The Last Gambit
Spike gently let Twilight down as the tears dried from her eyes. She was glad Mother wasn’t there to see her cry. She was feeling a lot less strong than she looked. The trapdoor stood open, down into the pitch black of what was no longer her sub-basement. A gentle murmuring, as that of a faraway crowd, rose from the depths. Twilight turned herself towards the hole, with Spike behind her. When she spoke, her voice was calm.
“I’m so sorry that you died for me, Spike.”
The dragon chuckled. “I had a feeling that I might end up doing that once the rebellion started, Twilight. I’m just glad that I was able to be there until the end, for better or worse.”
The little unicorn smiled. “I considered sending you away more than once. Of course, I knew you probably wouldn’t be gone for long, and you’d fight me every step of the way. And I’m glad you were there for me, too. I really let Celestia have it after you died, so there’s that.”
Spike growled in satisfaction. “I don’t doubt that. You fought like a wildcat beforehand. I suppose it was Luna’s fault that you died? Did she put a spell on the crystal?”
Twilight laughed at that. “Got it in one. I suppose I should have anticipated her using me, she did the same thing before she was in Canterlot, she’d do the same thing out of Canterlot.”
“It’s not your fault,” Spike said, his voice low and worried. “She’s had lots of practice at manipulating ponies.”
Twilight met his eyes, her expression totally calm and accepting. “Spike, I need to go down there. And you have to stay behind. Go on ahead without me.”
The dragon shook his head. “No, Twilight. I’m not going to do that. I’ve been there with you at the start of this, and I’ll be there at the end, too.”
The unicorn turned towards her longtime friend and truest companion. She smiled at him gently. “Spike, you don’t understand. I’m not going to be coming out of the basement this time. I’ll be headed out, and with a new Power behind me as well. It makes no sense for you to wait for me, and I have a feeling that you won’t be too safe here after. I made Mother pretty angry.”
Spike’s eyes widened. “You’re planning something.”
“Of course. And if I’m very, very lucky, it might just work. But if it doesn’t, then I’ll not be coming back soon anyway.”
“Twilight, I don’t think that’s such a great idea. This isn’t Celestia we’re talking about. It isn’t Luna, or Discord. This is the Aether, everything that is or was or will be. She knows that you’re planning to double cross her somehow.”
Twilight shook her head. “Spike, I just spoke to her. I’m not sure what it is, but something is bothering her. She’s weak somehow, and I need to exploit that. There was a point when she stepped out of the fire where she just disappeared entirely. If she’s having that much trouble just manifesting herself, then I might be able to get around the restrictions she’s set up. She goes on and on about free will, and even if she does anticipate me, I’ll bet she still won’t stop me.”
Spike growled, his head bowing close to her as she met his gaze levelly. “You’re playing a very dangerous game, Twilight.”
“The most dangerous game of all, Spike. And when I come out of the hole, and I’m back in Equestria, I don’t really think I’ll be Twilight anymore.”
Spike, even though he was dead, felt his heart ache a little at the thought of the mare he loved being so changed. Swallowing hard, he forced a grin onto his face. “And if I find a way back? Or you should manage to speak to me again? What should I call you?”
The little purple unicorn smiled. “Call me Dusk. If I should find a way to speak to you again, somewhere down the line, call me Dusk.” And with a quick peck on his cheek and a wink, she rushed down the stairs, and flung herself into oblivion.
The dragon watched her go with longing in his heart. She was right, really. He couldn’t go down there, and he knew it. With Twilight Sparkle’s departure, he felt like a part of him had been stolen away, given to some passing strangeness that he could neither see nor comprehend. But at the same time, it felt as if that part of him had taken with it a heavy burden. He sighed, not quite happy with the way things had gone, but close enough to content. He trudged back up the stairs, casting one last longing look at the trapdoor, his room, and the basement as he went. Placing a claw on the door handle, he turned it with a quick jerk, as if he was afraid that if he stayed for too long, he’d never leave. The door closed behind him, and the basement was quiet and still, all at rest.
It would be a long journey towards those mountains, made longer by his reluctance. His only hope was that someday soon, he would see his dearest friend again beyond those snowy peaks. He decided that there was no hurry, not really. He’d wait for Twilight at those slopes. He’d wait for as long as it took. And when, someday, she passed his way, Spike and Twilight would climb those mountains together. He would be by her side, just as he had been all his life. If he had to wait for all time, he would wait.
After all, wasn’t the purpose of a friend to be there for the ones they loved?
Twilight drifted down into inky blackness, caressing her on all sides. She let herself fall, relaxed completely. She had no way to judge how fast she was descending, but she knew that she was falling more slowly than normal, judging by the slow approach of the voices below her. A minute went by, then two, and five, and ten. She was in no hurry, and spent time idly counting off the minutes and preparing herself for the difficult choice that lay ahead.
She contemplated the black around her. It was not like the icy depths she had plunged into back in the Forest, biting and chill. It seemed more like it was swaddling her, wrapping her up snugly in a cocoon of warm, heavy black that managed to cradle her without making her claustrophobic. She felt safe here, secure. She could have drifted forever, and some part of her still wished that she would.
Nearly twenty minutes went by, and then Twilight heard the voices suddenly swell in volume, as if they were close by. She was filled with a sense of urgency, and she swung her hooves underneath her just as the blackness that had enveloped her gave way to light, gentle and flickering, but to her eyes harsh enough to cause her to shield them. Once she realized that she no longer had the need to adjust to light, however, she set her hoof down, feeling rather foolish.
There in front of her were benches, and the benches were full of shadows. They were strange and unusual things, perfectly blank and black, lit from behind by what looked like some distant fire. Had Twilight breath, it would have caught in her throat at what wondrous shapes were outlined before her. They were menacing and inviting, softly curved and covered in sharp spines, every form or shape that she could have imagined in a thousand years, and others she would have never seen in her wildest dreams. It was a terrifying and wonderful menagerie of shapes, and Twilight got the feeling that they were all of them judging her.
She stood on a floor of purest marble, shot through with veins of deep color, shimmering in riotous beauty. It seemed to her to be the perfect meeting place for Order and Chaos, a single harmonious whole rippling with joyous disruption. Silently, she trotted to the center of the floor. Holding her head high, she surveyed the crowd before her, their silent ranks stretching back and up until the meager light was no longer sufficient to illuminate them.
She waited, and waited more. Her eyes swept the assembled ranks in front of her, unable to pick out which of her selves had chosen to ally themselves with which side. Perhaps it no longer mattered, she mused. Perhaps here, in death, they sat together. It seemed most likely. She kept her head erect, as if she expected the assembled souls to obey her. Her patience was nearing its end, and finally she could hold her tongue no longer. Her voice rang clear and sharp, casting defiance into the silence before her. Her words came from the heart, and she found herself possessed of supreme confidence.
“Are you finished judging me, or will you still delay me? I have been kept here for a reason, and I wish to fulfill that purpose. Where are your orators? Speak! Or keep silent! It makes no matter to me. But if you delay me much longer, there will be consequences. Or haven’t you heard?”
The ranks rocked back at this, and Twilight felt her heart thrill a little as they leaned forward again, much more intently. A voice, scratchy like that of a frog, emitted from the shadows. “Aye, She of Balance. We have heard, and watched. But those we have chosen to represent us bend to no-one’s whims, least of all yours.”
Another voice, this one a gentle female voice, spoke next. “We have not yet seen you plain, without a body to cloud you or magic to twist you. You have been through much. But then, so have we.”
Twilight remained silent; contemplating the shadows in front of her just as she was sure they were contemplating her. A question rose to the front of her mind, and she felt a need to voice it.
“I couldn’t help but noticing that something was very…wrong with Mother.”
“Oh?” a strangely echoing voice queried.
“She seemed a bit…off. She flickered in and out, on a few occasions she disappeared for a moment.”
“Is that all?”
Twilight shook her head. “She looked like she was…in pain. Like she was badly hurt. Just when she came out of the fire, but it was there that she stumbled.”
There was a rush of air, and Twilight was startled to see the space in front of her warp and twist. From the air stepped a being of sand. Its shoulders were broad and it stood erect on two legs. Its face was like that of a hairless ape, its features indistinct and shifting. Two arms dangled down from the shoulders, culminating in two hands, each with four fingers and a thumb. It was bizarre to see that many on a creature, Twilight reflected. The most she had seen was three and a thumb. Its legs were long, longer than the arms, and ended in two feet with five toes. In one hand it carried a scroll, and in the other it carried a long knife, curved and serrated along one end. It opened two eyes, of deepest jet, and regarded her with the patience of a being who knew that no matter how much you struggled, you would be under his power eventually. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, but hypnotic, like winds over a lonely desert.
“And it is for this purpose that we have agreed to help shield your true intentions from Mother. Because she is…not herself.”
Twilight bowed her head low, for she knew exactly what she was speaking to. “Death. An honor.”
The being chuckled. “Little warrior. You brought many into my power. I thank you for this. And your death was rather…exciting. My older sister is greatly vexed at your destruction.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “Celestia! I’m dead, at least she thinks so. That means she’s stopped her assault, right?”
“Wrong.” a stern female voice boomed.
The air in front of Twilight warped again, as if it had been turned for the briefest of moments to glass. A shape formed, uncoiling itself into the shape of a serpent of white flame, which turned in on itself, giving light to the room without revealing the rows behind her. It looked at her with two eyes of shimmering golden flame, and a smile tugged at the corners of its mouth, which opened to reveal two sharp fangs.
“She now fights to bring her sister back under her control. Discord has slipped his bonds, and brought down Windigos from the peak you fell onto, Twilight Sparkle. She plans to crush your rebellion before turning north to reshackle her brother. The one who bends Emotion to her will is holding the demons of hatred off, but only just.”
Twilight bowed again. “And you are Life?”
The serpent nodded sinuously. “It falls to us to argue the merits of our sister and brother, though they hardly pay us mind. And while we are here, we must explain why you have been allowed to plan so against our Mother.”
Twilight sat patiently, wrapping her tail around herself like she had as a filly, when everything had been so much simpler and the most complex thought she had was her next lesson. “I’m listening.”
Death’s knife glimmered in the dim light of the amphitheater. “You are here, Twilight, because of something that has been eons in the making, something that only now has begun to take its toll."
Life’s tongue flicked out, testing the air. “Creation is polarized like it should never have been, and it is tearing Mother apart. With all of the Aether straining one way or the other, it is no wonder that something dark was able to slip in.”
Twilight looked at the two archetypes in confusion. “So what is it you want me to do?”
Death’s “face” moved in a way that suggested a smile. “It’s very simple, Twilight. We want you to help us bring our brother and sisters under control. Help us shackle them as they shackled you. Mother refused us, long ago, but with you, we can finally achieve our goal.”
Life nodded, coiling around Twilight possessively. “Help us, Twilight. It would be so very easy to do so. If they stray too far from their normal state, they fall back into the primal stuff from which they were formed. We can hold them there.”
Twilight looked up at the vast and fiery serpent. “How would I send them there?”
Death’s knife traced a delicate pattern in the air. “It’s easy, Twilight. All you must do is kill them.”
“Fire!” Silent Shield barked at the spellcasters under his command. A spell kicked up dirt in front of him as the volley of spells sped across the field, tearing holes in the ranks of the slowly advancing Regulars. The advancing ranks crumpled and fell as the more powerful spells ripped through their shields and armor, but the lines kept advancing.
“First rank! Fall back and re-focus! Second rank, forward! On my mark!” the Lunar Guard shouted. An arrow thudded into his armor, but the tip couldn’t penetrate the hardened adamantium. There was a brief pause while the second rank of unicorns took aim. “Fire!”
Bolts of magic sped across the battlefield in red and green and blue, exploding into gouts of flame, or crackling through ranks in bolts of electricity, or eating through flesh and bone like acid. Twilight’s army was mostly unicorns, and it was here that they showed their skill and discipline on the battlefield. The Lunar Guard had taken up a fighting line in front of the Regia, and was even now shredding the lines of the Regulars before they could get close to the walls.
The Regular spellcasters fired back an ineffectual volley that claimed one or two of the spellcasters in Silent Shield’s ranks, but the veteran commander knew that in this situation, he could not afford any losses. Celestia’s forces had come out of the woods with a combined land and air force of nearly one hundred thousand. Manning the defenses of the Regia were less than half that number. It was basic siegecraft. To storm any citadel, at least twice the number of attackers to defenders was needed under a competent commander. At this point, Silent Shield was only delaying the inevitable. And then he heard a noise echoing across the field of battle that chilled him.
“Solar Guard! Form lines and prepare to charge the center!”
The Lunar Commander’s eyes narrowed at that, and he barked out his next orders. “Bring the Reservists to the front! All hooves to arms and prepare to repel offensive!” Drums began banging, relaying the orders. “Form lines! Spears forward! Flash powder behind! Spellcasters in the rear!”
The ranks scrambled as they prepared themselves. The Regular advance faltered as they met with unexpected resistance from a pocket of Ever Free Fighters, who had concealed themselves in a nearby thicket of trees.
The lines formed as Silent Shield neatly sidestepped another Changeling, which plummeted from the sky to land with a rather final sounding thud right where he had been standing. The new Queen, Feldspar, had pledged her entire race in support of the skies, as they were not able to fight the tightly packed formations of the Regulars very effectively and could demonstrate little magic of their own.
Thunder erupted from the skies over the parapets of the castle. The Wielders were busy deploying their magic to shield the castle, augmenting the ancient wards that Luna had awoken to keep Celestia out. They were fading fast, however.
Something was not right with the way they were being used, and each of the Bearers had complained of feeling a pressure building in their heads when they returned to the Regia. They couldn’t describe it well, but they knew what it meant. Celestia was trying to bend them back to her will.
“Lunar Guards! Prepare defensive positions! Hold the line at all costs!”
The horns rang from the castle, and he could hear the sound of ballistae being readied and pointed at their targets. Newly improved by Birchwood, they fired in a rather unique way. At the top of each was a rack containing ten bolts, and the firing mechanism was extremely easy to pull back. This meant that the siege weapon could fire ten bolts in the time it took regular ballistae to fire two, at the expense of range. Once the rack was emptied, it was set to the side, and a new rack was slotted in.
But it was the next command, heralding the introduction of Birchwood’s newest invention, which caused Silent Shield to grin. “Buckers! To the front! Prepare to fire!”
Shining Armor’s ocular implant gleamed in the light of afternoon as he surveyed the battle in front of him. They had encountered hard fighting that day, and his troops were tired, but their goal was in sight. The battlefield in front of him was a bloody mess, ponies having fallen in heaps where they lay, and already the corpses were beginning to stink despite the fresh coat of snow on the ground. As he watched, the last of the Regulars began their retreat to both sides, clearing the way for the Guards to take the middle. He hefted his long pike, feeling the familiar weight in his hooves as he waited on the Regulars to clear.
“Guards! Prepare pikes!” he called. There was a clatter as the long implements were readied, slotted into grooves on the armor that allowed for a gallop while use. A skill that took years of hard practice and determination. “Visors down!” At this, three thousand visors slammed shut, protecting their eyes from grit and dust and giving them each a fearsome visage. “On my mark!”
The last of the Regulars cleared the field, and Shining Armor could see his opposite number forming the Lunar Guard and Reservists into a defensive square, right across the moat from the drawbridge. Some strange equipment was being moved into place; no doubt some new form of ballista.
“Forward!” Shining Armor cried, and the shimmering golden line of the Guard rumbled forth, pikes held deadly level despite the steep incline they were charging down. They started out in a short trot at first, but as they moved down the hill, that trot became a canter, and then a gallop. The rumble of their hooves was like thunder, and the first volley of spellbolts was almost entirely ineffective at stopping the charge.
A rapid twanging was heard from the walls, followed by several meaty thuds as bolt after bolt was fired from the ballistae, spearing two or three ponies at a time as they tore savagely at the flesh of the Guards. Even this would not have been enough, even with the spells and the arrows and the bolts and the exploding spheres the Guard would have still been mighty enough to crush the defensive lines of the Lunar soldiers.
But they could not stand for long against what happened next.
“First rank buckers, FIRE!” a stallion shouted, and then with a roar like that of angry demons, the entire front rank or the Guards dissolved into smoke and chaos and noise. Spheres of metal, propelled by flash powder, shot forth from the mouths of the barrels, whirring lethally as they tore furrows through the tightly packed ranks of the charging ponies. Shining Armor felt something pass over him as a bucker ball took the head off of the stallion behind him, before going on to punch through another and bounce through the legs of others, snapping bones and tearing up grit and clods of dirt.
“Second rank buckers, fire!”
Shining Armor’s horn flashed a brilliant blue, the signal to retreat, as more heavy balls of lead filled the air around him, leaving him miraculously untouched. The heavy shot ripped through the Solar Guard like the fingers of Death themselves, turning once-proud warriors into screaming wrecks, missing limbs and spurting great red gouts of blood onto the frigid ground as they writhed, calling for help and for their mothers and for death.
Shining Armor’s hooves slipped, found traction, pushed him away from the lines. He kept his head down as he and the tattered remnants of his Guard retreated from the walls, leaving their fallen behind. The Regulars, seeing the Guard in distress, formed a solid wall behind them as they retreated, presenting thick shields to the enemy. Thankfully, the newly made artillery could not reach the lines, and Shining Armor took the opportunity to catch his breath.
“Casualties report!” he called, after a few minutes. “How many did we lose?”
A young Lieutenant, face scratched and bleeding from a flash sphere detonation, answered his call. “Out of three thousand, sir, we estimate no more than one thousand members of the Guard returned alive. Of those, most are fit for combat. In all, we can present about nine hundred Guards to the enemy, but we…sir, if they keep using those flash powder weapons, we won’t have much of a chance.”
Shining Armor growled, scraping at the ground with his hoof. “Where in Tartarus are those idiots from the Navy? Their guns can take out those stupid…what were they called? Buckers? I’d like to see them try and use those up against a Hydra-class arc cannon.”
“The Navy is still an hour out, sir. They said that they were running with a storm at their back, so they should be here soon.”
Shining Armor’s eyes turned back to the positions at the bottom of the hill. “Let’s hope so.” he said, his tone grim. “Because if they don’t get here soon, there’s no way we’re taking that castle.”
Tarantella snarled as she kicked an Air Corps member square in the jaw, he dagger catching him in the throat soon after. It slid out of him with a wet sound as his limp body spiraled down towards the ground bonelessly. She spun, ramming her skull directly into the face of another Pegasus mare who had been attempting to assist her wingpony. Tara’s teeth dug into the soft tissue of her face, and her knife found its way in between the unlucky soldier’s ribs. She spat the gobbet of flesh out in disgust as she gained altitude.
The Condottieri were a force to be reckoned with on any battlefield, and any Condottiero was sure to be a great warrior. They had to be in order to win the respect of their followers. But Tarantella was on another level entirely. She had been grief stricken before, when the Bearers had brought her the bad news, but her tears had given way to rage, burning white hot inside of her when the army on the horizon had appeared. Without a word to the command of the Regia, she had gathered her mercenaries, and as one, they had shot into the sky.
Another challenger appeared, holding what appeared to be some sort of trident in his hooves. He jabbed at her, but she rolled to one side, and the thrust did little save leave a new line of red to join the multitudes along her legs and back. He paid for it dearly as she hurled her knife with expert precision. He fell clutching at the length of metal in his eye and did not rise again. She withdrew her last weapon, a length of rope with a lead weight at one end, and set about destroying her enemies.
Tarantella Allegretta no longer cared if she lived or if she died. All she wanted now was to find the goddess who had taken from her the one she loved. And when she caught Celestia, she would give the wretched mare reason to remember her. Even if it cost her own life, Tarantella would make sure Celestia paid for her crimes.
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Where the hell did this come from? Oh wait?
UPDAAAAAAAAATE!!!!! YAY!
Well, dang.
Was it always going to come to this?
2728768
Oh, yes.
A different game, the rules may change, but one fine that all actions bear weight in finding this game the same. The last of such worlds, or the first of many new ones? In the apex of choice here, time and nature align to find a new path. Glad to see this updated. And nice little rework on the previous one. It is interesting to see the choices shift in how the perceptions of choice work. And lovely arguement on free will there too.
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I'm back, baby. And I'm better than ever.
2728781
Of course, the prophecy! How I could forget that little Discord-esque riddle from way back when. To be blunt, I don't feel that Luna deserves this despite what she's done. I mean yeah she killed Twilight, but Celestia was winning that fight.
Ooooh yeah, the kickass ending is near!
-Mis
Pffft, re-reading chapters is for eggheads.
2728897
YOU GON' GET LOST, MOFO!
YES! IT ALL MAKES SENSE!
2728925
k yourself.
All I need to know is that...
bubblews.com/assets/images/news/33043704_1368404464.png
Twilight dies, she meets Mother, and is given an ME3 ending style decision, and she chooses "my own way" AKA go f
Sometimes I only read half of the chapters. I tend to skip whole sections too. Sometimes I'll skim over whole chapters... or even not read them at all. I did that with the third boook from Hunger Games, and the last eight or so chapters from Fallout Equestria.
You, ummm forgot to switch off your mic.
I what?
You're spewing random thoughts out on the internet again.
Nobody saw anything.
*Click*
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Horizons. I dare you to find a longer one. (Hint, even the origional FoE isn't as long.)
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Trust me, if I can get through FoE Project Horizons without skipping, I can read this through.
Which I did.
I even left comments... I think.
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As a reward-
I just realised why it's called Duak's Dangerous Game.
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See above.
2728925
You could've just said "New content."
I like the one who represents death!
I sense Twilight would love and relish the opportunity to kill off Celestia, Luna and Discord for good measure. No Gods, No Masters! And to hell with Aether too...
I wonder what her plan is, above and beyond gaining enough power to compete with Celly/Lulu. Death and Life seem to have some idea, but I'm curious what it is. I didn't think they had avatars like Order, Chaos and Balance did. I imagine Aether's going to be none to please to find out... Still waiting to see who the orators for Order and Chaos are.
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Words do not describe what I'm seeing. What?!?
KILL CELSTIA(because she is a bitch (in this fic)) AND DISCORD(go's out all funny like) (but spare luna(because its luna she always loseis but is time she win's or atleast kick tia's ass after twi is done or with twi) and maybe cadense(shining armor will be sad or just fuck it )
Oh my heavens. Twilight, you are definitely walking on dangerous ground...
and I love it. I will be rooting for you all the way! Buck all their flanks right into the afterlife!
The part with spike made me cry a little, of course he would wait for twilight forever.
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Would you expect anything less from him?
By the Gods
And so cometh the most deadly of warriors, the very visage of death and destruction, that which will make seasoned veterans turn tail and flee for their safety.
lo...the immortal warrior, the harbinger of death...
that which is the grieving lover who has nothing to lose.
Pray for the souls of all of face Tarantella, for she cares naught for her own safety and she has nothing. to. lose.
YES! The words we have been waiting for after 55 chapters, and more.
But at this point, shouldn´t Twilight know a little better than to trust any archetype? I can´t wait to see her last card in play.
P.E: Any special reason for what Death chose a human form?
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Because I feel that humans are very familiar with death. In my mind, we don't live as long as many of the other magical races, and so we are more aware of our own mortality. And then we still take the lives of others over arbitrary reasons. To put it simply, we humans are obsessed with death, and the archetype reflects that.
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k yourself' ending, it's not an instant game over.
Only unlike the ME3 'go f
Airstream you brilliant bastard! If you weren't so far away I'd give you a good lucky kick to the MOOOOOOOON!!!
Now on a more serious level I will have to give critique... If you... The thing is... You could... Ahhhh! There is nothing! Why is there nothing wrong with the story! It's fantastic! Brilliant! And all the legendary win!!! Oh my god I'm fanboying aren't I? Is fanboying even a word? Get a grip Leon! SMACK!!!... why would I slap myself? That doesn't help in any way! Okay, okay, deep breath… In and out…. And I'm back.
So as I was saying, it's a very nice story you got here, and I might be looking forward to the next chapter with some inclination towards anticipation. Good night sir.
Oh mah gerd! So epic! Please tell me next chapter involves Twilight kicking some major ass?
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I wrote in cannons. I'm surprised more people haven't reacted to that. Then again, I did tell Twilight to basically kill a god or three, so...priorities.
Yeah. The cannons were cool, just overshadowed by everything else going on
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And I'm so looking forward to see where you're going with that... the suspense is actually threatening to kill me! By the way mr Airstream... could you maybe pm the complete story to me right now... I won't tell anypony anything if you do, Pinky promise
Hehe
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I don't know what I was thinking, really. Probably was along the lines of "Hell yes, some actual artillery! People are going to be so into this! There's absolutely nothing else in this chapter that could detract from the awesomeness of now-obsolete field engines!"
...the game shall continue.
A fallen piece shall return as a stronger queen, and the pieces of the Sun shall die~.
You must pay the price for the evil you sons and daughters if the Sun have committed.
Let the Dusk cover this day!
And meanwhile, can the Dusk herself manage to sidestep Death and Life alongside her friends...?
Awaiting further releases.
Welcome back to the featured box, boss.
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Oh, it's good to be back.
Dude, those cannons are awesome.
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THANK YOU. FINALLY SOMEONE WHO APPRECIATES THE ARTILLERY.
2729968 Hey, I can appreciate a good god-fight... but dem cannons, man. They're the winners of this chapter, just because they're so OP. I mean, they shredded, like, 2000 dudes
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It was a lot of cannons, at kind of point blank range. I've seen what cannon shot does to...well, whatever is in front of it. The results are pretty much universal at that point. I'd say that they accounted for about six, seven hundred Guards. Mostly it was the shock value of the two volleys.
Damn its been awhile i forgot this story was on my fav list. great chapter.
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I'm back, baby.
Awesome as always! The only thing missing was an update on Sweetie Belle, but I can forgive that, because dem cannons!
And the feels as Spike was walking away. I got liquid pride all over my keyboard...
Words simply can not express how happy I am that Twilight (now Dusk) told Mother to go fuck herself.
When your enemies give you two options Always Always take the third.
aspects ...
) is going to try to create Balance on a Micro scale using her reality (a reality that she now has the power to tell Mother to stay the fuck out of 
). Life and Death? their hope is that Balance will spread from Twilight's reality to all the other realities like a pebble in a pond... Possibly making Mother be ... not so much a bitch ... 
Life and Death exist in balance. Too much of one or the other and all reality ends. It is a fundamental principal of their existence.
Mother tries to create Balance on a Macro scale (the multiverse) while ignoring Balance on a Micro scale (each individual world).
I get the feeling that Twilight (I will call her Dusk when she announces herself as such
now i wonder if there are powers higher than Mother who saw Aether start to loose her mind and took action to recreate balance in the universe...
I Love the changes in last chapter. I wonder ... Was it Always the plan to have Twilight tell Mother to go piss up a rope?
This where you either a) #YOLO it or b) Blow up all of existence ^_^. I'd go with c) #YOLO and the end of all existence.
Oh jeez, man. So many different feelings were evoked this chapter. Sadness (and not a little joy) with Spike, suspicion and suspense with Death and the "council" (for lack of a better word), surging hope for the Everfree rebellion, and a sense of impending doom for Tarantella.
I think you might be the only author I follow that can do all of this in a chapter of less than ten thousand words. Like seriously. Nice work!
I did not read the revised previous chapter and I am not confused. W00T!