Episode 267: ATTACK OF THE TYRANT TRIO

Tsu Hinba Gun!!!
~BlackRoseRaven

For one thousand years, Equestria had been protected by the Sun Goddess, the ruler and headmistress of the Magical Mare Academy, Her Holiness Celestina Celeste Sunbless. In all her years of glory and rule, there had been many threats to Equestria, but until recently, Her Holiness had protected her people from every single one of them.

Even after her evil sister had returned, the Nightmare Queen EnemEvil, she had fearlessly met her foe in a duel for the ages where the Sun and Moon themselves had clashed in combat, fending off the Goddess of All Darkness until her prized student had gathered the Six Shards of Ultimate Magika and used them to purify the Nightmare Queen, banishing the Spirit of EnemEvil and returning the Darklady Luna Nightmoon to her former heroic self.

There had never been a foe that could best Her Holiness.

But all of that was about to change.

Twilight Sparkle hummed happily to herself as she finished resorting all the books in the library. Her Magical Mare Academy uniform swished around her flank as her hips swayed tantalizingly from side-to-side, tail giving a coy flick.

The purple mare stepped back and posed sharply for a moment with a hoof on her glasses and a grin on her face, tossing her long mane as she declared cheerfully: “Mission complete! Let's mark it off the list, Spike!”

The bored, chubby purple dragon sighed from the confines of his sweater as he put down his comic to pick up a clipboard and check off another item on the painfully-long list. Then he dropped it back on top of the ladder and picked up his comic, muttering: “This is a lot less fun than I imagined it would be. God, can we turn the neon light off for five minutes? And who designed this color scheme?”

“Oh, Spike! You must be having one of your Saikikkumaindotekunikku moments again!” laughed Twilight: a mare who fit perfectly in this world, in her crisp school jacket, her perfectly knotted tie, the cunning plot device of her magic hair clip gleaming knowingly and obviously in her hair.

Rumpled Spike only grunted and rubbed tiredly at his heavy eyes, before he sighed and rolled them as an alarm blared through the library. Twilight gave a loud gasp and spun to face the center of the room, while Spike just hid behind his comic book, mumbling: “Here we go again for the daily disaster.”

The entire library was bathed in blue light as the figure of Her Holiness appeared, Celestina Celeste Sunbless III saying urgently from beneath flowing mane and artfully-wide cowl: “Twilight Sparkle! You are needed urgently! Canterlot is under attack!”

“What? Canterlot is under attack?” cried Twilight, stepping one hoof forwards and raising her head high in an exaggerated shocked pose.

“Yes! Canterlot is under attack!” Celestina repeated helpfully. “We need your help, immediately! You must rally the Roku Heiwana Erementaru ten no Gunzei no, and-”

Celestina gasped, and the message was cut off in a sizzle of static as a wretched, terrible laugh filled the air for a moment before the transmission cut out. Twilight immediately snarled, leaning forwards as her glasses glinted across her muzzle before she shouted: “I have to go, Spike! Her Holiness needs me! The world is in danger! I must-”

“Yes, we get it, thank you, go. Go go go, I'll keep dinner warm for you.” Spike said tiredly, waving absently at Twilight, and the mare sniffed and struck another pose before she vanished in a sparkly burst of magic, Spike looking over the top of his comic book for a moment before he returned his eyes to it and mumbled: “I'll give it five minutes in case it's another rehearsal, then I'm going to bed.”

Twilight appeared on the rooftop of a tall tower overlooking Canterlot, posing dramatically on the edge of the building as she narrowed her eyes behind her glasses, sparks of magic sizzling through the air around her before she gasped loudly at the sight of a massive explosion near the castle gates.

She leaned forwards, crackles of magic reflecting in her thick glasses before she bit her lip and muttered: “Incredible. The Mahō no Enerugī is like nothing I've ever felt before. I'd better call the girls to meet me... but I can't wait!”

Twilight struck a pose, thrusting a hoof out in front of herself as she tilted her head to the side, staring down at the chaos below as she declared: “A Majikarupīsufuruerementogāru must never back down, not even in the face of certain danger! The rest of the girls can meet me there!”

With that, Twilight flicked her horn upwards, head high and eyes closed as she sent up a flare of multicolored magical power that exploded high in the air above: a signal that would immediately alert the other Heiwana Erementaru ten no Gunzei no and call them to Canterlot.

But there was no time to waste: Twilight leapt forwards into thin air a thousand feet above the city streets before she vanished from sight in a spark of violet magic, and reappeared a moment later on the road in front of Canterlot Castle. She gasped in shock at the sight that greeted her: the great archway that had once opened on the proud causeway leading to the castle had been completely destroyed, crumbled to rubble, before which were...

“Your grace!” cried Twilight, rushing with shock towards Her Holiness, Celestina Celeste Sunbless the III. She was horrified to see her bruised, tattered state: she looked as if she'd been badly beaten, and she was heavily leaning on her holy staff, teeth grit and body trembling... and she's in ascended form! “You're in ascended form!”

“Yes, I am in ascended form. As is my sister. And it still was not enough.” Celestina Celeste Sunbless said solemnly: rather than a pony's form, she stood on two legs, with two slender, beautiful arms and hands that helplessly gripped her staff. Her buxom beautiful body shook with pain as she struggled to stand, while in the background, the Darklady Luna Nightmoon grumbled in irritation at being completely overlooked in spite of her trendy leather outfit that clung tight to her sexy athletic frame. “I did all that I could in my power to fight them back, but I fear my power alone was not enough.”

“Our powers weren't enough together!” Darklady Luna Nightmoon corrected loudly, waving a hand irritably. “We fought-”

“I fought as hard as I could, Twilight, but I fear I have let you down.” Celestina Celeste Sunbless said very sadly, completely capturing Twilight's attention, so that she didn't even see Darklady Luna Nightmoon blow a raspberry or flip off the two ponies as she flopped bad-temperedly to the ground.

Beautiful young pony mare looked into the radiant eyes of her beautiful buxom empress, the fading light of the waning sun casting a beautiful red glow across their faces as their lips lingered inches from each other, soulful gazes locked...

The moment was shattered by a great blast of magic, Twilight Sparkle gasping as she spun around and watched with horror as black mist coalesced into a laughing, evil force.

Three ponies emerged from the miasma: no, not ponies, but monsters. Terrible monsters in the shape of terrible ponies: and yet there was something painfully familiar about all three of them as they stood there, sneering vilely, emanating evil.

They towered as Twilight leapt in front of Her Holiness, flicking her tail and raising her head high as she shouted: “I don't know who you are, but I am the Eternal Twilight, Sparkle of the Evening, and I am not afraid of you!”

“Oh, you should be afraid though, little mare.” teased the middle, clearly the leader as she stepped forwards, her toxic eyes gleaming with malice, her powerful body flexed with anticipation. Her coat was of darkest blue, but her mane burned like blue flames, wreathing to the skies above. She stained the world around her with her corruption, even the bright blue of her thorny crystalline horn casting only the palest and most wicked of light.

Her blade-like, cloven hooves pawed at the pavement, her powerful wings flexing, her scarred body rippling with power. She licked demonic, sharp teeth as she bared her fangs in a malicious grin, her desire for violence ebbing from every pore, like she was sweating malignancy.

Twilight met this mare's glare with her own, refusing to back down as magic crackled around her as her mentor, Her Holiness whispered warningly from behind her: “Be careful, Twilight! You can't hope to take on such evil by yourself without the help of the other Heiwana Erementaru!”

“Don't worry, your grace! Even if the other Heiwana Erementaru aren't here, I can still hold off these three Jaakuna no Kaosu by myself!” answered the mare with a firm nod, not taking her eyes off the deep, evil gaze of the leader of the evils before her. “Who are you, and what are you doing here? Why have you attacked Canterlot, the Sankuchuari no Heiwana?”

The evil mare laughed, and hers was an evil laugh indeed! Twilight glared at her, before her eyes shifted to the side as the stallion to one side of the wicked mare said in a dry, unserious voice: “Yes, Luna, why are we here exactly?”

“Oh shut up, great beetle.” the wicked mare blew a raspberry at this stallion... no, he wasn't a stallion. He was something like the dark creature leading them, a demon in a pony's shape. He was a hulk, a colossus, a giant of a beast that reeked: not literally, but rather he emanated a magical malice that betrayed his calm, carefree demeanor and revealed to Twilight that he was something far more sinister than what he merely appeared to be.

Not that his appearance was anything but monstrous, that was! A gigantic black behemoth of a stallion with patches of scales and strange, bony spikes that stuck up out of his back, his forelegs ending not in hooves but silver-steel claws that flexed as if they were organic and real. Twilight had never before seen such a monster, and she wasn't about to be fooled by how calm his dark eyes were beneath his white mane, or the smile he gave her, or the lie of an apology he made: “Sorry about this, we're not usually-”

“Damn thy eyes, we are so!” staunchly argued the dark blue mare, huffing at the black behemoth before she flicked her eyes towards her other companion, complaining: “Can thou believe the coward? Thou will support me, won't thee, sweet mare?”

The 'sweet mare' in question had a kind smile, but her eyes were as cunning and feline as the Nightmare Queen EnemEvil's had been. Her mane flowed like black shadows with only a single streak of light through it, and a terrible, eerie dome of crystal glowed in her chest. Her wings were edged in black, her Chikara Shinboru on her flank encircled in runes, and she emanated a... a powerful, familiar, yet terrible ki.

That mark... it was the same as hers! She stared at it for a moment, then up at the mare before she gritted her teeth, growling: “I will not be fooled by your evil ways or deceptions! What are you, and why do you have the same Chikara Shinboru as I do?”

“Is it not obvious?” interrupted the dark mare before the 'sweet' one could speak, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “We are-”

“They are the Dark Reflections of the Empyrean Wastes... the Uchi de Waru, Soto.” interrupted Her Holiness as she slid quickly between her student and the trio of monsters, the beast in front scowling horribly. “Twilight Sparkle, you must be on your guard!”

“Aye, perfectly on guard, much more on guard than thy stupid Celestia, unless using her great ass as a shield between thee and me is part of her plan.” The evil mare sounded both mocking and like she was complaining as she pawed a hoof at the ground.

“This is the part where you attack!” shouted Darklady Luna Nightmoon irritably from the background, raising a hand high in the air to make sure it was understood this was a meta reference and Twilight Sparkle should just close her eyes and cover her ears and ignore it. “Seriously, have you never done this before?”

“I have done this so many times before! I have done so much so many times so more many times than thou could ever dream of!” shouted the evil mare, doing a furious little dance before she suddenly snapped her horn forwards, unleashing a ball of blue flame.

Without so much as flinching, Her Holiness flexed her mighty gluteus, raising her haunches and allowing her tail to flag slightly without every twitching aside to reveal her Chikara no Minamoto, coy and alluring, yet strong and firm and as resilient as the powerful barrier of magic that formed behind her and absorbed the blast from the attack.

“I am never off my guard, and it will take much more than that for you to succeed in catching me from behind.” Her Holiness said calmly, giving an almost teasing smile over her shoulder as she tilted her head back slightly as her body flexed idly, before she grimaced and gave a long, fluttering sigh, sinking to her knees with the back of a hand theatrically pressed her forehead.

Twilight gasped, leaning forwards with concern as Her Holiness looked over her shoulder, posing as if faint and weak as she whispered: “But still, her powers are terrible!”

“Yes, thou must fear me! Fear the powers of... uh...” The evil mare's eyes went wide for a moment as she visibly lost her train of thought, and then she snapped: “Scrivy! Name!”

“You should really work harder on getting in character.” Darklady Luna Nightmoon said distastefully, with a hand raised in the air.

“Oh shut up, stupid... stupidhead.” groused Luna, not following protocol by at least making any attempt to raise her hoof... ah, but she was an evil mare indeed, and it could very well be that she did not abide by their rules, or was trying to confuse them into lowering their guard!

“We will not fall for your tricks, evil mare of terrible evil! Your false deceptions and genjutsu will do you no good here!” Twilight Sparkle declared, accenting this with a firm flick of her hips as she stomped a hoof down and leaned forwards. “Soon the Heiwana Erementaru will be here: even you, the Uchi de Waru, Soto, will not be able to resist!”

“Thou shall shut up too! I am not a...” The evil mare struggled horribly to imitate the mare's impeccable Neighponese for a moment, and then she simply blew a raspberry before shouting: “Fie on all of thee, I am Valkyrie! I am Brynhild! I am the Night Maiden and enough banter 'tis time for hoof party in thy face's house!”

She lunged forwards into a swing of her hoof, Twilight giving another shocked gasp of horror at both the attack, but also the rudeness of her refusing to participate in the ancient rituals of honorable battle which included at least ten minutes of introductory banter!

But she was blocked, blocked by the Darklady Luna Nightmare, who leapt between her and in front of Twilight Sparkle, catching her attack against her scythe as she squared her shoulders and leaned forwards, eyes and mane blazing before she hissed under her breath: “Is that seriously the best you can come up with?”

“Oh shut up, I shan't be lectured by thee in thy... slutty-slut polymorph!” growled Brynhild, her eye twitching.

“Oh fuck you, do you know how much my hooves hurt in these?” retorted Darklady Luna with a pointed stomp of one of her stiletto high heel biker leather spiked gothic boots, and then she shoved the Uchi de Waru, Soto backward before they traded a series of hard slashes between scythe and horn, moving with shocking power and grace against one-another.

They parted in a flash of blue fire, and the two glared at each other before Darklady Luna Nightmare pointed at them with her scythe as she shouted: “I demand you speak your names, by the power of the Six Shards of Ultimate Magika!”

The wretched evil mare feigned stupid confusion, looking back and forth in a way that was clearly mocking and not at all actually empty and lost, but the beastly black stallion gave a sigh as he was clearly overwhelmed by the Kyūkyoku Katsu Fukutsu no Meirei no Koe spoken by the Darklady Luna, Twilight saw! “Darn. Very well, I guess we have no choice.

“I am...” He and the other mare traded looks, almost as if they were having a conversation or an argument. The wicked monster before the Darklady Luna suddenly spun around, leaping back and yanking them both into huddling with her, and they argued in hushed voices before the stallion muttered: “I am not saying that.”

“Beetle!” hissed the evil overlord, and Twilight began to frown-

“Twilight! I need your help!” Celestina burst out suddenly, posing with her hand against the back of her head as she threw herself back, her beautiful bountiful busty breasts bouncing beneath her blouse, and Twilight Sparkle gasped as she immediately leapt back to her side.

This gave Darklady Luna Nightmoon a chance to hurry forward, shoving her way into the group and hissing: “Just say something and I'll cover for the rest of you come on hurry up!”

“Thou art ruining the realism of it!” whined the evil dark mare.

“You already ruined that by not having any of this prepared! Come on, hurry up, I can only cover for you so much!” retorted the Darklady Luna Nightmoon. “Look, say this...”

Twilight Sparkle, meanwhile, was distracted by her empress and mentor moaning and gasping in what was clearly a sudden loss of ki before gasping as a great terrible blast of force ripped across them all, sending Darklady Luna Nightmoon skidding backwards with a wince as Celestina steadied herself, her beautiful silks rippling gloriously around her taut and sexy body as Twilight felt herself pushed backwards.

“Thou faces the Kuro Akumu! Valkyrie Brynhild!”

“I am the Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon, Scrivy.” said the Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon in a tired voice, which only served to show how wicked he truly must be, showing boredom in the face of such tyrannical power!

“I am... um... the Mugen Kurokage Akumu Uma On'nanoko, Morgan!” blurted the last mare.

“You see, they are truly False Deceptions, the Jaakuna no Kaosu, the mirrored cruelty of good who come from the Dark Underworld!” declared Celestina suddenly, as she threw herself back to her feet and pointed theatrically up to the sky, posing beautifully in a way that made Twilight Sparkle gasp at her glorious glory. “But we do not fear you, Uchi de Waru, Soto!”

“Well, thou should! Thou should fear us!” retorted Brynhild with a huff, raising her head proudly. “Thou stupid... Slutty Celestia!”

Twilight Sparkle gasped, then leapt forward, shouting: “How dare you! The Queen of All Harmony, Her Holiness Celestina Celeste Sunbless III, is the headmistress of the Magical Mare Academy and teaches all of us that there's a difference between using your sexiness for good and using it only for self-gain! Everypony knows 'slut' means 'selfish lover using others!' S-L-U-”

“O?” Scrivener queried, frowning.

“No, S-L-U-T, slut. Selfish. Lovers. Using. Others.” Twilight answered with a firm nod.

“Where does the 't' come from?” The Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon asked, sounding incredulous and almost offended.

“Others. We just use the 't' from it. Slut.”

“I... no. No, that's not how it works. That's not how any of this works!” Scrivener blurted out, shaking his head incredulously as Morgan bit her lip and glanced awkwardly, uncomfortably away.

Twilight Sparkle narrowed her eyes uncertainly, not sure if this was a distraction, a meta reference, or a clever and evil way to take advantage of the confusion it was causing, but Her Holiness Celestina suddenly stepped in, strutting a step forwards, throwing her radiant mane back, and thrusting out her mighty staff as she declared: “Do not be deceived, Twilight Sparkle! They are wasting our time so that they can gather their evil energies and prepare to attack! Don't you feel that wicked malice in the air?”

Twilight gasped; she did feel an evil malice! “I do feel an evil malice! A wicked malice, even!”

“An evil malice, coming from them.” Celestina pointed her beautiful golden rod towards them. “But I feel an even greater good, coming quickly to our aid!”

Twilight leapt forwards, smiling warmly as Her Holiness and the mighty Darklady both posed on either side of her, as five other ponies darted in, striking their own proud poses.

Scrivener and Morgan traded dumb looks, while Brynhild's whole face wrinkled up horribly before she snarled: “Oh, how dare thee, wretched Slut Celestia and... and Leather Luna! Thou calls others to try and out-style me, but I am far more powerful and stylish than thou could ever be!”

With that, Kuro Akumu suddenly spun around, then threw her head back with a roar as her mane and tail exploded into blue flame. Fireworks burst behind her as her eyes glowed with power as snakes of flame and whirls of starry color blasted around her, then formed into two mighty hands of black ice and blue flame, which clapped above her before Brynhild leaned aggressively forwards with a sharp-toothed grin as both floating hands flipped the group of horses off.

All the younger mares gasped in shock and horror, while a smile twitched at Celestina's muzzle and Darklady Luna rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Yes! Tremble before me! I am Valkyrie! I am Brynhild! Thou shall bow before me like the goddess I am!”

“Darn! What have you gotten yourself into, Twilight?” cried an orange earth pony, dressed in some kind of... combination farmer's overalls and ribbons and scarves.

“This looks like it could be trouble!” added a blue pegasus in a denim jacket, posing sharply on three hooves with the last pointed at them, wings wide to show off their multitude of colors, which matched her wild spiky mane.

“Get ready guys, it's time to party!” burst out the pink earth pony, throwing confetti everywhere with a bright smile.

The yellow pegasus mumbled something and tried to hide in her big green sweater behind her pink mane.

“What brutes! We can't let these criminals go!” added the white unicorn what looked like beautiful sexy silk lingerie, her purple mane flying in the nonexistent wind.

“That's right!” Twilight did a front flip, posing in her school uniform in front of the trio of monsters, glaring at them angrily. “Maybe you think you're going to beat us, but we're not the best students of Her Holiness Celestina Celeste Sunbless the Third's Magical Mare Academy for no reason! We may look like normal mares, but between us we have the strength of a hundred mares!”

“We are the Roku Hinba Gun!” All six of the young mares shouted as one, forming a line and posing as Darklady Luna Nightmoon half-turned away with her arms crossed like a badass and Celestina arched her back to make her beautiful bodacious bosom bounce, half-covering her face coyly with her mighty scepter.

“Oh ho ho ho!” Celestina pointed outwards, declaring: “Go, Roku Hinba Gun! Show them the strength of the Magical Mare Academy!”

Neighponese Kanji splashed into the air between the groups, Scrivener gaping and Morgan slowly rubbing her temples as she closed her eyes, but Brynhild's own were sparkling, the fingers of the massive hands still floating above her wriggling in excited anticipation before she hissed: “Morgan, listen to me, make-”

“Oh for the love of god, Luna, do I...” Morgan sighed at the look she was given, and then her horn glowed as her mane of shadows twisted irritably, closing her eyes as Scrivener gently patted her on the back.

Luna grinned widely, then gave a sharp 'ha!' as the floating line of kanji was blasted apart by ancient runic language, thrusting a hoof in the air as the mares all gasped theatrically and cowered back in horror. “Fie upon thee, and face the wrath of the... the terrible tyrant trio!”

“These guys are no joke!” the blue pegasus shouted as she covered her face dramatically with one foreleg and wing.

“Twilight, we've got to do something!” added the orange mare urgently, as she clutched her cowboy hat dramatically to her head.

“You're right!” Twilight narrowed her eyes even as the floating runes dissipated into lurking evil mists of darkness, facing the grinning mare and her wicked disciples head-on. “There's no time to play around! Girls! We have to take on ascended form!”

She was met by shouty echos of acknowledgment, and Brynhild snorted before she posed dramatically, shouting: “Fools, I shan't give thee the time-”

She was interrupted by a throat clearing, Celestina holding a hand in the air as she chastened: “That's not how the rules of engagement work.”

“What? Fie on thee, Slut Celestia! Fie on thy rules of engagement!” Brynhild shouted, doing an angry little dance on the spot as her giant floating fists shook at her angrily.

“Okay so I guess you're admitting you can't win fair and square.” Darklady Luna Nightmoon noted, also raising a hand in the air.

Luna puffed her cheeks out childishly, then she once again made a rude gesture with both her floating hands, wildly pumping them up and down through the air even as Celestina patiently explained as the young mares all pretended to either be frozen in time or that they just weren't listening: “We made a deal: you get to train my girls as Villain of the Day, but you also play by our rules. Do I have to remind you that we agreed to all your requests?”

“Agh, Slut Celestia, do not be... Rules Celestia! Thou cannot be Rules Celestia and Slut Celestia at the same time!” whined Brynhild, stomping her hooves like a foal.

“I can and I will be.” Celestina said smugly, before she strode over to Brynhild, then accented each following statement by thwacking Brynhild between the ears with the head of her staff: “You will raise a hoof when you want to say something out of character. You will give the girls time for their magical transformations and power charge-ups, and they will give you time as well. You will title or at least announce all of your attacks. Most importantly, you will not inflict lethal punishment! The Chōwa no Toreta Kyōmei Enerugī no Shīrudo of this world can't withstand your Valkyrie might.”

This made Brynhild puff up a bit, before she asked: “But I may stab them?”

Celestina bopped her, Brynhild squawking, and then she huffed and thrust her hoof into the air, grousing: “Stupid Slut Celestia. I may stab them?”

“The only thing you aren't permitted is to kill them, yes. Between the Chōwa no Toreta Kyōmei Enerugī no Shīrudo and the Ki Cycle of this world, pain functions very differently here.” affirmed Celestina, before she paused, looked at Brynhild, bopped her one last time for good measure – making her squawk and stomp her hooves wildly and angrily as her floating hands flailed at her – and then she turned and headed back to resume her previous position and pose.

Brynhild huffed loudly, before Darklady Luna Nightmoon pointed at her and said: “My sister and I will hold them off. All of them.” She glared pointedly, and Morgan and Scrivener traded dumb looks. Dumb evil looks! Twilight thought; they were definitely up to no good!

“Be careful, they clearly have some kind of evil plan!” Twilight Sparkle exclaimed. “They are clearly up to no good!”

“Don't worry, my loyal Magical Girl! You and your friends, the Roku Heiwana Erementaru Ten no Gunzei no, just need to concentrate on bringing out your Uchinaru Heiwa!” Celestina answered, before she and her sibling leapt forwards, flipping gracefully into ready positions in front of the mares.

“Bah! I am more than enough for both of thee! Thou shalt learn true fear and pain at mine hooves!” Brynhild absolutely cackled as she posed like the evil mare she was, hooves raised to the air and fangs bared as her mane whirled around her.

Then Darklady Luna Nightmoon leapt forwards and punched her in the face, knocking her sprawling on her back with a yelp, and Celestina swung her staff forwards to unleash a glorious blast of holy light that made both Morgan and Scrivener flinch.

As the sexy saviors of Equestria battled the nefarious evil monsters, Twilight Sparkle nodded before she swung her mane around in a circle, then leapt into the air. She was surrounded by beautiful violet light as she rotated slowly in the sky, her whole body beginning to glow.

Darklady Luna clashed with Valkyrie Brynhild, blocking the massive fists of ice trying to pummel her with her own hands as she held the Kuro Akumu at a distance with her foot, grimacing as the angry horse swung her head wildly around and stomped her hooves madly in childish fury.

Celestina, meanwhile, swung her staff back and forth, unleashing flares of light that Morgan deflected and Scrivener ducked and dodged around, before she paused and held up her hand, noting: “You may want to take a moment, or skip down a little. Each girl will be transforming and of course they all like their transformations to be unnecessarily detailed.”

“Oh come on, don't do this to me!” Scrivener complained from where he was covering his head with both of his strange, gleaming metal claws. “We already got dragged here, don't make me-”

“You'll just have to skip to 'kekaku,' then!” Celestina replied cheerfully, as with a flick of her staff, she sent a great burst of golden fire at Morgan, who grimaced as she deflected the stream of fire with a whirl of her own magic.

“Twilight Sparkle, the Sparkle in Eternal Twilight! Heiwana Erementaru no Majikku!” Twilight cried out as she threw her head back. Mane and tail fanned out beautifully as her whole body stretched out, then began to reshape itself out of light, growing into a gorgeous, buxom body. She shed light like raindrops as now pink-painted lower hooves flicked out, flexing legs that grew long and slender, and forelimbs that became thin but strong arms.

Her fingers flicked out, droplets of light splashing away from them before gloves knit themselves rapidly up to her elbow and beautiful plates of metal flashed into life, protecting her wrists and fingers. Her head swung back, and her long mane tied itself tightly back in a tight ponytail, magic energy sizzling across her brow and forming a mystical tiara inset with a beautiful amethyst as her hair clip spun, magically, sparkling with magic before it magically settled into place above her magical tiara!

She spun around as her tail fanned out, and beautiful angelic wings spread wide from her back, beautiful, massive, and glowing white, before they burst apart into beautiful flower petals as she landed on her hooves and struck a pose, her beautiful, sexy body dressed in shorts beneath a short kilt, a Magical Mare uniform shirt underneath a blouse knotted in front of her small BUT STILL JUST FINE breasts, and of course the absolutely necessary big round pauldrons that offered her all the armor she needed on her shoulders!

And of course her little wings floated behind her, fanning open, cute and tiny and feathered and not actually attached to her body but that really just made them all the cuter as they sparkled with magical color and light. “Super Magical Girl, Heiwana Erementaru Twilight Sparkle, Sparkle of the Eternal Twilight, ready!”

Scrivener stared, and Morgan slowly reached up to cover her mouth with a blush of secondhand embarrassment as Celestina grinned and winked at them.

And then they both realized with mounting horror that all of them, all six of the mares, were going to go through this extended, painful transformation sequence, as Applejack leapt forwards next.

“Applejack! Jack of All Apples, Apple of Ponyville, Heiwana Erementaru no Shōjiki!” Applejack leapt into the air, then she began to flip backwards as her body glowed with light, her clothes vanishing in sparkles of red.

Color gleamed across her body, forming into solid armor like the skin of a red, red apple over her shoulders and body; her mane tightened, tying itself into a bun before an apple-shaped helmet formed over her head, complete with a plucky stem sticking up from its top.

Green light splashed across her limbs and over her back, then hardened into emerald plating, while her braided tail tightened into a rope that ended in a glowing ball of jade that hardened into a metal ball, also shaped, of course, like an apple.

She dropped from the sky, and hit the ground with an earth-shattering boom on her rear hooves: her front hooves glowed as she performed a short kata, then slammed them together in a flash of bright light before she dropped forwards, the earth shaking as she landed on hooves inside of massive, metal boots. Boots shaped perfectly around and akin to her own front hooves, heavy cleats on the underside of these battle clogs anchoring her to the earth.

Her green eyes flashed beneath her helmet, grinning widely before she spun her tail and slammed it into the ground like a flail, posing at the ready on all fours.

Rainbow Dash roared, then zoomed up into the air with a grin, throwing her head back and yelling furiously as she flexed her entire body. Her wings fanned wide as they glowed with radiant aura, her mane and tail spiking out with the aura of power that was growing around her.

A headband glowed into existence in front of her, her cutie mark etching itself across the metal plate on the front before it locked in place over her head, and a martial arts gi flashed into life over her body before she screamed even louder, her energy shredding parts of the uniform apart, leaving it hanging loosely from her body as her muscles bulged in hyperdefinition. She spun around once in the air, then howled: “RRRRRRRAINBOW DASH, SUPER AWESOME HEIWANA EREMENTARU NO YUKI, FASTEST OF ALL PONIES GREAT BOW THROUGH RAIN!”

The air shook as she howled again before dropping to the ground, her mane and tail sparking and sizzling with pulses of wild energy, eyes glowing as her fearsome aura rippled around her as she struck an aggressive ready position.

“Um.” Fluttershy nervously peeked forward, then she quietly cleared her throat before she straightened a little, biting her lip.

She took a little breath, then straightened as she closed her eyes: she squared her shoulders, then said in a meek little voice: “Fluttershy, the um. Magical Pony, Heiwana Erementaru no Shinsetsu. B-Beautiful Butterfly Fluttering Victoriously.”

Her whole body glowed, before growing, expanding; little pony became a magnificent, beautiful horse mare, champagne gold in color, long mane and tail elegantly spilling down in long, pretty waves, her golden wings stretching wide before closing slowly as she looked up awkwardly, a gorgeous, bare, long-limbed thoroughbred

She closed her eyes, then whinnied awkwardly before straightening and trying to pose as best she could beside her friends. As a horse. An actual real horse.

“Magical Girl Rarity, Rarest of All Beautiful Gemstones, Heiwana Erementaru no Kandai-sa!” trilled the white unicorn, as she posed and flicked her mane back, a radiant glow washing across her body and leaving behind a beautiful silk dress, a wonderful mix of elegant and sexy with the way it traced across her contours and formed long, fluttering tails behind her, cut high up her thighs.

She rolled her head on her shoulders as jewels and a beautiful tiara formed and settled in her mane, delicately helping to give it shape and form. A beautiful mask glowed into being across her face, and she tittered behind a hoof as a beautiful staff, tipped with three gorgeous diamonds, swirled into being beside her before she casually wrapped her other foreleg around it and leaned on it in a relaxed, sultry pose.

Last but not least came the pink earth pony mare, who spun wildly around on the spot, making loud superhero noises before she jumped forwards and threw confetti wildly in all directions. Then, out of nowhere, she produced a backpack, digging wildly through it to pull out several pieces of clothing she awkwardly wiggled into, falling on her side with a thump and rolling around uncomfortably on the ground as she cursed and swore under her breath.

She hopped back up in mismatched socks, a pair of boxers, and a towel tied around her neck like a cape, a bucket on top of her head as she stood on her hind legs with her forehooves on her hips, head raised high as she shouted: “Democracy powers activate! Passionate Power Party Pony Pinkie Pie, Heiwana Erementaru no Warai, ready to deploy!!!”

Celestina covered her mouth with her hand, laughing in a way that declared all was going as according to kekaku. “Ohohohoho! So now that you have seen the power of the Roku Heiwana Erementaru, do you think you fools actually stand a chance against them?”

Darklady Luna Nightmoon was laying in a Majikku Meta Poke-Sekai that was marked off with the impossible-to-pass-or-acknowledge Shinseina Kiiro no Chōku no Shōheki on her back, looking bored and moody as she absently played on a small device in her hands, her legs resting up along the lamp post beside her, ankles primly crossed.

Scrivener was sprawled on the ground, looking miserable, and Morgan was slowly rubbing at her temples as if nursing a headache. Or, more likely, Twilight Sparkle the Sparkle of Eternal Twilight thought, she was coming up with an evil plan!

The dastardly Brynhild, however, posed at the ready, grinning as she hopped wildly from hoof-to-hoof before she declared: “I alone am more than a match for thee, fools! Cower before my might, wretched evils... uh, I mean, goods! Foolish stupid goody-two-hooves ponies!”

She posed as fireworks of blue and black burst through the air behind her, roaring: “Thou can'st and shan'st stand against my might! I am Brynhild, Brynhild the... the bad pony bringer of doom, wretched nightmare of ruin! Brynhild the Kuwuwuwu Akumumu, or whatnot!”

She leapt into the air, flipping forwards once before landing on her rear hooves, punching her front hooves wildly through the air before she dropped forwards, another blast of fire and smoke erupting from behind her, forming pony skulls and beasts for a moment before fading into the air.

“Alright, I'm done for the day. I'm gonna get a coffee, anyone want one?” Darklady Luna Nightmoon asked as she looked up from her phone. The monstrous and terrible Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon slowly started to raise a claw, but then the wicked Brynhild dashed over to him and smacked him hard across the head. What cruelty she showed even her own allies!

“Damn, what cruelty she shows even her own allies!” Twilight Sparkle shouted, pointing at them as she struck a pose.

“What cruelty!” echoed her friends, and Valkyrie Brynhild blinked dumbly, then huffed loudly before she bopped Scrivener with her horn without looking at him, making him wince and cover his head.

“Fools, the beetle is not my ally, he is my husband. My evil husband, as Morgan is my wife!” she declared.

Then she stared as Darklady Luna Nightmoon strolled absently across the battlefield, Celestina raising a hand in the air and complaining into the meta: “Luna! You promised you weren't going to bail on this!”

“Aye, Luna, thou great wretched coward! How can thou be a Luna? Thou art Unfun Luna!” accursed Brynhild as she jumped at her, swinging her horn wildly back and forth, and Darklady Luna Nightmoon kicked at her childishly in reply, huffing loudly as she held her Secret Speaking Magical Touch Device above her head. “Fie on thee! Thou stupid stupidhead!”

“Oh shut up, you're a stupidhead!” retorted Darklady Luna Nightmoon, incensed, kicking Brynhild backward before she complained: “Just let me get a coffee, fuck, then I'll come back, you big baby.”

“Language!” Celestina teased.

“Fuck you.”

“Fuck all of thee!” Brynhild shouted, apparently wanting to be included, then she paused before leering at Celestina. “Yes. Fuck thee indeed.”

“Gasp! Did you hear that? She's threatening to eff-you-cee-kay Her Holiness!” Pinkie exclaimed, leaping about ten feet in the air and striking a shocked pose, before all the other mares followed suit with matching horrified gasps.

“Damn you, evil Kuro Akumu!” Twilight exploded, flinging her arms to either side before a magic sword appeared by magic in one of her magical hands, spinning it in a blur of magic before she readied herself. “Enough talk! It's time to fight!”

She yelled as she leapt into the air, almost freezing for a moment in a wide, showy pose before she dropped down in a powerful slash, but Brynhild laughed as she caught the strike against her horn, grinning widely as her eyes blazed and she mocked: “Useless!”

She slashed her horn up, and Twilight cried out as she was flung backwards, her friends gasping as Twilight's Kenjutsu: Kabutowari was so easily deflected. She hit the ground hard and bounced and crashed past Her Holiness, her friends leaping to catch her and stop her as best as the weird menagerie could.

Twilight stared in shock, before Celestina leapt forwards, shouting: “Heiwana Erementaru! Do not underestimate this foe! She is not a foe to be underestimated! Combine your powers with mine, and let us use the Kyūkyoku no Hakai no Chōwa Niji Jutsu!”

“You heard her! Everybody! We have to focus the Kyūkyoku no Hakai no Chōwa Niji Jutsu!” Twilight shouted as she leapt to her feet and posed with her sword.

Luna opened her mouth, then paused to reach back with her massive floating claws and seized both Morgan and Scrivener, picking them up like kittens to place them on either side of her before patting them both firmly.

They got the message, at least: Celestina was still posing, the girls were all 'preparing' their attack, and Luna was pointedly looking from him to Morgan. So finally, Scrivener sighed tiredly, then he pointed grumpily with a talon and said in almost a monotone: “Ha ha ha, there is no way you can stop us, ha ha ha. Ha.”

“Scrivy!” Luna complained, leaning over and firmly smacking him with her horn, the stallion wincing. “Accursed poet! Thou art a stupid poet, stupid poet, do better!”

Scrivener muttered under his breath, sighed and rubbed at his face, and then the Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon cleared his throat before he posed and pointed a little better, shouting: “Foolish mares! Do your worst, but the worst is yet to come; the cold grip of death will soon set upon your sun!”

Morgan glanced up, and then she brightened before quickly clearing her throat and leaning forwards aggressively, adding: “Yeah, uh... I am that which is fear and hate incarnate, reveling in carnage without constraint! I am a brutal brazen bloody beast emboldened now by all past victories, and... the results of strength and grace and wit and charm with which I will... bring your... bring countries to their knees!”

Scrivener giggled childishly, then cleared his throat and looked away, half-covering his mouth as Luna's eye twitched before she slowly turned a furious look on the Mugen Kurokage Akumu Uma On'nanoko, who peeked sideways at her awkwardly before turning her eyes hurriedly straight ahead as Luna growled through her teeth: “Is that so, Dim Dunn?”

“Look I just want to point out Fluttershy turned into an actual horse, nothing we do is ever going to be as stupid as what they've done.” Scrivener noted, and Fluttershy whinnied as if insulted, the stallion wincing and awkwardly raising a Talon to the scowling... horse. Actual horse, not magical pony horse. “Uh, sorry. No offense.”

Fluttershy snorted through her nostrils with a toss of her mane, before Twilight Sparkle shouted: “Don't let them distract you with their mental game psychic confusion techniques! Girls! Gather your power! Now!”

The mares all struck different poses as Twilight spun herself up to her hooves, revolving her sword quickly before she pointed with the blade as she and her friends all glowed with radiant energy.

Magic auras built around them, higher and higher, as the Kuro Akumu leapt into a ready pose on her hind hooves, performing not so much a kata as she chopped wildly at the air with her sharp front hooves, while Scrivener and Morgan looked embarrassed.

“Now! The Kyūkyoku no Hakai no Chōwa Niji Jutsu!” Celestina shouted, as she waved her mystical staff mystically towards the evil dark monsters!

“Kyūkyoku no Hakai no Chōwa Niji!” Twilight Sparkle cried, and then she and her friends all took deep breaths, then shouted as one, as they thrust hands and hoofs out towards the trio of invaders, sending all their built-up ki in a ferocious blast towards them.

The whirl of multicolored energy shot arced towards them, a furious blast of mixing and melding color that crashed down on top of the three evil ponies. It struck across them like a rainbow typhoon, searing their bodies, making the Mugen Kurokage Akumu Uma On'nanoko wince and the Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon cover his eyes with one foreleg, scowling horribly, while the wicked and evil and monstrous Brynhild roared into the furious whirl of color as it blew back her fiery mane and tail.

“Evil Dark Beetle! Wicked Super Lich!” Luna cried out into the storm of energy, as she pushed back against the light with exaggerated flings of her head and mane, her massive floating hands slapping childishly at the searing energy as she pretended to struggle against the radiant rays. “Combine thine powers with mine own! Quick now, before their goody-goodness overtakes us! My Jötunnfang shan't hold these wretched do-gooders off for long!”

Scrivener scowled horribly, and Morgan sighed tiredly before she flicked her horn, and a wall of ice erupted from the earth, blocking the flow of rainbow magic. Brynhild glared at her pointedly, and Morgan scowled before the sapphire mare's expression turned pleading, and the violet pony rolled her eyes before she said in a grumpy monotone: “Quick we have to combine our powers grr let's show them how evil and bad we are.”

“Evil evil evil.” the Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon agreed dryly, and then he sighed as he reached forwards and pushed his metallic claws against the ice wall, grimacing as he leaned forwards and dark, black veins shot through the ice.

Kuro Akumu Brynhild grinned widely, before she slammed both Jötunnfang into the wall of ice, her massive fists shoving it forward and driving it violently back against the wall of energy, Celestina nimbly slipping to the side with a gasp. “Oh no!”

“Oh no!” cried out Twilight Sparkle, before the massive wall of blackened ice slammed into them like a freight train, not only dispelling their jutsu but causing a massive explosion, Scrivener and Morgan both staring in shock at the ridiculous size of the blast as dust and debris hailed past them, while Brynhild did a little dance of delight, cackling loudly as she grinned eagerly at the sight of the slowly-clearing battlefield as her Jötunnfang rubbed together excitedly.

The mares were sprawled in all manner of undignified poses, picking themselves up from beneath the rubble. And to Scrivener, it looked like there was really a lot more rubble than there should be, as the dust cloud settled like smoke around them.

“It looks like you will have to weaken them first! They are too powerful to fall for that technique!” Celestina advised. “I will support you as I can with the power I have remaining! Magical mares, attack them in the Ninja Gaiden formation!”

“Right!” Twilight Sparkle shouted, and then she leapt to her hooves and rushed forwards with a loud yell, Brynhild's eyes glittering with delight, then leaping to meet her with her crystalline horn as it glowed with dark radiance.

They smashed together, Twilight Sparkle yelling as she slashed furiously forwards with her sword, and Brynhild roared back as she met her, foiling violently back with her crystalline horn, every clash sending up sparks and sizzles of energy. They fenced rapidly together before the dark mare's massive Jötunnfang slammed forwards and caught both Applejack and Fluttershy when they tried to charge forwards, holding them roughly at bay.

Rainbow blasted forward, and Scrivener groaned at Brynhild's mental order before he scrambled forward and then used her rump like a step, making her squawk as he flung himself headlong over her and crashed into the glowing meteor that Rainbow had become, wheezing as they both crashed painfully to the ground. Then he squawked when Pinkie rammed into them, becoming a tumbling tussle that rolled painfully to the side in a comical cloud of dust, full of Rainbow yelling, Pinkie squealing and giggling, and Scrivener swearing in frustration.

Morgan, last, teleported in beside Rarity, who winced before her staff spun, then slammed into the ground as she declared: “A lady like myself-”

The Mugen Kurokage Akumu Uma On'nanoko snatched her magic scepter away, Rarity blinking before shrieking in horror when Morgan snapped it in half and tossed it down, wailing: “No! That was an essential part of my costume, you monster! I spent hours making that!”

The terrible hell mare blushed a bit at this, almost awkwardly hiding behind her flowing, dark mane, before Celestina stepped in front of her and pointed her own staff at her. “Do not fear! I will hold her off while you prepare the Shōkan Tarotto!”

“Do I have to?” Rarity whined, and Celestina glared over her shoulder at her, Rarity huffing before she grumbled and pulled a bag out of nowhere, beginning to root through this seemingly-endless purse. “Oh fine, I'll see what I can do...”

“You know, I might have to actually drop the charade for a bit. Go full old school on you.” Celestina noted, as she spun her staff and winked across at Morgan.

But Morgan only gave a wry smile in response, shaking her head briefly before she answered: “I think that would make Brynhild jealous, though. And this is her party, after all.”

“Nonsense!” Brynhild declared cheerfully, as she smashed Applejack and Fluttershy into the ground, smothering them beneath her Jötunnfang with whinnies and yelps, while at the same time she parried Twilight Sparkle backwards with her horn. “'Twould be a treat to see thee at thy best, and my beloved Morgan daring to stretch her own wings a little! It shows initiative... unlike thou, beetle, lazy poet!”

With that, Brynhild flung both of the ponies she'd grabbed hard at the Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon, who squawked as he, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were all knocked apart and out of their comical combat cloud by the impact of pony and horse. The stallion rolled dumbly backwards, blinking stupidly as he landed heavily on his ass and the Kuro Akumu cackled with delight, before she grinned when Twilight did a showy leaping stab at her face, parrying the sword high before thrusting her head forwards, half-diving through Twilight Sparkle's legs before bucking hard to flip the mare through the air in a wild, impossible spiraling flip, Twilight squealing before she landed hard on her ass. “Ouchie!”

Scrivener stared dumbly at the four ponies now facing him, and then he groaned and shouted: “Goddammit, Luna!”

“Gods damn thou and thine eyes and thy fat sordid teats, Scrivener Blooms, thou wretched fat-headed stallion! Act like a damned stallion and fight!” Brynhild retorted, showing how truly evil she was to be so terribly cruel even to her own friends and family!

Scrivener groaned loudly, before Rainbow suddenly darted to her hooves, then she threw her head back, roaring furiously as energy blasted through the air around her, cracking the pavement beneath her as her whole body flexed mightily with mighty muscle. “I'll take him on myself! 120% Power Mode... activate!”

Her mane began to glow as her eyes blazed with power, and Scrivener stared dumbly at the pegasus, who screamed as the air reverberated around her, standing on her hind hooves as her clothes tore from the force of energy she was exuding, her muscles bulging out in creepy definition before she suddenly dashed forwards and slammed straight into Scrivener-

All eyes stared as she bounced off his chest like a rock and hit the ground hard, moaning in pain as she wriggled and flopped on the ground, moaning: “Ow ow ow ow, oh crap I hit him headfirst and put a crick in my neck, ow...”

“Uh... huh.” Scrivener said slowly, and Pinkie cleared her throat as she hopped forward and gently dragged Dash off to the side as she clutched her head. Then the stallion cleared his throat before he looked at Applejack as she rose a hoof.

“Hey, it's rude not to cover for her, y'know. Dashie ain't the brightest, but you should either act hurt or at least improv somethin'. You're a big dude, maybe you have a defense ki or somethin'.”

“Uh. Sorry. New to this?” the Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon querulously half-raised a claw, and then he dropped it and cleared his throat before saying lamely: “You uh... your direct attacks are useless because of my... black beetle barrier, seriously, Brynhild?”

“Damn! The Kurai Kabutomushi no Kara Shīrudo!” Pinkie Pie declared as she popped in front of him and pointed, and Fluttershy whinnied and stomped her front hooves, then tossed her mane. “You're right, Fluttershy! Come on, girls, we'll take him together! Super trifecta triple party attack! It's the only way to break his Ultimate Defense!”

Scrivener winced as the trio of girls suddenly broke apart, leaping around him: Pinkie Pie growled like a little dog, squaring her shoulders, as Applejack leaned forwards, and Fluttershy whinnied and reared, forehooves slashing at the air. Scrivener grimaced a bit, then winced when Applejack suddenly drove forward, diving at him with a swing of a hoof inside of a hoof-shaped hoof boot.

He blocked this with a taloned forelimb, grimacing as the force of impact sent him skidding backwards, before Fluttershy came charging in at his vulnerable back, squealing ferociously.

“Why are you a horse?” he blurted out, wincing as he shoved Applejack backwards and leapt sideways, then squawked when he was seized by Pinkie Pie, who grinned at him with mania in her eyes.

“Prequel reference!” she shouted, and before Scrivener could even guess at what this meant, the mare roared as she wrapped her forelegs around him and yanked him into the air, then slammed him back in a perfect suplex, Scrivener squawking as he was bent nearly in half before flopping backwards on his belly.

“Buck Shot!” Applejack grabbed her foreleg as if aiming it as Scrivener began to get up, and then her metal hoof shot off like a rocket, slamming into the Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon's face with enough force to knock his head back as his eyes bulged in pain.

Her hoof boot-gauntlet snapped back in place, and Scrivener rubbed slowly at his cheek before his eyes slowly narrowed, Applejack grimacing as she noted: “Looks like we might be in for a heck of a showdown here, girls. Y'all better stay on your toes for this one!”

Fluttershy whinnied in response as Pinkie popped up on the tips of her hooves, and Scrivener scowled at Applejack before he asked: “So, big apple, why do you have hooves on your hooves?”

“The better to buck you with, darlin'.” Applejack answered with a grin, and then she whistled sharply at Fluttershy. “Let's hit him with the rodeo!”

Fluttershy nodded firmly, then leapt over to Applejack, who flung herself up onto Fluttershy's back: the Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon scowled as he hopped backwards, then winced when Pinkie Pie came flying out of nowhere in a flying savage kick-

He caught her by the leg and flung her hard through the air, but Fluttershy only leapt over her, Applejack jumping off the horse's back to pose high in the air above: they seemed to freeze in the air... no, actually, they did freeze in the air, posing sharply as Fluttershy tossed her mane back and Applejack rose a hoof above her head, shouting: “Apple Kazoku Jutsu! Tsukuru Jam!”

She dropped out of the air, impossibly shooting past the hovering Fluttershy to crash down on top of Scrivener, who winced as he cowered under his forelegs like the big dumb coward he was, eyes bulging as the earth around him erupted and he was left standing in a crater. Then he looked dumbly back and forth, Applejack standing on top of his forelegs, blinking dumbly before Applejack jumped off him and cursed: “Darn it! My Tsukuru Jam technique never fails!”

Then Fluttershy landed beside her; wait, how did Fluttershy jump backwards in midair to land beside her? The Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon stared dumbly, before he winced when Brynhild shouted: “Damn thee, beetle, accursed stupid poet, ridiculous dumb idiot, if thou are not going to play along then thou might as well have just stayed home!”

“I can't stay home, I have to go everywhere you do!” The Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon shouted back, and then he scowled and channeled that frustration into this stupid game his stupid wife wanted to stupid play, pointing and roaring: “You cannot stand against the wicked powers of the Tyrant Trio!”

But he still flushed in embarrassment despite himself even as he leaned into a swing of a claw that sent up a wave of dark, toxic mire: “Black Wyrm Wave!”

The poisonous dark wave of black poison exploded upwards and washed over the three, driving Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie backwards in a torrent of poisonous poison.

Meanwhile, Rarity was muttering and swearing under her breath as she slowly, carefully sorted through a deck of tarot cards with hooves and telekinesis, constantly moaning and complaining while Celestina and Morgan exchanged powerful volleys of magic, golden light and black fire crashing in bursts of power.

Then Celestina winked as she suddenly spun her staff at her side before calling: “Looks like I should stop taking it easy! Why don't you try this, Mugen Kurokage Akumu Uma On'nanoko?”

“Jōka no Hikari Jutsu! Taiyōken!” Celestina stepped forwards as she spun her scepter beside her before seizing it in both hands and slashing it upwards, unleashing a massive blast of golden flame that erupted through the air in a huge crescent. She put on a show, but the power behind the blast was very real, so intense that it made Twilight and Brynhild both pause in their combat to watch.

Morgan reacted on instinct to the huge blast, flapping her wings hard to launch herself backwards before she snapped her horn up, black mane raging like fire as she blurted out: “I'll neutralize it!”

A massive gout of dark flame erupted in a tornado from the ground where she had been, and when the golden blade of energy hit this, the purifying flame was sucked into this, pulled towards the sky in a swirl of brightest light and deepest darkness before it rapidly hardened into a tower of gray slate.

Then Morgan snapped her horn forwards, blasting the petrified tornado apart in a thunder of energy, sending a hail of stone in all directions. Celestina only grinned, fearless as the rocks pounded into the damaged earth around her as the other ponies were forced to pause in their combat, Brynhild with head raised proudly and Scrivener smiling despite himself.

Darklady Luna Nightmoon whistled as she strode through the last of the rain of debris, ducking under an errant stone before she passed a coffee from the tray she was carrying to her sister, remarking: “Powerful, isn't she?”

Morgan blushed as she landed awkwardly, smiling lamely, but Brynhild only grinned widely before she crowed in delight as Darklady Luna approached with a coffee for her, greedily snatching it away and sipping at it quickly as Twilight Sparkle asked awkwardly: “Break?”

“Five minutes.” Darklady Luna confirmed.

“I like this world! I like this idea of fighting!” Brynhild declared as her Jötunnfang waved open cheerfully, and Scrivener sighed, but when he saw Darklady Luna offering him a coffee as well, he took it with a smile and a mumbled 'thanks.'

The others loitered, Twilight Sparkle nervously whipping out what looked like a bizarre mix between a school textbook and a magical girl manga, muttering about tactics and strategy, while Rainbow Dash flitted in with an icepack on her head. Rarity looked up hopefully from her complicated tarot cards, but then winced when Celestina walked over to her and asked: “Do you need help, dear?”

“N-No! This is just... very complicated.” Rarity somehow managed to sound like she was both complaining and apologizing at the same time. “I've never done a reading like this before.”

Morgan awkwardly wandered over, but when Celestina smiled at her and Rarity only looked up at her curiously, she asked with interest: “What are you doing? I can feel the magical charge in those cards, but it's... patterned?”

“Yes, Morgan, that's right.” Celestina smiled warmly, then swept up one of the cards and passed it to her over Rarity's whining. “Can you see it?”

Morgan paused for a moment as she studied the constellation illustrated on the card, and then she brightened as she nodded, taking it in telekinesis and studying it intently. “I do! They have voltaic topazes for the stars to trap energy and serve as guidance for specific patterns, and that algorithm...”

Her eyes widened slightly, and Celestina winked at her as she said: “Well, we had a special visitor the other day. And while I know this is mostly for Brynhild's benefit, I have to say you're doing a great job giving my girls some on-the-job training.

Brynhild perked up slightly, peering suspiciously at Morgan, but her thoughts were interrupted by Twilight Sparkle hurrying over to her, asking nervously: “I'm sorry, I know this is weird and you're the enemy and I'm not supposed to ask this-”

“Nay, nay! Go ahead, Twilight Sparkle, please! Ask away, this is a delight!” Valkyrie Brynhild gushed, then she slurped at her sugary coffee with pleasure. “Ah, I shall have to tell my brother Sleipnir all about this style of combat, I am sure he will find it most delightful!”

“Thank you.” Twilight looked relieved, but still a little shy even as she double-checked something in her book, before asking: “Are you okay with moving the combat further into the city? And do you think... I hope this doesn't come across as rude, but could you work with your team to be more aggressive?”

“Family. And oh, well, a mare who likes it rough, is that so?” Brynhild waggled her eyebrows at her, and Twilight Sparkle blushed deep red before the Valkyrie nodded with a wink, and then she paused and asked: “But what of the city?”

“Oh, don't worry. Most of the population lives in zones protected by forcefields or floating cities.” Darklady Luna explained from where she was sitting beside Scrivener, who was clearly trying to ignore Rainbow Dash as she peered at him suspiciously. “The battles that take place in these designated 'city battle' zones provide entertainment and tear down the structures, which are then rebuilt by our construction and work crews. Lots of keep track of, lots of money flowing around.”

“So people like... watch?” Scrivener asked.

“Oh yes.” Darklady Luna nodded as she carelessly tossed the empty coffee cup over her shoulder, then she stretched and yawned. “There are recording devices set up everywhere to catch every angle. Some of it is livestreamed but most ponies prefer the edited 'episodes' that come out on a weekly basis. Really, you're doing us a favor by breaking things up. This will probably be a movie.”

“Did thou hear that, Scrivy? I am a movie star!” Brynhild declared with delight, hopping to her hooves with a bright grin, and then she paused before peering up at Twilight Sparkle, who smiled lamely. “So truly, thou can survive...”

“Oh, oh yeah! All sensation is dulled and everything, we just have to be really careful not to hit either the heart or the brain, that will still uh... 'not-alive' us.” Twilight Sparkle said with a nod, before she looked pointedly over at Rainbow Dash as she added: “Some of us forget that doesn't mean complete invincibility, though.”

“I get it, I get it, ugh, my head hurts enough as it is!” Rainbow complained as she scowled over at Scrivener, who only shrugged. “How was I supposed to know he was so hard?”

“Oh, Scrivy is hard indeed.” Brynhild waggled her eyebrows again as the fingers of her Jötunnfang wiggled, and then she asked curiously: “How does thou determine the winner of the contest, then?”

“Well, we don't feel pain as much or anything, but the more we fight the more we use up our ki. Eventually we just won't be able to move anymore.” Twilight Sparkle explained, before she added: “We also have judged contests and referees for a lot of our uh, 'scheduled' fights, to prevent them from dragging on too long, those are rated on technical ability, staying in character, things like that.”

“Ah, but everyone, get back in position, that's been long enough of a break for now since I see we're all done our coffee.” Celestina said, before she smiled at Scrivener Blooms as he awkwardly held up his empty cup. “Oh, don't worry, this is a battle zone, it'll be cleaned later by our crew.”

Scrivener looked lamely at the coffee cup before he carefully put it down, and then he huffed as Brynhild giggled and Morgan smiled despite herself as she passed the card she had still been studying back to Rarity. “Oh shut up, Brynhild. It just feels weird to litter.”

“Thou art as OCD as our beloved Morgan in thine own way and I will forever love thee for it.” Brynhild said with relish, before she hopped eagerly back to her hooves, her Jötunnfang lifting above her head before those huge fingers interlaced and cracked loudly.

“Take up your spots!” Celestina shouted and Twilight Sparkle nodded hurriedly, almost tripping over herself as she hurried back to where she had been before, and Brynhild smiled in amusement as Darklady Luna Nightmoon sighed and walked towards the sidelines, absently stretching her arms and cracking her neck.

Once they had returned to roughly where they had been before, Celestina nodded to Darklady Luna, who cleared her throat before she rose a hand, then chopped briskly down. And immediately, Twilight Sparkle leapt forwards, shouting: “Kenjutsu: Chiheisen Ga Sora to Ji o Wakeru Yō Ni!”

She spun into a powerful horizontal cut, but Kuro Akumu Brynhild deflected this with a grin before her eyes gleamed as Darklady Luna Nightmoon shot in suddenly from the side with a scythe, lashing viciously towards her flank.

Brynhild threw herself into the air, flapping her wings once and rolling sideways to land behind the Darklady Luna, who grimaced as she was forced to first duck under the swing of Jötunnfang following the Kuro Akumu, then jump and roll over the top of the next hand that crashed down.

She spun around beside Twilight Sparkle, and Brynhild grinned widely as she faced them, her massive magical hands flexing for a moment before she mocked: “Ah, so hast thou finally decided to get off thy lazy ass and join our fun, Lazy Luna?”

“There's a difference between being lazy and being prepared, Brynhild, my Dākukopī.” retorted Darklady Luna Nightmoon, before she said sharply: “We take her as one and find a way to interrupt her ki flow!”

“Fools, keeping keys is the mare's job and 'tis why I leave it to Scrivener Blooms!” Brynhild snapped back, and Darklady Luna did a remarkable job of staying in character as Twilight Sparkle winced, but then traded nods with her partner and both launched forwards as one.

Brynhild grinned at this, and then she leapt forwards and did a somersault over them as her, her massive Jötunnfang whirling through the air in twin arcs before she whirled around with a wide grin, and the immense hands of ice and blue flame both burst forwards, losing cohesion as they became immense blasts of blue hell.

Both Darklady Luna Nightmoon and Twilight Sparkle were struck and knocked flying from the bridge, rocketing away with cries of pain. They smashed into the face of a building and shattered through rock and glass, hurtling like meteors through the interior and tearing through thin inner walls like cardboard – they were almost cardboard, they were mostly poster-board and cheap pine – and then they crashed out the other side of the building, whistling like rockets across the street to smash into the face of the next building in line, leaving craters in the faux-brick as glass – well, technically safe non-fragmenting zirconium substitute – shattered across the front of the building.

Brynhild blinked dumbly, as Celestina cried out: “Oh no! My sister!”

“Oh no, Celestina's sister!” gasped Applejack, before she snarled as she smashed through the wall of mire Scrivener had created, slamming a punch towards him. “Darn you!”

The Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon blocked the attack, then grit his teeth as Pinkie came in screaming from the other side, and Fluttershy majestically leapt the mire wall before rearing and pawing at the air, majestically. He heard the mental order from Brynhild, and sighed mentally even as he shouted lamely, trying not to blush too much as the words escaped his mouth: “Super ultra dark blast!”

He shoved Applejack backwards as he slammed his taloned forelimbs into the earth, and a supernova of black mire erupted around him: he didn't think he actually hit them that hard, but the ponies – and horse – were launched violently by it. Well, Applejack and Fluttershy were, sent smashing through a building in a distance before Pinkie followed them, spinning impossibly with her limbs splayed out as she squealed in what sounded like thrill more than terror.

“I fucking hate my life and I hate this world and I am never doing this again.” Scrivener mumbled, before he winced when Brynhild leapt over to him with an exaggerated cackle.

“See, Celestina, thou art no match for us! And our mighty might!” Kuro Akumu Brynhild declared, before Scrivener flailed violently as she picked him up in telekinesis with a wide grin.

“No no no no no don't you dare don't you-”

“Mega beetle dunk!” Brynhild shouted joyously, and then Scrivener was catapulted violently through the air, flailing wildly in all directions as his body roiled with energies before he went crashing down into a distant city block somewhere near where the other ponies had landed in a massive explosion of blue flame.

“I like it here.” Brynhild said cheerfully, and then she flitted into the air and zoomed over in the wake of her husband, as Celestina traded looks with Morgan.

“She's a little spitfire, isn't she?” Celestina asked with a grin, as she squeezed her scepter easily in her hands with a wink.

“Yeah. Yeah.” Morgan said tiredly, before she asked: “Do I have to blast you over there or...”

“No, no, we're off camera now so we can just drop in. Actually...” Celestina walked over to Rarity, who was moaning and grousing over the cards she was laying out in a complicated pattern. “Are you still-”

“I don't understand these coordinates at all! It's hard!” Rarity whined.

“Okay, okay. I understand this is very high level summoning and it's quite unusual to be calling coordinates outside the realm, Rarity, it's okay. Morgan, would you be a dear and help us set up this summoning circle?”

“Yeah, uh. Happy to help.” Morgan smiled a little despite herself. “I'm sorry, maybe I should have prepared something ahead of time when we discussed this-”

“No, no no no, dear! It's good practice. Right, Rarity?” Celestina asked pointedly, and Rarity mumbled but nodded, even as she pouted childishly.

She had most of the coordinates already set, though, Morgan noted: it was transferring the algorithm from theoretical design to actual runic circle that was proving complex for her, as she explained: “Oh, Rarity, you've done a really good job here, actually... think of it like sewing crossing seams.”

Rarity pouted, but watched intently all the same as Morgan went about both teaching and showing how to set up this more-complex form of summoning, and Celestina lingered quietly nearby, watching with tenderness in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Darklady Luna Nightmoon was kneeling, teeth grit, her super-sexy outfit showing even sexier signs of battle damage, making her even more sexy than she had already been in her incredibly sexy leather outfit.

She threw her head back, glowing, starry mane swirling out as she forced herself to her feet with a soft gasp, perky boobs bouncing as her legs trembled, thighs flexing, ass perking with a flick of her tail. She gripped her side as if injured, raising her head as she shouted: “Majikarupīsufuruerementogāru! Quickly! To me!”

The Majikarupīsufuruerementogāru quickly assembled, all of them showing signs of how hard the fight had worn on them. And evil Kuro Akumu Valkyrie Brynhild and her evil Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon Scrivener Blooms showed no signs of slowing, standing side-by-side, leaving the girls to fear for the fate of Celestina at Mugen Kurokage Akumu Uma On'nanoko Morgan's hooves.

“Damn! I fear for Her Holiness Celestina Celeste Sunbless the Third!” cried out Twilight Sparkle, even as she rose her sword gamely, her short skirt swirling around her legs as her bosom heaved against her blouse.

“Don't fear for Celestina!” advised Luna Nightmoon. “She can take care of herself!”

“Yes, do not fear for Celestianastina... -ina.” Brynhild fumbled out, Scrivener mumbling under his breath, then wincing when Brynhild bopped him with her crystalline horn before turning her attention back ahead and declaring: “Thou should fear for thyselves instead! For now I shall begin to unleash mine true powers upon thine heads!”

She laughed fearsomely, a fearsome menace! Twilight Sparkle grit her teeth as she stepped forwards to defend her friends: Rainbow Dash – who had just sort of joined them here now that her head was feeling better – Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack, all breathing hard and posing as ready as they could be.

“Girls!” Darklady Luna Nightmoon stood and pointed. “You have no choice! You have to go into Tsu Hinba Gun mode!”

“Tsu Hinba Gun mode?” gasped Twilight Sparkle, as Brynhild continued to pose fearsomely, and Scrivener just sort of stood there, looking awkwardly around.

“Yes! Tsu Hinba Gun mode!”

“But Tsu Hinba Gun mode is only for the most extreme situations!”

“And this is an extreme situation! It calls for Tsu Hinba Gun mode!”

“Oh my god please kill me.” Scrivener mumbled as he dropped forwards and covered his head beneath his metal claws.

“Shut up, beetle.” Brynhild huffed, before she posed in response to Darklady Luna Nightmoon and Twilight Sparkle, Sparkle of Eternal Twilight, menacingly! “Show me your... uh... sew himbo guns!”

“Okay! You heard her!” Nightlady Luna shouted. “Show her the Tsu! Hinba! Gun!”

And the Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon Scrivener moaned in horror as he realized this was going to lead into another stupid fucking transformation sequence, while Kuro Akumu Brynhild only bounced excitedly.

Twilight Sparkle spun her sword in front of her, magic glowing across her horn, before she suddenly pulled in either direction, the sword not only cloning itself, but eight more swords appearing in floating ready positions to either side of her body.

She posed sharply, her swords glowing with power as she leaned forwards, her whole body thrumming with energy. “Okay! Tsu Hinba Gun mode, activated!”

“Tsu Hinba Gun mode...” Rainbow Dash grit her teeth, then roared to the skies as lighting struck from the skies and electrified her body, a fearsome rainbow aura exploding around her form as she bared her teeth, eyes glowing with power, veins bulging across her muscular form. “Activate!”

Pinkie Pie did a flip, then threw her forelegs out before multiple clones of her appeared for no fucking reason, as she cried out: “Super Tsu Hinba Gun mode go go go!”

“ Tsu Hinba Gun mode, activate!” Applejack stomped her hooves down, and Scrivener's horrible scowl grew even wider at the sight of wooden armor spreading quickly over her body, transforming her into a massive wooden horse with an apple-shaped helmet.

Fluttershy neighed awkwardly, then turned and ran away, and Scrivener sighed tiredly as he lolled slowly onto his side, mumbling: “Oh thank the Horses of Heaven.”

“Nay, there are no Horses of Heaven here! There is only Helheim, Scrivy!” Brynhild cackled gleefully, her eyes burning with delight before she stepped forward with a roar, her mane bursting into blue flame as the very air darkened around them, Scrivener moodily tapping a claw and watching from where he was laying on his side as she roared: “Now I shall no longer have to hold back my power! Fools, thine might is nothing compared to mine alone, let alone the fearsome power I hold alongside my servants!”

Scrivener cleared his throat loudly as Morgan landed on Brynhild's other side, and the Valkyrie shifted awkwardly as the Mugen Kurokage Akumu Uma On'nanoko glowered at her. “I uh. I mean, my... equal servants of... evil, yes. The Valkyrie, the Queen, and... the... Scrivy.”

“Yep, I'm the Scrivy.” Scrivener sighed, then he slowly pushed himself up to his hooves before flinching when Celestina smashed down between their group and the magical mares.

She was glowing and radiant, six mighty wings stretching from her back, scantily clad in nothing but sexy glowing fire that sensuously slid along her sumptuous swells, throwing her mane back with almost a moan before she pointed her mighty, thick staff forward as it throbbed with power. “Fear not, Heiwana Erementaru! We shall take on our own Tsu Hinba Gun modes and fight alongside you!”

“Oh fuck me.” Darklady Luna sighed tiredly, before the was a terrible dark howling flash, and a moment later she floated calmly over the girls and hovered slowly down to the earth, levitating an inch or so above the ground, multiple scythes hovering around her. A black corset squeezed her body and long leather boots squeezed her strong, tall legs, almost cloaked in a black leather trenchcoat as her eyes glowed green through her starry bangs, a single black wing extending from her back. “We cannot hold these forms for long, sister, we should use a Osoroshī Mattaku Kumiawase Kōgeki!”

“Yes, we cannot hold these forms for long, because of how incredible and awesome they are; my sister, we have to use a Osoroshī Mattaku Kumiawase Kōgeki!” cried out the beautiful basically-naked anthropomorphic mare Celestina, pointing at them with her staff. Her incredible power and sexiness did exactly what it was supposed to do, clearly distracting the leering Brynhild. “Now, while Brynhild is distracted! Let us use the Osoroshī Mattaku Kumiawase Kōgeki, Kyūkyoku no Taiyō to Tsuki Konbopurattā!”

“I hate my life.” Darklady Luna mumbled sideways as she dropped her face in a hand, and then she sighed before repeating wearily, as her body automatically moved to mirror her sibling: “You're right, we have to use the Osoroshī Mattaku Kumiawase Kōgeki, Kyūkyoku no Taiyō to Tsuki Konbopurattā.”

“They're so cool!” gushed one of the mares, probably Rainbow Dash or Twilight Sparkle, if Scrivener had to guess, but he didn't see who it was because he was busy thunking his skull into the ground as Morgan's eyes moved uncomfortably back and forth, but Brynhild at least seemed absolutely enthralled and totally engaged. A little too engaged, even.

“Let's go! Kyūkyoku no Taiyō to Tsuki Konbopurattā!” Celestina cried, and then she and Darklady Luna both launched forwards, whirling in a violent helix before Celestina lashed in with a great burst of golden flame as Darklady Luna's scythes whickered violently out.

Kuro Akumu Brynhild grinned as she leapt backwards, as Morgan and Scrivener dodged to either side: she evaded both golden fury and whirling scythes, before both Darklady Luna and Celestina did flashy, wide spins at the same time, then thrust their hands towards her, unleashing powerful blasts of radiant light and whirling black hellfire.

The Valkyrie grinned as she summoned a wall of ice, then she laughed as she reinforced it with a wall of blue energy, horn glowing as she leaned forward before leaping into the air as those twin beams of energy tore through the barrier, shooting into the air before looking down with delight more than anything else at the way the beams of energy both twisted upwards to chase her, transforming into roaring, serpentine dragons.

Both of the sisters leapt to the air, shooting quickly upwards after her before Darklady Luna Nightmoon teleported towards her, her three scythes hurtling out viciously as she whirled around the mare.

But Brynhild laughed as she flicked her horn, summoning a weapon of her own: a spear of silvery alloy, runes glowing down its length as its horn-tip struck and parried back at the weapons lashing towards her. And at the same time, she easily weaved back and forth between the blasts of golden energy that Celestina Celeste Sunbless the Third was firing at her as she hurtled upwards, as the dragons of energy continued to chase.

Then suddenly Celestina thrust her staff above her head, summoning a miniature sun that exploded to life above Brynhild: the Kuro Akumu, however, was fearless as she looked sharply up at this with a wide grin before she roared as she drove heedlessly straight into the star.

Scythes whickered up after her, followed by dragons; the world seemed to blink white for a moment at this incredible collision of forces, before the sky simply exploded, in a vast and terrible supernova, the windows of buildings for miles around shattering into powder.

Both Darklady Luna Nightmoon and Her Holiness Celestina Sunbless the Third were knocked from the sky by the shockwave of fire that ripped through the sky, forced to land with winces at the raw force of the explosion that ripped through the air before Celestina gasped, pointing at the air. “Look!”

Darklady Luna gritted her teeth, not entirely exaggerating her shock as Brynhild's laughter echoed through the burnt, scarred air, floating at the ready as licks of golden flame traveled across her body and the spear that floated beside her, armor burnt and charred but form radiating a terrible malice and power as she roared: “Fools! Thy magic is meaningless against Valkyrie might! Thou cannot eclipse the moon with thine miserable light or shadow; now, allow me to show thee true darkness!”

With that, Brynhild dove from the reddened sky straight for Celestina; Darklady Luna Nightmoon tried valiantly to intercept her, but the wicked Kuro Akumu weaved sharply around her wild grapple before she tackled Celestina through the roof of the building, smashing a moment later out the other side with such force the entire structure collapsed as the two crashed like a comet into another structure.

“Girls! We have to help Her Holiness!” cried out Twilight Sparkle, as she pointedly looked at Scrivener and Morgan.

Scrivener was already being pelted with mental demands from Brynhild, and along with the very pointed way the magical mares were looking at him and sort of edging towards them, he finally sighed and stepped forwards, pointing a Talon as he said tiredly: “Not if you can't get past us first.”

“You'll have to get past us, first!” the Mugen Kurokage Akumu Uma On'nanoko declared, stepping forwards and flicking her mane out, making the line of light through it glow as the great dark flames of her locks wreathed, and Scrivener scowled at her before she leaned slightly towards him and muttered: “Look, if we don't play along we might have to do this whole 'scene' again. Or do you really want to drag this out as long as possible?”

“God, fine, okay okay okay.” the Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon cleared his throat, and then he suddenly slammed his claws down, and the Magical Mares gasped as dark, terrible mire rippled across the earth, transforming the entire battleground into a terrible black swamp that made them feel terrible as he roared: “There is no escape, pathetic little ponies!”

“You never will escape our wrath, it is us who will have the last laugh!” added Morgan as she reared and pointed, and Scrivener coughed awkwardly, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like 'okay, Dim Dunn.'

Morgan scowled horribly and spun towards him, snapping: “Look, it's a good play and I'm just taking inspiration from-”

“Quick, while they're distracted! Kenjutsu: Kujaku Sensu!” Twilight shouted, and Morgan winced as she spun a little too late as the purple anthro-mare charged forwards, swords held in an X as the other blades floating around her fanned wide before they all shot violently in towards the purple mare on wide arcs.

“I got this guy, let's see how your defenses hold up against this!” Rainbow Dash roared as she dashed forwards, splitting the mire with the force of her passage before she skidded to a stop on her rear hooves, eyes blazing as a ball of energy formed between her forehooves. “Full Spectrum Blaster!”

She shoved the sphere forwards, and it erupted into a blast of multicolored light, slamming into Scrivener with enough force to launch him into the air with a squawk before multiple Pinkie Pie clones catapulted into him via an unknown and impossible force, kicking him back and forth in midair before five seemed to appear out of nowhere and tomahawked him straight down into the ground with a resounding splat.

Applejack lumbered awkwardly forwards, huffing and wheezing as she carefully thumped her way towards Morgan, who dodged back and forth to avoid the many swords of Twilight Sparkle before she suddenly leapt backwards and held her hooves up on either side of her core. But Twilight intercepted the blast of energy with a wall of swords, gritting her teeth as several of the blades were shattered into shrapnel by the raw force of the attack. “Wow! That attack actually broke my swords!”

“I um...” the Mugen Kurokage Akumu Uma On'nanoko winced, then blurted out: “A foal like you can never understand, the glory of my incredible plan! I'll steal your sun and sell it back to make a... buck? No, that's not the line...”

“Steal the sun?” Twilight Sparkle gasped as she looked back in the direction of where Darklady Luna Nightmoon and Her Holiness Celestina, suddenly putting her plan together! “I figured it out! I put your evil plan together! We'll never let you kidnap Her Holiness!”

“Oh um. Yeah! Yes! That's what we're going to do!” Morgan hastily agreed, before she paused and looked uncomfortably at Applejack. “Are um. Are you okay in there?”

“Taunt us all you want, but first you gotta get past us and... my defenses are impenetrable!” Applejack wheezed beneath the weight of her massive wooden horse armor-slash-costume.

The Mugen Kurokage Akumu Uma On'nanoko stared at her, and then she sighed before she flitted forwards to close the distance before gently pushing Applejack over, the mare thumping to the ground, wheezing as her hooves pawed uselessly at the ground. “D-Damn! Her strength is... incredible!”

“Uh. You... tried your best? But... I'm just too strong for you.” Morgan assented uncomfortably, before she cleared her throat as she looked back at Twilight Sparkle, who smiled almost apologetically for a moment before she suddenly lunged forwards, and Morgan was thankful for the distraction as she created black spikes of shadow magic to counter the stabs of Majikarupīsufuruerementogāru Twilight Sparkle's swords.

Scrivener, meanwhile, was continuing to be pummeled by Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash: every time he knocked away a Pinkie, it burst apart into an explosion of confetti and smoke, only further frustrating him. Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was teleporting around him, screaming the entire time as she slammed her hooves violently, wildly into him.

He finally roared and slammed his talons down into the muck, sending up a blast of dark spikes all around him, driving the two back as pink ponies puffed out of existence and Rainbow Dash half-covered her face as she darted backwards away from the spikes.

“Oh yeah? Take this, asshole! [Prism Punch]!” Rainbow fire burst up around Rainbow's hoof, and she left a rainbow streak in her wake as she slammed her rainbow fist through the not-rainbow-at-all black spikes of crystal and straight into the Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon's face, in a splatter of rainbow energy.

He was launched backwards, eyes bulging as he left a trail through the mire, before he gritted his teeth as Pinkie squealed and flung herself into the air in an attempt to bodyslam him as Rainbow's endless fucking screaming tore at his ears- “Oh goddammit, enough!”

He launched himself out of the way, Pinkie Pie making a sound like a wet steak hitting a tiled kitchen floor as she crashed face-first into the muck instead of him, and then his Talon slammed into Rainbow's face like a bullet punching into pudding. She was launched rocketing through the air with a squeal, smashing through the wall of a building as the Kurai Kabutomushi Akumu Doragon landed, wincing a bit before he awkwardly tapped his claws together as the entire structure came crumbling down on top of Rainbow from the force he had punched her through the costume infrastructure. “Uh. Oops.”

“Wow!” Pinkie Pie declared as she bounced up beside him, several other clones leaning around Scrivener with various looks of awe and amazement on their faces. “That's gonna earn a whole load of points!”

Then she cleared her throat before she and her clones launched themselves away from Scrivener, crying out: “Oh no, Rainbow! I'll save you, don't worry!”

But no sooner did Pinkie Pie reach the pile of rubble Rainbow was buried under than Celestina came crashing through the wall of another building, skidding through the mire, her body beaten and broken. All the same, her poses of pain seemed exaggerated, her moans uncomfortably erotic as she stretched and rolled back and forth in the muck, purposefully covering up her exposed sexiest bits with some of the mud before the flames whiffed out from around her and left her a naked, beaten, voluptuous, muddy anthropomorphic mare in a beaten sprawl, bruised in ways that actually only highlighted her super-sexy curves.

A moment lady, Darklady Luna Nightmoon came spiraling down from the sky to crash alongside her sister, skidding painfully to a halt with a gasp. Celestina also gasped, dramatically thrusting a hand into the air: “She's just too strong! Too powerful! Too amazing!”

Darklady Luna muttered something under her breath, face-down in the muck, obviously a lot more beaten and bruised than Celestina as her sibling writhed theatrically before she groped her own bosom and took a heaving breath. “It hurts, Luna! Oh, Twilight, Twilight Sparkle, are you there? You and your friends are... our last... hope!”

She gasped out the last, and Twilight leapt away from Morgan with a cry of horror to kneel by her incredibly-hot mentor before she looked up as the wretched Kuro Akumu Brynhild descended from the sky, wreathed in her mane of burning fire. “Damn you!”

Twilight rose a fist as Celestina threw one arm and her head dramatically back while primly covering up her heaving bounteous bosom. “Damn you, Brynhild!”

“Is this the best this world has to offer me?” jeered Brynhild, evilly. “Thou art pathetic! None of thee can stand against the might of our... mightiness!”

She laughed loudly, spreading her legs wide, and then she looked sharply up as a pillar of light erupted to the sky in the distance. She snorted as she crossed her forelimbs, floating backwards as Scrivener and Morgan automatically took position beside her, both of them smiling despite themselves as Brynhild asked in honest confusion: “And what trickery is this?”

But a moment later, two figures appeared: they leapt an impossible distance to crash down in front of them, a black stallion with white mane and beautiful crystalline wings, and a mare that looked almost half-dragon, half-pony, her claws digging into the mire as she rose her bladed horn and grinned a grin full of sharp teeth.

Brynhild was caught off-guard as Twilight Sparkle gasped and pointed with one of her remaining swords. “Oh no! Who are you?”

“Fear not! We are here to save the day!” cried out the stallion, before he struck a pose, wings wide, pointing sharply at Brynhild. “I am Boy Valkyrie, Antares Mīrus!”

And a moment later, the mare beside him slammed her claws into the ground, creating a pillar of crystal that lifted her into the air as she preened, then pointed a claw across at the gaping evil mare. “And I am Super Magical Badass Innocence Sparkle! And there's no way you can defeat us!”

Brynhild blinked several times, then glared at Scrivener and Morgan as they both hummed awkwardly and looked in opposite directions, before she threw her forelegs wide and shouted: “I do not know if I should be delighted or I should roundly punish all of thee! 'Tis my birthday and I was promised a conquering and-”

And she was shocked, as a third figure joined: not just a figure, but a massive, hulking mechanical rock golem crashed down. Except it wasn't a rock golem, it was a pony! A serious-looking blue stallion in the head of the massive hulking robo-mech golem war machine, which towered above them, his mane brush-cut, his beard perfect, his eyepatch pretty badass-looking, especially along with his cape and the unveiled mechanical limb he had.

“And you shall be conquered. My name is Thorn Blackfeather, and I am here to stop you, Mother.” Thorn said calmly, and Brynhild managed to both look furious and delighted at the same time as she puffed up like a puffer-fish, cheeks bulging childishly out as her mane wreathed around her like fire.

Then she suddenly screamed in both joy and frustration, swinging her horn violently to send a great double-blast of flame at the mech, smashing into the thick cylindrical body of the machine and exploding with such force that it was sent skidding backwards – Celestina hurriedly bolting away with her hands over her privates as Darklady Luna scuttled to cover on all fours – before the blast formed into her massive Jötunnfang-

Thorn leaned forwards over the controls of his machine, energy crackling over the massive glass dome of its 'head' that acted as his cockpit, huge steel hands catching and grappling with Brynhild's Jötunnfang. The Valkyrie snarled as she leaned forwards, pouring more power into her huge hands before she darted forwards, but she was intercepted by Antares, who winked at her as their horns collided, energy crackling in the air around them as he teased: “You didn't think you could get away with this, did you?”

“Oh, I did, and I shall!” Brynhild retorted, parrying him backwards before she stabbed her spear forwards, but Antares gracefully dodged to the side before he ducked under a whirl of the weapon, then clashed again in midair with her.

Innocence leapt down, grinning at her father and Morgan, tossing exaggerated winks their way before she suddenly shouted: “Yeah, I'm gonna fuck you both up!”

“Language!” Morgan scolded before she could stop herself, and Innocence huffed.

“Momma! I'm like a million years old!” she whined.

“Uh-huh. And Luna's like even older than that and Morgan still makes her put candy in the swear jar.” Scrivener noted, before he asked: “You know the rules?”

“Yep, Thorn filled us in while we were waiting in like this...” She paused as Twilight Sparkle violently waved her hands in front of her. “Oh, uh, right, sorry. Gotta stay in character. Gonna kick your asses now, Daddy, Momma. Love you!”

“Love you too.” Scrivener sighed tiredly, before he squawked when Innocence grinned and slammed a claw into the mire, a black, crystalline spear shooting out of the muck to impale him through the chest. “Hey!”

“Surprise attack!” Innocence shouted, leaping forward, then she squeaked when Morgan simply flicked her horn and squashed her into the mire with a telekinetic hammer.

Meanwhile, Thorn succeeded in crushing Brynhild's Jötunnfang out of existence before he looked up, watching as Antares and Brynhild went into exaggerated combat, smashing and crashing against each other. For a moment, he almost felt bad as he locked on to her, his hoof hovering over the trigger, and then a smile quirked at his muzzle as he reflected: “She'd probably be angrier with me if I didn't take this chance.”

With that, he pressed the button, and the missile turrets on the back of his warmech beeped once before launching their full payload into the air, small but deadly homing missiles rocketing through the sky like screaming banshees as both Brynhild and Antares looked dumbly up before they wildly shoved at each other and broke apart-

Too late!

The missiles collided with Brynhild from all directions, the explosions that went up drowning out her screeching as Antares squawked as he was knocked flipping wildly out of control for a few moments by the power of the blasts, before he dropped from the sky to float in front of Thorn, shaking a hoof angrily as he yelled at him: “You asshole, what the fuck! You nearly blew me up too!”

Thorn responded with a shrug, then he cleared his throat as something came shooting out of the cloud of smog left by the rockets before Brynhild slammed her spear into Antares like a baseball bat. He hit the dome-shaped window of the mech with a loud splat, whimpering weakly once before he slowly peeled off it and dropped to the ground.

Brynhild hovered, breathing hard, her armor wrecked and ruined, her body smoldering as she glared furiously at Thorn. Thorn's muzzle quirked in a smile again, and Brynhild roared in frustration before she drove forwards, smashing through the dome.

Thorn, however, blinked out of existence as his golem beeped, and Brynhild blinked as she looked up from where she had landed before the shattered cockpit was sealed over by electrified metal plating. Thorn calmly sauntered away from the mech, not looking back as several loud beeps rose through the air before the massive war machine exploded in a tremendous blast, fire and shrapnel flying around him as Antares was launched like a meteor out of the blast zone with a squeal and the other ponies were left gaping.

He strolled calmly towards the little safe zone marked in yellow, where Darklady Luna was back on her little handheld magic device, Fluttershy-horse was munching on a bale of hay, Rarity was moaning and complaining about how tired she was in a folding chair, and Rainbow was sulking on the ground, an ice pack on her bruised face and a bottle of aspirin in her hoof.

But before he could make it there, both Antares and Brynhild crashed down in front of him, both twitching furiously, smoldering, temporarily allied by the fact- “You fucking blew us up!”

“Language.” Thorn admonished, and Brynhild and Antares traded looks before they both pounced on top of him.

“What incredible power!” Twilight Sparkle gasped, at the incredible shows of power!

Then she felt a hand grasp her, and she looked down to see Celestina, kneeling beside her, gripping her wrist gently. Student gasped again and quickly knelt next to her mentor, their muzzles nearly touching as they looked deep into each other's eyes, lips trembling, tasting each other's breath as they almost brushed, their ample bosoms heaving quietly as their hot and heavy bodies slipped closer together in the primal mud-

Celestina half-pushed her away, posing dramatically as she burst out: “Ah, but there is no time for this! Twilight Sparkle! You have a chance now to win! While these visitors distract her, you have to use the Kyūkyoku Kinjutsu: Hyaku Hinba Gun!”

“What? The Kyūkyoku Kinjutsu: Hyaku Hinba Gun?” Twilight Sparkle posed, quite nearly as dramatically, before she and Celestina grasped into each other at the same time, again pushing close, eyes gazing deep into each other, breasts pushing together, feeling heat and heartbeat as their bodies ground closer-

“Yes! I have faith that you do it! Only you can do it, Twilight Sparkle, Sparkle in the Eternal Twilight, my most trusted Heiwana Erementaru!” Celestina declared as she flung her other arm wide and nearly shoved Twilight Sparkle over again. “Quickly now! While the Jaakuna no Kaosu are distracted! You must... go!”

Celestina spilled backwards, mane spilling out around her, flowing upwards, a gorgeous aura of color that helped frame her beautiful perfect fall back onto the ground as one arm fell perfectly over her breasts while the other sprawled outwards, almost inviting, a beautiful goddess who could have been in erotic respite. Except it wasn't erotic respite, but defeat! Oh, how could Her Holiness look so sexy and bodacious even in defeat?

Twilight Sparkle wiped tears from her eyes, which sparkled in the twilight of the air before she straightened quickly, promising: “I'll do it, Celestina! I'll do it for you! I'll do it for the world! And I'll defeat these Jaakuna no Kaosu!”

Twilight posed, fist raised to the Heavens, crying out her pain and sorrow. A scene seen by no one else present as Thorn expertly ducked and weaved away from Antares and Brynhild while Innocence continued to fire wild blasts of magic at Scrivener and Morgan, the stallion lounging – but threateningly! – while Morgan smiled and dispelled each attack before it could strike.

“God. Dammit!” Innocence suddenly roared, slamming her claws into the mire before she twisted hard, and a massive crystalline boulder was hurtled out of the earth, flying through the air towards them. Morgan winced, ducking back and doing the first thing she could think of, seizing Scrivener in telekinesis and making him yelp as he was hauled between her and the corruption meteor like a shield.

He shoved his talons into it automatically, subconsciously lashing out with his own power over the mire, and hard crystal transformed into black goo that splattered over him and covered him from head-to-hoof as Morgan winced back, narrowly avoiding the rest of the rain of black slime. Innocence stared at the two as Scrivener dropped his forelegs, scowling horribly, before Morgan gently set him down, and then the scaled mare fell over, cackling loudly at the sight.

“Go to your room.” Scrivener said sourly, before he flexed against the ground, and Innocence squeaked as the mire erupted upwards and dragged her down into a crystalline coffin, completely and wholly encasing her.

Antares glanced sideways at this with a snort of laughter, and Brynhild, seeing her chance, leapt at him and slammed a hoof across his face, knocking him sprawling with a squawk before he howled: “Mutt! That's cheating!”

“Today I am evil! Today I get to cheat!” Brynhild retorted, reminding everypony that she was indeed the evil Kuro Akumu, and then she returned her eyes to Thorn, and he grimaced as her spear lashed out of seeming thin air to attempt to stab him, driving him backwards with several sharp, quick jabs that tore up the earth. “And as for thou, I have a hoof party for thy face's house too! Come to my embrace, son!”

“No.” Thorn leaned slightly backwards, narrowly evading being sliced by the tip of the spear before he quickly rose his prosthetic leg when Brynhild dove at him, grimacing at the force of impact.

His eyes widened slightly as the terrible Kuro Akumu grinned at him, before his mechanical leg simply fell dead, fizzling violently as electricity sparked over it before Brynhild seized him in a ferocious bear hug, hefting him into the air as Antares posed dramatically and screamed: “Oh no! Thorn! No! My brother!”

“Yes! Thorn, I have thou in my grips!” Brynhild declared, as Thorn looked down at her, scowling only slightly as her eyes gleamed with horrible delight and mischief. “And now, thou shall face the ultimate in torment and wrath my son, as I punish thee like I did as a child!”

Thorn paled, beginning to shake his head, and then the evil, sadistic Kuro Akumu slammed him down on his back before she pinned him as she began to tickle his sides wildly and blew a raspberry against his chest, Thorn shouting furiously and squirming even as a few pained giggles escaped his jaws, and Antares covered his mouth to try and hide his wide grin, attempting to shout dramatically through his laughter: “No! You m-monster! How could you do t-this to him!”

Scrivener and Morgan both stared, and then the stallion slowly rubbed at his temples as Innocence shoved her head out of the mire with a wheeze, staring in the direction of the giggling and wildly struggling Thorn as Luna continued to blow raspberries on him and tickle him. Morgan sighed and dropped her face in a hoof, and even Celestina peeked an eye open as Darklady Luna Nightmoon snapped a few pictures with her cell phone. “I'm putting this on Hoofstagram.”

“Mom, stop! I did not agree to this!” Thorn shouted as he grabbed uselessly at his prosthetic, trying to get the dead weight off his shoulder, but the mix of embarrassment and Brynhild continuing to torment him made his struggling completely pointless.

“Foolish child, thou should know better than to trust in the words of the wicked!” Brynhild retorted, and then she grinned as she shoved her hooves against his shoulders and loudly cleared her throat before leaning over him, Thorn's eyes bulging as a string of spit escaped her muzzle and he squished himself into the mire with a look of revulsion-

“That's it! I can't let your evil go unpunished any longer!” Twilight Sparkle shouted at the sight of such untold cruelty, as she leapt into the air. Her wings spread, carrying her upwards as all eyes followed her, before Thorn gave a cry of disgust when Brynhild's drool dribbled onto his face. “Time for the Kyūkyoku Kinjutsu: Hyaku Hinba Gun!”

Her body glowed, a hum filling the air as a single sword appeared in her hand before she flung it skyward, and it revolved brilliantly as a beam of light tore down from the heavens, illuminating her figure and the battlefield around her. Her back arched as motes drifted off her form in every direction, then swirled inward, layering itself into beautiful gold and white plates across her limbs.

Purple whorled across her body, then formed into a tight, sexy bikini bottom that hugged her groin tightly, while a microskirt of black lace formed around her hips, only further drawing attention to the distinct gap between her thighs, if, you know, you were the kind of pony who paid attention to that sort of thing.

Her tail and mane tightened into beautiful braids as a breastplate that looked suspiciously like a push-up bra pushed its way up under her perky breasts, creating a truly marvelous window to her cleavage. Marvelous clearly because it was something that showed off both her fearlessness of death but also provided an ample distraction, you know, again, for the kind of pony who would be distracted by that sort of thing.

“Heiwana Erementaru no Majikku! I am Twilight Sparkle, Eternal Twilight, Sparkle in the Evening!” Twilight Sparkle shouted, as she thrust her hand above her head, as a coronet locked around her head, supporting her horn and keeping her mane out of her eyes. As armored plates appeared over the gorgeous, glorious wings spreading from her back – but magically not attached because that looked cooler – her sword slowly settled from the sky, and when her hand grasped the thick, golden hilt with its fat, rotund pommel, the blade glowed before bursting into flames as it lengthened ridiculously.

She dropped from the sky, landing in tall, stiletto-heel motorcycle boots covered in spikes, then she held out her other hand, a radiant shield forming immediately over this, proudly emblazoned with the symbol of Her Holiness Celestina's Magical Girl Academy. She dropped to the ready as a visor appeared over her eyes, but the Kuro Akumu only laughed loudly at her in response.

“Ah ha!” She stepped up, Thorn wheezing as he she stomped on him, but the stallion deciding only to grumble and watch for now rather than risk his mother's wrath. “Is this thy final form? 'Tis still nothing compared to mine! Why-”

“No.” Scrivener and Morgan both said immediately, and Brynhild huffed and pouted.

“'Tis my birthday!”

“No, Luna, we are not doing that.” Scrivener said pettishly.

“I think that's a little too extreme.” Morgan said a little more delicately.

Brynhild flapped her forelegs childishly, then she dropped to all four hooves and stomped them wildly and angrily before she huffed and corrected herself: “Nay, I do not even need such power to defeat thee, all of thee! Especially because my supposed partners are being such poopy-heads and spoil sports!”

Scrivener responded by flipping Brynhild off as Morgan only scowled at her, and Brynhild sniffed loudly and flicked her muzzle up before she returned her attention to Twilight Sparkle. She cleared her throat, then stepped forwards and grinned widely as she asked: “So thou challenges me to the duel, then? Thou thinks thy silly sword is enough to defeat me? Thou thinks thou art strong?”

Her eyes blazed, straightening as her Jötunnfang formed on either side of her and punched viciously into the ground. “Nay, I shall teach thee what true strength is! I shall break thee, and this whole world... it shall be mine!”

But Twilight Sparkle only set herself, and then she grit her teeth before leaning forwards slightly, pointing her sword as she shouted: “No! I won't let that happen! I won't let you hurt anyone else! I'll stop you, right here, right now!

“Okay! It's time! Hyaku Hinba Gun Mode, Activate!”

Twilight dashed towards Brynhild, who grinned as she slammed a fist out, before her eyes bulged in shock when Twilight slashed straight through her Jötunnfang: and even more startling and amazing and super-cool, as she approached, two clones of Twilight split out from either side of her body, Kuro Akumu Brynhild swinging her other Jötunnfang at one as she dodged to the side and parried the blade of the other, shocked as her horn made impact against the sword at the same time as her remaining Jötunnfang was slashed into and deflected-

“I got you now! Hyaku Hinba Gun: Omnimare Slash!”

Twilight sparked forwards, turning almost invisible with the speed of her slash as she cut across Brynhild, who gasped in shock as she flinched back before copies of Twilight appeared all around her, moving with such ferocity the air whistled as they cut by, strike after strike smashing across her with so much force that each and every attack made her flinch helplessly.

No less than five mares slammed their swords upwards into Brynhild from below, launching her into sky before five more Twilight Sparkles appeared above her, slamming their swords down with matching banshee squeals. All eyes could only stare in awe as Brynhild was battered back and forth furiously between multiple sets of mares, whirling and spinning out of control through the air with all manner of swears mixing in a cacophonous multitude of different languages.

A hoof slammed across one side of her face, then another crossed over the other cheek, head wrenched back and forth by fancy flashy flying kick after flying kick that hit her repeatedly from either side before a triplet of mares came slamming their fists into her head on one side, then the other. Swords slashed into her back, knocking her forwards into fists that crashed into her stomach before the countless Twilight Sparkles that had appeared yelled as one: “Hyaku Hinba Gun Kyūkyoku Kenjutsu: Yamārashi Ga Shihōhappō Kara Kōgeki Suru!”

The Kuro Akumu wheezed as she was knocked into the air by a vicious upper-cut of swords that came from all around her, her back arching. She saw the mares all around her throw their swords into the air, saw them all flare with light and glow with magic, and her eyes widened in horror as she realized what was happening.

“Oh poop.”

The swords gleamed, then shot in all around her, and Brynhild's howls ripped through the air as she was impaled from every side as, for no necessary reason, a massive explosion of magical force ripped upwards, becoming a great, terrible purple pillar that tore a gaping hole in the earth and ripped an eye in the sky above, leaving the clouds spinning in a slow maelstrom around the hole she'd torn almost in reality itself.

A single Twilight Sparkle dropped to the ground with a gasp, then collapsed, losing her ascended form and reverting back to that of a pony, now dressed only in the shreds of her Magical Mare uniform. She panted hard in and out, before all her friends came rushing forwards to congratulate her, screaming in joy and amazement.

“You did it, Twilight Sparkle.” Celestina said, now back on her feet and completely fine and dressed in a sexy robe that covered up her sexy bits but still hugged her beauty curvy body sexily, as she reached down to touch her most beloved student's face, stroking tenderly under her chin as Twilight Sparkle panted quietly, smiling weakly up at Her Holiness as Darklady Luna lingered behind her and nodded solemnly once in agreement, like a badass. “Thanks to you, the world has been saved, and evil has been banished... forever. Until the next time it dares to raise its head.”

“I couldn't have done it without all of you believing in me!” Twilight Sparkle declared, and then she gave a dramatic sigh and fell backwards into the limbs of her friends, who had also all reverted to their natural normal forms and outfits. “Oh, I'm so tired...”

They all laughed happily.

Celestina waited a moment, then clapped her hands and straightened with a smile. “Good work everyone! Now, let's all go to the castle, we have a birthday party to attend! Okay, Brynhild, good job, you can come out now!”

Brynhild wheezed from the hole, slowly crawling her way out of the pit, covered in swollen bruises and scrapes. She slowly dragged herself free, wheezing quietly as Twilight blushed, shaking off some of her tiredness as she hurried over and asked worriedly: “Are you okay? Did I make you use up too much energy? Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you aren't actually under the same Chōwa no Toreta Kyōmei Enerugī no Shīrudo like the rest of us are!”

“'Tis... fine. I am... I am fine...” Brynhild huffed and chuffed slowly to her hooves as Scrivener and Morgan joined her, both rubbing awkwardly at some faint bruising over their own bodies that mirrored their soulbound soulmate's, even as she struggled to brag: “It required some... well, 'twas... impressive, but ha ha, had this been a real combat, I fear that 'tis... only a flesh wound! I am-”

Antares hopped over, and before anyone could stop him, he shoved Brynhild off the edge and sent her tumbling with a howl into the pit, thumping loudly to the dirt below with a series of frustrated curses. Then he grinned widely as Scrivener and Morgan only looked at him, until Thorn's voice floated over: “Thank you.”

“Hey, no problem, little bro! Anyway, that was fun! We should totally do that again sometime!” Antares declared with a wink, as Innocence wriggled her way wildly up out of the mire, then shook herself like a dog. “Sorry we were late, but glad we made it in time to have a bit of fun and the party!”

“Nay, no cake for thee.” Brynhild's groaned from the abyss, before she whined: “Scrivy! Morgan! Fetch me! Carry me, I demand thou carry me!”

Morgan and Scrivener traded looks, then they both sighed and turned, heading off in the direction of Canterlot Castle, joined quickly by their children, and leaving Brynhild in the hole she had earned. Yet as much as she swore at them, she was grateful to them, to her family, and the new friends she had made in this strange new world, as Celestina reached down to help haul her out of the crater and the funny Magical Girls all clustered in around her, excitedly asking her questions and for stories and wish her happy birthday and thank her for the legendary experience she had given them all.