About Us, Without Us

Damn piece of garbage, flowey, bastard, son of a changeling hit me way harder, then he had to.

Necri would continue in the inner insulting of whoever was the one who hit him in the back of the head, few seconds after being teleported from Hoofville, but was interrupted by another wave of pain and dizziness.

Calm down. Take it slowly and don´t stress your head.

The inquisitor closed his eyes, took a deep breath and the pain slowly faded away.

Alright. Now, what happened?

It took few more seconds for his world to stop spinning, until he could have a look around. What he saw was nothing special. Damp old room, which could´ve been a prison just as much as regular basement for storing potatoes.

In the light, pruduced by small crystals embedded in the ceiling, Necri found two things, which were at least somewhat interesting – sturdy looking wooden door and a young dark blue mare lying next to him, with worried look. Worried about him.

„Finally you are awake. They did it to you too, right? They took away your cutiemark, did they?“ the girl´s voice was weak and very sad. She must´ve been in that jail for much longer. But what cought Necri´s attention was the lack of her talent´s symbol.

„I never had one. But what do you mean? What in the name of Emperor did they do to you?“

The young pony, pegasus as Necri noticed, pulled away and stared at the ground.

„They...after capturing me in the forest they brought me into this huge room, I believe it was in this fort. They...they...there was this huge horned skull, propably larger then me. Their leader casted a spell and something raised me in front of it. Then...then the jaws opened and my energy was sucked from me into it,“ the mare burst in tears. „I woke up here. Without a cutiemark and my wings aren´t working!“

The girl covered her eyes with hooves and Necri could just heard muffled sobbing. What should he do? He never was in a situation, when he would have to comfort somepony. So he did the only thing that came to his mind and as gently as he could, the inquisitor stroked her mane.

„What is your name girl?“

„N-Nightglider.“ whimpered.

I heard it before. One of the villagers in Hoofville shouted it at that traitorous commander.

„From Hoofville, right? Then there is hope for you. Your army commander was a traitor, backing the rebels. But he and the rest were executed this...How long was I out?“

„Maybe few hours. I am not sure.“ Listening to Necri gave her back some hope and now carefuly listened, eyes still wet, but not crying anymore.

„Then it can´t be even half of day, since the Inquisition found out. You just have to wait.“

„And what about you?“

„Well, I assume they will do to me the same thing they did to you. But I would be suprised if they let me live.“

Right as he finished talking something clicked and the door into their cell opened with a lound screetch. In them stood clearly flustrated yellow pegasus with dark blue mane. After giving a quick look at the room his eyes stopped at Necri who was giving him a wide guilty grin.

Nearby

„You sure you are alright Twilight? It must´ve been a terrible experience.“ Sunnyside and Twilight were just walking through the fort to get the purple unicorn something for a late lunch, after waking up from three hours nap.

When Twilight arrived, her and Necri appeared in some room just as Sunnyside was discussing something about reinforcements with her subordinates. After one of the soldiers knocked the inquisitor out, and Twilight told them what happened, the leader of the rebelion insisted, that Twilight would go to sleep right away.

„Yes, I am sure. I just am not used to seeing things like that happen.“

„You´ve seen the true nature of Inquisition. The moment you step out of the line it´s the end for you. Anyway, before I forget: I received some unnerving reports from our scout, who went to find your belongings and to find the portal you came here from. Now he is exceptionally sensitive pony in terms of sensing magic of all kinds, but he didn´t find your things, neither did he find any sign of there being any kind of portal in the stones you´ve described.“

The second discovery shocked Twilight. It was no suprise that her things weren´t there anymore, since if Snaky was as competent as she heard, collecting them would be the first thing for him to do after capturing her. But how could a portal made by dark magic simply vanish?

„It must´ve closed and your scout couldn´t feel it, because the source was always on the other side.“

„Or Snaky closed it, to keep you here. Though I am unsure as to why.“

„Hmm. Do you think I could have a talk with Necri? He seems to be of some higher rank, so maybe he knows something.“

„Bah. Inquisitors would rather bite off their tongues then to betray. But you are welcome to try. If Snaky has plans for you and he knows them, he might be more open to you.“

„Thank you Sunnyside. I really appreciate what you guys are doing for me.“

„Don´t  worry about it. We couldn´t keep on fighting for thousands of years, if we didn´t  take care of our own.“

Not knowing what else to say, Twilight just smiled and teleported on a place in the fort, where she knew was a way to the cellar, that the rebels used as a prison. During the short time the purple unicorn was part of the rebellion, ponies learned about her and so she never ran into any problems, when she would be forbidden to go somewhere.

The unicorn also had a small suspicion that it was Sunnyside´s influence, since why would all those militants just randomly trust her?

Strange. I would expect there to be guards.

There was nopony standing at the door, where she was told Necri was put in and as she got closer, Twilight noticed that they were opened.

Prepared to cast a spell if needed she slowly approached the cell and looked inside. As far as she could say there were three ponies inside. Somepony hidden under a blanket in the corner and Necri talking with Gleam.

„...really doesn´t matter. Oh, our little heroine arrived.“

Gleam turned around and for a fraction of s second, Twilight could see hostility in his eyes, but it for such short time that she wasn´t sure, if it wasn´t  just her mind playing tricks on her from hunger.

„You need something?“ Asked with his usual kind voice and made Twilight lean to the second option.

„I want to talk with Necri about my arrival into this world. But why isn´t there anybody guarding the cell?“

„Regular militants are not allowed to be anywhere near an interrogation. Also this champ is not going anywhere.“ Gleam pointed with his hoof at inquisitors´s horn and Twilight saw a simple looking ring with a crystal on it.

„Inquisitors are usually worthless without their magic and with this little thing he can´t even make light for himself.“ Necri pierced him with a look of utmost discoust and flustration, but didn´t say anything.

„Welp, I already got what I wanted from him, so suit yourself. When you are done just close the door, it locks itself on it´s own.“

Without paying his prisioner any further attention Gleam walked past Twilight and soon the sound of his hooves faded in the distance.

With Gleam gone Twilight could for the first time have a good look at the inquisitor and how she was wrong, when she guessed his age to be higher or the same as hers. Necri was barely an adult, maybe as old as she the purple unicorn when she moved to Ponyville.

So young, yet looking into his eyes I feel like the younger one.

„Um...hi. How do you feel?“

„Well enough I suppose. My burns were treated and I am still very much alive. Which isn´t something I can´t say about the last prisioner I saw. But you didn´t come here to ask me how I am doing. What do you want Twilight?“

„I...wait. How do you know my name?“

„I found you report book and short story shorter, somepony told me. And I know it´s you, because, as frisky as it sounds, your smell is rather unique in this world. Smell of books. Rare of itself, but most importantly, ponies our of your power should smell of war. Ups, sorry. Getting off track a bit. At the end, my time here is limited and I shouldn´t waste time of somepony who tried to save me.“

Is he trying to confuse me? Well, he won´t manage that. I just need to stay focused and stay on top of the situation.

„Was it you, who captured me?“ Twilight was almost certain that it wasn´t him, but Snaky Arcanum who chased her, but maybe he would go on a rant again and said more then he intended.

„No. That was my master. The grand inquisitor Snaky Arcanum. I only collected your things.“

„What about the portal? What did you do with it?“

For the first time Necri´s face changed from smugness into confusion.

„There was no portal. I maybe didn´t  notice your arrival, but we would know, if something like that existed on that place. Also Snaky doesn´t even know, that you are from another world yet. He propably suspects it, but I didn´t have the opportunity to tell him what I know about you.“

„I would tell you, if you asked. You shouldn´t be suprised I escaped, after your master kidnapped and imprisioned me. Why did he do it?“

„Heh, you make me interested in your world. It must be rather strange place...“ the inqusitor grinned and looked her straight in the eyes.

„...if you consider being put in a warm bed in a guest room belonging to the second most powerful pony in the world as imprisionment. Following that logic I should just bash my head into to wall to escape my suffering.“ Necri laught at his own joke.

„But let me ask you a question. Imagine yourself to be protector of ponies, who are not powerful enough to defend themselves. Got it? Then let´s continue. Now imagine that something incredibly powerful appears. Now. Let´s say that that something is tainted with dark magic and is getting near a village inhabited by pretty much just farmers. My question is: What would you do?“

The realization hit her like a hammer. The portal tainted her, at least for a time. She should´ve expeced something like that, but in her Equestria everypony just assumed she had a good reason for everything. Cadence must´ve felt, that Twilight used dark magic, when they were fighting in the Crystal Empire. but in the Union nopony knew her. To them, she was just a powerful unicorn, who might be on her way to be corrupted by evil. And it was true, that she headed straight to the village, though for different reasons, then Snaky thought. But he couldn´t  know that.

„So...that´s why? I didn´t even thought of that. Snaky was worried, that I would attack the citizens.“

„You are starting to understand how things work here. And let me also tell you, that he had full right to kill you on the spot, because using dark magic is strictly forbidden for non-inquisitors.“

„So...Snaky personally went to stop me. Vortex jumped in front of dragon´s flame to protect the villagers and his comrades. Then you risked your life to save me – an outlander. You inquisitors really do serve and protect the innocent, don´t you?“

„What are you hinting at?“

„You are prepared to lay down your lives, if it means protecting those, who are too weak. Even though you don´t know them personaly.“

Necri stayed silent, but his smugness was all gone and was replaced by attention.

„You do all that, but then you also execute ponies for sympathizing with the rebellion, who want nothing but live their lives as they see fit. This is not as much of a question,  but rather a request. Inquisition should become part of the rebellion. And together you all could overthrow the Emperor. You don´t have to follow his orders, I am sure that you or Snaky are strong enough to fight the fear of him. Everypony could then be happy. Live their lives happily, with strong and respected army and Inquisition there to protect them from dragons and other beasts. What do you say to this?“

Twilight expected him to start laughing. to become angry or just plain refuse her, but instead Necri for the first time dodged her eyes, tension disappeared from his body and his face showed nothing but sadness.

„Can...can I tell you a story? It´s quite a long one, so you might want to sit down,“ the purple unicorn did as he told her, and sat in front of him. If not for the fact they were in a jail cell, it would feel like comforting a friend back home.

„My name is just Necri. Quite a strange name, wouldn´t  you say? It´s not the one my parents gave me and I don´t even know the name of my familly. This is a name I was given when I was found as few weeks old newborn inside a rented house, covered in blood of my mother, who´s corpse I was embracing. Maybe I was cold, I don´t know. Along with us there were other bodies. Soldiers from organization that betrayed the Union and joined the rebellion. From what I gathered, when I grew older, they murdered my mother, because my father was an inquisitor.

I grew up in an orphanage, but it wasn´t a bad childhood. I always had somepony to play with and we were being raised by loving elderly couple, so I definetely can´t complain about my childhood. When I was old enough I joined the army. Every stallion has to eventually, but I did it, before it was my obligation. Now, you´ve seen soldiers in Hoofville. In larger villages like that some of them can be actual professionals, but most of the time guarding the streets is a job for rookies like myself and like Shadeleaf. He was my childhood friend, I still remember playing hoofball with him. He was a cool but strange guy. He was scared of dogs and didn´t like cats, or cattle but he loved reptiles and was his dream to become a breeder.

Welp, one day, as the hot headed youngligs we were, we pleaded our officer to allow us guard the road. Your friends might´ve told you about that. Asking ponies to show their documents. It´s the most life threatening job rookie soldiers can get. Well, one day we met a mare, who looked a bit suspicious, so we asked her to show us documents. There was nothing wrong with them, just her mane color was different, propably colored. We would let her go, Shadeleaf just had to ask her if that´s really her. It was, like, what we were told to do.

But out of nowhere she pulled out a knife, stabbed him in the chest and tried to make a run for it. Of course the knife quickly found itself in her back, but the damage has been done and Shadeleaf died few minutes later. Leaving behind him a younger sister, who then abandoned her dreams and joined the Inquisition, so she could one day have her revenge on the rebellion.“

„Revenge is not going to bring anypony back.“ noted Twilight and immediately regretted it.

„THEN FUCKING TELL HER! Tell her that her big brother is never coming back! That no matter what she does there is nothing she can do! Tell her, that life in not always fair and she has to deal with it! Go ask HER, if she want´s to join you in overthrowing the Emperor! It´s been a year and still I hear from her roomates from the hostel, that some night she cries herself to sleep. Or ask that girl over there!“

Necri pointed at the pony who was covering herself with the blanket and Twilight could now see her strangely pale blue coat and scared look.

„Your friends stole her cutiemark with some messed up magic. She used to be one of the best fliers in Emperor´s Garden region and now she will be happy, if she will ever be able to fly again. All for you selfish goals. That´s all your rebellion is. Ponies who want more then they deserve, things at the expense of their follow citizens and think of nothing but satisfy their greed.“

„I am sorry, I didn´t...“

„Leave. Leave or I swear to the Emperor I will bite through your neck.“

There was nothing Twilight could say to fix what she caused and she didn´t know any remedy that could close the wound she opened by her own ignorance and so the unicorn just closed the door and went to find Sunnyside, on her way thinking about the things she learned.

I was so stupid to think, that things could work like they do at home. It doesn´t matter, that the rebellion wishes well, both sides caused so much pain to the other through out the millennia and those wounds might never heal up, even if there was to be no more war.

„This is my warning: attack, what those ponies hold dear and you will beg even King Sombra, to save you from them.“ Twilight whispered, as she remembered the last sentence written in Starswirl´s warning. Twilight could feel her eyes getting wet.

I was foolish to think, that friendship might not exist here. These ponies, both rebels and imperials, have loved ones just like we do. Would we be like them, if there was a war? Now I think of Queen Chrysalis as more of hassle, but what would I think of her, if she or her changelings killed Shining? Would I be able to forgive them? Of course I wouldn´t.

Later

„Sunnyside?“ asked Twilight, when she finished chewing on piece of „leccho“, a firm bar made of compressed fruit and vegetable. It was quite tasteless, but she was told, that it´s commonly used food in the army, as it doesn´t  take up much space and a pony could live on it for months without any digestive problems.

„Hm?“

„I...I don´t want it to look like I don´t trust you, but I have to keep thinking about that girl, that was in the cell with Necri. Why did we need her pegasus magic?“

„You sound like that kind of magic is not unknown to you.“

„It´s not. Our enemy back home had that kind of power, but we had power of four alicorns to fight him, unlike here and that´s why I am worried.“

„I see. Well, you don´t  have to worry about that. We are using a relic to take inborn magic from ponies. But I understand you having doubts about the correctness of something like that. You remember what I told about the First?“

„Of course.“

„Well, to be really straightforward he is the only one, besides Snaky Arcanum, who could defeat the Emperor. Those two are the only living pureblooded unicorns in the Union and we plan on realising the First from his prison.“

„But even if they are pureblooded, how they be a match to the Emperor? Wasn´t he the only one who didn´t divide his power when the pony races were created?“

„He was, but it isn´t only about the magical power. It´s about experience and knowledge. According to legends the First knew the Emperor for centuries and also fought in the First War against the newly created Inquisition. If there is somebody who might know Emperor´s weakness it´s him.“

„Hmm, you said that the First has been sealed into a crystal, yes? Then it should absolutely be possible to free him. It strongly depends on the kind of spell, but I am confident that a hit containing more magic than the crystal iself should shatter it. But that´s only theory I know from a book.“

„Yes. It should be possible to destroy it. But as you said, we need a power exceeding that of Abyss Arcanum. And that´s  what we are gathering. Unfortunately we don´t have the following the Inquisition has and if we took the magic from our own, soon there would be nopony left to actually free the First. It´s evil and I hate that we had to take the cutiemark of that girl and of some other, but tell me, if it works, won´t  it all be worthed?“

„I guess. I assume you are going to take Necri´s magic too, right?“

„Yes. Everything is prepared and we will start right when we finish eating.“

„Is it going to work? I noticed that for some reason he doesn´t  have a cutiemark.“

„Yes, that suprised me too, but there is no need to worry. The magic is inside of him, it just didn´t manifest itself in the form of a cutiemark, is all.“

Both mares continued eating in silence and Twilight kinda wished it could take forever. Necri was an enemy and she had to agree with Sunnyside, that taking his magic would be for greater good, but she still felt like she was betraying him.

„Let´s go. The sooner we are done, the better. The necklace wasn´t supposed to bring Necri with you, I am still not quite sure why it happened, and so we weren´t prepared for the ritual. The longer we hesitate the higher the chance is that the Inquisition could find us here.“

Both mares left the table in fort´s courtyard and Twilight followed the light blue mare into a large, empty room. The light was getting inside through windows near the ceiling which was so high, that a fully grown dragon could almost stand under it.

But it wasn´t as empty, as it seemed on the first look. On the wall, opposite to the entrance was a tall black altar, shaped like nothing Twilight seen before. And on top of it was a very familiar looking huge skull with horns tall like several ponies protruding from it´s forehead.

Even without flesh and skin Twilight could recognise the previous owner. Lord Tirek.

So that´s  how they they are capable of extracting magic.

And in front of the altar stood Necri with four other ponies guarding him. The inquisitor gave the newcomers short discousted look, but otherwise seemed to be in peace with his destiny.

Sunnyside´s horn shortly shined, a small bolt of blue magic hit the skull and made it weakly shine for few moments.

„Take off his ring.“

As she said so was done and the second the jewel left the inquisitor´s horn some power grabbed and raised him in the air in front of the skull. What happened next just multiplied Twilight´s remorse. It was just like when it happened to her. Necri gasped and his grey magic left the body in form of stream leading right into the skull´s open mouth.

Was it open when we came here?

Even though Necri was doing his best to keep silent and not show any pain, Twilight could see his body twitching and it just added to her misery.

I should save him. This is not right.

But she remained rational and instead looked at Sunnyside to see, if she felt the same way. To her suprise the leader of rebels was paying no attention to the ritual and instead it looked like she was checking something with her magic. Something that was going terribly wrong.

„What´s happening?“

„I don´t  know! Something is ripping apart all magical defenses around the fort!“

Now she could feel it too. Not because she would be attuned to the defenses like Sunnyside, who propably had a large part in creating them. What she felt was the disturbance. Not a sound, not a physical feeling, but something else, that could be described only as a sixth sense. Ability to feel sudden destruction of a magical creation.

And the destroyer was...next to her?

„Greetings ladies. My name is grand inquisitor Snaky Arcanum and I came here for my apprentice.“

Both mares startled jumped away from the voice, but that was the maximum Twilight was able to do, because she was frozen in place by fear, after looking at the newcomer.

He looked so tall, yet he wasn´t larger then for example Shining, but that wasn´t the source of the fear. Not even the grey uniform decorated with red suns, as she knew it was nothing more then fiber. What scared her was his face and the aura surrounding him. Fur grey like wet ashes, one green eye, one purple, both particaly hidden behind black mane with dark purple streams.

Just like some ponies had the aura of kindness like Cadence, or of loyalty like Shining, Snaky´s was  one of power, dominance and arrogance. Unlike Celestia, who has risen to power through wisdom and love of her subjects Snaky did so because he destroyed everypony who stood in his way, proving to anypony who might doubt his right to lead, that there are only two options. Follow or suffer the concequences of defiance.

He scared her, because of the lack of doubt. He was alone, facing her and Sunnyside. He couldn´t  not feel Twilight´s power, yet he was smiling. Even King Sombra showed more emotions and uncertainty then him. If that was how the grand inquisitor was, how could they hope to defeat the Emperor?

I was mistaken to think, that he would join us. We are rebels and so our lives mean nothing to him.

„No response? Shame. I imagined to have a dramatic argument with the fabled leader of rebels, but I can live without it. First let me explain why are you two still breathing. I want a deal.“

„A deal?“ got out of herself Sunnyside, who seemed to be just a bit less paralyzed then Twilight.

„Yes. It is quite simply really. I want you to free my apprentice and take my magic instead. Right now.“

The last sentence he said while looking at Necri, who was still suspended in the air, having his magic taken from him. He might´ve tried to sound calm, but after hearing that, Twilight noticed, that his body was tense and his eyes kept on looking in the other inquisitor´s direction.

So he is worried. But not about himself.

„You want...why?“

„I don´t expect you, an honorless rebel to understand it, but let´s say I made a promise to somepony. In either way he is not pureblooded, while I am and since you must be using a crystal to store that magic, there isn´t a way for me to stop the ritual, only replace the pony. So?“

„I agree! I give you my word, that Necri will be free to leave, once the ritual restarts!“ shouted Sunnyside, worried, that he might change his mind.

„Wonderful.“

Snaky teleported to the altar and waited for Sunnyside to do the changes. Her horn shorly shined again, Necri was dropped on the floor and his place was replaced by Snaky. As that happened, Twilight noticed something strange about the younger inquisitor. While his fur was still just as grey as before since the skull didn´t get enough time to steal the core of his magic – the core that made every unicorn´s magic replenish ever time, the red stains were now barely visible.

„One more thing. I wasn´t completely honest.“ when Snaky said that, about twenty masked unicorns appeared in the room, wearing grey uniforms.

Next moment

So they finally arrived.

Gleam was leaning back on fort´s wall, when he heard sound of alarm and screams of his fellow ponies, warning their friends about the arrival of Imperial army.

But something new caught his attention. A young purple mare, who just appeared few meter from him, seemingly looking for somepony. When she noticed the militant, Twilight ran towards him.

„Gleam! Sunnyside said we need to find...“

The unicorn suddenly fell to the ground, slid few more centimeters and stayed laying on the ground, her eyes closed, only chest moving with every breath.

„So you are here too, huh? Long time no see.“ said Gleam calmly to a pony with dusty looking white fur and pitch black mane dressed in grey standing above Twilight.

„Yea. The last time was at the execution. Then you got this fine job opportunity and became too busy to hang out with an old friend.“

„You...I know you...Vortex Reach?“ whispered Twilight from the ground and got the attention of both ponies.

„Wow, you are still awake? Most impressing. This magic infused drug should knock out anypony.“

„Whatever, she is in no state to stop us anyway. But back to what you were saying. Since you idiots had to blow my cover, we can go for a drink someday.“

„Gleam? What are you...saying?“

„He is a spy. Not just anypony is allowed to be in this main base of yours and so, when I executed my sister, Gleam here got a perfect story that allowed him to be our only spy here.“ answered her Vortex with a huge grin. Twilight looked at her friend and saw he had the same experission.

„It is true. Vortex´s sister was nothing but a traitor and deserved her fate. But it would be a crime to not grasp such opportunity.“

„Talking about executions, I want this girl to live. She helped us in Hoofville and I feel like I owe her.“

„Sure, I don´t care. It seems that there will be somepony else to kill anyway.“ Gleam pointed behind the inquisitor, where two very similar ponies were walking towards them. A black earth pony stallion with light blue mane and light blue pegasus mare with black mane.

„You hear big bro? Two traitors! Or maybe, one traitor and one villain? Which one is worse? What do you think? I think that they are both same! Shame. Such cute young guys and now they have to die.“ exclaimed the mare whose way of talking reminded Twilight Pinkie Pie. If it wasn´t for the last sentence.

„A bit arrogant, don´t  you think? Arrogance brings ponies to graves, when they don´t have the power to back it up.“ noted Gleam and conjured a blade from bracelet he had on his foreleg.

„If you think you can meassure to the fasted pony in the Union, then come at me. But I should tell you boys, that you should attack together. One on one wouldn´t be really fair. And don´t worry about my big bro. He wouldn´t  hurt a fly.“

„Cha! I can handle you on my own!“ Gleam´s wings shot him forward, his weapon ready to strike. In the next moment he flew in the other direction, hitting the wall of the fort he was previously leaning back on. Vortex didn´t truly see the mare move, only turn into a blue flash, that in less then a second moved to his friend and send him flying with one hit.

„You Imperials are all the same. All talk. Maybe you can be a challenge, cute inquisitor colt.“

„Challenge you say?“ Vortex stared at her through tiny cracks, as the anger twisted his face. Sounds of fighting all around him gave him adrenaline rush and his body shaked trying to not attack her head on.

Guess I can´t run away from my destiny.

Inquisitor´s horn shined and fired bolt of magic in the air. Two things were weird about what he did. The magic seemed to have no color and the bolt stopped in mid air.

„That´s not where I am silly! I am right he-“ the rebel gasped for air and her body collapsed on the ground being crushed by some unknown force. When she looked at the spot where Vortex´s magic stopped, she noticed that the magic was gone and instead there was a hole in reality showing color, that made her head hurt, as it looked like nothing she saw before.

„Challenge, huh? You, a filthy rebel think you can meassure to me? I am Vortex Reach! I control the laws of reality itself! Now for your insolence, be suffocated by the very air you were meant to breathe and be crushed by the weight of you own bones!“

The rip in reallity seemed to be getting larger and drops of sweat were shining on inquisitor´s fur, but he kept on pushing and ground under the blue pegasus slowly, but surely got tainted by blood, as the force was so large, that even tiny stones pierced mare´s skin.

All was ruined when the earth pony, who until then didn´t move, incredibly quickly moved to Nexus and punched him in the stomach.

Few bones cracked, the young unicorn flew and hit the same wall Gleam did.

„No! Idiot...“ got out of himself, when he looked again at his creation. The hole in reality was growing larger at a terryfying rate and was already large enough to swallow a gryphon.

Vortex reached his hoof in an attempt to assume the control again, but his skin on itself tore across the entire foreleg and send him screaming in pain back to the ground.

Without control the mysterious power of annomaly was free and it showed it on it´s surroundings. The ground was changing, from stone to dirt, from dirt to sand and so on without any order. The effect were soon so noticable that the fighting between the army and rebels started to die down, as everpony side by side watched in horrow what Vortex´s spell was doing.

Sometimes somepony shouted something like „Somepony stop it!“

But he never got an answer, as nobody knew, what to do. It was when strange creatures created from dirt and grass stared crawling, flying or in other way moving towards the ponies, when all as one prepared their weapons to fight them.

Back in the fort

I don´t know what is he doing, but I must stop him. If I just could get pass them.

Necri was gone. The ritual knocked him out, but when the other inquisitiors appeared, one of them teleported him away by crushing a crystal necklace and something was telling her, that similar thing happened in fort´s prison.

The most worrying was what Snaky was doing to the skull and to the crystal that was connected to it. Instead of fighting, he was giving it all his magic in an absurd rate. A small stable stream like it was with Necri changed into current like from a hole in a dam.

The inqusitiors also weren´t force to udnerestimate. Alone they wouldn´t be hard to defeat, but as a group they were easily a match for Sunnyside, guards and few other rebels, who came to help her.

„I will admit,“ spoke Snaky again. „this crystal is truly strong. My magic is almost gone and yet it still isn´t full.“

A smile appeared on Sunnyside´s face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared, when the grand inquisitor turned his head and the rebels could see his green eye cry blood.

„But I have more then one way to get what I want.“ in the next second a red and black fog appeared around the eye and his whole body started to radiate darkness itself. The stream of purple magic abruptly ended and was replaced by one of black, red and green color.

More and more magic was being poured through the skull, until it finally gave up and shattered. Without the skull to control the flow of magic the crystal became unstable and flew in the air following the stream of Snaky´s magic. Soon enough it also started to crack, creating pulses that made everypony in the room bleed from their noses, two ponies even fell on the ground dead.

The walls shaked under the power of the crystal, and it kept getting stronger as Snaky continued in feeding it with his magic.

Then he just stopped. The grand inquisitor was gone and so were his subordinates. Only rebels and cracking crystal remained. A crystal soon to explode and take everypony with him.

Outside

„Watch out!“ shouted a soldier, who´s armor was too destroyed and filthy for his allegiance to be recognisable, as he jumped to protect another pony from a horror-like monster created from bodies of the fallen, holding together with dirt and blood.

The soldier raised his magical shield and waited for the creature to hit. But it never did. The monstrum fell apart, like it never existed. But the abomonations weren´t the only things, that were gone. There were no Imperial soldiers anywhere. And mainly no anomaly.

But Twilight knew, that they are not safe yet. With the spell fading from her body she teleported herself to the ritual room, where she felt some dark an unstable magic.

„Twilight! Thank the First you are alright!“ the purple unicorn looked around until she saw Sunnyside, lying on the ground badly burned.

„Oh Celestia, what happened to you?“

„It´s the crystal. Agh, Snaky wanted to kill us all by overflowing it and leveling the fort by the explosion. I tried to stop it, but the power is too strong. Too evil.“

„What should I do?“

„Anything! Just please, save my people!“

Twilight looked at the source of destruction. The crystal was shining with different colors and with every heart-like beat it sended another wave of destructive magic.

I´ve bested dark magic once before. This time it´s even more important. Now I can truly help these ponies for the first time.

With that thought Twilight plunged her mind and soul into the center of the crystal. Immidiately she was attacked. Not by the magic itself, but by parts of it´s previous owners. She could feel one dark blue filled with kidness and ambition, most likely belonging to the mare she shortly met, then deathly gray and dark purple, both very similar, yet different in their own ways. Both pained her with hatred, sadness. It was as if she could see in the hearts of the magic´s owners. She could feel their lost, their hope, anger and love.

Her mind and soul were constantly being burned, stabbed and hit, while at the same time being healed, kissed and hugged.

I have to form it into something less chaotic.

Twilight put all of her power into respoding, but her response was one of order. Separation. The new form had to represent the magic it was created from. Sharp, filled with hatred and pain, yet protective, kind and nice.

She could feel her magic fondle her feathers, tail and mane.

Finally everything stopped. The pulsing magic was now stable, not creating any more destruction. Twilight slowly opened her eyes to see her creation. A dark blade, blue heart as the guard and purple handle.

A sword. The only item capable of truly expressing the emotions that forged it. One that will surely make the Emperor fall.

„You did it! You saved us and most importantly, gave us hope at feeing the First!“ gasped Sunnyside, supported by two other rebels. Twilight looked around and saw that the room was filled with ponies.

„Did you see it? For a second she had wings!“ whispered somepony in the crowd.

„With her we can defeat the Emperor! We can win this!“ shouted somepony else.

„Yeah! You know what? I bet it won´t even be that hard with Twilight on our side! The coward never bothered to fight us and always let his Inquisition to do the dirty work! I bet he´s not even that powerful!“

„Wait. You don´t feel the fear of Emperor?“ asked Sunnyside slowly the pony who shouted, some light green midle age stallion.

„Well I...I...oh dear. I don´t! What about you friends?“

„I don´t.“

„Me neither.“

As they though about it, they realized nopony was under the influence of Emperor´s curse anymore.

Something happened, but Twilight had no intention of dwelling about it. Now was a time to celebrate.