On days like these, kids like you should (NOT) be burning in hell.
Tempest Shadow had dealt with a lot of curveballs on this Tartarian journey.
Encountering souls of creatures she had once slain was definitely one of her lowest points. She tried focusing on the next objective, not on the inevitability of her past.
Like a good soldier, she marched forward.
Having to battle a horde of creatures she did not understand wasn’t much better. Those monstrosities were unlike most of what she had faced… But their brutality allowed her to respond in kind.
If nothing else, going all out in a fight had been therapeutic, after the previous events of the journey.
But losing her armor? That stung. She had worn it for years. She didn’t care if it still bore a Storm King insignia. It was a part of her at this point. She wore it proudly, confidently, and she did not mind that it set her apart from others– in fact, that was the point.
The point was the self appointed isolation. The point was being prepared for attacks that wouldn’t come in a normal life. The point was to display proudly and openly… That she was Tempest Shadow.
There was only one mare that she allowed herself to be seen without armor around. And now, so close to the finish line, Glitter Drops was on her mind frequently.
Now, only one of the leg pieces remained– The chestplate was bent and broken beyond repair on her torso, it would shatter as soon as she removed it, and the hoof bits risked breaking with every step.
Her muscles were tense. Her wounds were fresh, but not deep. The armor had taken the brunt of it. She would carry Starlight for a few miles longer if she had to.
With a final, calculated leap, she entered the aperture that led to the next layer, leaving the temples, the wind, and the distant sounds of the automatons clashing with the last remaining monsters behind.
And after all of that, as she was finally one step closer to their final destination…
…She had to be the one making conversation.
“...I don’t think Droopsy is going to let me choose black as an armor color when I get a new one. …Least of all Cadance. They better not make me wear pink…!”
Starlight groaned out a response, she might have even been amused at the statement, but as she clung to Tempest’s back, she could barely speak.
“I’m… I'm so sorry for… For being a bad leader. For bringing you here. For…”
Tempest let out short chuckles as she led the way through the dark walls of this layer, the only light being the faintest glimmer of Starlight’s horn. “...Let me stop you right there.” She grinned, shaking her head. “...Let me tell you an anecdote of my time serving the Storm King: I once sent one of my lackeys to scout one of the camps that the Hippogriffs had underwater. The mission wasn’t as simple as you’d imagine. Conserving oxygen with limited magical bubbles, not being spotted, mapping the area mentally, since he could only draw a map when he was dry… Soon after, he was chased by gigantic electric eels that proceeded to get eaten by more brutal sharks, which promptly chased him across the ocean floor...”
“...I… What…?” Starlight almost let out weak, frail snickers.
“...The point is. When he returned to me with a map of the Hippogriff camp, one that was… Passable, he was on his knees, weeping for having failed me, for having been terrified through the entire mission, for having nearly run out of oxygen, for barely hanging on. And do you know what I told him?”
Starlight could only hum in curiosity.
“...I told him he could have shit himself, and it wouldn’t change anything for me, as long as he returned with a map. And he did.” She shrugged, looking back. “...Do you understand?”
The unicorn chuckled lightly. “...I haven’t shat myself.”
“...Indeed you haven’t. And you’re doing better than he did. As far as we know, your mission has been accomplished.” She smiled genuinely. “...So stop worrying about your performance, Starlight Glimmer. If the job is done… Who cares if you tripped along the way?”
Wearily, Starlight’s chuckles became a little sadder.
“...It wasn’t your fault.” Tempest assured, speaking as gently as she was capable. “...Maud was…” She sighed, shaking her head. “...I am sorry for your loss.”
Letting out the quietest affirmation of thanks, Starlight spoke no longer, conserving her energy, slowly losing consciousness.
…her light dimmed. And Tempest steeled herself. Even if she had to look through the dark halls with only sparks of her horn, she would find her way back home.
“...Golly, you really aren't going to tell us what you saw down there?” Cozy pouted, lounging atop a table, adjusting Trixie’s hat that rested atop her head. “C’mon, do you want us to guess? I’ll guess, if it helps! Um…”
“No. I might tell you later. All that matters is that I’m back, and I'm alive.” Maud smiled as she placed all her items around on the table for inspection.
The magician was a bit more concerned. “Seriously, Maud. Like. You just poof! Vanished. We thought you were dead! I was already writing an eulogy in my head!!”
“How did the eulogy go?”
Emotionally, Trixie waved her cape. “...Here lies Maud… She liked rocks so much she joined them.”
This actually got a chuckle out of the earth pony. “...Thanks, Trixie. I’m glad I can count on you to brighten up my funeral.”
“That wasn’t sarcasm, right? Because I could actually brighten it up.” She grinned, wagging her eyebrows. “Give me a number from one to ten, and I'll use that to know the bombasticness of the fireworks you want me to bring when you die–” Suddenly, they flinched at the sound of retching.
Tars the changeling was not looking very good, as she leaned on a table. She looked exhausted, and her usual dark coloration was becoming pale. “...I need to, I, ugh–”
Cozy recoiled, walking closer to Trixie. “...She needs love, doesn’t she?”
“I’ll… I’ll just…” The changeling sputtered, before climbing on a table. “I’m just going to be a cup for the next few hours, okay…? Wake me up when those doors open, or when I have some love to eat.”
She did not wait for a reply. The table shuddered, and she glowed, as she stood not as a changeling, but as a small wooden cup next to another, inconspicuously atop the table.
“...Maybe I should give her some of my love or something.” Maud murmured with guilt. “I don’t have much to spare, but…”
The foal shook her head vigorously. “I’d rather none of us gets fed on by the big bug, thank you! How did you even meet a changeling down here, anyway??”
Trixie cringed, side eyeing the cup. “She was one of the prisoners here, forced to look like Queen Chrysalis for a decade or two. She was really good at it, too… She was, well… A fall guy. And none of her changeling friends ever came back for her.” She shook her head, letting out a sigh. “You don’t die if they eat your love, you just get… Horrifically depressed for a while and it isn’t permanent exactly?” She grinned awkwardly. “Y-yeah, I’m sorry Tars, but…”
The cup that was once a bug could only whisper. “Once we get out of here, we’re even. But please don’t make me talk more. I’m a CUP.”
“Sorry, Tars.” Maud regarded the cup with pity. “...There are changelings living in Ponyville now. I bet they could help you once we’re out of here.”
“Yeah! Of course!” Trixie grinned awkwardly, beholding the cup. “I mean, the changeling kingdom is a big trip away, but if you manage to get there without starving, haha…!”
Silence. The cup did not respond.
Cozy Glow blew raspberries, standing on another table entirely. “She’s a cup. Cups don’t talk. Let’s… NOT make the love-eating bug mad.”
While the magician and the foal talked, Maud observed the contents of her table carefully. She had sprawled out her findings, and observed them proudly. From soil samples, to pieces of refined stone that had been used on the shrines below, to actual unrefined ores of Tartarian steel… She was going to impress a lot of members of the official caving society with this.
Her pride and joy, however, was the set of chains she had collected from shackles. They were fully refined Tartarian steel, and she adored them. This was going to be a decoration on her cave, at the very least.
If nothing else, having refined, even if worn metal of the most magically conductive/sturdy yet malleable steel in Equestria was huge bragging rights.
…Part of her chastised herself still, for not having been courageous enough to collect soil samples from the abyss or even the primordial sea… But she was just happy to be alive.
Besides, considering the circumstances… This might not have been the last time she visited those depths.
For now, she was content with being the caver that had traveled to the deepest corners of Equestria imaginable.
Trixie let out a worried sigh, as she watched the enormous, imposing, incredibly closed doors. “...Well…!”
And the foal completed the thought for her. “...Now what?”
Maud knew more than she could say. “...If we wait here for long enough, somepony is bound to open those doors, right?”
“W-well…” Hesitating, Trixie looked back– At the passage that led deeper into Tartarus. They were all hungry and tired. In fact, up here, the exhaustion was setting in worst of all. “...Starlight said that Sunset would come open the door periodically in the morning…!”
“...IS it morning? Golly, I don’t know how long I’ve been here…!” Cozy shot a worried glance towards the gate.
“It’s morning.” Maud murmured, side eyeing the doors. “...The sun should be high, too, I think. …Or maybe I lost track of time. I was unconscious for a while.”
“W-well, without Starlight here, the doors might as well stay closed.” Trixie resolved, turning around. “...In fact, we got Cozy all the way up here, now we– Now I need to make sure Starlight is safe, and get her up here.”
“Okay! Let’s go!” Cozy hopped on her back with determination.
“Whuh– kid, you’re staying here!” Trixie pouted. “Our job was to make sure you’re safe! We did that– This here is as safe as Tartarus gets!”
Cozy blinked in surprise and fear, glancing at the darkness. “Y-you– You’re just leaving me here?!”
“Where it’s safe!” Trixie corrected. “Kid, we’ve gone pretty far down already, and I get that you want to help, but this is as far as you go, okay? I’m gonna go get my girl, and you need to stay where it’s safe!”
Bitterly, Cozy looked down, her eyes dampening… Then she removed the magician’s hat, and left it absentmindedly on the table next to her. “...Fine. Whatever. Leave me with the bug and the weirdo, why don’t you. Those monsters probably ate Starlight already, and if you wanna be dessert, be my guest.” She turned around, and crossed her forelegs, pouting.
“...Kid, it’s not like that…!”
“There they are.” Maud pointed at the dark passage below.
Shocked, they beheld the newcomers– Tempest, bleeding and with cracked armor, carrying an unconscious Starlight, climbing the staircase that led to the lowest depths, arriving at the halls with tired breaths.
“G-Glimms!!” Trixie was the only one that ran forward, immediately inspecting the damage. “I-Is she okay?? What happened, did she–”
“She’s alright. She took a few blows, but this is mostly from exhausting herself in battle.” Tempest assured, while still moving forward. “...You would have been proud of her. She performed admirably.”
“I knew she would.” Nodding with incredible confidence, Trixie came a little closer. “...Starlight…! Are you…”
“Trix…!” Incredibly wearily, the unicorn smiled. “...Is Cozy…?”
“She’s okay! She’s okay. We made it, Glimms…!” She could barely contain her joy. “...Oh! And Maud is alive and well too!”
Weakly, Starlight blinked in surprise, trying to get a glimpse ahead.
Cozy Glow was the first to speak when they arrived, coming closer to the unicorn curiously, worryingly. “...Is she… Okay?”
“She needs a bit of rest.” Tempest murmured, as she gently, carefully placed the unicorn atop one of the tables, where she laid still, breathing as well as she could. “...We are all here, then? Are we all okay?”
“As okay as we can be!” Trixie beamed. “...Now we just have to wait for those doors to open…!”
“...Ah, earth pony! It's good to see you're still drawing breath.” Tempest nodded, not questioning the circumstances in the slightest.
Maud simply shrugged with a smile. “Hell gave its best shot… But it didn't take.”
“M-maud…!” Starlight murmured apologetically. “I’m so sorry…!”
Blinking, the earth pony turned to the magician. “...Was she feeling sorry for leaving me for dead?”
“Classic Glimmer.” Trixie snickered.
Smiling, leaning forward, Maud addressed the nearly unconscious unicorn. “...I knew what I was signing up for, Starlight. It’s okay. Stop feeling guilty for missteps. …Yeah, my sisters probably would have been mad. But eventually they would have understood– I came here because I wanted to, and I knew the risks. And it was so, so worth it… You have no idea.”
“That’s what I told her indeed.” Tempest grinned, sitting down, letting out a sigh, and slowly removing the pieces of her broken armor. “...She seems to be her own worst enemy.”
“Yep, that sounds like her.” Gently, Trixie leaned forward and kissed the exhausted mare, even nuzzling her for good measure. “...We’re gonna be okay, Glimms. You did good. You did so good…!”
Incredibly wearily, Tempest shed herself of her armor. The metal bits that clinked onto the floor broke apart, indistinguishable from what used to shield her. Simply darken pieces of steel, shattered and stained with her blood.
Her muscles were tense, and she grunted as she freed herself of her armored horseshoes. That’s when she caught Maud ogling at her. “...Where did you go, then?” She raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
“Oh. Um. Where did I what who?” Maud blinked several times, averting her gaze from Tempest’s bruised body.
“Where did you go.” Tempest reaffirmed. “You vanished, there. We lost sight of you, and now you're here.”
“I, uh…” Carefully, Maud looked at her own belongings. “...You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
The broken unicorn simply grumbled and shrugged, inspecting the pieces of her broken armor, feeling dangerously exposed without it.
She had no time to mourn. And she didn’t deserve to, either. But yet, she felt it.
She took only a few seconds to glare at the torn, faded insignia of the storm king on a broken steel plate… Before tossing it aside forever.
“...So…” Cozy studied the scene carefully, sitting at the end of the table. “...What happens now?”
“I guess we just rest until those doors open…” Trixie murmured, beholding the imposing gate hopefully.
“...No, I mean… What happens to me when we leave.” She hid her worries well, frowning. “What’s going to happen to me? I’m a wanted fugitive, aren’t I? They locked me up here once. They’d do it again… Or worse, wouldn’t they?”
The earth pony and the broken unicorn were quiet. After all, she was not addressing them.
Starlight spoke– And this time, she did not whisper or mutter. Struggling, she even managed to sit up– All so she could talk on the same level as the child. “...We will protect you, Cozy. You’re a witness to a crime, yes. And you were involved– But we won’t let anything happen to you. Never again.”
“Twilight will sort it out, I’m sure!” Trixie leaned on the table, near Starlight, smiling truly. “You’ll be off and free, and you can do whatever you want!”
And the child hesitated. She hesitated, looking down, ruminating, bitterly avoiding looking at the two mares. “...Neighsay doesn’t leave loose ends. He made that perfectly clear, when I… He won’t let me go like this.”
“I won’t let him hurt you.” Starlight affirmed sternly. “I won’t let anything happen to you, okay? I’ll kill him if I need to.” She snarled. “For what he’s done to you, for what he’s put us through… He isn’t walking away from this.”
Surprisingly, that did give the child some assurance– But not nearly enough. She understood well how little justice prevailed, she was the living proof of it, after all. Lacing her voice with sweetness and worry, she closed her eyes. “...I don’t have anywhere else to go. The school of friendship is closed, isn’t it…?”
Trixie spoke, as she did often, without thinking much. But this time, it held wisdom. “...You could stay with us if you want. Starlight’s out of a job for the time being too– Heck, I was trying to talk her into a vacation before this all happened.”
Cozy stared quietly with surprise, and Starlight chuckled. “...I don’t think she’d want to stay with us after this, Trix. Plus, living on that carriage of yours, on the road– She deserves better.”
“Aw, c’mon. It’s spacious enough!” The magician beamed confidently. “Besides, if Twilight doesn't sort this out and Cozy needs to lay low… We could go anywhere! I wouldn’t mind going on a little road trip again, heheh. Ah, I miss Las Pegasus…!”
“I think she can do better in the caretaker department than us…!” Shaking her head with a snicker, Starlight looked at the foal. “...What do you think, Cozy? What do you want to do?”
The child stared at them, entirely crestfallen, silently wide eyed. “...Me?”
They were entirely openly asking her for her opinion.
“Yeah, kid. We could very much bring you to Twilight so she finds a good place to send you, but…” Trixie shrugged. “...We could look after you, if you want.”
“...What I want?” Cozy murmured in disbelief, staring at them.
She had never had choices like these, not in her entire life.
“…You don’t have to decide right now.” Starlight assured gently. “...Just know we won’t let anything happen to you, okay…? And if you want to stay with us for the time being, we’ll do the best we can.”
These two mares were responsible for her life being saved. They had fought through hell and back to bring her to safety, and they had done so entirely due to the kindness of their hearts.
There were angles to consider. Choices. But one thing was entirely certain to Cozy Glow– A fact that was undeniable.
They would keep her safe.
“I think…!” The foal hesitated, looking between the two of them. “I think I…!”
The room trembled.
The furniture trembled.
Even the walls.
All the ponies present flinched, beholding the great Tartarian gate… As it opened.
…But only slightly.
“Nice! Sunset came through!” Trixie cheered, readying herself– All of them squinting, eyes adjusting to the light of the recently risen sun.
Together, they watched in confusion, as the door simply remained half closed– An incredibly narrow space was all they could use to cross.
“...Strange.” Tempest narrowed her eyes, warily studying the passage. “...Well?”
Starlight stumbled her way out of the table, limping forward– Even waving Trixie away when she tried to help her walk. “...Let’s go, Cozy!”
“Stop right there.” An annoyingly familiar voice echoed from outside the gates. “Not another step, any of you.”
They froze. Starlight snarled in anger.
As soon as their eyes adjusted to light, they could see what awaited them outside of Tartarus.
Before them was Chancellor Neighsay, with a hoof over the Tartarian key he had placed onto the keyhole on the ground, ready to close it at any instance… And behind him, were maybe twenty royal guards, standing ready and armored.
“...Shit.” Tempest murmured. “That’s him, isn’t it?”
“That’s him.” Cozy whispered warily.
Behind them, the cup that was once a changeling turned to changeling once more. Sneakily, she surveyed the passage, and then shrugged. “...We’re even.”
“W-wait! Help us!” Trixie pleaded, but it fell on deaf ears. Tars transformed into a moth, and flew up into the air, crossing the gate at a high altitude, not getting noticed by any of the guards.
“Well, crap.” Maud noted, inspecting the passage. “...What now?”
The Chancellor, from the outside, commanded them without hesitation. “...Congratulations, Starlight Glimmer. You accomplished your mission. You successfully broke a child out of the most impregnable prison in the world.”
She took steps forward, snarling, with her horn crackling. “No thanks to you, you motherfuck–”
“Ah, tut-tut.” He spun the key slightly, and the doors closed even further. “I hear death by dehydration and starvation is one of the worst imaginable. Will you care to try it? Then take another step.”
She stopped once more, clutching her horn painfully, having overexerted herself too much. “...S-shit…!”
“...Can you teleport out there? Beat them?” Trixie whispered carefully. “C’mon, Glimms…!”
“E-even if I could…!” She murmured in exhaustion. “I-I don’t think I could beat all of them even if I wasn’t this tired…!”
“We can’t be at his mercy. We cannot trust him.” Tempest squinted at the enemies. “If we can get out there…”
“...I’d rather not starve to death after coming this far.” Maud muttered. “We should have a way to–”
“You successfully rescued Cozy Glow, did you not?” Neighsay called out from the outside. “Let’s see her, then! Let’s see the prisoner!”
Starlight and Trixie beheld the child behind them with worry, who herself frowned, as she flew forward, visible through the crack in the door. “...I’m over here, you jerk!” She yelled.
No one inside Tartarus could hear the snickers that the Chancellor emitted. “...Alright then. Wonderful. Only the child gets to cross, then!”
“What the hell is he–” Tempest groaned, beholding her allies. “...Is she ransom?”
Starlight gritted her teeth in anger. “You can’t do this! Twilight is going to–”
“Princess Twilight Sparkle isn’t here right now. I am. You are. So let us complete this transaction.” Neighsay scowled. “Your mission was to rescue the child, was it not? Well done, you did it. So let her go free. Only her.”
“He’s closing that door as soon as she goes through.” Maud frowned. “It’s bullshit.”
“What do we do, Glimms…??”
Carefully, Starlight glanced at the child, who just looked back at her with the same worry.
And the Chancellor kept talking. “...Here I presumed your mission was to free her! Are you hesitating?” He mocked.
For once, there was no more time to hesitate. She wasn’t going to second guess this decision, after all, it wasn’t her decision to make. “...Cozy…” She breathed in. “...It’s up to you. Leave if you want to…! I’m sorry we couldn’t do more.” The leader murmured with worry
“W-what? He’s gonna lock you all here!” The foal cringed.
“W-well be fine! We’ll be okay. But you deserve to be free, okay? That’s all that matters.” Starlight assured her as best she could. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Cozy. I wish we could have… Ugh.”
Trixie glared at the Chancellor in the distance, pouting. “...That little dweeb isn’t going to get away with this. We’ll be out of here eventually. Then we’ll get him.”
“Sunset should be here…!” Starlight ruminated. “...Eventually. I hope nothing happened to her out there…!”
Maud spoke with almost certainty. “...We won’t die here. But he can’t get away with having us come here in the first place. He can’t get away with imprisoning Cozy here.”
Tempest grumbled, looking behind them. “...Worst case scenario, those cages would keep us alive, wouldn’t they?”
“It would be pretty damn ironic to do a prison break and actually become prisoners here just so we keep ourselves alive!!!” Trixie complained. “Can’t we do anything else?!”
Starlight shook her head, entirely out of ideas.
“Your time is running out!” The Chancellor announced from the outside. “My patience is running thin! Let the child go, or you will be all left in there to rot!”
“Okay, you know what?!” Cozy frowned, waddling over to the door, but then stopping, turning only slightly. “...This was never going to work anyway. As if I could ever… Ugh.” She did her best not to let her disappointment, her frustration, her fears show. “...Goodbye. Thanks for breaking me out, all of you.”
She then exchanged quick glances with Starlight and Trixie. “...It probably woulda been a lotta fun if we could have… Bah. Goodbye.”
She didn’t wait for replies, simply took flight, leaving Tartarus, with the great doors immediately being closed behind her.
All she heard before the enormous gates shut was Starlight muttering one final apology.
And finally, before Neighsay she stood, twenty or so guards behind them, some unicorns, some pegasi– A few flyable chariots having been their mode of transport parked in the distance.
She let out a little huff, as she could finally feel the sunlight again, as it peeked between clouds. It couldn’t have been much later than 10 in the morning.
Finally, she glared at the Chancellor who raised a single eyebrow at her… Only then she spoke.
“...What took you so long?”
“You are lucky I came at all.” He sneered, hand still on the Tartarian key. “But you will make yourself useful yet.”
“Great. Great. So your plan could have involved leaving me down there, huh? I almost got eaten! Crushed! I almost got grounded up into a PASTE down there!!” She yelled out. “And are these guards here aware of what you’ve done? Are they–”
“Don’t you speak out of term, you insolent brat.” He snarled, taking a step forward, making her recoil. “Count your blessings that I came to intervene. Count your blessings that I was kind enough to come here to free you when no other creature would.”
“Great. I’m really grateful. Thanks a lot for putting me down there in the first place.” She gritted her teeth as well. “What’s next, you want to banish me to the moon to get you out of stealing a foal’s candy?!”
She flinched, as Cerberus, who sat behind them all, began growling, all three heads looking directly at her.
Three barks shouted out, she yelped, and the Chancellor blew on a wooden whistle that was tied around his neck loosely.
Cozy observed carefully as the whistle, despite not emitting sound, immediately made the hell hound recoil and attempt to cover its many ears doing little whines, no longer demonstrating any animosity towards the foal.
“...What… Why did Cerberus want to attack m-me?!”
.”You are still marked as a Tartarian prisoner… And an escapee, at that. Nothing we cannot fix when you come with me.” He grumbled, removing the Tartarian key from the slot, leaving it on the ground for a moment.
“...What’s gonna happen to them?” She pointed at the closed gate. “...The ones that rescued me?”
“They shall be left behind, of course.” He scowled, shrugging. “With any luck, they will perish down there, and they will not be witnesses to what we have done.” He then tilted his head, smiling at her, demeaningly. “...Don’t tell me you feel grateful for those lot.”
Cozy Glow did not reply, just pursed her lips and frowned.
“Please. They were only lackeys sent by Twilight Sparkle. If nothing else, I imagine she also presumed they would perish on the journey. …Foolish child. Did you honestly believe someone would ever care for you enough to rescue you… Or do anything for your benefit whatsoever?”
She looked back at the gate, quietly muttering to herself. “...No. I didn’t.”
“...What a joke.” He grinned, shaking his head, looking behind at the chain of mountains, at Canterlot. “...As if that bleeding heart even believed in your innocence– She only wanted to sabotage me. As if you needed rescue in the first place.”
“B-but I did.” She affirmed silently, mostly to herself, as she came to divine realisation: Maybe at some point not a single creature would have descended into hell itself to rescue her. “...And they did.”
Maybe those ponies out there didn’t really know her, maybe they didn’t really care about her. She couldn’t say for sure if what they had said was real.
But she understood, here and now, how she felt about them. How she felt about herself, and what she deserved.
And with it, she smiled. “...And right now, I need to rescue them.”
This was it.
With swift, undeniably clumsy, but incredibly determined movements, she snatched the whistle from his neck, breaking its cord, and then tossed it on the floor, where she stomped on it with all the strength her little body allowed.
“W-what are you doing, you insolent–”
But she ignored him entirely, as she took flight, hovering above them, smiling at Cerberus. “Hey, you bag of fleas!! Helloooo, you ugly mutt!! I’m an escapeeeeeee!! Look over here! Prisoner, flying free, very tasty and very vulnerable!! COME AND GET ME!!!”
Not one pony in the crowd had time to react. The guards had a split second to observe the hellhound with concern before he charged forward ferociously, barking viciously, and consequently knocking around every single royal guard in its path like a bowling ball executing a strike.
With a yelp and as much speed as her little wings took her, she guided the hellhound’s pursuit– Cerberus trampled the Chancellor and every guard near him, and as she flew around the field, just out of reach, he kept knocking over more guards, even those that Neighsay commanded to snatch her.
Desperately but without faltering, she led the monster on another swoop, narrowly avoiding its jaws as she caused him to smash against the gate of Tartarus, leading to him whimpering for a moment, getting dizzy.
These were the only seconds she would have.
Frantically, as fast as she could, she flew down to the Tartarian key, and placed it back on its keyhole on the floor.
Behind her, a stunned, yet still gathering his bearings Neighsay shouted out in indignation for her to stop, for any guard to catch her– But nothing happened, the battlefield had been overturned.
“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, please please please please!!” She pleaded desperately as she turned the key with all her strength, and the ground began trembling.
Slowly but surely, the doors were opening.
And yet, Cerberus recovered.
He growled, snarled, as he turned to Cozy Glow, who sat entirely defenseless as she held the key.
She braced herself for the end, knowing that at the very least her saviours would be freed. They would tell her story, and maybe justice would be reached… Maybe.
It didn’t matter anymore. She did something for someone else. They had sacrificed everything for her, so she sacrificed herself for them, too.
She braced herself for the end… Shrinking into herself, closing her eyes, seeing only dark, preparing for the worst, hoping that she had made a difference.
Hoping that somehow Cozy Glow was not a name that would be spoken only in angry whispers, in scowls, or not spoken at all.
…And it wouldn't be.
“We’ve got you kid. You did good!” She overheard Trixie murmuring gently.
“BAD BOY, BAD!” She could hear Starlight yelling out, and the distinctive sounds of magic echoing around them, “Cozy is a friend! Not food!”
She opened her eyes.
Trixie was shielding her with her body, and Starlight was casting a barrier around her to keep her safe, as Cerberus bit down on it in confusion.
Both unicorns were tired. Both were weakened and exhausted, and yet, they gave it their all, determined to keep her safe. Starlight’s mane was a mess, she had blood staining her hide in several places, and her horn looked overheated. Trixie’s cape and hat were singed, and she looked sleep deprived, and yet, both of them protected her with unending determination.
And besides the hellhound, two other ponies approached the royal guards. In one side, Maud held the Tartarian chain with her mouth, and entangled it in her hoof, spinning it around threateningly. “Let’s fucking do this.” She grinned manically.
And on the other side, was Tempest Shadow. Devoid of armor, horn crackling, as imposing as she had ever been. Compared to abyssal monstrosities, this was going to be easy. As soon as one of the guards whimpered her name fearfully, she grinned. “COWER BEFORE TEMPEST SHADOW!!” She declared, striking fear into their hearts.
“Y-you– You are all criminals, consorting with a fugitive!” Neighsay stood again, barely keeping his composure. “There is no future for any of you! No way to get away with what you’ve done! There is no escape!!”
And just then, when he thought things couldn’t get any worse, he heard maniacal laughter behind him.
Behind all the guards, laughing maliciously, startling every pony present, was none other than Queen Chrysalis. “Oh my, isn’t this amusing? Look at the puny fancy unicorn, desperately shifting the blame…! There is no escape, you FOOL. THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS FOR YOU!”
“Q-Queen Chrysalis?!” he whimpered fearfully, taking a step back. “H-how are you here– Don’t tell me you are consorting with–”
“I am here to FEED.” She hissed, her teeth bare. “WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST?!”
Trixie was the first to figure it out. “...Tars came through after all!” She smiled proudly, and Cozy giggled in response, having figured it out as well. “GLIMMS! GIVE US ORDERS!”
“R-RIGHT!” Confidently, wearily, she turned to her friends, even while still keeping Cerberus at bay. “Trixie! Keep Cozy out of the battlefield and far from Cerberus, use your smoke bombs!! Tempest! Maud! You two take care of the guards, I’ll keep Cerberus busy and join you after! AND TARS! FEEL FREE TO FEED ON NEIGHSAY!”
They all nodded and followed the commands– The battlefield became impeccably chaotic– A beautiful mess, just like the ponies orchestrating it.
Neighsay pleaded for protection, but any pony guard standing between him and his enemies was soon knocked over, and he would be defenseless, desperately casting his own spells to try to keep them at bay.
Trixie laughed maniacally, as she unleashed the last of her smoke bombs and the last of the fireworks onto the battlefield, all to dizzying effect on her enemies, in a display that could only be considered non-lethal ordinance.
The last smoke bomb, she let Cozy throw, who giggled in much the same way Trixie did, as she tossed it purposefully at neighsay. She not only felt safe, she felt ecstatic.
Starlight pushed Cerberus away with her magic, and tried her best to speak gently to him, it was as if trying to get the attention of a dog that had seen its squeaky toy be thrown behind her, difficult with normal dogs, much harder with the hellhound– Especially now that Tars, another escapee, was on the field.
‘Queen Chrysalis’ laughed maliciously, as several guards feared her approach, her fake-out attacks, her seemingly much weaker magic compared to the real thing. She perfectly disguised her exhaustion, driven by the hunger to drain the Chancellor, who barely fought back, cornered. Unfortunately for Tars, he had little love to give– But just enough to satiate her at the moment.
Maud fought with brutal agility. She spun the Tartarian chain aggressively, whacking the armored enemies on the head and on the legs, knocking them over, entangling them, just to pull them over to strike them– Their magic bouncing off of the Tartarian steel, smiling as she did it, her hooves were like sledgehammers.
Tempest’s thunder echoed and spread across the field, lighting the air. She stunned and blew her foes away, and struck them with her hooves as they got closer, grinning evilly as they foolishly tried approaching her in combat.
And when Starlight joined the battlefield, having successfully gotten Cerberus to sit obediently for a moment, the tides turned even worse for the guards. Together, Maud, Tempest and her unleashed hell upon their enemies, overwhelming them with their magic and fierce blows.
Neighsay understood better than anyone when a situation was beyond salvaging– But even now, running away would be difficult. Through the chaos of guards pulling ‘Chrysalis’ off of him, and them barely holding on amidst the smoke bombs, he desperately called onto two pegasus, and began running towards one of the parked chariots.
But it was short lived.
From above them, an enormous light gleamed, and a voice echoed.
“STAND DOWN, ALL OF YOU!” Princess Celestia commanded, flying onto the battlefield, landing between Neighsay and his escape plan.
Riding on her back, were Sunset and Wallflower– The latter, few noticed, the former, immediately leapt to the ground beside the princess with an imposing glare.
Celestia studied the battlefield shortly, and smiled proudly, if not warily. “...Ah, Starlight Glimmer. You’ve accomplished your mission! Good. Cozy Glow, it pleases me to see you free.”
The child had no response, she simply hid behind Trixie’s hat inefficiently.
“Now, now, Chancellor Neighsay. I am eager to hear your excuses for this blunder.” The Princess of the Sun sneered. “You roped in some loyal guards into your misdeeds, I see.”
“P-Princess Celestia!” He angrily attempted to regain his composure. “Y-you have just arrived to witness an assault upon a chancellor by these savage ruffians! They are consorting with Queen Chrysalis, they intended to kill a member of the high court!!”
“Where’s Queen Chrysalis?” Tars, disguised as a royal guard, innocently stood beside him, looking around, grinning. “I don’t see her anywhere. Are you seeing things, sir?"
Unnerved, desperate, the Chancellor yelled out. “....T-They are criminals! They have broken into a prison to free a convicted villain! They have done so illegally, and–”
“Shut the fuck up already!!” Sunset groaned at him. “We caught you red handed, asshole. You can’t talk your way out of this, or spin the system in your favor!!”
Celestia nodded proudly. “You can attempt to explain away any of your crimes, if you’d like. But my daughter has found a Tartarian key in your office, and evidence of you hoarding magical artifacts that were used in the crime you so enthusiastically framed the child for. Who, by the way, I imagine would be happy to explain to us what really happened?”
Cozy grinned maliciously, blowing raspberries at the Chancellor. “He’s guilty, guilty, guilty, and I don’t care if I go down with him anymore!! I’ll gladly tell the court what really happened this time!”
Starlight joined her confidently. “We’ve got confessions, and we even got to talk to Tirek himself! It was very illuminating! Put me, Cozy, and anypony else on this rescue mission on the stand, and we’ll gladly prove Cozy’s innocence… And neighsay’s guilt.”
“T-this insolent child has lied to a court before, you cannot believe a word she has said!!” The Chancellor desperately attempted to cover. “Y-You all have nothing! Nothing at all!”
“On the contrary.” Sunset glared and grinned. “The Princess of the Sun herself is a witness to your crimes, asshat. Let’s see how the jury acts when she gets on the stand.”
Wallflower herself gained the confidence to insult him. “Oh yeah, the guy locks up his office and has a secret compartment under his desk to hold magical artifacts– He’s totally innocent! You’re busted!”
Desperately, he looked around himself. Even his loyal guards were now recoiling, staring, reconsidering, reevaluating their loyalty. “....T-This isn’t over! It’s NOT over! You have no evidence! Nothing that proves anything!! C-Celestia, all that Canterlot will see will be a gross overreach of your power!! T-They’ll–”
“Silence.” She commanded plainly, sternly, and all went quiet. “This is over, Neighsay. You will be made an example of– The system will never again bend to ponies such as you. Now, we are all tired, and…”
She stopped. Sunset, near her, gasped in disbelief and shock, pointing at the gates– Which were still open. “C-Celestia!!” She was entirely dumbfounded. “H-holy shit…”
There was a wave of darkness. A strange tremor– That did not shake them, but that announced an arrival. The earth itself moved below them… Not aggressively, but as simple as breathing.
A sigh of resignation.
“What is it, Sunset–” The Princess of the Sun stopped in her tracks, her eyes widened.
Every pony and creature flinched, paused, and beheld in complete, shocked silence… At the alicorn princess that stood before the gates of Tartarus.
Terra observed the sun and the clouds, the forests and the mountains, and even Canterlot in the distance, with a forlorn, tired gaze…
...And then she turned to the battlefield of defeated soldiers and bruised ponies. “...So this is how disputes are settled on the surface, then.” She murmured.
Celestia was speechless– This alicorn before her was one unlike any she had seen. “A-Are you…?”
Maud stepped forward, speaking louder so she would be seen. “...Hey, Terra. Nice to see you arrived early.”
“Hello again, Maud.” She spoke simply, scanning the crowd. “It’s good to see your heart still beats. I considered taking months to ruminate on my decision– But then I realised a thousand years is long enough. I am here now.”
“That’s nice.” Maud smiled, before pointing at the Chancellor, who was entirely confused by what was happening, same as everyone else. “This is Neighsay, by the way. He’s the one that banished Cozy Glow into your realm.”
Terra waited no longer. Her eyes flared with a golden hue, her mane flowed with fury, and her wings spread out. With the vicious pull of her magic, she dragged the Chancellor across the gravel and stone to her, as he screamed in surprise and fear, several guards recoiling and flinching along the way.
“W-What is the meaning of this!! Y-You cannot treat me like–”
“You banished a child upon MY realm.” The alicorn of the dark snarled, gritting her teeth, placing a hoof before his head, and pushing it down onto the dirt. “You disrespected my home– You disrespected your own people, and you are the symptom of an unchecked system that needs a wake up call. Here I am, vermin. Beg to the the owner of the house you littered upon, as I drag you down to the abyss–”
“--STOP.” Celestia commanded, teleporting forward, dragging Neighsay back with her magic. “He is a criminal on my borders. Whatever punishment he should suffer, we should deliver. Please… let us discuss this calmly.”
Terra hesitated, her rage clear and apparent, as she studied the alicorn before her…
…But as she observed Celestia, her expression softened, replaced by disappointment and weariness. “...Out of my jurisdiction, then.” She dropped the Chancellor, who whimpered on the floor. “...I expected no less. I will respect your borders, Princess Celestia… If you respect mine.”
“...Who are you? Please. Please tell me.” The Princess of the Sun spoke softly at the alicorn of the dark, approaching her carefully. “...I have never seen anything like you before. Did you come from…?” She motioned towards the gate.
Seconds passed, as the princess of the dark considered her answer with great hesitation. “I… Considered this moment for centuries. And I was so adamant that it would never come to pass, that… I am unprepared for it. I am unprepared to meet you, sister.”
Celestia was entirely taken aback, and there were gasps of surprise behind them.
Starlight, Trixie and Cozy gasped softly, and the leader was the first to mutter. “...Holy crap. Tartarus is bigger than we know, I think…!” The leader chuckled nervously to herself.
Trixie grinned mischievously. “Twilight is going to be so mad that she missed this.”
Cozy observed the alicorn of the dark with great hesitation. “Did… did she come up here because of me…? Because I was trapped down there…?”
“...Earth pony.” Tempest murmured, still pressing down on a soldier she had incapacitated, incredibly wary of the possibility of another alicorn existing. “...You know of this… Creature?”
“Yep. Equestria is much bigger than we know, I think.” she smiled simply, still choking a guard with her chains. “...I’m glad I fell on her house.”
“...And I’m glad I did not have to contend with another alicorn when I first attacked Canterlot.” Tempest shuddered.
Sunset was considerably more excited than most about these circumstances, even as she spoke softly, smiling with disbelief. “...I have another aunt? Another one…? Holy crap…!”
“She’s pretty hot. She takes after her sister.” Wallflower stated behind her, smiling awkwardly as Sunset raised an annoyed eyebrow at her.
But no pony interrupted the two sisters. None spoke out of term, or even called out to them. The battlefield stood still, breathlessly.
“S-sister…!” The Princess of the sun repeated with great hesitation, studying the alicorn before her carefully, confused, yet with great curiosity.
“Celestia… Do you remember your… Do you remember our parents?” Terra spoke with an uneasy tone.
“...I do not. Neither does Luna. It was… Too long ago. They died when we were so young…”
“...I don’t remember them either.” Terra shook her head. “But.. Before you. And before Luna… There was me. And I did not survive birth.” She affirmed bitterly, sadly. “...When you two ascended… I ascended, as well. And I woke up down there.” coldly, simply, she pointed behind her, to the gates of Tartarus.
“I… I am not sure I understand what you mean…?” Celestia studied her words carefully.
“I am stillborn… Both your eldest… And your youngest sister.” She had an almost ironic smile, as she shook her head. “...I cannot stay here for long. My home is down there, I… I am not like you.”
“B-but… I don’t understand, why now? Why here?” Frantically, worryingly, Celestia looked around herself. “Our family could have been larger, we could have been united–”
“--I am a creature of the dark, Celestia. I don’t belong here.” She murmured bitterly. “I tried, centuries ago, to emerge– But I never lasted long out here. And besides… Nightmare Moon was a clear indicator of the hubris we could have as sisters. I did not plan on making the same mistakes as Luna.”
Shuddering in understanding, Celestia nodded… But she was not giving up. “...But Luna is back now! And here you are! We can try again, if you’ll allow us–”
“I already have a family.” Terra spoke without hesitation. “...Although, much to my frustration… She wants me to make amends here, too.”
“...I don’t understand…?”
“That does not matter at this moment.” Her expression hardened. “I am here for my home. For centuries, I've herded souls to their final destination, and I’ve maintained my realm in secrecy. I have kept the beast in slumber since birth, and I have asked for nothing in return.”
“T-the beast…!?” For a single moment, a cold shiver ran through Celestia’s spine, one she safekept with a whisper, not allowing anyone behind them to hear. “...The World Eater… It exists?!”
“It does. But it will never wake. That, I promise.” Terra affirmed without hesitation. “However… I can no longer abide with littering in my realm. My desire for privacy has kept me from safekeeping my boundaries. I allowed your people to use my realm as a prison for monstrosities they themselves should have dealt with. I have allowed a child to wander in places she should have never gone… To be thrusted upon the jaws of beasts that she should have never witnessed. …I accept partial fault for that… But I also seek justice for my home, here and now.”
Nodding shamefully, Celestia sighed. “...Forgive us. Please. Forgive me. If I had known…”
“...Yes. I am aware. If you had known I existed, you may have respected my home… But here I am now.” Silently, she scowled at Neighsay, who said nothing as he whimpered silently on the floor. “...And here he is.”
Celestia’s expression hardened with determination. “He will face justice. He WILL pay for what he’s done– And your realm will not be our prison any longer.”
“I know.” Grinning slightly, Terra looked back at the gate. “But I need you for something else… Sister.” The word was hard to say, but she tried anyway.
“Anything… Sister.” She smiled warmly.
“...I am sealing it away. All of it. This gate will not open anymore– Not until we are ready.”
“B-but… We’ve only just met!”
“And we will meet again, sister.” Terra nodded assuringly. “...But we are overdue for renovations… And when I open that gate again, I want to ensure that all of my realm is ready for what may come next… Whatever our relations may be.”
“Friendly, I hope…!” Walking closer, Celestia smiled with worry. “...I would like you to meet the rest of your family…! And I would like to meet yours, as well…!”
“...In due time.” The Princess of the Earth smiled warmly. “In due time, perhaps my realm will be seen as another kingdom in Equestria. But now…”
“We will need an ambassador! Establish our relations, unite our borders–”
“I already have one. When we’re ready, my wife will come up here to do justice to our home, and speak in my name.” Terra spoke simply. “She was excited to meet you, but I could not risk her walking into this mess.”
“Y-you have a wife??”
“You don’t?”
Laughing nervously, Celestia shook her head. “Um, alright. Forgive me. I am simply… Elated to know that my family is bigger than I thought.”
“I promise you renovations will not take long.” Terra spoke almost kindly. “I am… Elated as well. ...Now. Let us seal these doors– And let this be a promise, that no incident such as this child being banished will ever happen again.”
“I promise.” Celestia affirmed immediately– And Cozy Glow widened her eyes in surprise.
Together, the two alicorns united their power, as they aimed at the great gate of Tartarus.
A union of blood red and golden magic lit the skies, as together, they unleashed their might upon the entryway of the underworld.
When the light dimmed, and when their onslaught subsided… The gate had been replaced by a sheer rock wall.
To any passerby, this would be a mountain like any other.
“...Do come and visit soon.” Celestia pleaded with a warm smile. “Oh, I wish Luna was here to see this…!”
“Forgive me for my reservations. Forgive me for my wariness.” Terra spoke quietly, almost ashamed. “...Since I first came to be, souls were my only company. I was not fit for a world such as this…”
“Every creature belongs in Equestria.” Celestia spoke without hesitation. “You will hopefully come to learn this soon…! But however long it takes, your family will wait for you."
The Princess of the Earth couldn’t help but smile warmly… This introduction couldn’t have gone any better.
Just then, Terra choked– Blood leaked out of her lips. “...Ah, already, then.” She looked down to the ground, as her mane began flowing down, her body growing unstable.
“W-what is happening to you?” The Princess of the Sun inspected her sister worryingly.
The alicorn of the dark shuddered. “My time… Is up.” She sputtered, as her body seemed unstable, melting– Her mane began dripping a blood red substance onto the dirt. “...The surface is unkind to me.”
“No more.” Celestia assured gently. “No more, that I promise you. Whenever you return… We will be a family.”
“H-hah… How about that.” The Princess of the Earth chuckled lightly. “I look forward to discovering just what that entails…!”
This time, Sunset spoke from atop the hill, confidently and kindly. “We’ll teach you! It’s messy, and it’s weird– But I wouldn’t trade this family for anything.”
Giggling proudly, Celestia pointed at her. “...That is your niece, Terra.”
With a shuddered sigh of delight, the deteriorating alicorn snickered. “...I have a niece…? Kore is going to love this…!”
Celestia watched carefully, as Terra’s body grew unstable, seemingly melting, giving way. She said nothing, only the Princess of the Earth murmured. “One more thing…” She grinned, her body slowly decaying. “Tartarus will never be a prison anymore– There is only one prisoner in there that matters, you and I both know that. So starting now… I am returning all of your prisoners.”
“A-all of–”
“All of them.” Terra affirmed with a grin, as her body was melting. “Consider it a gesture of good faith, sister. Do with them as you will, I will be returning all hundred and fifty eight prisoners here, as soon as I am able.”
“U-um– When–”
“Goodbye, all of you. Take care of the child– Give her my apologies, and… Goodbye, sister.”
Strangely, abnormally, her body let go, melting onto the floor, losing its form. Her mane became a puddle, that was all that remained of her, as the blood puddle was drained within the earth.
Silence overtook the crowd.
Celestia, most of all, blinked rapidly, recomposing herself, gathering her thoughts.
“...What the fuck was that?!” One of the guards dared to ask.
The Princess of the Sun snapped out of it. She looked at the first pegasus guard and commanded him instantly. “Fly over to Canterlot and wake my sister– Tell her to come here to the gates of Tartarus immediately, and ready for a fight!!!” She then turned to another pegasus. “You– Seek Twilight Sparkle in Ponyville, tell her to gather the Elements of Harmony and their bearers, and bring them all here immediately!!!”
She watched the pegasi take flight desperately, while the other guards looked around each other anxiously. She then turned to her daughter. “And Sunset–”
“I’m not sitting this out.” With a grin, the unicorn leapt atop Cerberus, riding him, even taking Wallflower with her magic. “Let’s do this, mom.”
This was no time to be proud and happy for her daughter’s courage and valor– There was one final thing she needed to do before the battlefield raged again. “...Starlight! Cozy Glow– And you too, Trixie.”
The trio sat wearily but happily, together again. Cozy remained mounted on Trixie, very wary of the alicorn approaching.
“...Thank you. Thank you for your courage in the face of adversity, and thank you for rescuing the child when others could not.” Celestia spoke warmly. “...And little one… Forgive me… And thank you. If it were not for these strange circumstances, I might have never met my new sister…!”
Cozy was the first to speak, giggling. “Wow. There is a silverline to a kid getting trapped in Tartarus after all.”
“T-thank you, Celestia…!” Starlight bowed, exhausted. “We’ll keep her safe for the time being. We promise.”
“You couldn’t stop us from it.” Trixie bragged, grinning.
“Of course.” The alicorn bowed back. “Now–”
The crowd watched as a strange dark, shadow portal opened before what used to be the gates of the underworld.
Above in the air, the first monster was freed from Tartarus.
Tirek fell face first onto the dirt, and as soon as he dusted himself off, he laughed. “...At last!! I AM FREE!! ALL OF THE WORLD IS MINE TO CONSUME!! COWER BEFORE ME, FOOLS–”
“Cerberus.” Sunset spoke simply. “Fetch.”
The entire crowd watched in amusement as the hell hound lunged forward, biting onto Lord Tirek and shook him around viciously like a squeaky toy, the three heads swapping around on who gets to shake him around as he screamed and whimpered, until Sunset guided Cerberus to drop him before Celestia.
All that Tirek could do was let out a quiet, shrill gasp as likely several of his bones had been broken, and he laid entirely harmlessly on the floor.
“One down.” Sunset grinned confidently.
“You are so, SO awesome.” Wallflower whispered behind her in adoration.
“Good work, daughter.” With a proud smile, Celestia bound the first monster of Tartarus with golden arcane chains. “Dozens upon dozens to go. BE READY!” She commanded the crowd.
More and more shadow portals began opening up.
Maud grinned, spinning her Tartarian chains with agility, and Tempest laughed joyously, inviting the chance of another fight, taking her stand.
Starlight and Trixie nodded amongst each other– Ready to help in any way– Until Cozy Glow nudged them both. “N-neighsay!! Look!!”
Taking advantage of the monstrous distractions, the Chancellor was mounting a chariot parked in the distance, flown by two desperate pegasi who were less loyal to him, more desperate to get away.
“T-that motherfucker– I’m gonna kill him.” Starlight snarled, as she began galloping as efficiently as she could towards him.
“L-let’s go get him!!” Trixie followed, with Cozy on her back.
But it was too late. The sounds of the battlefield went distant as they desperately gave chase– And the chariot took to the skies, far from their range.
“Oh, nononono…!” Starlight glared in disbelief and worry. The Chancellor was flying away– Not towards Canterlot or any settlement. “W-we’re never going to catch him!! C-Celestia won’t give chase, she’s busy with–” They all flinched, in the distance, The Princess of the Sun was wrestling with some kind of winged Hydra, and the battle seemed fierce.
Cozy was the first one to consider her options, as she watched the Chancellor fly away. “F-fireworks!! Trixie, we can blow him out of the skies!!”
“I’m all out!! I used them all up in Tartarus!!” The magician cringed apologetically. “Everything else I have is in my carriage…!”
Starlight’s eyes widened. “...Didn’t we park it nearby?”
“AT THE TRAIN STATION!” Trixie’s smile widened. “We’re going all out on this one, I finally have an use for the big one!! LET’S GO!!”
“Fly faster, you fools!!” Chancellor Neighsay chastised desperately. “I have allies on the Crystal Court, as soon as we cross the border, they will secure my extradition–”
The guards whimpered. One of them immediately gasped, looking behind them.
Swiftly, desperately, he unfastened himself and flew away. The weight of the carriage tilted, and the Chancellor desperately grabbed hold “WHERE ARE YOU GOING, YOU DISLOYAL WHELP?? COME BACK–”
He watched in disbelief, as the other pegasus guard unfastened himself and let go.
The carriage was now held only by the Chancellor’s magic, as he strained, desperately attempting to hold it in the air, or at least descend it slowly.
…Which made him for a very still target.
He finally turned, seeing why the pegasi had flown away.
“N-no– NOOO–”
Heading directly towards his carriage, was an enormous, nearly carriage-sized firework rocket– Riding it happily and gleefully were Starlight, Trixie… And Cozy Glow.
Sandbar took another bite of a cookie, shrugging. “...Can’t open the door without a key, guys. It’s as simple as that. The key is somewhere in Canterlot Palace, and I have no clue where– And even if we got it, then we’d have to go down unmapped- Unknown depths that are usually talked about to scare fillies into sleeping.”
“Eh, we could pretend we’re on a school field trip.” Gallus shrugged. “If we’re gonna steal something from the palace, we could just pretend we’re innocent kids that lost their tour guide.”
“Pff. And you’re assuming we’ll get past the three headed hellhound, feather brain?” Smoulder took a bite of a snack dismissively. “Guys, I’m confident in us, believe me, but I don’t think we’re that cool. Not yet, but still.”
“Yona can smash the big Tartarus door!!” The yak announced with confidence. “Yona can smash our way to Cozy Glow!!”
“I-I don’t do very well underground.” Silverstream cringed. “Hippogriffs are meant to be in the ocean or in the skies!! Caves though?? Big no-no.”
“We’re NOT stealing anything from Canterlot.” Ocellus pouted. “Friends, I know we’re all worried about Cozy, but this is too much for us!! Why are we even entertaining the idea…!! It’s too dangerous. Not to mention our parents would be worried.”
“Thank you, Ocellus!” Sandbar nodded confidently. “Let’s just let the adults handle it, guys. They’re gonna get Cozy out of there, and the school of friendship is gonna reopen, and we’ll go back to having fun in classes in no time.”
“Humpf. As if.” Smoulder shrugged. “Since when do the grownups get anything done?”
She got her answer, as they heard an enormous, monumental explosion outside.
Frantically, curiously and not at all carefully, the six friends ran over to the windows of Sandbar’s room in Ponyville, glancing outside, looking for the source of the sound.
In the distance, to the west of the skies above the grasslands…
…There were gigantic fireworks, exploding with multicolored stars, a fantastic, awe-inducing show of colors decorated the skies.
…So much so, the smoldering remains of the chariot it hit would only be found hours later.
Everything is at it should be! Don't worry, they jumped off before the collision. Nothing like a bit of 'Starlight magic' to explain away how characters survived, heheh.
And that's a wrap on the climax -v- Next chapter will be chill and special, and then we're all done! I don't apologize if this seems rushed of any kind, frankly, the entire way I wrote this whole fic was essentially one long D&D session, heheh. Starlight and Trixie were always the protags, and Cozy herself was always the mission, but little did they know that would accidentally hack and slash their way into motherhood.
Maud got to brave the deepest depths, and Tempst got another chance to prove herself-- Even maybe face some of her inner demons.
...It's funny. One of my proofreaders said they want me to write even more Terra and Kore. maybe even a 'hades' style fic where Terra has to keep Sunset in the underworld per Celestia's request while there's a war raging up there, and Sunset wants to break out of hell to help. That's a funny idea, but I don't think I wanna spend that much time writing oc stuff.
here's their design properly! I chose Terra's cutiemark to be simple enough, but imposing, Like her two sisters- an upside down mountain. While Kore has a hard hat with a flower on it! Symbolizing her love for interior and exterior design/construction.
I'll DEFINITELY not forget these two, heheh. Maybe I'll reference them in some fic sometime, maybe I'll make them into actual ocs elsewhere... But I think we can all agree that maybe the show woulda improved from having a third Celestia sister. maybe. would make one hell of a season premiere two-parter, to brave into Tartarus to reveal her, heheh.
One thing's for sure, this will be a very big change for Equestria, whatever is coming next will be very special. Especially for Celestia's family, heheh.
I like to think that with several alicorns putting their minds together, they figure out ways to extend Terra's stay on the overworld. Twilight alone would go insane wanting to ask her a million questions about the realm within the earth.
Sunset is going to have amazing two new aunts to her life, lol. 
Either way, this is a story about Cozy Glow. If nothing else, I hope I've managed to show you how and why she didn't need to be a bad guy, least of all an irredeemable one.
Maybe the show couldn't have focused so much time on her, but maybe the show shouldn't have made a child from hell thing anyway.
See you on the next chapter! It's going to be a much shorter and fun -v-
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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What a beautiful way to wrap up the climax! Cozy, Starlight and Trixie were an endearing bunch and it surely is a good and effective way to get rid of Neighsay. He was a great villain for this and I adore seeing the concept of your ocs come to life! Can't wait to see how this'll effect Equestria hehehee.
Good stuff.
"It's part of the alicorn clause, upon ascension we are all destined an eventual immortal wife that compliments our personality"
"Princess cadence has a mortal husband, Twilight and Luna are unmarried"
"Eh, the first two are young, and Luna was banished. But that's no excuse for you. What have you been DOING for a thousand years?"
"Ah, well... you see..." "Oh LOOK! Eqpheus is here trying to beg you to bring back his lover!"
"AGAIN?! HOW MANY TIMES DO I NEED TO TEACH YOU THIS LESSON OLD STALLION!!!???"
-le sunhorse galloping away
Neighsay got flippin' exploded to death‽
If so, let me quote myself:
Can't wait to see what punishment Terra will have for him in the afterlifeHere me out
Wallflower and celestia pairing just to piss off sunset
12175854
Every Alicorn gets mandatory slightly-crazy wife, sooner or later. Terra has Kore, Celestia gets Wallflower. Now we only need to ship two more and we're golden.
12175570
See above ^^^
I'm not sure 'ascension' is the right term for Terra. Isn't it more of a...DESCENsion?
"You literally kidnapped me from my rescuers, you ass."
"Wait, if she's a bleeding heart, why wouldn't she believe in my innocence?"
"What did I say about speaking out of turn?"
"You're the one who contradicted yourself in the same sentence. Do you smell burnt toast?"
Ah. Took her a second.
I'm sorry, Cozy was pushing it already, but Maud visibly emoting is an immersion break for me.
In all seriousness, fantastic climax... even if Terra might have wanted to do some case-by-case reviews on the prisoners. Still a great read. Looking forward to the denouement.
12176155
Katabasis, perhaps.
So was terra’s design in any way inspired by messmer, I just get that vibe for some reason.
12184913
idk what messmer is, so nah