE AN IDEA, GIRLS!”

Through the sizzling whistle of the green spell as you maneuver around it, your thestral hearing can just make out the Element of Magic’s call. And through the resounding explosion it makes as it blasts the wall behind you, you hear Applejack’s response:

”WELL, YA’ BETTER HURRY, TWI!”

Already knowing where this conversation is headed, you quickly change your trajectory so you’re aimed towards Twilight.

~~/OR, BETTER YET, YELL IT OUT LOUD SO WE CAN ALL HEAR IT, AND BY NO MEANS TRY TO THWART IT!/~~

”Well, if a colt says so—hey!”

Sure as the moon rising, Twilight is distracted by Merasmus’ comment enough to lose focus on the nasty-looking environmental spell charging beneath her.

You swoop in and nab Twilight from her ill-fated perch. It feels like a ram just headbutted your chest, and the way she’s squealing and thrashing certainly isn’t helping.

”B-B-BAD TOUCH!” Twilight shrieks. “BAD TOUCH, MIDNIGHT! AUTISM ACTING UP! BAD TOUCH!”

You gnash your teeth as you dive once again into the playground of spells whipping this way and that, fiery explosions showering the cavern, and the constant whirring of the resupply locker being used by a cyan blur and her wounded cargo.

”PUT ME DOOOOOOOWN!” Twilight wails as she—

“OOF!”

--lands a hoof right to your cheek.

You wrap your hooves around Twilight tightly as you start falling to the ground.

Before you can crash in a furry heap however, you feel another warm body streak into you.

”GOTCHA, MID-HEIGHT BOSOM!” a guttural voice yells as two arms cradle you tightly. You squeak out in discomfort at Jane's proximity as you all tumble to the ground.

The moment you’re still, you’re worming your way out of Soldier’s grasp. You get to your hooves quickly, seeing that you’ve landed at your mark: the resupply locker. ”Good catch,” you say simply.

”O-oh!” you hear Twilight stammer as she gets to her hooves, and gives you a—

…This little zigger.

“Thanks for your help, Jane!" Twilight pipes up with a smirk. "Next time you’re in trouble, I’ll be there!”

She’s smirking at you, like you were two schoolfillies fighting over a colt.

Well, whatever. You’re not going to indulge her with a reaction.

”Just doing what’s necessary!” Jane proclaims, before a suddenly serious expression morphs his face. “Now, Twilight, I want you to know that what I’m about to say will be the very first time these three words have been spoken by me, in this order, for as long as my sharp American mind can remember. And there is a very real chance it may also be the last. Are you ready?”

It grates you more than it probably should, the way the chaos around you all seems to fade into the background for Twilight as her eyes widen. The faintest trace of a blush warming her cheeks, Twilight meekly squeaks, ”…Y-yes.”

”…What’s the plan?”

At Twilight's deer-in-headlights reaction, you have to clamp a hoof over your muzzle before the chuckle escapes your throat.

”Oh!” she peeps. “U-um… Right. Well, the plan is—”

~~/LOUDER, PURPLE MORTAL!/~~

”Just stand back!” Twilight decides on instead.

Twilight steadies herself before her horn is swathed in violet magic. As she clenches her eyes in concentration, the resupply locker is enveloped in her spell. You can’t help but watch in begrudging curiosity as the powerful magic slowly lifts the heavy chunk of metal from its indentation in the stone.

”I’m going to attempt a resilio-replicatus spell on your weird, magic locker!” Twilight whispers with a glance to Merasmus.

Merasmus is too busy summoning another wave of skeletons to harass Rarity to notice.

Twilight continues, “It’ll shrink and replicate it into seven, hoof-held lockers each of us could use without the need to come back here every time we’re hurt!”

You rip your attention from the vibrating locker to glare at the Element of Magic. “Seven?” you demand.

”Oh, right! Thirteen, I mean! Sorry!"

You would’ve pressed it further, if the resupply locker hadn’t started shaking so intensely a high-pitched whine permeates off of it. Jane tilts his head at the display, his face scrunched in confusion.

“Is it supposed to be doing that?” you ask, just before--

BOOM!

Without a second to react, a hot force sends you flying from the resupply locker. With a quick flap of your wings and a brace of your legs, you skid to a halt on all fours. It takes a moment for the ringing in your ears to subside, but when they do, you hear Twilight say something you really wish was an auditory illusion.

”…Oops?”

But as you look back to where the resupply locker used to be, your hopes are squashed. In place of the resupply locker is now the site of a recent magical explosion, burnt and twisted pieces of the locker strewn about.

”…I guess it’d make sense that wouldn’t have ambient magic either…” Twilight mumbles dejectedly.

~~/THE PURPLE FOOL HAS UNINTENTIONALLY AIDED MERASMUS! NOW YOU PONIES ARE HOPELESS! AHAHAHAHA—PINK MORTAL, I SWEAR TO GOD--/~~

Ker-POW!

For a brief moment you feel the overwhelming urge to walk up to Twilight and pull her inside out from her tailhole, but before you can make any move, a white blur streaks past you.

”…aaaaaaAAAAAAAAA—TWILIGHTDARLINGWEREALLYNEEDYOURHELPOUTHERE!! AAAAAAAAaaaaaaahhhh…”

You leap towards Twilight to avoid the stampede of recently reanimated skeletons as they zoom after Rarity.

”D-d-don’t worry!” Twilight says, but the anxious titter in her voice is unmistakable. As her horn once again glows, the nervous sweat dripping from her forehead fills your nostrils. “I can fix this!”

Before she can make much more of a fool of herself, you reach your hoof above your head and give her horn a firm smack. She squeals, rearing back from the impact with a, ”YEE-OUCH!”

“Twilight," you start, glancing towards the battle. "You’ve done enough. Help your frien—"

”WHY WOULD YOU HIT A UNICORN’S HORN?!” Twilight practically screams in your face.

You’re taken aback to see a few tears lining the unicorn’s eyes. You curse yourself under your breath -- you forgot all about unicorn horns' sensitivity.

“…Okay,” you concede, taking a step forward, “That probably hurt more than I meant—"

”How could a thestral understand how that feels?!" Twilight snaps, backing away from you.

The first warning is the aerial hiss of another spell being launched towards you and Twilight. The green glow illuminating the side of Twilight’s face is the second. Not waiting for permission, you dive forward and tackle Twilight just as the blistering heat from the fireball misses the both of you.

Before you land though, a white flash blinds you as Twilight’s weight disappears. You yelp out as you try to shoot out your hooves for a swift landing, but with your eyesight hindered, you tumble to a clumsy stop.

”I’ll go help my friends, Midnight Blossom!” you hear Twilight say from somewhere you can’t see, “So go help your own! For the last time, we don’t need your help!”

Another pop of a teleportation spell from where Twilight once was, and you’re alone, surrounded by the chaos of battle and magic.

"Bucking redbacks!" you can't help but spit under your breath, frantically trying to blink away the whiteness.

Hhisus K’aecus.

You need to rely on your ultrasound.

But as soon as you open your mouth, Merasmus’ voice booms in your ears, leaving the Hhisus K’aecus jumbled and caught up within the avalanche of sound.

~~/YOU ARE, ALL OF YOU, WITHOUT YOUR PRECIOUS RESUPPLY LOCKER! YOU CANNOT HOPE TO--/~~

Ker-POW!

Pinkie Pie’s cannon invades your ears, leaving no room for anything else.

~~/GAH!! OHHH, YOU INFURIATING, SUGAR-CRAZED, PINK LUNATIC!/~~

Amidst the tsunami of sound, you can faintly make out that Pinkie’s frantic hoofsteps stop. ”Hey!” she shouts, “There’s nothing wrong with being a sugar-crazed pink luna--!”

Zzap!

And for a split second, the entire cave is silent, save for one sound that makes your blood run cold.

The sound of a body hitting the floor.

The defensive magic of Twilight, the bucking of hooves on stone from Applejack, the zipping through the air of Rainbow, the quiet whoosh of Fluttershy, and the screaming of Rarity are replaced with two words from each of the mares:

”PINKIE PIE!”

”MERAAAASMUUUUUS!” another, gruffer, more masculine voice screams.

From the trajectory of the voice and his hoofsteps, you can tell that Soldier is charging at Merasmus…

…ON HIS HOOVES?!

BOOM!

Another explosion, and the sound of Soldier’s hoofsteps are immediately replaces with the whoosh of—

“OOMPH!”

--Soldier’s warm, smoldering body before he crashes into you.

Merasmus’ cackling fills the cave like a volatile fume.

~~/AHAHAHAHAHA! FOOLS! ALL OF YOU, FOOOOOOLS! THIS IS WHY MERASMUS DOES NOT HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH MORTALS! THIS, AND HIS PET GOLDEN DOODLE SIR BIGGLESWORTH PASSING FROM OLD AGE, LEAVING MERASMUS EMOTIONALLY STUNTED!/~~

You never would’ve thought it before, but you’re starting to miss the hectic storm of sounds of the battle. Anything to replace the heavy panting of the Elements, the unnerving stillness of Pinkie Pie, and the raspy breath of Soldier on top of you.

You grunt as you sit up, hoisting Soldier gently off you and onto the ground.

~~/WHAT?! NO, ‘YOU POOR COLT?’ NO, ‘I’M SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS?!’ HAVE YOU FINALLY REALIZED THE DANGER YOU ARE IN?! THE FULL MIGHT OF MERASMUS THE WIZARD, WHOSE PLANS WITHIN YOU TOIL?!/~~

As you try desperately to blink away the whiteness, a single, pathetic voice chimes up from the Elements. You're not even sure who says it.

”…Y-you’re still a colt…”

~~/REALLY? A STUTTER AND A ONE-LINER? IS THAT ALL YOU CAN MUSTER, RAINBOW PAWN?/~~

Faintly, you start to make out the general shapes of the cavern and the ponies within. You can see the blurry, red visage of Soldier laying just in front of you, his metal weapon laying a few cubits away.

~~/YOUR FRIEND LAYS ON THE VERGE OF DEATH… SO TAKE IN YOUR MISTAKES’ BREADTH…/~~

Your team is scattered around the cave, wheezing and panting no less than the Elements themselves. The Elements of Harmony themselves are strewn about the cavern. When once their separation served a tactical purpose in battle, now it feels more segregated and rueful.

~~/FOR NOW YOU WILL FEEL THE FULL WRATH… OF THE BOMBINOMICON!/~~

Soldier reacts first, jolting awake and scrambling to his hooves.

Merasmus cackles as he hoists the monstrous thome in his hooves above his head.

Grrrrrowlllllll…..

A foreboding hum permeates the cave as the book glows a blood red.

”EVERYPONY, BRACE YOURSELVES!” Twilight yells from the opposite end of the cave, her horn glowing as each of the ponies in the room are surrounded by violet spheres...

…Leaving the thestrals defenseless.

Before you have a chance to even think of a proper reaction, Soldier is suddenly in your face, the only thing separating your muzzles the violet barrier of Twilight’s shield.

”Captain Midnight Blossom," he barks, "No time for confused stuttering or questions! Get your team to safety five minutes ago!”

You don’t even have time to blink before Soldier slams his forehead against your own, staring icy blue daggers into your eyes as he yells, ”THAT IS AN ORDER, CAPTAIN!”

And before you can respond, Soldier whips around, snatches his weapon from the ground, and is galloping towards Merasmus.

~~/AHAHAHAHAHAHA! PRAY, LITTLE PONIES! PRAY TO WHATEVER LITTLE PONY GODS YOU WORSHIP! YOUR TIME HAS COME!/~~

Without much else choice, you scream in a pitch so high it can only reach your thestralian sisters’ ears. “ANGTRUN’ RECEK’TUN’!”

Retreat.

Even if it was in your mother tongue, the word still feels foreign to your mouth.

~~/THIS IS… TAKING LONGER THAN MERASMUS EXPECTED!/~~

The world turns into a blur as you zip across the cavern to the hole the Elements entered from. The sounds from behind tell you each of your team are following.

BOOM!

You chance a peak over your shoulder just in time to see Soldier flying through the air, headed straight for the book—

What the buck is he doing?!

~~/SOLDIER, NO!/~~

Before your world turns into a jumbled mass of sound, light, and pain, one image sticks in your mind:

Soldier’s violet shield glowing a fractured white as whatever volleys out of the Bombinomicon hits it in full force.

---

Be Blank Canvas.

And if anything, these past few months have taught you two things: expect the unexpected, and the systolic range of a mare’s blood pressure isn’t supposed to be in the quadruple digits.

Unexpected event 1: Turns out that you did actually win one of the dozens of open-audition photography contests you entered last month, but due to a certain gray mailmare, you found out too late to actually follow up on it.

Unexpected event 2: You were offered the job you rightfully earned, but you needed to take another photo that would wow the executives enough to forgive you for the late response.

Unexpected event 3: A magical phenomenon happening just over the Foal Mountains, with suspected ties to the tempus-intervellum cascade that happened three days prior. How you were virtually the only unicorn in town who knew about that, you blame on the small town’s bumpkin education.

And one long trek hauling your supplies and red room cart later, you think it’s safe to say it isn’t what you expected.

…You expected something bigger.

The upside-down rendition of the Foal Mountains shines lifelessly back at your glaring eyes, unmoving like the last two hours you’ve been staring at it through your camera, praying something interesting would happen.

You’re not one of those frilly, colty photographers who snap pictures of flowers all day and still manage to get hired.

You’ve been all around the world.

You’ve seen things that would make most mares faint and most stallions spontaneously combust.

Tartarus, you make a living by capturing these things on film!

The Elements of Harmony charging in to battle the next world-ending villain of the year, that time Celestia’s sun and Luna’s moon accidentally bumped into each other in the sky, a stallion politely refusing an extra pair of horseshoes by his date.

You’ve seen it all.

So a whirling disk of dark magic floating above some big rocks?

You can only pray the ponies you’re trying to please are exclusively earth ponies.

…You need another coffee.

Hey, twelve cups within the past hour is lower than your average!

You can shut your overworked, coffee-less muzzle, Redheart!

You grumble as you duck down and out of the dark cloth.

“I need this shot…”

Now those are four words you are very accustomed to muttering under your breath.

Fwoosh…

Your hooves stop dead in their tracks.

Did the wind just change?

That’s always a good sign!

You feel your cheeks hurt with how hard you’re grinning as you turn back around—

kkKKRACK!

--and swiftly fall back onto your haunches.

For a long while you can only stare at the Foal Mountains.

Or rather, what remains of them.

A miasmic pillar of orange fire and black smoke rises from where the tallest peak of the Foal Mountains was, just moments prior. Smoldering chunks of the mountain, some as big as twenty thousand cups of coffee, still fall from where they were launched. And lastly, in stark contrast to the bleak mushroom cloud, a rainbow-colored glow of what had to be the strongest defensive magic you’ve ever seen illuminates the cusp of the destruction from the explosion in a beautiful lightshow.

…Yes.

Yes, everything is there.

The looming eminence of destruction, its explosive repercussions desecrating the natural forces around. And yet, you can’t help but feel a pang of happiness. Because no matter how desolate it seems, the destruction’s bleak color palette pales in comparison to the rainbow glow holding it back.

A small part of you wants to be looking at all this through your lens and snapping that award-winning picture right now.

But for some reason, the thought of having a camera lens separate you from this moment seems wrong.

…

Meh, you can just take some pictures of flowers later.

---

It feels like every follicle on your body is on the verge of bursting into flame.

The acrid stench of smoke and fire singes your nostrils, every breath sending sharp pain throughout your system. Your surroundings are black. Not the calming darkness of a cave, but something more artificial and overbearing. Like a magical blindfold, enchanted to suck all the light out of your vision.

Despite all of this, you take a deep, sharp breath. With another series of Hhisus K'aecus, your surroundings once again become clear. Whatever was left of Merasmus’ room now lays in charred remains, strewn about over the wide expanse of rocks, fire, and smoke.

Still no sign of the Elements of Harmony, or Jane.

Jane.

More than the burning heat, more than the acrid stench, and more than the suffocating blackness, it hurts to even think of that name.

The worst part is, you know exactly why.

You’re worried about a stallion.

You're letting it happen again.

”Captain.”

Your ears swivel to the direction of a thestralian voice, somewhere off in the distance.

“Go on,” you whisper back to Furtive Wind.

”I think I can see the Elements.”

“I’ve been sending out Hhisus K’aecus for the last thirty bucking minutes. If they were here I would’ve detected them by now.”

Furtive Wind hesitates, once again leaving you in the black, acrid darkness. You immediately regret your tone.

Thankfully though, it isn’t long until Furtive Wind responds. ”Don’t look for their outlines’ echo. Look for their magical spheres’ echo. They’re still intact.”

“Where are they?” you mutter.

”Roughly where they were before we left. They haven’t moved.”

That’s not reassuring. Still, you turn towards where your sense of direction dictates and let out another K’aecus. Sure enough, six artificially round spheres echo back at you among the jagged debris.

Six. Not seven.

You curse yourself inwardly. You’re worrying about him again. You need to cut this off before it interferes with the mission. “Furtive Wind, send word out to the rest," you say, "Find Jane, then regroup at the Elements.”

”Even the ones who went back for Serendipity?”

“Yes. Now go.”

The whistle of Furtive Wind flying back to the cave entrance cuts through the silence before it once again swallows up any confidence you had. The gulp you take as you start your trek towards the six spheres seems to echo off the rocks and debris like a cannonshot.

It shouldn’t be this quiet.

Rainbow Dash should be chittering excitedly. Twilight should be droning on about something to do with magic or science. Jane should be—

You can’t help it. You let out another quick K’aecus before launching off the ground, zipping towards the Elements. You don’t care if it feels like your eyes are melting out of your skull.

You need to find the Elements. You need to keep working. Keep distracting yourself.

You can't worry about him. You'll just get hurt again.

After what should’ve felt like an eternity, but unfortunately lasted far too shortly, a technicolor light shines against your closed eyelids. Another Hhisus K’aecus confirms it.

The Elements of Harmony’s defensive spheres, still intact among all this rubble, just in front of you.

Dead silent.

“Elements of Harmony?” you inquire as you slowly separate your eyelids. “Can anypony hear me—”

You lose your voice as you blink at what’s in front of you.

The good news? The six defensive spheres strewn around you are still intact, and the inhabitants within also seem unharmed.

The bad news? They’re panicking.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack are trying their best to escape the magical spheres, bucking, punching, and headbutting the magical barrier between them and the outside world. Fluttershy and Rarity are staring at you with wide eyes as their mouths shout silent pleas toward you. Twilight Sparkle seems to be the worst off, her horn glowing a dangerous white hue as she tries again and again to disengage the defensive spell.

Among the Elements of Harmony, Pinkie Pie is the stillest. Although, one look at her charred, panting body tells you it isn’t because she’s keeping calm.

~~/ALTHOUGH IT IS TRUE HOW OUR MAGIC WORKS IS QUITE DIFFERENT--/~~

You react immediately, whipping towards Merasmus’ voice, but you don’t get a chance to attack.

The smoke isn’t just clogging your throat now. It’s sucking the air out of it.

~~/--THE GENERAL MATTER OF OUR MAGIC IS NOT SO. MERASMUS SUPPOSES HE SHOULD THANK OUR PURPLE FRIEND FOR THIS LITTLE REVELATION./~~

You try to gulp in the scarce oxygen around you, but all you can do is hack and wheeze as your throat burns with pain.

Your legs give out from underneath and you slump to the ground.

~~/OH, MERASMUS DOESN’T EXPECT A MAGICLESS SPECIES SUCH AS YOUR OWN TO UNDERSTAND THE INNERWORKINGS OF MAGICAL MANIPULATION, BUT HE SUPPOSES YOU’RE DUE AN EXPLANATION BEFORE YOU EXPIRE./~~

Your blurring vision barely makes out a green flash. Your mind stutters before remembering only Merasmus fits the shape of that black blob as it floats towards you.

~~/YOU SEE, MORTAL, IT IS TRUE EARTHLY MAGIC THEORY AND EQUESTRIAN MAGIC THEORY ARE NIGH INCOMPATIBLE. BUT THE PARTICLES OF MAGIC ARE QUITE THE SAME. WITH HOW VIOLENTLY SOLDIER’S SPHERE REACTED TO THE BOMBINOMICON, THERE ARE VERY FEW OTHER POSSIBILITIES TO CONSIDER. SO, BY KEEPING THIS IN MIND, THE WISE, YET EVER-LEARNING MERASMUS IS STILL CAPABLE OF A GREAT MANY MISDEEDS! TURNING THE SELECTIVELY MALLEABLE PARTICLES OF A DEFENSIVE SPHERE INTO AN IMPENETRABLE COCOON, FOR EXAMPLE. OR REMOVING THE OXYGEN MOLECULES FROM AROUND ONE’S FACE./~~

As the blackness seeps into the corners of your vision, your mind can only think of one thing.

The white face of a stallion, those golden locks you keep telling him to put in a bun obscuring one eye.

~~/…AGH! MERASMUS NEEDS TO STOP MONOLOGUING WHEN HE’S ON THE VERGE OF VICTORY. SORRY, BAD HABIT! EHEHEH… ANYWAYS, NOW TO KILL YOU./~~

Your hearing is the last sense to go. If it wasn’t, then you would’ve never heard the distinct shinkt! of a knife being drawn.

~~/AAAUUGHH!/~~

Merasmus wails as the knife is plunged into flesh.

Immediately you gulp in precious air. Even if the smoke stings your throat, you welcome it like a parched pony drinking from sewage.

~~/OHH, CURSE YOU, YOU FRILLY, FRENCH, DRAMATIC TIMING ENTHUSIAST!/~~

Spy?! Didn’t you take his knife from him?!

Whatever. No time to think about that.

You scrabble to your hooves as quick as you can, but it isn’t quick enough to stop the flash of green from Merasmus’ hoof, sending a ball of fire careening into Spy. You aim at Merasmus’ face and take to the air, but it isn’t quick enough to stop the wizard from once again reigniting the spell on the Elements’ defensive spheres.

You are, however, quick enough to land a solid punch to Merasmus’ cheek before he can cast anything on you.

Clop…

You immediately latch onto the taller stallion and land punch after buck after bite, and the two of you are rolling on the ground in moments.

~~/HEY! YOU WOULDN’T HIT A STALLION WOULD Y—OW! AN EGALITARIAN?! NO BITE! NO BITE, BAT PONY—AHA! AHAHA! OH, THAT TICKLES—YEE-OUCH! OW, OW OW! WHAT ARE YOU, PART-VAMPIRE?!/~~

You pay the racist comment no mind as you keep laying into the wizard. Even if you can only see the voracious blackness. Even if you can only smell smoke, fire, and blood.

Even if you know it’s useless.

Clop… Clop…

~~/H-HURT MERASMUS ALL YOU WANT, MORTAL! YOU ARE FORGETTING THAT—OUCH! MERASMUS CAN ONLY BE DEFEATED IF YOU FIND—NOT THE CROTCH! DON’T BE UNCIVILIZED, NOW! OHH, YOU INSOLENT, IDIOTIC… SYNONYMFORFOOL!!/~~

Suddenly, an unseen force pulls you off Merasmus. You barely have time to react before the gravity around you shifts, slamming you down onto the hot, charred stones beneath. You yelp as something searing and sharp digs into your belly.

~~/YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME, CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT BLOSSOM! NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU PUSH, HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU LOSE, YOU HAVEN’T FOUND MERASMUS’ WEAKNESS! AHAHAHAHAHAHA--!/~~

Clop… Clop… Clop…

~~/OH, FOR GOD’S SAKE, WHOEVER IS CLOPPING WOULD YOU SAVE IT FOR YOUR OWN TIME?!/~~

Merasmus’ head whips to the direction of the sound in anger, but when his eyes land on the source, his jaw drops in amazement. When you turn your head to the same direction, you have to physically restrain yourself from doing the same.

Because there, standing on two legs as he limps into view, is Soldier.

You can barely recognize the stallion.

Not just because of the uncountable trails of crimson blood oozing from his forehead down to his hind legs. Or the torn and charred remains of his uniform, or the destroyed hunk of twisted metal you can barely make out as his rocket launcher, which slowly slides out of his clenched right hoof as he approaches.

It’s because of the look in his eyes. The burning bitterness, and the unbearable pain.

Like that of a Night Guard fangbearer, who had just been told her husband had died while she was overseas.

~~/…Soldier...!/~~ Merasmus chuckles nervously, snapping you out of your stupor. ~~/…So glad that explosion didn’t kill you, and instead just sent you… into the secret vault…/~~

It is then you notice the object in Soldier’s left hoof. It’s a picture frame, that you can be sure of, but the photograph within catches you off guard. Two… creatures are depicted in the picture. Hairless, bipedal, and ape-like. One is wearing what you recognize as Soldier’s uniform. It’s waving to the photographer with one appendage, a big grin on its face, as the other appendage wraps around the second creature in a one-sided hug. The second creature wears Merasmus’ robes and skull-hat, and it seems to be annoyed by the first creature. It pulls away from the hug in frozen annoyance and aims an eldritch-looking staff at the photographer.

~~/…Merasmus sees you’ve retrieved him his… favorite photograph!/~~ Merasmus mulls the word “favorite” in his mouth like a rotten piece of mango. ~~/He appreciates it, although it’s unnecessary. With you alive, there is no reason for Merasmus to drag his hoof longingly across its surface!/~~

Soldier’s bloody scowl deepens dangerously as he holds the picture out in front him before dropping it onto the stone floor with a resounding clack! Merasmus can only stare between Soldier and the photograph as the stallion lifts a hind hoof over it, balancing on one leg impressively.

~~/…Is this because I hurt your feelings earlier?/~~ Merasmus finally says lamely.

”My FEELINGS?!” Soldier booms, and for a moment you swear you can see his irises glow a blood red.

”This isn’t about you hurting my FEELINGS, maggot! This is about you hurting… MY… ”TEAM!”

Soldier’s hoof slams down onto the photograph, shattering even the frame against the stone floor. Green magic howls as if in pain as it shoots out from the photograph. Merasmus’ body shakes violently before following suit.

~~/NO!/~~ he wails as he points a hoof towards Soldier, but he isn’t quick enough. Green magic erupts from Merasmus’ outstretched arm like an explosion, and the skeletal remains of the arm droops to his side uselessly.

You feel the weight of Merasmus’ magic lift off your body, and with the sound of six magical barriers being shattered like glass, you know the Elements have also been freed. Soldier, as if reinvigorated with new life, gallops towards the charred body of Spy.

~~/NOOOOOOOOOOO!/~~

”FOLLOW THE ELEMENTS!” Soldier shouts at you.

You freeze up.

You can hear the Elements of Harmony galloping away from the site in one ear.

The mission.

Your mission.

But in the other, you can hear Jane.

How he grunts painfully under the weight of Spy, no matter how light he is. The subtle drops of Jane’s blood as it drips from his mouth. His gruff, persistent snarl as he mutters, “Dyin’s the coward’s way out, Frenchie.”

~~/I DIE…./~~ Merasmus wails as his body is engulfed from the inside out by a sickly green glow. ~~/I DIIIIIIIIIIIE!/~~

The violet glow of Twilight’s luminescence spell cuts through the black smoke, leading the way. As the green glow of Merasmus nightmarishly illuminates your surroundings, you make your choice, and start galloping.

~~/I CURSE THIS LAND FOR A HUNDRED YEARS! –NO! A THOUSAND! THAT’S A RUNNING THEME FOR THE VILLAINS HERE, ISN’T IT?! A THOUSAND YEAR—OHHHHH, I DIIIIIIE!/~~

The visceral wails of Merasmus echo throughout all of the Foal Mountains before an ear-splitting explosion wipes any traces of the wizard from the face of Equus.

~~/SOLDIER! YOU WERE THE WOOOOOOORST ROOOOOOOMMAAAAAAATE!/~~

KER-BOOOOOOOOOM!

Comments

[leaderofstars]

kinda sweet he made that picture the source of his power