Chapter 45: Pit and the Pendulum

Back in the Overwatch command chair, Jeff held his hand up to block the oppressively painful image of Shub-Niggurath. "We're getting murdered here."

Dr. Hardy sat blankly in one of the cockpit chairs, his head in his hands. He had taken the news of the ponies deaths very hard, and had not spoken a word since he collapsed into the seat.

Jeff looked at Celestia, at his wit's end. "Any ideas?"

Celestia forced herself to think, her brain clouded by emotion, her eyes cloudy with tears. "I have go out there," she said finally, pushing her sadness and pain into the back of her mind and hiding it.

No time for tears, Celestia. There will be plenty of time later, when you cry into your pillow for hours, sorrow and loss hollowing your insides until you collapse into yourself, an empty shell of pain and misery. But save your self-torture for later.

She forced herself to sit up straight in her chair. "I am the only one who can give you a chance. Nopony else has sufficient magic to damage the Blasphemy Focus. I have to hit it full force, and I have to be close."

"Not by yourself you aren't. I'm going with you," Jeff replied.

"You don't have magic," Celestia said.

"I have this," he picked up his rifle, checked the magazine, racked the slide. "And I'll be damned if I let you go alone after all the time you and I spent training together."

"I'm going too," Chris said.

"Oh no you're not. You're in command now," Jeff said. "The tank is yours. You know what that means."

Chris and Emmy looked at each other.

The missile.

"Yeah. We understand," Chris said. He tried to force a smile, but it came out as a twisted grimace. "Watch your flanks out there."

"I shall watch his flank with utmost care," Celestia said without an ounce of humor.

Chris and Emmy watched them head for the rear hatch, then step through quickly, sealing the armored door behind them.

"We're all going to die here, aren't we?" Emmy whispered.

Chris put a hand on her warm neck. "I hope not. But I fear yes."

Emmy nuzzled his chest. "I think I'm okay with that, as long as it's with you."

***

Jeff and Celestia ran down the slope, dodging from boulder to boulder. They avoided the APCs, trying not to draw more attention to themselves than necessary as they maneuvered towards Shub-Niggurath.

On the battlefield, the humans and Equestrians were falling back in disarray, the Blasphemy Focus hanging above. Streams of unclean energy went from the Eldritch Abomination into the Focus, recharging it for another attack.

"Hurry," Celestia urged. "Let's not be caught in the open."

"Do everything you can to distract Shub-Niggurath!" Jeff heard Chris order on the command channel when he saw them getting close. "Celestia has to make it! Throw everything you have at Big Ugly! This is our only chance."

Jeff and Celestia were running past the last retreating humans and Equestrians, and onto the maze of boulders and cracked ground that surrounded Shub-Niggurath like a moat filled with nightmare creatures. Behind them, small arms fired with renewed vigor, the teams combining around the Overwatch tank for a last stand. Jeff risked a swift glance behind. Trixie and Lyra desperately blocked incoming attacks, their magic stretched to the limit. Behind their shielding, gunfire spat out, aiming solely for Shub-Niggurath now. Several rockets launched from the group. None of the attacks caused any actual damage to the huge evil entity, but without a doubt they were creating a distraction. Even so, Jeff feared any second now they would be blasted by the creature.

"Jeff! I can pop smoke on your approach!" Chris called over the headset. "Just say the word!"

"Do it!" Jeff yelled.

A hollow banging sound came from behind him, the Overwatch launching harmless smoke grenades. The canisters fell to the left and right, then several more fell farther out. In seconds, a large cloud of concealing smoke was drifting up around them, making it much more difficult to see, but also more difficult to be seen.

Several wooshing noises came from behind, and then blinding, flickering light filled the area. Chris had launched multiple illumination flares in the general direction of the monster's eye.

"Good job Chris. I think you just saved our ass-" Jeff cut off as a thick tentacle flew towards his face out of the smoke. He instinctively thrust his rifle in front to block the attack. The claw slammed into it at high velocity, throwing him backwards off his feet. As he hit the ground he rolled, his pistol skittering away and clanking down into an unseen crevasse. When he tried to get to his feet he took another blow squarely in the back of his exo that tossed him off a nearby ledge, where he fell face down onto the dirt ten feet below. His vision burst into stars and he choked as the fall knocked the wind out of him.

He grabbed for his rifle, then realized it had been sliced almost completely in half, with the scope and bolt assembly gone. Hearing noises above he looked up in a panic, but the creature above did not pursue him over the ledge.

Jeff pushed himself up from the ground and stumbled to his feet. He unhooked the rifle, now hanging uselessly off his body, and dropped it onto the ground with a clank. He then reached down and unhooked the plasma blade holstered at his thigh. As he pulled it free, he heard strong hoof beats approaching from behind. He turned just as Celestia charged up next to him, nostrils flared and shining hair streaming behind her in the smoke and dust.

She quickly knelt down and looked at him with eyes full of bravery and determination.

"Quickly, mount me. We can move faster together."

Jeff grinned a little at her choice of words, despite the blood running down his face.

Weird the things that go through your mind when you're about to die.

He dragged himself carefully onto her back and held her body with his knees as she stood.

"Take care not to fall off."

Jeff leaned forward, putting his hand on her neck and speaking to her through their headsets.

"I'll try not to. And watch your wings, let me know before you start trying to fly or something. I don't want to cut you with this thing."

"To be honest, I don't want you to either. And I do believe that flying would make us into an even bigger target than we currently are. But hold a moment. I will get us out of this pit."

She crouched and launched up, landing gracefully on top of the cracked ground. "Ready?" she asked.

Jeff pressed a button and extended the glowing purple plasma blade. Twilight's magic-imbued crystal contained the high energy field, and it hummed and vibrated menacingly when it emerged from the handle. He spun it a few times, then swung it upward, raising the brilliantly shining weapon towards the sky. "Victory or death!"

Celestia reared back, then leapt forward, and together they charged into into the final gauntlet.

Smoke and steam added to the low-lying mist already present in parts of the valley to create a nightmarish,otherworldly landscape. Otherworldly things scurried through the mist and smoke. Jeff scanned what he could see of the battlefield, keeping his left hand on Celestia's neck. He touched her there as a devilish form burst from the shadows, and she responded instantly, rearing to the side as he swung his blade down hard. The merciless plasma cleaved the attacking monster almost into two pieces. It fell to the ground in a spurt of black blood, steaming and squirming as its foul smelling internal organs fell out onto the ground.

He touched her again, and she dodged to the right, narrowly avoiding the sting of a scorpion-tailed five foot mound of flesh that had slid silently towards them like a snail. It leered at them greedily with slimy eye stalks. Jeff swung again and severed the tail and both eye stalks, continuing down to severely slice the monster's body. Celestia sprang back as it thrashed around in a blind rage, mortally wounded and spewing a geyser of yellow bile. The ground steamed and rocks bubbled where the acidic mixture splashed.

Celestia swung her hoof and a magic force blast swept the slime backwards as she pranced away from the mess. "Above!" she exclaimed.

Jeff leaned back, swinging the blade above in a backwards arc. It met the claws of a leaping airborne insect-like form in midair, inflicting heavy damage and deflecting the blow. Ichor splattered across his face as the creature fell to the side and rolled over and over on the ground.

He wiped away the thick, syrupy black body fluid with one hand, scanning for additional threats. Bullets, lasers, and magic beams scorched through the air around them as Equestrians and ProteC security fought against the creatures of darkness for the future of two worlds.

Celestia bucked, humping up under him as she braced her front hooves and lashed out forcefully with her rear legs, sending another attacker rolling away in a tangle of tentacles and barbs.

A creature like a four-foot pitcher plant crawled towards them out of the mist. It expanded, then contracted suddenly, launched a ball of slime in their direction.

The slime splashed nearby on the ground, a hissing sound rising as it ate into solid rock.

Celestia leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, and returned fire with her .50 caliber rifle. Half the monster disappeared in a cloud of acid, and the mist immediately began to devour the other half as it flopped onto the ground, thrashing wildly.

At the same time, Jeff felt himself falling from the sudden movement. He scrabbled at her neck in a panic, unable to gain purchase. The the puddle of acid almost directly below bubbled and popped as he slid slowly off Celestia's back towards it.

"Help!"

He felt a warm force cradle him and stop his fall, lifting him gently back upright. Celestia's magic horn stopped glowing as she returned him to his seat, and she backed away from the menacing acid puddle, her golden hooves stepping with care.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yes, thanks to you," he gasped. "That was close."

"We are here," Celestia added, glancing upward. "We are at the foot of Shub-Niggurath, below the Blasphemy Focus. I must cast a spell-"

She was cut off by the sudden blast of Shub-Niggurath's horn, only meters from where they stood. She crouched down on top of Jeff, spreading her wings and ducking her head down to protect him from the gale as much as she could.