Salt, Anger, And Booze

Salt, Anger, And Booze
Part 20: But Far From Forgotten

By: Major Frostwing

Nightmare sat a top of the cloud staring down at Ponyville. She adjusted the blade on her back slightly making sure it sat right on her back. Jon had named the blade immediately when he got it. The blade seemed to want to be swung and wielded with reckless abandon. Nightmare didn't know why Jon had poured so much hate into the blade but it fit the blade perfectly. Solaris the other blade she carried on her back seemed to be content with not being used. Not like she could wield it anyway.

Nightmare watched Twilight running around telling her friends to herd everyone out of town and to a safe zone for them to be. Nightmare rolled her wrist cracking it loudly as she saw the monster stomp towards the town.

Tirek was the monster's name and he was a magic sucking parasite. Nightmare let out a sigh placing a hand over her heart. "Who am I kidding? I'm a monster as well... But at least I kill the real monsters." Nightmare took a deep breath as she continued to wait. She would only move when the time was right. Until then she needed to be patient. Nightmare clenched her hands into tight fists before letting them relax.

Tirek stomped his march on the small town to charge a beam of energy launching it at the buildings. The buildings could not hold up against the onslaught of pure destructive power as they exploded and collapsed from the damage.

Nightmare couldn't help but tighten her grip on Umbra.

Tirek walked forward burning and destroying anything in his path. Nightmare's blood boiled at the violence being thrown on these innocents. She just wanted to jump down there and destroy the monster but she needed to wait. His time would come.

Nightmare saw Twilight running through the town making her way away from Tirek when he caught sight of her. Nightmare raised her hand taking aim at Twilight Tirek launched a beam right at the Library that was Twilight's home. Nightmare had put up a shield to protect Twilight from the destruction that was about to occurred as she was thrown out of her blown up home. Nightmare dropped the shield the second she was out of harm's way.

Twilight was thrown into a blind rage as she charged at Tirek with reckless abandon as she launched a huge beam of energy that slammed into the shield Tirek surrounded himself in. Nightmare was about to jump down. Her need to fight and kill Tirek running on high but she held herself back. There was a plan... Jon came up with every scenario and she was going to follow it to the letter. Protocol 7 is necessary.

Twilight and Tirek continued to fight launching huge destructive attacks. Nightmare continued to shake with rage as she wanted to fight but couldn't. She stood up drawing Umbra from her back as she got ready to fight. It was almost time to put the plan into action.

Twilight was thrown into a single choice. Either pick between keeping her magic and the magic of the other Alicorns or save her friends. Twilight decided to throw away her magic as she was thrown to her other friends. Each of them had already been drained of their magic and Tirek let out a loud bellow of laughter as he raised his hand towards them a large ball of energy appearing in his hand aimed right at them.

"NOW TO MAKE SURE NONE OF YOU CAN EVER OPPOSE ME!" Tirek yelled as he prepared to launch his attack. Nightmare got in position as she jumped off the cloud falling down between Tirek and his target.

Twilight and her friends cowered as Nightmare landed right in the path of the attack raising Umbra blade facing towards Tirek as he launched his attack. The beam of energy slammed into Umbra as the beam was split in half harmlessly passing by all of them. Tirek stared with wide eyes as Nightmare stared down her target.

"And what are you supposed to be?" Tirek asked as Nightmare stood tall cracking her neck. "Do you think you have the power to take me on?" Tirek asked with a loud bout of laughter.

Twilight looked up to see Nightmare's back. "J-Jon?" Twilight asked as Nightmare spun the blade once slamming it into the ground before herself.

"I have absorbed the power of every alicorn on this planet I control the sun and moon. What makes you think you can even challenge me?" Tirek asked as Nightmare cracked a smile under her helmet.

"Simple really." Nightmare said with her two tone voice. "We have a plan." Nightmare disappeared in a flash as she was suddenly in front of Tirek's face fist reared back as she cracked Tirek right in the face with all her might. Tirek's face was forced to the left as he took two steps back holding his face in pain.

"Jon? Is that really you?" Twilight asked as Nightmare walked back towards them taking hold of Umbra lifting it up onto her shoulder.

"No... Jon is gone..." Nightmare said as she turned back towards Tirek. "You all need to get out of here. It will take everything in my power to take down Tirek and with you all here I can't pull out all the stops." Tirek looked up at Nightmare roaring in anger as he launched a ball of energy right at them. Nightmare baseball swung Umbra knocking the ball right back at Tirek which knocked him back into a partially collapsed building.

"So you are Nightmare Moon and Jon is gone. We were to kill you when you took Jon over. But Jon disappeared. Where did you go?" Twilight asked as Nightmare looked over her shoulder.

"We will talk later now get out of here." Nightmare said as she jumped right head long into the fight against Tirek.

Nightmare didn't lie it took everything in her power just to keep Teric at bay. She was constantly on the defensive after Tirek was able to get his footing. Nightmare raised Umbra blocking another strike from Tirek as his punch threw Nightmare through a building. She shook her head getting back to her feet jumping back at Tirek only to be caught by him in a bone crushing grip.

Nightmare tried everything in her power to break free of the grip but couldn't even budge.

"You have tested my patience you little gnat but now I can take that power you hold so dear. I will drain every ounce of magic in your body leaving you nothing more than a lifeless husk. Nothing can survive in this world with no magic in their body." Tirek said bringing Nightmare right up to his face.

"That doesn't sound so bad." Nightmare said as Tirek tightened his grip slightly making Nightmare take a gasp of air as it was force out of her.

"You say that now." Tirek opened his mouth as magic began to drain from Nightmare. She felt everything being pulled away as the armor around her body began receding to it's original form. Nightmare let out a weak smile as that last of her were pulled out of Jon's body.

"Protocol 7... In effect." Nightmare whispered out as the last of her was ripped out of Jon's body joining the magic storage of Tirek.

Jon's body hung limply in Tirek's grip. "Nothing more than a little gnat. Not even worth my time." Tirek muttered as he dropped Jon's limp body to the ground.

"NOW NOTHING CAN STOP ME! YOUR LAST CHAMPION LAYS ON THE GROUND DEAD I HAVE WON!" Tirek yelled as he let out a loud torrent of laughter Marching his way back towards Canterlot.

A light beat of music began as Tirek stopped to listen. He looked over his shoulder at where Jon laid down holding his phone in his hand a song playing through the tiny speaker.

"The fool must have been trying to use that strange device to defeat me. What could music do against a god?" Tirek asked as something made him pause.

Jon moved his phone setting it down on the ground before slowly getting to his feet. "Oh fuck I slept great." Jon said as he stretched his arms before looking over to Tirek the look in his eyes spoke of hatred even he did not know existed. "Now who woke me up from my nap? Cuz I am gonna fucking tear them in half." Jon reached up onto his back drawing Solaris slamming the blade into the ground with a wicked smile.

I stood before the giant behemoth that was most likely the cause of Protocol 7 being used. That means I don't have magic or any of my corrupting powers. Well it wouldn't be fun if it was too easy.

I looked down at my feet seeing Umbra laying on the grass. I cracked a smile leaning down picking up the blade. "Umbra good buddy I missed you while I was locked away." I said as I gave the blade a test swing.

"I drained you of all your magic..." I looked away from my blade looking at the monster once more.

"What's your fucking point? Who the fuck are you anyway?" I asked as I rested Solaris on my shoulder and leaned on Umbra.

"I AM TERIK!" Tirek yelled as I arched an eyebrow at him. "I have conquered Equestria so what can you hope to do now? You have no magic and nothing you do can harm my body." I looked down at Umbra before looking at Solaris smiling nodding my head.

"looks like you got a fair handicap if you ask me." I said rolling my shoulders cracking my neck as I slid Umbra into it's holster. "I will only use one sword at a time just so it is even more fair." I lowered Solaris off of my shoulder holding it at the ready. "So enough with your bitchin' and let's fight I got to scratch this itch."

Tirek raised his hand charging a bright red orange beam of magic. I raised Solaris with a smile as the attack flew right at me only for me to smack the beam aside into a burning building. "You fought a copy dear Tirek let's see how you deal with an original." I charged forward raising Solaris above my head. Tirek just smiled puffing his chest out as if challenging my attack head on.

I noticed a shield pop up around him as I began my swing. "LIKE THAT WILL STOP ME!" I yelled as Solaris cut right through the shield like a hot knife through butter. Solaris cut deep into Tirek's chest as wisps of energy flew out of his wound.

"WHAT IS THAT SWORD!?" Tirek demanded as I smiled giving Solaris a single spin before charging once again.

"It's nothing special." I said calmly swinging at Tirek once again only for him to dodge the blade. "NOW SIT STILL MOTHER FUCKER WHILE I GUT YOU!" I jumped forward only for Tirek to jump back dodging my swing. He set his hand over his wound as more wisps of energy flew out of his wound I saw a dark purple wisp fly out rocketing off towards Canterlot.

"Good... Protocol 8 is in effect. I am glad that Nightmare memorized all of my little plans and contingencies." I said to myself as I continued to chase after Tirek as he continued to dodge my attacks.

I swung Solaris aiming to cleave Tirek in half only for him to sidestep the swing. I cracked a wicked smile as Solaris slammed into the ground only for me to drag the blade through the dirt putting another cut across Tirek's chest. The cuts now crisscrossed each other as I jumped back drawing Umbra from it's hold on my back.

"I will enjoy crushing you into dust." Tirek growled as I let out a short laugh.

"I think you need to come up with something less cliche." I spun both Solaris and Umbra in my hands. "How about this." I pointed Umbra at Tirek as if taking aim. "When I finally put both of my blades into your chest cavity I am going to take a nice big tree trunk. Sharpen one end and proceed to introduce you to one of the most vile forms of killing." I smacked Solaris and Umbra together and White and black lightning arced between them.

"I dare you to try." Tirek raised his hand aiming right for my head.

"I am getting fed up with your shit Tirek... Like holy fuck you make me want to swan dive off a cliff." I jumped forward swinging Umbra with all my might. Tirek raised his shield as Umbra slammed into the shield.

"Than do it you insect." I gave a cocky smile as I reared back Solaris cutting right through the shield that protected him. I used my momentum to do a full spin dragging Umbra up right into Tirek arms as he raised them. He let out a roar of pain only to let out an even louder roar of pain as Solaris followed shortly after.

I smiled as I continued my onslaught swinging both Umbra and Solaris tearing through Tirek slowly but surely. Tirek was also shrinking according to what I could see more and more wisps flew out of Tirek's body in torrents. I couldn't help but laugh at the whole scenario.

"Tirek. Tirek. Tirek. How did you think this was going to end?" I asked taking a few steps towards Tirek's fallen form. "You were going to kill me then make your way to the rest of the world? Simple. Kill the last little resistance and assert your rule." I stopped just before him looking down at his pathetic form. "You failed to take out ONE weak, magic-less, pathetic, and useless creature. All because you didn't think of everything. You will remember this for all of a few seconds Tirek." I raised Solaris up slamming it through Tirek's back pinning him to the ground. I released Solaris dragging Umbra stepping to the side of him.

"Don't worry Tirek. I am a great barber. I'll just take a little off the top." I raise Umbra up before bringing Umbra down decapitating Tirek with a smile. I nodded at my work before sliding Umbra home in it's sheath. "Fuck! It is good to be back." I said ripping Solaris out of Tirek's body before sheathing it as well.

I sat down waiting. Everyone should have realized the large torrents of magic returning to all the people. So I decided to wait laying my back on the soft grass smiling as the sun beat down on my body. "I'm waiting Nightmare. Time to finish Protocol 8." I said to myself as I continued to relax in silence.